Holiday with a Twist

by Shannon Stacey

  And Croy didn’t mind too much being alone in a houseful of family. He had his old man, who felt the loss of their mom most keenly during her favorite time of year, and they’d play a game or two of chess and eat too much.

  But he couldn’t help but wish Leigh was there with him. She got along well with his family, and every time Jeff smiled at Carrie or she touched his hand, Croy felt a pang of envy. It had only gotten worse when she’d texted him the picture of TJ and Atticus in their hideous matching sweaters. Text messages weren’t enough, but he couldn’t call since neither of them had any privacy. He’d see her tomorrow, he thought, pulling up the picture again to make himself smile.

  “What are you doing, son?” his dad asked in an unusually quiet voice.

  “Nothing. Just looking at a funny picture.”

  “I’ve seen you with her downstairs. I hear your brothers talking. You and that girl are more than just friends.”

  Croy wasn’t going to outright lie to his dad. And of course Lucas had moved close enough to hear the conversation, since his “oldest” radar had probably pinged. “If I tell you something, it can’t leave this room. I mean it.”

  “We can keep our business to ourselves.”

  “Leigh broke off her engagement like two months before she even came back to New Hampshire and it had nothing to do with me, obviously. And because he was her boss and they were also still friends, she also quit her job to make it easier for them to move on. But she doesn’t want to tell her family until after the holidays.”

  “Well, thank God for that,” his dad said. “I was starting to wonder about you.”

  “Why doesn’t she want to tell her family?” Carrie asked, and Croy realized the entire family was now part of the conversation. Like that was a surprise. “If I ended my engagement and gave up my job, I’d want to talk to my mom about it, even if I wasn’t torn up about it.”

  He shrugged. “I guess she feels like there’s enough on her mother’s shoulders right now. I think she wants to have a new job back in Houston before she tells them, too. Maybe a pride thing.”

  “So she’s still going back?” Lucas asked.

  “Last I knew, that was her plan.” He tried not to think about it too much. “She hasn’t said anything that leads me believe her plans have changed.”

  “You’re going to try to change her mind, though, right?” That was from Jeff.

  Croy grinned, despite tension making his face feel stiff. He was running out of time. “I might. Subtly.”

  Carrie laughed. “Don’t be too subtle. This family needs more women, and it’ll be a while yet before Emily gets a say in things.”

  He didn’t tell them they already had plans to get together tomorrow at his place, where they could actually have some privacy. He’d already said too much, just by telling them the truth about Leigh’s situation.

  “What did you get her for Christmas?” Carrie asked, and he could tell by the expectant look on her face that she was going to make a judgment about their relationship based on the gift he’d chosen for Leigh.

  “I’m not telling,” he said, and she looked disappointed. “I think she’ll love it, but if you guys don’t think it’s enough, then I’ll second-guess myself and feel awkward.”

  “When are you giving it to her?”

  Carrie was good, he thought. “Next time I see her.”

  “You’re not going to tell me anything at all, are you?”

  “Nope.”

  She shook her head. “Just don’t be so subtle she gets on a plane back to Houston without catching the hint, Croy.”

  “It’s only been a couple of weeks. It’s not exactly proposal time.”

  “You’ve known her your whole life,” his father pointed out. “And no, it’s not proposal time, but if you don’t let her know you want her to stay, you’ll be kicking yourself in the ass when she leaves.”

  Croy nodded, but he didn’t say anything else, hoping that would be the end of the conversation. His family meant well, but he was pretty sure Leigh wasn’t ready for that talk. Or that he was. He wanted more time, but her stay in town had an expiration date and he wasn’t going to get it.

  But his dad was right. If he wanted her to stay, he was going to have to tell her, even if he risked her rejecting him. For all he knew, he was just a holiday fling to her. Maybe he was her rebound guy. Just because they were perfect together now didn’t mean they were meant to stay together.

  And that was too depressing a thought for Christmas, so he reverted to the standard Dawson distraction. “How ’bout it, Dad? You up for a game of chess?”

  * * *

  It was an unseasonably warm evening, so after Christmas dinner had been devoured, Leigh and Hope decided to take a walk with TJ and Atticus. Jenna opted to go with them, but Aimee opted out because her phone was at twenty percent and she didn’t have her backup charger. She wasn’t leaving the outlet.

  They didn’t walk far or fast. Even though it had warmed up, there was still enough snow and slush to navigate that Hope opted to carry TJ in a sling rather than push a stroller. But it was good to get out of the house and they talked the entire way. Or rather Hope and Jenna did, mostly about the kids. Leigh figured they wouldn’t notice she did a lot more listening than talking, since Jenna was still in the dark about her situation and there was almost nothing about her life she could share until she came clean about Jason and her job. And Croy.

  Unfortunately, as soon as they walked back into the house, she knew something had happened. Her dad was sitting at the kitchen table and her mom was leaning against the counter with her arms folded across her chest. It was the standard position they took when gearing up for a serious discussion with one or more of their daughters.

