One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SIERRALOOKEDATher reflection in the full-length mirror. Tonight was Nina Staples’s birthday party. It would officially put her and Vaughn out there as a couple that were dating.
She knew tongues had been wagging. He’d always said they would take things slow. She, on the other hand, hadn’t wanted to become involved with anyone at all. But they were involved.
Vaughn had said to dress casual, so she was wearing a pair of black slacks with a printed tunic-style blouse with ruffles at the hem, one of her favorite tops.
Jacquelyn had already arrived to babysit and, since this was a Saturday night, bedtime had been extended for Teryn. They would be eating popcorn and watching a Disney movie. Since Sierra wasn’t sure when the party would end, Jacquelyn would be staying the night.
Sierra checked her watch. Vaughn would be arriving shortly. Leaving her bedroom, she headed for the kitchen where Teryn and Jacquelyn were busy coloring. Both girls looked up when she entered the kitchen.
“Wow! Goddy, you look so pretty.”
Sierra smiled. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“She’s right, Ms. Crane. That’s a nice outfit and I love your hair.”
Sierra knew that when a teenager gave you compliments, you took it to heart. “Thanks.”
Taking Dani’s advice, she had gone to the salon and let an expert style her hair instead of running the curling iron through it herself. Sierra would admit she liked the results.
When the doorbell sounded, Teryn rushed past and down the stairs. “Don’t you dare open that door before I get there, Teryn Marie,” she called after her goddaughter. “And what have I told you about racing down the stairs.”
Sierra couldn’t help smiling at the thought that thanks to Rhonda, Sierra and Teryn shared the middle name of Marie. By the time Sierra made it to the foyer, Teryn was dancing excitedly. She hadn’t seen Vaughn since their boating trip a week ago.
Taking a deep breath, Sierra glanced down at herself. Then she opened the door. She immediately saw a sign of male appreciation in Vaughn’s hazel eyes and was convinced if Teryn had not been present, he would have pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Hello, Vaughn.”
“Hello, Sierra.” His gaze roamed up and down her, and he smiled.
Before he could say anything else, Teryn spoke up and asked, “Doesn’t Goddy look beautiful, Mr. Vaughn?”
Looking down at Teryn, he chuckled and said, “She most certainly does. I am convinced she will be the most beautiful woman at the party.”
“Thanks,” Sierra said, smiling self-consciously. “I just need to grab my shawl and the bottle of wine.”
“Bottle of wine?” he asked, following her inside.
“Yes. It’s a birthday party, remember?” she said. “And I just happen to know Nina loves Chardonnay.”
“And how do you know that?” he asked, as they climbed the stairs with Teryn between them.
“Whenever she dines in the restaurant, that’s what she orders to drink.”
“I appreciate you taking care of that. This week I’ve been—”
“Extremely busy,” she finished for him. “I understand and didn’t mind doing it. I’ll be right back,” she said, walking off to her bedroom to grab her shawl and purse.
Moments later, she returned and saw Teryn was still with him, chattering away and again reminding him of his one Christmas wish.
“I’m back,” Sierra said, and showed him the bottle of wine that was nestled in a cute birthday wine-purse and told him she’d signed both their names on the card.
Jacquelyn appeared and introductions were made. After giving Jacquelyn last-minute instructions, Vaughn escorted her out the door.
WHEN VAUGHNPULLEDinto the huge horseshoe-shaped driveway of what used to be the Landrum Estates, Sierra said, “I didn’t know Isaac and Donna lived so close to you. They’re your neighbors.”
He gazed over at her. “We’re not that close since we’re separated by acres of land,” he said. “Like Zara’s Haven, the Landrum Estates sits on five acres.”
“And both are oceanfront.”
He grinned. “Yes, both are oceanfront. When I moved back here, it was still vacant since old man Landrum died without any heirs. I was glad Isaac decided to buy it.”
Bringing his SUV to a stop, he cut the ignition and turned to her. “I can’t say enough just how beautiful you look tonight, Sierra.”
“Thanks.”
He’d told her several times already, and hoped she believed him because she truly looked good. He loved her outfit and the way she’d styled her hair. “You’ll never know how much I wanted to kiss you when I saw you. The only reason I’m not kissing you now is because when I finished, it would be pretty darn obvious what we’ve been doing.”
“There’s always later, Vaughn.”
Vaughn smiled at her comeback and said, “And I will hold you to that, Sierra.” He opened the driver’s door and walked around to the other side to open her door. Taking her hand he led her to the front door.
He pressed the doorbell, and a few moments later Donna Elloran opened the door with a huge smile on her face. As far as Vaughn was concerned, the woman who’d been voted the most popular girl at his high school basically looked the same. Pretty as ever. “Vaughn and Sierra, come on in. Thanks for coming, and the party is just getting started.”
“Where’s your little one?” he asked.
“Ike is upstairs with the sitter,” Donna said, smiling. “He’s probably asleep by now.”
Vaughn scanned the room and was glad there were less than twenty people there, and most he knew from high school. He figured Sierra didn’t know many from her school days, since she was younger, but she knew most from living in the cove and as patrons of her restaurant.
The gift Sierra gave Nina was a huge hit.
After they’d gone around and spoken to everyone they headed for the buffet table to fill their plates. Vaughn asked, “What do you want to drink? I think they have every beverage imaginable here.”
