The Christmas Sneak: Hope’s Turn Holidays

by Marie Harte

  “Oh, yeah.” So odd that they’d have jealousy over family in common. “Then Becca met Mitch, and she got another shot at a perfect family and life. And I’m so incredibly happy for her. No one deserves it more than her.”

  “But you wish you had that too.” He sighed. “I understand.” They started walking again, and he confessed, “My ex-wife was awful. Suffice it to say she hurt me when I was down, making it all worse. The divorce seemed to go on forever, several years, actually. And while I was trying to get a leg up, my little brother was winning Super Bowls, dating whoever he wanted, and making a fortune. I didn’t care about the money so much. But man, I missed the game.”

  “I’ll bet.” She listened, learning so much about Deacon she never would have guessed.

  “Anyway, not to make this a big pity party. I’m just saying I know how you feel. I’m really glad Mitch found Becca and that’s he’s so happy.”

  They walked in silence for a stretch, and Nora could feel his gaze on her. She glanced up, met his stare, and quickly looked away, blushing for no reason.

  “So you’re not dating anyone right now, is that what you said?”

  It took her brain a moment to process his question. “Um, no. I’m not.” She cleared her throat. “What about you? Got friends to take to the pub?”

  “Nah.”

  She studied him, curious. “I thought you were with a girlfriend for Thanksgiving?”

  “Didn’t work out.”

  “None of your girlfriends seem to work out.”

  “Oh? Been keeping tabs, have we?” His smile seemed more sharklike than friendly.

  “I wasn’t trying to. I overheard Mitch talking to Becca at our late-Thanksgiving. He thinks you keep picking the wrong type of woman.” Lest he think she might be about to offer herself as a new option, she admitted, “I’ve done that. Been picking all the wrong guys. Not that there have been that many, but my options are limited.”

  “Why?”

  “Huh?”

  “Why limited? You’re beautiful, smart, and together. You could have any guy you wanted.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that, so she didn’t respond.

  “Seriously. I’m not blowing smoke up your ass. I mean it.”

  She laughed. “Thanks, Deacon.” She saw another couple walk by, arm in arm, and glanced down at Deacon’s large hand.

  What the hell is wrong with me? This is Deacon, for goodness’ sake!

  She stuffed her hands in her pockets.

  “Well?” he said

  “Well what?”

  He let out a breath. “This is the part where you say, Deacon, you’re handsome, smart, and together too. You can have any woman you want.”

  “Seriously?”

  He nodded. “Then you add, ‘So if you really need a woman to make you feel like you matter, I guess I’ll agree to a date with you.’”

  She stopped in her tracks, and it seemed to take him a moment to realize she’d stopped. He turned to face her. “Is that a yes?”

  Nora wanted to smack herself in the head for even considering they might have things in common. “That’s a big fat no. We went out once. Then you ghosted me.”

  He frowned. “I thought we’d agreed to put that in past.”

  “We did. But I’m not forgetting it. I learn from my mistakes.” She stepped forward to poke him in his rock-hard chest. “And you, buddy, would have been a huge mistake.” She walked past him, determined to stop wondering about the big lug.

  “But isn’t ‘huge’ a good thing? Bigger is better, right?” he asked as he caught up. “I’m kidding, Nora.” He jerked her to a stop. “Please. I mean it. I’m just teasing. I know I was wrong.”

  “For?”

  He sighed. “For not following up with a second date.”

  “Well, why didn’t you?” she asked, frustrated that not knowing why he hadn’t called still bothered her.

  “I don’t know.”

  But she felt that deep inside, he did. “When you figure it out, let me know. I’m going to finish my walk in peace. Alone.” She left him behind, and this time he didn’t follow her.

  By the time she arrived home, she’d made up her mind.

  Nora needed to make some major life changes. And she’d start with a change of scenery.

  Tomorrow.

  Chapter 8

  Deacon knew he’d blown it with Nora again. He’d been doing so well and then… Bam. He’d moved too fast too soon.

  Fuck.

  He walked into the tea shop Tuesday afternoon, hoping to make amends.

