The Trouble with Christmas

by Kaira Rouda

  “Hey,” Cole said appearing behind her. Just his voice rushed heat to her core. “So what do you think?”

  “It’s going to work out great,” Lily said, and she heard the happiness in her voice. She was in a kitchen, she was needed, and she was standing close to the most handsome man she’d ever met. For the first time, Lily realized she would be able to move beyond the pain caused by Bob someday, and Cole just might be the man to help her on the path to healing.

  But I need to take charge of my own life. Not just rely on Avery or others. She thought helping Cole and Sally Ann would be a great start towards self-healing.

  “Sally Ann asked me to stay and help with lunch, get a feel for the kitchen. Is that okay? I thought you could start making those phone calls?”

  “Yes, great idea,” he said. “I’ll make the calls out from the front once I get the lunch crowd seated. And, tell me what you charge an hour, I’m paying you for this.”

  “I might blow your budget,” Lily teased. Cole tensed. “Seriously, consider this a donation to the cause. I want you to open that Boys and Girls Club. The island needs a food bank, and a program of picking up prepared, but unserved, restaurant meals from the inn and all the restaurants on the island each night and serving the food to those in need. I want to be a part of it.”

  “Thank you. That’s amazing,” Cole said, resting his hand on her shoulder, their eyes locked. She could stare into them for days.

  “Hello? A little help out here?” Sally Ann said, shooting eye daggers at Cole, who rushed out to seat customers and help take their orders. Lily laughed and tied on an apron.

  The next two hours passed in a haze of frying fish, boiling shrimp, tearing lettuce, and basically, doing whatever Sally Ann instructed. At the end of the lunch rush, once all the pots and pans and dishes are washed and put away, Sally Ann walked up to Lily and wrapped her arm around her waist.

  “You know how to cook,” Sally Ann said. “You could be a beenyah, you could.”

  “Thank you, this was wonderful,” Lily said, wiping her hands on her borrowed apron. “What’s a beenyah?”

  “Ah, dat’s Gullah for folks born here on the island. We’s a dying breed,” she said, releasing her hold on Lily and stripping off her bright yellow apron. “Best get on home, before the dinner service. You come back whenever you want. With or without that one.”

  Sally Ann smiled and left. Lily stripped off her apron. She looked a wreck. Her face had been steamed in boiling water, her tank top, which she fortunately had worn under her turtleneck, was splattered in frying oil, her Converse tennis shoes sported a new cocktail sauce stain at the toe. But she was happy.

  Cole stood at the front of the restaurant, the phone pressed to his ear. He didn’t see Lily but she could hear his frustration on his side of the conversation.

  “Yes, we promise on-time delivery, ma’am, but if you have concerns, then of course you can cancel. Fine, I know you didn’t bring your chef, that’s why we’re here. Yes, I understand this is my last chance, thank you,” Cole hung up, “Ahhhh. I hate this groveling shit.”

  “Welcome to the restaurant business,” Lily said and caught him by surprise.

  “Whatever. People could be polite at least,” he grumbled, his eyes dark and angry.

  “I can’t imagine people were polite in the investment banking world,” Lily said.

  Cole laughed, a sharp sound. “No, they weren’t. They were ruthless assholes. I was on Wall Street. Everybody’s a jerk. Just out for money. I was one of them.”

  “Well, in the restaurant business, my experience is that once customers are full, they’re happy. So we’ll turn these folks into raving fans. Don’t worry,” she said. “Uh, hey, would you mind giving me a ride back to the other side? I’m a mess.”

  Cole seemed to focus on her then. A smile crossed his face. “You are a mess. You smell like fish,” he said. “Come on. I can make the rest of the calls from home.”

  As they drove back to the other side of the island, they were both quiet, lost in thought. Lily planned the shopping list for the Christmas meal in her head. Every once in a while, she turned and looked at Cole, but he too was deep in his own thoughts. She couldn’t believe she’d met him only yesterday. She checked out his handsome profile, his strong arms, his prominent chin. She felt as comfortable as she did with Bob, maybe even more so. Because it was business, they were focusing on the same goal.

