Spicy with a Side of Cranberry Sauce

by Rachell Nichole

  The cartoon finished all too soon, and they sat in the dimly lit room, singing to the ending tunes and basking in the glow from the Christmas tree. The television went black as the credits ended, and Mason clicked it off. Still, they all sat watching the tree. A calm seemed to have settled around them all. She was so comfortable, so safe. The only time she’d felt this safe in recent memory was when she was wrapped in Mason’s arms.

  She looked up at him, and his smile was sad but no less stunning. Merry Christmas. He mouthed the words.

  Merry Christmas, she mouthed back.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Mason padded down the front stairs into the living room. He didn’t think he’d slept more than three hours. Whether that was from the anticipation of Christmas morning, or the fact that he kept wondering if Amy would sneak into his room in the middle of the night, or trying to prevent himself from doing the same, he wasn’t sure. Mom was sitting in the rocking chair, already cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. She smiled.

  “Merry Christmas, baby.”

  “Merry Christmas, Mom. How are you?” he said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. She’d forgiven him for lying to her about Amy, and he was grateful. He still wasn’t convinced he deserved it, but he’d take what he could get.

  “Good. I wish your brothers and Elly were here, but I understand that they wanted to spend time with your father.”

  He didn’t. But he wouldn’t say that aloud. He didn’t want to upset Mom, especially not this morning. “Where’s James?”

  “Getting some cookies.”

  He grinned. “I’m glad he came down.”

  “Me too. Even if you had to lie to your mother again.”

  Uh-oh. She knew what he’d done?

  “Yes, I knew you were behind that letter the whole time. But I figured if you’d gone to so much trouble, I should at least try, right? After your assurance that you and Amy were adults and not going to see each other anymore, I knew she wasn’t going to get her heart broken. Figured I didn’t have any other excuses.”

  “Good. I’m glad.”

  He wanted to talk to her about Amy, about if she would maybe one day be okay with his having a relationship with her. But honestly he didn’t know if he should even try. Maybe Mom was right, and he was no good for Amy. He couldn’t bear to break her heart. Today wasn’t the day for such a conversation anyway. James walked in carrying coffee in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other.

  “Cookies for breakfast, huh?” Mason said.

  “Well, of course,” James said.

  “Coffee first, cookies after.” Mason walked through the dining room to the kitchen and poured himself a large cup, with cream and sugar. When would Amy be up? The shower upstairs turned on as if in answer, and he practically ran back into the living room. The temptation to pound up the stairs and join her was almost too much. He sat on the couch and grabbed a cookie from the plate on the coffee table.

  “Ames doesn’t usually sleep in this late,” James said.

  Mason looked at the clock. It was only six. Amy had definitely slept later than that at his apartment. He tried to corral his thoughts, but knowing she was upstairs in the shower heated his blood. He wanted to go up and help her clean off, right before he helped her get dirty again. Eating another cookie, he shoved the images to the back of his mind.

  “What time are we starting in the kitchen?” he asked Mom.

  “Eight should do it.”

  He nodded. At least keeping himself busy all day would help stop him from thinking too much about Amy. He hoped. A few minutes later, footsteps echoed on the stairs. Amy came into view, and the air left his body. She was wearing the red dress Mom had bought her, and she looked stunning. Was she trying to seduce him again?

  “Oh,” she said as she looked at them. “Nobody’s dressed up.”

  She blushed a beautiful pale pink.

  “That’s okay, dear. You look lovely.”

  Amy pulled at the skirt on the dress, her eyes downcast. Great, she was uncomfortable. He fought the urge to run and wrap his arms around her, protect her. He forced air into his lungs.

  “We’ll all get changed after we do presents,” Martha said. “Now come sit and have some cookies.”

  Amy stepped slowly into the room and sat on the couch next to him. He’d put jeans and a shirt on this morning, which he wouldn’t normally do just for present opening, but he knew Amy would be here. And he was trying his damnedest to keep his distance. She seemed to be thwarting his efforts at every turn.

