12 Naughty Days of Christmas - 2016

by Jenny Plumb

  “Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Shane said, his deep voice rumbling.

  Nan and Pop took them straight home. They still lived in the house Virginia remembered from her childhood, in a nice, small Auckland suburb where nearly every driveway had a boat in it, parked beside tidily tended gardens and good fences.

  As they turned off the motorway the memories came flooding back. Everything was so familiar, yet so different. Driving on the left hand side of the road was so bizarre at first, the opposite of what she was used to, and yet it felt so right, at the same time.

  Everything had changed so much, and yet it was all the same… she didn’t understand. She was confused, and her emotions were all over the place. It felt so good to be back with her grandparents, but she felt guilty for being happy because she’d been so cruel to her father.

  Nan pointed out all the landmarks to help her remember, but all she wanted to do was lie down and close her eyes, it was so overwhelming. It had all happened so suddenly – one day she was planning what she knew would be a fantastic Christmas in Hollywood, and now here she was on the other side of the world, away from everyone and everything that was familiar to her.

  A lone tear trickled down her cheek and she reached up a hand to wipe it away. As she did so, Shane reached over, as if sensing her thoughts, and put his hand on her knee gently.

  “You okay?” he mouthed.

  She nodded, but she wasn’t; not really. Being back with her grandparents was so fantastic, but the guilt was eating her up inside. I hate you! I’m going to ruin Christmas for everyone! echoed in her head – the last words she’d spoken to her father’s face.

  Christmas decorations hung on the lamp poles and as they drove down the street, Virginia saw that most houses had been adorned with flashing lights. Not so much different to Hollywood, she thought, it’s just on a smaller scale.

  Pop pulled into the driveway. There, on the front lawn, was a huge light-up statue of Santa’s sleigh, led by Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. Giant inflatable striped candy canes dotted the garden, and Christmas lights lined the eaves of the house. She couldn’t stop smiling. Even though she wasn’t where she wanted to be, it felt like Christmas.

  Nan took her arm and led her into the house, leaving Pop and Shane to deal with the luggage. The house was in darkness as they opened the front door but there was light coming out from under the closed kitchen door. Virginia smiled.

  “Surprise!”

  Virginia’s hands went to her mouth in excitement – everyone she remembered was there! Both her mum’s sisters and their husbands, her cousins, some of whom were now married, and their children. The kitchen was full of people that she’d loved dearly in her childhood and hadn’t seen since moving to America. As she moved around the room greeting everyone, catching up with them, she realised just how much she’d missed everyone.

  It was late and she was exhausted from the long journey. It was almost midnight, but Virginia’s extended family hadn’t long departed; the ones who lived nearby having gone home, and the ones staying for Christmas, bunking down in spare rooms or on blow up mattresses in the lounge.

  After not seeing her for a decade, they’d wanted to give her a welcome home party to remember, and they’d certainly done that. The dining table had been laden with food when they’d arrived, and the evening had been spent eating and drinking, talking and laughing, sharing stories from the past 10 years. She’d been surrounded by people from the moment she stepped foot over the threshold until less than half an hour ago and while it had been a lovely evening, right now, she was totally overwhelmed. A pang of loneliness hit her. After being with Shane constantly for the past almost 24 hours, it was odd to be alone now.

  She felt safe, in the bedroom she’d used as a child, knowing that he was just through the wall and Nan and Pop were down the hall. The security here was nothing like the gated community she lived in with her father, with private security guards roaming around at all hours keeping watch. Nan and Pop didn’t even have a burglar alarm. But even knowing that, she felt safe.

  She thought of her father. She still hadn’t been able to get hold of him. She’d rung him, countless times, but it had gone through to voicemail. The only time a real person answered he’d been at some important event, and his secretary had refused to do anything other than take a message. Had she hurt him so bad he was refusing to speak to her?

