Christmas in Harmony Harbor Page 15

  “So, Jamie, how was your day?” Evie asked, smiling her thanks at Caine as he sent the bowl of peas to her via her mother. Their family dinners had become a thing. Although it had only happened a couple days in a row, so Evie wasn’t sure it even qualified as a thing.

  But the warm and fuzzy feelings she was having for the man at the end of the table were definitely becoming one, and that was a problem. A big one.

  His brow furrowed as he poked at the whipped potatoes and gravy with his fork, and she wondered if he thought so too. When the silence dragged on, Caine glanced at Jamie, the furrows deepening on his brow. He’d missed the teenager’s sullen shrug. Evie hadn’t.

  “Evie asked you a question, Jamie.” He lifted his fork, indicating he expected the boy to answer.

  “It was okay, I guess.”

  She didn’t need Caine to wave his fork at her. She knew the routine. It had played out before. Caine might be Jamie’s mentor, but she was also a member of their team. It had seemed a foregone conclusion on both their parts that she would be. She didn’t mind, really. She was thrilled that Caine’s first angel-wish assignment had, for the most part, been a success. Well, she was thrilled for them—her, not so much. At least her warm-and-fuzzies would be taken care of if she lost their bet.

  “How’s the coat drive going?” she asked. It was one of the items she’d suggested Jamie include on his list for Principal Wright.

  The teenager smirked. “I don’t know. How is the coat drive going, Caine?”

  “Nice. Throw me under the bus.” He pointed his fork at her. “Look, she’s getting her puss on.”

  “Really? You know how I feel—” It was an Irish expression for a sulky face and one she’d tried to cure him of.

  “Her puss on,” Jamie repeated with a grin. “What about duck face?” And that was it, game on. Laughing, the two of them tried to outdo each other.

  “Her father used to call it her Mother Teresa face.”

  Seamus reached over and patted Evie’s hand. “I think it’s a lovely face.”

  “You would. You’re just like her father, encouraging her in everything she does. Today your uncle told Evangeline she should be putting herself out there as the expert on all things Christmas.”

  “And so she should. There’s nothing she doesn’t know about the holidays. Tell them what you told the customer when she was upset you had X-mas on one of your signs. She thought Evie was trying to take Christ out of Christmas. Imagine,” Seamus said.

  “No one is interested in—” Evie began.

  Seamus interrupted her. “She told the woman that in the Greek alphabet, the letter X is the first letter of the word for Christ or Christos. Isn’t that something? Tell them what the first artificial Christmas tree was made of. Come on, tell them.”

  “Goose feathers. They dyed them green. The Germans developed artificial trees in the nineteenth century because of concerns over deforestation,” Evie said.

  “Cool. Tell us something else,” Jamie said.

  “Well, in Germany they believe that the pure of heart can hear animals talking on Christmas Eve.”

  “And I bet you didn’t know this,” Seamus said. “In Iceland, they don’t just have one Saint Nick. The children are visited by thirteen Yule lads. The holiday begins thirteen days before Christmas, and each day one of the lads creeps into the house to fill the shoes left by the tree, leaving sweets and gifts if they’re good, a rotten potato if they’re not. Seems to me an Irish lad must have given them the idea to use a potato instead of coal.”

  “My uncle is right, Evie. You should be promoting yourself as an expert whenever you have a chance. And I might just have one for you. Jamie, are you thinking what I am?”

  “Ah, yeah. Principal Wright wasn’t a fan of T-shirt Scrabble. Instead of tiles with letters, we all wear T-shirts with a letter and play the game on the gymnasium floor,” Jamie explained for Seamus’s and Lenore’s benefit, then grinned when Evie gave Caine a told you so look. When he’d suggested Jamie add the game to his list for building school spirit, Evie had advised against it.

  “She was a fan. It’s the other teachers who weren’t. They wanted something more Christmassy.” Caine rolled his eyes.

  “To which you no doubt replied Bah humbug,” Evie said.

  “Ha. No. I said ‘not a problem.’ But as it turned out, it was. Jamie and I’ve been racking our brains trying to figure out what to replace it with. Now, thanks to you, we have the perfect substitution. Christmas trivia.”