  “Hi, Ruth.” That he knew all the employees on account of frequenting Becca’s place so much didn’t bother him. Becca really did make the best sticky buns.

  “Hi, Deacon.” The older woman smiled. “What can I get ya?”

  “Is Nora in?”

  She winked. “Ah, in for that kind of sweet, eh?”

  “Sweet? Nora?”

  Ruth guffawed. “Good one. Well, our Mistress of Sweetness is not in, I’m sorry to say. She’s taking a week off.”

  “She is? I just saw her yesterday.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. I heard she’s going out of town on some kind of work trip, I think. I don’t know much about her writing business. Zoe and Mira are filling in.”

  “Thanks.” That was worrisome. “Can I get a chai latte to go?”

  “Sure thing, handsome.”

  After he paid for his drink and left, he sipped as he walked, wondering how to handle this new development. He hadn’t planned on involving Mitch in his private affairs. Having talked to Roy had been bad enough, but Roy knew all about making mistakes. He and Jess hadn’t always been so rosy and happily in love. They’d gone through their own rough patches.

  Then too, Roy had seen Deacon at his lowest. Back when he’d been going through his divorce with Rhonda, dealing with an injury that would never truly heal, and wondering where his life headed, Deacon had thought about ending his pain permanently. Roy had talked him off the ledge. Roy had been there for him, back when Deacon had been too ashamed to confide in his family.

  He still couldn’t believe he’d told Nora about his jealousy issue, about feeling inferior to his younger brother.

  Even more astounding, she’d admitted to him about similar feelings she had for Becca. He never would have guessed, not from the way she always seemed so happy and loving around her cousin. But he understood better than anyone how love could twist one up inside. How guilt and remorse and affection could grow dark inside a guy.

  Damn. Even more evidence that he and Nora had something together.

  It had been all he could do not to grab her hand during their walk around the lake. He’d seen her longing as she watched couples passing, could feel her loneliness—a mirror of his own.

  He’d felt so close to her. As if they’d reached a mutual understanding.

  And then he’d messed it all up by asking her out.

  What to do?

  He returned to work and took care of paperwork Roy and he kept handing off to each other. After finalizing some orders and paying suppliers, he left for the day. It was almost six, so he decided to go home.

  And found Simon on his doorstep, looking worried.

  * * *

  Simon watched Deacon approach and did his best to stick to the script. Jenna had handled Nora yesterday, replacing her suitcase with one filled with clothes Jenna had personally chosen for Nora’s isolated cabin vacation.

  Personally, Simon understood his aunt wanting to get away. Sometimes family could be too much, and Nora had been raised an only child. Though she and his mom were as close as sisters, they had developed that bond in their late teens, and Nora still lived alone by choice, according to her.

  Jenna thought him clueless and said Nora would have happily lived with a boyfriend or a husband and kids. That she wanted what his mom had. How the heck Jenna would know his aunt better than he did, he had no idea. But she was a girl. Aunt Nora was a girl. He’d let his
smart girlfriend handle Nora.

  Now Simon had to maneuver Deacon just where he wanted him. Deacon, unlike Mitch, seemed pretty sharp. Deacon had been the one to make things happen when Mitch and Simon’s mom had been too slow to see that they loved each other.

  So how was it Deacon couldn’t see how well he fit Nora?

  Simon shook his head. Adults were so stupid sometimes.

  “Yo, Simon. What’s up?” Deacon smiled and tussled his hair. As if Simon were five. Then again, Deacon still had to look down to see Simon eye to eye. The guy was huge, with large muscles and a subtle toughness missing in his younger brother.

  If Simon had to go up against one of the Flashman brothers, he’d rather fight Mitch. Deacon seemed like he’d fight dirty and not quit until his opponent was broken. Or dead.

  “Hey, Deacon. Can I talk to you?’

  Deacon frowned. “You okay? Sure, you can talk to me.” He unlocked the door, and the pair went inside.

