Twelve Days of Christmas Read online

  Then she read:

  #Blessyou: I want to thank you. I started reading this blog on the third day, when a friend from work shared it with me. My mother-in-law and I have never gotten along. She has never liked me and didn’t think I was good enough for her son. For the last five years we’ve barely tolerated each other. After reading your blog I decided I should try this kindness approach. I know she likes angel figurines, and I saw one on display at a flower shop and bought it for her. (Trust me when I tell you this woman has never been an angel to me!) After work I drove to her house and gave it to her. I could tell she wasn’t sure what to make of my unexpected visit. I told her she was probably right that I wasn’t good enough for Jack, but with her guidance maybe she could help me be the wife she envisioned for her son. To my astonishment, she threw her arms around me and started crying and apologizing. I wouldn’t have believed peace between us was even possible. I have you to thank.

  Mandy: You actually washed his dishes? Come on, girl, you’re smarter than that. If he wants to live like a slob, let him. That is just plain wrong on so many levels I don’t even know where to start.

  Julia finished reading the comments and was overwhelmed herself. She closed her computer and sat staring into the distance. It was late, well past the time she should be in bed, but her mind wouldn’t let loose of what was happening with her blog and between her and Cain.

  After about fifteen minutes, she ran a hot bath and soaked in it while her mind whirled with the assortment of reactions, especially how much she’d enjoyed sitting with Cain and Schroeder and watching television together. Chilled after getting out of the tub, she dressed in her fleece pajamas and headed for bed. She could feel a headache coming on and took two aspirin, determined to get a good night’s sleep.

  Julia woke at about three and immediately knew she was sick.

  Desperately so.

  She was barely able to toss aside the covers and rush into the bathroom in time to lose her dinner.

  Oh no. This couldn’t be happening; it just couldn’t.

  She had the flu.

  Groaning, she stumbled back to bed and curled up in the fetal position. She’d had her flu shot. She should have been protected. Getting sick wasn’t supposed to happen. To complicate matters, her week was crammed with commitments and responsibilities. She didn’t have time to be sick.

  She slept in fits and starts until the alarm rang. It went without saying she wouldn’t be able to go to work. With only a few shopping days left until Christmas, the department store was in crazy mode. The timing couldn’t be worse.

  What was that saying? No good turn goes unpunished.

  Or something like that. Helping Cain and then bragging about showing him kindness had come back to bite her in the butt. And this wasn’t a mosquito bite. On no, this felt more like a shark bite.

  As soon as she knew she could reach someone at Macy’s, Julia phoned in, giving her supervisor the bad news.

  “I’m so sorry,” she moaned, knowing how the staff supported one another. Her colleagues counted on her. Now they would need to call in a replacement at the very last minute. If she wasn’t already sick enough, realizing she was letting everyone down only made her feel worse.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll muddle through.” Her supervisor was both kind and understanding, when she could have been upset and angry. “You didn’t purposely come down with the flu.”

  After disconnecting, Julia fought the urge to cry. She was sick and miserable, and it was her own fault. If she’d stayed away from Cain this wouldn’t be happening. Instead, she’d had to jump in and save the day like some action hero, never once considering the price she would end up paying.

  She’d need to call Jeremy at the Boys and Girls Club and tell him she wouldn’t be able to make the practice that evening with the kids. That made her feel even sicker. Jeremy and the kids were counting on her, too.

  While she wallowed in self-pity, someone knocked against her front door.

  Oh great. The last thing she wanted was company. Dragging the blanket along with her, clenching it closed in a tight fist, she stumbled toward the door.

  “Who is it?” She pressed her forehead against the cold wood as a wave of nausea hit her. The entire room started to take a spin.

  “Cain,” came the response. “Why aren’t you at the elevator?”

  This was bad. Real bad. “Go away.”

  She heard his groan from the other side of the door. “No! Julia, do you have the flu?”

  “Please, just leave me to my misery.”

  Her demand was met with silence, and for half a heartbeat she was convinced he’d left. She sighed with relief and started to return to her sofa when he spoke again. She should have known his doing as she asked was too good to be true.

  “You said you got a flu shot.”

  “I did.”

  “Open up,” he demanded.

  If he knew how weak she was, he wouldn’t be making these demands on her. “I can’t.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  She wasn’t about to admit that she looked like an Ebola patient and didn’t want him to see her with her hair sticking out in every direction, wearing no makeup, and still in her pajamas.

  “Julia, open the door. Now.”

  It went without saying her protest would have no sway with him.

  “Leave me alone.” She knew she sounded overly dramatic, but she couldn’t help it.

  His response was quick and furious. “Either you open this door or I’m getting the super to open it for me.”

  “Cain…”

  “Do it.”

  “You’re going to be late for work,” she argued.

  “Screw it.”

  “Please…” The word had barely left her mouth when she heard a kick against the door.

  He wasn’t joking.

