First Kiss at Christmas by Lee Tobin McClain

CHAPTER FOUR

MIDMORNINGON SATURDAY, Sylvie sat in the chair outside her room at the Chesapeake Motor Lodge, having a smoke and trying to decide what to do with her day.

What would she have been doing back in Filmore?

Saturdays, Big Bobby usually spent with his friends or his ex-wife and youngest son, though he usually came home in the evenings. He insisted he wasn’t involved with his ex-wife. It was just that, having a teenager still at home, he wanted to be there for his sports events and such, in a way he hadn’t been able to for his older son, Little Bobby. Sylvie agreed with that. Kids came first.

He’d brought her to his little frame house the very night they’d met, eight years ago, and she’d ended up staying. Once she’d pulled herself together, she’d enjoyed giving the place more of a woman’s touch. She often occupied herself with cleaning or fixing something, decorating or planting flowers. She liked to bake, too. None of which she could do in a motel room, obviously, even one that had a little kitchenette.

The other thing she liked to do was walk. Maybe she’d take a walk this morning, get the lay of the land. Bobby wanted her to find out where Jax lived so she could keep an eye on him over the weekend, but that seemed a little excessive to Sylvie. Give the boy and his uncle their privacy.

“How’s it going, Sylvie?” Ria Martin, the owner of the motel, walked down the sidewalk that ran along the front of the block of rooms, clipboard in hand. “Everything to your liking?”

“It’s great, thanks,” she said. “Hope you don’t mind my smoking. I’m trying to quit, but I’m not quite there yet.”

“As long as it’s outside, it’s fine. And good for you, trying to quit. Got plans for the day?”

Sylvie stubbed out her cigarette. “Mustering up the energy to go for a walk.”

“Oh, hey, do you want company? I really need to walk.” Ria patted her thigh. “These aren’t getting any smaller.”

“Uh, sure. Company would be great.” Sylvie wasn’t used to this kind of casual friendliness. Being the girlfriend of a man involved in the drug trade, however small-time, had made folks in Filmore cautious around her.

Sylvie didn’t feel great about it, herself. In fact, she hated it. But Big Bobby had saved her from the streets eight years ago, and back then, she hadn’t been in a position to be picky. Hadn’t even understood what he did for the first year or so she’d been with him.

“I’ll go get on my walking shoes,” Ria said. “Meet up by the front office in ten, does that work?”

“Sounds good.”

When Sylvie came into the front office, Ria was hugging a handsome man who held a white cane. She turned and beckoned. “Sylvie, this is my husband, Drew Martin. Drew, Sylvie Shaffer. She’s staying in suite 6 for the month of December.”

The man reached out a hand and Sylvie grasped it. “Pleased to meet you,” he said. “You have people in the area?”

“No, not really.” Sylvie waved a vague hand. “Just needed a break.”

“Pretty place to take one.” He turned toward Ria. “I’m working the afternoon shift at the museum. See you tonight.”

“Can’t wait,” she said, her voice a little husky.

He pulled her in for another quick kiss, and then Sylvie and Ria set out walking toward a bike path that Ria said ran along the bay.

“It’s nice to see a married couple that likes each other,” Sylvie said, just to make conversation.

Ria laughed. “We do. We’ve had our rough patches, though. Are you married?”

Sylvie shook her head. “Serious boyfriend.”

“He okay with your coming here for the month?”

“He’s fine. He wanted me to come.” Then she bit her lip. She wasn’t supposed to talk about her task of keeping an eye on Jax.

Ria looked curious. She didn’t ask any questions, but Sylvie found herself talking on. “He loves me, but I think he might be seeing someone else,” she explained as they crossed Bay Street. “Me being away, it gives him more freedom.”

“Are you okay with that?” Ria asked quietly.

Sylvie opened her mouth and then closed it again. Nobody had ever asked her that question. Most of the good people in Filmore kept their distance from the likes of her and Bobby, while Bobby’s own cronies, who knew her background, just thought she was with him for his money. Thought she was lucky to have him. “I don’t know,” she said slowly. “Guess that’s something I’ll think on, while I’m here.”

“It’s a good place to think.” Ria gestured out toward the bay. Low winter sun reflected on it, silvery. Along the shore, ice had built up around the pilings, making what looked like fanciful, lacy statues. “Can’t look at the bay without realizing there’s a bigger picture.”

