Noel studied the Santa as the little boy climbed down off his lap and Elena moved to take his place, and thought Santa looked a little seedy, shabby. The whole thing commercial. But Hollie didn’t see it that way. She saw the magic. She made the magic.
For herself.
For Elena.
For him.
For the first time in his life he wondered what it would be like to have a child. Wondered with his heart, not in an abstract way. The way he might have wondered when he’d become engaged last Christmas. He’d turned thirty and it had seemed time to marry. He’d cared about the woman, but now saw he hadn’t been in love.
Love was a much scarier proposition.
He hadn’t been this disconcerted since the first time he’d arrived at boarding school. The school had been strict, and military. Emotions weren’t encouraged; obedience was.
“Ho, ho, ho. And what do you want Santa to bring you, little girl?”
Elena smiled up at Santa. “I want a Barbie with a pink dress.”
“And what else?”
“Some rings, a bunch of little bitty ones.”
“Anything else?” Santa asked as the photographer snapped their picture.
Elena thought a minute, then was generous with her third wish. “I want you to bring a boyfriend for my mommy.”
“Oh—” Santa said, caught off guard.
Then Elena cupped her hand and whispered something in Santa’s ear.
“Of course you can have a fourth wish,” Santa said magnanimously, obviously happy to be off the subject of granting the mother a boyfriend, not knowing how appropriate the wish was. “What else do you want?”
“I want you to make Auntie Hollie and him,” she said loudly, pointing to Noel, “kiss each other so Auntie Hollie won’t have to move away.”
It wasn’t an easier wish. Santa looked to Noel for help.
The crowd close around looked on in anticipation. The mothers looked hopeful. The fathers looked amused. The children giggled.
When Noel and Hollie remained frozen in place, a father in the crowd yelled out, “Kiss her, for Pete’s sake. I’ve got a hockey game to get my kid to.”
Hollie wouldn’t look at him. She was sure she was as red as Santa’s suit. Most of all because she wanted Noel to kiss her.
Since he’d clearly worried Elena, Noel found himself doing something out of character. Overt displays of public affection weren’t his style. He stepped closer to Hollie.
She took a backward step, nervous and looking about to faint.
He handled that by taking her into his arms and dipping her back in a sweeping embrace. As he gazed into her startled eyes, he lowered his mouth and kissed her for the audience and Elena. His mouth moved tenderly over hers, then probed sexily, making her blush and break the kiss, flustered.
Upon hearing the applause, he came to his senses and quickly released Hollie, who appeared completely stunned.
“Thank you, Santa,” Elena said, scampering off his lap and grinning widely.
“Are you satisfied now, you little minx?” Hollie asked, taking the child’s hand.
“Uh-huh. Noel was just tricking me about buying your house, huh?”
Hollie nodded.
Well, Elena might be satisfied, but Noel decidedly was not. He still wanted the house … and more of kissing Hollie. Was it possible he was falling in love?
Or was he just tired of being alone?
He couldn’t trust his feelings at this time of year. That was why he always ran away during the holidays.
“Where are we going now?” Elena asked as they left the mall.
“Noel and I are going to look at houses for him, right after I drop you off at home.”
“Can’t I come with you?”
“No. Your mother says you have to clean your room if you want Santa to bring you any presents. Santa likes good little girls with clean rooms.”
“Aw right,” Elena agreed reluctantly.
As they drove Elena home, Noel realized he hadn’t seen Hollie’s bedroom yet.
“MAYBE YOU’LL LIKE this one better,” Hollie said as she parked her car and handed Noel the spec sheet to look at while they walked to the front door. So far they’d seen three houses, which he’d vetoed for what seemed to her one frivolous reason after another.
Clearly he was determined to have her house and was only humoring her by looking at others. She’d told him she’d think about selling her house. She’d lied.
Her mind was made up. She loved her house and her house loved her. They were a good match.
And she and Noel weren’t, no matter how well he kissed.
She wanted to tell Noel that she couldn’t help him any longer, wanted to bail out. What had started out to be a snap had grown complicated.
And now she was stuck. She had to deal with Noel. Her getting a new car was at risk. It didn’t look great for a successful real estate agent to be driving around in a wreck. His commission would give her the down payment for a new car.
Her career was at risk. She had to be professional and maintain her reputation as a responsible agent. So there would be no quitting until she found Noel a house.
Her vacation was at risk. The longer it took, the less of the holidays she would be able to enjoy. And at this rate they’d still be looking for a new house for Noel in the New Year.
Her house was at risk.
All of the above could be solved by her selling him her house. But she couldn’t and she wouldn’t. It was hers. The only roots she had in the world. She felt safe there and happy.
Her heart was at risk.
There, she’d thought it. Of everything, that was the most worrisome. In Noel she recognized a kindred spirit. They didn’t look at the world in the same way, but they had experienced loneliness in the same way. She’d determined to make her world a happy place.
He threatened that.
She didn’t want to be disappointed, and as long as she was in control she knew how to prevent it.
