Wrapped Up for Christmas

by Katlyn Duncan

  The conversation bordered on polite, and Quinn didn’t talk much, but it was a start. Everyone in the same room was the biggest step forward their family had taken in a long time.

  Quinn’s smile widened even more after dessert when the kids opened their one Christmas Eve gift. It didn’t surprise Nick that they went for his mom’s gift. They were bigger than the toys Nick purchased for them. And her wrapping skills far surpassed his. In each of the boxes were a new set of Christmas-themed pajamas, a movie, and popcorn. The boys argued which movie to watch that night and begged Theresa to allow them one more snack.

  David set the limits of one popcorn package to share and refereed three rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors to determine which movie to watch.

  Nick yawned, wanting to get home. The day had exhausted him enough that he wasn’t sure he could last an entire movie. He doubted the boys would either, but Christmas Eve was special for David and his family. His sulking about Angie would ruin it.

  ‘I should go,’ Nick said, standing from the couch.

  Yvette headed outside, and Theresa hugged him before helping the boys to their room to change into their elf pajamas before the movie.

  Quinn sat comfortably in the reclining chair, grinning wider than Nick had seen in a long time. He hoped the change in heart from his father would bring about a new chapter in their family. Nick wished he could have been part of the change, but he was happy David had someone so special in his life to push for more. He said goodbye to his family before clicking his tongue for Charlie. She peeled herself off the floor and trotted over to him with heavy feet and sleepy eyes.

  Outside, Nick spotted his mother on the front stoop. She stared upward at the clear night sky, her expression hopeful. She had a lot to hope for since their family was on their way to starting over again.

  ‘Good night,’ Nick said.

  Yvette shivered and turned to him. ‘Goodnight, Nicholas.’ She kissed his cheek. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow for dinner?’

  ‘Yes,’ he said.

  ‘You know, Theresa did all this tonight.’

  ‘We figured that,’ Nick said. ‘You two are sneaky.’

  ‘Your father is stubborn,’ she said with a smile. ‘I guess even though it took a while, everything fell into place.’

  On the way to his car, a realization struck him. The way his mother looked at the sky as if it held a secret Nick couldn’t quite figure out. Had Nick mistaken the final look from Angie? He thought her staring at the sky meant she didn’t want to see him, but what if it was the opposite? Did she want him to come back for her? He could have gone to her and demanded she listen to what was inside his heart. Running away from relationships when they were hard wasn’t going to get him anywhere. Angie had challenged him from the start, and she had to know everything he felt for her before she made her final decision.

  Nick wasn’t sure where her future headed, but he would work with it if she wanted to be together.

  If David could forgive his father, was it a stretch for Nick to believe that Angie could do the same? There wasn’t history as there was between his family members, but neither of them could deny their connection. If it couldn’t happen around Christmas, then when could it?

  Hope swelled within him as he drove home that night. It was too late to see her tonight, but was there one more Christmas miracle in the world for him?

  Chapter 27

  Armed with three packages balanced in her hands, Angie walked into the hospital for the third time that week. After a massively carb-loaded dinner from the night before and an equally heavy breakfast, she could have slept for days. After all the arrangements for the holiday, Reese and Jeremy made it seem a waste not to let them have a semblance of a Christmas. Their gifts were at home, and Reese refused to bring their things to the hospital when they were leaving in a few days. Instead, Angie brought her gifts for the Tans in the hope that she could jump-start her own holiday cheer.

  Meeting Nick yesterday hadn’t gone the way she had wanted. Their unfinished business hovered over her head like the cloud-filled sky. She had judged him too harshly. He had apologized and explained his side of the story. It was everything she needed to forgive him, but still held back. She couldn’t forget how kind he was to Hazel, how loving of a relationship he had with his brother, and what a good dog-dad he was to Charlie. He wasn’t a cruel person who hid secrets from her. Nick had made a mistake.