“True enough.” Sylvie decided she’d like to walk out here every day. Do some thinking.

“I’m trying to remember where you’re from,” Ria said. “I know it’s on the motel paperwork, but I honestly didn’t pay much attention.”

“Filmore, Pennsylvania. Small city, halfway between Johnstown and Pittsburgh.”

“Filmore...” Ria snapped her fingers. “Isn’t that where the new Victory Cottage family is from? Do you know them?”

Why had she let down her guard? “I don’t,” she said, thinking fast. “They probably live in a different part of town.”

“But you’ve met?” Ria looked curious.

“The little boy goes to the school where I got the job. So tell me about the best places to eat around here. How’s the Gusty Gull?”

Ria, agreeably enough, let the conversation be turned. But Sylvie considered it a warning. If her reason for being here came out, Big Bobby wouldn’t be happy. He might even be really, really angry.

She’d only seen him that way a few times, but that had been plenty. She needed to keep her mouth shut and keep her distance from these friendly small-town people, for sure.

THESESSIONWITHJax’s new counselor didn’t start well.

Tony had wanted a woman, figuring that was what Jax was missing in his life. Plus their male counselor in Filmore hadn’t seemed to connect with Jax. And okay, he got a woman. But she was old, way past retirement age in Tony’s estimation. Could she be up to date on what counseling was supposed to be these days?

Jax clung to Tony and refused to talk, and no wonder. He wasn’t used to older women. He’d never known his grandparents, who had died before he was born.

Unfortunately, choices were limited in a small town like Pleasant Shores. And counseling was part of the program. Elizabeth Cramer, Dr. Liz as she preferred to be called, was basically it.

“Like I told you on the phone, it can take Jax a while to get comfortable with new people,” Tony said as his nephew clung to him in full monkey position, arms and legs wrapped around Tony’s torso.

Dr. Liz waved a hand. “Nothing I haven’t seen before. He can stay right there as long as he feels like it, and then we’ll open up the play area when he’s ready.”

Jax lifted his head at her words and took a quick look around. Tony did, too. The office was set up like a living room, with bookshelves and a couch and comfortable chairs. There was a desk, but Dr. Liz didn’t sit behind it. Instead, she perched on the edge of one of the chairs.

She smiled at them. “Let me just open a session record, and we’ll get started,” she said, and her fingers flew over the keyboard of a small, flat laptop. “Anything changed since your intake?” They’d done that by phone, before he’d arrived.

“We’re settled in,” he said, “and Jax has been in preschool for the past week. Which... Well. Mixed success.” He was learning that you didn’t want to say anything a child shouldn’t overhear, and he didn’t want to discourage Jax about his lack of progress in preschool. He also wanted to ask her opinion of him volunteering in Jax’s classroom, but again, he wasn’t sure bringing it up in front of Jax was the best idea.

“Good, I’m glad you’ve gotten him started in that direction. It’ll be good for him to socialize.” She set the laptop aside, picked up a photo from her desk, and held it toward them. “Jax,” she said, “do you like dogs? I have a picture of mine.”

Jax didn’t budge, so, to be polite, Tony leaned forward. At the sight of the dog, Tony couldn’t restrain a laugh. “That’s...interesting looking. What breed?”

Jax turned a little, and Dr. Liz shifted so he could see the picture, too. “He’s a mix,” she explained. “Mom was a bulldog, and dad was a feisty Pomeranian.”

Tony studied the photo. “So that explains...”

“The stocky body and the tufted ears, yes. Apparently, the mix is in demand, except the pups can turn out a variety of ways. This particular way wasn’t quite what customers wanted, and he ended up at a shelter.” She smiled fondly at the photo. “It’s okay to laugh. I know he’s funny looking.”

At that, Jax loosened his grip on Tony and turned to look at the photo. He studied the strange looking dog, his face serious. “Is he nice?” he asked finally.

Dr. Liz didn’t make a big deal of Jax’s talking. “He’s very nice. Would you like to meet him?”

Jax’s eyes widened and he nodded.

“Wait here,” she said. “No allergies or historical problems with dogs, Uncle Tony, correct?”

Tony remembered then that she’d asked something about animals during their phone intake discussion. “That’s right.”