  “Okay, who’s first?” Mom asked.

  No one volunteered. He stood and walked to the tree. He grabbed two presents and handed them out. One to James, one to Mom. “There y’all go.” He sat on the floor between the coffee table and the tree. It would keep him farther away from Amy. If the spot happened to be directly across from her so he could look at her without arousing suspicion, that didn’t have any bearing on his decision.

  James got a sweater from Amy, and Mom opened a CD from him. Christmas carols. As if she didn’t have enough already, but she loved it. He continued doling out presents, and the pile under the tree grew smaller. Amy got mostly clothes from his mom and books from her dad. What would she think of his present? He purposely left it sitting under the tree as they opened the others. He wanted to give it to her when they were alone, but that wasn’t really an option. He wouldn’t let them be alone during this trip, or any trip after. Until he was over her.

  Or until he’d convinced his mother, and himself, that he wasn’t going to hurt Amy.

  He handed Amy her present. The last one under the tree.

  “This one’s from me,” he said. He hadn’t labeled it, but he knew what the box looked like. It was personal in a way he hoped no one else in the room would notice. He’d put a little note inside. Not a love note, but pretty close.

  For making all your future plans.

  That was all it said. She took the box and unwrapped it carefully. She’d looked so excited this morning when she first came in the room, and he couldn’t blame her. She still had that glow about her. She read the note. Both joy and sadness crossed her face. She glanced at him, blinking rapidly.

  “Thank you,” she whispered. She pulled the gift from the box and showed it to her dad. “It’s a planner.”

  James raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment. He must have known what a big deal that would be for Amy. Thank God he didn’t say anything to let Mom know how special the gift was. Amy set the planner back in the box.

  “Well, that’s it, then. All the presents have been opened,” Mason said. He tried not to sound disappointed. He really did. But Amy hadn’t gotten him anything special. A nice shirt and a cool tie. He liked them both, but they were pretty impersonal. They could have come from anyone. Maybe she’d meant it when she said they were done and she hadn’t been looking for more.

  “Merry Christmas, everyone,” James said.

  “Merry Christmas!” they all echoed.

  “I have one more present,” Mom said. She smiled and took James’s hand and then gave him a very small box. It looked like a jewelry box. What in the world was in there? James gave Mom an odd look but took the box. He opened it and got a look on his face very similar to the one Amy had when she’d opened the planner.

  “Martha,” James said. “Are you sure?”

  Mom nodded, tears in her eyes.

  James pulled her into his arms. “Then yes. My answer is yes,” he said.

  Yes to what? Mason glanced at Amy, and she shrugged. She had no idea what was going on either.

  “You wanna clue the rest of us in?” Mason said.

  James let go of Mom, and she turned to Mason. “Well, James and I talked last week about giving it the old college try, shall we say. And I’ve decided we’re not going to have very much luck at that living two thousand miles away from each other.”

  James took a key out of the box and held it up. “And since this is your mother’s home and Amy will be lea
ving me soon anyway, there’s no reason for me to stick around the Northeast.”

  Amy was leaving her Dad.

  “You got the job?” he asked. She nodded, but then her eyes widened. The front door closed behind him. Who the hell is here?

  “Jesus, Mom, you’re letting him move in?”

  Mason jolted and turned around. His father, two brothers, and sister stood in the doorway.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Oh, shit. Amy sat frozen on the couch. The rest of Mason’s family stared at her and her father like they were lepers. Elly looked like a carbon copy of Martha. Red hair, round face, warm eyes. Or Amy imagined they would be warm if they weren’t so damned confused. At least Martha’s ex didn’t leer as obviously as her kids did. He had no right to, after all. Mason looked a lot like his dad. No wonder he was so worried he’d take after the older man.

  “Martha, I’m real sorry. You clearly ain’t ’specting us.” Mason’s father glared at Lewis and cuffed him in the head. “Shoulda known better when they told me you wanted to spend the holiday together.” The man’s thick Texan accent rang with truth.