  Even more, she had made the biggest one by not forgiving him. Nick was going to do a lot of good for the community, and it was because of her idea. He never claimed it as his own, yet Angie couldn’t get over it. What was wrong with her? Maybe she didn’t deserve him at all.

  When Angie walked into Reese’s hospital room, Grace and Jeremy were missing.

  ‘I can come back if you want to sleep,’ Angie said, placing the gifts on the small table.

  ‘No,’ Reese said, wincing as she adjusted herself in the bed. Angie wished she could take away her friend’s pain. ‘Are those all for me?’

  ‘One of them.’

  Reese frowned, and Angie laughed. At least Reese hadn’t lost her sense of humor through her ordeal. Dark bags sagged under her eyes, and Angie could tell she hadn’t slept much. ‘Where is Jer?’

  ‘At a bathing class with Grace,’ Reese said. ‘I needed a little break.’

  ‘From Grace?’

  ‘No way – from Jer. He’s amazing, but he’s more neurotic than me. He’s making me nuts checking in on her every few seconds.’

  As the door to the room opened again, Angie covered a laugh with her fist.

  Jeremy wheeled the portable crib into the room. ‘Merry Christmas, Angie.’

  ‘You too,’ Angie said, craning her neck to see Grace. ‘Good swaddle.’

  Jeremy puffed out his chest proudly.

  ‘Don’t say it—’

  ‘I’m the Swaddle King,’ Jeremy said, cutting off Reese.

  ‘You’ve done it now,’ Reese said.

  ‘I mean, Gracie doesn’t move at all,’ Jeremy tried to explain. ‘It’s textbook.’

  Reese groaned and leaned against her pillows. Her eyes drifted closed before snapping open again.

  Angie made her way over to Grace and watched her sleep. Soon enough, Reese faded out.

  Jeremy walked over. ‘I’m going to bring her the nursery for a bit.’

  When he left, Angie tried to be as quiet as possible to let her friend sleep. Once Jeremy returned, she’d make her way home to let them relax together.

  Her phone pinged from her bag, and she dug through to silence it. Reese didn’t stir, but Angie wasn’t going to give her a reason to wake up.

  Angie, I need to see you.

  The text from Nick sent a whoosh of air out of her.

  I know it’s Christmas, but can we meet for a few minutes?

  ‘Don’t leave him hanging,’ Reese said.

  Angie glanced at her friend. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘I know it’s Nick. You always get that goofy grin on your face. As much as you pretend you don’t want to be with him, I know the truth. I see through you.’

  Angie hated being that transparent, but Reese spoke the truth.

  ‘I’m starting to believe what he said was the truth.’

  ‘I know it is,’ Angie said. ‘But can I do this again? You were the one who said I should take time to myself.’

  ‘If you hadn’t met him, I think you should have. But with him insisting there was nothing between Ivy and him, I believe him. You should too.’

  ‘But Brett—’

  ‘Brett never told you the truth. That snake put the blame on you. He’s off with his fiancée without a brain cell of his caring enough to apologize. He threw money at you to leave.’

  Angie sniffed as the corners of her vision blurred.

  ‘He was a horrible man. But Nick isn’t. I told you I’m clairvoyant.’

  Angie choked out a sound between a sob and laugh.

  ‘I need to get some sleep anyway. Di
d you know that these amazing nurses come home with you? Trust me, I asked.’

  Angie glanced at her phone before typing the words spoken from her heart.

  When and where?

  ***

  Twenty minutes later, Angie arrived at the park near the mall. It was the same place where she and Nick had walked Charlie the day she’d spotted them at the café. Memories rushed over her, but she wanted to hear what he had to say before she allowed her hopes to soar. She spotted both Nick and Charlie by the large fountain closer to the center of the park. They were the only ones there since most people were at home spending time with their families. That had been her plan, but she couldn’t pass up the need to know what he wanted.

  Nick turned to her, and a breath stole from her lips. The temperatures had dropped from that morning as the clouds hid the sun from view.