  Simon loved Deacon’s house. It was a lot smaller than the one Simon now lived in, but just as nice. The guy had a functional first floor, with bedrooms, a study, and a living and dining area. The kitchen looked as showy as the one in Mitch’s—my house now, he reminded himself again—but smaller. But the downstairs was the real living space. The guy had an “entertaining basement” according to Simon’s mom. Complete with a pool table, spare bedroom, and a large space he used as a weight room. The massive flatscreen TV was perfect for watching Sunday games, and the fireplace gave it a cozy feel.

  French doors led to a decently-sized yard complete with a fire pit. It was the kind of place Simon had always wanted for himself and his mom, a place where he could hang out with friends in town and live it up in style. And then his mom had married a millionaire.

  He grinned to himself and accepted the iced tea Deacon offered.

  “Talk, kid.” Deacon leaned against the kitchen island, his sweater rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscular forearms.

  Simon looked down at his own and flexed, feeling like a beanpole. When he glanced up at Deacon, he saw the large man trying to hold back a grin.

  Simon sighed. “Go ahead. Tell me I’ll get bigger if I eat all my veggies and do all my homework. I just need to grow into my body, right?”

  “That the speech your mom and Mitch keep giving you?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Sorry, but it’s true. I was like you in high school. Didn’t start hitting my stride until college. But then, you’ve seen Mitch. He’s still small and trying to get bigger. So sad.”

  Simon snickered.

  “Okay, sport. What’s the deal? Why do you look so stressed?”

  “It’s Aunt Nora.” He watched for any telltale responses and wanted to crow with glee when Deacon showed immediate worry.

  “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t think so.” Simon paused, seeing Deacon’s true feelings. The guy liked Simon’s aunt. A lot. And Simon had decided to help bring Deacon into the family. The man needed someone like Nora to soften him, give him the feels the way Jenna gave Simon the feels. That good kind of gooey care that said a girl liked you. And since even Mitch agreed that his brother was clueless about finding a good woman, Simon planned to help the guy out.

  “Well?” Deacon demanded. “And what do you know about this trip she took out of town?”

  “That’s the thing. I overheard her talking to Mom.” A lie, but he’d roll with it. He had listened to Jenna describe her conversation with Nora before Nora had left town. “Nora’s lonely, and she’s trying to figure out what to do with her life. She’s sad because she—” wants a baby might freak Deacon out.

  “She what?”

  “She wants some space from all of us, and she wants a boyfriend. Like, a life of her own. Not that she doesn’t love us, but…”

  Deacon sighed. “Yeah, I get it.”

  Jenna had been spot-on, as usual. Deacon seemed to feel the same way. “So I know where she went. To her parents’ cabin up in the mountains. We’re worried because it’s been snowing a lot up there, and she doesn’t have good tires.”

  “What?”

  Jenna had been sure the tire excuse would appeal to a manly need to fix things. And Deacon, she’d said, was pretty manly.

  “Yeah, her tires aren’t the best. What if she gets stuck up there? The Wi-Fi is spotty. I know because we went up there two summers ago and I couldn’t chat up any of my friends. It sucked.”

  “Huh.” Deacon looked pensive, staring at Simon but not seeing him. “She went alone?”

  Simon nodded. “My mom said she took a suitcase and some food. And I think a laptop. She said she was going up there to work. But what if she gets hurt or stuck? What if she has no reception to get help? You should go check on her.”

  Deacon focused on Simon. “I should, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “She might not like me interfering. I should probably call her folks and let them know.”

  “No.” Simon shook his head. “I mean, she wants space. Aunt Sue and Uncle Luke would just be bothering her.”

  Deacon chuckled. “But I wouldn’t? She normally wants my head on a spike. Give it up, kid. You’re trying to set me up with your aunt. I can tell.”

  “What?” Simon gave a weak laugh. “No. That’s not… I mean, I would never… You…”

  “Stop. You’re pathetic. Besides, I’m already sold. Give me her directions, and I’ll go up and check on her. Just check on her. I don’t want her to hate me for barging in on her.”

  Simon relaxed. “She won’t. We think she likes you.”

  “We?”

  Simon quickly answered, “Mom and me.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Simon coughed. “Um, can I use your bathroom?”

