Romancing the Holidays: Twelve Christmas Romances - Benefits Breast Cancer Research

by Crista McHugh

  She beamed at him. “Thanks, and you look fine, Tex. You want to help me load the pies? They’re over there on the kitchen counter.”

  He swiveled and froze. “My mom asked you to bring six pies?”

  She laughed. “No. She asked me to bring an apple, peach, or pecan pie. I brought two of each.” She shrugged. “What can I say? Baking soothes me, and I had a rough week.”

  They were thirty minutes into the four hour drive to Beaumont when he risked asking about her week. “Are you having trouble adjusting to your new workplace?”

  She opened her mouth to answer then closed it.

  “I’m sorry. None of my business,” he said.

  She faced him. “It’s not the work. I do the same work wherever I go. Same spreadsheets, different location is all. It’s . . .” She faced the front again, stared out the windshield. “It’s my supervisor I can’t seem to—warm up to.”

  “What’s the problem? Is he resentful of you transferring? Maybe he wanted to see someone else in that position?”

  “I didn’t say my supervisor hadn’t warmed up to me.”

  It wasn’t what she said as much as what she didn’t that raised warning flags. “Has he made . . .” Tex paused, wanting to choose his words wisely. “Has he made improper advances towards you?”

  “It’s kind of a ‘touchy-feely’ situation.”

  Her softly murmured response had Tex seeing red. “Are you kidding me? It always amazes me that even in this day and age, there are still guys out there doing that.”

  She faced him head on. “Why are you assuming my supervisor is a guy?”

  “Are you telling me a female supervisor is sexually harassing you?”

  “It may not be as common but I’m sure it happens enough to be a statistic.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute. It’s all about power, and with more women than ever in positions of power it’s bound to happen.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe she’s just super-friendly and I’m reading too much into it.” Niki blew out her breath. “God, I miss my old supervisor—a happily married man whose wife I adored. But whatever—I can handle it.”

  “You shouldn’t have to handle it.” Tex slapped a hand on his steering wheel. “For crying out loud, doesn’t your company have policies against sexual harassment? It should apply the same regarding all genders.”

  “I’m sure they do. But I’m the new girl and she’s been there for twenty years.”

  “Would you put up with that behavior from a man?’

  Niki bit her lower lip. “I’d have reported him already.”

  “Then why would you not report her? The situation may be a little different than what you’re used to dealing with, but it’s not acceptable behavior in the workplace—period.”

  She swiveled in her seat to face him, her eyes pleading. “Can we please talk about something else?”

  He took a deep breath, held it a few moments before releasing it slowly. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “How’s that older couple who live in the house near the gate at the ranch?”

  He cocked his head, trying to remember if he’d ever mentioned where Ms. Patsy and Mr. Ron lived. “How do you know where the Sedtals lived?”

  Niki sucked in her breath. After a few moments, her head fell back against the seat. “I’ve been to that ranch once.”

  “That’s impossible. I’m sure I’d know if you had.”

  “You weren’t there. It was a couple of Easter Sunday’s ago. I thought you lived in the house just inside the gate but I spoke to the older couple there and they told me you’d gone to Beaumont for the day. I—I asked them not to tell you I’d gone by because I was embarrassed.”

  Tex shifted his gaze back and forth between the road and Niki until the reality of the situation set in. He started to chuckle, which turned into a full-blown guffaw. “I’m sorry,” he said, trying to catch his breath. “I’m not laughing at you, I swear, I’m not. It’s only that I’d planned to drive down there to see you after the visit with my family. But then I spoke to Meagan and she said you’d left a note saying you were gone for the day. If I’d only known.”

  Her smile turned into contagious laughter and soon they were both laughing so hard they couldn’t catch their breath.

  “Damn, Nik—we really are a couple of dumbasses, aren’t we?”

  She wiped the tears from her eyes. “I think it’s a communication problem—as in lack of. I had no idea at the time you lived in a cabin on that property.”

