Blue Christmas (The Moody Blue Trilogy | Book One)

by Moody, Diane

  He noticed the laugh lines that crinkled when she smiled. Her shining green eyes. And her hair . . . not even JT ever tried a red that shade! But he had to admit she was cute in her own special way. There was something so unique, so refreshing about her.

  Then he remembered that he was no longer interested in women or relationships or getting to know anyone new. He forced himself back to the task.

  “First of all, I’m sorry, Kylie. We blew it. What can I say? It was out of line for Laura and me to corner you. Okay?”

  She nodded her head without looking at him.

  “But you have to believe me when I tell you we are only interested in Hannah’s well-being. We’re concerned about her. We’ve played the game for years with this kind of notoriety and scandals and the wild chases with the paparazzi. It’s not fun and it can be very frightening. Especially to someone who is unfamiliar with all of it.

  “But even beyond all that, there’s an element of danger. I mean, everyone remembers what happened to Princess Diana. That’s the extreme edge where this kind of thing can go. They don’t know when to draw the line. They don’t know when to stop.”

  Sergio grew quiet, looking out his window. He traced his finger in the fog that steamed it. “When my kid brother was dying a few years ago, the press was unbelievable. They had no respect for what we were going through. It was horrible. And I’ve never forgotten it. If it wasn’t for what I do, who I am as a ‘celebrity,’ my family would have been spared a lot of added grief. There’s a lot of guilt that goes with that territory.”

  “That must have been very difficult for you. Especially on top of losing him.”

  He turned to face her. “Kylie, the deal is, I’m not trying to paint some dark, mystical picture here or be morbid or anything. It’s just that we all care about Hannah. And we feel like she’s ‘out there,’ and away from the kind of protection we can give her until this thing blows over.”

  She leaned her head against the top of the steering wheel. He smiled, grateful no horns or sirens went off. She was struggling. It was obvious.

  “So Kylie. Will you tell me? Will you tell us where she is?”

  Hannah spread her towel over the lounge chair on the beach. It was the last in a long row that lined the beach in front of the quaint hotel. She took a seat and leaned back, feeling the warm Florida sun against her skin. She reached over for the steaming mug of coffee she had set on the empty chair beside her. It tasted wonderful. Why do things always taste better outdoors?

  The gentle afternoon surf pounded quietly against the shore in a rhythm that soothed her to the bone. She inhaled deeply, loving the scent of the salt air. The lazy sound of sea gulls in the distance relaxed her. She peeked over her sunglasses just in time to see a line of pelicans gliding in perfect formation overhead.

  Oh God, thank you. Thank you for letting me come here.

  The flight from North Carolina was the worst she’d ever experienced. The plane was packed and she got stuck in the middle seat between two rather large passengers. Her elbows were smashed against her body as theirs consumed the armrests and then some. She tried to sleep but couldn’t get comfortable. The man in the window seat had actually wheezed when he slept.

  Finally, she made it to Tampa. She waited in a long queue for her rental car. Fortunately, most of these tourists headed east on Interstate 4 toward Orlando. She broke free of the pack and headed across the Howard Franklin Bridge toward Clearwater then south to her destination. It was late when she arrived at the hotel, but the clerk was accommodating. Her cottage was tucked around a corner, away from the courtyard and pool area, but facing the beach. Perfect.

  It was after midnight when she finally crashed. She hadn’t awakened until almost noon. She knew she should have called Kylie, but she was desperate to get out on the beach.

  As if she just needed to breathe.

  Now, she welcomed the warm air into her lungs and felt her muscles begin to loosen one by one.

  Suddenly, a shadow crossed her face. She opened her eyes, surprised to see a silhouette above her. The sunshine blinded her to anything but the dark outline of a person standing over her. Her heart pounded. She held her hand up to block out the sun, but it didn’t help.

  “Excuse me, but do you mind?” She hoped the panic in her voice wasn’t obvious.

  She felt someone touch her hair. A shiver ran down her back as she gasped, yanking her head away from this intruder’s touch.

