The Christmas Catch by Ginny Baird Page B

And, from that first job tending the golf course at that upper-crust country club to his full graduate school scholarship, he had. Still, John believed he shouldn’t become serious with any woman, or consider having a family, until he found himself in a financially stable position. He’d be damned if he was going to repeat the past, when he was capable of charting his own future. Of course, he was contemporary enough to understand his wife would have her own career, but that didn’t negate the sense of responsibility that had been pounded into him each time he’d seen tears of desperation welling in his mother’s eyes. Because his late dad had been unable to prepare for it, John was now making arrangements for his mom’s welfare too. He also helped out his kid sister, as he was able. She was a single mom and putting herself through school besides. There was a lot on his plate, a hell of a lot more than Christine, or anyone else—including Carlos—knew.
    John decided to open the champagne, thinking he might as well have a glass. There were so many emotions churning inside him, it was almost like he didn’t know where to turn. Man’s best friend had denied him, and it appeared his own heart had betrayed him too. He’d not even understood what he’d been feeling until now. And now, it was too late. The truth was that his promotion put him in a different place. Yes, he’d be working harder, but he’d also be making more money. A lot more money, he thought, popping the cork. It sprang forth in an arc as bubbles gurgled from the bottle. John picked up a cloth to wipe it, reaching forward for the cork on the floor. His fingers made contact with something else set back a little farther under the coffee table. What in Hades was that? John pinched the wooly fabric between his fingers, then slowly withdrew a bright red object from its stowaway perch.
    Mason stood, turning toward him.
    “Well, what do you know…?” John said aloud.

    Ellen melted in Carlos’s rapturous embrace at the airport. It was January first and her vacation had ended. “I’m not going to ask when I’m going to see you again,” she said sadly.
    Carlos pressed his forehead to hers. “Now you’re hurting my feelings.”
    Ellen stared into warm brown eyes knowing she couldn’t stand to say good-bye forever. “When’s the last time you came to Chicago?”
    “Nineteen seventy-nine.”
    “Then you’re overdue!”
    “I have a problem with that,” Carlos said, pulling back.
    “Oh?”
    “My old college chum, the one I used to stay with . . .” he began seriously, “has moved away.”
    She knew what he was getting at, but couldn’t resist teasing him. “I know some good hotels in the area.”
    Carlos feigned shock. “You wouldn’t toss an old man out in the snow?”
    Ellen kissed him soundly his bristly beard tickling.
    “Call me,” she said, breaking away.
    Carlos beamed as she picked up her luggage and set it on the conveyor belt. He withdrew his cell from his pocket and waved it in her direction. “I’ve got your number!”

Chapter Fifteen

    Christine sat at her drafting table intent on her sketch while classical music played in the background. All the Christmas decorations were tucked away, leaving her apartment with a neat array of modern furniture and clean open spaces. This drawing was whimsical and fun, with a family of snowmen tobogganing down a pine-studded hill. While there was computer software for graphic design, Christine preferred importing her hand-drawn illustrations into her layout program by using a scanner. This gave her the ability to create high-tech products with down-home appeal. It would take at least five years on her current income to save up enough to start her own company. In the meantime, she was determined to build a preliminary catalogue.
    She took a sip of coffee as sunlight streamed through the windows. It was still windy outdoors, but the mid-January snow had abated despite the freezing