  Thinking of her father, she cried miserably into her pillow. Her anger at him had dissipated now, and she missed him. What was he doing right now? Did he miss her as she missed him? Her shoulders shook wretchedly as she scrunched her pillow, wet with her tears, between her fists. Her body was wracked with sobs, guilt overcame her and she wished, more than anything, that she could take back those awful words that she’d said.

  She felt the weight on her bed a moment before she felt his strong hand on her back, then his hot breath brushed her ear as he spoke.

  “It’s gonna be okay,” he crooned.

  “No.” She shook her head. “It won’t be okay. It’s not ever going to be okay again.”

  She cooperated with him as he lifted her to a sitting position and dragged her backwards onto his lap, cradling her in his strong arms.

  “It will be, I promise,” he assured her.

  “I feel like I’m drowning,” she told him. “Like I’m mired in quicksand and sinking down deeper and deeper, and the harder I try to get out, the deeper in I go. Like I’m fighting constantly and just going nowhere.”

  Shane held her tighter, wiping away her tears with his thumb. She leaned back against him, and it was then, as her bare arm brushed against his skin, she realised he had no shirt on. He’d obviously heard her crying and came immediately, only taking the time to throw on his jeans. His chest was bare, and even in the dim light she could see the chiselled planes of his sculpted muscles. Intricate tribal tattoos covered his chest and shoulders and went the whole way down his left arm, the arm that was currently wrapped around her. He looked exactly as she’d pictured him.

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked, once her wretched sobbing had reduced to the occasional sniffle.

  “It’s my job.”

  His blunt words crushed her, initially, but then she saw the vulnerability flicker across his face to be quickly replaced by his usual guarded expression, and she knew he had skeletons in the closet too.

  She shook her head. “No, it’s more than that. I’ve had plenty of bodyguards before. Dozens of them, in fact. They don’t consider comforting me to be part of their job description Mostly they acted like they hated me.”

  Shane snorted. “If you treated them the way I’ve seen you treat some people, they probably did!”

  She felt her face flush in embarrassment; he had a point. She swallowed. “So why is it different for you? You don’t act like you hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you.”

  A little thrill of excitement shot through her at his admission. “Why not?”

  “Because I understand you. I understand how you feel. I know what it’s like to miss someone. And that floundering feeling? I’ve been there.”

  She was shocked. Her tall, strong, ex-soldier, completely composed bodyguard had once felt the way she did? Unbelievable!

  She felt his muscles tense beneath her, maybe reliving memories he’d buried long ago. She heard him take a deep breath. And then he spoke.

  “I spent years lost, floundering, desperate for stability and guidance too. I grew up in foster care when alcohol tore my family apart. I was seven. I was bounced around from home to home, went to more schools than you can count. I joined the Army as soon as I left school and it became my family. I thrived on the routine, the discipline, the comradeship. It was the life I wanted.”

  She could feel his heart thudding against her shoulder and she could sense, rather than see, the struggle he was having, sharing his story.

  “I joined the SAS when I was 22. It was my dream – I’d made it. But then my best mate
was killed in combat.”

  His voice broke then, and she felt his body shudder. He was silent for a moment.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  “It happened right in front of me. I couldn’t save him… I tried so hard.” His voice was gruff, ragged with grief. “I can still see him so clearly even now, all these years later.”

  Her heart clenched. She wanted to comfort him as he’d done for her. She took his hand, feeling the roughness of his palm against her fingers. She slid her other arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder as his arm tightened against her. They sat there in silence for a minute, their breathing slowly becoming more regular, the only sound in the room.

  “Why did you become a bodyguard, then?” she asked.

  “I couldn’t stay in the army. Not once Alex died. As soon as I finished my tour of duty and came home, I left. I just couldn’t do it anymore. It was a man I met overseas who got me into personal security. He needed someone open-minded to look after his client – the rich, arrogant owner of a high-profile BDSM club in Sydney. He’d made some pretty powerful enemies. That job lasted a year; then I landed a contract in LA, and that’s where I’ve been ever since.”