It was only when she allowed herself to hope that someone might love her that she was vulnerable to misery.
Perhaps that was why she lived with one foot in the real world and one in the world of fantasy. The real world had a way of disappointing her.
“This looks like a place you might like,” Noel said when they went inside the story-and-a-half house decorated to within an inch of its life in cluttered country.
“We’re hunting for a house for you. I have one I like.”
“You aren’t even trying to find another house,” Noel complained.
“I told you—I don’t want to move. Why won’t you believe me and accept it? My house isn’t that big. There isn’t room for a big office or a pool table. This house, on the other hand, fits both those requirements. At least give it a chance.”
He walked through it with her, letting her try to sell him on its finer points, such as the study off the master bedroom, the fireplace in the hearth kitchen and the in ground pool. While he agreed that all those things were pluses, he just didn’t love the house.
Not the way he loved hers.
And so they closed the door and left once more, without his making an offer.
And closed the door on her having a long weekend. She was going to have to take Noel out the next day to look at houses again.
So much for her Friday. She’d have to battle the huge crowds on the weekend to get the rest of her holiday preparations done.
She had to find Noel a house.
Someone else’s house.
“SO ELENA TELLS ME Noel kissed you at the mall,” Sarah said later that evening as the two of them sat in front of the television they weren’t watching. Elena was curled up asleep on the floor with Midnight. The child had drifted off watching Pocahontas and hadn’t awoken when they’d slipped out the tape to turn on the news.
“Did she tell you it was her idea?” Hollie blew on the nails of her left hand after giv
ing them their first coat of polish.
“She left that out. What did she do now?” Sarah was clearly delighted with her daughter’s precocious ways.
“She pimped Santa at the mall into making us kiss as one of her wishes. For some reason she thought it would make me not sell my house to Noel.”
“When did you decide to sell your house to Noel— did I miss a meeting?” Sarah asked, reaching for a bottle of top coat for her nails.
“I didn’t. I’m not. But Noel isn’t listening to me. He’s got it into his head that he wants to buy it. He’s positively fixated on the idea. I’m trying desperately to talk him out of it, to find the perfect house for him.”
“But you aren’t having any luck …”
“None.”
“Hmm. So how does he kiss? You’ve completely avoided that—don’t think I haven’t noticed.”
“Like he’s done it before.”
“Smooth, huh?”
“And sweet.”
“Sweet—now, that’s something new. Sweet, huh?”
“Don’t go making anything out of it. He was on the spot. It’s not like it was his idea. Or mine,” she added, seeing the speculative look in Sarah’s eyes.
“Then maybe Elena’s smarter than you. He’s pretty hunky, Hollie.” Sarah put the applicator back in the bottle and studied her manicure.
“Elena’s smarter than you and I put together, Sarah. But I’m still not taking dating advice from a four-year-old. Besides, Santa’s bringing me a beau for Christmas. All I have to do is get rid of Noel first.”
“So sell him your house.”
That was the practical answer, Hollie knew.
But she couldn’t sell Noel her house. She just couldn’t.
There had to be a house out there with his name on it. She just hadn’t found it yet. Maybe in the morning when she was fresh …
“Did Elena tell you she asked Santa to bring you a boyfriend?” Hollie inquired, changing the subject, as they waited for their nails to dry so they could carry Elena in to bed.
“So that’s where he came from—”
“What? You’ve met someone. You’ve been holding out on me.” Hollie settled back into the sofa, tucking her feet up beneath her.
“He’s a fireman and really sweet. He came out this morning to rescue the kitten next door that got stuck up in a tree. He was really good with the kitten and the neighborhood kids. But I think he might be a bit young for me.”
“How old is he?”
“I don’t know for sure. I think late twenties, maybe.”
“Old enough to vote,” Hollie said, throwing a pillow at Sarah.
“You’re bad.”
“Moi?” The women collapsed in girlish giggles that woke up Elena.
“Is Santa here yet?” the child asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Not yet, sugarpie. You’ve still got a few days yet to wait for Santa to visit. Christmas isn’t until Wednesday. Go back to sleep.”
As Hollie lifted the child into her arms, Elena’s eyes drifted closed again. Hollie walked with Sarah back to Elena’s bedroom, where the two women tucked her in with kisses of good-night and sweet dreams.
“So, what’s the fireman’s name?” Hollie asked as they left the sleeping child and went back to watching the news, mainly interested in whether there would be more snow for Christmas.
“Rick Winzen.”
“So are you going to see him?” Hollie persisted.
“He hasn’t asked me out, if that’s what you mean.”
Hollie laughed. “Since when has that stopped you? So you ask him out.”
“I think I might scare him off if I did.”
Hollie looked more closely at her friend. Sarah was thirty-five, but appeared ten years younger. Sarah usually went after what she wanted, and usually got it. This hesitancy was new for her friend. There was almost a shyness in Sarah’s demeanor.
“He’s special, isn’t he? You like this Rick Winzen a lot, don’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“I know, why don’t you go see Ms. Claudia and ask her about Rick?”
