At any other time Holly would have been caught up in the magic of the moment but it was all she could do to wave goodbye to Mrs. Claus until the North Pole was out of sight. She deeply appreciated Santa’s attempt to distract her with stories of Christmases past. She struggled to hold it together until the sleigh landed on her apartment building roof. Once she was safely inside her own unit, she gave in to her tears.
* * *
“Mom, have you seen Holly?” Nick had never been so happy to see the countdown clock hit zero hour. Finally it was the twenty-sixth. Game over, at least until March when preparations for the next Christmas began in earnest. He was both exhausted and energized at the same time. “I can’t seem to find her.”
“That’s because she’s not here, son.” Mrs. Claus ushered Nick into the living room and guided him to a chair in front of the fire.
“Well, I didn’t think she’d be here in your cottage,” he said. He accepted the cup of hot chocolate his mother offered him and took a sip. Like every other soul at the North Pole, he was beyond exhausted. But he didn’t want to wait to find Holly. “I just wondered if you knew where she was. No one else seems to know.”
“She’s no longer here at the North Pole.”Mrs. Claus held up her hand when he jumped to his feet. “Sit back down, Nick, and listen to what I have to say.”
Nick’s heart sank. Something in his mother’s demeanor warned him that she was going to say something he didn’t want to hear. “Where is Holly?”
“Your father took her home.”
Nick felt like someone had just kicked him in the gut. Hard.“Why?”
“Because she asked, that’s why. She wanted to go.” Mrs. Claus sipped delicately from her tea cup. “And before you ask, I didn’t page you because Holly didn’t want to see you. She was unhappy and she wanted to leave.”
Nick struggled to make sense of his mother’s words. “If something was wrong you should have called me, Mom. I could have made it better.”
Mrs. Claus shook her head. “It’s not for you to make better, Saint Nick. Holly needs to work through her pain and her issues by herself.” She reached over and covered her son’s hand with hers. “I’m sure you remember what your father and I have tried to instill in you about the first rule of gift giving. When you truly love someone you give them the gift they need, not the gift you want to give.”
Nick leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, which blocked out the light but not the hurt. “I don’t understand.”
“Yes, you do, son. Holly needs time and space to work through the sad times she experienced as a child. If you really love her, and I believe you do, you will give her what she needs. Let it be your gift to her.”
A low, dull ache radiated outward from Nick’s heart. The thought of Holly in pain hurt him. And the idea of not seeing her, of not being with her, was just as painful. “What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to go to Maui with your family,” Mrs. Claus said. “You and your sister can figure out how to heal your broken hearts while your father and I enjoy the sun and sand.”
Nick leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands. “You don’t understand.”
“Nonsense, Nicholas. Do you think your father and I just ended up together? We had to find our way to each other. Falling in love is the easy part, loving someone the way they need to be loved is what takes commitment and work. But the reward is a happy life with enough good times to make the journey worth it. Trust me.”
Nick stared into the fireplace, watching the flames dance. If Holly needed time and space he’d give it to her, although the idea filled him with misery. But if she wanted it, he wanted her to have it. He just hoped to heaven that his mother knew what she was talking about. Otherwise, if she was wrong and he lost Holly, he’d be making a mistake his heart couldn’t recover from.
* * *
“You do realize its March, don’t you?” Perched on the edge of her brother’s desk, Carol pointed to his calendar. “It’s almost April but you’re still on January.”
Nick glanced at the calendar and shrugged. He couldn’t care less what the date was. “It’s just another day without Holly. Why should I keep track?”
His sister wasn’t about to let him get away with it. “I never thought I’d see you wallow in such a murky pool of self-pity. Snap out of it, Nick. It’s not a good look for you.”
Nick pushed back from his desk and paced his office. He needed a new office. This one was full of memories of Holly. The night they’d spent on the couch, the meetings they’d had at his desk…there just wasn’t anywhere he could look that he didn’t see her.
“Hello, Saint Nick, are you listening to me?” Carol waved her hands in his direction. “We need to talk about something.”
Nick groaned. If it was about another Sunday dinner with Carol and her new husband he didn’t think he could take it. He did adore her two new step-children, they were fabulous kids. But all the lovey-dovey stuff between Carol and Ben? He was happy for them but he didn’t want to see a living demonstration on how to be a deliriously happy newlywed. “No offense, sis, but I really just want to be alone.”
“Too bad.” Carol stood and drew a folder out of her briefcase. “I’ve arranged an interview for you.” She glanced down at her watch. “Seeing as how you’re going to be taking on more of Dad’s duties this Christmas, you need a top notch assistant. One who can handle anything that comes up so you can devote yourself to your new responsibilities.”
“Not today, Carol. Please.” Nick would rather spend the afternoon painting a mural with a cotton swab rather than face the prospect of interviewing. “Next month. I’ll do it in March, I swear.”
