J.R.’s frown was back as he mulled over that statement. “You’re going to do it?”
“Yes. I told her I would.”
J.R. stood and walked to the window, turning his back to Jake. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Holly invited you, too.”
“You told her it was out of the question, didn’t you?”
More or less. “You’d be welcome if you chose to come.”
Slowly J.R. turned around. “Well,” he said with a sigh, “I suppose it was unrealistic of me not to realize times are changing.” He paused. “I look forward to our vacation every year.”
Jake had never thought of their trip to the Caribbean as a getaway. His father always brought work with him and they spent their week discussing trends, reading reports and forecasting budgets. It was business, not relaxation.
“You call it a vacation?” Jake asked, amused.
“Well, yes. What would you call it?” J.R. frowned in confusion.
Jake hesitated, then decided to tell the truth, even if his father wasn’t ready to hear it. “I call it an escape from reality—but not from work. A vacation is supposed to be fun, a break, a chance to do nothing or else do something completely out of the ordinary. Not sit in a hotel room and do exactly the same thing you’d be doing here.”
J.R.’s frown deepened.
“Admit it, Dad,” Jake said. “You don’t go to the islands to lounge on the beach or snorkel or take sightseeing trips. Far from it. You escape New York because you can’t bear to be here over Christmas.”
J.R. shook his head.
Jake wasn’t willing to let it go. “From the time Mom and Kaitlyn died, you’ve done everything possible to pretend there’s no Christmas.
“As a businessman you need the holidays to survive financially but if it wasn’t for that, you’d ban anything to do with Christmas from your life—and mine.”
J.R. glared at Jake. “I believe you’ve said enough.”
“You need to accept that Christmas had nothing to do with the accident. It happened, and it changed both our lives forever, but it was a fluke, a twist of fate. I wish with everything in me that Mom and Kaitlyn had stayed home that afternoon, but the fact is, they didn’t. They went out, and because their cab collided with another one, they were killed.”
“Enough!” J.R. shouted.
Jake stood. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Dad.”
“If that’s the case, then you’ve failed. I am upset.”
Jake regretted that; nevertheless, he felt this had to be said. “I’m tired of running away on Christmas Eve. You can do it if you want, but I’m through.”
“Fine. Spend the day with Holly if you prefer. It’s not going to bother me.”
“I wish you’d reconsider and join us.”
J.R. tightened his lips. “No, thanks. You might think I’m hiding my head in the sand, but the truth is, I enjoy the islands.”
Jake might have believed him if J.R. had walked along the beach even once or taken any pleasure in their surroundings. Instead, he worked from early morning to late evening, burying himself in his work in a desperate effort to ignore the time of year—the anniversary of his loss.
“Yes, Dad,” Jake said rather than allow their discussion to escalate into a full-scale argument.
“You’ll come the next day, then?”
Jake nodded. He’d make his own flight arrangements. They always stayed at the same four-star hotel, the same suite of rooms.
“Good.”
Jake left the office and hurried down to the toy department. He was surprised to see Mrs. Miracle on the floor. According to the schedule she wasn’t even supposed to be in. That was his decision; since she’d volunteered to watch Gabe, he’d given her the day off.
“I didn’t expect to see you this morning,” he said.
“Oh, I thought I’d come in and do a bit of shopping myself.”
“I didn’t realize you had grandchildren,” he said. In fact, he knew next to nothing about Mrs. Miracle’s personal life, including her address. He’d offered to have the driver take her home and she’d agreed, but only on the condition that he be dropped off first. For some reason, he had the impression that she lived close to the store….
“So how’d the meeting with your father go?” she asked, disregarding his remark about grandchildren.
“How did you know that’s where I was?” Jake asked, peering at her suspiciously.
“I didn’t, but you looked so concerned, I guessed it had to do with J.R.”
“It went fine,” he said, unwilling to reveal the details of his conversation with an employee, even if she’d become a special friend. He didn’t plan to mention it to Holly, either. All he’d say was that he’d extended the dinner invitation to his father and J.R. had thanked her but sent his regrets.
“I’m worried about J.R.,” Mrs. Miracle said, again surprising him.
“Why? He’s in good health.”
“Physically, yes, he’s doing well for a man of his age.”
“Then why are you worried?” Jake pressed.
Instead of answering, the older woman patted his back. “I’m leaving in a few minutes. Would you like me to wrap Gabe’s robot before I go?”
“Ah, sure,” he said.
“You are taking it with you when you go to Holly’s for Christmas, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll wrap it for you. I’ll get some ribbon and nice paper from the gift-wrapping kiosk.”
“Thank you,” Jake said, still wondering what she’d meant about J.R.
The older woman disappeared, leaving Jake standing in the toy department scratching his head. He valued Mrs. Miracle as an employee and as a new friend, and yet every now and then she’d say something that totally confused him. How did she know so much about him and his father? Perhaps she’d met his parents years ago. Or…
Well, he couldn’t waste time trying to figure it out now.
Jake was walking to the customer service counter when his cell phone rang. Holly. He answered immediately.
“Can you talk?” she asked. “I know it’s probably insane at the store, but I had to tell you something.”
