Christmas with the Recluse

by Lieske, Victorine E.

  He let out a breath. “Sure. We can go out now.”

  Charley couldn’t stand it anymore. She jumped up and bounced on her toes. “Oh, my gosh. You’re the best!” Before she could think, she leaned over and kissed his cheek, and then immediately regretted it as his scowl reappeared. “I’m sorry!” she said, waving her hands. “I didn’t mean that. Just pretend I didn’t do that.”

  The scowl faded. “I don’t know what to say to you half the time.”

  “Then don’t say anything. Just show me how to get to the hot tub.” She rubbed her hands together, too excited to care anymore how she looked to him.

  He stood and she swore she saw a smile appear on his face before he turned from her. “Come with me.”

  She followed him down a set of stairs to a room with a large screen TV taking up one wall. A glass door slid open to a walk-out porch. The hot tub sat out beyond the upstairs deck, the moon shining on the blanket of snow covering it. “Will it take long to fill?”

  “Twenty minutes or so.” Alexander unclipped the cover and flipped one side up, the snow sliding off.

  Charley peered into the tub. Whoever had winterized it had cleaned it well. “Where’s the hose?”

  “Over there.” He motioned to a hose box nestled by the house.

  Charley crossed the porch and worked on pulling the hose out. It was frozen and didn’t want to cooperate, but after a few minutes she had enough of it pulled out that it would reach the tub. She placed the nozzle in and went to turn on the water.

  Alexander rubbed his hands together. “It’s cold. Are you sure you want to fill this thing?”

  “Yes!” She turned the spigot and water splashed into the bottom of the tub. “Hot tubs in the winter are awesome. You mean you’ve never used this when it was cold outside?”

  “Nope.” The look on his face told her he thought she was crazy.

  “Then you’ve got to try it. How long will it take to heat the water?”

  “Normally it takes a day. But I’m not sure in the winter.”

  “I’ll check on the temperature tomorrow and see.” She looked into the tub and rubbed her arms, the chilly air finally getting to her. “Let’s go inside while it fills the rest of the way.”

  He nodded, following her through the glass door.

  She pointed to the big screen. “Do you like to watch movies?”

  “Sometimes.”

  Man, he was so reserved. She silently took it as a challenge to get him to start talking. “What’s your favorite movie?”

  “I don’t have one.”

  She made a face. “What? You don’t have one? Come on. Everyone has a favorite movie.”

  He shook his head. “Nope. Not me.”

  She walked over to his movie collection and started looking at the DVDs. Most of them were comedies. She squinted at him. “I never pegged you for a comedy lover.”

  He turned away from her. “I used to like them.”

  “But not anymore?”

  He worked his jaw. “I don’t have much time for movies anymore.”

  Charley couldn’t stand the look on his face. The pain written across his brow. He had to stop thinking of his loss. He needed to move on with life. He was a walking corpse. She walked to him and took his hand. “Come on, let’s watch one.”

  He looked at her, an expression on his face she couldn’t read. “I don’t know.”

  “Sure, you do. It’s just a movie. You’re not busy, are you?” She looked around the room. “There’s no reason you can’t.”

  For a moment she thought he would refuse, but a small smile appeared on his face and he nodded. “All right.”

  Charley grinned and squeezed his hand. “Great.” She picked a movie, one that looked particularly silly, and started up the DVD player. When she went to sit, Alexander was already settled on the couch. She didn’t want to be rude and sit across the room from him, so she sat next to him.

  The movie started up and Charley glanced up at him. “You comfortable?”

  He looked at her, and she faltered as she stared into his brown eyes. “Yes,” he said, his voice low.

  She tried to ignore the feelings coursing through her as she sat next to him, his body heat permeating through her. Why was her heart beating so loud? Could he hear it? She concentrated on making her breathing even.

  During a particular funny spot in the show he chuckled, and she grinned up at him. He sobered. “What?”

  “Nothing. I just like the way you laugh.”

