A Very Crimson Christmas (Crimson, Colorado 4)

by Michelle Major

  Liam took a bite of his own burrito as a way to buy himself a little time to think about his answer to that question. The idea of headquartering his new company here was just something he’d thrown out to appease his former nanny. Two days ago, he’d had no intention of spending more time in this town than was absolutely necessary. He had to admit the thought of starting LifeMap here held some appeal, even beyond making his father furious. But he couldn’t quite forget the past or how badly things had ended for him in Crimson once before. Although his anger and resentment felt as though they’d gone through a process to dull them, take down the harsh edges. He reached for the pain but couldn’t quite grasp it.

  What he could remember with great detail was the way Natalie had felt in his arms last night. “There’s a long way to go before any decisions are made. I hadn’t really planned on considering Crimson as a headquarters, so we have other locations in the running, as well. I’m willing to consider this town if it can offer what we need.”

  “What exactly is it you need, Liam?”

  The word home popped immediately into Liam’s mind. A place where he was more than just his last name or his bank account. He focused instead on the company. “LifeMap needs to attract talented, smart people. I’m going to need a team of programmers as well as marketing experts. I want to invest good money in my intellectual capital and build a company that will attract those kinds of employees. The location will be important and I’d rather not do a new build. If I can renovate something or find a spot that’s move-in ready I’d be thrilled. That’s where you’re at a disadvantage. Bigger cities have a lot more to offer.”

  “I can set you up with a commercial Realtor later today. If this moves forward, we can start talking about incentives from the town. We’re small, but we mean business.” He took another sip of coffee. “If you need a contractor to oversee renovations, they don’t get any better than Logan Travers. He came back to town last year and focuses mainly on residential and historic buildings downtown, but I’m sure he could give you some great advice. Do you remember him?”

  Liam felt his breath hitch as his chest constricted. “Of course I remember Logan,” he said, his voice raspy. “His twin sister died in my arms.”

  Chapter Four

  “If you take the medicine without a fuss, Mr. Manzia, I’ll give you an extra scoop of ice cream.”

  “It tastes bad,” the older man said with a shake of his head, turning back to his newspaper.

  Natalie wanted to groan. She was six hours into her shift and had a headache to match. Harold Manzia always complained about medicine. Normally she took it in stride, playing little games to see how quickly she could get him to acquiesce. But since her encounter with Liam two nights ago, she’d been sleeping worse than usual and was not on top of her game today.

  “Harold, would you walk me down to the community room?” Ruth looked up from her needlework. “I’d like to get a good seat for the children’s concert this afternoon.” She gave Natalie a slow wink as Harold tossed down the paper and came to his feet.

  “Be happy to, Ruthie.” It was no secret the elderly widower had quite a crush on Ruth.

  “Medicine first,” Natalie said, holding out the small plastic cup of liquid.

  Harold waved her away. “Later.”

  Natalie moved in front of Harold. “Now.”

  “I’m sure one of the other men would be able to take me if you can’t.” Ruth glanced over her shoulder. “But I was looking forward to spending the afternoon with you.”

  With a growl, Harold grabbed the cup from Natalie and downed the white liquid, only shuddering a little as he did. “Nasty stuff.”

  “I know,” Natalie conceded as he handed her the empty vial. “But it keeps you regular.”

  “Regular is good,” Ruth added. “George Clark gets the worst gas when things aren’t moving. I can barely stand to be around him.” She stood, then reached out to pat Harold’s fingers. “I wouldn’t want that to happen to you, Harold.”

  Natalie suppressed a smile as Mr. Manzia considered the possibility. She pressed a quick kiss to Ruth’s temple. “Thanks for the help.”

  “My pleasure, dear,” Ruth whispered.

  “About what I asked you earlier—your money and my ex-husband...”

  Ruth’s sharp gaze went suddenly blank. “Liam handles my money, Natalie. You know he has gobs.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “It was such a shame the two of you broke up. Now that he’s back in town, maybe there’s another chance. He might ask you to the winter dance at the high school.”

  “We’ve been out of high school for over ten years, Ruth. You remember that, right?”

  “Oh, well...” Ruth closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and smiled. “He’ll buy you the loveliest corsage.”

  Natalie bit back a sigh as Harold stepped forward. “Ready, Ruthie?”

  “Harold really is my favorite,” Ruth told Natalie before turning to the older man.

  Natalie watched as Harold took Ruth’s arm and headed toward the hall. The music teacher at Austin’s elementary school had arranged for the kids in his class to come to Evergreen and sing Christmas carols to the residents. As soon as Natalie finished a few charts, she’d join them for the performance.

  When she turned for the nurses’ office, Liam was standing in the doorway. Heat flooded through her at the sight of him and she had to force herself not to fidget. “You just missed Ruth,” she said, tossing Harold’s empty cup into a nearby trash can, then refolding the newspaper. She wondered how much of the conversation he’d overheard.

  “I noticed.” He leaned a shoulder against the door frame, unzipping his insulated jacket. For some reason, the soft colors of the senior center made him look even more rugged in comparison. Not that Natalie was paying attention. “She always had a way with the men.”