  “If you think that’s good, you should hear her other idea. Tell them, lass,” Seamus encouraged.

  She glanced at her mother, who huffed a put-upon breath and was about to wave Seamus off when Caine said, “We want to hear your idea, Evie. I’m sure your mother does too. Don’t you, Lenore?”

  “Yes. Of course. Do tell us your idea, Evangeline,” her mother said with a pointed look at her roast beef, which Evie had cut into bite-size pieces for her due to her broken right hand.

  Jamie and Caine had graduated from simple meals to elaborate in a very short time. Evie supposed she shouldn’t be surprised given that once Caine set his mind to something, the man gave it his all. And now she was going to embarrass herself by sharing her idea.

  “It’s nothing really.”

  “It’s a brilliant idea,” Seamus said, giving her mother his own version of a puss face when she looked up at the ceiling as if asking for patience.

  “It’s just a game. Like Monopoly but based on A Christmas Carol. I called it Scrooged.” She shrugged and picked up her fork. She wasn’t about to share with him that he’d been the inspiration for the game. Though he might have some idea if he ever saw the outline.

  “Uncle Seamus is right. It’s a great idea. Do you have anything on paper?” Caine asked.

  She choked on the peas she’d just put in her mouth.

  “Anything? She’s got the entire game mapped out. I tell you, the girl is a genius.”

  Caine had his phone out and was focused on the screen. “There is a game based on the movie A Christmas Story, but I’m not seeing anything based on A Christmas Carol. I’ll dig around some more. If you want me to, I might know someone who would be interested.”

  Lenore lowered the fork she held awkwardly in her left hand. “Really? You think there’d be interest in a board game based on Christmas?”

  “My mother refuses to believe that the holidays are a multi-billion-dollar industry.”

  “I’m obviously aware that holiday transactions represent thirty percent of retailers’ annual sales. Sadly, that hasn’t worked to your benefit, Evangeline.” Her mother picked up her napkin to dab at her mouth. “But if Caine believes your game holds merit, perhaps your luck is changing. At least you’ll have something to fall back on when Holiday House is gone.”

  Absolute silence followed her mother’s remark. Even Max and Bruiser, who’d been eating at their bowls, stopped to look at the humans.

  Jamie’s fork clattered to his plate and he pushed back from the table. “Maybe Caine won’t have such an easy time completing his next assignment now that he’s done with me.”

  “Jamie, come on. I told you—” Caine bowed his head when the teenager stormed from the kitchen.

  “Are you happy now? You’ve hurt both your daughter and Jamie with your unthinking remark,” Seamus said to her mother.

  “I didn’t intend to hurt anyone. I was just stating a fact. I actually thought I was being…supportive.”

  “Aye, you would. You might be book smart, woman, but you don’t have a clue what really matters.” Seamus tossed his napkin on his plate as he got up from the table. “I’ll see to the lad.”

  “Well, I never!” her mother said, her eyes following Seamus from the kitchen. Then she picked up her fork, only to put it back down. “I’m afraid I’ve lost my appetite. But it wasn’t on account of the meal. It was very good. Thank you, Caine. Evangeline.” She nodded, then, holding her head high, left the kitchen.

  “That
went well,” Caine said, scrubbing his hands over his face.

  “You told him you were picking another wish, didn’t you? That’s why he was upset earlier.” It had been only a matter of time. She’d known that, but to hear the words aloud made it real. The past few days had been nothing more than a brief reprieve, a pleasant interlude. A dangerous interlude, she thought, as her heart sank. She could only imagine how Jamie felt.

  “What would have you me do? He knew I wouldn’t be able to spend my afternoons and evenings with him forever.” Caine seemed to be saying the words as much for her benefit as for his. The past few days had blurred the lines between them, and not just for her and Jamie, but for Caine too.

  “Of course he did. What did you expect? Until you came into his life, he felt like he was alone and no one understood how he felt. Now he doesn’t. You’ve been good for him. He enjoys spending time with you.” So do I, she thought, chewing on her bottom lip. She couldn’t believe she’d let herself fall in like with Caine Elliot.

  “This is your fault, you know. Making me care about him, about…” He rubbed his palm along his jaw. “I’m not abandoning him, Evangeline.”