  “Yeah, as I said, I’ve made some improvements since then. All new windows and flooring, updated appliances, a big screened-in porch and I added a deck that looks out over the lake. The place has great views, but no wifi and only a half-ass decent cell phone service depending on the carrier.”

  “You live near a lake?”

  “Yes, but only on one side of the cabin. It overlooks the Blanco River on the other side.” He grinned. “You really need to come over and see for yourself. The view alone will blow you away. Do you like to fish?”

  “I haven’t been fishing since I was a kid and went with my dad. He always said I talked so much I scared the fish away.”

  “No way!” Tex chuckled. “It won’t be a problem at my place. You said you’re off the rest of the weekend, aren’t you? Why don’t you come over?” His heart beat double-time when she gave his suggestion a thoughtful nod.

  “That sounds good.”

  Tex faced the front, trying not to grin like a high school kid after the homecoming queen said she’d go to prom with him. Maybe he’d finally have a chance at the one woman he’d never been able to get out of his mind.

  * * * *

  Niki eased out of the truck, a little stiff from the drive. A shout from behind had her turning in time to catch an exciting Haley barreling at her.

  “I’m so glad you’re here!” Haley squealed as she hugged her tightly. She whispered in Niki’s ear. “Please tell me the two of you are seeing each other again.”

  Niki hugged the girl she could easily see as a younger sister—or sister-in-law, even. “Just friends for now, but it’s great to see you.”

  Haley pulled away to settle her brown eyed gaze on Niki. “For now? Maybe . . .” She tilted her head to one side, leaving Niki to ponder the suggestion.

  Once she was certain Tex couldn’t hear her, she answered the question. “We’ll see.” She looked up at the tall young man who joined them, his hair still neat and trimmed but this time sporting a thick beard. She pointed at his jaw. “Hey, Ben—is that your contribution to the ‘No Shave November’ theme for the month? It looks good on you.” She accepted a hug from him.

  “Except I’ve had it since the beginning of October. Happy Thanksgiving, Niki.”

  “Happy Thanksgiving to you also. How’s married life treating you two?”

  Ben looped his arm around Haley’s waist and pulled her close. “I love it.”

  Haley settled her head against her husband’s chest. “It’s even better than I thought it would be.” She grabbed Niki’s hand and pulled her toward the opposite side of the truck. “Niki, this is our mom and dad.”

  Niki stared into the face of an older, but still pretty version of Haley. “Thank you so much for having me, Mr. and Mrs. Broussard.”

  “Oh, poo with that Mr. and Mrs. stuff, honey. Call us Angie and Ricky.” Angie Broussard pulled her into a hug. “Welcome to our home, Niki! We are so thrilled you decided to come along.”

  She got the same treatment from the woman’s husband, a tall, nice-looking man with salt and peppered hair, mustache, and beard. Tex and Haley had obviously inherited good looks from both their parents.

  Ricky looked inside the back of the truck and rubbed his hands together. “Look at all the pies, hon—I’m hoping at least one of those is apple and has my name on it.”

  “Oh, thank goodness you brought dessert. My old oven has been giving me trouble lately.” Angie’s jaw dropped when Tex started handing off the six p
ies from the back of his truck. “I know you said you loved to bake, but are all of these homemade?”

  Niki gave Angie an enthusiastic nod. “Yes, ma’am. I told Tex baking is therapy for me, and after the week I’ve had at work, I needed plenty of it.”

  Tex’s dad reached for the two pies handed to him, his eyes glazing over. “Is it time for dessert yet?”

  Niki smiled at the man. “No, but if you’ve got a pot of coffee ready, it sure would go well with a slice of that apple pie you’ve got in your right hand.”

  The man turned on his heel and headed to the house. “I’m putting a fresh pot on just for you, beautiful.”

  Niki watched his retreat and laughed. “I’m not sure if he was talking to me or the pie.”

  Angie gave her a gentle nudge. “Not that you aren’t beautiful, but I really think he was talking to the pie.”

