If Max Blackwood disapproved of JC’s relationship with the rest of his family, he said nothing. JC had no idea what the man thought. Their exchanges were brief and impersonal. Max was the host – that was all.
The children, of course, treated JC the same mostly. They spent less time with him since their grandfather’s return. That was to be expected. He was still there for after school snacks and homework. He still ate breakfast and dinner in the kitchen, at the family table. Guests still stopped him in the hall as if he were staff. He was no longer invited to watch movies or play games in the family quarters. In fact, he hadn’t stepped foot in that part of the inn since the day before Max had returned. Uncharitably he wished Max had stayed in Florida a few more weeks.
“The Blackwood Inn. May I help you?” Lauren absently answered the telephone as she worked on the menu for the coming week. One glorious perk of Max’s return was a little more time to do these things. Since the holiday season was upon them there were private parties to host, Sunday brunches to order for – and Christmas to plan for the children.
“Is this Lauren Blackwood?” an unfamiliar male voice asked.
Alarm bells went off. “Yes.”
“You have a guest by the name of Chasez?”
“We do not give out the name of our guests,” she replied coldly. “Good-bye.”
But before she could hang up she heard the voice say, “Ms. Blackwood, we only called because there’s been an accident. Mister Chasez has been hurt.”
Lauren snapped the receiver back up to her ear. The man was from the ski area JC had said he was going that day. Someone had run him down on the slopes. He’d been knocked unconscious and even though he’d come around, the doctor thought it would best if he not drive. “I’ll be there as quick as I can,” she promised before ringing off.
“Max!”
JC felt guilty when Lauren rushed into the exam room where he was resting. She looked terrified and pale. “Lauren, I’m okay. Really,” he told her as she rushed to his bedside. His head hurt like hell, but he’d been lucky enough not to break any bones.
As she would any of her children, she ran her hands over his limbs – just to make sure – then over his head. A nasty hump on the left side.
“A hotdogger came up on me, startled me. I’m so new at skiing I didn’t get out of the way.”
“What’s his name? We’ll have him banned—”
“Didn’t get his name or license plate number, ma’am,” he teased gently. He hadn’t felt this loved since his mom’s outrage at a school bully when he was in middle school.
Just then the clinic doctor came in, “No broken bones. No concussion. You’re lucky,” the middle-aged man told JC. “I suggest over the counter pain reliever for the headache.”
“You sure he doesn’t need to stay overnight somewhere for observation?” Lauren asked.
“In my opinion he’d do better at Blackwood Inn. Food’s better. The beds are softer. If someone can look in on him every couple of hours this evening, he should be fine.”
“I’ll see to it.”
“Good.” The doctor nodded, gave JC a clipboard with a form to sign, then was on his way.
JC sat up slowly. Okay, so he was a little achy from impact...
“I should take you to real hospital,” Lauren grumbled as she helped him to his feet.
“I’m okay. I promise if I start feeling not okay I’ll let you know.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“I don’t want any macho pretending.”
He laughed at that. Of all the things he’d been called through the years, ‘macho’ hadn’t been one of them. “I just want to get out of here.”
He hadn’t been allowed to go up to his own room. Lauren had made JC a comfy bed on the sofa in the family quarters, clucking around like a hen with a sick chick. She’d brought his lunch in on a tray, left the television remote within easy reach, kept asking if he needed anything. One part of him was pleased at her concern. The other part wanted to gnash his teeth and tell her to leave him alone.
“Lauren, I realize you’re just being concerned, but I can’t get any rest with you hovering,” he finally told her. “I really am okay. I promise. And even if I wasn’t it wouldn’t be your fault, you know.”
“I know.” What could she say? When she’d heard he’d been hurt, her heart had sunk to her stomach. She’d known real fear.
He took her hand and tugged her to sit beside his prone body. “Honey, you’re a born caregiver. That’s what makes you a great mom and innkeeper. I appreciate your caring about me. It feels good, but you have a lot more to do than watch over me. The doctor said every couple of hours.” He checked his watch. “I don’t want you to come back in here until two-forty-nine.”
“Joshua—”
“If you keep this up I’ll go back to my room,” he threatened.
“No.”
“What if I need something from my room.”
“See that you don’t.”
Snacks and homework were done in the Blackwood family room where Olivia took over the mothering. Fluffing JC’s pillows, feeding him cookies and cocoa. The two dogs even kept vigil.
“Do you plan on sleeping on the sofa tonight?” Max asked in such a neutral voice JC had no idea what he was expected to say.
“No. I hope Lauren will let me go to my bed tonight. I mean I’m no invalid...” Despite the fact Olivia was trying to take his temperature with her fake thermometer.
“With Lauren you just need to make a stand,” the man told him.
“I’ll remember that.”
"She was pretty shaken up. Haven’t seen her that upset since she got the news Christopher had been injured.”