“What is it? Everything okay?”
“It’s my boss, Lindy Lee. Oh, Jake, I think I’m going to cry.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, alarmed.
“Nothing. This is good. Lindy just called me into her office. I spoke with her this morning about a Christmas party. I saw what a great time your employees had. I thought it would help morale, so I mentioned it to Lindy Lee.”
“She’s going to have a party?”
“No, even better than that. I can have a real Christmas dinner now with a turkey and stuffing and all the extras like I originally planned. I…I’d decided to make fried chicken because I couldn’t really afford anything else, and now I can prepare a traditional meal.”
“You got your bonus?”
“Yes! And it’s bigger than last year’s, so I can pay for the robot now.”
“That’s fabulous news!”
“It is, Jake, it really is.” She took a deep breath. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to call your father and invite him personally.”
Jake’s smile faded. “I should tell you I already talked to Dad about joining us on Christmas Day.”
“I hope he will.”
“Don’t count on it.” Jake felt bad about discouraging her. “I think he’d like to, but he can’t let go of his grief. He feels he’d dishonor the memory of my mother and sister if he celebrated Christmas. For him, their deaths and Christmas are all tied together.”
“Oh, Jake, that’s so sad.”
“Yes…” He didn’t say what he knew was obvious—that, until now, the same thing had been true of him.
“I’m looking forward to spending the day with you,” Jake said, and he meant every word. “Can you meet me for lunch this afternoon?” he asked, not sure he could wait until Christmas to see her again.
When she agreed, he smiled, a smile so wide that several customers looked at him curiously…and smiled back.
Sixteen
Happiest are the people who give the most happiness to others.
—Mrs. Miracle
That same morning Lindy Lee called Holly into her office again. Saving the document she was working on, Holly grabbed a pad and pen and rushed inside. Gesturing toward the chair, Lindy invited her to sit. This was unusual in itself; Lindy Lee never went out of her way to make Holly comfortable. In fact, it was generally the opposite.
“I’ve given your suggestion some thought,” she said crisply.
“You mean about the Christmas party for next year?”
Lindy Lee’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I mean the Christmas party. I want you to organize one for tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? But—”
“No excuses. You’re the one who asked for this.”
“I’ll need a budget,” Holly said desperately. It was a little late to be organizing a party. Every caterer in New York would’ve been booked months ago. Finding a restaurant with an opening the day before Christmas would be hopeless. What was she thinking when she’d suggested the idea to Lindy Lee? Hadn’t she emphasized that she was talking about the following year? Not this one? Holly hardly knew where to start.
Lindy Lee glared at her. “I’m aware that you’ll require a budget. Please wait until I’m finished. You can ask your questions then.”
“Okay, sorry.” Holly wasn’t sure how she was supposed to manage this on such short notice.
Lindy explained that she’d close the office at two, that she wanted festive decorations and Christmas music, and that attendance was mandatory. “You can bring your nephew if you like,” she added, after setting a more than generous budget.
“In other words, the family of staff is included?”
“Good grief, no.”
“But Gabe’s family.”
“He’s adorable. He even—” Lindy Lee stopped abruptly.
Holly was in complete agreement about Gabe’s cuteness, but it wouldn’t go over well if Gabe was invited and no one else’s children were. “The others might get upset,” Holly said, broaching the subject cautiously. “I mean, if I bring Gabe and no other children are allowed, it might look bad.”
Lindy Lee sat back and crossed her arms, frowning. “If we invite family, then the place will be overrun with the little darlings,” she muttered sarcastically. She sighed. “Should we include them?”
Holly shook her head. “There are too many practical considerations. People with kids would have to go home and pick them up and… Well, I think it’s too much trouble, so let’s not.”
“Okay,” Lindy said with evident relief.
“I’ll get right on this.”
“You might invite Gabe to the office again,” Lindy Lee shocked her by saying. “Maybe in the new year.”
Holly wondered if she’d misunderstood. “You want me to bring Gabe into the office?”
“A half day perhaps,” her boss said, amending her original thought.
“Okay.” So Gabe had succeeded in charming Lindy Lee, something Holly had once considered impossible.
Lindy Lee turned back to her computer, effectively dismissing Holly. Head whirling with the difficulty of her assignment, Holly returned to her own desk. She immediately got a list of nearby restaurants and began making calls, all of which netted quick rejections. In fact, the people she spoke with nearly laughed her off the phone. By noon she was growing desperate and worried.
“How’s it going?” Lindy Lee asked as she stepped out of her office to meet someone for lunch. “Don’t answer. I can tell by the look on your face.”
“If only we’d scheduled the party a bit sooner…”
“You shouldn’t have waited until the last minute to spring it on me,” she said, laying the blame squarely on Holly.
That seemed unfair and a little harsh, even for Lindy Lee.
“We could have our event here in the building,” Lindy Lee suggested, apparently relenting. “The sixth floor has a big open space. Check with them and see if that’s available.”
“I’ll do it right away.”
“Good,” Lindy said, and turned to leave.
“I’ll make this party happen,” Holly promised through gritted teeth.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Lindy Lee tossed over her shoulder on her way out the door.