  “That’s okay, Richard,” Martha said. She stood up and went to her family. She hugged her sons and daughter and nodded at her ex-husband in greeting. “We were just getting ready for breakfast. You missed presents.” She was so calm. So matter-of-fact. “Amy, James, why don’t you come meet the rest of my family?”

  Amy and Dad got to their feet, joining them in the open area between the front door, stairway, and the living room. Mason moved with them.

  “So what, you’re getting married now? Going to forget about Dad and us?” Lewis sneered. Amy wanted to slap him. She clutched her hand into a fist to stop from doing so.

  “How dare you speak to your mother that way,” Richard said, taking the words right out of her mouth. Maybe he wasn’t the complete scum of the earth.

  Lewis turned to his father, his eyes wide.

  “If your mom’s happy, you oughta be happy for her. It wasn’t right for you to trick me into coming here. Ambushing your poor Mom like that.”

  Lewis shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned on Mason. “Jeez, Mase, did you get everyone else on your side too?” He took a step toward Mason, and Amy immediately stood in front of him. Lewis glared.

  Dan grabbed Lewis’s arm. “Calm down,” he said, holding on to his younger brother. Dan was the smaller of the two, but he didn’t seem the least intimidated by Lewis.

  Lewis shrugged him off, turning to look down at him. “You on their side too?”

  “There aren’t any sides,” Martha said, but she didn’t move between her boys to break them up.

  Dad stayed quiet. Maybe Amy should have too, but there was no way she was going to sit by and watch as Lewis decked Mason again. Not happening. The jerk. Why didn’t Mason just tell them?

  Amy looked at Richard—the man who should have stepped in and told his kids the truth. The one who should have been an adult and not forced his son to lie on his behalf.

  “Your mom’s right. There aren’t sides here, guys,” Richard said.

  Lewis took another step toward Mason, nearly pushing her out of the way. “I can’t believe what a jackass you turned into. You’ve hated Dad ever since we were teens, and now you’re encouraging Mom to hurt him like this. For what? For your selfish revenge?”

  Amy turned her back on Lewis before she punched him. “Mason,” she said, looking up into his blue eyes.

  “No,” he said. His voice was like steel, his eyes cold. He was telling her to mind her business and stay out of family matters. But if her dad was moving in with Martha, that made her family by extension, didn’t it? In some way.

  She sighed. Then she spun back around and looked at Richard. “You’re really going to let them alienate him? Let them ruin their bonds, all so you don’t have to fess up?”

  His eyes widened. “My God, Mason, don’t tell me you—”

  “Oh, no, you don’t get to keep blaming him for this.” Amy talked right over him, her voice growing as rage burned inside her. “You have everything. Four kids who love you, your health, an ex-wife who can still stand the sight of you, though God only knows why, and you want Mason to throw that all away? Destroy his family so you can keep the favor of your kids. You’re pathetic.”

  “You don’t know anything about us,” Dan said, just as Elly said, “What is she talking about, Dad?”

  Martha sat down on the second stair, a hand covering her mouth. “Amy, how did you…” she whispered.

  Amy glanced at Martha, then at Mason.

  “I…uh. Damn it,” Mason said. Martha jumped at his curse, and he knelt in front of her. He took her hands in his. “I…I’ve known since I was sixteen.” The words were torn from him. It broke her heart to hear him in such pain, to know that she’d caused it. He’d never forgive her for forcing this confrontation. Maybe it wasn’t her place, but she couldn’t just let the family fall apart because of their stubbornness.

  Martha gasped, and a tear slipped down her cheek. Then she set her mouth in a grim line. “Richard, I need to see you in the kitchen.”

  Richard looked like he wanted to bolt. Martha patted Mason’s cheek, and he stood, letting her by him. Martha smiled, but Mason wouldn’t look her in the eye.

  “Martha, it’s Christmas morning. I don’t think—”

  “And I don’t think I gave you a choice in the matter. Kitchen. Now.”

