Sugar And Spice (Holidays: Valentine)

by Charlotte French

  “Are you even listening to me?” Andrea demanded.

  “I’ve heard every word you said,” Crissy replied. “I just don’t feel the need to respond when it’s not true.”

  Andrea sucked in an indignant breath, ready to protest further, but Crissy plowed on.

  “I am very happy with the relationship I am currently in,” she said. “And I will not allow you or Mom to butcher it because it doesn’t fit your agenda, whatever the hell that is. I do not need or want anyone finding me a date for your wedding. And I am not apologizing to Mom. When she is no longer upset, she can call me back and we can have a civil conversation but if all she’s going to do is accuse me of being ungrateful, I have no interest in talking to her. Is that clear?”

  Andrea was silent for a full minute, before, finally, she said, “Yes.”

  “I have full confidence you will pass that message on to her.”

  “May I speak now? Or are you going to continue to rant at me?”

  “I’m finished,” Crissy said, bracing herself for the hell storm that was brewing on the other end of the line.

  “Mother wanted me to convince you to agree to this date she has for you,” Andrea said. “And I’ve tried to be sensitive about it but I see sensitivity is very obviously off the table so I’ll cut straight to the chase. Mother talked to Rob and he’s agreed to carve time out of his busy schedule to attend the wedding. It would be rude to ignore…”

  Crissy started shaking as fury coursed through her. Her mouth worked open and closed for a moment but what could she possibly say to that? She should have expected this. Maybe she already knew, deep down.

  “Cristina,” Andrea said, cutting through the hazy fog of anger clouding Crissy’s thoughts. “I think you know you have to accept…”

  “Absolutely not,” Crissy growled. “I have a date already.”

  “Fine,” Andrea spat. “But you better be ready to step in when Mother is too upset to help me with my wedding.”

  And she hung up. But this time, Crissy didn’t feel a rush of relief when the conversation was over. She still felt blindsided. She knew it was going to be bad. Maybe she already knew that…his…name would come up. It still felt like a jolt of ice cold water filling her lungs. What if she had walked into that wedding blind without knowing he would be there? What if she hadn’t met Quinn and she was there alone, forced to spend the evening with him, making polite chit chat after he’d ripped her heart inside out?

  Quinn’s name floated to the forefront of her mind again. She hadn’t even asked him yet. What if he was busy with work? What if he couldn’t come? What if he didn’t want to come?

  Crissy climbed the stairs back to her room. Amy wiggled her bare toes at her and patted the bed.

  “Spill the beans, sugar,” she said. “You look wrecked. I told you to hold off.”

  “How do you know these things?”

  “Because I do not insist on wearing those god damn rose colored glasses that you refuse to take off.”

  “Says the woman who is about to willingly put herself through how many hours of labor to give birth to a screaming poopy child?”

  Amy paused, nodded. “Touche.”

  “I’m changing my number tomorrow,” Crissy said. “And my schedule may be free in June, you never know.”

  Amy raised her eyebrows. “You’re not going to the wedding? Was it really that bad?”

  Crissy sighed. “I don’t know. I mean, it was bad. The date my mom had set up for me was…” She had promised she wouldn’t say his name and she wouldn’t now. She had moved on. She was head over heels in love with an incredible man. She wouldn’t think about him anymore.

  “No,” Amy said with a frown. “Not him. Millions of men on this planet and your mother has to choose him?”

  Crissy shoved off the bed. “Which is exactly why I may not be going to the wedding. I told my mom off. I told my sister off. I have no idea if I’m even invited now. I don’t really care. I’m going to dinner with my boyfriend to meet his family.”

  Amy settled back against Crissy’s pillows again. “You go girl, rock that confidence. I like it on you. It’s a good look.”

  “I don’t feel confident. I feel pissed off. And mad.”

  Amy shrugged. “They go together more often than you think. Still looks good on you. Keep it going, sugar. Work it for all its worth. You know this won’t be the last you’ll hear from your family though. They don’t let things go easy.”