  “Well, Hannah, it seems you can run, but you can’t hide.”

  Chapter 24

  “I can’t believe it. I cannot believe she would do this to me!”

  “I don’t see why you’re so—”

  “Shut up! Just shut up and leave me alone, Sergio!” Hannah yelled, kicking sand at him, as she stomped down the beach.

  He looked down at the legs of his jeans and his Nikes, now covered with sand. “Well, gee, Hannah, it’s nice to see you too. I come all this way and this is the thanks I get?” He looked up and noticed she was already several yards down the beach from him. He brushed off his jeans and rushed after her.

  Hannah turned and stopped dead in her tracks to face him, her hands planted on her hips. “What are you doing here anyway? What possible reason could you have to come find me?”

  Sergio studied the anger in her eyes. A slow mischievous smile spread across his face. “I was in the neighborhood?”

  She snapped her head to one side, still staring him down. “Right. Of course you were. Sergio, be honest with me—do I look like a moron? You were ‘in the neighborhood’? Like you went out for a stroll in Chapel Hill and just happened to end up here?”

  If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man.

  “Look, Hannah—” He reached out to touch her shoulder. She jerked out of his reach. He dropped his head and let out a frustrated sigh. “Okay, I know you made Kylie promise not to tell anyone where you were, but—”

  “Don’t even mention her name to me.” She turned on her heel and stomped off again.

  Sergio shook his head but rushed to catch up with her. “Will you stop this? Will you stop running off like this? I need to talk to you! Can’t you just chill for a minute and—”

  “I trusted her and she totally betrayed me. I can’t believe it! Doesn’t anyone know how to keep their mouth shut anymore? Is everyone—oh, never mind. What do I care,” she mumbled as her strides grew faster.

  Sergio grabbed her elbow and spun her around to face him again. “Knock it off, Hannah. Enough of the pity party, okay?”

  She stared him down. “How dare you!”

  “How dare me? Did it ever occur to you that there are a lot of people very concerned about you?”

  He released her arm and rubbed his face, then reached back up to knead the muscles in his neck. “Look, Hannah, the only reason I’m here—the only reason is because we were so worried about you.”

  He didn’t miss the slow arch of her eyebrows or the misting in her eyes.

  “We?”

  The simple question cut through him, the inference clear. He tore his eyes away to look out across the water. In his periphery, he saw her fold her arms across her chest and walk away again, this time at a much slower pace.

  “Hannah, it was Laura who asked me to come find you. Not—well, I’m sorry if I misled you to think . . . I meant . . .”

  She continued walking, her face turned away from him.

  He fell in step beside her. “But we were all concerned. With all the press pouncing on you, we were afraid you might get—”

  “It’s okay. You don’t have to explain.”

  “I don’t?”

  “No.”

  “So you’re not still mad?”

  She shot a sideways glance at him. Her eyes smiled even if her mouth didn’t.

  “And as for Kylie, don’t be too hard on her. She didn’t have a chance.”

  “And just what is that supposed to mean?”

  “What can I say? I put on the charm. And I twisted her arm.
Pretty hard, as a matter of fact.”

  “So you actually met her? Or was this verbal arm-twisting done over the phone?”

  He threw his head back laughing. “Oh Hannah, you have to tell me what planet you found her on!”

  “Yeah, you met her,” she answered knowingly. “Kylie is one of a kind.”

  “Maybe so, but exactly what ‘kind’ is that? From the moment she opened her door—I mean, ¡ella es muy loca!”

  “¿Muy loca?” Hannah teased back. “Crazy? Who, Kylie?”

  “You would not believe what that girl did to Frank’s car.”

  He told her the story, describing in great animation his entire encounter with her best friend. The more he got into it, the more she appeared to relax. With each new description of Kylie’s eccentric antics, the more easily her laughter spilled. She finally stopped walking, dropping down onto the sand as she continued to query him on his first close encounter with Kylie Reynolds.

