A Temporary Christmas Arrangement Read online

  Linc frowned. “I just realized that Jayden and Maya will have to miss two days of rehearsal.”

  “Not a problem. I’ve already worked it out with Hailey. She’ll catch them up when we get back. It’s all going to be fine.” Jayden knocked again. Maya had stopped using her words and started to fuss.

  “Kids,” he muttered. “You can never just ignore them.”

  She couldn’t help laughing—but softly, so Jayden wouldn’t hear. “Better get moving,” she warned. “Before those two stage an insurrection. I’m just going to sneak out once you’re downstairs.”

  He leaned across the bed and planted a kiss between her eyes. “I’ll miss you.”

  “Not for long. I’ll see you at one—now go.” She gave him a playful shove.

  After sticking his feet in a pair of mocs, he headed for the door, opening it just wide enough to slip through.

  She grinned as she heard Jayden complain, “I thought you were never going to get up...”

  * * *

  That night, after Jayden and Maya were in bed, Harper happily followed Linc up to his room.

  This time, she took her phone up with her and put it beside the bed, next to the handful of condoms he pulled from the drawer.

  Her phone alarm went off at ten.

  Linc tried to get her to stay. “Just for another hour. Eleven’s not all that late...”

  Was she tempted?

  Yes, she was. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses, of his perfect, tender touch. “I’ll be back at seven in the morning, me and my suitcase, all ready to go...”

  He caught her hand and pulled her against him on the bed in the tangle of covers from two bouts of enthusiastic lovemaking. “It’s just an hour.”

  She laughed and kissed him. When he relaxed his hold, she rolled out of his reach and off the far side of the bed. Landing with her feet on the rug, she grabbed for her scattered clothes.

  He appeared to accept the inevitable. Bracing his head on his hand, he watched her get dressed. “I don’t like it when you leave.”

  She bent down to him again, but only long enough to grant him a quick kiss. “You looked so much like Jayden just then—you know, when he’s sulking.” Linc stuck out his bottom lip, clearly playing along. She chuckled. “Yup. Like uncle, like nephew.”

  He seemed resigned to her leaving by then. Still, he pretended to grab for her as she backed away. “Get back here.”

  “No can do.” She dropped to a chair to tug on her socks and her short boots. “Tomorrow. Seven o’clock.” She blew him a kiss as she slipped out the bedroom door.

  * * *

  Linc’s stunning modern house in the West Hills sat within Forest Park on ten acres of manicured grounds with the urban forest all around.

  They drove up the wide, curving driveway, through the futuristic silver gates to the soaring stone, glass and aluminum facade.

  It was 9:45 a.m. Linc had his first meeting at the Stryker Marine complex at eleven.

  Promising to return by six that night, he dropped them off with the luggage, leaving them in the care of the very capable and friendly housekeeper, Oxana, and a burly guy named Gus who took charge of the bags.

  The housekeeper led Harper and her charges straight to the ultramodern kitchen, where the friendly cook, Wendy, greeted both children with hugs and a promise of a snack. She shooed Harper off with Oxana for a quick tour of the house and grounds.

  The house offered breathtaking mountain views from every room on all three levels, a true marvel, with a soaring, two-story open living/dining room, an elevator and a soundproof media room, a home gym and an indoor pool in the walk-out basement.

  Outside, a gorgeous series of interconnecting slate patios gave way to a smooth, limitless expanse of grass. Dark, lush forest loomed all around, with the panorama of the city below and snow-covered Mount Hood looming proudly in the distance.

  Harper admired the sheer elegance and grace of it.

  Was she a little intimidated? Maybe—and that wasn’t a bad thing. So far, she loved being with Linc and she fully intended to savor each moment she had with him. It didn’t hurt, though, to be reminded that his everyday life was nothing like hers and this magical Christmastime they’d decided to share was only for right now.

  The kids had rooms on the top floor, to either side of the room Oxana had given Harper. The master suite, Linc’s home office and another large bedroom were on the second floor flanking the enormous kitchen and living area. Hailey took time to unpack her suitcase and stick her things in the drawers in her room, though she doubted she would be sleeping there.

