by Nina Singh
Not to mention, she had no intention of getting her heart broken again. The wounds were still too fresh. Justin had just told her to be careful. He had no idea how hard she was trying. But it was becoming more and more tempting to throw caution to the wind with each passing moment she spent in his company.
* * *
The scent of spice and cinnamon grew stronger the farther they walked. Along the way, they passed display after display of Christmas scenes with moving figurines and colorful backgrounds. Justin found himself actually laughing at some of the funnier ones—including one of a large mechanical dog scarfing down the plate of cookies that had been left out for Santa.
Finally, they approached a small shed with a small line in front. The spot was without a doubt where the delicious aroma had been coming from.
Carli ordered for both of them and handed him a steaming hot cup.
“Be careful,” she warned him just as he took it from her. “It’s even hotter than it looks.”
She waited with expectation as he took a sip. “Well?” she asked. “Was it worth the stop?”
It was good. But Justin didn’t say what he was thinking. He didn’t tell her that the stop had been worth it simply because of the way she’d looked at him earlier when he’d caught her before she fell. And for the way her bright chocolate eyes were studying him with anticipation right at this moment, simply to gauge his reaction to tasting the cider.
Instead of trying to find the words, he lifted the cup toward his temple in a mock salute.
Carli gave a whoop. “I knew you’d like it!”
The enthusiasm this woman displayed, the sheer enjoyment of the simple pleasantries around her was an utterly new experience for him. She definitely worked hard; what he’d witnessed back in Boston and the level of her success left zero doubt about that. But clearly also appreciated the blessing she’d been given in life. To witness it was like a magnetic pull for someone like him.
Outside of his employees or clients, when had anyone ever really cared what his opinion was? Or if he was enjoying something as simple as a glass of juice outside on a cold December day?
When had anyone bothered to do anything like try to find a way for him to relive a silly childhood memory?
“It’s like drinking an apple pie,” he told her.
“That’s exactly the way it is.” She looked around at the various displays surrounding them. “We used to come here every year when we were young children. We don’t so much anymore. But it used to be tradition.”
He took another sip of his cider and studied her over the rim of the foam cup. “You and your family seem to have had a lot of those.”
“Doesn’t everyone?”
He shrugged. “I guess I wouldn’t know. We didn’t really. Unless you count lots of yelling and broken glass.”
She reached out and placed a gentle hand on his arm. “You’ll just have to start new ones then.”
He hmmphed out an ironic laugh. Like what? All he ever wanted to do every Christmas Eve was watch an old baseball game on the DVR and enjoy a peaceful dinner alone. That was traditional enough for him. A picture popped into his head of someone with a startling resemblance to Carli Tynan sitting there at the table with him. He promptly shoved it out of his mind.
“What? It’s never too late,” she said softly next to him.
Justin didn’t reply, just downed the rest of his beverage then tossed the cup into the trash can behind him. Carli hesitated for a moment before turning around. “Come on. Let’s go say hello to Santa.”
Surprisingly, an hour and half had gone by when they finally made it back to the car. Somehow, Carli had even persuaded him to pet the reindeer after all.
He studied her as they pulled back onto the expressway.
A little of the color had returned to her cheeks now that the car heater was fully on and blowing at them. Many of her wayward curls had escaped the tight band at the top of her head, and several dark tendrils framed her face. Why did she even bother putting her hair up? She’d been licking her lips and biting them after drinking the spiced cider. The abuse from her teeth turned them a pinkish red hue. He had an absurd urge to reach over and rub his fingers over her mouth to soothe them.
Damned if she hadn’t been right. The little excursion had been a welcome respite from everything; he would even call it fun. That was the problem. It was way too easy to forget the world and just have fun with Carli Tynan.
He thought about what she’d said back there in the park. Her statement about starting new traditions. She was giving him way too much credit. He wouldn’t even know where to start.
Her optimistic words just drove the truth home. They were too different. Trips to parks decorated with Christmas displays were all too common for someone like her. She had the kind of love and affection in her life that fully embodied everything that was good about Christmas. For him, Christmas was just another reminder of all he’d never had and never would.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“THIS IS IT,” Carli said, and parked the car behind several others already in the driveway of a double structure colonial complete with a front porch and white picket fence. “Brace yourself,” she warned. “Looks like everyone else is here too.”
“Uh. Who would that be exactly?”
“Well, my two younger sisters live here. They’re just teenagers. Marnie and Perri. Twins actually.” She motioned with her chin to the white minivan. “Then there’s my oldest sister, Tammy. That’s her vehicle right there. Which means my nephew and brother-in-law must be here, as well. And that mini-coupe belongs to my other sister, Janie. She’s about two years older than me. And I’m guessing her boyfriend came with her.” The last statement held just a hint of tightness, lacking the soft quality he’d heard in her voice when referring to the other members of her family. He knew he hadn’t imagined it. Something had happened between Carli and her next older sister.
