It Must Be Christmas by Jennifer Crusie

Author:Jennifer Crusie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Chapter Nine

When Charlie didn’t hear from Dave on Sunday night, she pretty much reconciled herself to the fact that she’d been constructing sand castles in the sky where he was concerned. A few dates and a few kisses did not a relationship make. Even if he had said it was something more. Obviously, it wasn’t enough to get him to pick up the phone.

Reality check, Yang, she reminded herself early Monday morning as she cradled Daniel in one arm and poured herself a cup of Josh’s high-test sludge from the office pot with her opposite hand. It had been a rough night. Daniel had fussed and she’d been up every two hours trying to get him to settle.

It was Josh who finally stepped into her office between patients and told her to sit for five minutes.

“You look like death warmed over. You need some time off?”

“Of course not.” She was managing okay. It was just a bad day was all. “We had a rough night. Nothing serious.”

He crossed his ankle over his knee. “Charlie, it’s a big thing taking on a newborn. There’s a reason why women take maternity leave.”

“Is his being here a problem?”

Josh’s face softened. “Of course not. The practice isn’t that busy, and I don’t mind covering a little bit. It’s a good thing you’re doing.”

“Thanks, Josh.” She let out a breath of relief. “I appreciate the support. You’ve been really understanding.”

Josh smiled. “Hey, I’m not a scrooge. Besides, I know it’s only temporary.”

The words left a gaping hole in her heart. “I don’t want to give him back,” she confessed. Every maternal instinct she’d tamped down for the last few days came roaring back. She did want this. She wanted a family of her own, to love and to be loved. To be needed. She swallowed as she rubbed her hand over Daniel’s tiny back.

Boy, Dave was right about one thing. Life didn’t come with a perfect blueprint for happiness.

“Are you planning on adopting him?”

She swallowed. Was she? “I don’t know. I want a family, but one thing I’ve learned is that being a single parent is really hard. I’m just enjoying him while I have him and trying not to worry too much about the future.”

She sat back, surprised at the words that came out of her mouth. Her, the super planner, who had everything mapped out and on schedule. She was living in the here and now. Wouldn’t Dave have something to say about that?

She wished she hadn’t thought of Dave at this moment … Dave, who already had a child of his own. She wanted him to have a relationship with Nora, but she wondered how much room there was for her in that scenario. It had been nice spending time with him over the weekend. Wonderful, in fact. She wasn’t a fast mover but she’d definitely let her mind wander to certain places, wondering if they were headed in that direction.

But the reality was that the weekend was a little like a vacation.

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