She disappeared through the side door of the conference room. A minute later, she came back with the dog they’d seen in the picture. She sat down on the carpet, pulled a tug toy out of her pocket, and waved it in front of the little dog until he grabbed one end and tugged.

Jax sat upright in Tony’s lap now, watching.

“We tug gently for a little dog like this, so we don’t hurt his teeth,” Dr. Liz explained in a conversational tone. “When he gets tired, he likes to climb into a lap.” She used the toy to guide the dog into her lap, where he rolled onto his back for a belly rub.

Jax scrambled down and stood beside Tony, watching.

“Even with a little dog, it’s important to be careful,” the therapist went on. “You don’t want to jump around and yell right at first. Dogs don’t like to be surprised, any more than you do.”

Jax nodded solemnly. That, he could definitely understand. “Can I pet him?”

“Sure thing. Come over and use two fingers right at first. Touch his chest or side, not the top of his head.”

Jax dropped to his knees and did exactly as instructed. The dog turned and carelessly slurped Jax’s hand, making the boy laugh.

It was a good sound. Tony smiled and Dr. Liz did, too.

“What’s his name?” Jax asked.

“Mixter,” she said. Gently, she lifted the dog out of her lap and set him on the floor in front of Jax. She pulled a basket of dog toys from beside her chair, putting that in front of Jax, as well. “You can sit on the floor and see which of these he wants to play with today, if you’d like.”

Jax sat down instantly, and Dr. Liz came back to sit in her chair across from Tony.

“Thank you,” he said to her. “I doubt he’ll talk about anything deep today, but at least he’s getting comfortable.” Tony was definitely getting a more positive impression of Dr. Liz. She seemed to know what she was doing.

“That’s our goal. And we don’t talk deeply with kids much, anyway. Their concerns come out through play, as I’m sure you know from working with his other therapist.”

“Yeah.” That guy hadn’t been anywhere near as quick to get Jax to relax. Of course, he hadn’t had a dog in the office.

“I’ll talk to you instead,” she said, smiling at Tony. “Are you settling into town okay?”

He nodded. “It’s a nice place.”

When he didn’t elaborate, she tilted her head to one side, her eyes shrewd behind horn-rimmed glasses. “I’m a therapist,” she said. “You can be honest.”

“I know.” He laughed a little, feeling surprisingly nervous. “I mean, I’m trained as a counselor, as well. But I guess I’m as slow to warm up as Jax is.”

“Fair enough. Are you meeting people? Do you think you and Jax will be able to make some friends through the preschool?”

“I think so.” He told her about Davey, how he and Jax seemed friendly already, how Davey’s parents had been involved with Mary’s Healing Heroes program, the forerunner of Victory Cottage. “Actually,” he said after making sure Jax was occupied with rolling a soft ball for Mixter to trot after, “it was brought up that I could volunteer in Jax’s classroom. Since he’s having trouble letting me out of his sight just now. Do you think that would be a good idea or a mistake?” He’d hesitated to agree, saying he wanted to talk to the counselor first. It had been to give himself the chance to think about it, but now that he’d met Dr. Liz, he actually wanted to know her opinion.

She tapped a pen against the arm of her chair, looking thoughtful. “It might work,” she said. “Especially if there’s the option to increase the distance gradually. Maybe you could extend out to other classrooms as time goes on, so Jax knows you’re in the building, but he can start to gain some independence.”

“Good idea. Although...” He paused, feeling embarrassed.

“What is it?”

“I’m not great with kids,” he confessed. “I don’t know if it’s how I look or how I act or what, but I don’t have that kind of...” He waved a hand, unable to describe it. “That way with them, like what you just did with Jax.”

“You’ll get there,” she said. “We can discuss it when you come in for your appointments.”

Tony frowned. “I’d like to focus on Jax in these sessions,” he said. “My issues aren’t the important thing.”

She gave him that piercing look again. “I beg to differ. You need to take care of yourself, deal with your own concerns, so you can help Jax.”

Mixter trotted over, and Tony ran a hand over the dog’s soft back. “I know, you’re right. I just meant that Jax takes priority. I’m here to help him heal.”

“Of course,” she said, and for a minute, they both watched as Jax enticed the dog back to his side with a toy and the two of them rolled on the floor together, tugging. Then she spoke again. “People do better when they’re not sacrificing everything for their kids. When they have some goals of their own.”

