A Mom for Christmas Read online

  Then she’d hugged him, and he’d slammed into a wall of searing emotions, unable to move. She’d been soft and warm against him. He hadn’t been prepared for that kind of response. He’d fought against the tender emotions, which had only brought out his long buried resentment. He’d spoken harshly, aware of the hurt he’d caused her from the look in her eyes, but unable to stop the stinging words.

  Beth had severed their friendship with one quick cut and never looked back. That’s when Noah realized that as far as she was concerned, nothing and no one was as important to her as her life in the dance world.

  Until today, he had believed he’d recovered from his broken heart and her disregard for their friendship. But like a punctured water line, all his emotions were spewing forth. In the meantime he’d have to shut off the emotional flood and keep his distance from Bethany until she left again. Easier said than done. He was always keenly attuned to her nearness, and he’d never been able to keep her from flitting through his brain like a butterfly, touching down lightly here and there, bringing memories to life again.

  He glanced around the back room of his new office. He still had a lot to do to get his engineering business up and running. In the meantime he was working full-time for the city of Dover as a building inspector. Not his first choice of jobs, but it paid the bills. Thankfully, he’d be spending most of his time conducting on-site work, and there’d be no need to interact with Beth. Besides, she’d be gone soon enough, back to the only thing that ever mattered to her. Dancing. Then life would go on as usual. And he could forget Beth. Again.

  Tossing his trash in the bin in the small kitchen area, Noah locked up and headed out. He had four inspections to do this afternoon. He fought the urge to glance into the real estate office to see if Beth was there, scolding himself for his weakness. He would not look. Stepping onto the sidewalk, he went straight to his car and climbed in, shutting down all thoughts of his old friend, fully aware of the uncomfortable truth he’d denied for years.

  Bethany Montgomery had taken root in his heart, and there was no yanking her out.

  * * *

  Beth rubbed her eyes, trying to focus on the listings on the computer screen. After a restless night she’d wanted nothing more than to sleep in, hide under the covers and try to forget her life was in shambles. Her sister’s apartment was perfect for isolating herself. Tori had a good eye for decorating, and she’d designed the space in soft muted tones of green and blue that wrapped around you like a warm hug. The balcony, which overlooked the courthouse square across the street, was shielded from curious eyes by large pots of evergreen vines that even in the dead of winter provided privacy.

  But today her new job required her to be in the office bright and early. Her mother had a long list of showings, which meant Beth would be working alone most of the day. Not a pleasant prospect because it allowed her too much time to think.

  She’d fretted over Noah’s icy reception all night, but still found only one logical explanation. He hadn’t forgiven her for not staying in touch. Noah didn’t have a mean bone in his body, but he’d behaved like a man with a giant chip on his shoulder. A man who had been deeply hurt. But not by her. He’d never loved her. The realization still had the power to bring a sharp prick to her heart. She planned on talking to him again once he calmed down. If he did. She had enough to worry about as it was.

  Shutting down thoughts of her old friend, she concentrated on sorting through the new additions on the Multiple Listing Service and the few phone messages left by locals who were putting their homes on the market. Thankfully the day passed quickly. It was early afternoon when the office door swooshed open. She looked up, expecting house hunters. Instead, a young girl walked in and slowly made her way toward the reception desk, her gaze scanning the walls as she went.

  She was a cute child with golden brown hair in a page-boy style that framed her oval face and brought out her big blue eyes. Beth guessed her to be about the same age as her niece, Abby. She leaned her forearms on the desk. “Are you looking to buy a home, or are you more interested in renting?”

  The little girl giggled. “I’m not looking for a house. I’m only nine. I’m here to look at the pictures.” She pointed to the wall of family portraits and photographs her mother proudly displayed.

  “I see. Shouldn’t you be in school?”

  “Dentist appointment.” The girl stepped to the desk and extended her hand. “I’m Chloe. I come in here a lot to look at the pictures when Miss Francie is here. Oh.” Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open. “You’re her. I mean you’re you, I mean—” She swallowed and pointed to the ballet portrait. “That’s you, isn’t it?”

  Beth smiled and nodded. “Yes, it is.”

  Chloe’s eyes grew soft and dreamy, and she clasped her hands together over her heart. “You’re beautiful. Like a white butterfly floating in the air.”

  Her throat contracted. Never had she received such a sweet and sincere compliment. “Thank you, Chloe. That means a lot to me.”

  “I want to be a ballerina. I want to drift like a feather and wear beautiful costumes.” She spread her arms and twirled around the office.

  Beth couldn’t help but smile. The child was adorable. “Well, you can if you work hard. It takes a lot of training and dedication. Do you take dance lessons now?”

  Chloe stopped. Her arms dropped to her sides, and her expression sagged nearly to the floor. “No. I can’t.”

  She spoke the words with such drama that Beth had to swallow the chuckle that rose in her throat. “Why not?”

  Chloe plopped her elbows on the desk, resting her chin in her hands. “Because my dad thinks it’s a waste of time, and he doesn’t want me to get caught up in silly dreams.”

