Gingerbread Wishes

  * * *

  As he unbuckled Jenna from her car booster seat, Jordan braced himself for the question he knew his daughter would ask. Like she’d been asking about every ten minutes since Tora ran off their porch earlier that afternoon.

  “Will Miss Tora be here?”

  Biting back a sigh, he closed his eyes and then forced a big smile. “Tora said she would hear you sing. I believe she will be there.” At least, he hoped she would be. He tugged up her collar and made sure the top button was secure against the night air. Should he have brought her earmuffs, too? The movements were automatic because his thoughts kept going back to the accusations in Tora’s wounded gaze. After hearing her reasons for wanting to leave Dorado, he felt selfish for his part in the appreciation campaign, as he’d come to call it. Short-sightedness on his part had obviously caused her pain, and that was something he’d never wanted to do.

  “Shall we go find your group?” He swung their mittened hands as they walked through the parking lot toward the town square. Thank goodness, Jenna had settled in with the children and activities at Cuddle Up. “Tell me again, how many songs are you singing?”

  “Oh, Daddy, I told you already.” She shook her head and giggled. “We’re doing two—one about Rudolph and one about bells. Like the song at Miss Tora’s bakery.”

  Great. His gut clenched. An attempt to get her mind off Tora had only brought the woman in question back into the conversation. As they walked, he scanned the gathering, hoping for a glimpse of the blue-eyed beauty. The holiday presentation looked like a popular one, the sidewalks were crowded with pedestrians calling out holiday greetings to neighbors and friends. A community event like this was the exact reason he’d wanted to bring Jenna to Dorado.

  On the steps of the church, just as arranged, the pre-school class waited, surrounded by watchful parents. Jordan stopped beside the lead teacher, Mrs. Turner. “Good evening. I’m here with Jenna.”

  “Wonderful. Hello, Jenna.” Mrs. Turner checked off a name on her clipboard list.

  “Hi, Jenna.” Penny joined the group and flashed him a smile. “After you say goodbye, I’ll walk her over to her place.”

  Jordan nodded then squatted next to his daughter. “I’ll be right over there in the bleachers.” He leaned his head close to hers and pointed. “Look for me in the bottom rows, and you can wave just once. Okay?”

  Jenna’s mitten wiggled out of his hand. “Okay, Daddy.” She turned, grabbed Penny’s hand and trotted off, waving and calling out, “Hi, Lucinda.”

  He watched her scamper away without a backward glance and jostle her way into the group. “I’ll be listening, doodle-bug, just for you.” For just another moment, he looked on as she laughed with her friends and felt his chest pinch. She was growing up so quickly.

  “Mr. Dawson?” Mrs. Turner spoke. “We’ll meet again right here at the end of the performance.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I’ll be here.” Then he turned and headed across the street to locate the best place to watch his precious girl. Walking alone felt strange, and he shoved both hands into his jeans pockets so they wouldn’t feel so empty.