  Down in the kitchen, the kids had finished their snacks. Harper took them to the playroom off the gym on the bottom floor.

  “I swim!” announced Maya at the sight of the pool.

  Jayden agreed that a swim was a great idea.

  “We forgot to bring our suits,” Harper reminded him.

  “There are lots of suits in the playroom.” Jayden took her hand and led her to a cabinet full of swimsuits in various sizes. She found suits for Maya and Jayden and one for herself, too.

  Maya’s was a pullup seahorse-themed swimsuit diaper. Jayden chose a pair of trunks printed with dinosaurs. Harper shut the three of them in the playroom and asked Jayden to look after Maya so she could slip into the small bathroom there and put on the white tank suit she’d found in her size. She knotted her long hair up into a bun at the top of her head and rejoined the children.

  “There’s water toys in here.” Jayden pulled open another tall cabinet. Harper found a Maya-sized life jacket with floaties attached and a swim tube and goggles for Jayden.

  The kids loved it. They splashed around in the shallow end. Harper hung out with them, guiding them back to their end whenever they strayed too close to deep water.

  Maya spent most of their swim slapping her floaties, seeing how big a splash she could make. Jayden was more adventurous. He put on his goggles and dipped his head under the water, after which he puttered around in his swim tube. At one point, he even managed to steamboat from one side of the shallow end to the other.

  An hour into the fun, both kids grew tired. Jayden sat on the pool steps and tried to convince Harper that, as long as they were here in the Portland house, they really ought to decorate the place for Christmas.

  “Don’t you think the house might be a little bit sad, Harper, not to get any Christmas decorations at all because we’re not here to make it festive and pretty?”

  “I pwetty!” cried Maya, and slapped at the water. She laughed as water flew in all directions.

  “Yes, you are so pretty!” Harper enthusiastically agreed.

  “Hawp, get me!” Maya launched herself toward Harper, who caught her, lifted her and swung her around as the little girl squealed in delight.

  Harper complimented Jayden, “Good use of festive.”

  Jayden pinched up his little mouth. “But, Harper, can we decorate?”

  “We’re only here until Saturday morning, so my guess is no.”

  Jayden let his head fall back and groaned at the gleaming white quartz ceiling. “But, Harp-errr...”

  She blew a raspberry against Maya’s neck. Maya chortled at the way it tickled as Harper suggested to Jayden, “But tomorrow evening, we might talk your uncle into a visit with Santa and a drive across the river to see the Christmas lights on Peacock Lane.” On the east side of the Willamette River, Peacock Lane was famous for its holiday displays.

  Jayden considered her alternative suggestions and reluctantly decided they would have to do. “Well, if we can’t decorate, seeing Santa and some Christmas lights would be really good.”

  Through the glass wall that partitioned off the pool area, Harper watched the elevator doors slide open. A man got off. He was dressed in gray wool slacks and a gorgeous white cashmere sweater. His shoes looked like the kin
d made in Italy by an artisan cobbler. He was middle-aged, but very well-preserved—handsome, really. He caught sight of her in the pool and smiled in greeting.

  It was Linc’s smile—just a little bit more reserved.

  When he came through the glass door to the pool area, Jayden spotted him. “Grandpa Warren?” he asked almost hesitantly.

  The man was Linc’s dad, then. And judging by Jayden’s tone, the boy didn’t know this grandfather as well as he knew Alan Hollister.

  “Hello, Jayden. How are you?” Warren Stryker gave the little boy a crisp nod, one that managed to telegraph zero eagerness to have a wet child coming at him for a hug.

  Jayden stayed where he was. “Hello, Grandpa,” he replied, achingly polite. “I am fine. It’s nice to see you.”

  Maya said nothing. She clutched Harper a little tighter around the neck and stared at the tall, good-looking older man.

  “You must be Harper Bravo,” Warren said. “Oxana explained that you’ll be looking after the children while Lincoln has them at the cottage in Valentine Bay. I’m Warren Stryker, Lincoln’s father.”