  Charlie’s leash slipped from his grasp, and she bounded over to her. Angie grabbed onto the end of it and allowed Charlie to shower her with kisses. Her heart swelled with happiness. But when she met Nick’s eyes, her stomach sunk. His serious expression wasn’t what she expected.

  ‘The mall isn’t the same without you,’ he said. ‘Are you sure you can’t stay longer?’

  ‘I told you I have another job.’

  ‘I know,’ he said softly.

  Clouded air rolled up from Charlie’s panting mouth. She dutifully sat next to Angie, peering up at them. Angie handed the leash to Nick. Even between their gloved hands, a spark snapped at his touch.

  ‘Okay, I lied,’ he said.

  Angie’s mouth fell open.

  ‘When I said mall, I meant me,’ he said. ‘My life isn’t the same without you, Angie. When you turned to me that day in the café, everything changed. I want to be a better version of myself when I’m around you. For years, I took advantage of the holiday season as a time to make money. Now I know there’s more to it. What is the point of holidays and special occasions when you don’t have someone to share them with?’

  ‘Nick—’

  ‘Please, let me get this out,’ he said, holding his hands up between them. ‘I know you’re leaving because of your new job, but I wasn’t sure if this could work out. I’m willing to try with you.’

  Angie smiled as her entire body buzzed to be closer to him. ‘You want us to work out?’

  ‘Of course I do,’ he said. ‘If I could go back to the first day we met, I would have told you about my job regardless. It was a mistake to keep that from you. It was ridiculous and selfish. But even then, I wanted you to have everything you needed at the time. I always believed in you.’

  Angie opened her mouth to speak, but Nick held up a hand to stop her.

  ‘I have no excuse for my father either. He shouldn’t have meddled in my life, or yours. I don’t want you to walk out of my life because of that.’

  ‘I’m not leaving.’ If she learned anything from the last few weeks, honesty was key. Especially because she agreed with everything he said.

  ‘What are you talking about? You said you had a new job.’

  ‘It’s in the city, just a short train ride each morning and evening. I’m staying in Brookside.’

  ‘You are?’

  She nodded. ‘For a long time, I wanted to escape this place. It started as an adventure to see where I wanted to be, then the memories of Dad kept me away. I’ve been away from home for so long that I didn’t realize how much I missed all these years. I love my family, Reese, Jer, Grace …’ Her words swallowed the last name she wanted to say. Was it too soon to tell him the truth of her heart? ‘My friend, Emma, informed me of a fundraising event planner position at her company. The wrapping station unlocked a feeling inside of me that I’m not ready to let go of just yet.’

  ‘I’m sorry about everything,’ he said.

  ‘Me too. But I want to see what happens with us.’

  ‘I’ll do anything to make it up to you.’

  ‘Good,’ she said.

  Nick sighed. ‘I can’t believe this.’

  She took his hand in hers. ‘Believe it.’

  Nick moved closer to her until they were inches apart. She lifted on her toes and pressed her lips against his. They were warm and soft. Her eyes fluttered closed as his hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. The world fell away from them as they kissed. Memories flooded her mind, specifically when they were alone at his apartment. The same excitement coursed through her at his touch. This is right. Nick was always right for her. Hardening her heart had only prevented them from being together. Now, it softened and opened to the man in front of her.

  Nick slowly broke the kiss, and Angie lowered herself to the ground again. Charlie’s nose bumped her hand before letting out an excited yelp.

  Angie laughed as the sensation of Nick’s lips faded from hers. She wanted more, but he looked as if he wanted to say something.

  ‘I have a gift for you,’ he said, pulling out a familiar wrapped box from his jacket.

  ‘You made me wrap my own gift?’ She laughed – she hadn’t expected the gift to be for her. He had tricked her in the best way.

  ‘I wanted to see you that day. It was my excuse and I wanted to surprise you. I was a terrible wrapper, so I needed the help.’

