What Remains (21 page)

“It’s late, Tess.  Why don’t you go on to bed, we can take care of this in the morning.”

“I’m too excited to sleep,” she smiled sweetly, turning around to lean against the sink.

“So, I take it that you liked your surprise?”

Without warning, Tessa rushed across the distance between them and threw herself into his arms, burying her face in the nape of his neck when he lifted her off the ground.  She continued to cling to him for several seconds, allowing the strength of her embrace to relay her emotions.  Instinctively, Seth placed his hands under her buttocks so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.  It was the only way her head could remain on his shoulder, and he wanted it there, more than anything he had ever wanted. 

“You don’t realize how much it means to me seeing you this happy, Tess.”

“How will I ever begin to thank you for this…for everything?  You overwhelm me sometimes, Boss Man.”

“This right here is all the thanks I need,” he grinned, squeezing her just a little tighter to him, amazed at how small she felt in his arms—how soft. 

“I love this song,” she cooed, as Unchained Melody began to play.

“Yeah, it’s a good one,” he mumbled, becoming a little misty-eyed, though he fought hard against it.  The emotions of the day were finally starting to get to him.

“Put me down; I’m going to hurt your back.”

“It’s a good possibility, considering all the food you packed away tonight.”

Tessa giggled and squirmed to get down, but Seth held her steadfast for just a few moments longer and he swayed back and forth to the music, unable to think of a better way spend the arrival of Christmas morning. 

When she drew back to look at him, she smiled.  “Seth…” she whispered.

“Yes, Tessa.”

“You rock my face off; you realize that, don’t you?”

Seth threw back his head and laughed before placing a kiss on her cheek.

“I’m pretty fond of you, too.”

“I’m sorry you lost your wife,” she told him, with her expression revealing heart-felt sincerity.

“Where did that come from?”

“As sweet as it was for you to bring my children here, you should be spending Christmas with your own family.  I don’t care what kind of marriage it was; I know you still miss her.”

“Like I told you, it was a long time ago.”

“But you’re not over it yet, I can tell.”

Brushing a wisp of hair from her brow, he answered her honestly.  “I guess I still regret the fact that I wasn’t a better husband.”

“No one is perfect.”

“But some things are unforgivable.”

“Everything is forgivable, silly.  That’s why we have Christmas.”  Staring at him with eyes crystal clear pools of deep blue, his heart lurched forward in his chest.  How he wished he could share in her faith; a faith that could move mountains; that could allow him to forgive himself.

Without saying anything, Tessa touched his face with her fingertips, her expression illegible; her gaze searching his face for an answer to some unspoken question. 

“Either stop looking at me that way, or tell me what you’re thinking,” he told her, forcing a half grin.

“I’m thinking that you need a kiss right now.”

“Oh, yeah?
  And why is that?” Seth asked with a chuckle, even though he was not as amused by her proposal as he sounded.

“Because you deserve one,” Tessa smiled mischievously.  “And it just so happens that I have here…”  Reaching in the pocket of her sweater, she pulled out a sprig of mistletoe and held it over their heads.

They both laughed, but then drew quiet as she leaned slowly forward and pressed her lips against his.  It was a childish kiss, an innocent one, but it didn’t matter, Seth cherished the moment with his heart racing as he felt the softness of her breasts meld against his chest, and the tightness of her bottom pressing against his palms.

When he felt the smoothness of her teeth against his mouth, letting him know she was smiling, Seth smiled as well.

“What are you doing?” he reprimanded lightly, joining her in a sudden burst of laughter, though their lips remained only inches apart.

“I can do better,” Tessa told him in a horrible Cockney accent that he found ridiculously charming when missed with her southern drawl.

“I hope so, because that was terrible.”

When both her arms slipped around his neck in another attempt, and she parted her lips ever so slightly, unknowingly offering him a taste of her mouth, Seth’s body reacted instantly.

With his mind now in autopilot, his own lips parted to allow his tongue to dip ever so briefly into the sweetness of her mouth.  It didn’t take long for an all too familiar stirring to set off warnings in his head that their playfulness had gone too far.  It took every bit of will power he had to pull away. 

