CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Wilder walked into the chaos of the kitchen back at the house and let out a sharp whistle. Everyone turned to look at him, their expressions ranging from annoyance to curiosity.
“If the baby starts crying because of that, you’re sleeping in the garage,” Charli said as she crossed her arms. “What are you making a racket for?”
“Lexi is coming to join us for dinner,” he said.
“And you needed to make an announcement for that?” Janessa asked.
“Yes, because she’s coming, but she’s not going to eat anything here.”
“She’s eating special food,” Layla said. “Right, Uncle Wilder?”
“Yep. She’s going to bring her own food, so don’t try to encourage her to eat the pizza and dessert.”
“We won’t,” Amelia said quickly. “She has to give her body the fuel it needs to be able to train as hard as she needs it to.”
“I’m impressed, Berry,” Wilder told her, holding out his hand for her to slap. “That is very good, and I know Lexi appreciates your support.”
Amelia beamed up at him as she gave his hand a hard slap. She’d been warming up to him, and he enjoyed their little interactions.
“We’re behind her,” Janessa said. “No talk about food tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Wilder was surprised and happy that she’d finally agreed to come for the evening. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand that her focus was on her training, but he thought maybe she needed a little break now and then.
She’d been attending church with them, and he’d counted that as a significant win. But as a friend, he also enjoyed spending social time with her. Hopefully, she felt the same way and that the evening would be a good break for her.
When the doorbell rang, the girls raced off to answer it before Wilder could even turn in that direction. Still, he followed them, getting there in time to see Lexi step into the foyer.
“I can take your jacket and hang it up,” Amelia volunteered, holding out her hand.
Lexi gave her a smile as she unzipped it and shrugged out of the jacket. “Thank you.”
When Amelia took the jacket and went into the closet to hang it up, Layla said, “You can leave your boots there.” She pointed to the boot tray just inside the door.
After she’d done that, they all went back into the kitchen. Everyone greeted Lexi, and Wilder was glad to see that she didn’t withdraw behind her polite smile. The smile she gave the people there was friendly and even a bit warm.
“We’re just about ready to eat,” Charli said. “Someone can go ahead and open up the pizza boxes.”
While a couple of people moved to do that, Charli approached Lexi. “Wilder said you were bringing your own food tonight. Do you need it warmed up in the microwave?”
“Yes. That would be great.” She handed over a container that didn’t look like it held a whole lot of food. “I usually put it in for a minute and a half.”
“Would you like water to drink? Or we have soda—diet and regular—milk, or apple and orange juice.”
“Water is just fine,” Lexi said. “Thank you.”
As the microwave whirled, Blake said a prayer for the food. He’d just finished when it beeped. While the kids lined up to get their pizza, Charli went to the microwave and pulled Lexi’s food out.
“Do you want a plate for this?”
“Nope. I usually just eat out of the container. No sense in dirtying more dishes.”
“A woman after my own heart,” Charli said with a smile. “Which is precisely why we’re using paper plates for pizza.”
Wilder went into the dining room with Lexi, letting her choose a seat, then he set his can of soda at the seat beside her to claim it as his. The girls hurried to take the seat on the other side of Lexi, and Amelia pouted when Layla beat her to it.
But instead of saying anything, Amelia just circled around them and took the seat beside the one Wilder had planned to sit on.
“Here, Berry,” Wilder said, offering his chair. “You can sit here.”
She smiled up at him again. “Thank you.”
Though he might have liked to sit closer to Lexi so they could talk, he was fine sacrificing a little of the evening for the girls. Once they were done eating, they’d probably head downstairs with Peyton to watch a movie or play video games. For sure Layla would go, Amelia might stick around.
Wilder went to the kitchen to grab some pizza, and by the time he made it back to the dining room, most of the chairs were taken. He smiled when Amelia waved her hand at her dad when he went to sit beside her.
“Uncle Wilder is sitting there.”
Blake’s brows rose. “He is?”
“Yep. He let us swap seats, so that’s his.”
“Is this one okay?” Blake asked, pointing to the one on the other side of Wilder’s seat.
“Yep. That one’s yours.”
“Thanks, Berry.”
“You’re welcome, Daddy.”
The exchange was so cute, and Wilder couldn’t help but smile as he took the seat between them. He glanced up as Charli walked in, Shiloh on her hip. She circled the table to give the baby to Blake.
“I’ll be right back,” she said.
Wilder sensed a sudden tension in his sister, but he had no idea why. What had happened in the last few minutes?
When she returned, she had Shiloh’s high chair and a bowl of food, which she set on the table. Blake settled the baby in the seat while Charli disappeared again. Wilder glanced over to see Blake’s gaze tracking his wife.
