All I Want for Christmas

by Denise A. Agnew

  He lifted a skeptical brow. “Do you really think I’d be tacky enough not to invite them?”

  Slipping her hand from his, she sighed. “Of course not. Forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive,” he said softly.

  “And thanks again.”

  “For what?”

  “For being such a damn nice guy. Now get outta here.”

  The soft light in her eyes made him want to drag her closer. To stand in the murky light of a winter morning and kiss her until they both went senseless with desire. Her irreverent grin sparked him to chuck her lightly under the chin, then lean forward and kiss her forehead.

  “What was that for?” she asked breathlessly.

  If she knew the truth she’d run from him. Run scared and never return. “Because I can.”

  Abby turned away. “You’re a nut roll, Nick.”

  “Better than a fruit cake. I hate those damn things,” he muttered as he eased into his car.

  He heard Abby chuckle just before he shut the car door. He waved as he pulled away from the curb.

  As he drove away, memories of her sweet laugh echoed in his head. If he lived a million days and a million nights, he’d never forget the mellow, sexy sound produced by an Abby Manners chuckle. The realization circled in his head like a merry-go-round. Whoa. Take it easy. Take it slow. Thinking like that would land him in serious danger.

  15

  “What did your aunt and uncle say after I left the house?” Nick asked Abby as he drove the winding, snow-covered road that would take them to Beggar’s Point.

  Abby didn’t want to answer. Right now fatigue ate at her. She wanted to tilt her head back and sleep. Instead her nerves and yes, excitement, kept her from giving in to temptation. She yawned and her ears popped as the elevation rose. At Beggar’s Point, the altitude topped ninety-five hundred feet.

  Light snow had started late that afternoon, and now that darkness had descended, the fluffy precipitation floated gently across the ground and through the light beams of Nick’s car.

  The windshield wipers slid across the glass, pushing the delicate snow away. The sound almost hypnotized Abby. Visions of what the cabins would look like filled her head. She’d seen the cabins before, but wondered if a family’s laughter and Christmas spirit would transform the drab exteriors and sorry interiors. Her practical side reminded her not to generate hopes about Christmas, despite her original plans. Her situation had altered. Her hopeful side said to celebrate the deep contentment she felt with Nick. To enjoy the warmth nestled inside that said a special event nestled around the corner for her.

  Really, Abby. How dramatic. She shook off her aunt’s voice, a haunt from the past.

  “Aunt Cassandra asked me if I’d really planned it all along. To visit you at Christmas,” she finally said.

  “What did you say?”

  “The truth. Yes, I was invited for Christmas, but that this staying from Christmas Eve through Christmas was definitely your idea and obviously a quick decision.” She grunted. “Of course, you know what Uncle Dick said?”

  “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “He asked if your other girlfriend would be there.”

  She heard Nick draw in a breath. “Other girlfriend?”

  “Candace, I assume.” She put her gloved hands up. “I know, shoot me, but when they asked me questions about you, I explained that one of your female acquaintances was visiting for Christmas as well.”

  “Why would you want to mention her in the first place?”

  Abby didn’t hear anger in his voice. As she glanced at him, moonlight escaping between snow clouds threw silver highlights over his strong jaw and highlighted his hair. “I didn’t want them to think anything was going on with you and me.”

  Nick threw a sharp glance her way. “Is that what you believe I do? Just invite any woman to be with me at Christmas time?”

  Oh-oh. She’d hit a nerve. Definite signs of irritation.

  “Didn’t Candace join your family for the holidays last year?”

  His broad shoulders shifted under his heavy coat. “Hell, no. She went skiing with some buddies.”

  “Buddies?”

  “Two women and a man. Friends of hers from work.”

  “Was that after or before you asked her to have Christmas dinner with you?”

  “I told you, I never asked her.”

  “Hmm.”

  “Gee, could you sound a little more skeptical?”

  Abby realized she’d done it again. “I’m sorry, Nick. I just… I’m a little taken off guard by everything that’s happened lately.” Part of her was happy as hell, the other part confused by Nick’s invitation. “Where is Candace, by the way?”

