Kitabı oku: «Meet Me under the Mistletoe»

Chapter One

Shannon O’Rourke pulled into a spot in the post office parking lot and then grabbed her Christmas cards. Normally she would have mailed them at work, but she was reluctantly taking a few vacation days from her job as a public relations director.

In a nearby parking space she saw her new neighbor getting out of his Jeep Cherokee.

She’d only seen Alex McKenzie once, but according to the gossipy head of the condominium association, he was a thirty-four-year-old widowed college professor with a doctorate in engineering.

He was also one of the most ruggedly handsome men she’d ever seen.

“Jeremy, leave Mr. Tibbles in the Jeep for now,” he said, unfastening a small boy from a child’s booster seat.

The boy climbed down from the Jeep with his father’s help, clutching a worn stuffed rabbit to his chest. He was a miniature version of Alex McKenzie, and warmth spread through Shannon’s heart at the sight of the serious youngster, his blue eyes older and more worried than they should have been.

“It’s okay, son, Mr. Tibbles won’t mind staying behind this time,” Dr. McKenzie urged.

Jeremy shook his head, holding the rabbit tighter.

His father sighed and passed a hand over the boy’s dark brown hair. “All right. Stay here while I get the packages out of the car.”

A few moments later he maneuvered his son and a large stack of boxes toward the front door of the post office. Shannon dashed after them.

“Dr. McKenzie…let me help,” she called.

Alex turned and saw a flame-haired beauty hurrying toward him. There was something familiar about the woman, though he couldn’t place her.

“Excuse me,” he said, “do I know you?”

“I’m Shannon O’Rourke, your neighbor.”

“Oh, right.” Alex remembered the day the previous month when they’d moved into the condo from their apartment. He’d been talking to the movers when a woman had pulled into the next driveway, bundled in a heavy coat, with only her auburn hair visible. She’d waved her hand in a quick hello before rushing inside to escape the rain.

It was warmer today and she was dressed in designer jeans that showed off a pair of long legs, and a cashmere sweater that left no doubt about her slim waist and womanly curves. She exuded confidence and flashed an engaging smile.

One of the packages slipped from his grasp and Shannon caught it. “Let me have some of those,” she said, taking several without waiting for agreement. She stepped around him and looked over her shoulder. “Coming?”

One of his eyebrows shot upward. Shy and retiring obviously weren’t in the woman’s vocabulary.

Alex took Jeremy’s hand.

Everyone said the holidays were especially hard for a spouse who’s lost a partner, but the toughest part for Alex was trying to make things right for his four-year-old son. This would be the first Christmas without his wife. Kim’s death the past January had left a huge hole in their lives. No matter how good it might be, a day-care center couldn’t take the place of a mother like Kim.

The thought of his wife made Alex ache. His friends had called him the most married man they knew, even though he’d spent so much time working out of the country. But they were right. He’d recognized what he had, a sweet, gentle woman who wouldn’t tear him apart the way his parents had torn each other apart. You didn’t find that kind of love twice.

Shannon nudged the door open with her hip and waited for father and son to go ahead of her.

“That’s my job,” Alex said, “opening a door for a lady. But I suppose you’re one of those modern women who don’t believe in that sort of thing.”

Shannon opened her mouth, ready to toss out a smart remark, then hesitated. She’d always believed in being herself, and if a man didn’t like it, then too bad.

But she wasn’t sure what “being herself” was anymore.

She wanted more out of life. She wanted to be in love and married, but lately her love life was practically nonexistent. And now that four of her five brothers were happily wed, the desire to find love such as they had was even stronger. But her life seemed stuck in Neutral, while everyone else’s was Full Speed Ahead.

“I don’t mind,” she said finally. It was true. She didn’t object to men being chivalrous; she’d just learned that waiting for a guy to hold a door could get embarrassing.

“All right.” Alex rested his shoulder against the door to hold it. “I’ve got it, then. Go ahead, Miss O’Rourke.”

He was close enough for her to smell the faint scent of his aftershave, and Shannon’s knees wobbled. That wasn’t good. According to her three sisters, Kelly, Miranda and Kathleen, men with children were complicated, especially when it came to their motives toward women.