  “What? I laugh differently than other people?”

  “No. Well, yes. I don’t know.” It was something she couldn’t put into words. His chuckle came from deep in his chest. It made her want to cozy up to him, for some reason. “I like it.”

  He looked at her, and her breathing slowed. His eyes were so mesmerizing, it was hard not to stare into them. He leaned closer to her, and she could smell his cologne. It was intoxicating. He looked like he was going to speak, but he closed his mouth quickly and suddenly stood up.

  “What?”

  “The hot tub. We should check on it.”

  Oh. Right. Charley paused the movie and followed him outside. Sure enough, the tub was full and water had begun to spill over the edge. She turned the water off as he got the tub going. When it was running and the chemicals were all put in, she clasped her hands. “I can’t wait until it’s ready to get in.”

  He turned to her, a strange expression on his face. Then he placed the cover on the tub and walked back inside. She followed him, her legs now frozen.

  “Are you cold?”

  She nodded, rubbing her hands together. “Yeah.”

  He opened a closet and pulled out a fleece blanket. “Here.” He extended his hand and she took it from him, wrapping it around her. “Thanks.”

  After they sat back down and she un-paused the movie, she was still cold. He turned to her. “Are you okay?”

  “Why?”

  He leaned closer. “You’re trembling.”

  “Sorry. Still cold.”

  He wrapped his arm around her. “Geesh, you’re right. You’re freezing.”

  She giggled and snuggled into him. “How are you so warm? We were both outside the same amount of time.”

  He grinned at her. “I’m warm-blooded.”

  “No fair,” she whispered. They settled into silence as the movie played, and Charley finally grew warm enough to be comfortable. If she had stopped to think about it, she would have been embarrassed that she was snuggled into him, but she didn’t allow herself to. She was too comfortable and didn’t want to ruin it.

  The movie ended and as the credits rolled, Charley pulled back and stretched. “That was good. Did you enjoy it?”

  At first, she didn’t think he was going to answer. He just looked at her, but then a smile appeared on his face. “Yeah. That was fun.”

  She considered it a victory, and stood. “Good night, Alexander.”

  “Good night, Miss Davis.”

  She playfully whacked him on the arm. “Oh, come on. You can call me by my name, can’t you? We’re practically family now.”

  He stood and took a step toward her. He was so tall, she was eye-level with his chest and had to look up to see his expression, which was almost playful. “Good night, Charley.”

  She swallowed, her throat feeling funny. “Good night,” she whispered. She walked up to her room, her pulse racing. Why did she always get this way around him? He affected her like no one else had. She trembled as she dressed for bed, and it wasn’t because of the cold.

  Good heavens, she was getting a crush on Alexander Norris. She shook her head as she climbed into bed. She could not fall for him. That was ridiculous. Not only was he too old for her, he was so grumpy. She didn’t like mean people. She was never going to fall in love with a man like that.

  Chapter 7

  Charley awoke the next morning with an excitement running through her she couldn’t quite explain. As she started up her Christmas music and got t
o work in the garage, she felt like she was on the precipice of something new. But that was ridiculous because there was nothing new going on in her life. And that whole thing with Mr. Norris last night had just been her trying to loosen him up. It didn’t mean anything. And she’d already determined he was not her type. So why was she feeling this way?

  She pulled a box off the top of a stack and opened the flaps. It was filled with tinsel and greenery, and tiny white Christmas lights. She grew excited. Seven days until Christmas, and there wasn’t a single decoration throughout the house. Wouldn’t it look amazing if she wrapped this up the banister of the grand staircase? She could just imagine how it would look. Elegant and beautiful.

  But then the thought occurred to her that Alexander wouldn’t think it was a good use of her time to decorate the house. Maybe she should ask him. She debated for a moment but decided that they had turned a corner last night in their relationship. Surely he wouldn’t yell at her for asking about the decorations, right?

  She left the garage and stepped into the kitchen. Dorothy turned to her. “A break already?”