  He followed Hannah’s lead, sitting down beside her. He leaned back, resting on his elbows, still chuckling. When their laughter dissipated, he exhaled, leaning his head back to bask in the warm sunshine. As Hannah slowly regained her composure, she laid back on the sand, folding her arms behind her head and crossing her feet at the ankles.

  “Oh, Sergio . . . how did it all get so insane?”

  They listened quietly to the lapping of the waves at their feet, enjoying the warm January sun. The silence in their conversation was as soothing as their surroundings. “I don’t know, to be honest,” he answered sleepily, squinting at her. “One minute, I’m off in Hawaii for the holidays, then my psycho-stalker girlfriend shoots Jackson. In a split second, everything went totally out of control.”

  “One minute, I’m minding my own business, just doing my job at the store,” Hannah added, “then Laura McKenzie comes through my line and everything goes out of control for me too. Suddenly, I find myself in this . . . this fantasy with Jason and you and the rest of the guys. And the next thing I know, I’m sitting on top of a picnic table at a park, eating Krispy Kremes with Jason.” She paused, raising her eyes to look up at the deep blue sky above her. “And he’s pouring his heart out to me, and . . . I just got so scared.”

  He turned on his side, facing her. He remained silent, hoping she would continue.

  “It all happened too fast. Way too fast. And I felt like, if he said one more word that day . . . about us . . . that it would somehow, I don’t know . . . like it might jinx what we had. I know it sounds silly, but from the first night I met him, I had this constant fear that at any moment, I would close my eyes and open them only to find him gone. The whole incredible experience would just vanish like some cruel, disappearing dream.

  “We were sitting there on that picnic table in the park. Jason was . . . I don’t know, exactly. Pouring out his heart, as if he might—” She closed her eyes against the sting. “And that’s the moment we got the call about Jackson. Sergio, we thought he had died. And then suddenly, we’re at the hospital—and there’s Jennifer. And my worst fears came true. Jason literally vanished right before my eyes.”

  Sergio was quiet for several moments before responding. “I’ve known Jason McKenzie a long time, Hannah. And I can swear to you—he never meant to hurt you. You have to believe that.”

  “I don’t know what to think, Sergio. That’s why I had to get away.” She sat up, brushing the sand off her arms.

  “And you thought running away would somehow help?”

  The fire was back in her eyes. “I suppose you think I should have stayed in Chapel Hill with that feeding frenzy by the press? No thank you.”

  “But at least we can give you some protection there. We can hire a security team to keep the press away from you. Coming down here all alone was a big risk.”

  “It seemed like the thing to do at the time. I’m not a professional at this like you all are.”

  Sergio sat up, brushing the sand off his clothes. “Well, beyond the hassle with the press, I know you can’t run away from your problems. I learned that up close and personal through my nightmare with Liza. More than I ever wanted to learn, believe me. Laura and Frank helped me get through all that. They showed me how important it is to face up to your problems, your disappointments, your anger—whatever—and turn it around for something good.”

  Hannah folded her arms over her bent knees and rested her head against them. “Laura and Frank are so strong in their faith. It’s like some incredible anchor that holds them, y’know? I’ve never known anyone who lived out their faith like that.”

  “I know. I wish I had that kind of faith.” He stood up, holding his hand out to help her up. They began walking along the water’s edge again. “And y’know what?”

  “What?”

  “You’re right about that anchor. I think you ought to let them help you get through this thing just like they helped me.”

  “I don’t know, Sergio. It’s different. I was in love with—” She stopped, the words hanging heavy between them. “Jason and I were . . .” She looked out across the water. “It’s an entirely different situation.”

  “But Frank and Laura are your friends now too, Hannah. Just like we all are. This wasn’t all some fly by night experience. You’re part of us now. When I first met you, it was as if you’d been one of us forever. Familia. And I’ve got to tell you—that’s very rare. Extremely rare. Normally, we’re extraordinarily cautious about ‘outsiders’ for obvious reasons. But you were totally different. And all I’m trying to say is, we want to help you. I know I do. And Laura does. And I know she can.”

