Harlequin Superromance November 2014 - Box Set 2 of 2: Christmas at the Cove\Navy Christmas\Until She Met Daniel (69 page)

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Elenora answered, patently oblivious to the sarcasm.

“And he’s willing to overlook anything that’s happened in the years you’ve been gone.” Her father didn’t sound as if he completely approved of Vince’s “tolerance.”

Mandy shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t do it, but tell Vince I’ll never forget that he sent my parents to woo me.”

The Colsons both appeared uncomfortable. “He would have come himself,” George told her. “But we convinced him to let us speak with you.”

“And we wanted to see you for the holiday, of course,” Elenora added hastily, obviously thinking it was the correct thing to say...and she always tried to say the right thing, though the way she said it and her timing were often wanting.

The town clock chimed eleven. “It’s time to head over to the Whittiers’,” Mandy exclaimed in relief, jumping to her feet. “It’s just next door.”

She pulled the food she was bringing from the refrigerator, put it in a box and placed the blackberry and the chocolate cream pies on top. The yeast rolls were in a bag hanging from her arm.

“Good heavens,” her father exclaimed as they walked toward the massive Victorian. “What sort of place is this?”

“The city is providing it to the city manager as part of his pay package. A man named Oscar Bertram willed it to the town after his grandson said he would eat worms before he’d live here.”

Her father stared as if
she’d
been caught munching worms. Mandy nodded at the doorbell, but he didn’t understand, so she pushed it with her elbow, since her hands were occupied with the box of food.

Joyce greeted them warmly and eyed the pies on top of the box. “Dear me, you didn’t need to bring anything extra, but those look wonderful.” She looked at Mandy’s mother and father. “You must be the Colsons. I’m so glad you could come.”

“Mom and Dad, this is Joyce Baker. Joyce, my parents, George and Elenora Colson,” Mandy introduced.

She ran the box quickly into the kitchen, then returned to the living room to continue introductions. “Mom and Dad, this is Daniel Whittier and his daughter, Samantha, Jane Cutman, Lou Ella and Harold Parsons.”

Samantha dashed over to give her a hug. “Happy Thanksgiving, Mandy.”

“Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.”

“We are very sorry to come empty-handed, Mrs. Baker,” Elenora said primly. “If Mandy had told us ahead of time that we were eating here today, we would have brought a hostess gift.”

“I called and put a message on your voice mail, Mom.”

“I see. We had probably left for the airport.”

“Then you must have left less than an hour after telling me you were coming for the holiday,” Mandy returned instantly, unable to resist reminding her parents that they hadn’t given
her
advance notice they were coming. Didn’t that constitute rude and boorish behavior in their code of proper etiquette?

“Er...it’s nice you could spend the holiday with your daughter,” Lou Ella threw into the conversation.

“She rarely comes back to see us in Connecticut, so we decided this was the only way,” George intoned.

“I usually don’t get much time off at the holidays,” Mandy reminded him.

“If you kept a job for longer, you’d have seniority to
get
the time.”

Mandy could feel the puzzled glances of Jane and the Parsons. After all, she hadn’t asked if she could have any time off, and the seniors would surely have given it to her. Joyce returned from the kitchen, bringing out hors d’oeuvres.

“George and Elenora—” Daniel stood and put a tray on the table in front of them “—please, help yourselves.”

“How gracious of you, Mr. Whittier.” Elenora barely glanced at the appetizers. “We understand you work with our daughter at City Hall.”

“Alongside her,” Daniel corrected with a smile. “The senior program runs independently of City Hall administration, though Mandy and I are cooperating on a community project.”

“Oh, yes,” Jane said. “It’s all about our water supply and whether we should have a sewage treatment plant.”

Elenora looked taken aback. “Sewage?” she repeated. Mandy almost snickered. Her parents generally ignored anything to do with the actual realities of life. They expected disgusting stuff to flow away from their pristine house and didn’t worry about what happened to it afterward.

“It’s kind of controversial,” Mandy said.

“Indeed, yes.” Lou Ella looked guiltily at Mandy. “I suppose I shouldn’t have said anything. I mean, mealtime rules and that sort of thing?”

