"I hope Santa brings me my present."
"Do you want to tell me what you asked him for?" Hannah asked.
Brett shook his head. "It's a secret."
"Sometimes Santa needs a little help with shopping, so maybe you could whisper it to me," she said.
He thought about that suggestion. And then he motioned for her to lean over.
His whisper was so loud that Jake could hear it across the room.
"I want my mommy to come back," Brett said.
Hannah put her arms around Brett. "So do I."
"Will Santa bring her back?"
"I think he'll do everything he can to make that happen," Hannah said. "But right now, it's time for you to go to bed."
"Can Jake tell me a story?" Brett asked, looking in his direction.
"Sure, I can do that," he said.
Brett clapped his hands with delight.
"Let's get you in your PJs," Hannah said.
He followed them up the stairs, thinking this was how it would feel if he and Hannah were married, if they had a kid, if this was their Christmas as a family. The thought shook him to the core. This wasn't the kind of life he led. He was an adventurer, an explorer, a guy who liked to live on the edge and push himself to the limit. But he had to admit that he'd had more fun tonight than he'd had in a long time. And it wasn't over yet.
Chapter Sixteen
Hannah listened to Jake's story of ships and pirates from the hallway, impressed with the animated impressions he put into his tale. He really brought the story to life. And Brett was loving every word of it.
As Jake finished, Brett said, "Tell me another one."
"Sorry, kid, you have to go to sleep now."
"What are we going to do tomorrow?"
"I'm sure Hannah has a lot of fun things planned for you."
"I like Hannah, but I want my mommy."
"I know you do."
"Do you have a mommy?"
"I do."
"And a daddy, too?"
"Yes," Jake said, tension immediately entering his voice.
"You're lucky," Brett said. "I think Russ might want to be my daddy."
"Would that be good?" Jake asked.
"He can throw a baseball really far."
"Well, that's a good skill to have."
She felt incredibly emotional as she listened to their conversation. And once again, she was confused by Brett's affection for Russ. She was also worried about what would happen, how hurt he would be, when he found out Russ was not going to be part of the family.
She headed downstairs, letting Jake finish up with Brett. He was really good with the little boy. She could trust him not to say anything that would hurt him. When she got back to the living room, she thought about turning on the lights in the room, but the tree was so pretty, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She needed a little Christmas magic, too.
She sat down on the couch and stretched her legs out on the coffee table. It had been a crazy busy day. In fact, she felt like she'd been on a dead run since Friday, since Kelly had disappeared.
She looked up as Jake made his way into the room. He flopped down on the couch next to her.
"Kids are exhausting," he said.
She gave him a smile. "It is amazing how much energy one little boy has and how much he needs the same energy from everyone around him. But it's not just Brett who has exhausted me. I can't stop thinking about Kelly and what Brett said about Russ."
"He told me that he wants Russ to be to be his dad. He definitely liked the guy."
"And he said Russ would protect them. But from who? Himself? That doesn't make sense."
"Who knows what Brett really understands? He could have been confused or he's not remembering it right. He's a friendly little kid who likes everyone and believes everyone likes him. Look how quickly he's settled in with us and made friends with our friends. And he and your mother hit it off right away. They're best buddies now."
"You have a point. I can't put much weight in anything Brett tells us. It's just frustrating not to know what's really going on. A man is dead, and my sister is out there somewhere, but I don't know where or what condition she is in."
"I wish I could make it better, Hannah."
She saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I wish you could, too. But we just have to wait—my least favorite thing to do." She let out a sigh, her gaze moving to the Christmas tree. "I have to admit that this beautifully lit tree is making me feel better."
"The magic is working."
"I wanted to do it for Brett, but it turns out I'm getting just as much out of it. Do you have a tree?"
"No," he said with a little laugh. "I have no holiday decorations. But we have some in the store. Does that count?"
"Maybe a little. I heard you live above your store. What's that like?"
"It's a one-bedroom apartment with a great view of the mountains. It's perfect for me. I'm close to my business, which takes up a lot of my life."
"It's great that you found a way to make money doing what you love. And you got to see the world, too. I don't remember you having so much wanderlust in your soul when we were in high school. Back then, it was all about sports, getting a college scholarship, and going pro."
"Like a lot of high school athletes, my dreams were bigger than my talent."
"You were pretty talented."
"Is that a compliment?"
She made a face at him. "They retired your number at the school, Jake. We both know you were a star athlete."
"Well, it's not like Whisper Lake is a hotbed of athletic talent but thank you."
"When did you start wanting to travel?"
"College. I didn't know what I wanted to do for a major, so I started out in archaeology."
She was surprised by his answer. She turned sideways on the couch, pulling her