  Against her better judgment, she unlatched the dead bolt and cracked open the door. “Please, I just want to go back to bed.” Although she could see only a sliver of him through the small opening, he looked dressed and ready for work. That should encourage her that whatever bug this was wouldn’t last much longer than twenty-four hours.

  “Let me in.” He gently pushed against the door.

  Given no choice, she reluctantly stepped back in order for him to come into her apartment.

  She knew she looked dreadful, but watching the way his eyes widened when he saw her punctuated it all the more. The impulse to bury her face in her hands was strong, and she would have if she hadn’t needed them to hold up the blanket.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice gentler than she’d ever heard it. “This is my fault. I should never have asked you to stay.”

  “But I’m glad you did.” If she wasn’t weak and sick, she’d never have admitted that.

  He sighed and slowly shook his head. “I can’t bring myself to regret it, either, although I’m sorry you’re sick.”

  Not wanting to look at him, Julia hung her head. “I’ll be fine…I think. Given time.” Suddenly the cup of tea she’d had revolted in her stomach. Dropping the quilt, she raced into the bathroom. Hands braced against the toilet, she lost the tea and whatever else was left in her stomach. Eyes closed, she fervently prayed that when she opened them again Cain would have left the apartment.

  God apparently was out Christmas shopping, because He didn’t hear her prayer. Carefully straightening, she chanced a look. Sure enough, Cain stood in the doorway to her bathroom with a washcloth in his hand.

  “The first twelve hours are the worst.”

  This was said to encourage her, but it did little to lift her spirits. Groaning, she gratefully accepted the cool cloth and wiped her mouth. “I can’t be sick. I’ve got too much to do today.”

  “I know the feeling. Come on. I’ll tuck you back into bed. Sleep is the best thing you can do for yourself now. I’ll check in with you later.”

  He led her into her bedroom and lifted the covers and then gently covered her up. His hand moved to
her forehead and brushed back her hair.

  “Do I have a fever?” It certainly felt like she did.

  “I don’t think so.”

  That had to be wrong. “I do. I know I do.”

  “Okay, fine, you have a raging fever.”

  “That’s more like it,” she whispered, satisfied now. Sighing, Julia bit into her lower lip. She never expected Cain to be so caring or concerned.

  He lingered at her bedside, as if he wanted to do or say something more.

  “You don’t need to stay with me.” She brought her hand out from beneath the blanket and waved him away. “You can go.” If he was late for work it would be her fault and she had about all the guilt she could handle for one day. Even now, she wasn’t entirely sure what an actuary did, but it sounded important.

  “You’ll be all right by yourself?”

  “Of course.” She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t want him fussing over her. He was probably right; the best thing for her now was sleep. Although she’d been awake only an hour, her eyes felt heavy.

  “Sleep,” he whispered.

  “Okay.” She closed her eyes and it felt good to forget about all she should be doing.

  It was then that she felt it. Cain lingered as if he found it hard to leave. And then he did something else. Something that had her heart racing. He leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead. His touch was so light that for a moment she thought she might have imagined it.

  “Sleep tight,” Cain said in a low voice, and then he added, “I’ll call you later.”

  She didn’t dare speak for fear he’d know she was awake. Only after he left did she remember that Cain couldn’t phone her. They’d never exchanged numbers.

  It was a few minutes before she heard her apartment door gently close. Within seconds after he left the apartment, Julia was sound asleep.

  —

  She woke at about noon and felt only slightly better. The dizziness was gone, although her stomach felt like the bottom of a sewage plant. When she wandered into her kitchen for another cup of tea, she found a note from Cain.

  Drink lots of liquids and rest. No arguing.

  She rolled her eyes and carted the hot tea to the sofa, where she turned on the television. With cable she had about a hundred different channels to choose from, and she couldn’t find a solitary program that interested her. After turning the TV off, she tossed the remote on the end table. Her phone was there, so she reached for it and checked for messages.

  She had several. A couple were from work friends, wishing her a speedy recovery. Cammie had called and left her a voice mail. Julia had been so out of it that she hadn’t even heard her phone ring.

  There was also a call listed for an unidentified number. She couldn’t remember making any calls. She had to wonder if she was in such a fevered state that she’d forgotten. While she held the phone in her hand, it started to buzz. Someone had placed it on vibrate. Checking out the number, she saw it was the same one she’d supposedly called earlier.

  “Hello,” she answered tentatively.

  “You’re up.”

  It was Cain. He’d apparently used her phone to call himself so he had her number.

  “Yes.”

  “You feel better?”

  “A little.” She laid her head down, as sitting up was making her sick again.

  “You sleep?”

  “Yeah.”

  Cain hesitated. “Not very talkative, are you?”

  “No.” She pressed her head on the sofa pillow and sighed. One would think he’d be grateful.

  “First I can’t shut you up, and now I can’t get you to talk.”

  Despite his tone, she smiled. “Count your blessings.”

  He chuckled. “That’s my girl.”

  His girl? He thought of her as his girl. Oh boy, this experiment was getting complicated.