“Really, Hollie. I’ve got a schedule that would panic Santa’s elves from now to Christmas. Tomorrow I have to spend the whole day making a sit-down dinner for twenty-four to be delivered by seven o’clock. I don’t have time for a visit to your favorite psychic. Besides, I’m sure Rick isn’t interested in me. He’s just a nice guy being polite.”
Sarah’s disclaimer held a wistful note.
“I think—” Hollie’s thought was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone.
“Who could that be?” Sarah said, glancing at the time on the VCR. “It’s after ten o’clock.”
Since Hollie was nearest the phone, she picked it up. “Just a minute, she’s here,” she told the caller, and tossed the portable phone to Sarah.
Sarah caught the phone, her eyes questioning.
Hollie silently mouthed the words “It’s him.”
“Hello …” Sarah said shyly. “Hello, Rick,” she added after the caller identified himself.
“Look, I may be being presumptuous here, Sarah, but I didn’t see a wedding ring, so I thought maybe there wasn’t a Mr. Smith and I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go out tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow night? You want to go out tomorrow night?” Sarah grinned from ear to ear at Hollie, who encouraged her by nodding.
“No, not tomorrow night. I have an obligation for tomorrow night I can’t get out of. I thought maybe you and Elena would like to have lunch and then go see the Nutcracker ballet. My sister can get us tickets.”
“Could you hold on a second, Rick.” Sarah clutched the phone to her chest so he couldn’t hear her. “Hollie, he wants to take Elena and me to see the Nutcracker tomorrow!”
“So say yes.”
“But I can’t. I’ve got all that food to make for the dinner I’m catering tomorrow night.”
“You two go. I’ll make the food.”
“But what about Noel?”
“I can handle Noel—don’t you worry. You need a treat. So go. I’ll handle making the food. And then you’ll owe me big-time.”
Sarah looked uncertain about Hollie’s generous offer.
Hollie insisted.
“Rick, we’d love to go,” Sarah finally said into the phone she’d returned to her ear. “What time?”
“Let’s get an early start. I’ll pick you up at eleven.”
Sarah pushed the button to disconnect, tossed the phone to Hollie and let out a shriek. “He likes me!”
“Of course he likes you. And now I’m going home. I need a good night’s sleep if I’m going to play Martha Stewart tomorrow.”
“Oh, Hollie, are you sure about this?”
“Let me go before I come to my senses,” Hollie teased, pulling on her coat.
“But what about Noel?”
“I’ll tell him I had a little emergency and he’ll adjust.”
“But it’s not going to endear you to him.”
“Sarah, I don’t think you can endear yourself to a grinch.”
“Maybe he’s not really such a grinch.”
“Goodbye, Sarah.”
“Bye.”
Hollie hurried to her car, not wanting to remember that Noel certainly hadn’t kissed like a grinch.
NOEL SAT ON THE BED in his room with the newspaper spread out around him. He was studying his competition. The papers were full of holiday ads and he could glean which store carried what merchandise and where each store focused their advertising for their market share.
He’d tried to distract himself at first with the television, but it was full of holiday specials, everything from old Bing Crosby repeats to a country gala. And the commercials were worse.
The newspaper ads were equally festive, but he could at least detach himself enough to study them with an eye to business.
But even the ads didn’t hold his atte
ntion for very long. Soon his thoughts were back to the problem at hand.
He couldn’t understand why Hollie was being so stubborn about selling him her house. She had even rejected his offer to pay her moving costs … rejected his second offer that was more than the fair market price.
How could anyone be such a bad businesswoman?
She needed the money to buy a new car; even he could see that.
He was beginning to think her refusal was personal. He had the fanciful thought that she didn’t want him living in her house. And he didn’t ever have fanciful thoughts.
But what else could he think when she continued to refuse to sell her house to him?
Maybe what he needed to do was mount a campaign to make her like him better. Perhaps then she’d feel okay about selling him her house. He never would have thought he’d have to pass muster to buy something.
It was worth a try. Otherwise, he had the sinking feeling that he was going to be stuck in the States for the entire holiday season.
What, he wondered, would make Hollie approve of him buying her house?
He began drawing up a list of possibilities.
Having a plan made him confident that in a day or so he’d be relaxing in the islands, with a house to return to in the new year.
Meanwhile, back at the North Pole …
SANTA SAT AT HIS computer playing a game, one he’d invented with reindeer navigating an obstacle course. He’d been playing half the night.
His thumb was getting numb.
The mindless activity was his way of escaping the stress of having a missing wife.
He was going to have to get his act together and take it on the road soon or a lot of little boys and girls were going to vote the Easter bunny top good guy.
6
December 21
HOLLIE HAD HOPED she’d have a day without Noel.
Just her luck, when she’d called to cancel looking at houses with him, he’d suggested he come over to Sarah’s to help her so she would be done in half the time and there would still be a few hours for them to find a house for her. Like a tenacious dog with a bone, he wasn’t giving up. He really believed he could convince her to sell him her place.
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