  She sucked in a breath, completely awed by what he’d just told her. “Wow. I’m sorry. That’s quite a story.”

  Shane gave her a half smile in response.

  “How old are you?”

  “Almost 30.”

  Her heart sunk. He wouldn’t be interested in someone as young as her.

  He stroked her hair. “Are you all right now?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Thanks.”

  Shimmying her off his lap, he stood up. “Goodnight then. Sleep well.”

  The muscles in his back flexed as he moved and she was still ogling him when he disappeared from view, the door clicking shut behind him. Damn he’s fine!

  She wished he’d stayed a bit longer; she’d quite enjoyed having him sitting there on her bed with her, it had seemed almost intimate… and now he was gone.

  Chapter 4

  By the time Virginia surfaced in the morning, the rest of the family had all gone out to do last minute Christmas shopping and chores. Even Shane and Pop had disappeared – it was her and Nan all alone in the house.

  She wandered idly around the house in her expensive designer pyjamas, looking at all the photos on the walls. There were heaps of them – of her aunts, uncles, cousins, and of her and her mother, hanging on the lounge wall in gorgeous frames and sitting on the mantle above the fire. Even the top of the piano was covered in photo frames. Every year, her father had sent an updated photo of her, and she looked at them now, lining the hallway walls in silver frames.

  “Do you want to have a look at these, dear?” There was Nan, her arms full of photo albums which she added to the stack already piled up on the kitchen table. While she got dressed, Nan put coffee and toast on the table for her and they sat down together, flicking through the photo albums, sharing stories of her childhood. Tears flowed down both their cheeks as they relived the memories together.

  “I can’t even remember her,” Virginia whispered. “I used to be able to, I could see her so clearly. But now…” she shook her head. “Now I can’t even remember her face, or her voice… now I have to look at photos to remember.”

  Nan embraced her and they cried together, their tears wetting each other’s shoulders. “It’s not fair!” she cried.

  “No,” Nan agreed, wiping her eyes with a floral hanky she kept tucked inside her sleeve. “It’s not.”

  One of the albums was open to a page showing her mum’s last days, and seeing it filled Virginia with rage. She remembered how her mother was so sick as the cancer ate away at her. Her mother had grown weaker and weaker every day, barely able to even get out of bed. Her mother had gone into Hospice care and Virginia had gone to live with Nan and Pop. Although she’d missed her mother, she’d loved living with her grandparents. The life that they’d given her for those few short months, was a good one.

  Her head spun as the life that she could have had, the life that she had once known, flashed before her eyes.

  “You sent me away!’ she said accusingly. “Why didn’t you keep me with you? You sent me away from the life I knew and loved, to live on the other side of the world with the father I barely knew! You betrayed me!”

  “It wasn’t like that,” Nan protested. “We had no choice. Your father—”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” Virginia interrupted. “It was your fault!”

  Nan’s face went white, and her hands flew to her face. Pop appeared out of nowhere to comfort his wife and right behind him was Shane. She felt his strong arms enclose around her, holding her snug against his chest. Angry, she beat her fists against his chest in frustration but one of his huge hands closed around her wrists and held her still, tight against his body, as he whispered soothing words to her.

  “Come, sit down,” Pop invited. Shane led her over to the chair next to the couch her grandparents had moved to, and sat her in it, sitting down on the armrest next to her, still keeping a hand on her shoulder.

  “Your father did what he thought was best,” Pop told her. “He wanted you to live with him – and that was his right. He wanted to provide for you, to give you everything you wanted. He thought we were too old to raise you, he thought our retirement should be unencumbered, and free from the responsibilities of raising a child. He loved you too – and he convinced us that having you live with him would be the best thing for you.”

  “If we were wrong, I’m sorry,” Nan whispered. “I thought he was a good father.”