“It is March, Nick. Next month is April.” Carol held out the folder so that he was forced to take it. “This is exactly why you need my help. You’re losing it.”
Correction. He’d already lost it. His sanity. His appetite. Several months sleep. Worst of all, he had lost faith in his mother’s ability to always be right. She’d said Holly would come back but he’d not heard a word from her.
“I’ll take your silence for compliance. Wonderful.” Carol picked up her briefcase and cell phone. “I’ve prescreened this applicant and I really, really like her. She’s perfect for the job. A list of interview questions is in the folder. If you have trouble focusing, just stick to the script.”
“Such faith in me, it’s touching.” Nick tossed the folder on his desk. “What time might I expect this paragon of virtue?”
“Any minute now.” Carol’s smile was bright. “Call me later and let me know how things worked out.”
Nick merely grunted in response. But he’d go through with the interview. It wasn’t like it really mattered one way or the other what he did with his afternoon.
Ten minutes later Tinsel rapped at the office door and nudged it open. “Saint Nick? Someone to see you.”
“Send her in, Tinsel.” Nick stood and ran his hands through his hair. He probably should be wearing a tie but when he dressed this morning he hadn’t known about his sister’s plans. But it didn’t really matter who walked through that door because whoever it was, and however qualified she might be, she wouldn’t be Holly.
Except that she was. Nick blinked several times but his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Holly was here. Really here.
She crossed to his desk and held out her hand. “Holly Jamison,” she said, a bright smile on her face.
Nick took her hand in his and felt a rush of desire course through him but he couldn’t put two coherent words together. “I’m…”
“Saint Nick, I know.” Holly smiled again and gently drew her hand back. She pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “May I?”
“Of course, please sit.” Nick sat back in his chair, hardly daring to believe that Holly was really here. He watched as she settled into her chair. She looked the same. Absolutely beautiful. But different too. There was a relaxed, peaceful air about her. “I hardly know what to
say or where to begin,” he managed to say.
Holly looked across the desk and pointed to the file folder in front of him. “Why not start there?”
Surprised, he glanced down at the folder that Carol had left. He flipped it open to find a single sheet of paper with several questions printed on it. His eyebrows rose when he read the first question out loud. “What brings you to the North Pole?”
“You. The opportunity to be with you and work alongside you is one I’d never pass up,” Holly answered. “It’s what I want more than anything.”
Nick shook his head. Was he dreaming? He tore his gaze away from Holly and read the next question. “Please tell me how your last job ended.”
Holly crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. “Not well, I’m afraid. I didn’t leave things the way I should have. But I’ve learned from my mistake and I’d never make that choice again. Communication is everything and I’m ready to fully commit to being part of a partnership.”
Nick realized his sister knew him so well. She’d known he needed Holly back and she’d also guessed he’d be speechless once he saw her again. He glanced at the third question. “How have you prepared for this position?”
Holly thought for a moment. When she spoke her voice was soft but it also held a confident strength. “I had some issues to work through. I didn’t want to lose out on the life I wanted by being tied to the past so I’ve spent some time in counseling and worked very hard to make my peace with my parents’ divorce and their mistakes.” She stood and came half way around Nick’s desk.
Without taking his eyes off of her, Nick came around to meet her. He slowly reached out and trailed his fingers along her cheek. The feel of her skin was so right. “So if I offer you a permanent position here you believe it’s what you want?”
Holly nodded and took another step toward him. She laid her hand on his chest and looked up at him. “If you’re offering me forever, I’ll happily accept.”
Nick slipped his arms around her waist and drew her to him. “I’ve missed you, Holly.”
She reached her arms up around his neck. “I needed to go, Nick. But I’m back for good. I’ve put a lot of thought into this, into us, and I know what I want.”
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “And what exactly is that?”
“An engraved name plate for my desk.”
His face relaxed into a smile. “How should it read?”
“Mrs. Saint Nick.” Holly’s eyes were bright and held a sparkle that he’d never seen before. She ran her fingers along his jawline. “What do you think the chances of my being hired are?”
Nick grinned. “I think you’re perfect for the job. The position of Mrs. Saint Nick is yours if you want it. If you want me.”
“I do.” Holly stood up on her tip toes. “But I think the professional thing to do would be to seal the deal with a kiss.”
Nick happily obliged, knowing this was the B.M.E. - Best Moment Ever.
About the Author
Caroline Mickelson loves her family and loves to write. She also loves a good adventure, among her favorites thus far were attending graduate school in a Scottish castle, riding a camel around the Pyramids in Giza, and taking a best-in-a-lifetime road trip to Graceland. Caroline lives in the American southwest with her husband and their four children, affectionately known as The Miracles.
For more information please visit Caroline’s website:
www.CarolineMickelson.com
www.carolinemickelson.com
Mrs. Saint Nick : A Christmas Central Romantic Comedy Novella Page 10
