The Christmas Catch

shrugged.
    “I don’t know,” she said mysteriously. “Maybe you should look and see?”
    Christine felt her face flash hot. She couldn’t possibly mean…?
    “Well, go on,” Ellen prodded. “Daylight’s burning.”

    Christine laid her hand on the doorknob, every ounce of her tingling from her head to her toes. She shot a quick glance at Ellen, then pressed forward, her heart pounding. It was a vision so surreal she had to blink hard to ensure it wouldn’t fade away.
    “I must be some kind of absentminded professor,” John said, sitting in Ellen’s desk chair, Mason perched in his lap. “Because sometimes I forget things. You know, fail to get the details right.”
    Mason bounded to the floor and happily swaggered over to where Christine stood, dumbstruck. The dog sat expectantly by her side and looked up, wagging his tail. Christine patted his head and stared agape as John rose and walked forward.
    “Details?” she asked, her head reeling.
    “Like when I put together that business plan.”
    Christine felt as if she might faint, but was determined that she wouldn’t. She had to learn what John was doing here, and why he’d come all this way. It couldn’t really be about the paperwork, could it?
    “This is about the business plan?” she asked, confused.
    John stepped toward her. “I left something pretty important out.”
    “No, wait,” she said, collecting her presence of mind. “John, it was good. I actually read it. And you were right. It’s a way to get from A to Z…” She’d nearly forgotten how brilliant his eyes were, their gorgeous blue color offsetting his striking dark hair and handsome face. “Maybe not this year,” she continued, “or even the next. In fact, I’ve figured out that it will take at least five—”
    “And naturally, you’ll need a nanny.”
    “A nanny?” she asked as if she hadn’t considered it.
    “Starting a new business can be very intense. There’s no guarantee childcare hours could cover it.”
    “Well no, maybe not. I haven’t thought that far a—”
    “Perhaps you’d consider a tag-team approach?”
    “Tag team?”
    “Sure, you know. People do it all the time.”
    Christine thought quickly, but there was no one around here she could trust to watch Tyler after hours. There was only Ellen and she had her own life, after all. “I don’t think Ellen would be willing… What I mean is, that’s a lot to ask.”
    John’s lips turned up at the corners as he gave her a longing look. “I wasn’t talking about Ellen.” He amazed her by pulling her bright red Christmas scarf from behind his back. He now stood just inches away. Christine swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She felt hot, then cold, then warm all over.
    “You left this back in Vermont,” he said, his voice husky.
    “You came all the way to Chicago to return it?”
    “For that and something else.”
    She stared at him, her tender heart daring to hope.
    “Christine,” he said. “It wasn’t until after you’d gone that I realized what an idiot I’d been… what a terrible mess I’d made of everything.”
    “But I thought you said—”
    “Just one more minute. Please hear me out.” He shot her a pleading look that sent wild butterflies fluttering inside her. She felt like a child on Christmas morning about to get everything she’d wished for. “I never in a million years expected to meet a woman like you. I mean, I had women friends, sure. But somehow we never… clicked. Then one day this beautiful woman from Chicago nearly ran me off the road. Practically killed me, really.”
    “Hey!” she protested, but John pressed on.
    “But that was nothing next to the near-death I’ve experienced these past few weeks. I know we have distances to conquer and careers to plan for. But somehow when we’re together, everything fits. We’re good together, you and I. You, me—and Tyler.” Mason barked and John shot him a glance. “And uh, yeah, Mason, too.”
    Her spirit leapt with joy. She’d tried so hard to push all thoughts of a life with John out of her mind that she hadn’t realized how deeply she’d dreamt of one until now.
    He draped the scarf around her neck. “Christine, you made me happy too, more happy than I’ve ever been with anyone. I know I was a jerk in not telling you earlier, and I’m sorry. It just took me time to realize it myself. I had other things that I thought stood in the way, but I was wrong about that too. Please tell me there’s still a