  Another flash of anger shot through Virginia as emotions tumbled around inside of her. “He is a good father,” she admitted. “He’s the best. I’m just so confused.” She started crying again, as Shane wrapped his arms around her a second time and pulled her in close, offering her comfort. She leaned against him, grateful for his strength.

  “I’m going crazy,” she whispered.

  She felt his lips brush her hair in the tenderest of kisses before he answered her. “No you’re not,” he insisted. “You’ve just had a shock. A lot has happened in the past couple of days; the plans you’d made have been broken without warning and you’re on the other side of the world with people you haven’t seen in so long, and missed so much. It’s no wonder you’re upset. You’re allowed to be upset.”

  She snuggled in against him as his grip on her tightened.

  “We’ve wanted you to come home for Christmas for so long,” Pop told her. “Do you remember how you always used to love decorating the tree?”

  She nodded. She loved Christmas trees, but they hadn’t put one up for several years, at home. Her father didn’t see the point. They were rarely home for Christmas anyway, and the season never felt particularly festive for either of them. That’s why she always went out partying instead.

  “We’re going to get one today. Do you still like decorating them?”

  For the first time, she noticed the absence of a tree. The rest of the house was festooned with decorations from the lights and ornaments outside to the Christmas cards hanging on a long string along the walls, holly wreaths adorning each door, and tinsel decorating the doorframes. She smiled. Nan had always gone all-out for Christmas. It had been her favourite season.

  “I sure do!”

  “Well come on then!” Shane rattled a set of car keys. “Your Pop took me into the city this morning to pick up our car. Stiles Productions is hiring us a Mercedes for the month and I picked a convertible. I think you’ll like it.” He winked at her, as she leaped up off the seat in excitement. Running to the window, she looked out. Sure enough, parked right there in the driveway was a late model shiny silver Mercedes convertible with the top down, all ready to go.

  “The Christmas tree will fit right in,” Pop said.

  The car was great. Christmas carols blared from the speakers as Shane drove them to the farm that sold Christmas trees. The baby pine they
chose was perfect. Taller than Shane, it was bushy and perfectly tapered, the finest specimen she’d ever seen.

  Pop was right – the tree did fit right in. Shane jammed the trunk down under the seat and it lay across the back of the car, where Shane tied it down firmly. Then, “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” playing at full volume, they carefully drove home.

  By the time they got back and Shane and Pop had unloaded the tree and positioned it where they wanted it in the living room, the house was filled with young people again. Excitedly, the younger children ran to the decorations, eager to help.

  “No!” Virginia protested. “No, it’s mine! I want to decorate the tree by myself, you’ll just ruin it!”

  “Virginia!” Nan gasped.

  “No, I don’t want them to help,” she insisted.

  Shane cleared his throat and met her eye. Glaring at her, he flexed his hands, a silent warning, but instead of heeding it, she glared back. It had been a long time since she’d been able to decorate a Christmas tree – she felt like a little kid again! No one was ruining this for her!

  “I’m serious,” she stated. “You’re not helping.”

  “There’s enough decorations there for everyone to have a turn,” Pop said, trying to be the peacemaker.

  But Virginia was having none of it. “No! Just let me do it by myself!” she insisted.

  “Virginia!” Shane snapped, his tone hard. He looked at her sternly and extended his hand towards her. “Come with me.”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m busy.”

  Her heart thumped in anticipation as Shane strode towards her, his expression stern. In one swift move, he wrapped an arm around her waist and slung her over his shoulder, landing a hearty slap to her backside when she squealed.

  “We’ll be back,” he announced, striding from the room.

  He carried her off down the hallway to her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him before he put her on her feet. “You really do want to ruin Christmas for everyone, don’t you?” he growled. “Well you’re not going to. It’s not those kids’ fault that you’re a spoilt brat who throws tantrums when she doesn’t get her own way. It’s their Christmas too. Remember that.”