“Don’t worry, Adam,” fussed Holly. “No one will know when we stuff the legs into the boots.”
“Ho ho.”
“Adam, honey, say that with more conviction. You’re the darlingest Santa we’ve ever had.” Laurel handed him another pillow.
“Okay, ladies, that’s it for the pillows. I can’t bend as it is.” Adam hitched the belt tighter, looking at himself in the mirror with resignation. Only the bubbling happiness of the three sisters made this worth it.
Half an hour later, as they went from room to room, Holly experienced a wide scope of emotions. There was the inevitable jerking on her heartstrings when she saw the children and their concerned parents. There was happiness and nostalgia and unexpected memories of past Christmases. She almost wished she could hand the hospital’s check right back. Almost.
“These outfits remind me of the final scene in White Christmas,” Adam said, catching their reflections in the windowed corridors of the hospital.
“That’s because they’re copies of the costumes in the final scene of White Christmas.” Holly flicked her muff under Adam’s nose—the only part other than his eyes not covered in whiskers.
And those eyes. Holly sighed inwardly. They’d been sending her wicked messages all evening. Most un-Santalike messages.
They passed the nurses’ station. Holly was sweltering in the heavy costume and could only imagine how Adam felt. He’d been the perfect Santa. Rather than a boisterous, booming character, he’d been gentle and low-key. He talked quietly to the children who could talk; other times he simply sat next to the beds while Holly and her sisters quickly put up small twinkling trees.
It wasn’t too late when they finished the children’s rooms and began the large tree in the children’s wing waiting room.
“The angel tree, I see,” Adam said as he opened one of the boxes.
“An angel tree. I didn’t have enough notice to save one of the others, but I think this one is better here. The angels are all different. Like the children.”
“See, you are a softie.” Adam took off his hat and beard. “I’d like to get out of this suit,” he said, loosening his belt and removing the pillows. “Then I can help you.”
“Adam . . .” Holly wanted to tell him how he’d made the evening special for her, that having him there, wearing the silly suit, had meant a lot to her. She’d just realized it herself.
“Be back in a few minutes,” Adam said, and the moment was lost.
Holly watched Adam on his way down the hall. He walked with a grace her bear of a father had never had. For just a moment, the thought of her father brought hot tears to Holly’s eyes. She didn’t know why she was so weepy this evening.
“Got it bad, huh, Holly? Here, untangle these lights. Why did you bring so many, anyway?” Laurel handed her a snarled string of fairy lights.
“Quit jerking them out of the box and they won’t tangle.” Holly handed the string back to Laurel and got the rest of the lights out of the box herself.
The next time she looked for Adam, he had stopped at the nurses’ station and was opening a canned soft drink.
“That looks good. You all want something to drink?” When her sisters nodded, Holly headed for the station. Several of the nurses were talking with Adam.
“. . . will just love it,” she heard as she approached.
“It was sweet of you to do it.”
Holly missed Adam’s reply. One of the nurses noticed her. “Y’all did a really great job.”
Holly smiled her thanks. “It was more fun than work. Please thank whoever hired us.”
“Thank him yourself. He’s standing right here.”
Holly’s eyes flew to Adam just in time to catch the slight shake of his head. She heard a soft groan from behind the desk. “Adam?” she whispered.
“Sorry. I’m just getting off a twelve-hour shift. Otherwise I wouldn’t have . . .” The nurse shrugged.
Adam quirked a half smile at her, not certain how Holly would take this. “It’s a couple of days early, but happy birthday.”
“Oh, Adam.” And the stoic Holly Hall burst into tears.
“I’LL MAKE SOME hot chocolate,” Ivy offered as the Deck the Halls van pulled into the driveway.
“Trying to avoid unloading duties?” Laurel asked, slamming the door.
Ignoring her sisters, Holly looked up at Adam. “Can you stay? You don’t really have to go in so early tomorrow, do you?”
Adam drew her closer. Holly had let Laurel drive, choosing to sit next to Adam. “Have you got any jobs tomorrow?”
“Just two. The omigosh-it’s-nearly-Christmas-and-I’m-not- ready-for-it kind. And that’s it. We’ll do them tomorrow morning.”
Adam nodded. “I’ll have a cup of hot chocolate.”
Ivy had the hot chocolate ready when they finished unloading the boxes. Adam followed Holly into the kitchen. She’d been quiet ever since her outburst at the hospital, content to hold his hand on the drive home. He hadn’t minded.
Adam hadn’t intended for the sisters to find out that he’d arranged for them to decorate the children’s wing at the hospital. Holly hadn’t said anything about it to Ivy and Laurel and he hoped that she wouldn’t. He didn’t want to change the easygoing relationship he had with them. On the other hand, he intended to disentangle Holly from her family right after Christmas.
“Where’s your tree?” he asked suddenly.
“We don’t get one for ourselves anymore.” Ivy’s voice was clipped.
“This time of year, there isn’t money left for unbudgeted frivolities.” Laurel sipped her chocolate and eyed Holly over the rim of her cup.
Adam watched as the guilt flashed across Holly’s features, then turned his head to face Laurel. Laurel’s gaze flicked from Holly to him, was caught and held. Her eyes, brown like Holly’s, widened.