  Nick shrugged. “I have no idea. Apparently she’s still registered at the hotel.”

  Abby had to know something else. Stopping now would be a mistake. “How did she take the breakup?”

  “Not very well, I’m afraid. Surprised the hell out of me, in one way. She said it wasn’t over.” He glanced in the rearview mirror. “Whatever that means. I wasn’t exactly easy on her, but I didn’t like her attitude.”

  When he glanced in the mirror again, she asked, “Are they still back there?”

  “Yep. Good thing I gave them a map, though. This snow isn’t getting any better. Something tells me we’ll be snowed in over Christmas.”

  Snowed in. Ah, if only she’d been snowed in with him. Alone. With nothing but Christmas treats and a bear skin rug, a fire and—

  Oh, man. She couldn’t go there.

  She’d steered away from thinking like this about Nick all day. Had almost succeeded, until the last minute shopper rush had died down and she saw Nick helping a young mother and daughter select gifts. The sight of Nick holding the little girl’s hand had made her heart flutter and descend into thermonuclear meltdown. This man deserved a wife and a child of his own. Abby ached, thinking about his terrible loss.

  She shifted away from those sobering thoughts.

  “I’m surprised Aunt Cassandra and Uncle Nick didn’t give me the what-for,” Abby said as she peeled away her gloves and put them in her lap. “But I could tell they were disgruntled. Especially Uncle Dick.” In a rush, she added, “Are you sure your relatives are up for this? How much did you have to pay your parents for them to say yes to this crazy idea?”

  Nick chuckled. “They jumped on the idea. I called late last night, knowing they’d probably already be in bed. Instead of being mad they said, ‘cool.’”

  “Cool.”

  “Not their exact words. Something like, ‘tell Abby we are dying to meet her.’”

  “Wow.”

  He laughed again. “I’ve told them how you’ve taken me in, taught me the ropes of Russel living, and made me see the light.”

  “Which light?”

  “That being with a wonderful woman like you made me realize what I was missing while I was dating Candace,” he said softly.

  Dazed by his compliment, she soaked in his warm words. She loosened the scarf around her neck. The heater was either adjusted to high, or sitting in this car with this man caused her temperature to elevate. Grinning, she shifted until she turned toward him as far as the seatbelt would allow.

  “Stop. You’re going to make me cry.”

  He made a soft sound in his throat. “Abby...”

  Eager to move onto safer ground again, she leaned forward. “Isn’t that the turn-off?”

  Nick leaned forward as well and squinted. Then he smiled. “Would you look at that? I’ll bet those balloons flapping in the wind were my mom’s idea. A sort of mile marker.”

  “Clever mom. Remind me to hug her when I see her.”

  As he made the left turn that entered the Begger’s Point cabin property, he said, “Not to worry. She’ll hug you first. She’s always been touchy-feely.”

  “Is all your family like that?”

  “Pretty much. Dad’s a bit of an odd ball for his generation. He never had a problem hugging
us or telling us he loved us. Though he did clam up about certain things. He couldn’t tell us about the birds and the bees, for example. Mom had to do all that.”

  She smiled into the darkness. “Not exactly a horrible thing, your father not wanting to talk about sex. No one ever talked to me about it. Not...when my uncle...”

  Abby stopped, unable to continue.

  “It’s all right. You don’t have to talk about it now. When you’re ready.”

  The fact that he didn’t push her gave her comfort.

  The narrow road had barely enough room for two cars to pass each other. Already covered in snow, it made driving a slow business. The mile-long driveway ended in front of two enormous log cabins. Two sport utility vehicles and one large sedan already sat in the driveway.

  In the darkness, details hid in shadows, but Abby knew what the big buildings looked like. Two stories. Several bedrooms each. Rough appliances, wood burning fireplaces, old leather furniture, sparse decoration. At least, that’s what they’d looked like a couple of years ago when she’d visited a friend here.

  She slid her gloves onto her hands and tugged her stocking cap over her ears. “Look at the Christmas lights in the windows. Is that a tree in the window?”

