“How fun is that? She really is an angel.”
They’d been moving toward the daycare entrance, and Merry reached to open the door. Carlisle extended his longer arm and took the handle.
“Let me get that for you.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t insulted by the small courtesy, though she knew plenty of women who didn’t like the suggestion they were incapable of opening their own doors. “With a Christmas Eve birthday, how do you celebrate without her special day getting lost in the holiday?”
“This is the first year it’s really been an issue. Grace had just turned three when her mother died. Last year we were approaching the first anniversary of our loss and weren’t in the mood for much celebrating.” Carlisle stared off into the distance for a second, a crease between his brows.
“I understand.” So, his wife must have died only a few weeks before Merry’s father and Ray and been killed. She said, “It’s especially difficult when you lose somebody close to a holiday since those carry so many memories.” At Merry’s comment, he met her gaze.
“Is that when you lost your husband?” Carlisle asked.
“No. It was actually both my husband and my father, and it happened on a bland January afternoon, though we still had the house decorated for Christmas. You get up in the morning like you usually do every other day with no idea your life’s about to get turned upside down.”
Carlisle watched her with such compassionate understanding that an unexpected warmth spread through her. Her friends had been sympathetic and understanding, but the daily significance of the depth of the loss she and her mother had shared had been theirs. This man standing before Merry got it. His life had also been flipped upside down. An unexpected kinship filled her, deeper than anything she’d experienced before with people who’d also suffered losses.
“I didn’t mean to turn maudlin on you,” she said. “But do consider how you want to handle Grace’s birthdays. The hardest thing for me with being a Christmas baby was the number of people who’d give me one present and say Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas. It was like I didn’t really have a birthday at all. It was a bigger deal when I was a kid, but still. Whatever you do with her, try to make sure she feels special. Even if it’s just celebrating it at a different time of the year.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a friend who moved here during our senior year of high school who was also born on Christmas Day.” Merry shifted the strap of her purse to the other shoulder. “Her family celebrated her half birthday instead. They still acknowledged the actual day in December, but they held her parties and the gift-giving in June. Her mom said it was a lot easier to host birthday parties for a bunch of kids in the summer than around Christmas.”
“That’s quite ingenious.” Carlisle glanced at his watch. “Look at the time. I must run. Have a good day.”
“You too.” Merry pushed away her disappointment at how he’d rushed off. She didn’t have time to hang around and chat with him either.
* * *
While Carlisle droveto his office, his mind kept returning to Merry’s comments. He liked the idea of shifting the celebration of Grace’s birthday to another time of year. She shouldn’t have the sadness of her mother’s loss so close totwosuch important days.
He also hadn’t missed the flash of pain in Merry’s eyes as she’d mentioned the loss of both her father and her husband. From what Bart had said, it’d been nearly two years now and was something Carlisle and Merry had in common.
It still hurt her, yet she appeared to be such a happy person. From what he’d seen of her son, she’d given him the same positive outlook on life. Perhaps Merry had learned from her mother. Mrs. Jackson had sounded upbeat on the phone.
Carlisle was thoughtful as he headed up to his office. What kind of role model hadhebeen providing for Grace on how to grieve? They were only now coming into the light again. Would his own sadness and depression be all that he’d taught her—without meaning to?
And what about his parenting in general? It had taken Cressy a while to smooth the hard edges beaten into him by his grandfather. Had Carlisle reverted to that rigidness again? He agreed with some of the old man’s thoughts on manners, but Carlisle didnotwish to be grim and overbearing.
* * *
Carlisle glanced at the clock.Nearly five. He and his team were on the cusp of a breakthrough, and he didn’t want to stop their momentum. Would it be presumptuous to call Mrs. Jackson to see if she could watch Grace this evening? It would have been better if the woman could come to the bed-and-breakfast to care for his daughter there. From what she’d told him, however, she would have other children in her home tonight whom she tended.
“Let’s take a ten-minute break,” he told the group. “Bethany, I’ll need you to order in dinner.” At groans from the others, Carlisle glanced at the team. “If you believe we can flawlessly pick up where we are now in the morning, we can call it a day.” Even those who’d groaned shook their heads. “Right then. Ten minutes.”
He stepped out into the hallway with his phone and called Mrs. Jackson.
“Hello there, Mr. Wyndham,” she said, sounding very much like she’d been laughing. “Since you’re calling me, I’m going to guess you need to work late tonight. Don’t you dare do that, or I’ll tickle you till you scream.”
For a second, Carlisle stood mute, unsure how to respond. Until, in the background, the squeal of a child rent the air.
“Sorry about that,” she said, the laughter in her voice again. “I had to discipline the troops.”
“I understand this is last minute, but I’m tied up and cannot get away for a few more hours. It’s quite presumptuous of me, but would it be possible for you to pick up Grace and take her to your home?”
“Would you mind if I had my daughter pick her up when she gets Alex? Merry’s very reliable and a safe driver. She’s even got a spare car seat she keeps in her trunk, so you won’t have to worry about that.”
“I’d hate to put her out,” he began.