  Never had Martha’s voice been so sharp, even when she yelled at her kids for swearing. Richard bowed his head and followed her out of the room.

  “Would someone like to tell me what the fuck is going on?” Dan said.

  Mason just shook his head.

  “Why don’t we all have a seat,” Amy suggested. “There are still a few cookies left if anyone wants some.”

  Mason’s brothers glared at her. “You’re the one who caused all this. Why the hell would we do anything you said?” Lewis said.

  “Hey, you don’t get to talk to her like that, Lewis. So shut your mouth.” Mason stood beside her and took her hand in his. His fingers held hers too tightly, but she was glad for the comfort, for the way it helped ground her.

  “Jesus, Mason, you really are screwing the little home wrecker, aren’t you?” Lewis said.

  Mason lunged forward, but she yanked him back, just as Dad stepped between them.

  “That is my daughter you are speaking about, young man, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk like that when you’re referring to her. Now, I’ve watched you attack your brother on two occasions, listened to you verbally attack your mother, and said nothing. But I will not tolerate another comment like that about my little girl. Do you understand me?” Her father’s voice was steady, low. Pleasant, even, but Amy knew the rage that boiled beneath it. She had to do something to calm the situation.

  Elly stepped out of the group and stopped before Amy. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, extending her hand. “Heard you and Mom had a blast Black Friday shopping.”

  Thank God. Amy smiled. “We did.” She shook Elly’s hand. “But she said it would’ve been even better if you were with us.”

  Mason seemed to remember his no-touching rule and released her hand. Elly took her by the arm and led her to the couch. “So, show me the loot from this morning.”

  Amy held up a few shirts Martha had gotten for her. “Your mom has fantastic taste in clothes,” she said.

  “Well, she got her fashion sense from me, after all. So of course she does.” Elly reached out and grabbed a cookie. None of the men in the room had moved. “Well, boys, if you’d rather have a pissing contest, that’s fine, but if I’m not mistaken, these are Mom’s famous peppermint cookies. And it looks like there’s only a few left. I’m not feeling very charitable this morning, so unless you get them now, they’re going to be gone in about two minutes.” She glared at her three brothers.

  Martha had been right when she said Amy would like Elly. Th
e young woman was like a miniature version of her mother. With even more spunk. She was the only one who’d gotten her mother’s shock of red hair without a hint of her father’s dark curls.

  The three brothers stopped glaring and came to sit down. Dan sat next to Elly, Lewis in one rocking chair, Dad in the other. Mason sat back on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

  “I’ve already had some,” he said. “Help yourselves.”

  “I also ate entirely too many,” Dad said.

  She could practically feel the tension draining drop by drop from the room. Maybe she hadn’t ruined anything after all. But as she looked into Mason’s pained face, her worry came rushing back.

  A minute later, Martha and Richard walked back through the dining room. “Amy, James, could you…” Martha said.

  “We’ll be in the kitchen,” Dad said. He stood up and held his hands out to Amy.

  She let him pull her to her feet, and they walked into the kitchen. They sat at the island, and he shook his head.

  “You saw him, didn’t you? While you were in Colorado?”

  No use lying now. She nodded.

  “I figured that’s why you came home so miserable, even though you got the job.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have told you. You’re just so stubborn. I knew you wouldn’t call her, and I didn’t know if she’d want to hear from me after everything. So I went to Mason and asked him to help.”

  “Well, I for one am glad you did. We’ve made their lives pretty complicated, though, haven’t we?”

  “Yeah, but they’re family. Complicated kind of comes with the territory.”

  He hugged her from his stool. “I love you, and I want you to be happy.”

  “I am happy. I’m so thrilled you’ll be moving down here. Even if I don’t take that job, I’ll find another one. One that’s perfect for me.”

  He leaned back and stared at her. She blinked, trying to hold eye contact, but she looked down after a few seconds. He cupped her cheek and made her raise her gaze again.

  “He’s head over heels for you, Ames. I don’t know why Martha can’t see it. I do.”