Trying to offer her a believable grin, Seth teased, “Yep, I’d say that just about covers the cost of the corporate jet.”

By the expression on her face, he could tell she was either surprised or embarrassed, or maybe both, which was not his intention.  His intention was to protect her from the misplaced sympathy she was feeling towards him about his late wife.  If Tessa was going to kiss him, it would have to be for a far better reason than she simply felt sorry for him.

“I think it’s time we both get some sleep, so Santa can come.”

It didn’t’ take long for her to recover from whatever emotion she was just experiencing, for her face brightened instantly.  “Santa already came,” she told him, scrambling down to stand in front of him.  “But I do want to get up early and make a big breakfast for everyone.  They already placed their order; gravy and biscuits.”

“You’re not working on Christmas, sorry.  I’m doing all the cooking tomorrow.  Your only job is to spend time with your horde.”

Giggling absent-mindedly, Tessa more or less said to herself, “They do fill a room, don’t they?”  And then to Seth, “I can tell you now it’s not going to happen.”

“Are you getting lippy with me, woman?” he teased, as they walked out of the kitchen with Tessa holding on to his hand, an act that might have been a natural instinct for her, but Seth found to be strangely intimate, more so than the kiss they had just shared. 

“I’m just saying if they don’t get their gravy and biscuits bad things could happen.”

“Then I’ll do my best.”

“Hey, where are you going?” she asked when he started up the stairs.

“To bed.”

“Aren’t you going to tuck me in and read me,
The Night Before Christmas
?”

“Good night, Tess…” he admonished.  His sense of self control was formidable, but it was about at its limits. 

“Okay…” she pouted sweetly.  “But I’m never going to be able to go to sleep, which is where you came in.”

“Oh, really?”

“Really.  You’re the only one capable of boring me to sleep when you talk.”

“Alright, I see how it is,” he chuckled softly, so as not to wake the children who had to be exhausted from their long trip.

Descending the few stairs he had managed to climb, Seth grabbed Tessa by the waist and hoisted her up over his shoulder and made his way to her bedroom, with Tessa now giggling while whispering threats against him.

Tossing her across the bed, he smiled sheepishly when he saw the shocked look on her face as she scrambled to sit up.

“God, you’re such a bully, Seth?”

“That I am,” he grinned.

Tessa paused and smiled shyly, “Tell me the truth, what do you think of my kids?  Aren’t they like the sweetest things ever?”

“Yes, they are.  You have every right to be a proud mother.”

“Thank you.  I don’t know why God chose to bless me so abundantly, but I’m sure glad he did.”

“Stop it,” Seth scolded, picking up a pillow and hitting her lightly with it.  “I wish you could see the way they look at you.”

“They do love me, don’t they?” she grinned.  “Despite everything I’ve put them through.”

“Yes, they do.  Now lie back and go to sleep, we have a big day tomorrow,” Seth ordered, as he pulled back the covers before tucking them securely around her to keep away the chill in the air.  Which reminded him; he needed to check in on the children
and make sure they were warm enough, but quickly changed his mind.  He wasn’t their father, and had no right to try and assume the role.

“Good night, and have sweet dreams,” Tessa called out to him as he turned off the light.

“Good night, Tess.  Merry Christmas.”

Seth left the room and closed the door behind him, confronted with the very stark realization that he was in love with Tessa Maguire.

Chapter Sixteen

Christmas morning, Seth Richards rose early, at six-thirty, to begin his attempts at breakfast.  With his laptop open and on the counter, he followed the online directions carefully for biscuits.  It was a lot more difficult than he had initially thought.  The dough was hard to work with, even with the heavy marble rolling pin.  While he was struggling with it, the bacon and sausage burned, filling the kitchen with thick smoke, which set off the smoke detectors, forcing him to open the windows and door, and call the security company to let them know there was no fire.

As he had a tape measure out to see if the dough was an even two inches all the way around, Tessa walked in.  She simply giggled when she saw him and
crossed the floor to come stand at his side, with her bedhead, baggy silk pajamas, and bunny slippers. 

