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“I don’t know, she’s pretty busy right now. Maybe in the future.”
“Maybe always means no.”
A fresh wave of parental guilt crashed into him. “Tell you what. I’ll talk to her and see if she’s up for it. But doctors work a lot, so she might be busy, okay?”
Ethan’s face lit up. “Okay. Uncle Matt said I should ask her what her intentions are. What does that mean?”
Luke opened and closed his mouth, not quite sure where to start with that one. “When did you see Uncle Matt?”
“At Nana and Grandpa’s. He was on his break and he brought hot chocolate.”
“That was nice of him,” said Luke, already thinking of all the different ways he could thank his brother for this awkward little conversation. His parents, too, given that they’d clearly told Matt the reason they were babysitting Ethan.
“Yeah. So what are intentions?”
“You know, I’m not sure. Uncle Matt’s a bit slow sometimes.” Luke leaned forward conspiratorially, as if he were letting Ethan in on a big secret. “He doesn’t even know where babies come from.”
Ethan’s mouth fell open. “Even I know that! Jeez.”
“Well, next time you see him, maybe you should tell him.” Luke nodded solemnly, and Ethan mimicked the gesture.
“Okay. I will. I’m gonna go watch The Grinch.” Ethan began to slide out of his chair, and Luke cleared his throat.
“Homework first. And if you don’t have homework, then you need to read at least ten pages in your book before TV.”
Ethan grumbled as he trudged into the front hall to retrieve his backpack. Luke stood from the table and gathered their dishes, chuckling as he rinsed them and stacked them in the dishwasher. If Matt wanted to butt in, he’d have to pay the consequences in the form of a birds-and-the-bees talk from his eight-year-old nephew.
If that didn’t teach him to mind his own business, Luke didn’t know what would.
Chapter 7
December 10
“Do you know what you’re going to ask Santa for this year?” asked Luke, glancing down at Ethan as they wove their way through the crowd at Frontier Mall. Green garlands, laden with red and gold balls, looped down from the ceiling. The thick, round columns were adorned with huge green wreaths, twinkling with lights and festooned with gold bows. In the center of the mall, under an arched skylight, two life-size nutcrackers stood on either side of a rustic sign that read “Santa’s Village.” Child-size red cottages dotted the “village,” interspersed with fake snow, large plastic candy canes, and miniature Christmas trees. At the end of the path was a giant red velvet chair in which Santa sat, an enormous Christmas tree rising up behind it. A line of parents and children stretched dozens of feet beyond the entrance sign.
“Yeah.” Ethan pulled a folded piece of notebook paper from his coat pocket. “A LEGO Star Wars Wookiee Gunship set, a LEGO Minecraft Cave set, a Batman Night Scope, headphones, a Captain America Blaster Shield, a new bike, and a trampoline.”
Luke’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s a pretty healthy list you’ve got going there, bud.”
Ethan shrugged. “Yeah, but I’ve been really good this year. Right?”
Luke smiled and ruffled Ethan’s hair. “Yeah, you have. But maybe pick just a couple of those to ask Santa for. I don’t know if he can fit all that stuff in his sleigh.”
Ethan’s face turned serious and he studied his list. Something tender bloomed in Luke’s chest as he watched his son. There was a good chance this would be the last Christmas Ethan was still into the whole Santa thing, and he intended to savor it. It was a little terrifying how fast he was growing up. Even though things hadn’t always been easy, Luke wouldn’t have traded a second of it. Really, all he wanted was for time to slow the hell down.
Someday, with the right woman, he’d love to have more kids, and he knew Ethan would love being a big brother. That tender spot spread further, encompassing him from throat to stomach, and he swallowed thickly.
They shuffled forward in line, Ethan waiting patiently, and he found himself wondering if Christie wanted kids. Something kicked low in his gut at the thought, something more than mere curiosity.
Ethan glanced up from his list, a thoughtful look on his face. “I think I’ve got it narrowed down to three. The bike, the trampoline, and the LEGO Star Wars set. Do you think that . . .” Ethan’s voice trailed off and he looked up at Luke, a gleeful smile on his face. “Hey, Dad, isn’t that your girlfriend?” He giggled as he pointed behind Luke, and Luke turned.
Christie stood maybe ten feet away, studying the display window of a jewelry store. Her blond hair spilled over her shoulders in golden waves, standing out against the dark blue of her pea coat. She had a few shopping bags slung over her arm, from Dillard’s and Sears and—oh, hello, Victoria’s Secret. Immediately, he wondered if she’d bought something for herself, and if he’d get to enjoy whatever sexy thing she’d bought in the near future.
As though she could feel his eyes on her, she turned, a bright smile lighting up her face when she spotted him and Ethan. He waved, and she headed over.
“Hey, Luke.” She smiled down at Ethan. “Hi, Ethan. How’s your head?”
“I have a little bump, but it doesn’t hurt anymore. Did you have fun on your date with my dad? I can tell when you text him, because he smiles.” Ethan nodded. “He doesn’t smile like that about work, or if Uncle Matt texts him. Just you.”