  She didn’t miss that he’d called her Evangeline instead of Evie. His way of putting some distance between them, she imagined. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to do, to distance himself from all of them, all of this. He’d had years of practice. No doubt he’d be happy for his life to return to normal.

  “It’s important that he understands…” At that moment the consequences of her wish hit her, and she covered her face with her hands. “I didn’t think about Jamie. I didn’t think what this could do to him. All I thought about was Holiday House and winning the bet.” She lowered her hands. “What have I done? You’ve become important to him, Caine. Someone he’s come to depend on. If he loses you—”

  “Stop it.” He got up from the table and came around to crouch in front of her. “He’s not going to lose me.”

  And when Caine took her hand in his, a completely crazy thought came over her that it was his way of telling her that she wouldn’t lose him either. If that wasn’t a sign she’d lost her mind, she didn’t know what was.

  “I’ll be in town for another week at least, and once…” He gave her hand a light squeeze and stood up. “Whatever happens, I’ll see Jamie a couple times a month. And I’ll call or FaceTime him every day until he tells me not to. Seamus has agreed to take him under his wing when I’m not around.”

  “But your uncle will be leaving when you do.”

  He picked up her plate and cutlery. “He hasn’t said anything, but I have a feeling he wants to make his home in Harmony Harbor. He’s happy here.”

  She studied him as she got up to help clear the table. “That doesn’t seem fair to you. You’ve just got him back. I’m sure if you told him you—”

  “I’ll be fine, Evangeline,” he said as he placed the plates and cutlery into the sink.

  “Fine is a relative term. And just because you’re used to being alone, it isn’t the same thing as being happy with it.” She set the glasses and napkins on the counter.

  He glanced at her while he turned on the water to rinse the dishes. “Instead of wasting your time trying to analyze me, Dr. Christmas, you might want to give some thought to my second angel-wish assignment.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Hours after what appeared to be her last family dinner with Caine and Jamie, Evie gathered with the other members of Harmony Harbor’s book club at Books and Beans for their holiday gift exchange. Julia Gallagher, the adorable, dark-haired owner of the bookstore and coffee shop, was also a romance writer and had started the book club a few years before. They met once a month to discuss their current read, to drink wine, and to share life’s up and downs.

  Since Evie had joined the group last year, she felt like all she’d shared were her downs, and just this once she’d like to share an up. Which might have been the reason she told her friends about Caine’s offer to shop her board game around.

  “Yay, Evie! Wow, this is amazing!” Several of the women sitting in a circle of chairs in the middle of the bookstore jumped up to cheer. Evie laughed when a heavily pregnant Julia did an imitation of the Elaine dance from Seinfeld, and Cherry, the manager of the Salty Dog, encouraged her to twerk instead, getting up from her own chair to demonstrate. A former exotic dancer, Cherry had big blond hair and a curvy body.

  “Are you crazy, Cherry? Sit down. Julia, you too. I promised Aidan you wouldn’t overdo it tonight,” Shay Gallagher said, referring to Julia’s husband. Shay reminded Evie of the actress Angelina Jolie. Like Julia, Shay was also pregnant.

  Theia stood up and put a hand behind her ear. “I’m waiting. Who would like to apologize first? I told you Caine was an amazing guy, didn’t I?”

  “I already apologized,” Mackenzie said. “Any man who’ll face down rats for a woman is a hero in my book.”

  “Well, he didn’t actually face them down. He bought a cat and rat traps. Bruiser and Seamus did most of the facing down.” Evie thought it only fair that her cat and Seamus got the credit they were due.

  “But he did face them down. The day he went into your basement to turn the lights on for you, Evie. His uncle Seamus told me,” Cherry said. “Seamus comes into the Salty Dog all the time. He’s just the sweetest. I think he has a crush on—”

  “Are you going somewhere with this, Cherry?”

