Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Luke
The evening of the Earthly Charm open house, a light, fluffy snow fell gently on downtown Dragonfly Lake.
The temperature hovered around freezing, but the ground was warm enough that the snow wasn’t sticking or becoming a nuisance.
Even though I wasn’t much of a shopper, I could admit it was the ideal effect to put someone in the mood for holiday shopping.
“Can I get a present for Miss Magnolia?” Addie asked me as we walked down the sidewalk toward the store.
“That might be pretty tricky tonight,” I told her. “Miss Magnolia will be here the whole time since she’s the party planner.”
“Maybe we could do it in secret?” my daughter asked.
“If not, we can come back when she’s not here, so keep your eyes open for what you want to give her.”
As we approached the door, I could see lots of people inside through the festive window displays, exactly as Magnolia and the owners had hoped for. I took Addie’s hand and opened the door.
“Welcome to Earthly Charm, guys,” Harper said as we entered. “Hello, Addie. I love your llama hat.”
“Thank you,” my daughter said. “It’s white like Esmerelda.”
“It looks exactly like Esmerelda,” Harper said. “Thanks for coming to our party. Help yourself to any of our goodie stations, you two. We’ve got a hot cocoa station, hot cider, a cookie station, and candle making.”
“Cookies!” Addie said, looking up at me.
“We’ll get there,” I told her. “This looks like an early success,” I said to Harper.
She nodded, her eyes sparkling. “Lots of people so far. Be sure to hit the photo op area and take a pic with the reindeer.”
“Is it real?” Addie asked.
Harper bent down to her level. “It’s just a statue. We couldn’t bring a real reindeer inside, so you have to pretend.”
“Can we, Daddy?”
“We’ll get a photo with the reindeer,” I said, grinning at her wide eyes. “After cocoa?”
“Yes!”
Harper pointed us toward the cocoa station, then greeted Loretta and Dotty, who came in behind us.
As we headed for the cocoa setup in the corner, I scanned the room for Magnolia.
When I spotted her near the checkout counter overseeing the raffle basket, my heart pumped faster, more like a teenager with a crush than a man who’d been sleeping with her for several weeks and knew her inside and out.
Tonight she wore a plum-colored party dress with sheer sleeves, a deep V-neck that teased me with her cleavage, and sparkles everywhere. I wondered if it concealed another brain-scrambling lingerie surprise beneath it. If I was lucky, I’d have the chance to find out.
I watched her until she glanced my way, enjoying the zing of connection when our gazes met. She smiled and waved before turning her attention to Ava Henry, who looked to be entering the raffle.
“Daddy!” Addie called.
I caught up to her at the hot-cocoa stand, where Dakota, Max’s sister and one of the owners, stood over a large Crock-Pot of cocoa, ladling it into cups.
“Hey, Luke,” Dakota said warmly. “Addie told me she wants every single topping.”
I eyed the array of toppings and laughed. “Of course she does. Why don’t you pick three, bug? I’ve never seen so many choices.”
Different sized jars, all with a red-and-white ribbon and a handwritten label, contained chocolate chips—white, milk, and dark—peppermint sticks, caramel drizzle, marshmallows, two kinds of sprinkles, and more.
My daughter lobbied for four. I gave in because I was having as much trouble limiting myself.
Addie shrugged and said, “It’s Christmas,” as if that excused any gluttony.
I decided she had a decent point.
Addie and I got a quick selfie with the reindeer, then browsed the store as we sipped our cocoa, chatting with everyone we knew along the way.
Several from my dads’ group were here with their families.
Rosy McNamara and Nancy Solon joined the other Diamonds at the cider station.
I even spotted Magnolia’s mother talking to some guy I didn’t recognize.
I knew Magnolia and her mother had been in frequent contact now that they were trying to sell the company they’d inherited and making plans for their nonprofit, but I hadn’t expected Bianca to dip into Dragonfly Lake life on a social basis.
She looked a little pale as she talked animatedly to the guy.
I wasn’t ready to trust Bianca entirely yet, but Magnolia seemed to believe she’d evolved.
I supposed a cancer diagnosis could do that to a person.
When we reached the candle-making station, we ran into West with Nova, Sienna, and Scarlet, who were choosing their candle scents.
My daughter burrowed right in among the sisters as West and I greeted each other.
A flicker of a thought went through my head about how much Addie would love to have sisters.
I wasn’t sure if that was in the cards, but…
I glanced in Magnolia’s direction, caught her eye again, felt that zing, and savored it like an addict getting a fix.
Once the girls were engaged with Cambria as she explained how they would make their candles, I asked West, “Are you going to be here while they finish their candles?”