“Everything okay?” Wilder asked Blake, keeping his voice low.
Blake frowned as he put a few pieces of mushy carrot on the tray in front of Shiloh. At almost seven months, she was now eating people food and was practicing feeding herself.
“I don’t… know. Everything was fine a few minutes ago.”
Wilder knew Charli could be mercurial with her moods sometimes. He was as puzzled as Blake was. He hoped for Blake’s sake that the guy hadn’t upset her in some way and just hadn’t figured out yet what he’d done. That was never fun with Charli.
Eventually, Charli returned with a plate and settled into the seat on the other side of Blake with the highchair between them. She was quieter than usual, but Wilder didn’t stay focused on her. She’d snap out of whatever was bothering her soon enough.
Lexi was talking with Rori, which Wilder found interesting. From what he’d come to know of Rori, and what Lee had shared about her, the two women couldn’t be more different. However, it appeared that Rori was either a figure skating fan, or she’d brushed up on Lexi’s career because they were talking about skating.
He wasn’t sure if Lexi enjoyed talking about her previous skating career. Perhaps if she wasn’t attempting to revive her career, she might not want to revisit it. However, she seemed fine talking about past skating programs and her experiences as a high-performance athlete.
Though previous Friday nights had included games or singing, that night it ended up just being eating and talking. He hoped Lexi wasn’t bored, but she didn’t appear to be.
Wilder had a feeling that Lexi knew how to converse with people, even if she wasn’t interested in what they were saying. She was a professional and a public figure, after all.
Finally, people began to leave, and Lexi said she needed to go as well.
“Can you come out to my car for a minute?” she asked as they walked to the foyer after saying goodbye to the others.
“Sure.” Wilder opened the closet and pulled both their jackets out. “Is there something wrong with it?”
“No. I just want to talk to you about something.”
“Oh?” That sounded promising… or ominous. He wasn’t sure which.
The air was crisp as they stepped out of the house onto the porch. It had continued to snow off and on since the first snowfall that had stuck around. The slopes were in great condition and ready for the influx of skiers who would come in over the next several weeks.
He got into the passenger side seat while Lexi slid behind the wheel and started up the car. It didn’t take long for warm air to flow from the vents. It definitely heated up more quickly than his car did, and apparently, it had heated seats.
“So, what’s up?” he asked, angling himself toward her.
Though it was dark, the streetlight cast a bit of light into the car, allowing him to see her fairly clearly.
“I hope I didn’t do something wrong,” she said as she stared out the front windshield.
Wilder frowned. “What do you mean?’
“Well, earlier at the rink, I told Charli that I thought Amelia had good potential as a figure skater, probably even better than Layla.” She paused, her brow furrowing. “Then when I was speaking with Amelia earlier, she referred to Charli as Layla’s mom. And now I’m confused, especially because Charli seemed to not be happy while we ate.”
Wilder mulled over her words. “It’s true, Amelia isn’t Charli’s daughter in the biological sense. Not the way she is Layla’s. Amelia is Blake’s daughter from another relationship. However, he is Layla’s father.”
Lexi turned to look at him. “I’m confused.”
Wilder gave a huff of laughter. “Yeah. It’s a bit complicated. Blake and Charli dated back when they were in college, and she got pregnant. He didn’t know because he’d left her and joined the military. Fast forward, he came back to town last year with Amelia, and somehow, they managed to sort things out and fell in love again.”
“And Shiloh?”
“She’s adopted. They got her just a couple of months after they were married earlier this year.”
“So do you think Charli’s upset that I said that Amelia was a better skater than Layla?”
Wilder shook his head. “If anything, I think she might be more upset that Amelia called her Layla’s mom.”
“Do they not have a good relationship?”
“I would say that it’s… okay. It’s not like they fight or anything like that. Amelia just always goes to Blake when she needs something. And she never calls Charli Mom.”
“Does Layla call Blake Dad?”
“She didn’t at first,” Wilder said. “But Lee told me that a couple of months ago, she started referring to him more consistently as her dad.”
“That’s probably hard for Charli to see,” Lexi said. “Especially since she seems to really love and care for Amelia.”
“She does,” Wilder agreed. “She loves and cares for all kids. It’s why she’s a teacher.”
“I hope I didn’t do anything to complicate the situation.” Lexi sighed. “I don’t always know how to approach people with stuff like this.”
“You’re doing just fine,” Wilder assured her. “And this isn’t of your making. Honestly, I think Charli was happy to hear that Amelia is excelling at skating, even if she’s doing better than Layla.”