That explained the hovering – her overreaction. “God I’m sorry. I should have just gotten a taxi here. I never thought...”
“You think a taxi wouldn’t have been a tip off?” Max patted his shoulder before he quit the room.
“Mister Chasez, we’re going to put up our tree tomorrow, you gonna help us?” Sam asked.
“He’s too sick,” Olivia responded.
“I’m fine – really. And yes, Sam, I’ll be happy to help.”
After much argument from Lauren JC moved back to his room after dinner.
“You can always come up and check on me later,” he whispered wickedly for her ears only.
“And ‘checking’ on you is all I’ll be doing,” she stated tartly.
He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “Lauren, it was just a little bump on the head!”
“You were unconscious!” she retorted.
“I surrender.” Whipping back his covers, he sat on the bed to take off his shoes. “I’m gonna strip to my skivvies, Lauren.” He nodded towards the open door. “If you don’t want to give your guests a show, I suggest you close the door – either side works for me,” he grumbled. When he looked up the door was closed – with Lauren on the other side. Well, it looked as if he would be sleeping alone that night – and maybe for the rest of his stay at Blackwood Inn.
“Are you still alive?”
JC’s eyelid was being pried open by small fingers and the voice belonged to a little girl. His first sight of the new day was Olivia Blackwood.
“Yeah,” JC answered. “Unless you’re an angel and this is heaven.”
“It’s our piece of heaven.” Max Blackwood stood at the door with a breakfast tray. Nodding towards the tray, he said, “Looks like you won last night but Lauren rules the kitchen.”
JC pulled himself up to sit against the headboard. It hadn’t felt like a victory when Lauren didn’t come to him the previous night. He’d waited for her with the need to sleep finally overtaking him. “I’m not an invalid.” He had some minor aches – that was all.
Max set the tray across JC’s legs. A carafe of coffee. Orange juice. Ham and egg scramble. English muffin – and a bottle of pain reliever. “Compliments of the house.”
“I woulda been down.” JC saw the clock. He’d way overslept.
“Mom said you needed sleep to ‘cuperate,” Olivia said.
“Recuperate,” Max corrected.
Olivia smiled up at him. “Yeah, that.”
“Well, I have a tree to drag down from the attic,” Max stated.
“Yippee!” Olivia rushed from the room. “I’ll go get Sam and CJ.”
JC’s voice stopped Max as he turned to go. “Is Lauren still mad at me?”
Max shook his head. “I don’t think she was every really mad, Chasez.”
Since the older man hadn’t witnessed the tense exchange between the couple, he didn’t realize Lauren had been pissed off. “You can tell everyone I’ll be down after I eat and shower. I told Sam I’d help with the tree.”
It was noisy, lively and chaotic. Putting up a huge tree with three children and two large dogs underfoot was a challenge. With the inn being so busy, Lauren could only stop in for brief moments at a time, so the actual setting up of the tree, stringing of lights and garland was left up to the men. In deference to JC’s recent accident, he wasn’t allowed on the ladder – as per Lauren’s orders.
At one point, Olivia found several sets of holiday dog costumes. Poor patient Jasper sat stoically with wings slapped on his back and a halo strapped to his dark golden head. Of course Barney panicked at the antlers Olivia managed to attach under his chin. The bobbling horn like things spooked the huge puppy. Darting between JC and CJ, he became entangled in a metallic garland, dragging it out to the lobby before anyone could catch him.
A moment later a stern Lauren appeared in the doorway, antlers in one hand and the shredded garland in the other. “Olivia Blackwood, I believe the lobby needs to be swept.” Only her daughter would attempt this with Barney.
Olivia dipped her head to look chastened when actually she was trying to hide laughing eyes. “Yes, ma’am.” Knowing argument would only garner a more severe punishment, she went to do her mother’s bidding.
Before she turned to leave, Lauren said, “And, CJ, before you take that ridiculous get-up off Jasper, please, get a picture of it. It may be our Christmas card next year.”
It wasn’t until late that afternoon JC managed to catch a few private moments with Lauren. Max and the children had headed into town, a list in hand for things the tree and Lauren needed. Lauren was in the kitchen getting a jump on the Sunday brunch preparations. He slid his arms around her waist from behind as she kneaded dough.
“I missed you last night,” he murmured in her hair.
“You certainly did.” A soft smile lit her face. “The several times I checked on you through the night you were dead asleep.”
“You coulda crawled in with me and saved yourself the trouble.”
“That was not happening last night.”
“You mean us making love?”
“That’s the only reason for us to share a bed, Joshua.”
Was it? JC wasn’t so sure anymore. More than the sex, he had missed her in the night. Just her presence, her scent, the feel of her in his arms as they slept... Damn! I’m in love! “Lauren, tonight...” They needed to talk… Really talk…
“After the children are asleep,” she promised.