Mandy laughed. “I can only hope everyone applies that rule outside the Senior Center. Otherwise, Thanksgiving dinner is going to blast off a barrelful of indigestion.”

“Blast off a barrelful?” George said with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure, Dad,” Mandy agreed. “There is nothing like mixing images and similes to have fun.”

His lips pressed together.

Mandy shrugged and ignored him, sliding down on the floor to sit next to Samantha. Joyce had tried inviting one of the families of Samantha’s friends, but they’d all had plans with relatives. That left no one who was Sam’s age. They started a game together and Mandy was able to pretend her parents weren’t there for a while.

After the game was completed, she got to her feet. “I’ll be in the kitchen. I forgot something I was going to tell Joyce.”

“Ask her if there’s anything we can do to help,” Jane urged.

“Sure thing.”

Hurrying into the kitchen, Mandy spotted Joyce peering into a large pot on the stove.

“Save me, Joyce,” Mandy said. “Give me a job to do. In here, not out there.”

“Excuse me?”

“That’s exactly what I want, an excuse not to go back into the living room for a little while.”

Cocking her head, Joyce regarded her sympathetically. “I gather that you and your parents aren’t any closer than I am with Celia.”

Mandy winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to dredge up negative vibes.”

“You didn’t. I was thinking about her when you came in.”

“You haven’t said if there is something I can do to help in here. And Jane wanted to know if she and Lou Ella could do anything, too.”

“I’m afraid everything is in good shape. But we’ll start serving soon and I can use some help then.”

Reluctantly, Mandy forced her feet back toward the living room.

* * *

D
ANIEL
ATE
HIS
last bite of pumpkin pie and glanced around the table. The dinner guests seemed to be in a congenial mood, though it was hard to evaluate the Colsons, who were painfully polite. Of course, they might feel awkward since they didn’t know anyone except their daughter.

No wonder Mandy was tense.

He’d been painfully aware of her all day. Who was he kidding? He was aware of her all the time, even when she wasn’t around.

“When do you fly home?” Lou Ella asked Elenora.

“This evening,” she answered.

“So soon?” Mandy asked. Daniel thought her face reflected a mixture of emotions—surprise, relief, chagrin...or it might be his imagination.

“There is a faculty gathering tomorrow we can’t miss,” George said. He looked at Lou Ella. “It wasn’t convenient to fly to California for such a short time, but it appeared this was the only way we’d be able to see Mandy. She’s chosen to live so far away and doesn’t visit very often.”

“I suppose that’s how it is,” Joyce said. “Families get spread out and it’s hard to stay close.”

George neatly folded his napkin. “Our twin sons visit.”

“They have also chosen to live nearby,” Elenora added.

“That’s nice when it’s possible,” Jane commented. “My eldest son is only about ten miles away, but my other son and his wife are back in Rhode Island.”

“Why aren’t you spending the holiday with the son who lives locally?” Elenora asked.

“He’s with his in-laws this year. Ariel’s folks have always welcomed me to come along, but when Joyce invited me here, I thought I’d enjoy the holiday with my old and new friends.”

“We’re glad you did,” Daniel said.

When Joyce had told him yesterday that the Colsons would be joining them, he’d thought it would be interesting—it turned out that “interesting” was an understatement. What an eye-opener. He might have reservations about Mandy’s lifestyle—and especially about letting someone like her close to his daughter—but didn’t the Colsons ever let up? Their criticisms were barely subtle.
And in front of her friends.
They plainly disapproved of their daughter and had complained more than once that she lived too far away and didn’t see them often.

Ha.

The way they acted, he wouldn’t go see them, either. He felt the same way about visiting his own parents to view the latest damage in their domestic conflict—it was best to stay out of their line of fire. As the target of the Colsons’ censure, no doubt Mandy thought the same.

“More pie?” Joyce asked.

There were several nods while Samantha chirped, “Chocolate, please, Mandy.”

Cripes, the Colsons were now staring with disapproval at the only child at the table. Honestly, were they from the eighteenth century, thinking kids should be “seen and not heard”?

How ironic. He was
thankful
Samantha had started becoming more forthright and speaking up for herself.

