Phoebe put an arm around the frazzled woman and kissed her cheek. “Take a deep breath, Dana. Everything’s fine. I’m fine. If you’re really on such a time crunch, let’s start packing up Teddy’s things. He’ll nap in the car while you drive.”
* * *
Phoebe paused in the back hallway, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. Her smile felt frozen in place. Leo wasn’t fooled. She could see his concern. But the important thing was for Dana not to realize what her unexpected arrival had done to Phoebe’s plans for a cozy Christmas.
In less than an hour from start to finish, Dana came and went, taking Teddy with her. The resultant silence was painful. The only baby items left behind were the high chair in the kitchen and the large pieces of furniture in Teddy’s room. Without asking, Leo took the high chair, put it in with the other stuff and shut the door. Phoebe watched him, her heart in pieces at her feet.
When he returned, she wrapped her arms around her waist, her mood as flat as a three-day-old helium balloon. “I knew he wasn’t my baby.”
“Of course you did.”
Leo’s unspoken compassion took her close to an edge she didn’t want to face. “Don’t be nice to me or I may fall apart.”
He grinned, taking her in his arms and resting his cheek on her head. “I’m very proud of you, Phoebe.”
“For what?”
“For being such a good sister and aunt. For not making Dana feel guilty. For doing what had to be done.”
“I was looking forward to Christmas morning,” she whispered, her throat tight with unshed tears. “His presents are all wrapped.” She clung to Leo, feeling his warm presence like a balm to her hurting spirit.
He squeezed her shoulders. “I have an idea to cheer you up.”
She pulled back to look at him, only slightly embarrassed that her eyes were wet. “Having recently participated in some of your ideas, I’m listening,” she said.
He wiped the edge of her eye with his thumb. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Ms. Kemper. I wanted to propose a trip.”
“But you just arrived.”
Putting a finger over her lips, he drew her to the sofa and sat down with her, tucking her close to his side. “Let me get it all out before you interrupt.”
Phoebe nodded. “Okay.”
“You asked me earlier about my plans for Christmas, and I had pretty much decided to stay here with you and Teddy. But I did feel a twinge of sadness and guilt to be missing some things back home. This weekend is the big Cavallo Christmas party for all our employees and their families. We have it at Luc’s house. I’d like you to go with me.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her. “Hear me out,” he said. “I have an older friend who retired from Cavallo ten years ago, but he likes to keep busy. So now and again when the need arises, he does jobs for me. I know he would jump at the chance to come up here and oversee your cabin renovation. I trust him implicitly. He could stay in my room if it’s okay with you. What do you think?”
“So I’m allowed to speak now?” She punched his ribs.
He inclined his head. “You have my permission.”
“Where would I stay?”
“You mean in Atlanta?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I was hoping you’d be at my place. But I can put you up at a nice hotel if you’d rather do that.”
She scooted onto his lap, facing him, her hands on his shoulders. “But what about all my decorations and the tree?”
He pursed his lips. “Well, we could replicate the ambience at my place. You do like decorating. But I was also thinking that maybe you and I could come back here in time for Christmas Eve. Just the two of us. I know it won’t be the same without Teddy, so if that’s a bad idea, you can say so.”
Seventeen
Leo held his breath, awaiting her answer. The fact that she felt comfortable enough with him to be sitting as she was reassured him. Last night a noticeable dynamic between them had shifted. She felt a part of him now. In ways he couldn’t quite explain.
It had killed him to know she was so hurt this morning. Yet in the midst of her pain, she had handled herself beautifully, never once letting her sister realize how much Phoebe had been counting on Christmas with her nephew. By Phoebe’s own admission, this was the first time in three years she had felt like celebrating. Yet when everything seemed to be going her way, she was blindsided by disappointment and loss.
Not a tragedy or a permanent loss, but deeply hurtful nevertheless.
Phoebe ran her fingers across his scalp, both hands…messing up his hair deliberately. “Do I have to decide now?”