  Cole parked in front of his cottage and they both did a double take. A wreath hung on his front door and green garland decorated the railing of the outside deck.

  “Looks like a Christmas elf has been here?” Cole said. “How did you do this?”

  “This isn’t me. This is Avery,” Lily said, marveling at how wonderful her friend is. “Do you lock your door?”

  “Nope,” Cole said.

  Smiling, they ran up the stairs to the front door. The scene took Lily’s breath away. The entry hall table was covered with greenery and punctuated by red and white striped ribbon. The staircase bannister was wrapped with the same red and white striped ribbon, accentuated with a big bow at the balustrade.

  In the family room, a live Christmas tree filled the corner, adorned with white lights. Four brown cardboard boxes labeled “ornaments” were stacked next to the tree. Above the fireplace, shiny red and white balls hung from a swooping garland of fresh greens. The house smelled like Christmas, pine, and cinnamon. Lily noticed a set of three candles and leaned in to smell them.

  “I don’t know what to say,” Cole said. She thought he might have tears in his eyes, but he quickly turned away from her.

  “Just say thank you. She is just like you. She loves helping others, giving to others,” Lily said and felt the urge to hug him, to comfort him even though she’d told him she needed a lot more time. He was so moved by simple acts of kindness, like someone who thought Christmas would pass him by.

  Lily lightly touched his back with her hand, and he turned to face her. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands found her waist and pulled her close. He kissed her and instantly it was so intense both jumped back gasping.

  “I got carried away again,” he said. “Sorry.”

  “I’m sorry. I started, but I can’t… I don’t want to…”

  “It’s okay, honey, it’s okay,” he said, hugging her back into his warm embrace. “Let’s just enjoy this amazing moment together under my first Christmas tree of my new life.”

  And as they stood together, hugging next to the tree, Lily began to feel like this could be her new life, too.

  Finally she stepped away. She needed to go home, shower, talk to Avery, get her bearings.

  “Cole, I need to go home, to the Putnams, get cleaned up,” she said.

  “Can I see you tonight? We could decorate the tree together?” he asked, and then paused, adding, “I’ll get the food breakdown together between now and then, a count of the pot pies.” He sensed her nervousness, she realized, so he focused on food. “Then tonight, we can go over what supplies you’ll need from Savannah.”

  He had brought up business to relax her, to get her to let down her guard, and she did. “Sure, that sounds great. Call me later.”

  Chapter Seven

  COLE

  ‡

  He really hated cold showers but Lily had left him with no other choice. She’d just been dumped by a jerk, but he couldn’t help his body’s reaction whenever she touched him, no matter how innocently. She needed time, but he wanted her now. For always. That thought came out of nowhere, but it was true nonetheless. He had never felt this strongly about a woman before, there was something about Lily that completed him in some fundamental way he hadn’t even known existed. She filled a space in his soul he hadn’t realized was empty. Before he’d met her, he hadn’t felt like he would ever find somebody to love, somebody to take care of and to treasure.

  His timing sucked. He wanted to be in a committed relationship with her, but she was still reeling from her broken
engagement. There was nothing he could do. Shouting ‘I’m not Bob,’ wouldn’t cut it. He was reduced to waiting and hoping. Two of his weakest points. He had always been a man of action.

  “Look at me getting all romantic,” he chided himself. He was getting way ahead of himself and he’d never felt so out of whack before. As he stepped out of the shower and toweled off, he marveled again about the smells and sights of Christmas now filling his house, a house that had been transformed into a home. Avery had even decorated the kitchen table with a candy cane themed centerpiece to match the rest of the décor. Where did she even find all of this holiday cheer, he wondered?

  As he pulled on his favorite light blue cashmere sweater and a pair of jeans, he noticed a framed photo of Lily, laughing in front of a decorated Christmas tree. Pure joy Lily. He challenged himself to bring that expression back to her face this Christmas. He hurried downstairs to convert all of his ego-crushing telephone calls into solid orders: Christmas dinner orders that would highlight the special Lowcountry cooking of Marshside Mama’s and be delivered on time.

