The Christmas Bouquet. Sherryl Woods

was nearly midnight and Cait had rarely been far from Noah’s thoughts for more than a few minutes at a time all evening. He’d checked his cell phone a half-dozen times to see if she’d tried to reach him. When it finally vibrated and he saw her name on the caller ID, he breathed a sigh of relief as he answered.

      “Hey, you,” he said, his voice low even though he was alone in the on-call room at the hospital. “I was hoping I’d hear from you tonight. Is everything going okay in Chesapeake Shores? Have you broken the news yet?”

      “It’s actually going better than I expected, so far,” she told him. “I told my mom earlier.”

      “And?”

      “She can’t wait to meet you.”

      The tension he’d been feeling all day eased. “That’s a good sign, isn’t it?” he said. If Cait’s mother could keep an open mind about him after learning about the pregnancy, perhaps she’d get through to others in the family.

      “One down and a long list to go,” Cait warned him.

      “But that one is crucial. I imagine you had to talk fast and create quite an impressive list of my sterling attributes to counteract the baby news.”

      “To be honest, my mom’s pretty excited about the baby, too. She believes we can figure out a solution.”

      “Word is that we’re both pretty smart,” Noah replied with a smile. “I think she’s right. What about the rest of the family? When will you tell them?”

      “I’m going to talk to Trace and Grandpa Mick in the morning.” She sighed heavily. “I’m really not looking forward to that.”

      “I’m still willing to hop in the car and drive down there to be with you when you tell them. I can take the heat.”

      “And I appreciate that,” she said. “But I need to be the one to break the news. Once I see how that goes, I thought maybe you could come down on Sunday. We have this big family dinner at Grandpa Mick’s every week. Remember, I’ve told you about that.”

      Noah, whose own family was small and apparently very sedate by comparison, had envied the chaotic meals she’d described. “I remember.”

      “It’s a bit of a mob scene, but you know what they say about there being safety in numbers. I doubt even my grandfather would do anything crazy with that many witnesses.”

      “Gee, you make it sound like a fun time,” he said. “But if you want me there, I’m game.” He was, in fact, surprisingly eager to take this next step. He sensed that despite Cait’s fears, he’d have allies there.

      “I’ll call you once I’ve seen them tomorrow and we can decide what’s best,” she promised. “Now tell me about what’s going on at the hospital. Did you work tonight?”

      “I did, though my mind kept wandering. Jill called me on it. I was abrupt with poor Mr. Simpson,” he confessed. “He was just looking for more reassurance that he’d be okay and able to go back to work once the worst of his injuries from the accident heal, but I snapped at him.”

      “I can’t believe you were short with anyone,” Cait said, sounding shocked. “You never lose your temper with the patients, no matter how many times they ask the same questions.”

      “I apologized.” He recalled that uncomfortable conversation. It was one he hoped never to have to repeat. “Do you know what he told me?”

      “What?”

      “That for the first time it made him realize I was only human, too.”

      Cait laughed. “Could be a lesson in there for all of us,” she said. “Not that I recommend losing your cool on a regular basis, but we need to remember we’re not gods and the patients need to know that, too. Aren’t you the one who’s always preached that we need to connect with them as real people?”

      “And I do believe that,” Noah confirmed. “Tell me about Chesapeake Shores. What’s it like this time of year?”

      “I was pretty distracted as I drove into town, but the weather’s nice. Mom and I took a walk along the bay after dinner, then went for coffee. Decaf,” she added quickly.

      “Good for you. I know how you love your caffeine.”

      “Way too much,” she conceded. “Maybe this is one sacrifice that will stick with me and I’ll stop craving it to get through those long days at work.”

      “Describe the town for me again,” he said. He’d never tired of hearing about it. He’d grown up in the middle of a blighted urban area that had made him long for a more peaceful and serene setting.

      “The daffodils are fading on the town green,” she reported. “But the tulips will be in full bloom soon. And the little patch of lily of the valley at the house smells wonderful. That was Grandma Megan’s favorite flower, so Mom and all of her siblings have planted it by their front walks. They say back then it reminded them of her when she was away for so long and they never want to forget how much they missed her and how grateful they’ve come to be that she’s back in their lives.”

      Noah was familiar with the story of how her grandmother had walked out on her workaholic grandfather, a famed architect and urban planner. She’d left behind five children, convinced by Mick O’Brien they’d be better off growing up right in Chesapeake Shores, a town he and his brothers had built along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. While she’d left with the best of intentions for her family, it had caused a serious rift with her children that had only recently healed. Now Mick and Megan had patched up their differences, as well, and were far more happily remarried. It was proof, he thought, that with true love there was always reason to hope.

      “I can’t wait to see this town that’s so special to you,” he told Cait. “And to meet your family.”

      “You’re going to love it here,” she said. “It’s an idyllic setting and a great community.” She yawned sleepily. “I’m beat. You must be, too. I’ll give you a call tomorrow and we’ll decide on a plan for Sunday, okay?” She hesitated, then added, “Or I’ll warn you if it would be wise to leave the country.”

      Noah laughed, though he could tell she wasn’t entirely kidding. “I’ll wait to hear from you,” he said. “I love you, Cait.”

      “Love you, too. Good night, Noah.”

      Even after she’d disconnected the call, he held tightly to the phone, reluctant to sever the connection himself. Cait had definitely sounded more upbeat than she had before heading home. He counted on that being a promising start for this new journey.

      Maybe by Sunday they’d have a real strategy for the future that would work for both of them. He’d certainly been putting the pieces of his own plan together in his head ever since he’d discovered that Cait was pregnant. And once she’d calmed down, he knew she was more than likely to have her own very specific ideas. Somewhere in there, he hoped, was exactly the right compromise.

      * * *

      Caitlyn lingered at the kitchen table, pushing French toast around on her plate.

      “You need to eat that,” her mother scolded.

      “I know, but I can’t seem to swallow.” She met her mother’s worried gaze. “Thanks for making it, though.”

      “Even I can dip bread into eggs and manage not to burn it,” Abby said. “Enough butter and maple syrup and nobody ever notices that’s all it is—bread, eggs and a little milk. Trace acts as if I’ve taken breakfast to a whole new level of culinary achievement.”

      Caitlyn chuckled. “In his view, maybe you have. This is an improvement over cold cereal, frozen waffles or even scrambled eggs.”

      “You and Carrie survived on that, didn’t you?” her mom retorted.

      “Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the extra effort that went