A Pride Christmas

by Jill Sanders

  “You’re serious about this one?” he asked, glancing towards the back room, hoping he wasn’t too loud.

  “Yes.” Chris’s tone turned toward excitement. “I think she’s the one.”

  “So, why not drive her up with Alice? That way the two of them—” Chris’s chuckle stopped him.

  “Alice and Dawn on a car trip? No thanks. Besides, Dawn could only get a few days off from work. We were set to fly out, but now our flights have been put on permanent hold. At least until the storm slows down.”

  He sighed and wondered if he should tell his best friend about his thoughts towards Alice.

  “What’s wrong?” Chris asked.

  “Nothing,” he answered automatically.

  “Dude, I know you too well. I can hear that brain of yours cranking. Did something happen with Alice?” His friend’s tone turned eager.

  “No,” he lied.

  “She’s okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s asleep. She made spaghetti and finished off half of a carton of ice cream.”

  “That sounds like her.” Chris chuckled. “Then what is it?”

  He frowned, remembering the kiss. Not the first one, but the second one. The one she’d given him.

  “See, there it is again. That long silence. You’re never quiet unless you’re deep in thought. Just spill it.”

  “She kissed me,” he blurted out without too much thought.

  Chris shocked him by laughing. “Bout time.”

  “What?” He sat up and then for good measure looked at his phone screen to make sure he was really talking to Chris. “Who are you?”

  Chris’s chuckle continued. “Dude, that promise I made you give me was so many years ago. Alice is no longer my teenage sister who has a crush on you. She’s her own woman and if she kissed you, she probably had a good reason. Besides, even my dad knows how you feel about her, and he’s normally one of the densest guys I know.”

  Eric chuckled at that. Chris had always joked that he and Alice had gained their good grades and intellect from their mother.

  “He once got his foot stuck in a bucket,” Chris added with a chuckle, causing Eric to laugh along.

  “Do you remember the time your dad decided to do some home maintenance and accidentally cut the electric wire, shocking himself?”

  “I swear my dad took lessons from that tool man show.”

  “Home Improvement,” he added with a laugh. “Yeah, every time he’d pull out his tools, your mother would groan and try to call a professional.”

  “Still does,” Chris added, then he sighed. “Seriously though, if Alice kissed you…”

  “Yeah,” he sighed when Chris didn’t continue.

  “So?” Chris asked after a moment.

  “So…” He leaned back and watched the fire. “This doesn’t change us. You’re still my best friend.”

  “Always,” Chris added. “You know too much, and I have a lot of dirt on you, so we’re stuck with one another.”

  Eric smiled. “Right back at you.”

  “Be safe. Stay where you are until the weather turns. I don’t want to think about you two trying to get up to Portland in this stuff. From the weather channel reports, it looks nasty and appears that it’s only going to get worse.”

  “We’re not going anywhere,” he agreed. “You and Dawn take the same advice.”

  “Yup, if we can’t make it up to Portland, we’ll try for her family in Georgia.”

  Feeling finally like he could sleep, he said his goodbye. He made sure the fire was mostly out, closing the glass doors on the fireplace before turning in for the night.

  Chapter 7

  When Alice woke, she instantly regretted not making sure the curtains were shut on the windows when she went to bed. The snow was still falling in thick clumps and with the brightness of everything outside, the bedroom was lit up like an operating room.

  She pulled the covers over her head, wishing she hadn’t drunk the rest of the bottle of wine, too. Her bladder was full, and she was pretty sure that the wood floor of the cabin was going to be cold. When she couldn’t avoid the trip to the bathroom any longer, she debated taking the thick warm comforter with her on the trip.

  Deciding against it, she climbed out of the bed and rushed across the floor. The hallway was a lot warmer than her bedroom and so was the bathroom. When she stepped out of the bathroom again, she glanced into the living area and saw Eric bent over the fireplace.

  “Morning,” he said over his shoulder. He smiled as he took in her appearance. She hadn’t even looked at herself in the mirror. Still, she was too tired and cold to care at the moment. Moving closer to the fire, she backed her body up to its warmth.

  “It’s still falling out there.” She nodded to the large windows.

  “Yes.” He took a throw blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her shoulders. “I made coffee, but there’s also hot chocolate.”

  “Marshmallows?” she asked, stifling a yawn.

  “I found some,” he nodded.

  “They think of everything, don’t they?” She motioned to the cabin.

  “Yeah,” he agreed and moved over to make her hot chocolate. “So, what do you want to do today?” he asked as he waited for the single-cup maker to finish.

  She glanced out the window again. “It might be nice to go for a walk sometime today.”

  “There are some games to tide us over.” He motioned to a bookshelf full of old board games. “Or movies…”

  She thought about spending an entire day with Eric and the only thing that kept running through her head was how sexy he’d looked last night in the towel. Thankfully, he had his back to her so he couldn’t see the look she was giving him. Then she noticed his butt in the jeans he was wearing and bit her bottom lip.

  Maybe she should just jump him? Would he let her get away with it? After all, he was the one who had kissed her first last night.