  “Ugh. Don’t remind me. I really don’t want to think about what else they have in store for me. Tonight’s phone call was more than enough.”

  The bell over the front door jingled and Quinn’s deep voice floated up the stairs.

  “Crissy?” he called. “Are you here?”

  Crissy flew down the stairs and rose up on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him.

  “Whoa,” he said, his hands coming to rest on her waist. “Hello to you too.”

  She pulled back a little. “You’re amazing,” she said.

  “I think you might feel differently after you meet my family but okay.”

  She shook her head. “I doubt it. Besides, you needed to know that now.”

  Quinn gave a small laugh and brushed his thumb over her chin. “I’ll be honest, I could definitely get used to it.”

  “Good. Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

  She turned and ran back up the stairs.

  “How’s Prince Charming?” Amy asked.

  “Handsome as ever,” Crissy replied, hopping on one foot as she tugged on her boots. She dropped to her knees at the end of her bed and looked up at Amy. “I think I understand.”

  Amy frowned. “Understand what?”

  “Remember how I told you that Manu is lost on you?”

  Amy nodded.

  “That’s how I feel about Quinn. I know it’s a little soon but…it just seems to get stronger and stronger the more I see him.”

  Amy smiled, soft and slow and truly happy. “It’s about damn time you had something like that in your life, sugar. You deserve it.”

  Crissy bounced on the bed and kissed Amy’s cheek before she grabbed her purse and ran for the door.

  “Don’t leave crumbs on my bed,” she said.

  “You leave crumbs on your bed all the time. I’m only helping.”

  “I do not. That’s always you leaving crumbs on my bed. And there are more cookies in the jar on the counter if you want them.”

  “All of them?”

  Crissy spun around and grinned. “I have to get that little baby addicted to sugar, don’t I?”

  Amy’s answering grin spread from ear to ear. “You bet your ass you do. And you’re scary good at it too.”

  Crissy clattered down the stairs and this time Quinn caught her as she barreled into him for another kiss. He laughed against her mouth.

  “What has gotten into you?” he said, sliding his arm around her waist as he opened the door.

  She tucked her arm into his elbow and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “I might be a little crazy for you,” she said. “And I realized today that you’re…you’re good for me.”

  “How so?”

  “You make me very happy.”

  Quinn smiled down at her, wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  “You make me very happy, too,” he said.

  He started pulling her towards the door but she broke off.

  “Wait! Cookies,” she said.

  She ran into the kitchen, retrieved the huge box of rocky road cookies. Quinn’s eyebrows shot up when she returned, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Ready,” she said.

  “How much sugar is in that box?” he asked, taking the box from her.

  “Oh, I lost count after about six dozen cookies.”

  “Christ,” he muttered. “I’m going to be dead by the time those kids ever fall asleep.”

  Quinn helped her into his
truck like he usually did, set the box of cookies at her feet, and once they were on the road, Crissy thought about dropping that bomb of a question into the comfortable silence. Asking him to be her date for the wedding.

  But then she held back. There would still be plenty of time to ask him whether he would accompany her to the wedding or not. She didn’t need to ruin tonight.

  Quinn reached across the seat and let his fingers come to rest in the palm of her hand, not quite a grasp, just a touch, a reassurance.

  “Everything okay?” he asked. “You looked a little…agitated earlier.”

  For a moment, Crissy closed her eyes. It would be so easy to spill everything that happened. But that wouldn’t set the right tone for tonight’s plans. This was about his family, not the train wreck that was her family. She wanted to focus on him and how happy she felt when she was around him.

  “I’ll tell you later,” she said.

  He studied her for a moment and Crissy almost thought that he might push the subject. But then he returned his attention to the road and his hand flattened against her palm, his fingers curling up to engulf her hand in warmth and comfort. She smiled and slid a little closer to him, settling their clasped hands in her lap.