It reminded him of what Kayla had said that first day at the preschool. “Someone, Jax’s teacher actually, said kids can sense our anxiety.”

“That’s true. So give some thought to that for our next session, what goals you might have for yourself for your time here in Pleasant Shores.”

“I will.” Tony wasn’t arrogant enough to think he had no issues. And he used to have goals: he’d wanted to make a difference, to help the people in his hometown, like his siblings did. He’d even begun to think he might like to settle down with a good woman, start a family.

But now that he was Jax’s guardian, everything had changed. What were his goals now?

And did he have any hope of achieving them?

ON TUESDAYAFTERCLASS, Kayla, Tony, and Jax walked together down toward the bay. It was an unseasonably warm day, windy, with a blue sky and a few scudding clouds.

Kayla had been worried on Monday when Jax and Tony hadn’t shown up at class, but he’d called Monday night. They’d missed class because of an appointment with their new family therapist. And the therapist, apparently, thought it would be fine for Tony to volunteer in the class. Even a good thing.

So they’d come to class today, and Jax had stayed glued to his uncle, just like he always did, although he had given Kayla a couple of shy smiles. Progress. The plan was for them to discuss Tony’s volunteer role after class, and since it was so nice out, they’d decided to walk and talk. It was a way to kill two birds with one stone, since she’d been wanting to scope out an area where she could bring the kids on a field trip. Tony and Jax could help her.

She kept up some friendly chatter as they walked, pointing out shops and seabirds and a big yellow cat. Tony obviously could tell that she was trying to engage Jax, and he told her about a cat that lived in their neighborhood back home and a pet shop they’d visited with Jax’s aunt. Jax smiled a little and seemed to relax away from the pressure of the classroom situation.

“I know I was foisted on you,” Tony said as soon as they reached the bike path that led along the bay. “I’m sorry about that, and if you don’t want me, you’re always free to turn me down. Although,” he added quietly, as Jax ran ahead, chasing a seagull, “I hope you’ll allow Jax to continue doing the class, even if it means I’m tagging along.”

“No, it’s fine.” She’d talked to her mother about the volunteer thing, expressed her hesitation about having Tony join the class as an assistant, but she hadn’t been able to budge Mom from the notion that the kids needed a male influence.

It was true; having a man in the classroom would, or could, bring a different and valuable perspective. It was just strange and uncomfortable to have this giant, burly male suddenly a part of her class every day. Especially when Amber kept reminding her that he’d be a perfect candidate to fulfill her resolution about finally getting her first kiss. She blew out a breath and tried to clear her head. “Let’s talk about what you could do.”

“Not much,” he said, kicking a stone. “I’m not the best with kids. Stay close, buddy,” he added to Jax, who returned immediately to Tony’s side.

“Hey now.” Her teacher instincts kicked in at Tony’s self-deprecating words. “Don’t put yourself down. Look how much Jax loves you.”

“He doesn’t have much choice.”

“Right, but you’re good with him. I’ve watched you.” Then her cheeks heated. She didn’t want to admit, to herself but especially to him, exactly how much she’d watched him since Jax had joined the class.

“You’re the one who’s good. I admire the way you talk to the kids, and keep discipline without being mean, and teach them. I definitely can’t live up to that.”

He smiled over at her, and there was what seemed like real admiration in his eyes. It made Kayla’s heart speed up. Ridiculous, but... She glanced again. No, she hadn’t imagined it. He was looking at her with at least some kind of warmth.

“Well!” She rubbed her hands together. “It’s fine if you just want to observe the first few days. If you see a kid struggling, help them out. Encourage sharing.”

“Break up fights,” he joked. “I get it. I can strong-arm them.”

She glanced at his muscular arms. Yes, he could. He surely could.

She cleared her throat. “You could read them a story, maybe. To get them used to you, and you used to being in front of a class. I’m guessing you read to Jax some.”

“I can’t do voices like you do,” he warned.

“You could learn.” Kayla felt like she was encouraging an insecure preschooler. “Or how about music? Do you play an instrument?”

“He sings and plays his lay-lee,” Jax piped up.

“You play the ukulele?” Kayla asked, delighted.

