Page 47 of Christmas Kisses

“That’s quite a leap of the imagination, even for you. From dinner to fatherhood.”

He shrugged. “I’ve got more. Just wanted to give you a chance to comment before the story runs in tomorrow’s edition.”

“Run this story, Jace, and I promise, I’ll bury you.”

Jace’s brows lifted. “And what will you do for me if I don’t run it, Montgomery?”

Caleb narrowed his eyes on the man, finally reading him. “You’re slime, you know that, Jace? How much do you want?”

He shrugged. “Five hundred grand…for now.”

“Fine.”

“Fine? You mean you’ll pay it?”

Caleb had his hand on his cell phone already. “Just tell me where to transfer the funds and I’ll call—”

A click made him stop speaking. Jace had one hand in his pocket, and he pulled out a minirecorder. “That’s all I need, Montgomery. If this wasn’t your kid, you wouldn’t be so desperate to keep it quiet. I can name my price for this story.”

Caleb reached for the little weasel, but he ducked and ran for the door. Caleb ran after him, only to stop at the porch, sock feet already damp, as he saw the man slam his car door, and lurch into the narrow street.

“Son of a—”

“Oh, my. Oh, dear. Oh, my, what are you going to do? Poor Maya! Poor, poor Maya. That dear girl…” Ida-May Peabody wrung her hands and paced behind him. “I had no idea! I should never have let that man in here. Oh, my.”

“Now, Ms. Peabody, you know this isn’t your fault. You had no way of knowing,” Caleb assured her.

She didn’t look too relieved.

He had to get to his room, call Bobby, see what could be done about damage control. And then…then he had to warn Maya.

Damn, as if she didn’t already dislike him enough.

* * *

“He’d make a real nice addition to this family, you know,” Vidalia Brand said softly. She and Maya were sitting in front of the fireplace. Maya had her feet up. Her backache had been growing steadily worse all day, and now it was really hurting. The dishes were done, and her sisters had all gone to bed. The tree twinkled magically.

“He will be a part of the family,” she told her mother. “As the babies’ father, he’ll be as much a part of it as he wants to be.”

“Looks to me like he wants to be even more than that.”

“Mom, please….”

Vidalia shrugged, sighed a surrender. “Not easy, you know. Raising a family alone.”

Looking up, Maya saw her mother’s eyes. The lines at the corners, the hard-worn contours. “You are a hell of a woman, Mamma. Did I ever tell you how much I admire you? No, really. I mean it. You did fine by us. No man could have done better. And I know it was hard. Probably the hardest thing you ever did in your life, raising us alone.”

“No, child. The hardest thing I ever did was saying goodbye to the man I loved.’’

Maya closed her eyes, lowered her head. Her father had been a two-timing slime bag. But damn, her mother’s loyalty ran deep.

“I think that man could love you, girl.”

Lifting her head, she met her mother’s eyes. “I don’t want him to. I don’t want to—”

“To believe in him? I know. You’re afraid he’ll let you down, break your heart, the way your father did to me.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she corrected.

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