He nodded. “I’m keeping track of them while Presley shops.”
“Would you mind watching Addie while I say hi to Magnolia?”
“Course not.”
I made my way through the people toward Magnolia, wishing I could sneak her out the back and kiss the hell out of her for an hour or two.
When I reached her, I stood to the side while she answered a question from Kemp’s sister, Natalie, who was apparently back from college for the holidays.
I checked out Magnolia’s party dress from closer up, looking for a hint of what might lie beneath it.
I was rewarded when Magnolia turned to me, planted a quick but fervent kiss on my lips, smiled up at me, and said, “Hello, sexy farm boy.”
God, she was pretty. I wanted to devour her, but instead I just smiled back and said, “You look gorgeous, Mags.”
“Thank you. How’s the cocoa?”
“Just the sugar shot I need to ensure I’ll be awake for hours.” I gave her a look intended to convey that I’d like to spend those hours in her bed.
Glenda Thomas asked Magnolia a question, and I backed away so she could do her thing.
I spotted Seth Henry standing to one side with Anna Delfico, who was holding Seth and Everly’s infant son.
“Hey, guys,” I said, sidling up next to Seth. “How’s this little man doing?”
“I’m thinking of stealing him,” Anna said. “He’s the sweetest little chunk.”
“He doesn’t miss a meal,” Seth reported.
I brushed my finger under Beckham’s chin. “Hi, handsome guy. Look at you in your Santa cap.”
The baby peered up at me, his chubby cheeks bunching up with a big baby grin.
“What a cheerful baby,” I said.
“He’s the best,” Anna confirmed. “Aren’t you, Beckham?”
“He’s pretty easygoing,” Seth said. “I’m told this is how the first baby lures you into having more.”
“Sounds like a distinct possibility,” I said. Jessie and I had never gotten to that stage. We’d decided shortly after Addie was born that we’d be better off as friends instead of a couple.
“I didn’t know you and Magnolia were together,” Seth said. “That’s a big turnaround, right?”
I chuckled and shook my head. “That’s me coming to my senses and realizing I was a putz all those years ago.”
“Is it serious, Luke?” Anna asked.
I glanced at Magnolia again, allowing an image into my mind of her with our own little baby. Fuck, I liked the thought. “Just between us? It’s getting that way for me, but I don’t know if she’s there yet.”
Truth be told, I shied away from asking her, not wanting it to feel like pressure. I knew how much she had going on, so my objective was to honor that and not hurry her.
Kemp rushed up to us, seeming upset or in a hurry.
“Hey,” Anna said to him, frowning. “What’s going on, Kemp? Are you okay?”
“Fuck,” he said on an exhale. He swallowed, looking like he’d seen a ghost or maybe an entire alien spaceship.
“I just got this call…” He chuckled, but I got the impression it was not out of humor in the least. Shaking his head, he said, “I don’t know if I’m being pranked or what. God, I hope I’m being pranked.”
“Tell us what happened,” Anna said. “What call did you get?”
“I met this girl last year. She came here for a weekend trip, and we hooked up. Her friend just called.” He looked around desperately, as if searching for an out. “Fuck, I don’t even know where to start.”
“What did the friend say?”
“Valerie—the girl I hooked up with—was killed in a car wreck.”
“Oh, no,” Anna said.
Kemp nodded. “Her baby wasn’t in the car with her, so he’s okay.” He rubbed his fingers over his eyes, then dropped his hand. “Her friend says it’s my kid.”
“What?” Anna blurted.
“She said I’m on the birth certificate,” Kemp said, becoming paler by the second.
“You didn’t know about the baby before now?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Not a thing. We didn’t keep in touch. I don’t know if any of it’s real.”
“Why wouldn’t the mother tell you that you have a kid?” Seth asked, clearly disturbed. “Especially if she put your name on the birth certificate?”
“I don’t know,” Kemp said. “We didn’t discuss that. It was more about… I’m a fucking father? Is this real?”
“So…does she want you to take the baby?”
“She’s working with children’s services to figure it out. I guess Valerie’s mom wants the kid, but Valerie didn’t get along with her parents and would never want them to get custody of her child.”
“So Valerie’s friend thinks you should get the baby?”
Kemp let out a hollow laugh, bent over with his hands on his knees, then straightened, shaking his head. “Sounds that way. What do I do? I don’t know what to believe.”
“What did the friend say to do?” Anna asked.
“She told me she’d call me as soon as she knows more. What if it’s my kid?” Kemp ran both his hands over his face, clearly distraught.
“You need to get involved and find out,” Seth said. “You’ll want a paternity test ASAP.”
Kemp nodded at him as if he was still in shock. Hell, I would be.