Mandy smiled and put a piece of chocolate cream pie on a plate. With a wink at Samantha, she squirted a nice mound of whipped cream on top, bringing his daughter’s face to blissful anticipation.

“Mandy, do you
really
think that much whipped cream is a good idea for a child?” George asked.

Samantha instantly looked crushed, while Mandy bit her lip. When Daniel met Joyce’s gaze for an instant, he saw the same distaste for the Colsons that he felt himself.

“Samantha’s dessert is my business, Mr. Colson,” he said crisply. “Mandy, there are some spots you missed on that piece of pie. Better put on more whipped cream. It’s Thanksgiving, after all.”

A dull red crept up George’s neck. “I’m terribly...that is, I shouldn’t have—”

“I’ll take a slice of your blackberry pie with plenty of whipped cream, too,” Jane interrupted, her eyes chilly as she looked at the Colsons.

Mandy’s tight expression eased as the Parsons chimed in with requests for pumpkin pie, including lots of cream. She served herself a slice of Lou Ella’s apple-cranberry pie and sprayed a large amount on her plate, as well. But the Colsons weren’t watching. They’d focused their attention on their coffee cups.

A warm sensation went through Daniel. He barely knew Jane and the Parsons, yet in their own way, they were showing Samantha and Mandy their support. He’d had reservations about living in such a small town, but there
were
benefits.

He glanced at Mandy. Lord, the Colsons seemed blind to their daughter’s good qualities, ignoring the fact she was charming, intelligent and genuinely cared about people. All they could see was the fact she didn’t live in the conventional way they had decided was the proper lifestyle.

The realization was embarrassing because he’d originally been critical of it himself. But while it was true she was a poor candidate for a long-term relationship—especially for a man with a young child—at least he’d learned to appreciate her.

Daniel went into the kitchen to collect more coffee, insisting Joyce stay put. By his calculations, she’d walked several miles that morning putting the meal together, though the guests had brought side dishes and desserts to help. Mandy had brought some delicious rolls, mashed potatoes and her pies. Delicious pies, too—he’d eaten a sliver of each offering. Now he was uncomfortably full. It would take miles of extra running to even it out.

Light footsteps sounded behind him and he swung around to see Mandy carrying a stack of dinner plates to the sink.

“I told Joyce I’d handle the cleanup,” she said.

“Coward,” he murmured.

Mandy cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“Well, maybe you’re smart, instead. Only an idiot voluntarily sticks around when they’re being insulted.”

She blinked before her lips quirked into a grin. “I thought you’d approve of my parents.”

“How dare you suggest such a thing?” Daniel shot back in a mock-injured tone. “I have much better taste than that.”

Her eyebrows lifted in a way he found...provocative. “Better taste?”

He cast a quick glance at the door. In the distance, there was the murmur of voices. Samantha’s laugh sounded.

Reaching out, he tugged Mandy close and bent down to taste her rosy lips; his heart pumping at the feel of their soft warmth, He pressed harder, opening his mouth to share her breath. Daniel slid his right hand lower, cupping her bottom, squeezing, then letting go and squeezing again.

* * *

M
ANDY
’
S
BRAIN
WHIRLED
, or maybe the kitchen spun around her and Daniel. There was something incredibly erotic about the pattern of Daniel’s caresses, and when his left hand dropped down and started on the other side, she nearly lost it. All the while, his tongue plunged deeper into her mouth, tasting, invading and inviting.

Gasping, she finally pulled away, whirled and leaned against the kitchen counter.

“No,” she whispered as he dipped his face into the curve of her neck. “Unsatisfied need isn’t my idea of a great way to spend the rest of the day.”

“Just trying to distract you from unpleasant guests.”

“Doing the dishes will work just fine.”

“Spoilsport.”

“What happened to the stuffy guy who disapproved of such things in his office? Is his kitchen any better?”

“Damn.
Now
you have to get sensible on me.”

“Speaking of sensible, you came in here to fetch more coffee for your guests.”

Daniel straightened and looked chagrined. “Oh, yeah.” He took the coffeepot and left.

