He nodded, tearing his gaze away from the screen, and smacked his lips. “Yep. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and Yorkshire pudding too.”
She whipped off her coat and kicked off her boots. “Who’s cooking?”
“Mick.”
“Mick?” She charged into the kitchen, stumbling over her mukluks in her haste.
“Hi sweetheart, I’m glad you’re home. How did the last hour of the open go?”
He was leaning against the counter looking hot, sexy and totally relaxed. Together. In control. Desirable. Damn. She wanted to cry. Things had seemed so good between them when he’d stopped by the open house, she’d thought they were past this. Hadn’t they hashed this out last night? No more big gestures. No more kissing up.
Her mother bustled around the table, laying folded napkins in front of each chair. “Lee, we had the best morning. Mickey took us to a museum and out to lunch. And then, since it’s so nasty outside, we went and rented movies to watch tonight. He got me What Dreams May Come.”
When she turned her head toward her mom all she could think of was The Exorcist. Like, if she didn’t actively stop it, her head would just keep spinning and spinning.
“And me The Shawshank Redemption,” her dad chimed in from the living room.
Yep, her head was about to come right off her shoulders. Those were two of the longest movies ever made. There was no way they were watching them here. With her and him and them. No way. She couldn’t take the pressure. Not after dealing with Bunny all day. “You’re watching them both? Here?”
Her mother set the last napkin down and faced her. “What do you mean?” The hurt in her eyes made Leah take a step back. Deep, calming breaths, she reminded herself.
She forced a more cheerful note into her voice. “They’re two long movies. If you watch one after the other you’ll be here until eleven. Past your bedtime. Maybe watch one here and one back at your apartment?”
“Don’t worry about us.” Her father paused the DVD and stood. “We don’t need to go to bed early every night. We’re not that old.”
Crap.
“Mick, honey, I thought you mentioned wanting to make it an early night as well,” she said, forcing an over-bright grin. “Something about needing to get up early for a conference call, remember?”
He wrinkled his forehead in mock thought, then slowly shook his head. “Actually, I don’t. I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of…oh wait,”
She nodded encouragingly.
“I did say that, but it was canceled, so I’m good.”
She was going to kill him. Why was he going out of his way to be so difficult? Before she could catch her breath and think of another excuse, Cassandra came out of the bathroom.
“Lee, I want to know where you found this guy.” She ducked around Mick and tapped him playfully on the shoulder. “He can cook and clean. He’s like the perfect man.”
“Am I in hell?” Leah asked under her breath and glared at the he-devil.
The handsome beast had the nerve to smile. “Why don’t you go have a shower and get changed? I’ll pour you some eggnog when you’re done, and we can all watch the rest of Shawshank until dinner is ready.”
She bit her lip to keep from screaming. They’d had an agreement. She didn’t know what he was playing at, but whatever it was needed to stop, and fast.
…
“And he snores.”
Mick slouched in the chair with his arms crossed, trying not to dive across the coffee table and shake her. There was no excuse for her behavior tonight. She’d started in the second they’d sat down to eat. Going through a checklist of his made-up faults, some of which were over the top. He knew she was throwing them out there as groundwork for their fake breakup to come, and he knew he was high on her shit list for not taking her cues to cut the night short, but that didn’t mean he was going to let her off the hook.
“Leah,” he warned in a soft voice.
“Don’t interrupt, sweetie.”
If she’d looked his way before she said it, he was sure she would have been smart enough to keep her mouth shut. As it was, everyone else looked his way, which explained the rapid desertion that followed.
Rita pursed her lips and frowned. “I’m tired, John. I think I want to go back to the hotel.”
“I’ll drive,” Cassandra and John offered at the same time.
“You’re not insured, so I get to do it. I mean, I’ll do it. You stay here and visit.” John stood and helped Rita up.
“We’ll all go,” Cassandra said with an over-bright grin. She grabbed her coat and stalled as her parents filed out of the room. “Hey sis, is your heater on the fritz?” she asked.
“No. I don’t think so…”
“Well, maybe not, but it’s pretty frosty in here, if you know what I mean.” She raised her brow, and Mick winced at the ice in her tone. “Either you two come clean about what’s chapping your asses, or you’ll force me to do some digging. If I were you, I’d take this time alone to warm it up a little, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Mick said his good-byes and then waited until Cassandra rushed down the hall before he narrowed a look at Leah. “Go ahead and see your family out, sweetheart.”
He was relieved she didn’t fight him on that because his patience had run out. He wasn’t sure if he was more irritated with her for being a brat or himself for wanting her anyway. That was the rub.
She came back into the room and repeated his words from the night before. “Well, that went well.”
“No. It didn’t.”
She sank into the couch cushions and scowled. “I suppose you think this is my fault?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, no, mister. Not this time. We talked about this last night, and you agreed, but then here you go again, changing the game. You’ve turned brownnosing into an art form. Speaking of art form, you took them to a museum? Since when do you go to museums?”
“Since my fiancée’s family asked me to take them to one. Your parents came by for Cassandra and asked me to spend the morning with them. I didn’t have to get Luke until one o’clock and I’d already told your sister I wasn’t going in to work. What was I going to say?