“How do you navigate so many relationships?” Lexi asked. “Do you just go around like a bulldozer, not caring? Or do you have to walk around on eggshells?”
“A bit of both. As you get to know the people around you, you understand how to best deal with them. Most of all, I just try to approach things in a loving and caring manner. Adding in a little humor always helps.”
“You kind of just pushed your way in with me.”
Wilder grinned. “Oh yes. A little persistence helps too.”
“Why did you persist?” she asked.
“You’re fascinating,” Wilder said. “And I enjoy getting to know fascinating people.”
“Because I’m an Olympic gold medal winner?”
“That might be part of it,” he said. “But you seemed to be holding yourself apart from everyone.”
“And that didn’t work for you?”
Wilder took a moment to figure out how to respond to that. “In my time of traveling around the world, meeting all kinds of people, I’ve learned that people who hold themselves apart usually are one of two things. They’re hurt, and they’re trying to protect themselves. Or they’re shy or reserved, and just need someone to initiate conversation.”
“And which am I?”
“I would have to say that I think you’re a little bit of both.”
She seemed to consider his words, then shrugged. “You’re not wrong. But it seems like a lot of effort to go to for a stranger.”
“You were only a stranger at the start,” Wilder told her. “Now you’re a friend.”
Wilder thought she might deny it, but she didn’t. That made him smile, even if was edged with a bit of sadness. He wished that their lives were more compatible overall, so that they could be more than friends.
At the moment, they had some compatibility. With them both being into winter sports, there were things they had in common. But even in the commonalities, there were things that were different.
Like her being a professional athlete, while he was simply a ski instructor. It was a small thing that was growing more significant as time went on. Her winter sport was going to take her away from Serenity. It might just be temporary at first, but Wilder didn’t think it would be long before it was permanent.
But for the next twenty-four hours, she was simply Mrs. Claus to his Mr. Claus, and they had the joint goal of entertaining the kids and raising money for the orphanages.
“Sorry this wasn’t as entertaining as I promised,” Wilder said as he gestured to the house.
“It was fine.”
“Hopefully tomorrow is as entertaining as I hope. If not, I give up promising entertainment!”
Lexi laughed, which was a sound Wilder hadn’t heard nearly enough of. “Maybe people just needed a quiet evening before the main event.”
“I hope so. It’s important that it be a success.”
“What time do you plan to be at the rink tomorrow?”
“The doors open at one, so I think I’ll probably be there by eleven, if not earlier. I might get a call from someone who needs to be in there before eleven. In which case, I’ll go whenever they need me.”
“Just don’t forget your costume,” she said.
“I won’t. I’m excited to wear it.”
Lexi shook her head. “Most men wouldn’t want to be caught dead in that outfit.”
“True. But I’m not most men. I love stuff like this. The more fun, the better.”
“You’re popular with the kids, aren’t you?”
“Yep.” Wilder grinned at her. “But I’m also popular with the adults. Especially if I’m keeping their kids entertained.”
That got another laugh out of Lexi. “Well, I’m sure that will be the case tomorrow.”
“Yep. If they want to skate with Santa, maybe we’ll have a round of crack the whip.”
“Oh goodness,” Lexi said the words in a huff of laughter. “I’m imagining Santa sending kids flying into the boards.”
“It’s gonna be a blast. You just wait and see.”
“I’m curious to see how it all works out,” she said. “Do you think Alexander will be there for the whole time?”
“I doubt it, but you never know.”
“I should probably talk to him at some point,” Lexi mused, running her hands over the steering wheel.
Wilder reached out to rest his hand over the one of hers that was closest to him, stilling her movement. “You don’t have to be nervous about meeting with him. He’s actually a pretty cool guy. Just like Hudson.”
“Just like Hudson?”
Wilder realized then that maybe Lexi wasn’t aware of the relationship between the two men. “Isn’t Alexander your godfather?”
“Yep. Though I’m not sure how or why he is.”
“But you don’t know about him and Hudson?”
Lexi turned to face him. “What about him and Hudson?”
“I guess it’s not really a huge secret. Alexander is Hudson’s father.”
“What?” she exclaimed.
“Yep. Bit of a story there, but he and Hudson are finally building a relationship.”
“So Kayleigh is the daughter-in-law of the man who owns Remington?”
“She is. Although she was working for the company before she ever met Hudson.”
“You have a very… interesting family.”
“I do.” Wilder would like to think he was the most interesting to Lexi, but he wasn’t sure that was the case.
Wilder’s phone rang, and he shifted to pull it out of his pocket. Seeing it was Janessa, he answered it. “What’s up, sis?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m outside talking with Lexi,” he said. “Do you need something?”