  Megan’s house sat well outside of town, accompanied by a scattering of other modest houses with the white capped mountains looming in the background, stalwart protectors of the tiny neighborhood. As Crissy and Quinn walked up the sidewalk to the porch, the box of cookies tucked under Quinn’s arm, he laced his fingers through hers. He paused at the door and smiled at her.

  “Thank you for doing this,” he said.

  Before she could reply, the door burst open and a flurry of chaos ensued, sweeping Crissy along with it. Three small children raced in circles through the entrance way, shrieking with laughter. Megan stood in the middle of it all, the picture of serenity. She spread an arm out wide, practically glowing, while she cradled a baby in her other arm.

  “Crissy!” she said. “I was over the moon when Quinn said you agreed to come over for dinner! Get in here, it’s freezing.”

  Megan wrapped an arm around Crissy’s shoulders and pulled her into the house, wading through the children. Crissy felt her fingers slip from Quinn’s grip as he stood back and watched her get sucked into his family.

  “Go easy on her, Megan,” Quinn said, a gentle warning, with more affection behind it than intent to follow through if the warning wasn’t heeded. The children eyed the box tucked under his arm. Crissy tapped one child on the shoulder and pointed.

  “Ask Uncle Quinn what’s in the box,” she said.

  The children gathered around him, tugging at his coat and hands. “Uncle Quinn! Uncle Quinn! Can we see?”

  Quinn held the box above his head. “Not until after dinner!”

  “Such a grumpy old man,” Megan said. She glanced at Crissy. “I take it that’s your doing?”

  Crissy nodded. “Quinn thought it would be a good idea to bribe the children with sugar.”

  Quinn spluttered. “That was your idea, not mine.”

  “You didn’t stop me.”

  “As if anyone could ever stop you.”

  Crissy raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to him. “Good answer,” she said and kissed his cheek as she took the box from him, prying the lid open.

  “Cookies!” the children shrieked.

  “And now you’re their favorite person in the entire world,” Megan said, stealing a cookie for herself. “Possibly my favorite person too, wow. Keep that box away from me. I will eat it all before dinner.”

  She transferred the sleeping baby to Quinn’s arms. “You go sit over there and watch the kids. Crissy and I will be in the kitchen. I have culinary questions for her.”

  “Does it have anything to do with your pumpkin pie looking like something the baby upchucked?” Quinn asked wryly.

  “Quinn Spencer, you are a terrible, disgusting person,” Megan shot back. “And in the presence of company too.”

  He glanced past Megan to look at Crissy. “Crissy knows I’m a terrible person and she doesn’t seem to mind.”

  Megan tipped her chin up, trying – and failing – to look down on Quinn despite his six inches of height difference.

  “She’s a much better person than me. Next time, you won’t talk so tough when you’re not holding a baby and I can kick your ass into the cold for mocking my cooking.”

  Crissy bit her lip and ducked her head to hide her laugh at Quinn and Megan’s squabbling. It felt good, to see them so comfortable and natural, giving each other a hard time even though neither one of them meant any of it. But a small part of her ached too. She missed out on this with her own sister. Crissy had never been like this with Andrea. Sharp, needling comments were returned with even sharper comments that only hurt more and left deeper scars.

  Megan put two fingers in her mouth and let out a shrill whistle. The three children racing in circles around them went stock still.

  “Head on downstairs,” she said. “If I hear one scream, you’ll sleep in the doghouse and gnaw on a raw bone for dinner. Understood?”

  “Yes, Mama,” they chorused and trooped into the hallway, jostling each other as they reached the stairs and disappeared.

  Megan took Crissy’s wrists and pulled her into the kitchen. “Whoa, there, Crissy,” she said. “Why the long face? Did we upset you? Believe me, Quinn is a big boy. He can handle everything I dish out at him. He really doesn’t care.”

  Crissy smiled slightly, shaking off the darker thoughts clouding her mind. “No, it’s not that. I was just…miles away.”