  Ricky turned at the door and shouted back at her. “It’s nothing personal—it’s pie!”

  Niki gave him an enthusiastic ‘OK’ signal. “Yes sir, I understand completely. Carry on.”

  Tex stayed behind with her while the others walked ahead of them. “Hmph! You’ve been here less than five minutes and already have my family wrapped.”

  “Hey, I’ve got skills. I can make a lasting impression when I need to.”

  He paused at the door, one hand on the knob and stared down into her eyes. “You certainly made one on me. I’m glad you’re here with me, Nik—seriously.” He reached out with his free hand to stroke his fingers down one side of her face. “You’ve made my day.”

  Heat, scorching and tangible, radiated from the pit of her stomach to her chest, and moved up her neck into her cheeks. A frigid north breeze sent a whirlwind of leaves skittering at their feet as a mixture of conversations from inside the house carried out to them, mingling with the sounds of country life—a rooster crowing, hens cackling, the nicker of one or more horses, someone’s dog barking in the distance. “Thank you for asking me. I’d be miserable and alone at my apartment if you hadn’t.”

  “So, this is better?”

  “Oh yeah—this is much better,” she breathed, as he leaned in, inching his way closer until their lips nearly touched. He stopped suddenly, as though debating whether to continue or not. She took the guesswork out of his hands, completing the path for him, joining her lips to his in a soft and gentle kiss. She broke free from him once, hesitated, and went back for a second gentle kiss, ending with a soft nip to his lower lip. Deciding she’d controlled the court enough for one day, Niki pulled back, stopped short when Tex cupped the back of her head with his free hand. He deepened the kiss, melding his tongue with hers. She wrapped her right hand on the back of his neck, threading her fingers through the hair at his nape.

  An odd-sounding plop punctuated Tex’s low growl—followed by a groan as he pulled away to stare down at the pie he’d let slip onto the concrete walkway. Two dogs, one medium sized and spotted, and another large, solid black Labrador Retriever immediately moved in on the unexpected treat, gobbling up the splattered filling and crust. Tex muttered a string of low curses, ending with a distinct “Son of a bitch!”

  Laughter rose in Niki’s throat to burst from her mouth in uncontrolled sputtering. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe you did that.”

  “I am so fu—flippin’ sorry, Nik.” He slapped one hand over his mouth and shook his head.

  Angie stuck her head out the door. “What’s all the commotion about?” She gasped when she saw the family pets munching down on the pie.

  “I uh—I dropped the pie, Mom.”

  “Oh, your dad is not going to be happy about this. How’d you do that? You were a U.S. Marine for Christ’s sake, Tex. You handled all kinds of state of the art equipment and machinery. You couldn’t make it into the house with a single pie?”

  Niki controlled her laughter and wiped her eyes. “It’s my fault. I distracted him. But I baked two of each so we’ll still have plenty.”

  The corners of Angie’s mouth pulled down in a frown. “I sure hope that wasn’t the second apple pie, because my husband is in the process of wolfing down a quarter of the other one.”

  “No, ma’am. It was one of the peach pies.”

  Tex’s mom clucked her tongue as she shook her head. “What a waste. Honestly, I’ve never known you to be such a klutz, son.” She faced Niki. “Whatever you did to distract him, you must have done well.”

  Tex cleared his throat, grumbling something that sounded like “Too damn well,” before he turned on his heel and entered the house, leaving the two women alone outside the door.

  Angie placed her hand on Niki’s arm. “Nicole, I want you to know that I haven’t seen my son this affected by a woman since he took Penelope Adams to prom his senior year.” She looped her arm through Niki’s and led her into a house bursting with country warmth and charm. “Whatever you’re doing, keep it up—it’s nice to see him happy. But I hope he makes you just as happy.”

  “Yes ma’am.” Niki spotted Tex standing beside Ben and Haley, all three gathered in front of a large TV set mounted on the living room wall to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade. She faced his mom again. “What happened with Penelope?”