“You’re outside?” The porch light flickered wildly.
“I’m not on the porch,” he told her with a laugh. “It’s too cold to be standing outside.”
“Oh.” The porch light stayed on. “Where are you then? You could see what I was doing so obviously not too far away.”
“We’re sitting in her car with the heat on.”
“As long as you’re not heating things up…”
Wilder scoffed. “That’s not happening.”
“Well, maybe it could in the future.”
Rolling his eyes, even though she couldn’t see him, he said, “I’ll be in soon. Goodbye.”
Wilder hung up the phone and slid it into his jacket pocket. “Janessa’s looking for me.”
“I should probably be going anyway. I need to get some sleep before our big day.”
“It’s going to be great,” Wilder told her as he reached for the door handle. “But you’re gonna need your rest so you can handle all the fun.”
“For a minute there, I thought you were going to say I needed some beauty sleep.”
“Nope.” Wilder pulled the handle, opening the door and flooding the interior of the car with light. “You definitely don’t need more of that.”
Flashing her a smile and wink, Wilder climbed out of the car, then shut the door. With a wave, he turned and jogged toward the front porch. He probably shouldn’t be flirting with her, but for the first time in a while, he was around someone he actually wanted to flirt with.
In fact, it was probably wrong of him to flirt with her because they’d defined their relationship to be strictly friendship. For him to agree to that and then flirt with her the way he did wasn’t right and could be downright confusing to Lexi.
He didn’t want to complicate things in a way that might lead to her backing away from even their friendship.
Sighing, Wilder opened the front door and slipped inside. He’d need to be more careful about that in the future.
“Is Charli still out here?” Wilder asked when he found Janessa and Will in the kitchen. “Or has she gone to their rooms?”
Janessa shook her head. “She, Blake, and the baby disappeared a few minutes ago. The girls are upstairs.”
“Did Charli seem okay to you?”
“She seemed a bit off, but I don’t know why.” Janessa frowned. “Do you?”
Wilder shook his head. He didn’t know for certain, but he wasn’t going to speculate with Janessa. If Charli was struggling with something, Janessa was the most likely person she’d confide in.
“I’ll check with her,” Janessa said. “But it’s possible Blake will be able to help her with whatever is bothering her.”
If someone had told Wilder that one day he’d be living with his siblings, their spouses and children, he would have told them they were crazy. Wasn’t the goal to grow up and move out on his own? Or maybe live with a roommate?
Though normally he had no problem staying with his parents when he returned each fall, he was actually glad he’d had to move into Charli and Janessa’s this time around. Living with his siblings had actually turned into something he really enjoyed.
And a big bonus was also being able to get to know his brothers-in-law and his nieces in a way he wouldn’t have been able to if he hadn’t been living with them. Though he knew Will pretty well, he hadn’t known Blake at all. And with Lee living there, he was also having a chance to get to know Rori.
With Janessa now pregnant, however, the house would soon be bursting at the seams. He had no idea if Janessa and Charli planned to live together indefinitely, but it was likely he’d have to live with his folks or find another place to stay when he returned next year.
“I’m going to bed,” Janessa announced. “I’m exhausted, and I won’t be able to just lay around tomorrow, so I’d better get my rest while I can.”
“Thanks for all your help,” Wilder said as Janessa got up from the bar stool.
“You’re welcome. It’s been fun, and I think tomorrow is going to be a blast.”
“I hope so. A lot of people are putting in a significant effort for it.”
Janessa came to give him a hug, then she left the kitchen with Will.
Wilder grabbed a couple of cookies, then sat down at the counter with his phone. Opening his email app, he found an email in his inbox from the director of one of the orphanages. He’d stayed in contact with them, and he’d let both orphanages know about the fundraiser they were doing. He’d also told them that he’d spoken at the church and shared about their ministries.
As he read the email, his thoughts turned from the fundraiser. The letter was basically to thank him for what he’d done so far, but they also wanted to know if he’d be interested in giving orphanage presentations at other churches in the area.
The woman said they’d be responsible for contacting the churches, and they’d get pamphlets and other information to him, if he’d be willing to present it all to different congregations.
A smile grew on Wilder’s face as he considered what they were asking. As long as they weren’t too far away, he’d be able to do it without having to take much, if any, time off work.
He wouldn’t give them an answer right away. His focus needed to be on the fundraiser, but once that was over, he’d give it some serious thought.
It would give him something to do, because he was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be spending much—if any—time with Lexi in the days and weeks ahead. The thought made him sad, but at the same time, it was probably for the best.