Carli opened her door and stepped out of the vehicle. “And of course there’s my mother and father.”
He tried to count in his head all the names she’d just mentioned. How in the world was he going to keep track of all these people? Also, how did they all fit in that small structure?
“Come on. I’ll make all the introductions inside,” she told him, leaning back into the vehicle. “And you can get cleaned up. It’s been a long ride, I know.”
It had taken hours to get here. But Justin had to admit, it hadn’t felt that way. In fact, he had to admit he was somewhat disappointed that his time alone with Carli in the car had come to an end. They’d decided to come straight to her home, as the delay of traffic made them even later. As much as he would have appreciated the time to stop by his room at the inn, he didn’t want to risk being late and rude. Not an ideal first impression.
Though why he was so deeply concerned about Carli’s family’s perception of him was something of a mystery. He didn’t plan on seeing any of these people again once this week was over.
Carli used her key and opened the front door. “Hello? We’re here.”
They stepped into a small but tidy living room. A large red sofa sat against the wall, covered with thick, plush cushions. A patterned throw rug sat atop the hardwood floor. Several toy trucks lay scattered throughout the area and down the hall. A Christmas tree without the lights turned on decorated the corner by the fireplace. It had to be the coziest looking room he’d ever stepped into.
“In the kitchen,” someone called in response. Carli shook off her coat and indicated for him to do the same. She hung up both in a closet adjacent to the front door. He followed her farther inside. The aroma of rich seasonings and an appetizing mix of spices hung pleasantly in the air. He realized he was famished.
“Carli! You’re here.” A small woman with a broad smile approached them. Her apron had a cartoon picture of a large, re
d lobster wearing a Santa hat. It said Santa Claws in bold letters across the top.
Justin immediately saw the resemblance. Carli’s mother had the same subtle features, the same deep brown colored eyes. She embraced her daughter in a tight hug.
“I’m so glad to have you home,” the older woman said. Were those tears glistening in her eyes?
Carli cleared her throat and motion toward him. “Mom. This is Justin Hammond. He’s uh...my boss.”
Justin extended a hand. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Tynan.”
She ignored his outstretched hand and gave him a tight hug also. “Oh, you must call me Louise.”
Justin awkwardly wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He tried to remember the last time he’d been bear-hugged by a middle-aged woman in a long apron, and couldn’t recall a single time.
“Thank you for having me, Louise. Your home is lovely.” In hindsight, he realized he should have brought some sort of house gift. How embarrassingly uncouth of him. He would have to pick something up in town. But visiting an employee’s family in small-town Massachusetts was not his regular MO. He was a bit off his game here.
“Where are the others?” Carli asked, plucking a thick bread stick from a glass plate on the center of the table. She bit off the end and started chewing. Justin found himself momentarily distracted by the motion of her lips. He blinked and forced his attention back to her mother.
“Your father is out getting some groceries. Everyone else went for a quick walk,” Louise answered. “Trying to wear out little Ray a bit. He wouldn’t even take a nap this afternoon.”
Carli smiled. “That sounds like our little Ray.”
“He’s very excited about his aunt Carli visiting. So it’s partly your fault.”
Carli laughed. “As if Ray needs an excuse to be overexcited.”
“No, no, he doesn’t.” Louise turned to Justin. “Do you have any nieces or nephews?”
“No, ma’am. It’s just me and my brother.” Best to answer with a short and general response. No need to get into how Justin barely knew his own brother. Someone like Louise, with the family she had, would never understand the way he and James had grown up. On different sides of the coast. Hardly seeing each other, even on holidays or birthdays. It was the polar opposite of what Carli had grown up with.
“I’ve heard quite a bit from Carli about hers, though,” he added, to turn the conversation spotlight elsewhere. “Can’t wait to meet the little guy.”
Though what he would say to a small child was beyond him.
* * *
Carli couldn’t contain her laugh. As Justin’s words left his mouth, a small blur in a puffy coat barreled through the kitchen and hurled itself into her.
“Aunt Carli! Aunt Carli! You’re here. You’re finally here!”
She kneeled down to Ray’s height and wrapped her arms around her nephew. A swell of love and affection moved through her core. It never ceased to amaze her how much sheer emotion this child could invoke in her. Simply by the way he reacted whenever he saw her.
“Hey, little man.” She tousled his hair. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too!” he said loudly.
Ray had no concept of an inside voice. Despite repeated attempts by all his elders to check him on it.
“You’ve grown,” she observed and earned a huge smile.
“Momma says I’m a weed.”
“You’re growing like a weed. Let’s see if I can even still pick you up.” She gave an exaggerated show of false effort as she lifted him. “Oh, you’re so heavy! This is probably the last time I’ll be able to lift you.”
“Prolly,” her nephew agreed.