  “Yes, I’m Harper.” She gave Linc’s dad a polite smile. “Great to meet you. Did Oxana explain that Linc is at the office until six?”

  “She did, yes. I was aware that Linc was coming back to town for meetings today. I thought I would stop by, see if I could catch him before he went to the complex.”

  “Sorry, he’s already gone.”

  “Yes, I realize that.” Warren stuck his hands in his pockets. The face of his designer watch caught the light, winking at her. She recognized the brand. Great-uncle Percy had one of those, an old one passed down from his father, Captain Xavier Valentine. The cost of it would have paid for her move to Seattle and covered all her expenses for the next year—with money to spare in case of emergencies. A secret smile curved the lips that were too much like Linc’s. “I believe I knew your mother, actually. Marie Valentine?”

  “Valentine was her maiden name, yes.”

  “You look like her—and I know it was a long time ago, but I did hear that she and your father died in Thailand. I’m so sorry for that—we met at Stanford, Marie and I. That was before she married your father, of course, and before Lincoln’s mother and I began dating.”

  “Ah.” Harper pasted on a smile and wondered why she felt so uncomfortable. Maybe it was that Linc’s dad seemed to be...assessing her, somehow. Measuring her against some unknown standard. At least he didn’t seem disapproving in his assessment. That was good. Right?

  Honestly, she had no idea what was going on here. Maya had buried her head against Harper’s neck and Jayden came off the pool steps and back in the water. He hovered close to Harper’s side.

  Warren said, “Well. I’ll try Lincoln again after six.”

  Harper nodded. “Great to meet you.” Okay, she sounded way too sweet and weirdly insincere. But Warren Stryker seemed to have a definite agenda, and she had no idea what that might be.

  He was at the glass door that led out to the elevator before she realized she should have offered condolences on the loss of his only daughter. “Warren.” He stopped and turned back. “I just wanted to say how much I liked and admired your daughter. I met Megan and Kevin last Christmas when they brought the kids to Valentine Bay. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  His dark gaze slid away. “Yes, thank you. Megan was a ray of sunshine, always.” With a final nod, he turned again and went through the door.

  * * *

  Linc texted at five thirty.

  Sorry. This last meeting is running late. I should be there by seven.

  By then, the staff had left. It was just Harper and the kids. She texted back:

  No problem. I’ll go ahead and feed Jayden and Maya.

  Good idea. See you at seven.

  She almost added that she missed him. But she caught herself. It would only sound clingy and what they had was a temporary thing. Plus, he was busy in his meeting and didn’t need the distraction of unnecessary texts.

  Right then, another text popped up. Miss you.

  Grinning ear to ear, she texted back, Miss you, too.

  * * *

  When Linc finally got back to the house at quarter past seven, he was greeted by the welcome sight of Harper and the kids upstairs in the ensuite bathroom off Maya’s room.

  Jayden was already in his pajamas, but he enjoyed sitting by the tub and splashing with Maya, who was covered in bubbles and surrounded by floating rubber toys.

  The kids greeted Linc gleefully and splashed with enthusiasm.

  Harper, on a stool far enough back from the action that she wasn’t soaked yet, gave him a big smile that made him feel rejuvenated after a long day of tiring encounters with colleagues and customers who expected him to have the answer to any and all of their questions and a satisfying solution to every problem.

  “We went swimming, Uncle Linc,” Jayden informed him. “Now we’re washing the colleen off Maya.”

  Harper picked up a rubber bluebird that Maya had sent soaring and gently corrected, “Chlorine.” She handed the toy to the toddler.

  And Jayden nodded. “Clore-een.”

  “Perfect.” She beamed at him and then asked Linc, “Hungry? Wendy did prime rib with these fluffy potatoes and glazed carrots. I had a foodgasm over it, I am not kidding you.”

  “What’s a foodgasm?” Jayden demanded.

  Harper answered sweetly, “It’s when you really like your dinner.”