  The other two didn’t seem to notice, probably because they hadn’t been doing anything wrong, and they continued on to the living room to see Randy and Aimee, and she knew Hope would be feeding TJ soon. Taking a wild guess that it was her that her parents had been talking about, she decided to face the music and walk into the kitchen.

  “Jason called here looking for you,” her mom said without preamble.

  “What?” Leigh froze in her tracks. “What do you mean he called here?”

  “I mean the phone rang and I answered it and it was Jason. You didn’t answer your cell phone and he’s on his way to his parents’ for Christmas dinner and he can’t find one of the gifts he bought his mother. He wanted to know if it accidentally got mixed in with your stuff when you moved out. Two months ago, apparently.”

  Not good. Leigh knew that tone and her mom was more than mad. She was hurt, and Leigh tried to buy time until she could think of an explanation better than not wanting to worry her parents. “How did he get your number? I don’t think it was written down anywhere other than stored in my phone.”

  “He probably looked it up in the phone book.”

  “Nobody has phone books anymore, Mom. Who even has landlines?”

  “We do, and of course we’re in the telephone book. If you’re not, only people who you’ve given your cell phone number to can call you.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  “And you’re trying to deflect until you can figure out how to get away from this conversation.”

  Leigh sighed. “I was going to tell you after the holidays.”

  “Why wouldn’t you tell me right away? You’re my daughter and I don’t even know what’s happening in your life!”

  “There’s already so much going on, with selling the house and moving and Christmas and Hope’s divorce. I just didn’t want to add to the pile of things on your mind.”

  Her mom’s mouth tightened and she shook her head. “Instead you’ve let me worry about you running around with Croy Dawson while you’re engaged to another man.”

  “I expected
better from that boy,” her father said, his first venture into the conversation. That was also par for the course. They parented as a unit, always presenting a united front, but he let Mom do most of the talking.

  “Croy’s known about Jason since the day I got into town, so he hasn’t done anything wrong.”

  “You told him and not your own family?” Her mother’s voice was the perfect blend of sad and angry to get under Leigh’s skin.

  “I didn’t intend to tell anybody. The drinks were a little stronger than I anticipated and it kind of came out. But I made him swear not to tell because you guys already have enough on your plate.”

  “How are you set for money?” There went her dad, injecting some practicality into an emotional discussion.

  “I’m fine. We had separate bank accounts and I have a healthy savings. My belongings are mostly in storage because I’m renting a tiny studio apartment month-to-month until I figure out what I’m doing, but I’ve had some interest from other companies already. I’m really okay, Dad.”

  “Are you still going to go back to Houston?” her mother asked. “I mean, with no job and no Jason, there’s really nothing holding you there.”

  And this was the part she’d been dreading, and it was even worse to have it come out on Christmas Day. All she could do was make it clear it was a practical choice, not a rejection of her hometown or her parents’ way of life. “There are a lot of big companies in Houston, Mom. And I’ve gotten used to living in the city. Wendy and I are going to look at a duplex to buy.”

  “You know we support whatever you decide,” her father said.

  “But I can’t get over the fact you’ve been keeping this a secret from us. This whole time I’ve thought you were happy and...”

  When her mom’s face started to crumple and tears choked off her words, Leigh went and wrapped her arms around her. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t want you to worry. I was going to tell you after the holidays were over and you were all settled in the new condo and I had a great new job to be excited about.”

  Her mom sniffled and squeezed her tightly.

  “And Mom, I am happy.” She said the words as the realization came to her. “I’m happier right now than I’ve been in a very long time.”

  And she knew later, when the dust from this had settled and she had some time to herself, she was going to have to give some serious thought to why that was true.

  Chapter Nine

  Leigh didn’t pull into his driveway until almost ten the next morning, so Croy was already awake and dressed. His plan to see how she might wake him up was foiled, but that was okay. He had no problem with getting undressed.

  But as soon as she walked in the door, his plans changed. “Hey, you. Rough night?”

  She shrugged, but he could see the dark circles and when she smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes. “I didn’t sleep all that well. But I brought you a Christmas present.”

  She pulled a wrapped package out of her coat pocket and handed it to him. He took it, but then he pulled her close and kissed her gently before wrapping her in a hug. She squeezed back and he knew he’d been right. She wasn’t ready to talk about it yet, but something was bothering her.

  “Should I open it now?” he asked.

  She laughed, sounding almost like herself, and stepped back. “Of course.”

  He took his time unwrapping it, and found a wooden box. After giving her a questioning look, he opened the lid and found a deck of cards. On the back of the deck was the same logo as the Center Street Pub coaster. “Oh, wow. These are so cool. Where did you get them?”

  She shrugged. “I know a woman who could get it done in a hurry. Remember when we were kids, we played cards all the time. I swear, we started with Go Fish and then Rummy and eventually we taught ourselves to play poker.”