  “You know where it is.” Deacon ran a hand through his hair. “Damn. She will not be pleased to see me.”

  “She won’t know how you knew to find her though.”

  “So?”

  “Blame Mitch for sending you to check up on her. He owes you one for hooking him up with my mom.”

  “That’s true.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Simon headed down the hallway and detoured into Deacon’s room. He knew where things were, having snooped a few times during his stayovers. He found a duffel bag under Deacon’s bed and started throwing clothes in. Lots of warm stuff, underwear and socks. Then he pulled open the nightstand and saw what he’d expected… a box of condoms.

  Not thinking about it, he dumped the whole box in the bag and zipped it up. Then he hurried down the hall to the downstairs, raced down and outside, and chucked the bag in the back of Deacon’s SUV. Having done that, he hustled back inside and up the stairs into the bathroom. To continue the charade, he flushed the toilet, washed his hands, and exited while trying to relax his breathing.

  “Man, I though you fell in,” Deacon teased.

  Simon blushed and weakly said, “I had to go.”

  Deacon laughed. “Okay, Cyrano. I’ll go make sure your aunt is okay and try my hand at making her hate me a little less. You and Jenna stay out of my business though. You get me?”

  “What? Jenna?” At Deacon’s look, he sighed. “Yeah, sure.”

  “You got a ride home?”

  “Um, no. But you could drop me off on your way up to the cabin.”

  Deacon frowned. “I don’t like driving in the dark up the mountain.” His frown cleared. “But with it dark and snowy, your aunt wouldn’t make me drive back right away.” He nodded. “Not bad. Okay, kid, get in the vehicle. I just need to hit the grocery store on the way.”

  “Aw man. I hate shopping.”

  “Suck it up, princess. These groceries might save your poor aunt if she’s all alone without eggs.”

  “Huh?’

  “Just get in the SUV.”

  “Oh, uh, sure.” Simon got in and prayed Deacon didn’t look too hard at the bag he’d tucked away in the back. But hey, it was all for love. His aunt couldn’t be too mad at him when she eventual
ly learned he’d meddled, right? Because Aunt Nora always found out the truth about everything. Hmm. Maybe he should warn Deacon of that fact.

  “And no whining if I don’t buy you an energy drink. That crap will kill you.”

  Or not. Deacon could learn about Nora on his own. And God bless the poor guy who thought he could tell Nora not to have an energy drink. Heck, Deacon would be lucky to survive the verbal lashing. And if the insane guy thought to deny Nora her morning coffee, he clearly had a death wish.

  Nora stared in confusion at the clothes that didn’t belong in her suitcase. She’d packed flannels and comfy PJs for a week-long stay in the cabin. Not skin-tight jeans, clingy sweaters, lingerie, and her emergency thongs—the underwear she wore when going on a hope-to-get-lucky date. She hadn’t had one of those in months.

  She frowned, wondering how the heck she’d gotten these clothes instead of the ones she’d packed.

  Jenna.

  The teenager had been hanging around Nora at her house, ostensibly swinging by to get some last minute suggestions on helping with the receipts from work. Jenna had lingered until Nora had finally asked if she needed a ride home, to which Jenna had blushed and left soon after. The conniver must have used the old bathroom excuse to raid Nora’s closet and replace her packed wardrobe with this, something Simon had once done as a lark.

  Baffled, Nora had no idea what Jenna thought she might be doing. Nora planned to be alone at the cabin. The nearest neighbor was a good quarter mile away, the lights of that cabin viewed across the large lake between them.

  The snow continued to fall, the temperature cold but only a few degrees below freezing. Not so bad considering the average lows at this time of year. She felt Christmassy, even without a tree. Nora had already unpacked her groceries and made herself a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.

  She had enough food to stay through Christmas had she wanted, a mess of unhealthy carbs and sweets along with some decent sustenance to accompany loads of self-pity, a few romance novels, and the Hallmark movies previously downloaded onto her laptop. So long as the electricity and hot water heater held up, she’d be perfectly set in her quest for time to reconsider her future.