“A wine cooler will work.”
“A wine cooler it is. I’ll be right back,” he said, walking off.
“YOUAND VAUGHNlook good together,” Vashti Grisham said, sidling up to Sierra with a warm smile.
Sierra returned her smile. Vashti and Bryce had been the first two women to welcome her back to the cove. They’d even given her decorating ideas when she’d decided to turn the upstairs storage area of the restaurant into a home for her and Teryn. “We’re just friends.”
Vashti rolled her eyes. “Whatever. That’s what Sawyer and I claimed in the beginning, too.”
Vashti had moved back to town to open a bed-and-breakfast her aunt had left to her, and ended up falling in love with the town’s sheriff. The B&B, Shelby by the Sea, was a beautiful inn that sat on the gulf, and was normally booked to capacity year-round.
Deciding to change the subject, she asked, “How are the kids?” Vashti and Sawyer had four. College-aged twin daughters and a three-year-old son and a daughter who was one.
“Everyone is doing fine. Shelby and Cutter are keeping us busy, and Jade and Kia are coming home for Thanksgiving and we’re looking forward to that. How is Teryn?”
“Teryn is doing well. I don’t recall getting as much homework when I was in the first grade. She’s enjoying school and has made a lot of friends.”
“I’m glad to hear that. She reminds me so much of Rhonda. I remember when Aunt Shelby used to babysit you and Rhonda after school.”
Sierra laughed. “Yes, those were the days. Everyone loved your aunt Shelby.”
“Here you are,” Vaughn said, returning with her wine cooler.
“Thanks.”
Vaughn smiled at Vashti. “I understand you’re taking a step back from the running of Shelby by the Sea.”
“Just from the day-to-day operations,” Vashti explained. “I want to concentrate more on the marketing side of things since that’s my specialty. I have a very capable staff who’re doing great. I understand congratulations are in order for you, Vaughn. I am so proud of you.”
“Thanks, and I will say it was a surprise. I figured Reid would be running that place forever.”
“And he probably would be if Gloria hadn’t come into his life. They are so good together.”
At that moment Donna and others joined them. Some Sierra had met before and some she hadn’t. All had been friends of Nina and Arnett in school. Sierra sipped her wine cooler and tried to remember the names of everyone. She was glad to see Freda and gave her a hug. Sierra had forgotten that Arnett and Freda were cousins.
“Is it true that Lacroix Industries has hired Evans Toussaint?” Donna asked Vaughn.
He nodded. “That’s true. He’s going to be an awesome fit for the company. His parents are getting up in age and he wanted to come back to be close to them.”
“If I recall, Saint, as we all called him, was quite a hottie back in the day,” Nina said, grinning.
“I take it you know these two,” Isaac interrupted to say to everyone as he joined the group with Bryce and Kaegan.
“Of course we do,” Sierra said, and gave Bryce and Kaegan each a hug.
“Sorry we’re late. It’s the first time we’d left the baby with anyone other than my parents,” Bryce was saying.
Vaughn mentioned that he was going to grab another plate of shrimp stuffed with crab meat, and others drifted off as well, leaving Sierra alone with Brody Dorsett. Although he was a little older than her, while growing up most of the people in the cove knew Brody because his father had been chief fire inspector, a job Brody came back to town to fill when his father had passed away.
“How’s your mom, Ms. Kate?” she asked him.
“Mom is good. She’s hinting at retiring now that Reid Lacroix has announced his retirement in a few months. She’s been working there for thirty-five years and it’s time she retires as well.”
“And how are you and Bethany? The two of you haven’t dropped by the Green Fig in a while.”
She saw a flash of something cross his face. “There’s a reason for that. Bethany and I aren’t together anymore. In fact, she moved back to Pennsylvania.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Bethany had grown up in the cove and when she lost her job in Philly due to downsizing, she’d moved back and taken a job at the bank. Brody and Bethany began dating and everyone assumed things were serious between them. Obviously not. She regretted asking about Bethany. It wasn’t her intent to create an awkward moment for Brody.
“I’m sorry, Brody. I should not have asked.”
He smiled at her. “No reason why you wouldn’t have. We’d certainly given the Green Fig a lot of business over the past months,” he said in jest. “Bethany just wasn’t ready for all the things I wanted, and she certainly wasn’t ready to make the cove her permanent home. When she got a call with a job offer to return to Philly, she grabbed it.”
Sierra changed the subject and she and Brody chatted about the cove’s big Christmas plans when Vaughn returned. Moments later, Brody left to help Isaac bring in even more food. Turning to Vaughn, Sierra said, “I love this house.”
Donna had given her a tour and told her how as teens in love she and Isaac would walk by this place on their way to school and dream of growing up, getting married and living here. Sierra was glad their dream had come true.
“It is nice. Sort of reminds me of Zara’s Haven. Growing up I never thought about how humongous it was but now, since I’m living there alone, it’s something else.”
She nodded. “I bet it’s beautiful, too.”
He held her gaze for a minute and then said, “Why don’t you see it for yourself when we leave here?”
In his eyes, she saw such intense desire that she took a sip of her wine cooler. She knew if she agreed, he would be showing her more than his home.
Lowering her wine cooler, she said, “I’d like that, Vaughn.”