  Beth frowned and pressed her lips together. What kind of parent would tell a child such a ridiculous thing? “Dancing isn’t silly or a waste of time. It is a beautiful way to express emotion. It builds muscle and teaches discipline.”

  “Daddy thinks it’s better if I play sports. He says they build character and teach a whole bunch of life lessons and stuff.”

  Typical male. She could hear her brothers making the same argument. “What does your mother say?”

  “Oh, she’s not here. She and Daddy got divorced a long time ago. She lives in Hollywood and has her own TV show. It’s called Brunch with Yvonne St. James.” Chloe’s eyes brightened, and she came around to stand beside Beth. “She’s going to send me a plane ticket so I can spend Thanksgiving with her, and she’s going to put me on her show, and I’ll get to meet lots of famous people. I hope I can meet Dustin Baker. I love his music, and he’s so dreamy.”

  Beth had no idea who that was, but obviously he made Chloe’s little heart beat faster. “Are you going alone to see your mom?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I can’t wait.”

  Beth hadn’t been addressed as ma’am in a long time, and hearing it now set her back. It was common, even expected, here in the South, but having it directed at her made her feel older than her thirty years.

  “I’ve seen lots of pictures of you.”

  “You have?”

  Chloe nodded. “Your mama talks about you a lot.” She pointed to the picture wall again. “I know your whole family. Those are your big brothers, Linc and Gil, and that’s their new wives, Gemma and Julie. Oh, and that’s Evan and Abby.” She walked toward the wall. “That’s Seth and Tori, but they aren’t here now ’cause Seth is in school to be a policeman and Tori is in California. I wonder if she knows my mom?”

  “California is a pretty big place.”

  Chloe shrugged. “I wish I had a big family. It’s just me and my dad. Oh, and my gram.”

  “I’ve noticed you’re limping. Did you hurt yourself?”

  She glanced down at her knee and shrugged. “I have Alls Goods Ladder.”

  “She means Osgood-Sc
hlatter.”

  Beth’s pulse throbbed at the sound of Noah’s rich voice. She hadn’t heard him come in, nor had she expected to see him again so soon. He barely gave her a glance now.

  “Chloe, what are you doing here? I told you to stay in my office.”

  “Hi, Daddy. I wanted to see the pictures, and I got to meet the ballerina. I mean Miss Beth. Isn’t she beautiful?”

  An awkward silence fell over the room like a suffocating blanket. Beth kept her gaze averted as Noah placed his hands on his daughter’s shoulders in a protective gesture. Noah was a father? She hadn’t considered that. She’d heard he’d gotten married not long after he’d moved to California, which had added another spear to her punctured heart. Noah had never thought of her as anything other than a friend. His buddy.

  She swallowed and grasped for control. “Osgood’s. That’s a knee problem, isn’t it?”

  He nodded. “She injured her knee playing soccer and then had a growth spurt, which complicated things.” He squeezed Chloe’s shoulder. “She’s supposed to do her physical therapy exercises every day, but it’s like pulling teeth.”

  “I hate them. They hurt and they’re boring.”

  Beth could sympathize. “I know exactly how you feel. I had surgery on my knee, and I have to do PT exercises every day, too. It’s not fun, but if you’re going to get stronger and play soccer, you have to do them faithfully.”

  Chloe screwed up her mouth and crossed her arms over her chest. “Great. I was hoping you’d be on my side.”

  Beth chuckled softly. “The exercises don’t have to be boring. You can listen to music—that usually helps.”

  “Is that what you do?”

  She nodded. “I put on my favorite ballet warm-up music and pretend I’m dancing. You know dancing can help strengthen the other muscles in your legs and knees and speed your recovery.”

  “Really? Dad, can Miss Beth teach me to dance? I’ll do my exercises if I can dance. Please?”

  The deep scowl on Noah’s face made it clear he was unhappy with her suggestion. “Chloe, go on back to my office and collect your things. We’re going home.”

  “Okay. ’Bye Miss Beth.”

  The minute Chloe was gone, Noah approached her, his eyes narrowed and dark. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t encourage her to come over here.”

  “Why? Apparently she visits my mother frequently.”

  “That’s different. Your mother will always be here. You won’t. You said yourself you’ll be leaving as soon as you’re fully recovered.”

  She had told him that even though she knew it wasn’t true. “And what does that have to do with Chloe visiting me?”

  “I don’t want you filling her head full of ideas about your dancing career.”

  Now she understood, sort of. “Is that why you don’t want her to take dancing lessons? Because of me?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself. I want her to grow up with a practical, realistic view of the world, and I don’t want her sidetracked by pointless dreams of being a dancer or an actress or any of those careers that lead to disappointment.”

  “Little girls need to dream, Noah. You had a few dreams, as I recall.”

  He nodded in acknowledgment, but his gaze still held condemnation. “But I grew up and realized that dreams don’t come true.”

  “You’re wrong. Dreams are what gives us hope and joy.”

  “Hope and joy?” He shook his head. “Disappointment and heartbreak. Look where your dream has left you. I want better for Chloe.”

