Chapter 16
When Babs finally returned home, she slept for sixteen solid hours, an unheard of luxury since she became a mom. She had two days until she picked her daughter up and she filled them with shopping, gift-wrapping, decorating, and baking, all the things she’d loved about Christmas when she was a kid but never had time for anymore. Her daughter was too young to remember any of it, but she wanted to instill the feelings early, feelings of warmth and comfort and love.
Babs tried hard to maintain a positive, healthy relationship with McKenna’s father, and he tried hard to do the same in return. Still, she was always a little nervous her daughter wouldn’t remember her after a few days absence, was always a tiny bit insecure she would show a preference for her dad instead.
She needn’t have worried, however. As soon as McKenna saw her, she let out a squeal of delight and pelted herself into Babs’s arms. Babs held her close, practically crying with the delight of seeing her again. She was determined to do her part so her daughter could have a good relationship with her father, but it was hard, hard, hard to be apart.
At eighteen months, McKenna was becoming more aware of things around her. She squealed her delight over the Christmas decorations, making Babs glad she’d gone to all the trouble to do them. She was predictably exhausted from the exciting week at her dad’s house and, after a fussy bath time, fell asleep.
Babs put her down and sat on the floor in front of the Christmas tree. She longed for a cozy fire, but her tiny house didn’t have one. She reached for the remote and turned to the fireplace channel on TV, pretending the popping and crackling were real. She lay down, still staring at the tree. Christmas Eve. She hadn’t heard from Darren in days, was beginning to think maybe she wouldn’t hear from him again. He was no doubt with his family this evening, Maggie, Amelia, Ethan, and Ridge. She wondered how it was going after their dustup. Had they made up?
And what of Blue? His plan to propose at the resort fell apart after the kidnapping. As if he knew she was thinking of him, he texted her a picture of Jane’s hand, the ring on it, and the words, She said yes!
Squeeeee!! You can probably hear me screaming from across DC! SOO, SOO happy for you two, two of my favorites! Love you both! Kisses to Jane for me!
He didn’t reply, but she didn’t expect him to, caught up in euphoria as he likely was at the moment. She was happy for Blue and Jane, happy for Maggie who, this time next year, would have a baby. Happy to have a job she loved that paid the bills. Really, she had so much to be happy about, to be thankful for. And it was neither fair nor right that she should want more or complain over any lack in her life. She had friends and a beautiful little girl. Her life was full, brimming, really. It was enough.
Someone knocked on the door and she bolted to her feet, momentarily confused. Had she ordered Chinese? That was the only person who ever showed up on her doorstep.
Except it wasn’t. Darren stood on the other side of the door, a potted poinsettia in hand. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry who?” Apparently he made her flustered and stupid no matter the occasion.
“My mom makes a big deal out of Christmas poinsettias, don’t know why. Maggie didn’t have any, so I went to get some, and then I kept driving.” He shoved the poinsettia into her fingers.
“Okay,” she said.
“I could…I could go away again, if you want?”
They blinked at each other on opposing sides of the threshold, trying to read each other in the semi-darkness. “Do you want?” she asked.
“Do I want?” he took a step forward. “I just drove forty minutes to bring you what is arguably the ugliest of all flowers. I haven’t been able to stop thinking of you for more than thirty seconds at a time, and all I want to do is take that stupid plant back, toss it aside, and kiss you.”
She handed him the plant. “Maybe you could set it down gently instead of toss it,” she suggested.
He did so, stooping to set it gently on the porch. He straightened and faced her. “Am I allowed to come in now?”
In answer, she clasped his shirt and gave it a tug. He reached for her, pulling her into his chilly embrace.
“You’re not wearing a coat,” she noted.
“I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly when I got in the car. I haven’t been thinking clearly for days.” His eyes roamed her face as if scanning for changes since they were last together.
“Because of all the trauma?” she said.
“Yes, the trauma of meeting this lovely, sweet, funny person has thrown me into a tailspin. The shock of you, Babs, was far greater than learning half my family is involved in espionage.”
“Greater than the shock of learning I have a daughter?” she couldn’t help but ask.
He smiled. “Babs, I may not be the most observant man in the world, but I’m not a complete dolt. I changed your tire. Kind of hard to miss the car seat in the back. I knew you had a kid all along, plus Maggie told me ages ago. Remember, I said I listened when my sister talked about you.”
“You knew all along?”
He nodded.
“So, it’s not a deal breaker or anything,” she clarified.
“No, as long as you’re not still involved with her father.” He said it half teasing, half probing.
“We never were, actually. I told you I had sort of a downward spiral after my mom passed. Jeremy and I were coworkers at the CIA. We ran into each other at a bar and, well, nine months later we were parents. We’re friendly and amicable, but nothing more. He’s married now, and I like his wife very much. We trade off parenting, but I have the brunt because he’s out of the country a lot.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell anyone I told you, but he’s a spy.”
He smiled. “There’s a lot of that going around lately.”
She nodded her agreement, standing on her toes as she slid her arms around him. He returned her embrace and, on second thought, picked her up. “How is it possible to miss you as much as I missed you?” he asked.
“Maybe we need to stop asking how or why and enjoy the magic. Somehow we’ve captured lightning in a bottle,” she said.
“A lightning strike is a good description for the way I feel lately. Is it really okay I’m here? I’m not interrupting time with your daughter, am I?”
“She’s asleep,” Babs said. She bit her lip, trying to find the right words. “Please don’t be offended if Jeremy checks you out. He’s protective of her. We both are.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Darren said. “That’s what good men do, they protect the people they care about.”
“Do you have to get back for family time?” she asked.
“No, Maggie conked out already, leaving me and Cam to make awkward small talk. He seems uncomfortable, even with the new and improved Darren. I’m beginning to think it’s him and not me.”
“It’s definitely him,” Babs agreed. “Want to stay here awhile and enjoy the fire?” She motioned to the TV behind her.
“Nice. Also absolutely.” They settled on the floor beside the tree, facing the fireplace on TV. “Would you consider me a stalker if I looked for something in your neighborhood? It looks so nice.”
“It really is and, no, I wouldn’t think badly of you. It’s a big street in a big town, plenty of room for the both of us. Also, I’m not sure how to tell you this, but I kind of like you.”
“Oh, yeah? Tell me more.”
“So, there I was, watching my life flash before my eyes on the Interstate, when this dashing hero showed up.”
“A cop?”
“A geologist.”
“Ah, they’re world renowned for their heroism. Continue.”
“He was amazingly brave and capable and, did I mention, hot?”
“You didn’t mention.”
“So hot. The hottest scientist I’ve ever known in real life.”
“Stiff competition there, believe me,” he said.
“But it was distressing because he was clearly an out-of-towner and therefore off limits. So I said goodbye to my rescuer, probably forever.”
“You didn’t warn me this was a tearjerker.”
“Wait, it gets better.” She eased closer, snuggling into his embrace.
“I’ll say it does.” His hand reached up and began caressing her neck.
“It turns out I had inadvertently agreed to share my room with the guy.”
“About that, I’m feeling sort of cheated. We had an hour of epic makeout time and you got called into work.”
“How can I make it up to you?” she asked.
“For starters, let’s erase this pesky space between us.” He slid her into his lap, his hand easing up to caress her face.
“What comes next?” she whispered.
“The possibilities are endless,” he whispered in return.
“Merry Christmas to me,” she said.
“Merry Christmas to both of us,” he said, and then he kissed her.