As soon as she’d left, Holly called the sixth floor. As luck would have it, the only time available was the afternoon of Christmas Eve—exactly what she needed. That solved one problem, but there was still an equally large hurdle to jump. Finding a caterer.
Despite the urgency of this task, Holly kept her lunch date with Jake. These last days before Christmas made getting away for more than a few minutes difficult for him. Yet he managed with the help of his staff who, according to Jake, were determined to smooth the course of romance. Mrs. Miracle, God bless her, had spearheaded the effort.
Holly picked up a pastrami on rye at the deli and two coffees, and walked to Finley’s; that was all they really had time for. Now that she’d been assured of her Christmas bonus, Holly had resumed the luxury of buying lunch. When she arrived at the store, white bag in hand, Jake was busy with a customer.
Mrs. Miracle saw her and came over to greet Holly. “My dear, what’s wrong?”
Once again Holly was surprised at how readable she must be. “I’m on an impossible mission,” she said.
“And what’s that?” the older woman asked.
Holly explained. As soon as she’d finished, Mrs. Miracle smiled. “I believe I can help you.”
“You can?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes, a friend of mine just opened a small restaurant in the Village. She’s still getting herself established, but she’d certainly be capable of handling this party. What are you planning to serve? Sandwiches? Appetizers? Cookies? That sort of thing?”
“The party will be in the early afternoon, so small sandwiches and cookies would be perfect. It doesn’t have to be elaborate.” At this point she’d accept almost anything.
“I’ll get you my friend’s number.”
“Yes, please, and, Mrs. Miracle, thank you so much.”
“No problem, my dear. None whatsoever.” The older woman beamed her a smile. “By the way, I’ve set up a table in the back of the storeroom for you and Jake to have your lunch.”
“How thoughtful.”
“You go on back and Jake’ll be along any minute. Meanwhile, I’ll get you that phone number.”
“Thanks,” she said again. “Could you tell me your friend’s name?”
“It’s Wendy,” she said. “Now don’t you worry about a thing, you hear?”
Feeling deeply relieved, Holly went to the storeroom. Sure enough, Mrs. Miracle had set up a card table, complete with a white tablecloth and a small poinsettia in the middle. Holly put down the sandwich, plus a couple of pickles and the two cups of coffee.
Jake came in a few minutes later, looking harassed. He kissed her, then took his place. “It’s crazy out there,” he said, slumping in his chair.
“I can tell.” She noticed that the rest of the staff was diligently avoiding the storeroom, no doubt under orders from Mrs. Miracle.
He reached for his half of the massive sandwich. “I sold the last of the robots this morning.”
“That’s wonderful!”
“It is and it isn’t,” he said between bites. “I wish I’d ordered another hundred. We could’ve sold those, as well. Now we have to turn people away. I hate disappointing anyone.”
“Is there any other store in town with inventory?”
“Nope, and believe me, I’ve checked. Another shipment is due in a week after Christmas but by then it’ll be too late.”
Holly hated to bring up the subject of Gabe’s Intellytron, but she needed Jake’s reassurance that the one he’d set aside hadn’t been sold in the robot-buying frenzy. “Y
ou still have Gabe’s, don’t you?”
Still chewing on his sandwich, Jake nodded. “Mrs. Miracle wrapped it herself. It’s sitting right over there.” He pointed to a counter across from her. The large, brightly decorated package rested in one corner.
“I’m so grateful you did this for me,” she told him. Meeting Jake had been one of the greatest blessings of the year—in so many ways.
“Thank Mrs. Miracle, too,” he said. “She wasn’t even supposed to be in today, but she ended up staying to help us out.”
The few minutes they’d grabbed flew by much too quickly. Jake stood, kissed her again, and they left the storeroom together. As they stepped onto the floor, Mrs. Miracle handed her a slip of paper. “The name of the restaurant is Heavenly Delights and here’s the number.”
“Heavenly Delights,” Holly repeated. “I’ll give your friend a call as soon as I’m back at my desk.”
“You do that.”
Holly tucked the paper in her coat pocket and nearly danced all the way to the office. With a little help from Mrs. Miracle, she’d be able to pull off a miracle of her own—she’d organize this Christmas party, regardless of the difficulties and challenges.
Once at her desk, Holly reached for the phone and called the number Mrs. Miracle had written down for her.
“Hello.” A woman answered on the third ring.
“Hello,” Holly returned brightly. “Is this Wendy?”
“Yes. And you are?”
“I’m Holly Larson, and I’m phoning on behalf of Lindy Lee.”
“Lindy Lee, the designer?” Wendy sounded impressed.
“Yes,” Holly answered. “I know I’m probably calling at the worst time, but I felt I should contact you as soon as possible.” She assumed the restaurant would be busy with the lunch crowd.
“No, no, this is fine.”
“I was given your phone number by Emily Miracle.”
“Who?”
“Oh, sorry. Her badge says Miracle, but that’s a mistake. Rather than cause a fuss, she asked that we call her Mrs. Miracle, although that’s not actually her name. I apologize, but I can’t remember what it is. I’m so accustomed to calling her Mrs. Miracle.” Holly hoped she wasn’t rambling.