So Davey was fine. Of course he was fine, and that was good.
It was good he was close to his teacher. Maybe she and Paul would get together now. Kayla was a far better match for him, far better for Davey, as well.
That tight feeling in her chest wouldn’t go away, though, it seemed, no matter how much logic she threw at it.
It was just that everything was turning upside down for her. She had wanted an adventurous life, but now she was realizing something: love was the adventure. Love was the challenge.
But you had to merit that love, deserve it, earn it, and the truth was, she didn’t. She wanted to be loved for who she was, but who she was, well, it wasn’t that great.
She swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions under control. No way was she going to inflict this mood on her daughter.
But Hannah was talking excitedly into her phone. “Okay, see you in a few!” She clicked off and turned to Amber. “Steff and Hailey are home, and I’m going to go meet them at Goody’s.” She paused, studying Amber’s face. “If that’s okay with you.”
Amber forced a smile. “Of course, go have fun with your friends. Thanks for coming with me to the doctor.” She swallowed. “Love you,” she managed to say through a tight throat.
“I love you so much, Mom.” Hannah hugged her tight. “You’re the best.”
Appreciation and gratitude for her daughter brought tears to Amber’s eyes. Fortunately, Hannah didn’t notice, but spun and half jogged down the street.
And Amber made it to the car before she started to cry.
ON SATURDAY, PAUL took Davey to the Christmas Fair at the Pleasant Shores Community Center. It was the nineteenth, just six days before Christmas, and Paul hadn’t finished his shopping. He hoped to remedy that at the fair.
And he hoped to cheer himself up, or at least avoid inflicting his bad mood on Davey.
Sarge loped along beside them. The dog was adjusting surprisingly well to civilian life and seemed to be perfectly content to be a pet. Still, Paul cringed when he thought about what the guys in his old K-9 unit would have to say about taking a police dog to Pet Pictures with Santa.
The community center was a big, wide-open room with tables set up around the edges, featuring local, handmade gifts, candles and Christmas ornaments, and sea glass decorations. The scent of doughnuts and baked goods filled the air, and big urns of coffee and hot chocolate were set up in one corner.
Paul headed for the coffee—he hadn’t had time to make any this morning—but Davey tugged at his hand. “Look, Daddy, there’s Santa! Can we go see him first?”
“Sure thing.” He changed directions and they walked toward the corner where kids and pets were making a lot of noise. Sarge veered toward one of the tables offering little sausage and biscuit snacks, and Paul scolded him and tugged him back to a heel position.
They reached the short line of families and pets waiting for their photographs and then he saw her.
Amber was one of Santa’s helpers. Well, of course she was, because that was the kind of thing Amber did. She wore a green elf suit complete with short velvet skirt and green tights, and a red-and-green cap on her head, and she looked... Paul swallowed. Wow, did she look good.
He was automatically stepping toward her, opening his mouth to greet her, and then he remembered. She’d lied to him. She’d known Wendy’s secret about Davey.
He looked down at Davey and got that semi-sick feeling in his stomach that had dominated his bodily sensations for the past few days. Ever since he’d learned that Davey wasn’t, technically and biologically, his son.
She caught sight of them and her smile, the hope on her face, made him breathless. But he steeled himself against his wildly vacillating feelings, closed his heart and turned his face away.
Davey spotted her, too. “Miss Amber!”
Paul looked again and saw that Amber was talking to another elf, this one white-haired. It was Mary, wearing a similar elf suit in red. Amber gave Davey a fake smile and apologetic little wave, and then she hurried off in the direction of a kids’ craft area.
Paul’s hand had been out to stop Davey from running to her, but it wasn’t necessary. Mary came over and started talking to Davey about whether Sarge would wear a Christmas hat or kerchief. She showed Davey both options and when he’d decided Sarge should wear a kerchief, she let him choose which one he thought would look best with the bloodhound’s brown fur.
She completely ignored Paul.
And somehow, Paul felt like the bad guy.
An argument started in his head. He needed to protect Davey from Amber. He also needed to protect himself. Amber had been terribly wrong to conceal what she knew from him.
But somehow, he felt less than honorable holding that against her.
They reached the front of the line, and Davey decided Sarge needed a hat, too, after all. Mary agreed and helped to tie a little elf hat on the poor dog, who gamely accepted it and sat still for several poses: one with Davey, one with all three of them and even one with Mary.
If he hadn’t pushed Amber away, there could have been a picture with her. He’d have liked to have that, even after everything that had happened.
But it wasn’t to be, and Paul needed to stop thinking about it. He listened while Davey sat on Santa’s lap and told him what he wanted for Christmas, making mental notes on a few items he might still have time to purchase. As they walked away, he forced himself to focus on his son, not his regrets. “What do you want to do next? There’s a bunch of trains and antique toys over