  “What time is it?”

  “Around one-thirty. I’m on my lunch break.”

  “Late lunch, isn’t it?”

  “Later than usual. I had a bunch of work I needed to catch up on.”

  “Oh.”

  “You need anything?”

  “No. Thanks for calling.” She’d been up for less than thirty minutes and already she felt the need to sleep again.

  “I’ll check in with you later.”

  “Okay.” She was too weak to argue, especially when she knew it was a lost cause, and especially since she looked forward to hearing from him again.

  —

  Although she tried to stay awake, Julia slept most of the afternoon. She feared she wouldn’t be able to sleep that night and fought it as best she could but quickly succumbed.

  She woke to someone at her door.

  It could only be Cain.

  “Open up, Julia,” he called from the other side, confirming her suspicion.

  Dragging herself to the door, she turned the lock and stepped back. “It’s open.”

  Cain let himself in, carrying a white paper bag.

  “What’s that?” If it was food, she wasn’t interested.

  “Soup.”

  She held up her hand, disgusted at the mere thought of food. “Take it away. Please.”

  As she suspected, he ignored her and set the bag on the countertop. “What can I do for you?”

  “Give me some privacy.”

  He chuckled. “If you’ve got a sassy mouth, that tells me you’re feeling better.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “You will soon enough,” he promised.

  She swayed on her feet, and right away he was at her side, his arm tucked around her waist. His protective action took her by surprise, but no more so than the unexpected thrill she felt being close to Cain. Awareness swept through her and she sucked in a small breath. If he felt anything even close to what she did, he didn’t let on, not that she expected he would.

  “You okay?” he asked, tightening his hold on her waist.

  She nodded rather than respond with words. The truth of it was she wasn’t okay. There’d been a physical connection between them that went beyond his gentle touch. Oh my. This shouldn’t be happening. Being attracted to him definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Her breath came in short spurts until she managed to regulate it again.

  His hold loosened, but he didn’t release her. “What can I do for you?”

  “Can you help me into the bathroom?”

  He didn’t answer but carefully steered her down the hallway. Once they were there, he paused and waited before he asked, “Now what?”

  “Can you pull the scale out from below the sink?”

  “The scale?” he repeated incredulously.

  She looked at him, knowing she was pitiful. “I want to weigh myself and see how much weight I’ve lost.”

  His look was completely dumbfounded.

  “Now kindly leave the room so I can look?”

  His eyes rounded to huge saucers. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  “Just do it,” she insisted.

  Grumbling, Cain dragged the scale out from where she said it would be and then walked out of the room.

  “Don’t you dare try and peek, either,” she instructed.

  She heard him mutter in the hallway outside the door. “Do you honestly think I care about how much you weigh?”

  “Cain, please just stay where you are.”

  “I hope you know you’re being absurd.” It sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth.

  Julia stiffened, disliking his attitude. “If you’re going to get testy with me, you can just go. I want to know how much weight I lost.”

  He groaned again and she heard him mutter “women” under his breath.

  Julia stepped on the scale and swallowed a gasp of surprise. “Five pounds.”

  “You weigh five pounds?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I lost five pounds.”

  “Is that good?”

  “Of course. It’s everything.”

  He shook his head as
if he couldn’t believe they were having this conversation. “We done in here?”

  “Yup.”

  Without being asked, he led her back into the living room and helped her onto the sofa. He looked down on her for a moment. “When you feel up to it, eat the soup.”

  “Okay.”

  He started toward the door.

  “You’re leaving?” she blurted out, which only went to show she wasn’t thinking on all eight cylinders.

  He grinned as if her protest pleased him. “Going to collect Schroeder for a walk. I’ll be back.”

  “Oh good.”

  His gaze held hers. “That I’m taking the dog for a walk or that I’m coming back?”

  “Both,” she answered without hesitation.

  “I mean what I said about you eating the soup. You’re going to eventually need something in your stomach, and as a side benefit it’ll make you feel better.”

  “No, it won’t. I’m probably going to die.”

  He had the audacity to chuckle. “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you are such a drama queen?”

  “I’m not. I’m sick. I’m suing the company that makes those flu vaccinations. This should never have happened.”

  Cain laughed as if he found her hilarious.

  “Do you enjoy laughing at me?”

  “If you remember, you took delight in adding to my misery less than twenty-four hours ago. So yes, this is fun.”

  “You’re coming back soon, right?” Suddenly the thought of being alone depressed her.

  “I won’t be long.”

  “Will you watch TV with me?”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “Even if I want to see Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?”

  He groaned and nodded. “Even that.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Can I leave now?”

  “Okay.”

  As soon as Cain left, Julia reached for her phone and called Cammie.

  “Hey,” her bestie answered after the first ring. “I wondered when I was going to hear from you.”

  “I’m in trouble,” Julia burst out.

  “What kind of trouble? Have you been arrested? Because if so, I know this great lawyer who can get you off the hook.”

  Cammie’s husband was an attorney.