Mandy wanted to stick her head under a cold faucet, but instead, she grabbed a plate and began scraping bits of leftover food into the trash, hoping the prosaic task would get her mind off kissing...and other pursuits.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

C
HRIS
’
S
STOMACH
WASN
’
T
happy about the lemon meringue pie he’d eaten for dessert, but the pumpkin probably would have been worse. Actually, his stomach hadn’t appreciated the entire Thanksgiving meal...too much anticipation of the discussion Susan had insisted they have with Evan.

They’d argued bitterly when their son had been out of earshot, and even a few times when he’d been present. Now, seated at the table, they simply acted awkwardly with each other.

“Okay, guys, what’s wrong?” Evan asked finally.

Chris stiffened. “Nothing.”

“Actually, we’ve been having a difference of opinion lately,” Susan explained, “and we need to talk with you about it.”

“
What
difference of opinion?”

“We’re looking at new water sources in town.”

Evan grinned. “Let me guess. Dad is on the opposite side, same as usual.”

“What a smart kid,” Susan said fondly. “But it’s...well, more than that, the water debate just brought everything into the open. The truth is, your dad is only here because it’s Thanksgiving. We’ve been separated while we work things out.”

“
Temporarily
separated,” Chris added hastily.

Evan looked stunned. “I don’t get it. You like, get along so great.”

“It’s complicated,” Susan told him. “And we’re sorry to hit you with it this way, but we also need to be honest with you.”

“I guess that explains why Dad never answers when I call the house.”

“Right,” Chris agreed. “But we don’t want you to worry about it. Everything is going to be fine.”

“We hope,” Susan added.

Thankfully, Evan seemed too bewildered by the whole thing to ask much right away. Instead, as they always had done after the Thanksgiving meal, they all set out for a walk and the conversation returned to more normal subjects.

“How are your classes going?” Susan asked after a while.

“Pretty good. I’ve been studying with my girlfriend.”

“Must be a different girl from the last one you told us about,” Chris commented, recalling Evan mentioning a girlfriend devoted to online role-playing games.

“That’s been over for ages. I haven’t gone out with Angie for ages.”

“For ages, huh?” Chris wanted to share a smile with Susan, but she was staring at a fall leaf and didn’t look up.

Around midafternoon, Evan announced he had to get back to school. “Are you sure you can’t stay until tomorrow morning? I hate having you drive after dark,” Susan said, and Chris nodded in agreement. Funny how the things you boldly did as a teenager yourself, you
didn’t
want your son doing.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get a room if it gets too late. And, uh...” Even stopped, glanced back and forth between his parents. “Thanks for telling me. I kinda had a feeling something wasn’t right.”

“Remember, no matter what, we both love you,” Susan said.

Evan left a few minutes later. His visit had lasted less than twenty-four hours, but Susan had done six loads of laundry for him.

Chris and Susan stood on the porch, watching their son’s car disappear around a curve. Chris wondered if Susan was feeling the same adrenaline letdown. It was hard to believe they were in this situation.

“I just don’t understand why you won’t look at the other side of an issue,” she murmured, breaking the silence. “You used to, a long time ago.”

“Someone has to stand up for the environment.”

“I know, but the night we met, you talked about building coalitions and educating people. About searching for workable options. I thought it was wonderful. Then you met Dad and turned into a knee-jerk radical.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it? You’ve assumed that I’m just echoing my father—you haven’t bothered looking at the reality of the town’s need for water, or tried to understand or be reasonable. And for twenty years you’ve treated me the same way, never noticing the bite marks you and Dad leave behind.”

He snorted. “Don’t be melodramatic. We’ve agreed on most things.”

Susan let out a short, brittle laugh. “Actually, you’ve just
assumed
we agreed because I got into the habit of simply going along with what you want.”

“You’re still saying I try to control everything?” Chris asked incredulously.

“Not exactly. But you
have
gotten your way most of the time without realizing it. I usually let things go by, without saying I had a different opinion, and now I’m paying for it. This is the first time we’ve really butted heads over something important. And what happened? I didn’t cave, you didn’t get your way, and you moved out. It feels as if we’ve spent twenty years building a house of cards.”

