Anderson’s Reinvention (Love in Mission City)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Anderson

If life were truly fair, I wouldn’t have found myself sitting at my dining room table, surrounded by university pamphlets, while my daughter chatted incessantly about all her options.

My baby girl.

Well, technically my niece. From the day she’d been placed in my arms, though, I’d known I’d be responsible for taking care of her for the rest of our lives.

I’d loved my sister, and had also known caring for Adele was beyond her. Then she died in a single-car crash just three months after Adele’s birth.

“I think I want to go to theater school like you did. I’ve done all those plays—even more than you did in high school.”

“You’re amazing.” Easy enough to say. My daughter had talent in spades. She’d embraced every role and given it her all—even if she was merely an extra. “Still—” I bit my lip. “I want you to take something practical.”

“Like business school.” She rolled her eyes. “Boring.” Somehow, she made the word sound as boring as the word.

“Accountants make good money.”

“Dad.” Again with the tone that bordered on whining.

“Adele.” I could dish it back as good as she gave.

Finally, she broke. “I love theater school, but I’m going to be more practical.”

Which relieved and amused me to no end. “And?”

She pulled a brochure out of the pile and handed it to me.

I blinked. “Optometry?”

She grinned. “Yep.”

Completely baffled, I started to read what she’d provided me. “Three years of undergraduate science?”

“At a minimum. Even though I don’t love school, I’d probably do four to earn my honors bachelor of science. Then, if things don’t work out, I can try something else. You know, like med school or teacher’s college.”

My head swam. “Teacher’s college is only an extra year, right?”

“Closer to two with the practicum.” She snatched the brochure.

“The optometry school says they don’t give preference to one university over another, but I think it would be cool to go to Aunt Yvonne’s alma mater.

That’s the University of Waterloo. And they offer the only English-language optometry school in Canada.

My French isn’t good enough to go to the Université de Montréal. ”

Her French was excellent. She had straight A-pluses in all her classes. Pretty much, she could go anywhere she wanted.

Within reason.

She handed me the brochure for an undergraduate science program at the University of Waterloo.

I did my best not to faint. You priced out universities closer to home, and they’re not much cheaper. The university in Abbotsford was the closest and the most logical. Except it didn’t rival the University of British Columbia or, apparently, the University of Waterloo.

“Aunt Yvonne said if I get in, she’ll pay the tuition, books, and residence costs.”

“What?” I tried to wrap my mind around what a gift that would be.

I’d been saving for Adele’s university fund as soon as I’d been able.

Thinking about all the times I’d gone out for drinks with friends, or on hookups that required hotel rooms, or…

I slammed the door shut. I was not going to feel guilty about trying to have a life beyond my beloved child.

I cleared my throat. “I’ll have to talk to Yvonne. That would mean—” I gulped.

Adele placed her hand over mine. “I know.”

I blinked. “Yvonne isn’t—”

“Blood? Yeah, I know. But she says she wants me to have the same opportunities as Paget and Sedona—even though they’re her real family.”

“They’re all our family.” My boss, Shaw, had met Damien in…

interesting circumstances. Damien had brought his twin daughters into the relationship.

Along for the ride was his sister-in-law, Yvonne.

Damien hadn’t coped with the death of his wife very well—because who would?

In the end, he’d accepted his sister-in-law’s help.

“How does Yvonne have all this money?”

Adele shrugged. “The life insurance money from the twins’ mom’s death is going to pay for their schooling. Yvonne…I dunno. She’s had really important jobs and done really amazing things. Apparently, she’d just been saving that money. Now she wants me to have it.”

I cleared my throat again. “I’ll need to have a chat with her. I guess you need to start filling out these applications shortly?”

She bit her lower lip.

“Ah, you’ve already filled them out. You just wanted to prepare me if these institutions come back with acceptances.”

She hopped out of her seat, pecked a kiss on my cheek, and headed upstairs to her room.

I slowly began to collect all the brochures, ensuring the one for the University of Waterloo was on top.

Should’ve agreed to theater school. In the next heartbeat, the idea of my daughter becoming an optometrist warmed my heart.

What I needed to do was contact Yvonne. Her offer was way too generous.

I looked around the house I’d finished paying for just two years ago.

My mother’s unexpected passing had left a life insurance policy that paid the mortgage and put a small amount aside for Adele’s schooling.

I didn’t regret not having made the mortgage payments for this time, but should I have put all the money into an account for Adele? I just didn’t know.

A knock sounded at my door.

I frowned.

Adele thundered down the stairs. “Uncle Damien’s here.”

“Uh, okay.”

At the foot of the stairs, she turned to stare. “You’re going to the Christmas Market with him while I’m going to see the movie with Sedona and Paget.” She held out her hands.

I dug in my pocket and pulled out my keys.

She kissed me on the cheek, then headed to the front door. She swung it open with a huge grin. “Hi, Uncle Damien.”