With Laurel, Adam didn’t choose to be gentle. When he looked at Holly, his eyes were warm. As family, her sisters had been included in that warmth—until now. A muscle worked in his jaw and he knew his expression was hard—he intended it to be. If you hurt Holly again, his eyes said to a wary Laurel, you deal with me. The look on his face left no doubt that the experience would be an unpleasant one.
His eyes briefly left Laurel’s to direct a piercing glance at Ivy, who blushed, then went back to Laurel. Adam reached for his mug of hot chocolate and took a sip. Laurel set hers on the table as the slight trembling in her hands became perceptible.
Holly noticed nothing. She was embarrassed and furious with her sisters and took a few moments to compose herself. She fervently hoped that Adam would not interpret their remarks as a hint that he buy their Christmas tree.
“Usually we’re too tired to decorate our own, anyway.” Holly dredged up a smile. “But this year, why not?”
“Ivy and I’ll buy one after the last job tomorrow,” Laurel said hastily.
“I’d like to come by and see what sort of tree the professionals choose for themselves,” Adam said, finishing his chocolate and getting to his feet.
Holly laughed. “Whatever is left over.”
“I could come by your office tomorrow after we finish,” she offered as she walked Adam to his car. “Help you with some of the paperwork. Then you could have dinner with us.”
“Very tempting,” Adam said softly, admiring her face in the moonlight.
Holly shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Let me.” Adam opened his coat and held it around her while she snuggled against his heart.
“Thank you for my birthday present,” she said softly, not wanting to disturb the stillness of the night. “It was wonderful.” She looked up at him. “You are wonderful.”
Her mouth was only inches away from his and he closed the distance quickly. Their lips were cold, and
Holly and Adam drew apart, laughing, before melting together once more.
Holly was surrounded by Adam, by his warmth and scent. She worked her arms out of the cocoon of his coat to wrap them around his neck as she pressed herself closer.
He tasted of chocolate.
“Holly.” He filled her name with all the pent-up yearning he’d felt for weeks. She’d warned him she didn’t want to become involved and he hadn’t believed her for a while. A very short while. Just until he’d spent long stretches working next to her, learning all about her. He lived for moments like this one, when she seemed to want him as much as he wanted her. He’d gone so slowly, never cornering her into choosing between Deck the Halls and Adam Markland. He’d tried to fit into her life. Now he was going to find out how successful he’d been.
“Holly,” he said again, his breath warming her face. “I’d enjoy a quiet evening with you—alone,” he added, deciding to drop some early hints. “But I’m only going into the office for a couple of hours tomorrow. I’ve got an afternoon flight home to Boston.”
“Boston?” Holly searched his face. “You won’t be here for Christmas?”
The dismayed surprise on her face was an encouraging sign. “I’m spending Christmas at home with my family. My brother and sister will be there with their kids.” It occurred to him that she might ask him to stay. He could; after all, he’d just been home for Thanksgiving. No, if Holly was ever going to think about him and what he meant to her, she needed time alone. Christmas was that time.
“Of course.” Holly recovered quickly and gently pushed herself out of Adam’s circle of warmth. “I forgot that you aren’t a free agent.” She shivered.
“Get back in the house,” he directed softly. “I’ll drop by tomorrow on my way to the airport with something to put under your tree.”
A Christmas present! Holly had thought she’d have two more days. She’d always been a last-minute shopper, finding that her impulse buys were usually the best. Besides, she never knew until Christmas Eve how much money she could spend.
This year, she had money, but no time.
“DO YOU THINK he’ll like it?” Holly looked at Laurel, panic in her expression.
“It’s real cute, Holly,” Laurel drawled.
“He’ll hate it.” Holly dropped her head on the kitchen table beside the small box she was measuring for paper.
“I don’t know,” Laurel picked up the little glass bear. “You’ve decorated it real nice.”
“Oh, cut it out.” Holly snatched the bear back and polished off Laurel’s fingerprints.
“It is Steuben glass. You’ve still got some taste, I see,” Laurel muttered.
“What’ll I do?” Holly wailed. “He’ll be here any minute.”
“I could help you select a nice tie.”
“I couldn’t give Adam a tie! It’s too . . . impersonal. Bears are special to us.”
“Special to us?” Laurel repeated with heavy emphasis. “Is there an ‘us’?”
“I don’t know.” Holly studied the little bear. “I saw this and it reminded me of the night we met. You remember—”
“Yes, and I’d rather forget. I don’t mean Adam,” Laurel added when she saw the look on Holly’s face.
“We tied these little ribbons around all those bears Bloomie got for us.” Holly smiled to herself as she placed the bear back in its nest of tissue paper.
“How sweet.”
“I thought so.”
Laurel drifted toward the refrigerator, opened it and peered inside. “Holly,” she said, extracting an apple and closing the door. “Has it occurred to you that Adam isn’t a sweet man?”
“No, it hasn’t.” Holly ripped off tape with a snap.
“Honey, you’ve hooked more man than you know.” Laurel gestured to the glass door behind Holly. “Let me know if you decide to throw him back.”
