Carrie Weaver - Home For Christmas

Nancy’s lips twitched. She threw her head back and laughed aloud.

Beau smiled in response.

But she laughed so long it started to scare him. Had he completely unhinged the woman by being straightforward?

Finally, she wound down to a chuckle, then stopped altogether. “You’re afraid of me because you’ve sworn off women?”

He nodded.

“Oh, that’s too funny. I’m the last woman in the world who’d want to get involved with you, Beau Stanton.”

That hurt. “What’s so bad about me?”

“Come on, Beau, get real. You’ve been married not once, not twice, but three times. You’re a slick-talking, woman-loving, son of a gun with a voice that’d melt stone. I’ve seen your kind before. Shoot, I’ve married your kind before. You’re safe with me, buddy.”

“The husband you, um, wanted to dance on his grave? I remind you of him?”

“Remind me? You could have given Eric lessons. At least you were smart enough to divorce one wife before you married another. Or am I assuming too much?”

Beau didn’t know whether to be fascinated by her disclosure or insulted. “Your husband was a bigamist? Really?”

Nancy sat next to him. “Yes. Really.”

He whistled under his breath. No wonder she didn’t want another man in her life. It was a damn good thing he had no intention of acting on his attraction to her, because he wouldn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell with a woman like Nancy.

Extending his hand, Beau said, “We should be safe as buddies then. Deal?”

She shook his hand. “Deal.”

Nancy squinted at the alarm clock by her bed. It was almost midnight. Her heart raced. She picked up the receiver. “Mom?”

“No, it’s Beau.” He sounded frazzled.

“What’s wrong?”

“Rachel was caught shoplifting.”

She rose, instantly alert. “Is she okay?”

“It’s been a long night. I brought her home about an hour ago. She’s to appear before the judge Monday morning. I’m so wired from coffee, I can’t sleep. And I can’t talk to her because I’m so mad I could wrap my hands around her throat.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“Of course I don’t mean that. Oh, I don’t know what I mean. I called her mother. Laurie said Rachel had been rebelling, hanging with the wrong crowd. She hoped the move and having her father around would be a ‘steadying influence.’”

“You didn’t know Rachel was getting into trouble before?”

“Laurie and I don’t talk much. I was so stunned when she dropped off Rachel, I didn’t think to ask.”

“And how about later? After the heat of the moment?”

“I’m, um, not big on long heart-to-heart conversations with my exes.”

“Why am I not surprised? It sounds like you could use someone to talk to tonight, though.” Nancy paused to gather her thoughts. “Ana’s sleeping, so I need to stay home. If you’re comfortable leaving Rachel alone right now, you could come over here.”

“You’re right, I need to talk to a rational adult or I’m going to lose my mind. Rachel’s grounded for life, and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to be around me at all tonight. I’ll tell her where I’ll be. She’s got my cell number if she needs me.”

“I’ll have some nice, relaxing herbal tea ready when you get here.”

“Herbal tea? Don’t you have anything stronger?”

“Nope. Take it or leave it.”

He sighed heavily. “I’m desperate. I’ll take it. Your house is on Evergreen, right?”

“Yes.” She gave him the house number and hung up the phone.

Glancing down at her skimpy tank top and flannel boxers, she dashed to the closet and removed a baggy pair of sweatpants and an old sweatshirt of Eric’s. Why she’d kept it, she didn’t know. Maybe because Eric had been such an important part of her life since high school. It still seemed odd at times, knowing she’d never talk to him again.

Nancy pushed the unsettling thought away and headed to the bathroom. She splashed water on her face and ran a brush through her hair.

The doorbell rang just as she finished.

She took the stairs two at a time and opened the door. “You must’ve broken a few speed limits to get here this quick.”

Beau shrugged. “Probably.”

“You look like hell. Come on in.”

“Thanks. That NASCAR sweatshirt of yours is really attractive, too.”

Her face warmed. “What were you expecting, a lace teddy?”

There was an evil glint in his eyes. “Now that might just distract me from my problems.”

“Dream on, buddy. Park your butt at the breakfast bar while I get the kettle going.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

After she filled the kettle and set it on the stove, she studied him. He had bags under his eyes, a day’s worth of stubble on his jaw, and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Out with it. The whole story.”

“I wish I knew the whole story. That’s part of the problem. Rachel won’t talk to me. All I know is she went to the mall with her friends and then the police called to say she’d been caught shoplifting.”

“In your limited conversations with your ex, did she say Rachel has shoplifted before?”

He nodded. “Once. Right before she came to live with me. So what sage advice do you have for me, buddy?”

“Ah, grasshopper, when you can snatch the pebble from my hand, you still won’t have a clue about teenage girls.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. What do I do besides ground her? Send her to a convent?”

“Hmm. If you want grandchildren someday, the convent’s out.”

Beau groaned, placing his hand over his eyes. He peered out at her between his fingers. “Don’t remind me. She could end up pregnant if I don’t get her back on the right path.”

“Um, I think you took a gigantic leap there, Beau. A lot of girls shoplift. I’m not saying it’s okay, I’m just saying sometimes it’s a rite of passage.”

“Did you ever shoplift?”

Nancy nodded. “Yep. Makeup. I ended up grounded for a week. What did Rachel steal?”

“Earrings. The stupid part is that she doesn’t even have pierced ears. I won’t let her mutilate her body like that.”

“Hmm. Do you think she was making a statement of sorts?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Let me get my ears pierced or I’ll turn to a life of crime?”

“Something like that. Kids can be pretty manipulative.”

“How come you’re so smart about this stuff with Rachel? But then with Ana, you don’t seem to have a clue?”

“I remember being a teen, what I did, how I felt. I can’t remember being a toddler. They’re completely foreign creatures.”

“Exactly how I feel about Rachel. Do you think maybe it’s just our own kids we don’t understand?”

The kettle sputtered. Nancy removed a couple of mugs from the cupboard and placed them on the counter. She poured chamomile tea, added a dollop of honey and handed a cup to Beau.

Sipping her tea, she pondered his theory. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe all parents are baffled by their children. And some are just better at hiding it than others.”

“I figured it was because I was so new at it.”

“You and me both. Didn’t you have visitation while Rachel was growing up?”

Beau flushed and avoided her eyes. “Yeah, um, I did. But I was on the road a lot. I never forgot a birthday or special occasion.” His expression brightened. “And I took her on some scouting father/daughter camping trip.”

“You were the fun parent. Now you’re the mean parent. I imagine that’s a hard transition.”

“I’m not mean.”

“No, you’re just a concerned father, trying to do the right thing. But to Rachel, it probably seems mean. And maybe a little confusing. She’d lived with her mom all that time and then bam, she’s living with a father she barely knows.”