  ‘You have some talent.’ Angie weighed the box in her hand. The wrapping paper reminded her of the good she had done since she came home. Gently, she shoved a finger under the seam and opened the gift. She glanced at Nick. His eyes sparkled with anticipation. Angie let out a small gasp when she realized what was inside the box. She lifted the string of the glass snowflake ornament she had picked out the day they went Christmas tree shopping.

  ‘You said it reminded you of family,’ he said. ‘Neither of us had much between us other than family heirlooms. I thought we needed a new tradition.’

  ‘We?’ Angie asked a little breathless.

  Nick smiled, and her knees wobbled. His hands wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her close. ‘I don’t intend to let you out of my life again. That is if you’ll have me.’

  ‘Of course,’ she said.

  Nick leaned closer, and Angie lifted her chin, waiting for another kiss.

  Instead, something wet peppered her cheeks.

  Nick tilted his head back and laughed.

  ‘What is it?’ she asked, wiping away what she thought was Nick’s tear. They had been through a lot the last few days, but she didn’t think he was the overly emotional type.

  ‘It’s snowing,’ he said.

  The clouds opened, and thick flakes cascaded from the sky. Angie grinned so hard her cheeks hurt. ‘Finally.’

  Nick’s expression softened as he looked into her eyes. ‘Finally.’

  Then, they kissed again – one of many more to come.

  Want more?

  To be the first to hear about new releases, competitions, 99p eBooks and promotions, sign up to our monthly email newsletter.

  Click here to sign up!

  Acknowledgements

  As always, I want to thank the HQ Digital team for making my stories come to life. Thanks to Belinda for believing in Nick and Angie’s story. It’s been a pleasure working with you again. Thank you for finding the story and challenging me and these characters.

  As always, TSAG – you are the support system that I’ve always wanted and will forever appreciate all of you.

  Thanks to Laurie, Kierney, Jessi, and Carla for helping me during the early stages of this book. Your input has made this book into something amazing, and to Matt and Joanna, for helping me make this story as accurate as possible!

  Thanks again to my readers, Mom and Leigh, for being my best cheerleaders and not being afraid to call me out on the little things. <3

  And last but certainly not least, my readers. Thank you for supporting me through my writing career, and I love you lots and appreciate you!

  Merry Christmas!

  I hope you enjoyed falling in love with Angie and Nick as I have. This story began as my love letter to Hallmark Chr
istmas movies, as they have been my November/December obsession for years. Angie and her wrapping station popped into my mind years ago as if she were plucked from the Christmas universe and wouldn’t let go until I told her own festive romance story.

  I’m humbled and honored that you’ve chosen to add Wrapped Up for Christmas to your shelf, and I hope you got all the Christmas feels from this story.

  If you enjoyed this book, I would be forever grateful if you left a review. Reviews are how readers find books, so even one or two sentences helps immensely in getting Angie and Nick’s story into more hands.

  I love being in touch with my readers, so feel free to contact me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to chat about the story or books in general.

  Thanks for reading and happy holidays,

  Katlyn

  Dear Reader,

  We hope you enjoyed reading this book. If you did, we’d be so appreciative if you left a review. It really helps us and the author to bring more books like this to you.

  Here at HQ Digital we are dedicated to publishing fiction that will keep you turning the pages into the early hours. Don’t want to miss a thing? To find out more about our books, promotions, discover exclusive content and enter competitions you can keep in touch in the following ways:

  JOIN OUR COMMUNITY:

  Sign up to our new email newsletter: po.st/HQSignUp

  Read our new blog www.hqstories.co.uk

  https://twitter.com/HQDigitalUK

  www.facebook.com/HQStories

  BUDDING WRITER?

  We’re also looking for authors to join the HQ Digital family! Please submit your manuscript to:

  HQDigital@harpercollins.co.uk

  Thanks for reading, from the HQ Digital team

  If you enjoyed Wrapped Up for Christmas, then why not try another delightfully uplifting festive romance from HQ Digital?

  About the Publisher

  Australia

  HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.

  Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street