Heat crept up Chris’s neck; he wasn’t proud of the way he’d left. “You’re saying this is all my fault, then.”

“
No.
It wasn’t until Mandy said she’d left her husband so she wouldn’t become a Stepford wife that something clicked in me. I grew up watching my mom suppress her own opinions for the sake of domestic peace. And I’ve been perpetuating the same dynamic.”

Chris was too confused to respond, so he went inside the house to collect the few things he’d brought. He didn’t know what to think, yet the sadness in Susan’s voice bothered him...almost as much as the possibility that he hadn’t understood how she’d felt through the years. If there was any hope for their marriage to survive, he had to give it some serious thought.

* * *

M
ANDY
SAW
THE
tension in Daniel’s face as soon as she went into his office the next day. He obviously regretted initiating their hot kiss—a kiss and other seductive moves that had left her aching all night and longing for more.

“I’m sorry,” he said without preamble. “Yesterday was a mistake I shouldn’t have made.”

“Yeah, I figured you’d be back to your old self before long.”

“I’m concerned.” Daniel stopped and ran his fingers through his dark hair. “What if Samantha had come in? She could be getting her hopes up about something that’s never going to happen. My God, she’s been hurt enough.”

A confused rush of anger and pain swept through Mandy, however illogical it might be. After all, she’d told Daniel she didn’t intend to get tied down, so she shouldn’t be hurt he didn’t see her as a potential life partner. And he’d said from the beginning that he wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone. As for him being protective of Samantha, he was a loving father. It was one of the things she liked about him.

Actually, there were a lot of things Mandy liked about Daniel.
Too
many things. And that was why it stung to have him push her away.

Besides, he was the one who’d broken down and kissed her the day before, in his own house with his daughter and his ex’s mother just down the hall. Now he wanted to act as if they’d never done more than shake hands.

She squared her shoulders. “I don’t see the problem with us being friends—you and me and Samantha. And Joyce, naturally.”

“Do I have to spell it out? She’s a little girl with an emotionally detached mother. And you aren’t going to be here for long—you aren’t anywhere for long.”

“I love Willow’s Eve and I’ve stayed for almost seven months now.”

“I’m sure that seems like an eternity after nine years of peripatetic jumping from one job and town to another.”

“Peripatetic?” Mandy hiked an eyebrow. “What did you do, search the dictionary last night to find the word with the most syllables? Don’t forget, I’m the one with the English lit major. The way you phrased it is redundant.”

“Regardless, moving on is what you do every time things get complicated.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Tell me truthfully—with all of this mess going on in town and between us, you’ve considered packing up and leaving, haven’t you?”

“It’s not the same,” Mandy protested, though it was true the thought of leaving the turmoil behind
was
attractive. “I told them when they interviewed me that I probably wouldn’t stay. Four or five months is usually my limit.”

“Then why are you still here?”

“I thought I’d finally found a place where I fit it. Now I’m just...not so sure.”

“Terrific. For once you found a place where you feel comfortable, and that means most of the people fit what you want them to be. But I don’t match what you expect, and now with the water issue getting so hot, a lot of people aren’t adjusting to your narrow specifications, either.”

“You don’t understand.”

Mandy stalked out furiously, heading for her own office. When the rubber hit the road, Daniel was a jerk.

And they were impossibly mismatched, despite the fact they generated enough heat to solve the energy crisis, presuming some scientist could discover how to harness it. But he was conservative establishment. She was spontaneous and eager to try new things and gain new experiences. And what was wrong with being like that? After the disaster with Vince, she’d promised herself she would never get involved with a guy who didn’t accept her as she was. She should remember that promise whenever Daniel made her blood sizzle.

“Mandy?”

It was him. Office keys in hand, she wheeled around. “What do you want?”

“The reason we came in today was to discuss questions on the water issue. Remember?”

Guilt stabbed her. City Hall, including the Senior Center, was closed for a four-day holiday break. Daniel hadn’t needed to come in; he could have stayed home with Sam. And unlike her own father, who had consistently chosen work over time with his daughter, Daniel obviously enjoyed his daughter’s company. But whenever they had tried to talk for the past week, they’d been interrupted. So he’d come in, anyhow.