  Nick laughed as he opened the driver’s side door. “That’s my mom’s touch, I’m sure. Wait until you see inside. God knows what she’s done to the place.”

  As she climbed from the car, a smile split her mouth. “My kind of mom.”

  Aunt Cassandra and Uncle Dick pulled up behind Nick’s car and got out of their vehicle.

  “Would you look at that already?” Uncle Dick said, his tone marginally derisive.

  Abby cringed inside, hoping he’d keep his sarcasm under control. He’d done relatively well up until now.

  “It’s a fine-looking place,” Aunt Cassandra said with enthusiasm, surprising Abby once again.

  A light went on under the porch of the first cabin.

  “Whoa. Technology. I didn’t think these places had outdoor lights,” Abby said.

  Before any of them could grab luggage, the door flew open and several people spilled into the night cold.

  A golden retriever bounded out the door after the people, tail wagging and tongue lolling.

  “Buster Keaton!” The big dog leapt onto Nick, licking his face furiously. He staggered under the oversized dog’s weight. “Hey, buddy, I thought you were staying home.”

  A short, slightly round woman hurried toward them, followed by a tall man who looked like an older, grayer version of Nick.

  “I lied,” the lady said. “Since this was short notice I couldn’t ask anyone to take care of Buster over the holidays.”

  “Hey Mom, Dad.” Nick hugged and kissed them both.

  Watching Nick with his parents made a boulder-sized lump grow in Abby’s throat. “Mom, Dad, this is Abby Manners.”

  Nick was right. His mother practically squealed with delight and she did hug Abby. His father was more restrained, as Nick had predicted, giving her a firm handshake, and a warm smile.

  Mr. and Mrs. Claussen greeted Abby’s aunt and uncle with genuine warmth. Abby took in her aunt’s pleased expression, and was even more amazed when her uncle managed not to say anything tacky.

  “Hey Nick, you old bastard, what’s up?” a hearty voice rang through the night, attached to a man even taller than Nick.

  He looked close to Nick’s age, but in the dim light Abby couldn’t be certain.

  “Me? Old?” Nick grinned. “I’ll always be younger than you, Mason.”

  “That’s nothing,” another man said. He had red hair, a round face and his thin, short body looked nothing like anyone else in the family. “I’ve got you both beat.”

  “Punk,” Nick said with a smile. “You’re a whole year younger than I am.”

  “Yeah, and a lot better looking,” the redhead said, a teasing grin on his lips.

  Mason, Nick, and the red-haired man slapped each other on the back, shook hands and laughed.

  “Let’s do more introductions inside. We’ve got a fire going,” Nick’s father said.

  Abby almost gasped when she stepped inside the mammoth cabin. Things had changed. The cabin’s homey touches made the rustic structure more appealing.

  At one end, an enormous rock fireplace glowed with the warmth of a fire. Under the cathedral ceiling, resided new button-cushion leather couches and chairs in deep brown. A huge gnarled wood coffee table and matching side tables added to the country look. Tiffany lamps glowed softly. Hanging from that high ceiling, an intriguing multi-antler chandelier resided. Best of all, each window was ringed with blinking lights, and a huge artificial Christmas tree decked with a Victorian theme sat in one corner near sliding glass doors leading to a balcony. A large playpen sat near the couches and contained adorable red-haired twin girls. A woman of about thirty stood next to the playpen, talking to the girls and smiling. She looked up and caught Abby’s glance, her cheerful smile heartwarming and authentic.

  “About time, big brother,” the woman said. “The eggnog won’t last forever.”

  “Hey Nella, how’s it going?” Nick asked as he hurried across the room to hug his sister.

  As the siblings joked, Abby could see that Nella had chestnut hair like Nick’s but a petite frame like her mother’s.

  Nick introduced Abby to his blue-eyed, blonde sister Brit and her equally beach-boy-blond husband, Tom Ferguson. Nick explained they’d been married five months.

  “Explains that glow,” Nick said, elbowing Brit teasingly.

  She sniffed. “Don’t listen to my cynical brother.”

  Abby’s eyebrows went up. “Nick? Cynical?”

