Chapter 14
Acouple of mornings later she was headed toward the harbor with Emily and Bryn. Of course the two mothers were pushing their strollers. For a change Alex was sleeping. Josie peeked into the stroller. “Is he okay?”
“I've started finger food. Scrambled eggs. He likes it. Seems to fill him up so we’re all for it.” Emily looked jubilant.
“I didn't realize scrambled eggs were finger food.” How did that work? It was a good thing Josie wasn't a mother. She knew nothing about this whole baby thing.
Bryn also peered down at Alex. “Eggs are finger food? Boy, I have a lot to learn.” As usual, Sheldon was asleep, despite the jingle bells that Bryn had attached to the stroller.
Somehow Emily had managed to add deer antlers to the front of hers.
Alex loved to play with them when he was awake.
Josie thought she saw a bit of scrambled eggs caught in the antlers.
“Malcolm kissed me.”
Josie's words hit the air like a cherry bomb. The strollers stopped. Emily grabbed one of Josie's arms, and Bryn clutched the other. Why had she even mentioned this? But the memory was too big a truth to keep to herself. She’d explode. Josie had hardly gotten any sleep the night before.
“When did this happen?” Emily asked, looking as if she wanted every detail.
“After we decorated my tree.”
“Once?” Bryn said, her forehead puckered into a frown. “Just one kiss?”
“Maybe twice.” Those kisses had replayed in Josie’s mind until it felt like she’d kissed him hundreds of times. How she wished that were true.
“And then what happened?” Emily’s grip on Josie's elbow tightened.
“He left.”
“Just like that?” Bryn was still frowning.
“Yes, just like that. He drove away.” That part was kind of puzzling. She’d been avoiding him at the library, and he'd been so busy. The reading program. Open Hearth. Getting ready for his mother’s visit. He was probably exhausted.
Or maybe he was absolutely horrified. Josie had no way of knowing.
A breeze kicked up from the harbor. Emily and Bryn both dropped their hands and grabbed their strollers. They pushed ahead as any good mother should. But Josie could tell that both of her friends were puzzled by her news.
“Oh, ho ho ho,” Emily eventually chuckled. “I would bet that Miss Darcy would not like this.”
Bryn gasped. “Oh, you're right. What about Darcy? I mean, isn't she coming any day now? And he kissed you?”
Running a shaking hand over her forehead, Josie laid it out for them. The swings were just ahead, moving slowly in the breeze with holly wrapped around the posts. “The engagement is off. His mother will be here any day.”
“Excellent.” Emily crowed, so loud that little Alex gave a start.
Then Emily pressed a finger to her lips as if to remind herself that she didn't want the little boy howling.
Not now at least. “I mean excellent that the engagement is off and equally excellent that his mother is coming. At least I think that's a good thing.”
“When did that happen?” Bryn asked. “The broken engagement.”
“A few days ago, I guess. I really don't know.” Everything was a mess in Josie’s mind. She felt like one of those snow globes that you pick up and shake. She'd been avoiding Malcolm at work. And they’d been busy, so busy.
“Clearly you need more information.” They'd reached the swings and Emily sat down.
“I do?” Josie didn't really know where to go with this. Taking her seat on the swing, Bryn looked equally confused.
“Definitely. When exactly did he tell you this?”
“When we were decorating my tree.”
“How romantic.” Stars in her eyes, Bryn slumped back. The movement jostled the jingle bells on her stroller, but Sheldon never woke up.
“He brought pizza. He's great with lights.” Josie knew that she was making no sense.
“I've got news. All men are great with lights,” Emily said. “That's because they get confused when they're confronted with too many ornaments. The lights? All you do is string them up.”
“Yes, after you make sure they all work.” Bryn threw that in. Obviously during the last couple of years while Josie hesitated to put up a tree, her newly married friends had been experiencing their new roles as wives.
“Sounds like the field is clear, Josie.” Emily leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “I think you have to close in now.”
Josie snorted. “Emily, this isn't a military exercise. This is…”
“Love,” Bryn whispered. “Christmas love. It’s so romantic.”
“Who said anything about love?” Josie turned to her friends, wanting to squash that rumor.
But of course she was in love with Malcolm.
The realization nearly knocked her off the swing and she gripped the warm wooden board.
She loved his generosity of spirit. His kindness and his sense of humor.
Heck, she even loved the way he ate his pizza.