“What?” As Holly stared at Laurel, she heard the slam of a car door and barely had enough time to stash the wrapping paper in the pantry. “Stick this under the tree,” she said, thrusting the box at Laurel as she watched Adam’s approach.
“You came around back,” Holly said, a little breathlessly, when she opened the door.
Adam flashed her a smile. “Lunchtime?”
“Uh—” Holly looked around the kitchen—“we were trying to get the tree up before you got here.” True, but she neglected to tell him that their morning jobs took longer than scheduled because she was Christmas shopping instead of helping.
“How about a turkey sandwich?” she offered, trying to ignore the large red-and-gold package Adam held.
“Sounds fine, but lead me to the tree first.”
Holly led Adam through the house into the living room. “Oh, no.” It slipped out before she could stop it.
“Hi!” Ivy grinned at them from her perch on the ladder. “Well Adam, we’ve done our part.” She finished tying the last of at least two dozen bunches of mistletoe and hopped down. “Think I’ll go into the kitchen and start lunch.” She gave Adam an exaggerated wink in passing.
“Think I’ll go with you.” Laurel and her husky laugh followed.
“That’s an interesting shade of pink,” Adam commented, tilting Holly’s chin.
“I can’t believe they’re so obvious.”
Adam laughed, took her hand and led her to the tree. “I rather like it,” he said and positioned her under one of the bunches.
“They poked holes in the ceiling,” Holly grumbled before Adam claimed his kiss.
Afterward, she didn’t mind the holes at all.
“Now, about this tree . . .” Adam regarded the jumble in front of them.
“We each have our favorite ornaments,” Holly explained.
“It isn’t coordinated.”
“We like it that way.”
“Good.” Adam sat on the carpet and nudged the red-and-gold package under the tree. It joined one small silver box.
Holly sank down next to him, besieged by nerves.
“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve.” Adam leaned back against a chair, totally at ease. Although he didn’t smile, his eyes held a secret amusement. “Do you want to open your present now, or wait?”
“I—” Holly broke off as she considered whether she wanted to prolong the suspense or get the embarrassment and the explanations over with.
“Personally, I like to watch people’s faces when they open my gifts.” His dimples deepened, but he still wasn’t actually smiling. The wretch was laughing at her!
“Here.” She grabbed the silver box and shoved it into his lap.
“Here, yourself.” Adam thunked the large box on Holly’s legs.
Her heart pounded. He’d think her present was goofy.
She was convinced that she was about to open a five- or ten-pound box of chocolates. She hoped they were Godiva. If she got fat, it wasn’t going to be on cheap chocolate.
She couldn’t stand his staring at her, and plucked at the sticky tape. “Let’s open them at the same time.” She had magnified this out of all proportion. They were just friends, for heaven’s sake.
She couldn’t look at him. He was obviously of the paper-ripping school, while she liked to unwrap slowly.
The tearing sound stopped. Holly sneaked a quick peek as Adam took off the box lid.
Hearing his delighted laugh, she exhaled. Adam crawled over to her. “Look—his bow is crooked.” He retied it. “Brings back memories.”
“It’s supposed to.”
The blazing look Adam gave her made Holly catch her breath.
“Open yours,” he urged softly.
Holly ripped the rest of the paper. Inside the box was a framed copy of the Town Square magazine with their cover.
“Adam!” Holly reached up and threw her arms
around him in a great hug. “Thanks,” she whispered softly.
She leaned against him, admiring the cover. “I wish you weren’t going back to Boston for Christmas, but I know you want to be with your family.”
It took all Adam’s self-control not to cancel his flight instantly. He’d better leave now, while he could still convince himself to go.
He squeezed Holly’s shoulders briefly. “I’m going to take a rain check on the turkey sandwich. I need to get to the airport. Walk me to the door and stop under some mistletoe on the way.”
Giggling, Holly hopscotched out of the living room and into the foyer. Adam followed and they broke in as many bunches of mistletoe as they could.
“Your car’s around back,” Holly reminded him.
“I know. I want to say good-bye in private.”
Holly smiled wickedly and planted herself under a particularly large bunch of Ivy’s mistletoe. When Adam dutifully bent his head, she locked her arms behind his neck and sinuously pressed herself against him. Extremely satisfied with herself as she felt a shudder pass through his body, she backed him against the front door and began to undo the buttons of his plaid shirt.
Holly trailed kisses after her fingers, enjoying the feel of the softly curling hair on his chest.
“Holly!” She heard the hoarse rumble in his chest and stopped abruptly as two strong hands firmly set her away. “No more games.” Adam closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Holly was ashamed when she realized how affected Adam was by her caresses.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, quickly buttoning his shirt once more. “I guess I was hoping you’d decide to stay.”
The corner of Adam’s mouth lifted in a half smile and he managed a credible drawl. “Holly, honey, I’ll be back.”
Chapter Seven
WHEN WAS HE coming back? How could she have let him leave without telling her when he’d be back?
Boston. It might as well have been the moon. He’d only been gone two days, but it was Christmas and Holly missed him. She thought she’d handled everything so coolly, being very straightforward about her intentions. No time for relationships.
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