  Mason walked up. “Yeah. He’s always been the skeptic in the family.”

  Hard to believe the congenial, take-life-in-both-hands Santa beside her could be pessimistic. Then she recalled that his pregnant wife had died in an accident. “He’s been a great Santa, though. The kids love him, and the customers at the store adore him, too.”

  To her ultimate surprise, Nick blushed, then gave her a sweet, unguarded look that made her heart thump madly. “Thanks, Abby. You’ve ruined my ferocious reputation.”

  Unable to help her response, she smiled and kept her gaze glued to his. A blush filled her face. Silence yawned until Mason cleared his throat, and Abby realized she was still caught up in Nick’s gaze.

  As Tom handed Brit a drink, Brit said, “I think Russel has got its hooks in my big brother.”

  As Abby’s thoughts reeled from the enthusiastic greetings, she experienced a lightness in her heart she hadn’t expected. A hot toddy couldn’t have done more to make her feel relaxed and welcome. Nick’s unabashed attention had filled her with an inexplicable happiness.

  “Let’s eat,” Mrs. Claussen said, gesturing toward an offset room containing a large dining table. “It’s informal tonight. Paper plates and plastic spoons.”

  As everyone migrated toward the dining area, Mr. Claussen said, “We’ve got dips, chips, chili, deviled eggs, cake, and Christmas cookies by our lovely Abby. Eggnog, spirits, and soft drinks. You name it.”

  Abby thought if she received more acclaim or compliments, she’d blush herself to death.

  While everyone filled their plates and chattered incessantly, the wind howled outside, heralding worse weather to come. They hadn’t gone back into the living room with their snacks yet when a thumping sounded on the front door.

  “You guys hear that?” Jason asked.

  “Who could that be in this weather?” Aunt Cassandra asked, pausing with her fork hovering over the cold cut platter.

  “I’ll get it,” Nick said, leaving his plate.

  As he left the room, Abby followed seconds later, her plate already too full. Within less than a minute, though, she wished she hadn’t joined him. As he opened the front door, wind and snow rushed inside as if eager to join the warmth.

  “Nick!” Candace flung herself into his arms.

  Abby’s heart plunged a
nd landed somewhere around her stocking feet. Candace Petersburg? Just freaking wonderful. Before she could reason with herself, Abby’s mood took a flying leap.

  The woman was sprinkled with snow; it was in her hair, on her nose. Put together with the white trench coat, Candace resembled a very classy snowman. She hadn’t worn weather gear appropriate for a blizzard, but somehow that didn’t surprise Abby. Could Candace really be so ignorant that she didn’t realize how dangerous that was?

  By this time, the other family members had spilled into the living room and watched the proceedings with interest.

  Nick’s parents addressed Candace politely. As Candace threw a casual wave at everyone else in the room, she kept her arms linked around Nick’s neck.

  As Nick gently peeled Candace’s arms away, he asked, “Candace, what on earth happened? What were you thinking, coming out in weather like this? You could have been stranded and died.”

  “My car is stuck in the snow down at the mail boxes.” Candace’s lips pouted in an obvious bid for sympathy. “I barely made it up here.”

  Nick’s grim expression tightened even more. “What have I been saying?”

  “You must be freezing,” Brit said sympathetically.

  Candace erected an appropriate put-upon face, soaking up the worried faces of those around her. Abby made sure to keep her expression neutral. Something felt rotten in the whole set up.

  “That storm is kicking up,” Mr. Claussen said, reaching for the radio on a desk near the kitchen door. “Better listen to the weather report.”

  Candace’s gaze took in the surroundings and landed on Abby. The woman’s countenance turned as solid as the ice outside. “I have something extremely important to discuss with you, Nick, and it couldn’t wait a moment longer.”

  Abby was confused. Nick hadn’t invited this woman to the cabins. Her gall is enormous. Almost as big as her ego and Mount Everest combined.

  Abby, determined to maintain a polite front, said, “Perhaps you’d like something to eat and drink so you can warm up. You must be tired after that trudge through the snow.”