“How’s everything going in here?”

“In spite of what it looks like, I have it under control,” he lied. 

“Would you like some help?”

Giving her a look of desperation, Seth nodded, though he refused to admit it out loud.

“Tell you what, why don’t you pour us a cup of coffee, and I’ll finish up,” she told him with a half grin as she stepped back to pull the hair band from around her wrist in order to secure her hair up on top of her head.

Begrudgingly, he did as he was told and stepped out of the way.  Being usurped in his own kitchen had its advantages, however.  How many times had he done this over the past seven months, just lean back and enjoy the sight of Tessa scurrying around, busy with the task of caring for him.  Seth had never considered himself a domesticated man, but he had to admit, there was something sensual about the scene unfolding before him.  If that made him a Neanderthal, then so be it.  He was guilty as charged.

In fact, the entire morning was filled with domestic bliss.  From the grace said before breakfast, by Shane, who offered thanks for Seth’s graciousness, and
that he be blessed for his kindness, to Lynn, the youngest, who kept them laughing throughout the meal with her sharp wit and sarcasm that far proceeded her years.

The humor in which they spoke of their hardships growing up amazed him.  The inner strength and lust for life it instilled in them, gave Seth hope that what he was preparing to do would provide his own family, at least the younger generation, with the same sense of accomplishment and meaning.  Their wealth had indeed, robbed them all of a chance to see just how precious a strong, loving family bond could be.  And it wasn’t the money that cheated them of an opportunity to be a real family; it was their lack of need for one another.  If their wealth had been handled properly, if material things had not been given so freely, by his grandfather, or himself, perhaps their lives would have all been different.  But as it was now, they only viewed one another as competition for a share of the inheritance.

The opening of the gifts was a blast to watch.  Nothing went unwrapped and laid aside without comment and thanks given.  Seth had been worried that what he bought would be a disappointment to them, since he knew so very little about what their needs were.  But they seemed overjoyed by everything; from their laptops to their Visa gift cards. 

Of course, Tessa grew misty-eyed by the gifts she received.  A family portrait that had been taken when they were all very young, with each of them touting either a bad haircut they had given themselves, missing teeth, and/or black eyes from rough housing, caused her to finally break down and cry.  Seth could not help but to laugh at her very feminine reaction until they presented him with one as well, with the inscription on the frame that read,
Forever Family
.  It touched him more deeply than he thought possible, considering they had spent what little money they had on someone they barely knew. 

Between the family portrait from Shane, the homemade scarf from Rene, peanut butter cookies baked by Ann, and the coffee mug that Lynn had painted by hand that read, “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom”, Seth felt his heart swell with pride.  Somehow they knew exactly what he wanted, to feel a part of them.  So when Tessa finally presented him with her gift, he couldn’t imagine anything more special than what he had received already.

It was in a large box, carefully wrapped, with a personalized card that he was prompted by the children to open first and read aloud since it seemed to be an important part of their Christmas tradition.

“What can I possibly give a man who has everything?” It read on the front, which caused him to look at Tess and smile before he opened it up to read
on.  “But hands that are willing to serve him faithfully, shoulders to help bear his burdens, and a heart that will always be truly grateful.”

Seth had to clear his throat before he was capable of saying thank you to her as she stood there wringing her hands, clearly worried about whether he would like his gift or not.  The card was more than enough, and he wished he had the courage to tell her, but feared it would be revealing too much of what he was feeling at that moment.  So he chose instead to open the gift slowly since so much effort had been put into wrapping it.

Finally tearing away the strapping tape that held the lid together, Seth opened the box to find a replica of his sail boat, The Maggie May.  It was obvious that she had made it from a kit, but took the time to painstakingly match every detail, down to the family crest on the flag it flew.  On the base, carved in brass was its name.

“Tess, what can I say…it’s perfect,” he said, overwhelmed by the gesture.  “I can’t believe you did this.”

“So you like it?”