She swallowed and opened her office, inviting him inside. “Okay. Number one on the list of latest concerns is the fact this is a small town, and having a sewage treatment plant seems unnecessary, not to mention expensive.”

“You can’t tell me they like septic tanks.”

“As they say, there are pros and cons to any system. They’re used to septic tanks. And someone found a study showing that in some areas, septic tanks are more ecologically sound than the alternative.”

“So the environment becomes more important when it’s possible to save money?”

“That’s a mean-spirited way of putting it.”

He made a face. “Perhaps, but I’m trying to anticipate what Joe Jensen’s objections will be. He’ll put it much worse.”

“True,” Mandy had to acknowledge. Big Joe was as cynical as they came.

They ran through the list of concerns the seniors had raised over the past week.

“We need to get everyone discussing things on a rational basis,” Daniel said when they were finished.

Mandy nodded. Rationality was something he probably doubted she had in abundance, but he was wrong. She could see both sides of the issue, and knew that if anything was to get resolved, it would require give-and-take from everyone.

Daniel got up to leave, then hesitated. “Look, I probably said some things I shouldn’t have...about why you move around so much. The truth is, I think you care so much about people, you invest too much in their problems. But everyone has problems, and it isn’t up to you to fix them.”

His insight made Mandy gulp. “Sometimes I
can
help.”

“That doesn’t mean you should. They say a chick needs to break its way out of the shell to be strong enough to survive.”

She clenched her hands so hard, her fingernails dug into her palms. “You don’t think I should have agreed to represent the seniors, do you?”

He shook his head. “I’m not saying that, but I wonder how you’ll feel if a decision is made that they don’t like...provided you stay around long enough for that decision.”

Mandy glared as he walked out, wanting to boot him in the backside, and at the same time wanting to cry. Only she had no reason to cry...except for her frustrated body and mixed-up feelings. She
wasn’t
falling in love with Daniel. It didn’t matter he wasn’t quite the bureaucratic rule follower she’d believed...or that he was a loving father and hard worker, and had a decent sense of humor after all....

She put a brake on her thoughts. She did
not
need to enumerate his good qualities, again. Instead, she should remember he was pigheaded, occasionally stuffy and stuck in his ways.

Hell.

Daniel had accused her of wanting to be accepted, but not accepting him or other people. It had infuriated her when he’d said it, but she couldn’t shake the thought. Was there an element of truth in what he’d said?

Especially since she
had
been considering the joys of a fast exit ever since things had gotten sticky in Willow’s Eve.

* * *

O
N
THE
W
EDNESDAY
following Thanksgiving, Daniel paused going down the steps of City Hall to gaze at the large community Christmas tree in the city square. The tree-lighting ceremony had taken place on Saturday night and the tree glimmered with thousands of lights.

He’d never lived in a town with so much sense of community, and it was growing on him. A Christmas tree-lighting party, groups caroling through the streets, holiday songs sounding from the clock tower...he was enjoying it thoroughly. Joyce and Sam had been enthralled, and they’d talked him into putting up lights on the house and on the trees and bushes in the yard.

“Good evening, Daniel.”

Turning, he saw one of the clerks who worked upstairs. “Good evening, Barbara. Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?”

“Wonderful. And you?”

“The same.”

“See you tomorrow.”

There had been a couple of intensive days working with Barbara as they ironed out evacuation procedures for City Hall. The fire in the kitchen had made Daniel wonder, so he’d looked into the matter and found there’d been no procedure updates since long before the place was remodeled. Barbara had proved quite competent as they put a plan together.

In January, he planned to look at the whole community’s preparedness. The fire department held regular drills, which sounded promising, and they’d sent him copies of their after-action reports. But he was also interested in personal readiness, wherein each household had emergency kits and a plan. He wondered if they could link up households to check on each other if a disaster should strike, with a central command...oh, he had lots of ideas. Some he’d had for years, but when he’d proposed them at his previous job, he had found little support. Now he had the opportunity to put them into play. It wasn’t the same as being the head of emergency services for a large city, but satisfying.