Page 158 of The Blessings of Christmas
“I think there were some expectant mothers there today.” He thought back. Malcolm had noticed at least one young mother sitting with Ana.
“Those strollers can be very expensive. Maybe I'll take that one myself.”
Victoria wore a secret smile and he couldn't help wondering if Derek knew that his wife was expecting. He seemed like such a good guy and would probably make a wonderful dad. Of course Malcolm wouldn't say anything about what he’d overheard. Aflash of what felt like jealousy zipped through him. Flexing his shoulders to dislodge it, he kept on hanging up the ornaments.
When they’d finished, the tree looked great. “I can't wait until the ladies come Monday morning and see these Christmas Wishes.” Victoria's eyes glowed. “I'll bet they won't last long.”
He nodded. “It's a great tradition. Christmas is all about giving.”
Turning toward him, Victoria gave him a smile. “You're right. It took me a while to figure that one out.”
From what he’d seen of Victoria years ago, that didn't surprise him at all. “Guess I'll get moving along.”
Malcolm headed for the back door and Victoria snapped off the lights. Once upstairs, he splashed some water on his face and checked out the refrigerator. Absolutely nothing. A trip to the grocery was in order. Pretty soon he would have to start cooking something for himself. But for tonight he was going to Comeback Inn. After taking a quick shower, he was ready. One quick glance out the front window told him that the lights were coming on in the square down below. The Christmas vision filled him with a sense of peace. Christmas wasn't really about the presents, not for him. The season was about good memories and hopes for the future. And the Sweetwater Creek square did it for him. And he hoped Darcy would feel the same.
When he reached the Comeback Inn, the place was crowded and the jukebox was booming with “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Although a couple of the pretty ladies at the bar were giving him the eye, he had no interest. He ordered a burger and fries and was happy when the food came quickly. An hour later he was back home.
Home. It was funny how satisfying that felt to him. He’d texted Darcy that he would call tonight and she picked up on the second ring. “It's about time. I was waiting to hear from you.”
“Sorry, I had to get something to eat.” Sometimes he felt guilty that he’d come home to Sweetwater Creek while she was still stuck in New York. Saturday was date night no matter where you were. And from what she said, all she had to occupy her was planning for their wedding.
“What have you been doing?” Darcy sounded a little miffed. Sometimes he wondered if Darcy gathered all the information from their conversations and passed it along to his mother. A couple of days ago his mother had called to ask him about his new apartment, but he didn't remember filling her in about that yet.
“Great day. Discovered a new clinic where I can volunteer some time.”
“Do you have time for that?”
“I do and I like doing something worthwhile.”
“Are you finished with your Christmas shopping?” Darcy had given him a long list of things she’d like for Christmas. No way could he compete with her parents. He hadn't bought a thing yet.
“Haven't even started.” There. He’d laid it on the line. “Don't you think we should be cautious about this Christmas, considering we have a wedding coming up?”
“Fine time to tell me. I have a pile of gifts in the corner of the dining room for you.” Okay, she sounded upset. Darcy still lived with her parents and he supposed that made a lot of sense. Why get an apartment when she would just be moving down here? Of course he'd been in her parents’ dining room. One corner of that enormous room with a massive fireplace could hold a lot of presents. Similar to his mother’s place, the Hightowers owned one of the large New York apartments. Theirs overlooked Central Park. Guilt fell over him, dimming the excitement he’d felt that day.
“How is the wedding planning going?” That question always got her off and running. While she rambled on about menus, seating plans, and the search for the perfect wedding dress, he kicked back on Victoria's purple sofa. His laptop was open on the ornate coffee table in front of him. It sounded as if Darcy’s parents were going all out for this wedding, which made him uncomfortable. His responsibility was the rehearsal dinner and his mother had taken that on with gusto. Looking back over his day at Open Hearth, he imagined that all the money that would be spent on this wedding could fill a lot of Christmas Wishes. And that didn't sit well with him.
While Darcy filled him in on wedding plans, his mind wandered to those construction paper ornaments from the clinic. Had Josie realized that she’d left them in the jeep? Maybe he should let her know. With the phone sitting next to his keyboard, he quickly wrote a message to Josie. “Great time today. You left something in the jeep but I took care of it.” The message went out while Darcy continued to talk about the food sampling she was doing with their two mothers.
Getting up, he walked to the front windows and looked out onto the square. Night had fallen and the tiny lights that was strung through the trees twinkled. He felt lucky that he’d scored this apartment.
“Malcolm? Are you there?”
He jerked. “Sorry. I'm just taking in the square.”
“The square what?” Her voice felt sharp and impatient.
“Sweetwater Creek square. I think I told you about it. My new apartment looks out at the square.”
“Oh that. Sounds pretty, but it couldn't be as exciting as Times Square...or Central Park.”
Well, he wasn't even going to go there. He’d made it clear what he thought of Times Square. Way too busy. Way too much going on. “You mentioned you would come for a weekend beforeChristmas. Do you have any date yet?” He was eager for her to see the town and meet everyone. Maybe he could take her to the clinic.
“Oh, I don't know. There are so many activities planned here in town. The hotels are so gorgeous this time of year. Mama and Daddy are taking me to a holiday party at the club. By the way, they're having a gala there for New Year's Eve. Can you come?”
The idea of a gala filled him with dread. It meant wearing his dad's old tuxedo which was stuffed in a closet somewhere. “I really don't know what my plans will be. I thought you might be here for the holidays.” The Hightowers belonged to the club where his mother was also a member. She would probably be excited about the gala.
He’d been to that kind of activity in the past and it didn't fill him with the good feeling he got from being in this town. So he didn't say anything. They hung up shortly after that. Suddenly he felt closed in. The lights below beckoned to him and he was out the door as fast as his legs would carry him. Walking the paths through the square calmed him. The activity steadied his racing pulse and eased the tightness in his chest. He had to get Times Square out of his head. Was his life on a collision course? That night it certainly felt like it.