  *

  LILY

  She parked the golf cart in its spot out front, hurried up the stairs to the main door, and into the foyer. She looked around and smiled, the coast still was clear. She raced up the grand staircase, taking the steps two at a time, and made it to the top in record speed. As she turned the corner, she careened into James.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said. “I hope I didn’t get you dirty.”

  “Lily,” James backed away from her as if she were a skunk about to spray him. “What happened? You’re a mess.

  “Cooking happened, James,” she extended both arms out, palms up, imagining that she did probably look and smell a bit feral to him. “This is the look of a person who has been working in the kitchen for a shift.”

  “Where have you been lending out your talents?” He demanded in an imperial tone that uncomfortably reminded her of Bob.

  Lily was suddenly proud of her messiness, her wild hair, her shiny face, and her food-splattered clothes. She was proud of her smell because it represented the new dishes she had learned to prepare, the new experiences she’d had, and the new confidence she’d gained. She now knew there was life after Bob, and she had no intention of going back. She liked where she now was.

  Do one thing every day that scares you. Her favorite saying popped into her head. She’d forgotten this Eleanor Roosevelt quote, and maybe forgotten herself, for the past five years.

  “Have you been at the inn, in the kitchen? They let you just grub about?”

  Lily nearly tossed her hair back and snorted at him.

  “I’ve been on the backside of the island, near the marsh, helping the cook at a fabulous local restaurant called Marshide Mama’s,” she relished his bewildered look. Of course James had never been there. “You really should try it. It’s going to be the hottest, most desirable reservation on the island after the holidays. Mark my words,” Lily said, feigning a confidence she’d determined to internalize.

  “Oh, so now you’re the arbiter of taste on Indigo Island, are you?” James said with a sly smile.

  “I am, as a matter of fact,” Lily said because she didn’t want to spar with him but wanted a shower. “One of my many talents. See you downstairs later.”

  “Don’t forget we have a family dinner tonight,” James said and surprised her by reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face.

  “Of course,” she said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable around him. The way he stared at her unnerved her. “See you.”

  He reached over and brushed a strand of hair from her face. A gentle gesture and Lily smiled.

  Once inside her room, she kicked off her Converse tennis shoes inside the door and inhaled the fresh salty sea air that streamed inside the room from the open window. Smiling at Cole’s jacket hanging in her closet, she hurried into the luxurious bathroom, turned on the shower and waited for the steam to fill the glass enclosure before undressing and stepping in. She reluctantly glanced at herself in the mirror and her jaw dropped. She looked wild—her hair was as curly as it had ever been, her face was smudged with grease, but as she looked at herself more closely, she noticed she looked happy. Free. Lily smiled and hurried into the shower, the hot, strong current washing the dirt and the day away.

  Showered, dried, lotioned, and dressed, Lily looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom. Her fitted white corduroy jeans, a chocolate brown turtle neck, cashmere sweater, and ankle boots made her feel warm, happy and comfortable, but she really needed to stop stalling and talk to Avery.

  She texted Avery: “Where are you?”

  Avery instantly answered her text: “Library. Tell me EVERYTHING. Now!”

  Lily hurried downstairs to the library.

  “Avery, you’re not going to believe my day,” she burst out then blushed. “Mark! Great to see you! When did you get in?”

  Thankfully she hadn’t blurted out about Cole.

  “I came over with Richard,” Mark said, smiling kindly like he always did. “So, Avery’s jumping with excitement. Tell us your news.”

  Us. Lily needed to get used to the fact that Avery and Mark were a couple. She was the third wheel.

  “Here, Lils,” Avery said handing her a glass of champagne. “Tell us all about Cole and the amazing date.”

  “It wasn’t a date,” she said automatically while Avery winked.

  “By the way, did he like the candy canes?” She toasted Lily with her glass and the third wheel feeling vanished.

  “Oh my gosh, he had tears in his eyes when he looked around, Aves, it was amazing what you did,” she said, “Cheers and thank you. You really made his Christmas.”