“I love it,” Seth laughed, getting to his feet to embrace her tightly.  “Thank you so much,” he then whispered in her ear, though the sentiment seemed inadequate.

The rest of the weekend sped by too quickly.  They played board games for hours, rode horses through the snow, sang songs at the piano, and ate entirely too much.  But Seth’s favorite time was listening to the females talk amongst
themselves.  He and Shane sat back passively as if they weren’t interested in their chatter, but often looked at each other and smiled over something that was said when they thought no one was listening.  Their girlish whispering and laughter were like soothing music, and he couldn’t help but to be lulled into sleep by the softness of their voices.  He probably took more naps that holiday weekend than he ever had in his life.  It felt good to be that relaxed and carefree.  It didn’t matter what was going on in the rest of his life, here, at home, with Tessa and her children, he had found peace.

On their last night there, as they all sat around the movie screen watching, A Christmas Story, with their bellies full of left-over turkey and pecan pie, Seth looked around and found that they had all nodded off, including Tessa.  As she sat there, with her head back against the sofa, and her children snuggled around her, she reminded him of a protective mother bear and her cubs.  The look on her face was one of pure, unadulterated, exhausted joy.  Rene’s head rested on one shoulder, Shane’s on the other.  Ann slept on the floor at her mother’s feet, and Lynn lied on the end of the sectional with her legs spread across Rene’s and Tessa’s laps.

Seth’s first instinct was to wake them so they could rest more comfortably in their beds, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it, they all seemed to be exactly where they wanted to be, next to one another, touching, even if it was only with their feet.  As he examined each one of their faces, he couldn’t help but to smile.  To be so much alike in many ways, they all had their different roles.

Rene was the practical, sensible one, who was maybe more vulnerable than the others, but hid it beneath a very mature, responsible exterior.  Having been the first born to a mother who was no more than a child herself had probably forced a tremendous amount of responsibility on her at a very young age.  Upon first meeting her, Seth had felt a strong connection with her, and a very real desire to offer her a reprieve from her worry so she could be free to enjoy her life as a beautiful, ambitious young woman.

Shane, of course, being the only son, sort of kept himself apart from the estrogen driven chaos, but ready and willing to step in when they needed some masculine grounding and support.  He was also much quieter, but had no doubt learned at a young age that trying to get a word in edge wise was useless among such strongly opinionated females.  But Seth also sensed an integrity in him that was uncommon, and would go a long way in helping him accomplish his goals.  He was a born leader, and a young man who would end up doing extraordinary things with his life if given the support and encouragement he needed.

Sweet, gentle Ann; he couldn’t help but to fall in love with her instantly.  A gorgeous young lady; creative and tender-hearted to a fault; she reminded him most of Tessa.  Already—even though he had only met her—he worried that her need to be pleasing would cause her to be easily hurt and manipulated by a world who would view it as a weakness, and not strength.  Out of all of them, she brought out his fatherly instincts to protect.

And last but not least was Lynn.  Her sense of humor and ability to make others laugh charmed him to no end.  How anyone that young could be so cynical and self-deprecating was nothing short of amazing.  When she walked in and smiled, the whole room lit up.  From the moment she asked if he was going to be her new daddy, Seth realized the game was on, and if he was going to keep up with her wit, he had to stay on his toes and be ready for anything.  He also knew she would be the first to unleash hell’s fury if he dared say anything derogatory against her mother.

Just as Seth was about to get up and leave the young family to spend their last night together, Ann raised her head and looked around confused and a little frightened, still too asleep to realize where she was.

“
It’s okay, Ann, you’re safe,” he told her when she pushed herself up to her arms.

She simply nodded and stumbled her way over to the chaise lounge where she stretched out.  Seth waited until she settled in, and then spread the blanket over her.

“Good night, Mr. Richards.”

“Good night, Ann.”

“Thank you for everything.”

“It’s been my pleasure, now get some sleep,” Seth said before adding a few more logs to the fire to ensure that they stayed warm throughout the night, and then settled back into the recliner so that he could remain close by in case anyone else awoke in the middle of the night and needed him.