  The hurt in his light blue eyes and the pain that pulled at the corner of his mouth stabbed like an ice pick to her heart. What had happened to turn the sweet, understanding boy she’d loved into an angry, closed-off man?

  He held up his hands as if to ward off further discussion. “Just stop telling her dancing can help with her recovery.”

  “It can. In fact, ballet is being used as therapy for people with Parkinson’s and a variety of other medical conditions. At the very least, it’ll encourage her to do her exercises. I’ve been through countless physical therapy sessions over the years, and the only way to get through much of it is to make it fun. What harm can it do?”

  “Harm? Next she’ll want to be a dancer like you, and look where that leads.”

  “Where does it lead, Noah? I had a wonderful career. I achieved everything I set out to accomplish. I fulfilled my dream.”

  “But what did it cost you along the way? What did you give up to capture that dream, Beth? Was it really worth it?” He yanked open the door and left.

  Beth clenched her teeth. She wanted to shout at him that yes, it had been worth it, but the words wouldn’t come. Why? She’d always been so sure of her direction, her purpose. She’d been blessed with a gift, and she’d used it to the fullest. Until the injury had derailed her future. But she’d make a comeback. She was still working out in her old studio at her mom’s house each morning. That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it? To dance even if it wasn’t as the lead?

  A small voice whispered in her ear. Is that what she wanted? Or was it what she was doing because there was nothing else? The last two years had taken a toll not only on her body, but also on her passion. She was still trying to sort out the shifts in her emotions from the accident. Now she was trying to swim through gelatin and figure out who she was and where she wanted to go.

  Beth watched Noah walk away. Twelve years ago she’d handed him her heart, the bravest thing she’d ever done, and he’d tossed it aside. He’d gone on with his life, gotten married and had a child. He hadn’t bothered to contact her, so why was she the bad guy?

  She looked across the entryway to Noah’s office as he and Chloe walked out. Chloe waved over her shoulder, a mischievous smile on her face. Dad may have laid down the law, but she had a feeling Chloe would find a way to come and visit her again. And she would make sure to invite her, despite what Noah had said.

  Chapter Two

  Noah parked the car behind the historic mansion and shut off the engine. The twelve-room Victorian home was one of the oldest in Dover. His great-great-grandparents had founded Dover, then known as Junction City, in the mid-1800s. After the great fire that destroyed many of the wooden structures, the town was rebuilt and renamed Do Over, which had evolved into Dover. The town’s most prominent citizens built their homes to the east of town, along Peace Street. Only half of the dozen original opulent dwellings remained. His grandmother refused to live anywhere else, despite the home being too large for her to care for and having more room than one woman needed.

  Chloe darted ahead of him onto the broad back porch and into the house. Gram was one of the reasons he’d come home to Dover. He’d been fourteen when his dad’s small plane had crashed, killing him and Noah’s mother. He’d come here to live with Gram and Gramps. Now that Gram was alone and getting older, he’d moved in to help her out and give his daughter a chance to know her family.

  Dover would hopefully provide a new beginning for him and Chloe. Dissatisfied with the hectic pace of life in San Francisco, he’d resigned from the large engineering firm he’d worked for and decided to start his own structural engineering company in Dover. His hometown would also be a more conservative place to raise Chloe, who was growing up too quickly for his liking.

  His grandmother, Evelyn Carlisle, was in the kitchen listening to Chloe recount her day. He noticed Gram was using her cane today—a sign her arthritis was flaring up again.

  “I wish I could be like her.” Chloe sighed loudly, a dreamy look on her face.

  “Like who?”

  “Miss Beth.”

  Noah shrugged out of his coat and draped it over the back of the chair. “No. You don’t.” He turned and saw a scowl on his gram’s face. He probably shouldn’t have said that, but he didn’t want his daughter’s head filled with
notions of chasing fame.

  “Yes, I do. She’s beautiful. I wish I could see her dance. I’ve only seen pictures.”

  “I understand she is quite amazing. A very successful ballerina.” Gram raised her eyebrows. “She and your father were close friends in high school.”

  Chloe grabbed his arm. “Really? Are you serious? You knew her? Did you see her dance? Was she gorgeous? Did she float like a dandelion puff?” Chloe spread her arms and twirled around the kitchen, bumping into the island.

  “I never saw her dance.” Strange how he’d never realized that until now. He’d seen her in her studio warming up, but he’d never actually attended a performance. They’d been best friends, had shared everything, but at eighteen the thought of going to a ballet hadn’t been an option, even for a nerd like he’d been.

  Chloe’s eyes widened. “I’m sure I could find videos of her on the internet. Can I look? Please?”

  Refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but the pointed look from his gram told him to give in. She wasn’t above pointing out his parenting shortcomings. He really needed his own place, but he couldn’t leave her alone in this big house. “You can use my tablet, but sit here at the kitchen table to search.”

  Chloe scooped up the device and started tapping the screen.

  Gram put the finishing touches on the sandwiches she was preparing and handed him the plate. He plucked a stem of grapes from the fruit bowl and grabbed a couple of cookies from the jar before taking a seat at the island.