  “I had a foodgasm, too,” said Jayden as he launched a rubber boat across the tub. “’Cept for the carrots. I don’t really like cooked carrots.”

  Linc was careful to quell his grin. “Thanks, but we had something brought in when that last meeting went long.” He and Harper shared a long look and all he could think of was later, the two of them, alone in his bed.

  The com system chimed.

  Harper asked, “A visitor?”

  “Yeah. Someone at the front gate. I’ll get it.”

  Out in the hallway, at one of the control panels, he engaged the talk function. “Yes?”

  His father answered, “Hello, son. Just thought I would stop by, see how you’re doing.”

  Warren Stryker rarely just stopped by. When he showed up, he always had an objective.

  “Come on in.” Linc punched the key that opened the gate and the one that unlocked the front door. “I’ll be right down.” Before he went, he stopped in the bathroom doorway to update Harper. “My father’s here. Think you can handle the stories and the tucking in?”

  “Of course—he dropped by this morning looking for you.”

  “Did he say what he wanted?”

  She gave him a shrug. “Sorry, no.”

  He tapped his knuckles on the door frame. “I’ll try to make it quick.”

  “No hurry.”

  He waved at the kids. “’Night, Jayden. Kisses, Maya.”

  Maya blew one of her lip-smacking kisses and Jayden sang out, “Good night, Uncle Linc!”

  The sounds of their happy laughter followed him down the stairs.

  His father had just come in the door. “Lincoln. Merry Christmas.”

  “Good to see you, Dad.” Linc took his father’s coat and hung it in the entry closet. “How about a drink?”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  They went to Linc’s home office. He gestured at the teal blue tuxedo sofa and mid-century modern chairs over by the wall of windows. The view was of the city lights spread out below Forest Park and the broad shadow of Mount Hood looming off to the east in the night sky. His father took a seat on the sofa.

  “What’ll you have?” Linc asked.

  “Brandy?”

  “Works for me.” He got out the snifters and poured the Courvoisier, passing one to his father and then taking a chair across the coffee table fro
m him. “I thought you and Shelby were at home in Vail.”

  His father swirled the amber liquid in his glass. “Shelby’s still there. I’ll fly back tomorrow.”

  Linc had spent all day at the office and he didn’t want to dance around. He wanted to cuddle a little with his niece and nephew and then take Harper to bed. “What’s going on, Dad?”

  Warren pondered his drink. “Your mother called me from Italy.”

  Linc had a bad feeling. In the decade since Warren cheated on her and then dumped her for his secretary, Linc’s mother had made it a point of pride not to give her ex-husband the time of day. At Megan’s funeral, Alicia had snubbed him outright.

  “I’m listening,” Linc said.

  “Your mother got a call from Sarah Whitman.” Linc wasn’t really surprised. After all, Imogen’s mother and Alicia Buckley Stryker had been best friends since they were children. “Sarah cried on the phone, your mother said, and claimed that Imogen is inconsolable, that you won’t take her calls and you’ve even blocked her number.”

  Linc had a sudden desire to fling his snifter of brandy at the window behind his father’s head. “Look, Dad. First, if Mother’s so upset over my breakup, why didn’t she call me?”

  “She said she knew you wouldn’t listen to her. I quote, ‘Your son is as stubborn, selfish and intractable as his father.’ It’s always annoyed me when she speaks of me in the third person.”

  “I will call her and explain my position.”

  “I’m sure that will go well,” his father muttered into his snifter.

  “Dad, Imogen and I are over. Completely over. She broke it off and I’m happy with that. I think it was the best thing for both of us.”

  His father sipped his brandy. Slowly. “So then what you’re telling me is that you will not be coaxed or bullied into working things out with her.”

  “That is exactly what I’m telling you.”

  Warren’s next words surprised him. “Good for you.” He chuckled. “Don’t look so shocked.”

  “Okay, Dad. I’m confused.”

  “Roll with it. As you know, I was never thrilled with Megan’s decision to marry Kevin. Kevin was a nice man from an ordinary family. I knew that your sister could do better.”