“Hey now, buddy,” he said, mock-scolding Jax, “that’s just between us.” His cheeks were red.

He was cute when he was embarrassed. And she could only imagine how cute he’d be playing a tiny ukulele, as big and gruff as he was. “Maybe when you get to know the kids better, you’ll be brave enough to play a song for them,” she teased.

“Uncle Tony’s brave!” Jax looked up at her. “He has medals from fighting bad guys.”

“Wow, that’s cool,” she said, meaning it. So Tony was a veteran. Interesting.

“Which doesn’t mean I can sing in front of preschoolers.” As Jax knelt to study a tiny crab, scuttling at the edge of a puddle, Tony winked at Kayla. “What you do, that takes real guts.”

It was her turn to blush. She was terrible about reading men, but...could he be just the slightest bit interested in her? Oh, she had no illusions that someone who looked like Tony would be drawn to her for the long-term, but maybe he at least wasn’t not interested.

Remembering a phone call from Amber made her face feel hotter. Amber had literally crowed Friday night after seeing them together at Goody’s. “He’s the one, he’s the one,” she’d chanted. “First kiss, coming up!”

There was no way a guy like Tony would kiss someone like Kayla. But she couldn’t deny the notion had its appeal.

A group of women walked toward them, two pushing baby carriages, one holding the hand of a young child, and Kayla felt a pang of longing.

That was what her desire to kiss a man was all about, really. She wanted to marry, have a family, as all her friends were doing.

“Kayla? Kayla Harris? Oh, my gosh, it is you!” The woman with the young child stopped. Then the other two did, as well, and Kayla’s heart sank to her toes.

These three girls had made her life miserable throughout middle school, until Mom had let her transfer to the private school in Pleasant Shores. She hadn’t seen them, except from a distance, since.

The woman who’d spoken, Norleen Michaelson, flicked a glance at Tony and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were married, let alone that you had a child,” she said, then knelt in front of Jax. “Look how cute you are, little man!”

Jax reeled back and clung to Tony’s leg.

“Aw, how sweet,” she said, rising gracefully to her feet and smiling at Kayla, then Tony.

Kayla wasn’t sure whether the woman was sincere, but she tried to take the high road. “Jax is one of my students,” she explained, “and this is his uncle, Tony. Tony, this is Norleen and Lisa and Pam.”

He greeted them all. “You went to school together?” he asked.

“We’ve been friends since we were in preschool,” Norleen said.

Friends, sort of, until their paths had diverged and then Norleen had become a middle-school bully. “We were in school together until I changed to a school in Pleasant Shores,” Kayla clarified. “Do you three still live up the coast?”

“We do,” Lisa said, indicating herself and Pam, “but Norleen and her daughter just moved here, to Pleasant Shores. We came down to see her new place.”

Kayla’s stomach lurched. Norleen was living here, in town? She covered her reaction by smiling in the direction of Norleen’s daughter, who’d knelt beside a puddle and was poking at a crab with a reed. “Your daughter’s cute. What’s her name?”

“Rhianna. Say hi.” She nudged at her daughter with her foot, and the little girl looked up and waved, then gestured to Jax.

To Kayla’s surprise, and judging from his expression, to Tony’s as well, Jax went over and knelt beside the little girl.

“I just got divorced,” Norleen said. “I’m getting back on the dating scene, which is a challenge for a single parent.” She looked from under her lashes at Tony as if waiting for him to agree with her. Was she seriously testing the waters two minutes after meeting Tony?

Norleen had perfect dark hair and was dressed in skinny jeans and a leather jacket that clung to her slender figure. Just like in middle school, she was still way prettier than Kayla, still more poised around boys.

“We need to get going. Nice to see you ladies.” She didn’t owe them an explanation, not when they’d been so awful to her in school.

“Nice to meet you,” Tony said. “Come on, Jax.”

“Hope to see you around,” Norleen called after them as they walked on.

Kayla felt awkward. Was Tony waiting for her to provide an explanation for brushing off her old schoolmates?

But no way. She didn’t want to admit to handsome Tony what a bullied loser she’d been in school.

Her insides churned. Norleen, the ringleader of the mean girls, was now living in Pleasant Shores. Hopefully she’d changed and grown up; hopefully she wouldn’t make Kayla’s life miserable the way she had in middle school.