With Ray still in her arms, she turned to Justin. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”
Justin appeared confused. He lifted his hand before dropping it right back down to his side. Then he lifted his other hand and gave a small wave. He was trying to determine the right protocol when it came to meeting a kid. Carli had to hide her amusement at the thought. Why was he always so serious?
“Who is dis?” Ray asked, his dark eyebrows lifted in his small face.
“Don’t be rude, Ray,” Carli admonished. “This is Justin Hammond. You should call him Mr. Hammond.”
“Mr. Hammond,” Ray repeated. Only his pronunciation and his missing teeth made it sound like ham bone. Carli couldn’t decide whether to laugh or groan at that.
Justin stepped closer to the two of them. “Actually, I’d prefer it if you called me Justin. May I call you Ray?”
The child giggled. “Of course you can! It’s my name!” he said with pride. Then to her horror, he added, “And your name is funny sounding.”
“Ray...” Carli began but stopped when Justin laughed in response.
“My name is funny?”
Ray nodded. “Yup.”
“What do you mean?” he asked with a curious smile.
Carli heard the other adults slowly make their way into the house as Ray wiggled in her arms.
“It’s funny cause your last name has ham in it.”
Justin lifted an eyebrow, seemingly deep in thought. “Hmm, that hadn’t occurred to me. I suppose you’re right.”
Ray grinned. “Your first name is funny too.”
Oh, sheesh. Now he was pushing it, Carli thought. Justin had zero experience with kids. He couldn’t be expected to patiently listen to the silly ramblings of a four-year-old regarding the qualities of his name.
But he seemed to be playing along. “My first name too? How so?” he asked Ray.
“’Cause it sounds like something my mom says to me all the time.”
“It does?”
“Yeah. Like she says ‘Ray, it might be cold out. Put your coat on. Just in case.’”
Justin laughed out loud, and Carli couldn’t help the humor that bubbled up from her throat either.
“Or she says ‘There’s your father. Just in time.’”
“Oh, Ray,” Carli admonished, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. “It isn’t nice to make fun of people’s names.”
Ray turned to Justin. “I sowwy,” he said, turning big chocolate-brown puppy dog eyes on him. Though he looked anything but. In fact, he looked plenty pleased with himself at the reaction he was getting.
To his credit, Justin turned serious in a very fake way. “Well, you’ve certainly given me something to think about,” he said.
The others strolled into the kitchen just then. Carli made the proper introductions after receiving a welcoming hug from her oldest sister, Tammy.
Janie, on the other hand, seemed hesitant to approach her. As was she hesitant to approach Janie. Carli hated this. She hated the distance that now seemed so insurmountable between them. Up until a year ago, they’d grown up as close as two peas in a pod. The expression on her mother’s face said she was displeased too.
She dared a glance at Justin. He’d noticed the tension in the air between her and her older sister. That much was clear.
And then Warren entered. Carli’s chest tightened, and her pulse pounded in her veins. She gave Janie’s current boyfriend as polite a smile as she could muster.
“Carli, nice to see you again,” Warren said, then went to stand next to Janie. Seeing the two of them so close together still didn’t feel right, and she had to look away.
But she was over it all, Carli reminded herself. She had to be.
“Warren. Hello.”
She motioned to Justin. “I’d like you to meet Justin.”
The two men shook hands just as Ray shouted out, “I think that’s Aunt Carli’s boyfriend!”
Carli tried not to gasp in shock and horror as she set her nephew down. She didn’t dare look in Justin’s direction.
“Oh, my God!” Tammy exclai
med, then addressed Justin. “I apologize for my son’s behavior. We are working on manners.”
“No need for apologies,” Justin assured her. Then surprised her by saying, “He’s actually quite entertaining.”
Carli took a deep breath. “No, that’s not right.” She corrected the boy. “I just work with Justin.”
Ray simply shrugged. “Okay. Wanna see my new truck?”
The innocence of the question immediately ebbed Carli’s annoyance. “Sure,” she said, and tousled his hair once more.
Ray turned to Justin. “You come too,” he ordered with a mischievous smile. Carli was just about to remind him to say please when he impishly added, “Just in case you like trucks too!”
* * *
Carli certainly wasn’t kidding when she said dinner at her parents’ place would be chaotic. Everyone talked over each other; multiple hands reached for various dishes. As the guest, he was offered each dish first. After that, it seemed to be a free-for-all.
Everyone participated in the rapidly changing conversation, even little Ray to the extent that he could. No one shushed the child, no one told him he was a messy nuisance when he dropped half his salad on the floor. In fact, they all actually laughed at the mess he’d created at the base of his chair. One of the twin sisters simply cleaned it up, gave him a peck on his chubby cheek, then sat back down to her dinner.
It was the loudest dinner Justin had ever sat through. It was also the most enjoyable. So different from the silent meals he’d had to endure as a child. If his mother even deigned to join him, that was. And this certainly beat the stuffy business dinners he regularly had to sit through.