She glanced down at Jeremy’s grave face. “Go ’head,” he said, and she melted.

“Thank you,” Shannon murmured.

She glanced swiftly at Alex in her peripheral vision, then walked toward the long line of people waiting for service. Her condominium was in a small bedroom community outside of Seattle, but the post office had the usual holiday crowd. It looked as though they’d be waiting for a while, something she was foolishly happy about.

Lord, she had to be crazy.

For Pete’s sake, he’d called her Miss O’Rourke and said his job was holding the door for a lady. Alex McKenzie was obviously the same breed of old-fashioned guy as the male half of the O’Rourke family. She could spot the type a mile away, and usually ran the opposite direction. She’d dated one in college, only to get her heart broken when he’d dumped her, saying he wanted a homemaker like his mother…something she definitely wasn’t. Her only talent in the kitchen was turning perfectly good food into inedible, blackened messes.

A tug at the hem of her sweater made her look down. It was Jeremy.

“I can help,” he said, pointing at the packages she still carried.

“Oh…all right. May I hold Mr. Tibbles for you? He can sit on top of my purse while we wait.”

Jeremy regarded her for a long moment.

Mr. Tibbles was plainly a very important stuffed rabbit not to be entrusted to just anyone. Shannon crouched so she could be eye-to-eye with the boy. Something about him reminded her of how she’d felt after losing her father when she was a child herself, and her heart throbbed with the old grief.

“I promise to take very good care of him.” She smiled reassuringly.

After what seemed an eternity, Jeremy nodded and traded Mr. Tibbles for two of the packages. She settled the rabbit so its feet were anchored in her purse, and made sure it stayed in full view of its protective human. Only after the exchange had been completed did she see Alex’s stunned expression.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“I don’t know how you managed that. I haven’t been able to separate him from that rabbit since his mother died,” Alex said in a low voice. “He only lets go in the bath, and that’s because he says Mr. Tibbles is afraid of the water. You must have a gift with children.”

Shannon swallowed. What she knew about children could be written on the head of a pin. “Um… I like kids,” she said tentatively.

It wasn’t a lie.

Kids were great little people and she would love to have one someday. Her three nieces and one nephew were the most precious things in the world.

Alex’s gaze was fixed on his son who had wandered over to the Christmas tree in the corner. There was so much pain in his eyes that Shannon’s throat tightened. This was a man who’d lost his wife and was trying to raise his child alone. And it was Christmas, a time when absences were felt worse than ever. She remembered what it was like after her father died—nothing had been right, and even now there were moments when emptiness replaced holiday cheer.

“This time of year must be rough,” she said softly.

“His mother made things so special for Christmas,” Alex murmured, his gaze still focused on his son. “She loved baking and doing crafts with him, and fixing things just right. It’s been hard trying to make up for what he’s lost.”

Shannon shifted her feet, feeling torn.

She couldn’t get involved with a man grieving over his wife’s death. It was simply asking for a broken heart. Besides, her relationships never lasted. Old-fashioned or not, the men she continually found herself dating inevitably wanted her to be less modern and more a domestic goddess in disguise.

Well, she didn’t have an ounce of domesticity in her.

But what about Jeremy? He had responded to her, and that meant something. Didn’t it?

“W-why is the rabbit so important to Jeremy?” Shannon asked, despite the internal warnings clanging inside her head. She could tell when a man wasn’t interested, and Dr. McKenzie had disinterest written all over his face.

“I’m not sure.” Alex gave her a crooked smile. “Maybe you can figure it out.”

Shannon knew she should confess her ignorance about children. On the other hand, she did know about hurting. Pain seemed bottled up inside Jeremy and it wasn’t right; a child shouldn’t have to go through so much.

“I’m sorry things have been so hard. Settling into a new place must make it harder,” she murmured instead. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.” She swallowed an offer to babysit while she was on vacation.

“Thank you, Miss O’Rourke. That’s kind of you,” Alex said formally, in a tone that announced he had no intention of asking for anything.