  She hadn’t realized he’d moved until a cup of hot chocolate with several large marshmallows appeared in front of her face.

  “Have you decided yet?” he asked her as she took the mug from him.

  “I think”—her stomach growled—“I’ll decide after breakfast. But, if possible, I would like to get a walk in sometime today.”

  “Sure.” He sat across from her. She was still standing with her butt towards the fire, enjoying the heat that soaked through the blanket and her yoga pants.

  They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the hot drinks before he surprised her by saying.

  “I talked to Chris last night.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “And?”

  “And, he and Dawn were going to fly up to Portland for Christmas.”

  “He was bringing her.” She relaxed. “I knew it.”

  “Yeah, but their flight has been put on hold until the weather changes. They may end up going to visit her family in Georgia instead.”

  Her shoulders sank. She’d really wanted to see her brother this trip. Even if he was bringing a woman home with him.

  “Does that mean it’s even more serious than we all thought?” she asked, somewhat to herself.

  “Sounds like it,” Eric commented. “He’s never brought someone home before.” It was nice and strange at the same time that he knew so much about her family. After all, he had spent most of his childhood shadowing Chris.

  “No, he hasn’t. It really must be serious.” She set her empty mug down. The room had warmed up by then. Setting the blanket back on the sofa, she thought about making something for breakfast. He’d purchased eggs and bacon at the store the night before. But first she wanted to change and get ready for the day.

  “Go,” Eric said standing beside her. “I’ll cook breakfast, you get dressed.”

  “Thanks,” she said before disappearing into the bedroom again.

  When she came out, the entire place smelled of bacon, and her stomach responded with a loud growl.

  “I may not be able to cook a lot of different foods, bu
t breakfast is easy enough,” he said, setting a plate down in front of her.

  He’d made a smiley face out of the bacon and eggs, making her laugh. He set a glass of orange juice down and then returned to get his own food.

  “So?” he asked after she’d taken her first bite.

  “It’s good. But…” She leaned forward. “As you said, it’s breakfast food.”

  He laughed. “Even Chris can cook a few eggs and bacon.”

  “Yes, Chris, I fear, has taken after my father in the kitchen. My father once almost burned down our house when he tried to reheat a slice of pizza in the toaster. He had a bright idea that if he turned the toaster on its side, it would work just fine.”

  “I’ve actually seen Chris do that very same thing.” Eric shook his head as he chuckled.

  “So, I was thinking we could take that walk after breakfast. Not that it’s stopped snowing, but…” She shrugged. “I think if we add a few layers of clothing we’ll be okay.”

  “Sounds good. Somehow the short walk I took last night was more exhilarating than cold,” he replied.

  “Then it’s settled.” She nodded and finished her breakfast.

  “Too bad it’s not a bright sunny day. We could pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the beach for a few hours.”

  “If it was a bright sunny day, then we wouldn’t be here. We’d be in Portland by now,” she pointed out. Instantly, she noticed the change in him. He sobered a little before nodding once.

  “It would have been a shame. Not seeing this place.” He looked around. “I’ve added it to my visit-again list.”

  She had too. She wanted to see the view in the spring or summer. And she’d been dreaming of a day on the beach. Since moving to California, she’d only had a few days where she’d escaped to spend time in the sun.

  “I’d like to see it in the summer,” she agreed.

  “Well, it’s definitely not summer out there now, but it is beautiful.” He finished his breakfast. “I’ll do the dishes while you layer up.” He smiled and took her empty plate and glass.

  Disappearing into her room, she pulled a pair of jeans over the yoga pants, then took her wool socks out of her bag and put them on. After two tries, she managed to pull on her Uggs. She desperately wished for the snow boots that she’d left at her parents’ house. She hadn’t believed she would need them in Cali. She pulled off her sweatshirt and put on a tank top and a T-shirt, before putting the sweatshirt back on.

  She pulled on a beanie, grabbed a scarf, and headed back out.

  Eric was already there, waiting for her, his jacket and scarf in hand.

  “Think you’ll be warm enough?” he asked, assessing her outfit.

  “I’m breaking a sweat now,” she joked, opening the door. Taking a deep breath, she almost choked as the frigid air closed her throat.

  Eric was there, gently slapping her on the back until she caught her breath.

  “Jesus, it’s freezing out here.” She wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Change your mind?” he asked, shutting the door to the cabin behind him.

  Looking around, she saw the beauty surrounding them and wanted to explore. “No,” she said after a moment. She took Eric’s hand and started pulling him down the cleared pathway towards the sand.

  When they hit the beach, it was hard to tell where the sand ended and the snow started. There was a slight breeze blowing, which had the white powder mixing with the darker sand.

  They remained in silence as they crossed the expanse of the sand. Stopping a few feet away from the water’s edge, they watched the waves break, clearing the snow from the sand as soon as it landed.

  “I’ve never been on the beach when it’s snowing before,” she said.

  “I hadn’t either. There’s something…”

  “Mesmerizing about it all,” she finished for him. She was more aware now than before that he hadn’t dropped her hand. Even though they were both wearing gloves, she felt the heat rush through his hand into her own.