  “Why do you think she never remarried after her husband died?”

  Liam shrugged. “She always said she might have a lot of love in her life but there had only ever been one love of her life.” The way he stared at her as he said the words made a shiver run across the back of her neck. “Does she often come with you to the center during the day?”

  “A couple of times a week before her fall.” Natalie fluffed a pillow on the sofa in the now-empty sitting room. Residents loved when kids came to visit, so people who would normally be gathered around the television or playing games in the dining hall had gone down to the community room for the concert. “Her other nurse called in sick today and I didn’t want to leave her at the house alone.”

  “You could have called me.”

  There was something in his tone, maybe accusation, and her defenses pricked in response. “She’s hired me to be her nurse. If I thought there was an issue with her leaving the house I wouldn’t have brought her. I’m good at what I do, Liam.”

  “I’m not arguing that, but she’s like family to me.”

  He probably hadn’t meant the comment as an intentional barb, but it still stung. Nothing would have made Natalie happier than to have Ruth as part of her real family. “And I’m the hired help. I get it.”

  She went to walk past him but stopped when he grabbed her arm. “I didn’t mean it like that, Nat. I want to take care of her. Hell, I could hire private nurses around the clock to be with her.”

  “That’s not what she wants.”

  “But is it what she needs?” He squeezed her arm tighter for a moment then released it again. “She’s aged so much since I’ve seen her last. It makes me feel like a jackass for letting things...for not coming back to Crimson sooner.”

  “You’re busy. She understands that.”

  “I shouldn’t be too busy for her. She’s the only person who ever really cared about me. She didn’t have to take me in when I got kicked out of boarding school
. My parents would have been happy to ship me off to a military academy for the last part of high school if she hadn’t intervened. Living with her in Crimson was one of the best times in my life.” A shadow crossed his face and suddenly he looked less like the powerful CEO he was now and more like the vulnerable boy she remembered. The boy she’d fallen in love with all those years ago.

  She leaned closer, drawn as always to him. Close enough that she could see the dusting of stubble across his jaw and the faint shadows under his eyes. Maybe she wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping. The thought of Liam stretched across his bed made another rush of heat climb her face. She took a quick step back to break the spell, the connection between them that renewed itself so quickly.

  “Do you have time for a concert?” she asked, pulling at the hem of her scrub shirt, needing something to do with her fingers to stop herself from reaching for him.

  “Concert?” he repeated, blinking several times.

  “My son’s class is performing here this afternoon. Holiday songs mostly.” She realized how lame her invitation sounded. Liam Donovan ran a multinational corporation. He didn’t have time for grade-school musicals.

  “I’d love to,” he answered.

  She gave a sharp nod in response. Why had she made the offer? The less time she spent in Liam’s company, the better for her sanity. “Let me just check on a couple of the other residents and I’ll walk down with you.”

  “I’ll be here.” Liam smiled and her mind went blank. She remembered that same feeling from high school. The weeks after he’d first arrived, before she’d known him, she’d spent stealing glances, hoping to catch his gaze, then too embarrassed to hold it when she had. It was like that even now. After several moments, his eyebrow lifted. “The residents?”

  “Right.” Mortified, she turned and fled into one of the rooms off the hall. She took more time than she needed, especially since the few residents left on the hall were resting. Part of her hoped Liam would get tired of waiting for her and she’d have a few extra minutes to get her emotions in check. Even after ten years, he had the ability to unnerve her, and Natalie craved control. She made sure the other nurse on duty knew she was heading down to the community room, then peeked back into the common area. Liam stood facing the far wall, examining the resident artwork hanging there.

  “We have a local artist come in to teach a painting class.”

  “Some of them are quite good,” he said, turning to her.

  “More importantly, they all enjoy it. Evergreen offers a variety of enrichment activities. Even if she doesn’t stay here, we make sure Ruth has access to everything.”

  He slid her a look. “She’s in good hands. I’m sorry if I insinuated anything else.”

  She led the way down the hall. “This is my job, but I feel a personal connection to every one of my patients.” Her voice lowered. “Especially your nanny. She’s been good to Austin and me. I owe her a lot.”

  His step faltered and Natalie found herself blushing again. Was he thinking of how he’d accused her of stealing money from Ruth? She’d tried to talk to Ruth while Austin was brushing his teeth this morning, but the older woman had an uncanny ability to turn forgetful when she didn’t want to discuss a certain subject. Natalie didn’t know whether Ruth did it on purpose, or her memory truly failed when she became agitated. Natalie wanted to be sure Brad wasn’t involved so she could reassure Liam that the missing money had nothing to do with her.

  “She’s happy you’re here,” she went on quickly, realizing he was staring at her. “I know she’s missed you.”

  “What about you, Nat? Do you ever miss me?”

  * * *

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Liam regretted them. He wanted to know that she’d missed him—that she’d spent as many moments remembering their time together as he had. He was scared to death she hadn’t.

  She opened her mouth to answer just as a small voice cried out, “Mom, over here.”

  Natalie whirled to where a row of kids lined the hallway wall. Her son was waving furiously, almost jumping up and down with excitement. She glanced back at Liam, her gaze unreadable.