She cocked her head. “Please call me Shannon. Nobody uses Miss O’Rourke unless they want to annoy me. Even reporters aren’t that formal during a press conference.”

“Do you talk to reporters very often?”

Shannon shrugged. “It’s part of my job. I’m the Public Relations Director for O’Rourke Enterprises.”

“Of course,” he said. “You’re one of the O’Rourkes.”

Her nose wrinkled.

Terrific, she was one of the O’Rourkes. Her oldest brother was a talented businessman who’d made truck-loads of money. As one of the richest men in the country, Kane had gotten more press than most movie stars, so people tended to recognize the name. Especially in the Seattle area.

“Sorry,” Alex murmured, his lazy, comfortable grin sending her pulse skidding. It didn’t make sense; he wasn’t the type of man she usually dated. “You must get tired of people saying things like that.”

“Now and then.”

He cleared his throat and motioned to the line that had moved away from them. Shannon strolled forward, making sure that Mr. Tibbles remained within Jeremy’s sight now that he’d rejoined them. The boy was so young. She wondered if he remembered his mother, or if it was the sense of abandonment that still haunted him. It was hard for a child to understand that their mommy or daddy hadn’t wanted to die. But death wasn’t a concept children understood very well.

Nor did some adults, Shannon reflected wryly.

There were times she heard her father’s voice in her subconscious and turned around, half expecting to see him standing there.

She let out a breath and looked up at Alex. “I understand you teach engineering. My brother Kane wanted to be an engineer, but he had to quit school.”

“Instead he became a billionaire,” Alex said dryly. “It must be rough.”

Shannon’s eyes narrowed. She might complain about her atavistic brothers, but nobody criticized Kane except her. He’d done everything for the family, giving up his own plans for the future. The fact that he’d made a fortune in the process just proved his intelligence and determination.

“Kane is brilliant,” she said in a cool tone. “Until he got married he worked fourteen hours a day, so he was hardly living a life of ease and luxury. Money was just his way of taking care of the family after we lost our father. He would have been a wonderful engineer, but he never got the chance.”

The corners of Alex’s mouth twitched. He’d never have believed the vibrant redhead was capable of looking so frosty. She might be fashion-model beautiful, but when it came to her precious brother, she was pure pit bull.

“I wasn’t criticizing,” he said.

“Of course you weren’t.”

She turned her back to him, and he sighed. Women like Shannon O’Rourke were too volatile for a down-to-earth guy like him. And too unpredictable. He liked engineering schematics and formulas, things you could count on. Life was uncertain enough without inviting chaos into the mix.

The line had moved and they finally reached the front, where a postal clerk waited expectantly.

“Our turn,” Jeremy said to Shannon.

She nodded. “You’re such a big help. Let’s put the packages on the counter, so your daddy can mail them.” She cast a glance toward Alex. “And I’ll mail my Christmas cards.”

“Okay.”

Jeremy handed up the packages, which Shannon piled on the counter along with the ones she’d carried. Almost as an afterthought, she added her bundle of Christmas cards, which Alex noticed were already stamped. She hadn’t needed to wait in line with them.

“Well, Jeremy, I’d better return Mr. Tibbles to you, and then get going.”

Shannon took the stuffed rabbit out of her purse and passed it to Jeremy, who didn’t seem to hold it quite as fiercely as before. Alex rubbed his chin as he watched Shannon walk away. His son had never accepted someone so quickly. Hell, she’d gotten Mr. Tibbles away from him with just a smile—he hadn’t managed that feat and he was Jeremy’s father.

“It all goes first-class mail. I’ll be back in a minute,” he muttered to the postal clerk, shoving his credit card in her direction. Muffled groans of protest came from the waiting customers, but Alex ignored them. “Miss O’Rourke,” he said, catching Shannon at the exit. “That is… Shannon.”

“Ever the gentleman, Dr. McKenzie,” she murmured. “But I can manage this door on my own.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

“You mean you don’t want to hold the door for me?” Shannon sounded offended and he groaned.

“No, that is, yes, of course I do, but…”

Too late he saw the faint humor lurking in her green eyes.