She deflated some but then ramped right back up again, leaning forward. “Didn’t you think to mention that at the open house, at least? And when the hell did you plan dinner?”
“Dinner started out as your mom’s idea. I would’ve mentioned it when we saw you at Bunny’s, but Luke was there most of the time, and I don’t want him involved in any of this.” Although, there had been a few minutes where they were alone that he could’ve mentioned it. But then she would surely have found a way to cancel.
“You shouldn’t even be involved in this.” She flopped back in her chair and scowled. “I knew it was a bad idea, and you pulling stuff on the fly like this just makes it that much worse.”
“Too late now.” Probably because of the way he’d pushed things, but in his mind it was all or nothing.
Her eyes widened as she searched his face, and when she spoke the softness of her tone nearly undid him. “Is it?”
He ignored the twinge of conscience and quickly stood. He didn’t want her backing out now. With a deep breath he yanked on each shirt-cuff so she’d know he meant business. “And frankly? I think you’re acting like a brat. There’s no reason we both can’t be decent to your family while they’re here. A month from now, feel free to tell them that I’m Satan incarnate, I don’t care. What I do care about is that they’re here right now and they’re nice people who happen to love their daughter very much, and I want them to enjoy their holiday. Have you thought about that?”
She ran a hand over her face and groaned. “Don’t you think I want that too?”
“I know you do, but you’re going about it the wrong way. Seeing you unhappily engaged is no better than seeing you alone. You’ve got to make a decision here. Commit to this and do it right, or end it.” The ultimatum left a b
ad taste in his mouth, but this wasn’t about him. This was about Leah and her family. “I’m still willing to help, but if we’re going to move forward with this, we’re doing it my way.”
“Your way?”
“Yes. It’s far less painful and a whole lot less complicated.”
She shook her hair behind her shoulders and grumbled, “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m going to behave like a normal, I’m–in-love-with-this-person fiancé does and you’re going to do the same in return. No more getting drunk, sulking or insults. Your poor family doesn’t know what to make of all this or of us.”
She looked so exhausted and beaten down, he had to resist the urge to hug her.
“I’ll think about it,” she finally whispered.
“You do that.” He turned and headed toward the door.
“W-where are you going?”
He grabbed his coat out of the front hall closet. “Home.”
“Aren’t you going to let me think about it?”
When he had his shoes on, he turned. She was right there. Worried and yet, judging by the wariness on her face, still confused. Some of the anger drained out of him.
“You have until morning,” he said bluntly. “Your family invited me to go to St. Paul’s Shelter with you all tomorrow for Secret Santa Day. Although I would love to go…” He cupped her chin in his palm and brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I won’t if you decide you don’t want to continue.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead and then stepped back. “If you do decide to end it, we’ll meet back in the office January second. No harm. No foul. All right?”
She nodded, and when he spied her glassy eyes he knew he needed to get out of there. If she started crying, he’d be toast. Hell, if she didn’t want his help come tomorrow, he didn’t know what he was going to do.
The brisk air prompted him to hunch his shoulders and cup his hands around his mouth as he headed to the car. Something was bugging her. Something more than just the strain of the present situation. He blew into his palms before he fished in his pocket for his keys. She’d come around. God, he hoped she’d come around.
Because the thought of having to cut his time with Leah short had his stomach churning.
Chapter Five
“So is this how you PMS now, or are you two on the outs?” Cassandra stood in front of the granite island in the kitchen whisking pancake batter and gave her an expectant look.
Leah already knew the answer, but asked the question anyway. “What do you mean?”
Cassandra rolled her eyes. “I mean the way you trashed Mick last night.”
What could she possibly say? Her sister was right. And for all Leah’s bluster, once they’d all left and she’d been alone? It hadn’t taken long for the shame to set in. She’d been really crummy to him. He’d yanked her chain, sure, but he was dead right when he said that what they were doing wasn’t working. Heck, if she and Mick broke up, her family would probably take his side at this point, and rightfully so.
She stilled, forgetting to breathe for a moment. If she and Mick broke up? She and Mick were definitely breaking up. At least, they would be if they’d ever been a real couple. Which they hadn’t been and never would be.
She ignored the twinge of disappointment that followed this realization and faced Cassandra. “I don’t know about you and Jack, but most relationships aren’t all sunshine and unicorns, you know.”
“Relationships are funny things.”
What was that supposed to mean? She ignored the trickle of unease that skittered down her spine and met her sister’s gaze head on. “Mick and I are going through a rough patch. Unfortunately, you guys are only seeing my part in it right now, but things have happened behind the scenes that you don’t understand.”
That last part was true, at least. There were things going on between her and Mick that even she didn’t understand. Tension swirling, unspoken expectations looming. If she had a time machine, she’d be tempted to use it right now and undo all of this because her stupid scheme may have screwed up a really great friendship. If she had left well enough alone, she could’ve gone back to work after the holidays with her dependable, safe partner and had a long, happy business relationship with a side of unrequited lust to round it out. But now everything was off kilter.