  “I do remember.” Smiling, he cupped the back of her neck and kissed her again. “Thank you.”

  Then he walked to the tiny tree he’d put in the corner of his living room and picked up the sole gift in front of it. After handing it to her, he stood back to watch her open it.

  Her face lit up when she opened the box and pulled out the hand-painted martini glass. It was decorated with candy canes and tiny snowflakes with rhinestone centers glued on. And on the bottom of the glass, the recipe for a candy cane martini was carefully written out in tiny painted letters.

  “I love it.” This time she cupped his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, which he didn’t mind. Whoever started the kissing didn’t matter, as long as he got to kiss her. “Thank you. And Merry Christmas.”

  She set the glass on the counter next to his cards, and it made him ridiculously happy to see her smile at it again. It wasn’t particularly expensive or any kind of a grand gesture, but as soon as he’d seen it, he’d thought of her.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked when she sat on his couch and curled her feet under the fleece blanket always tossed there.

  “No, I’m good, thanks.”

  She wasn’t good, though, and he was starting to get worried. “You want to talk about it?”

  “Not really. I didn’t come over here to cry on your shoulder.”

  To hell with it. He went and sat on the couch next to her, putting her feet down so he could pull her into his embrace. “There’s no set reason for being here, Leigh. You’re just here with me and if you want to talk, I’ve got strong shoulders.”

  “I went for a walk with my sisters and last night and while I was out, Jason called the house. He talked to my mother.”

  It took a few seconds for the implication of her words to sink in. “So your family knows now?”

  She nodded, her head rubbing against his shirt. Croy took a moment to sort through his feelings before opening his mouth. While he knew it must have sucked to be blindsided and have that conversation with her parents before she was ready, he was relieved. Now there were no secrets and that meant no more sneaking around.

  But for right now, it was about Leigh and her family. “And they didn’t take it well?”

  “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but my mom was pretty upset. My dad wasn’t really happy, either, but it’ll be okay.”

  “So why the rough night if it didn’t go as badly as you’d feared?”

  “Just a lot on my mind, I guess. There’s no reason not to focus on what I’m doing next now. I’ve been putting off responding to some job offers by pretending it was too hard to make phone calls without my family overhearing, but that’s not a problem anymore.”

  Croy tensed, guessing this conversation was about to head down a road he didn’t care to travel. But it had to be said. “Job offers in Houston?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So you’re still going back?”

  “I only ever planned to be here for three weeks.”

  “Yeah, but I thought maybe things had changed.”

  She was quiet for a long moment, so he knew she was choosing her words carefully and that didn’t bode well for him. Experience told him if people had to plan responses, they were trying to avoid saying something he wouldn’t want to hear. “Walking away from my life in Houston would be a very big deal.”

  Croy sighed and rested his chin on the top of her head. He wanted what they had together to be a very big deal to her. At least a big enough deal to consider staying.

  “I don’t know what to do about the restaurant, though,” she continued. “I don’t want to leave you guys in the lurch.”

  “We’ll be fine.” He didn’t want to talk about jobs. Work. Logistics. He wanted to talk about their relationship, but he held back because it was probably going to hurt. “Jeff will be spending more time in the kitchen and Lucas can do the greeting and seating. The initial rush from the award will fade, and the Christmas shopping season is over, so things will settle down.”
>
  “Oh. Well, that’s good, I guess.” She sat up and turned to face him. “Tell me what’s wrong. I can hear it in your voice.”

  “Nothing’s wrong.” Other than the fact his heart was breaking because she was worried about her job offers and the restaurant, but she hadn’t said a damn thing about him. But when she looked at him the way she was, as if she was pleading with him to say something, he couldn’t keep quiet about it. “I guess I thought you were using Jason as a wall to keep from being able to get too attached to me and once the secret was out, maybe our relationship would change. But I guess it just frees you up to get back to planning your career sooner.”

  “I wasn’t using Jason as a wall. I’d made the decision not to tell my parents before I even got on the plane to come here. I didn’t expect you.”

  And he certainly hadn’t expected her. “No, I get it. I wasn’t part of the plan. And I’m still not.”

  The color seemed to drain from her face. “Croy, that’s not fair.”

  From where he was sitting, it might not be fair, but it was true. And it hurt like hell.

  “I don’t know what we’re even doing,” she continued. “I’m trying to figure everything out, but we’ve never talked about what’s going on between us and now, when we’re talking about it, you’re being a jerk.”

  “If you’d gone to your parents the first time I asked you to, after we kissed in their kitchen, maybe we’d know what’s going on because we wouldn’t have had your ex and your family between us the entire time.”

  Tears shimmered in her eyes for a few seconds, practically gutting him, but then she lifted her chin and blinked them away. “Okay. I’m going to go now. This is going nowhere and I can’t... I can’t do this.”

  He should stop her. He wanted to, but what good would it do? Spending a few more days together wasn’t going to make it any easier to let her go. And from what she’d said, she hadn’t changed her mind about going back to Houston.