He’d been had, yet he wanted to laugh as well. There weren’t many women who could forgive a supposed insult that quickly. Especially one concerning family. Whatever faults Shannon O’Rourke might have, holding a grudge didn’t appear to be one of them.

“So, what did you want?” she asked.

Alex hesitated. He didn’t want anything, but for Jeremy’s sake he should keep things cordial between them. “It’s just… I’m sorry I upset you. And I want you to know that I appreciated the way you handled Jeremy. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Confusion filled her eyes.

A woman as beautiful as Shannon O’Rourke probably expected to be asked for a date, but he had no intention of getting involved with anyone, much less someone like Shannon. His friends and colleagues, everyone, kept saying it was just a matter of time, that if you’ve had one good marriage, you’re more likely to have a second good one.

But he didn’t buy it.

With Kim he’d gotten lucky, because he sure wasn’t good husband material, not with his family background of domestic warfare and divorce. God, he’d hated all the screaming and fighting.

“Sir,” called the postal clerk with an edge of irritation in her voice. “There are a lot of people waiting.”

“Better go.” Shannon flipped her hand and pushed through the double glass doors.

Alex released a harsh breath as he watched the gentle sway of her hips as she headed for her car. Kim had been gone for almost a year. There wasn’t any reason to feel guilty for enjoying a woman’s legs.

Except he did feel guilty.

The rustle of restless feet and throat-clearing dragged his attention back to the post office. He returned to the counter and signed the credit slip, accompanied by applause from the line of postal customers. He walked outside with Jeremy while Shannon was still waiting to pull into the busy street, and his son dragged his feet, watching sadly as her sleek sports car finally merged into traffic.

“Come along, son.”

“I like her, Daddy.”

“I know. I’m sure you’ll see her again. Shannon is our next-door neighbor.”

Jeremy let out a very adult sigh. “But you made her mad.”

It was undeniably true, even though she’d appeared to forgive what he’d jokingly implied about her brother. Yes, Shannon O’Rourke was temperamental, but she’d also shown that she was loyal.

A far cry from his own family.

After his parents divorced, Alex and his two siblings had been pawns in their incessant power struggles. And now they didn’t see one another anymore. They were too far-flung for one thing; his brother was in the Arctic studying global warming and his sister was working in Japan. As for his mother and father, they’d each been married and divorced several times to other people, and they still hated each other with a passion that poisoned everything around them.

“Shannon isn’t upset with you,” he said finally. “So it’s okay.”

“But she’s mad at you, Daddy.” Jeremy was obstinate in his own way, and he obviously felt that Shannon being mad was a problem, regardless of who she was mad at.

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. After his rotten up-bringing, he’d worried he couldn’t love a child. But from the minute his newborn son, all red and wrinkled, opened sleepy eyes and blew a bubble at him, he’d turned into a marshmallow where the kid was concerned.

“I know, son, but you still don’t need to worry about it.” He would have said everything was “all right,” but he’d said it too often when Kim was sick, and he’d felt like a hypocrite each time Jeremy crawled into his arms and believed him.

His son gave him an exasperated look, which would have been comical if his eyes weren’t so serious. “Can we get her a Christmas present?”

A Christmas present?

What did you get for a woman who must have everything?

“We’ll get a poinsettia,” Alex promised. Plants were usually safe, especially since it should look like a seasonal gesture. Or as an apology for the verbal faux pas he’d stumbled into over her brother.

Jeremy looked relieved, and as they trudged back to the Cherokee, he turned his head to gaze in the direction Shannon had driven. For the first time in a year he wasn’t clutching Mr. Tibbles to his chest; instead, he was casually swinging the rabbit by one arm.

Alex let out a sigh of his own. He had to be careful. Seeing too much of the woman next door could lead Jeremy into getting ideas about a new mommy.

Yet as he fastened his son into the child’s car seat, Alex couldn’t help thinking about Shannon. She was undoubtedly headstrong and opinionated, as different from his wife as a woman could be. He’d considered casual dating since Kim’s death, but none of the women he’d met were particularly interesting.

And none of them were like Shannon O’Rourke.