  Megan bumped Crissy’s shoulder with hers. “Want to talk about it? I’m all ears. I don’t mean to brag but after four kids, I like to think I have an edge on the listening department.” She raised her voice so Quinn could hear in the other room, “Much better than my bonehead brother could ever listen. I can promise you that.”

  “Don’t flatter yourself,” Quinn called back.

  Megan returned her attention to Crissy, propping her hand on her hip. “So what is it that’s got you a million miles away?”

  Crissy just shook her head. “Family drama. The usual.”

  Megan nodded with a small noise of understanding. “That stuff is the worst. Just getting all over each other’s nerves.”

  “You and Quinn seem really close though. I don’t know of many brothers who would move back home to help with their nieces and nephews.”

  “Oh, I know, I’m crazy lucky. Don’t let the insults fool you.” She held her hands up. “Stay there. Don’t move. Let me get my pumpkin pie so you can start assessing your patient. Keep talking. I’m listening.”

  Megan turned to the refrigerator, retrieved the pie, uncovered the dish and set it on the counter. The center was runny as soup but the edges of the crust were burnt to a blackened crisp. She gestured to it in frustration.

  “Every time I try to make it,” she said. “This happens.”

  “Don’t fix it,” Quinn called from the living room. “I’ve got money down that she’ll have a dozen fails in a row.”

  “Quinn, you jerk, shut up,” Megan fired back. She lowered her voice and whispered to Crissy, “Please, help me. Let me rub it in his face.”

  “I heard that,” Quinn said.

  Crissy laughed. “You’re cooking it at too high of a temperature I’m guessing,” she said. “Cover the crust with aluminum foil until the center gets firm.”

  “Traitor,” Quinn said.

  “That sounds stupidly simple,” Megan replied. “And I am ashamed I didn’t think of that before. I have an extra crust in the freezer, I’ll give it another shot. If I do anything wrong, just yell at me.”

  Megan started mixing up a second pie while Crissy watched and gave pointers. She tried to actually pitch in and help but Megan would always shoo her back, insisting that she wanted to do it herself or else it wouldn’t count and Quinn would never let her get away with it.

  “It’s very important I beat him,” M
egan said matter-of-factly. “Lifelong sibling rivalry must be carried out. It’s tradition.”

  “How long was he gone?” Crissy asked. “He said he just moved back here a few months before I met him.”

  Megan nodded as she measured out the cinnamon and cloves.

  “He was gone for…wow, five years I think? Maybe longer than that. It was all a whirlwind after my husband went into the military and then the kids came along and I seemed to forget so much more than I used to.”

  “You must have missed him very much.”

  Megan let out a short laugh. “Hell no. Are you kidding? He was a pain in my ass when we were growing up. I couldn’t stand him. We were always getting into fights and for a while, I was winning. He was too scrawny and nerdy. And then he went and hit puberty, the bastard. Grew six inches in one year and got on a wrestling team in high school. I stopped any physical fights with him after he nearly crushed me. Of course, I got him into trouble plenty of other ways so it evened out.”

  “But you seem to get along so well now,” Crissy said. “It’s hard to imagine the two of you never liking each other.”

  Megan shrugged. She slid the pie into the oven and set the timer.

  “Shorter time,” Crissy said.

  Megan adjusted it. “Thank god for you.” She turned around, crossed her arms, and leaned back on the counter. “To be honest, we tolerated each other. We didn’t hate each other. But growing up isn’t easy. Our dad…” She paused, shook her head. “Well, I won’t go into details. All I’ll say is that our dad wasn’t around once we started our teen years and we learned the hard way that we had to rely on each other.”

  “And now he’s taking care of your kids,” Crissy said.

  Megan smiled, her eyes full of warmth and affection. She beckoned Crissy closer and pointed through the kitchen to the adjoining living room. Quinn sat on a chair by the window, watching the baby in his arms, fast asleep. He trailed one finger along the baby’s soft round pink cheek.

  “He changed when he got back,” Megan said. “He was…quieter. Gentler. And he tried so much harder to be there for all of us.”

  “Why did he leave in the first place?” Crissy asked.