  She seemed to dismiss his comments. “So Sergio, you said you were in the neighborhood. Was that just a line?”

  He laughed easily. “Actually, yes and no. I’ve got some meetings in Orlando tomorrow. But I would have come even if there were no meetings. Laura can be rather persuasive.”

  “Well, regardless how you got here, I’m glad you came. I’ll admit I was furious when I first saw you here. But it was also nice to see a familiar face.” She stopped and turned to face him, taking his hand in hers. “I can’t believe you cared enough to go out of your way to find me here.”

  He squeezed her hand tightly in his. “When are you gonna get it through that stubborn head of yours that we care about you? Huh?” When she returned his smile, he pulled her into a tender hug and felt her relax against him almost immediately.

  Sergio pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and winked at her. “Enough of all this serious stuff. I’m starving. What do you say we find some lunch somewhere?”

  They turned around, heading back to the motel. He threw his arm over her shoulder in a brotherly gesture and she laced her arm around his waist. “Sergio?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks.”

  He roughed her hair up. “You’re welcome, Hannah. De nada.”

  Chapter 25

  “Are you ready, Jackson?”

  “That’s an understatement. I want to go home. To my home.”

  Alli stuffed the last of Jackson’s belongings into the duffel bag and heaved it onto the cart supplied by the hospital. “I know, but just be thankful the doctors are letting you go to the McKenzie’s for a few days. That’s almost like home, right?” She planted a kiss on his forehead.

  “I know, I know,” he lamented, moving toward the obligatory wheelchair. “Why can’t I just walk out of here? I feel like some old geezer in this thing.”

  “Jackson, enough with the whining.” She handed him another bag to hold on his lap. “Are you still sure you want to donate all this stuff?”

  They looked around the room, overflowing with flowers, balloons, and stuffed animals. “Yeah, I’m sure. The kids in pediatrics will get a lot more use out of these than I will. Except for MJ’s autographed basketball. You packed it, right?”

  “Don’t worry. I got everything you want to keep. Including the flowers from William and Kate. I’m going to have them pressed. For a keepsake.”

  “I�
�ve gotta watch you like a hawk. I take a bullet and you’re flirting with royalty. What’s wrong with this picture?” He tossed her a lopsided grin. “And did I mention he’s married now? Oh yeah, I believe I did. And boy, is that one hot princess.”

  She planted a fist on her hip. “Jackson.”

  He grabbed her hands and pressed them to his lips. “I’m just kiddin’, babe.”

  She surveyed him curiously. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know. I feel so gritchy. I want to get out of this place. I want to go home. I want to go for a ride in my boat. I want to—”

  “—take care of yourself so you don’t wind up back in here. All that will come. But your recovery is serious business.”

  “I know, Alli. We’ve been all through this already.”

  “Yeah, at least a hundred times and I still don’t think you realize how important it is. You’ve got to be totally faithful to do all the exercises and take all your medications, and—”

  “Excuse me, Nurse Ratched. Can we just go?”

  “That’s just what I’m talking about! You keep joking about all of this like it’s some kind of game. You can’t fool around with it, Jax. There’s too much at stake. You are so lucky to be alive,” she whispered.

  He took a deep breath. “I don’t think luck had anything to do with it.”

  She attempted a smile, understanding his meaning. “You’re absolutely right. And I don’t think any of us will ever be the same because of it.” She cleared her throat and stood back up. “Okay, let’s blow this joint, whad’ya say?”

  The endless crowd of well-wishers gathered to see off the celebrity patient. Jackson was gracious to all of them, signing autographs, stopping for others to take photographs of him with nurses, doctors, and other patients, especially those from pediatrics. His parents urged the entourage to keep moving, obviously worried how exhausting this would be for their son.

  Finally, loaded in the limousine along with his parents at a back entrance in the parking garage, they headed out for the McKenzie estate. Alli sat beside him, holding his hand in hers. His parents sat on one of the side seats.