  “I think I had a lot of help with that task,” Avery said.

  “Who helped? Your mom?” Lily asked.

  Avery rolled her eyes and laughed.

  “I mean you, but yes, Mom helped, and we had fun. She said she actually missed her whole candy cane theme and was happy to put it to good use. Nice place he has. You’ll be glad to know, I didn’t find any hidden photos of girlfriends or any other weirdness,” Avery said as Mark came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

  “You broke in to some stranger’s house, and snooped through his belongings?” he shook his head. “Should I be booking us a midnight flight to Mexico to escape the police?”

  “The door was wide open,” Avery said. Mark laughed, but she ignored him. “I needed to be sure the guy Lily met is good enough. His house definitely needs personalization, but you can help with that, Lils.”

  “Goodbye Bob,” he said affectionately toying with his wife’s hair. “You already have our Lily moving in with this man. Does he have a name? Should I go demand what his intentions are?”

  Lily sipped her champagne. She knew Mark was teasing, but it made her feel awkward.

  “I have a good feeling,” Avery said sagely. “So I want to help her out so she can be as happy as I am. God knows, she can’t be left to make these decisions on her own,”

  “Hey, you were with me when I met Bob, Avery,” Lily said defensively.

  “The minute I met him I said ‘boring’,” Mark intoned. “Clearly both of you are worthless. Bring him around Lily. I will pass judgment.”

  “I picked you,” Avery retorted. “So clearly I know what I’m doing.”

  “But I picked you, so clearly my skills are superior,” Avery sighed and melted against him.

  “How was your day?” Avery asked, practically purring as Mark lightly stroked down her slim arms.

  Lily looked at them. The third wheel feeling was back, but she envied the love they shared. At the same time, she felt blessed. “It was one of the best days of my life,” she said, sitting down in one of the huge leather chairs. “I felt so alive. I can really make a difference in Cole’s restaurant business for the holidays, I love his business partner Sally Ann, and I love the ideas he has to bring more nutritious food to the poorer fami
lies on the back of the island. And then, tonight, I’m going to help Cole decorate his tree with the ornaments you guys brought over. He’s so grateful. All in all, it has been amazing.”

  Avery and Mark exchanged a skeptical look.

  “What?” she asked. “You found a dead body in his closet?”

  Avery took a deep breath and sat down in the chair next to Lily. “No, silly, not at all. I did have dad’s guys do a background check.”

  “Avery,” Lily began.

  “I hope you don’t mind. He is absolutely who he says he is. Never married. Complete workaholic, successful until last April when he dropped off the radar and ended up on Indigo Island. Dad’s people cleared him. I’m not worried about Cole, Lils, I’m worried about you.”

  “You were just telling me I’d be good at personalizing his house.”

  “I know. I get carried away, but seriously, Lils, I’m not sure you’re ready to be in a relationship.”

  “I’m not in a relationship,” Lily said.

  “Lils,” Avery said.

  Lily saw the genuine concern in Avery’s eyes and loved her for it. Avery sucked in her bottom lip, a nervous sign, a sign only her best friend could detect. She leaned forward and hugged Avery.

  “I’m not. I mean, yes, he’s attractive. And he makes me feel like someday I’ll get over Bob, but really, I’m enjoying helping to plan out the Christmas dinner. And I love his restaurant, and Sally Ann, and all the hard work everyone over there does. And I love learning all the new recipes.”

  “That sounds so racy,” Mark said.

  “Be serious. I’m worried,” Avery said as her lip disappeared.

  “Is this about James?” Lily asked. She had to. He was the elephant in the room. Lily looked over her shoulder to make sure the elephant wasn’t entering. “You’re not still thinking he and I should date, are you?”

  “No, not really,” Avery said, not sounding certain. Mark laughed. “I know James is a workaholic. He’s not ready to settle down or to put in the time necessary to really build a relationship, and until then, he keeps dating bitches like Jessica, but I guess I still harbor a hope that we could be sisters for real. I’m sorry.”