  “You’re such a buzz kill,” Cherry said to Shay before continuing. “So anyway, Seamus says that it was like a huge deal Caine went down in your basement, Evie. Which I hear is ten kinds of creepy, by the way. When Caine was young, some boys locked him down in the basement of the local haunted house, and he was bitten by a rat. His family didn’t have a clue where he was because they’d just moved to the town and were frantic when he didn’t show up for dinner. It sounded like they had to move around a lot. I got the impression they didn’t have much money. Crazy how that works, isn’t it? The guy is loaded now. Okay. Gosh, Shay,” she said when her boss and best friend gestured for her to get on with it. “Anyway, after Caine’s dad threatened them, one of the kids finally confessed.”

  Theia looked like she might cry, and Evie understood how she felt.

  “I feel bad for him too, but come on, you guys. Evie’s weeks away from losing Holiday House because of him. Not to mention everything he’s put us through trying to wrest the estate away from the family,” Sophie Gallagher, the manager of the manor, said. With her long, curly dark hair, luminous dark eyes, and olive skin, Sophie looked like a younger version of her grandmother, Rosa DiRossi.

  “Look, I understand how you feel, but you have to trust me on this, Sophie. While Caine wants to buy the estate and build high-end condos on the ocean, any of the shady things that went on were his grandmother’s fault. Honestly, if it weren’t for Emily, I doubt Caine would even be interested in the manor.”

  Rosa patted Theia’s knee. “I like him. He’s a handsome boy and a good friend to our family. Remember last summer, bella,” she said to Sophie. “Theia called him to say you and the bambinos were in trouble, and just like that”—she snapped her fingers—“he flew here with a bag full of ransom money.”

  “As far as Mrs. Murphy’s concerned, the man walks on water. She says it’s Caine this and Caine that in their house. Jamie adores him,” Julia said, then sent Evie a look that had too much twinkle in it for her liking. “Is he as wonderful as Mrs. Murphy says, Evie? His car’s been parked outside Holiday House every day this week, so I imagine you would know better than anyone who the real Caine Elliot is.”

  “You can’t seriously think Evie would be entertaining the man who is…” Sophie stared at her. “Wow, it’s true. You’re dating Caine Elliot.”

  “No!” From the way the women blinked and shared sidelong glances, Evie’s forceful denial made her look guilty in their eyes, but she couldn’t help it. Harmony Harbor was a small town, where everyone not only knew your name but they had you on speed dial. If she
didn’t nip this in the bud, Caine would hear about it before their book club meeting was over.

  Worse than that, the Widows Club (aka the matchmakers of Harmony Harbor) were always looking for a project, and she didn’t want their latest to become her. Two members of the book club, Rosa DiRossi and Kitty Gallagher, were founding members of the Widows Club.

  “Jamie didn’t know Caine, but he does know me, so I thought it would be easier on both of them if they hung out at my place.” She wondered if Rosa and Kitty bought the excuse and glanced at them from under her lashes only to see them share a look…and a nod. “No. No way,” Evie blurted without thinking. Once again drawing the attention of the entire book club.

  “One no I believe. Your excuse sounded believable too. But you blew it on the third.” Sophie threw up her hands. “What are you thinking, Evie?”

  “The no’s were for them.” She moved her finger from Rosa to Kitty.

  The two older women looked at each other, then pointed at themselves. “Us?”

  “Yes. And you can cut the innocent act. I saw the way you looked at each other. You nodded.”

  Beside Rosa, Theia pumped her fist in the air. “Yes!” Noting she now had the group’s attention, Theia scratched her neck. “Sorry. I know what’s it like to be caught in the crosshairs of Harmony Harbor’s matchmakers, but Caine is like family to me, and I want him to be happy.” She looked at Evie. “I think you could make him happy. And despite what some of you think, he’d make Evie happy too.”

  Cherry raised her hand. “If Evie’s not interested, I am. I’m on the market again, and Caine Elliot checks all my boxes. A couple of them twice. Face, body, and money if you’re wondering.”

  Evie forced a smile that became harder to keep in place when several members of the book club offered up the names of other single women in town who would be more than happy to take Caine Elliot off the market. Someone—she thought it might have been Mackenzie—hinted that Mrs. Murphy was interested too. And it sounded like Mrs. Murphy got the sympathy vote and went to the top of the matchmakers’ list. While Evie was now at the bottom. Exactly where she wanted to be, she told herself, despite the unhappy weight in her stomach calling her a liar.