  “She broke his heart—ditched him at the prom to go parking with his best friend.”

  “Oh!” she gasped. “That is so wrong!”

  “Poor Tex was crazy about that girl. Swore he’d never let a woman get to him like that again.” She gazed at her son, her cheek creased in a familiar grin. Tex’s dimples may have come from his dad, but his smile definitely showed traces of his mom. Angie faced Niki again. “My boy may have won a few battles over the years, but I believe he’s just lost the war.”

  Niki clamped her lips together, refusing to hope just yet that what she and Tex shared was more than friendship.

  Angie pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “It’s okay if you don’t believe it yet, honey. I have enough faith for both of us.”

  Chapter 4

  They’d left his parents place by 6:00 p.m., with Niki promising to visit again. She stared out into the darkness of the late November sky, contemplating the day spent with Tex’s family. From the second she’d entered their house Niki had felt completely at home. A peacefulness she hadn’t felt since before her dad’s stroke drifted over her like soft clouds. It transitioned into drowsiness and she closed her eyes for a moment . . .

  By the time she woke, startled, she knew from the trail of drool down her chin she’d been out awhile. Slightly disoriented, she wiped her chin and cleared her throat as she sat up. Thank God the inside of the truck was too dark for Tex to see.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  She looked over at his profile, praying she hadn’t snored or anything in her sleep. “I did. I didn’t realize how tired I was.” She looked at the clock on his dash and sucked in her breath when she saw it was nearly 9:00 p.m. “I’m so sorry, Tex. I can’t believe I slept so long. We’re nearly home—my home, anyway.”

  “Don’t apologize. It gave me time to do some thinking.”

  Thinking? About what? That could mean anything. Her mind turned into a whirlwind of speculations. Had he come up with reasons he shouldn’t have asked her along? She sat there for a couple of minutes more in silence, her mind flitting from one scenario to another as her imagination worked overtime.

  “Earth to Niki.”

  His rumbled comment got her attention. She faced him. “What?”

  “You look like you’ve got something on your mind. Are you alright over there?”

  She nodded. “I’m good.” She tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t make her sound like a semi-conscious lunatic. The conversation with his mom over his disastrous prom date fueled her curiosity. “You ever hear from Penelope Adams?”

  He swiveled his head to look at her, the dashboard lights illuminating his handsome face. “Who the hell told you about—uh—Mom . . .” He shook his head slowly. “Please don’t tell me she gave you the ‘don’t hurt m
y baby boy’ speech.”

  Niki smiled. “Not at all. I think it was her way of explaining your past behavior.”

  “You mean the fact that I was a top notch asshole? I don’t blame that on anyone but myself.”

  Excellent answer Cowboy—shows a level of growth and maturity you definitely lacked before. “So, you’re not still milking the old ‘I’ll never give my heart to a woman again’ excuse?”

  “Hell, Nik . . . it’s too late for that.”

  She studied his profile. Had he found someone else back in Blanco? “What do you mean?”

  He removed one hand from the steering wheel and used it to smooth down his goatee. He always did that when he was nervous. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”

  Damn. Here it comes. He’s going to bare his soul to her about the new woman in his life. She prepared herself to act happy for him.

  “I made a trip down to Louisiana several months ago, especially to see you.”

  She turned, stared at his profile again. “You did?” Her heart hammered in her chest as his head bobbed in acknowledgment.

  “Your roommate told me you’d moved to St. Louis for good.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d had to move quickly after her dad got sick. “Did you have a specific reason?”

  “I did.” He put his signal light on to turn onto the street for her subdivision. “Now that I’ve opened this can o’ worms, I’m thinking maybe I should have waited a few minutes more.” They drove a ways in silence until he turned his truck into her driveway. He threw it in gear and turned off the engine.

  Tex took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as he faced her. “The fact is, I’ve never been able to forget you, Nik. Those two nights we spent together, the days in between—and all the times afterward, seeing you with Bo McAllister. I’ve never stopped thinking about what I could have had with you.”