“What kind of things?” her sister asked, scowling.
Leah wasn’t going to be drawn in. Cassandra was mining. “Important things.”
“Hogwash.”
“It’s true.”
Cassandra set the bowl down and leaned with her elbows on the island as she stared.
“What?” Leah asked, unable to stand the pressure.
“I’m waiting for you to swear or say ‘Yes way’ or something equally as childish because I don’t for one minute think things are on the up and up with the two of you. The other night?” She stood up and whisked at triple speed. “Mick was acting really weird.”
Leah closed her fingers over Cassandra’s wrist to get her to stop whisking. “What do you mean by that?”
“He was a little too relieved when I bought the shit he was shoveling. And besides, he didn’t look sexed up when I came in. I know you and champagne. If he was in that bed with you before I got here, he would have looked a whole lot more exhausted.”
Leah kept a straight face. “I. Am. Shocked. Shocked.”
“You are fucked. Fucked. Because I know you better than anyone on the planet and I know this smells like manure from the biggest, fattest, cow in the pasture. There’s something going on here, and I don’t have to slip in the doo to know it’s there.”
Leah took one look at her sister’s stiff upper lip and decided. She needed to fix this. Then she could focus on getting through the next few days with her family. Hopefully she could do it without ruining the holidays for them, or her friendship with Mick in the process. She’d hesitated the night before because she knew if she agreed to let her guard down and throw herself headlong into this farce with him, she was never going to come out the other side with her heart intact. But that was a risk she had to take if she didn’t want to get caught. She was in too deep. Over her head. Besides, the nerves, the fear, the lies…all this extra stuff was clouding the water. Maybe once they got back to their normal routine, everything would be clear as glass again. Luckily she and Mick had done some airing out the night before. Now came the hard part.
“You’re wrong, sis. What you’ve been seeing is two people having some issues. We’re straightening them out, and it will be fine. You’ll see.”
“Can’t wait,” her sister said with a grim smile.
She went back to mixing, and Leah left the kitchen to hunt down her cell phone. She stopped in the living room where her parents were huddled together on the couch doing a crossword while watching It’s a Wonderful Life. “Breakfast will be in about twenty minutes and then we can head out. I…” She paused and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry I’ve been acting so weird, but I promise you now, it’s going to stop. Mick and I had a disagreement right before you guys got to town and didn’t work through it, but we’re going to take care of that now. Then, I promise you, we’re all going to have a great holiday together.”
Her mother’s face lit up like a full moon. “Oh, good, honey. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I was worried about you kids because things seemed tense. Come sit for a minute. I feel like we haven’t had a second to really talk.”
Her father blew out a noisy sigh from the recliner. “Aw, come on. Jimmy Stewart is just about to get that telegram. Can’t you two chatter somewhere else?”
After seeing how sick he’d been the last time he was in Chicago, even hearing him gripe made her heart squeeze, strengthening her resolve.
With an eye roll and a shake of her head, her mom patted the space next to her. “You know how he is with this movie. Sit with us and watch the end, at least.”
Anxious to call Mick and get the eating of crow over with as quickly as possible, she hesitated, but t
hen sat. Family was the whole reason she was in this position, and she had vowed to enjoy it.
Her mom leaned closer, so their shoulders touched as the townspeople on screen came out to support good old George. This had been a Latrelle tradition since she could remember, and the years of Christmas memories crashed together. The time they’d gotten the big dollhouse and she and Cassandra had fought over the living room furniture layout. The time her mother had hidden their Christmas stockings full of candy in the oven because they’d taken to hunting them down early every year. Smoke and the smell of burnt chocolate had permeated the house for hours, after her father had turned on the oven for biscuits.
She turned to face him now, and his face was split into a smile that warmed her from the inside out. He was healthy. They were all here together, and it was going to be an amazing holiday.
“That’s my favorite part,” her father muttered as the bell rang, letting old George know that an angel had earned its wings.
He said that every year. She was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude, and her eyes flooded. Luckily, her tears coincided with the end of the movie and didn’t seem out of place as she rose to her feet. Everything was going to be fine. As soon as…
“I’ve got to call Mick. I really love you guys, and I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her mother gave her a watery smile and nodded. “We love you, too. Now go see to your beau and work it out because that one’s a keeper.”
…
Leah went into her bedroom and closed the door, her mother’s words ringing in her ears. That’s exactly what Mick was. A keeper. He’d make some nice girl very happy someday. She felt an irrational surge of jealousy toward her, whoever she was.
Friends and business partners, she reminded herself firmly.
A minute later, she was just about to hang up the phone when he finally picked up on the fifth ring. “Hello?”
Her pulse did a shimmy, and she cleared her throat. “I’m sorry,” she blurted without preamble. Silence crackled over the line, and she fidgeted with the edge of her comforter. Apparently, he was waiting for more. “About saying you snore. And that you have halitosis. Annnd…any of the other things I may have said behind your back.” Still nothing and she let out an exasperated sigh. “What else do you want from me, Mick?”
White Lie Christmas Page 6