  “No. I have a question for Alexander.”

  “He’s not here. He left a few minutes ago.” She opened the refrigerator and took out a container. “Said he wouldn’t be home for lunch. I guess he had an errand to run in town.”

  Charley’s spirits fell, and she sat down on the stool. “Oh.”

  Dorothy put her hand on her hip. “Why? Do you need something?”

  “I just found some wonderful Christmas decorations in the garage. I thought it would be cool to put them up. I mean, it’s a week away, and there’s no sign of Christmas anywhere around here. I thought maybe he was Jewish or something until I found the box.”

  Dorothy’s expression softened. “No, he’s not Jewish.”

  “Do you think he’d get upset if I put the decorations out? They look almost brand new. I would hate to get rid of them.”

  “I don’t know,” Dorothy said carefully, grabbing a dish rag.

  “You don’t know if he’d get upset?”

  “Oh, I know he’d get upset, but maybe it would be okay.”

  Charley twisted on the stool. “What do you mean?”

  Dorothy wiped the counter. “I mean, he is hiding from life. Burying anything that reminds him of Sadie.”

  Charley stilled. “That was his wife’s name?”

  “Yes.”

  “And Christmas decorations would remind him of her?”

  Dorothy nodded. “Yes. But he needs to move on with life. He can’t run from it anymore. And I think you—” She pointed at Charley. “Could be the person who helps him do it.”

  “Me? Come on. I told you yesterday, he’s too old for me. And all those other reasons.”

  Dorothy waved her hand. “No, I’m not talking about that. Although I still think you and he would make a cute couple. I mean, you could be the one who brings the Christmas out in him. You’re fun and lighthearted.” She pointed to the socks she wore, the Christmas lights in different colors snaking up them. “You know how to enjoy the spirit of the holiday. He needs that in his life. It’s not like he didn’t used to love Christmas. His grandfather would go all out with the decorations. As a child, he loved the holiday.”

  Charley tossed Dorothy a raised eyebrow. “So, you’re telling me to go ahead and decorate, knowing he’s going to come home and yell at me?”

  A laugh bubbled out of Dorothy and she stopped wiping the counter to smile at Charley. “Someone has to volunteer as tribute.”

  “Oh, man, you’re so mean!” Charley hopped off the stool. “But I get what you’re saying. Plus, he yelled at me yesterday and then apologized, so I think he’ll be less likely to blow up at me again.”

  “Right? See, I knew I liked you.”

  “Okay, I’m going to do it. And if things go terribly wrong, I’ll just blame you.” Charley tossed Dorothy one of her cheesy grins and stepped out into the garage. Dorothy’s laughter echoed after her.

  She spent the next two hours going through boxes of decorations, hauling stuff into the house, and putting up lights and tinsel. A beautiful crystal manger scene fit perfectly on the table in the entryway. She set up a pair of lighted snowmen in the yard. By the time she got done, the house looked amazing. Whoever had bought the decorations knew what they were doing.

  As she hung the last item, a large wreath on the front door, she began to feel insecure. What if Alexander grew too angry with her? What if she had pushed it too far, and he fired her? She stepped back to look at the front of the house. It looked good.

  As snowflakes started to fall, Charley resolved to go back inside and take whatever Alexander would dish out. She wanted to open him up to the spirit of Christmas. Yes, life held pain. She knew the sting that death held. But she also knew he needed this to help him get over it and move on.

  She went back to the garage and started on another box. She’d cleared out almost one quarter of the space already. The box she was keeping for auction only had a few things in it. She knew she was not here to appraise antiques. She was there to make Sadie’s memory disappear.

  A quick knock came on the door, and Dorothy stuck her head in. “He’s home. I see his car.”

  “All right. I’m coming.” Charley dropped what she was doing and rushed into the house. She’d thought a lot about how she was going to handle this, and had figured the best way was to act excited about what she’d done.

  The front door slammed and his footsteps echoed loud across the tile flooring. Charley walked to meet him. When he came into view, she opened her arms wide and called out, “Surprise!”