  “I thought it was magical being in the city for Christmas, but this…” He shook his head.

  “Yeah,” she agreed as they started walking down the beach. “So,” she said after a few feet, “what did Chris say?”

  “About?” he asked, looking at her sideways.

  She motioned to their joined hands. “This.”

  He sighed and glanced out over the water, and she could tell he was trying to avoid the conversation.

  She knew the moment that he’d mentioned he’d talked to Chris that he’d told her brother about their kiss. The two of them had remained close all of these years. She’d had friends come and go during her school years. None of them had stuck like Eric and Chris had.

  She knew that they didn’t keep secrets from one another. Ever. Once, her brother’s girlfriend had tried to hit on Eric at a party. By the time the party had closed down, Chris had broken up with the girl and it was all over the school that it was because of what had happened.

  Tugging his hand, she pulled him to a stop and took a slight step closer to him. She searched his eyes.

  “No matter what he said, it won’t change the way I feel, the way I’ve always felt about you.” She waited, biting her lip as the seconds ticked by.

  Chapter 8

  What was he supposed to do with that? He’d waited years to have a chance with Alice. Now his best friend had pretty much signed off on letting him take that chance.

  Not to mention, here she was, practically throwing herself directly in front of him. He wanted her. Period. But there was the voice in his head screaming for him to be careful. This would mean more to him than any other relationship had or ever would. After all, if by chance their relationship didn’t last, his and Chris’s would go on.

  He ran his hands up and down her arms and then pulled her close until her head rested on his shoulder. “Promise me,” he said against her forehead.

  “Anything.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “No matter what happens, we remain friends.”

  She chuckled. “I can’t make that promise.” She leaned back and looked into his eyes. “Let’s say you decide to cheat on me with Lisa Carver…”

  “Who?” He frowned.

  “Chris’s ex, the one who…”

  “Oh,” he interrupted her and chuckled. “Right. Trust me, that isn’t an issue.”

  “Or a Lisa Carver type.” She ran her hands up his sides. “Then, I’m afraid, I’d have to cut your heart out.” She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “I take it that my brother has given you his approval finally.”

  He sighed, enjoying the feeling of her lips on his. “Sort of,” he agreed. “That doesn’t mean that I’m going to jump you the first chance I get.”

  “Why not?” she asked, pulling herself closer. “You can’t tell me you don’t want to.”

  No, he couldn’t. He couldn’t even say that he hadn’t thought about doing just that when she’d walked out that morning in that thin tank top.

  “What I want and what I should do are two different things.” His eyes moved to her lips. “Like, right now, I want to drag you down into the soft sand and kiss you until neither of us can see straight.”

  She chuckled. “Why don’t you?”

  “Because it’s easily below ten degrees out here and we’d get soaking wet, not to mention I’d want to remove some of those layers you have on.” His hands moved to just under her shirt, touching her skin. He felt her shiver when the wind snuck under her clothes.

  “Okay, good point,” she said, wiggling free of him and pulling her shirts back into place. “How about we go in, have another cup of hot chocolate, and build a really hot fire?”

  “Now I could go for that.” He took her hand and they started walking back across the beach. The snow had picked up and was now falling in even larger clumps. The wind had grown stronger as well and by the time they hit the mouth of the pathway, he was gripping her hand tightly.

  “I don’t think I
can feel my toes.” She laughed as she stomped the snow from her Uggs on the covered front porch. He shook the snow from himself and opened the door.

  He’d left the embers burning in the fireplace and welcomed the warmth as they shut themselves inside again.

  Their extra layers disappeared quickly, and he tossed a few logs on the fire while she made them each a hot chocolate.

  By the time the fire was roaring again, they each had a cup in their hands as they sat on the sofa in front of the fire. He’d pulled the blanket around her shoulders again.

  “What did my brother really say?” she asked once she was settled.

  He thought about it for a moment. He’d never really lied to Chris. They had come up with a code a few years after claiming they were officially best friends. He’d lived up to that code and was pretty sure Chris had as well. Mutual respect, which he also had for Alice. He’d never lied to her before and had no intention of starting.

  “He pretty much said that we had his blessings.” He sipped his drink.

  “Really?” She turned slightly to him.

  “What did you expect him to do?” he asked, knowing full well that he’d believed that Chris would disown him as a friend after punching him a few times.

  She shrugged and set her cup down. “I don’t know, maybe threaten to hit you?”

  He chuckled. “My thoughts exactly. But he shocked us both and told me it was about time.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “He said that?” Eric nodded and set his own mug aside.

  They remained silent for a moment, watching the fire lap at the new logs. “This is nice.” She sighed and leaned against his shoulder. Automatically, his arm went around her and pulled her closer to him.

  “Yes,” he agreed, feeling nervous all of a sudden. His desire for her had been so strong over the years. He’d had plenty of fantasies about what it would be like being with her. Touching her. Kissing her. Making love to her.

  None of those fantasies had been in front of a fireplace when they were trapped in a snowstorm.

  He glanced down at her as she looked up at him. Their eyes locked and just as he was leaning closer to taste that sweet mouth of hers once more, there was a knock on the door.