And that love threatened to swamp her at inopportune moments. Like when she spotted him standing at the coffee machine, staring into space. Or when she saw him reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Spanish to the children. Oh, that just made her melt.
“Have all the Christmas Wishes been taken?” Emily asked.
“Sure looks like it.” Bryn seemed to give herself a little shake. “I noticed yesterday that there were presents heaped under the tree at Victoria's Pantry. And each one has a tag. Everything's all marked.”
“We're taking them over on Christmas Day. I guess that's become tradition now.” Josie hoped her parents would find the visit to Open Hearth as much fun as she did.
“Is Malcolm's mother still coming to Sweetwater Creek for the holiday?”
“Yes, she's coming. Maybe tomorrow?” Was that what Malcolm had told her yesterday? He’d been so quiet since that night at her house.
“Well, that does it. You have to get things settled before then.” Sitting back, Emily pinned her with her eyes.
“What things?” What was Emily talking about? Obviously her friend was thinking more clearly than Josie was.
“Ask him what that kiss meant.”
Josie cringed. “Are you crazy? I could never do that.”
“Well, I could.” Emily's eyes were flashing.
Bryn gasped and Josie grabbed Emily's hand. “But you won't. You will not go up to Malcolm Sutter and ask him why he kissed me.”
“Of course I won't.” Emily wrenched her hand away. “I just meant that any woman with skin in the game, meaning a woman who had something to win or lose, would not let that question go unanswered.”
Phew. What a relief. In her mind she could see Emily charging into the library, cornering Malcolm and asking him that most embarrassing question.
But Josie did want to know.
Slapping her palms against her thighs, she stood up. “You're right and I will do it.”
Thirty minutes later, she was changed into her work clothes and sitting behind her desk when Malcolm appeared.
Josie wasn't quite ready for this moment.
She was going to take it anyway. After all, wasn't she the girl who had persuaded Emily to check out Jackson's house that dark night to find out if he was dating anyone? They’d crept up to his home...and then he let the dogs loose. With Spartacus and Maximilian yapping at their heels, they’d raced back to the car.
Yes, back in those days that had been her. Brave. Bold. But that had been before Malcolm had returned from South America, single but not single.
“Got a minute?” Malcolm asked, sticking his head into her open doorway.
“Sure. No problem.”
He came inside and closed the door. That was not a good sign. Shutting the door was what people did when they resigned. Eager to have something in her hand, Josie grabbed a pencil.
“I just wanted to say…” he began at the same moment that she said “If you're thinking about…”
They both stopped and looked at each other.
So he wasn't even going to sit down? She could see his uncertainty and it was breaking her heart.
Whatever happened, she did not want to lose Malcolm as a friend.
No, that would really kill her. He obviously loved Sweetwater Creek and he enjoyed this job and all the people that came with it.
She was his boss and didn't want him to feel nervous about any of that.
Her mouth dry, she cleared her throat. “About the other night. I know things got a little…out of hand.”
For a second he stood there, a muscle twitching in his cheek.
Say something Malcolm. Say that it wasn't a mistake.
“I guess so,” he finally said. “And I'm so sorry.”
Those weren’t the words she wanted to hear. Glancing down, she saw that her knuckles had turned white. Josie had a death grip on that pencil. “I hope we can just move on from here.”
“Really?” What did that surprise on his face mean? She wanted to think that he was disappointed. But maybe that was her imagination.
“Of course,” he said, nodding. “Sure.”
“You're a good friend and I know that you've been through a lot recently so this is all...just fine. Glad we cleared things up.”
“Good. That’s, good. I think. If you're sure about this…” Malcolm said just as someone knocked on the door.
Josie was almost relieved to be interrupted. “Come on in,” she called out. The door opened and Eileen stood there. She looked from Malcolm to Josie. “Bad time?”
“Not at all.” Josie waved her in. “What's up?”
Mumbling something about excusing himself, Malcolm disappeared. “I'm just wondering if you've seen the Spanish translation for How the Grinch stole Christmas? I can't find that book and I was supposed to read it over at the clinic this afternoon.”
“Tell you what. I'll be right out and we can find it together.” Her breath felt so tight. Why did it feel so warm in her office?
“Everything all right?” Eileen asked hesitating in the doorway.
“Perfect. Everything is perfect.” Josie felt as if the top of her head was about to blow off.
“All right then. See you in a minute.”
The door closed behind Eileen. The pencil snapped in Josie's hands. She began to sob.