“Hello, kiddo. Drive safe, okay?”

Through the open doorway, I spotted his daughters leaning against my car. To my relief, his was parked next to it.

As Adele bounced down the driveway, Damien stepped into the hallway and shut the door. “You’re just glad I didn’t bring the motorcycle.”

“Would’ve been tough to ride with two grown daughters on the back.” I snagged my jacket. “Sorry, I forgot.”

“What’s up?”

“Adele is talking universities, and I’m seeing dollar signs.”

Damien nodded. “I have some saved for the girls. Plus, there’s the life insurance from their mom’s policy. Shaw, of course, has already made it clear he’ll pay whatever.”

I nudged Damien as we headed out the door. “Guess it’s good to be married to some rich guy.”

His blue eyes sparkled in the bright December daylight. “Would’ve chosen him if he had nothing. Him saving my life kind of sealed the deal, though.”

So much said and unsaid. Their story was far more complicated than just Shaw saving Damien after he was swept away by a rockslide and nearly thrown down the embankment and into the Fraser River.

No, Shaw had helped Damien cope with his grief and, in the end, assisted him in finding the strength to reunite with his daughters.

Daughters who easily accepted Shaw, and his dog Rufus, into their lives. Everyone was ready for a fresh start, and Mission City had offered that to them.

Including Yvonne.

I hopped into Damien’s SUV.

He got in as well and hit the heater. “I can’t believe how cold it is out there.”

“December tends to be chilly. Although January and February are worse, and you, my friend, should know that by now.”

“There's nothing like Thunder Bay cold.” He backed out of my driveway. “But I’ve come to expect warmer.”

I chuckled. “Well, it’s British Columbia. Wait ten minutes, and the weather will change.” I considered. “Why are we the ones going to the Christmas Market?”

He chuckled right back. “Because we’re exchanging homemade gifts this year. Shaw is taking the girls to the Richmond Night Market next weekend. Since everything is supposed to be a surprise, I figured we’d do this market. Biggest one in Mission City all year.”

“Really?” I shook my head as he pulled into the parking lot.

And nabbed a spot near the back of what appeared to be a completely full lot.

“Nice job.”

“The high school’s parking lot is available as well. We just got lucky.” He brushed his lapel, as if buffing his nails, in self-satisfaction.

I laughed, loving his smile. And the flecks of silver in his goatee were far more pronounced than when we’d met four years ago.

God, four years.

Time had flown past as we’d watched our daughters grow. Adele was a year older than Paget and Sedona—and had always been far more mature.

I’d worried she might be a bad influence—she wasn’t an angel—but she took her role as pseudo big sister seriously.

We hopped out of the SUV and headed toward the rec center.

I’d spent countless hours here watching Adele during her swim lessons.

She’d even tried figure skating for a year.

Nothing had stuck, and she much preferred video games.

Since I wasn’t happy with that, the compromise was she would play recreational badminton.

Understanding that playing with me would be uncool, I let her join a league of people I mostly knew from around town.

An architect, a dentist, an elementary school teacher, amongst others. She tolerated my watching.

Barely.

I hunched my shoulders against the bitter wind. “How can it be so sunny and so freaking cold?”

Damien chuckled. “Try a northern Ontario winter.”

“Weren’t you just complaining about the cold?” I chuckled, then nodded gratefully as the person at the door held it open for us. “Hey, Blake, thanks.”

They smiled. “Hope to see you at Starbucks later. I’ll have your favorite latté waiting.” They glanced up at Damien. “Your coffee will be fresh.”

Damien grinned. “You’re too good to me.”

With that, we went our separate ways.

I was so reassured to see Blake happy. They’d struggled in recent years—without family support through their transition.

Working at the local coffee shop, with a hugely supportive staff who felt like family, had made it easier for them.

Well, as easy as life could be, given the cards they’d been dealt.

A jovial woman in a Santa cap was happy to take our admittance fee and to stamp our hands.

“Thank you.”

“Oh, my pleasure. Good cause.”

Damien and I stepped toward the hall. I gazed up at him. “Do you know which cause we’re supporting?”

“Does it matter?” He unzipped his coat. “Damn, I didn’t bring cloth shopping bags.”

“Oof. Neither did I. I suppose we could buy some.”

He winced. “I already have so many—” He considered. “—in the back of my SUV.”

I waved him off. “Go.”

“I’ll grab a couple for you as well.”

“That’ll be lovely.” I eyed the first stall. “I’ll wait.”

“Awesome.” He tapped my shoulder. “Be right back.”

After he took off, I attempted to survey the room. I was shorter than he was. Hell, I was now shorter than my daughter. I liked to think I made up for my height deficiency with my robust and oversized personality.

You mean oversized ego.

I rolled my eyes at my inner voice. In truth, I tried to be confident without being cocky—no small feat.

As my gaze roamed the various stalls, I saw my Ghost of Christmas Past.