  “Pretend I never asked the question,” he said quickly.

  Her mouth quirked. “As if.”

  “Mom!”

  She walked over to Austin, then bent at the knee to look him in the eye. Liam couldn’t hear what she said but the boy’s face lit up, his smile wide. As Austin threw his arms around his mom, Liam’s chest tightened. Of course Natalie was an amazing mother. For all her tough exterior, she was one of the most nurturing people he’d ever met. She had that in common with his former nanny.

  He slipped into the community room, spotting Ruth near the front. She waved, pointing to a row of empty chairs along the wall. He grabbed one and pushed it close. “Don’t you love the holidays?” she whispered as he sat, her eyes glowing as bright as Austin’s. “I’m so happy to have you with me.”

  “Me, too.” He cleared his throat when his voice caught on the words. He shrugged out of his coat, suddenly warm in the crowded room. As the schoolchildren filed in and up onto the risers set at the front, Ruth reached over and took his hand in hers. Her skin felt paper-thin, her fingers cool and fragile wrapped around his. How had she aged so much in the couple of years since he’d last visited? He knew the fall had taken a lot out of her. The doctor had told him she was lucky she hadn’t broken any bones.

  A teacher stepped to the front and introduced the third grade class from Crimson Creek Elementary. The kids launched into a rendition of “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that was more energetic than harmonious, but it didn’t seem to matter. The audience loved the kids’ enthusiasm and many of them sang along with the well-known carols. When one of the boys came forward for a whisper-soft solo of “Silent Night,” Liam saw Ruth wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

  It made him remember how much she’d always loved the holidays. During the time he’d lived with her, they’d gone into the woods together to cut down a fresh Christmas tree, then decorated it with a mix of homemade and sparkling new ornaments. She’d had him help her bake cookies and string lights, adding more spirit to his holidays than he’d ever had with his parents. His father’s idea of a perfect Christmas was spending the week at an exclusive beach resort. There might be decorations but never of the homey, personal kind he associated with Crimson.

  Looking over at his former nanny’s shining eyes, the kids dressed in various shades of red and green, Liam realized he hadn’t seen one decoration on display at her house. It was only the first week of December, but usually she had her Christmas tree up even before Thanksgiving. He decided at that moment that he’d make up for lost time and give her the best, most festive holiday she’d ever seen. It certainly wouldn’t hurt that Natalie would be a part of it.

  The kids sang several more songs, each greeted with rousing applause from the audience. At the end of the performance, the director of the assisted living center announced a cookies and juice reception in the dining hall next door. As the children followed their teacher from the room, Austin slipped out of the line and ran over to give Ruth a hug. She dropped Liam’s hand to wrap her arms around the boy.

  “You sounded beautiful,” she told him, and his smile widened.

  “I’ll save you a cookie,” he said and joined the back of his class.

  “He really feels connected to you.” Liam stood and offered his arm as he walked her toward the door.

  “He keeps me young,” she answered, patting his hand. It was a slow procession toward the dining hall, especially with Ruth’s cane. “I should be done with this thing in a week, after my next appointment.”

  “Are you sure you won’t come and stay with me if you don’t want to live at Evergreen?” Liam led her around the corner. “There’s a whole suite on the first floor of the house. I can
set it up however you want.”

  “I’m not leaving the farm, Liam.”

  “It worries me to have you there by yourself.”

  “I’m not by myself. Natalie and Austin are there.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  She put her hand on the doorway to the dining hall to stop their progress and turned to him. “I’ve lived in that house for over twenty years. Stan and I dreamed of growing old together on the farm. He took his last breath on that property the year before you came to live with me. I made a promise to him that I’d create for myself in Crimson the life we’d imagined together, and I have. I won’t give it up. I may be older and slower, but I’m strong enough to honor his memory.”

  Her eyes shone as she spoke the words. How was Liam supposed to argue? He nodded instead. “If it’s okay with you, I’m going to stay in town through the holidays.”

  “It’s more than okay, sweetie. It would make this the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time.” She inched forward, leaned her cane near the edge of the doorway. “Now help me to the refreshment table. I’m sick of holding that thing.”

  “Are you sure?” He stepped in front of her. “Should we check with Natalie or a doctor?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. “Natalie’s a saint but I don’t need her or a doctor to tell me how much my body can handle.”

  “If you get me in trouble with Natalie over this, you’ll have to look for another partner in crime.”

  She laughed, taking his arm to slowly walk into the dining hall. “You’ve been in hot water with that girl since the day you left town. Maybe it’s about time you fixed it.”

  If only he knew how. Luckily he was saved from answering when several people approached them. Ruth made introductions and Liam was barely surprised when her friends had more details about his company and the possibility of its headquarters in Crimson than he did.

  They made their way toward the table set with punch and plates of cookies. As he’d promised, Austin was waiting with a chocolate cookie wrapped in a napkin. Natalie stood next to him, speaking with one of the other nurses. Her scrubs were shapeless, with images of puppies and hearts across the top. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and if she wore any makeup, Liam couldn’t see it. She was more beautiful to him than any other woman he could imagine.