  “What is the meaning of this?” Alexander’s voice boomed through the space. He held out a piece of tinsel.

  Charley almost balked. His face looked furious, red creeping up his neck and his eyes stone cold. She had expected him to be angry, but not quite like this. But she couldn’t back out now. She had to keep going with it. “Christmas is coming. It’s only a week away. I thought—”

  “No. You didn’t think. You assumed.” His eyes flashed at her. “You will take down these decorations at once.”

  “Alexander,” Dorothy said, and Charley turned to see her standing behind her. “Please.”

  “No!” He threw the piece of tinsel to the floor, a vein in his neck bulging. “This is not acceptable.”

  “But it’s Christmas.” Charley tried to stay strong, but inside she felt like crying. How could he yell at her again? Hadn’t he realized how that made her feel?

  “Not in this house.” He turned on his heel and stalked off toward his office.

  Charley blinked back the tears. No. She would not cry again. He had made her cry yesterday, and she was not going to give him that power again.

  Dorothy let out a breath. “I’m sorry, love. I was hoping...well, let’s take them down.”

  And suddenly Charley grew angry. She straightened her back and shook her head. “No. I’m not going to take them down.” She wiped at her eyes and followed after Alexander. If he was going to act like an overgrown baby, she was going to let him know just what she thought of it.

  She walked into his office and he turned, obviously startled. “What the—”

  “You listen here,” she said, walking up to him and poking him in the chest. “You do not have the right to talk to me that way.”

  His eyes grew wide.

  “I wanted to do something nice for you. Something to help you get back into the spirit of Christmas. And I went through all this work for you, and you didn’t even have the common decency to thank me. You are a mean person.” She poked his chest again.

  He looked stunned, his mouth opening and closing, but nothing coming out, so she continued. “I know you are grieving. I understand that. I lost my twin sister when I was twelve. Do you think it hurt? Do you think I wanted to crawl into a hole and die? Yes, I did.” Her voice broke, but she pressed on. This was important for him to hear.

  “I wanted to go to sleep and ne
ver wake up. The pain hurt so bad, I could barely look at myself in the mirror. But I knew I couldn’t live the rest of my life like that. I had to go on with life.” She blinked, the emotion of what she was saying almost overpowering her, and her throat closed. “I knew it’s what she would have wanted,” she whispered.

  Alexander’s expression softened and he exhaled. “Charley.” It sounded like a caress. “I didn’t know.”

  She felt a tear travel down her cheek. It was difficult to talk about her sister. She hadn’t realized she was going to bring that up until the words came flying out of her mouth.

  He reached up and cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know. You’re sorry. I’m sorry too. Let’s stop being so sorry and go live life. There’s nothing for you here, in this castle of pain you’ve built.”

  He dropped his gaze, his eyes glossy. “You’re right.”

  “Let’s celebrate Christmas. We can...” Her mind turned as she tried to think of things they could do. “Make cookies and put up a tree. Go look at lights. Maybe sing some songs.”

  He shook his head, but his lips betrayed a hint of a smile. “I draw the line at singing.”

  “Fine. You don’t have to sing. But let the holiday in. For me?”

  He nodded. “For you.”

  The mood shifted and Charley found herself staring up into his eyes. There was something in his gaze she couldn’t quite put her finger on. An intensity that took her breath away. He leaned a little closer to her and she wondered if he was feeling the same thing she was. Was his head spinning like hers? Why was he just staring at her like that? It looked like he was going to...

  No way. He wasn’t going to kiss her, was he? That was a ridiculous notion. She took a step back, and the intense mood shifted. “Okay, then. Let’s figure out when we’re going to make cookies.”

  He squinted at her. “Like, write it on the calendar?”

  She laughed. “No, silly. But if you say we’ll do it tomorrow, then I know to carve out time to do it.”

  “All right.” He scratched his chin. “We’ll make cookies tomorrow.”