by Nina Singh
Taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell, then waited. It opened within seconds and Carli stepped aside to let him. The apartment was just as festive as he remembered; Christmas decorations still adorned every wall and corner. Hard to believe that had only been a few short days ago.
“I’m surprised you’re still in town.” She looked different, tired. Dark smudges framed her eyes; her skin appeared paler. When she turned and walked to the sofa, there was unmistakably less of a spring in her step.
He had done that to her; he couldn’t deny it. And he wanted to kick himself for his behavior. Well, it was the reason he was here.
“I decided to delay my return flight.”
“I see. Can I get you anything? Coffee or something?”
This felt so wrong. Just a couple of days ago they’d spent the night sleeping in each other’s arms in front of a cozy fireplace as a turbulent snowstorm raged outside. Now they were addressing each other as strangers.
“No, thank you.”
She motioned to the loveseat he stood next to. “Have a seat.”
He took off his coat and sat, trying once again to come up with the right words to say. He should have tried harder to make her understand at the store. Instead, he’d run.
Something he deeply regretted now.
He had to tell her that. But when he tried, they both started talking at the same time, awkwardly speaking over each other.
Justin ran a hand through his hair. “Please, go ahead.”
“I was just wondering why you delayed your flight.”
“Or why I’m here, for that matter?”
“That thought had crossed my mind, as well.” She pulled her feet under her and positioned herself into a ball on the couch. “I imagine it has to do with the Cape store?”
“In part.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I was actually just hoping to try to clear the air between the two of us.”
“I see.”
“I should have had the courtesy of listening to you that day, Carli.”
Her gaze shifted downward, and she hugged her knees.
“I mentioned something to you the first day I arrived. When I made the mistake of judging you, do you remember that?”
“I think so, something about how it had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jackson.”
Bingo.
He should have known she was sharp enough to recall exactly what he was referring to. She was one of a kind. What a fool he was, to have had a chance with someone like her and to have blown it the way he had.
“And apparently, I didn’t learn my lesson the first time I messed up.”
Women like Carli didn’t come along twice in one lifetime. His mishandling of it all was just one more thing in a long line of missteps he was going to have to live with. He got the distinct impression it might be the biggest. He had only himself to blame.
To spare her the effort of summoning a response, he stood and grabbed his coat. “I should leave. Thanks for giving me a minute.”
Carli jumped up too. “Wait, before you go.” She walked over to the oak angled desk under the corner window and pulled out a sketch pad. Tearing off the top sheet, she handed it to him. “I just finished it.”
It took Justin a moment to realize what he was looking at. Then he remembered the framed sketch he had seen mounted along her parents’ hallway.
She had drawn him. The piece of paper had one large portrait of him as an adult in the center and then another drawn smaller in the corner. The smaller one portrayed him as a boy. She had clearly based it on the newspaper captioned photo Mr. Freider had given him back at the Cape.
The resemblance in both was amazing, detailed and nuanced.
But more than merely replicating his physical features, the charcoal portrait seemed to capture his aura, right down to his soul. Only someone who had looked beneath the surface to his very core could have been able to draw him the way she had. The effect rendered him speechless.
“Do you like it?” she asked in a nervous and hesitant voice. How could she possibly be insecure with talent like that?
“It’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever given me. Or done for me, actually.”
Yeah, he thought as he stared at the picture. He had definitely blown it.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CARLI HAD FULLY intended to give Justin the sketch since the moment she’d started it after the heartfelt conversation with her mother. It just hadn’t occurred to her that he would be there in person to accept it. She’d expected to have to mail it to him at some point. When they were both somehow past the fateful events of the last week.
She figured that would have put the ball squarely in his court. He’d beaten her to the punch, however, when he’d surprised her with a phone call earlier this afternoon.
“I planned on rolling it and packaging it for you,” she told him. “But since you’re here, it’s yours to take.”
He blew out a deep breath. “I don’t know what to say. Except I thought you said you had stopped sketching?” His gaze never left the paper he held in his hands.
“Yeah. I had. But I was inspired.” She wasn’t going to tell him just how inspired she’d been. The sketch had taken hours, and she’d been working nearly nonstop. In fact, she’d been tidying up furiously after receiving Justin’s call that he was coming by.
It had been shocking enough to discover he was still in town. But to have him actually want to visit her apartment was a whole other level of altered reality. She wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t dreaming this whole thing up at this very moment.
“I can’t help but feel honored,” he admitted, and a silly rush of girlish pleasure shot clear through her toes. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you ever stop in the first place? You have an amazing gift for it.”
She had a hunch the question may have been coming. This was the risk she’d known she was taking when she picked up the charcoal pencil.
“Let me guess, it’s a long story.”
“Actually, it’s not. It’s quite an old, regular story, in fact.”
He quirked an eyebrow in question.
“It’s hard to put your heart into a drawing unless you feel a true joy in doing so. I’d lost that for a while. Now it seems to be back.”
Justin’s eyes flicked over her face. “I must say I’m honored.”
She wanted to tell him there was so much behind her rendering of his image. His face was the first thing she saw when she closed her eyes before going to sleep. Those hazel eyes of his haunted her dreams and even her waking moment. But what purpose would it serve? Some things were better left unsaid.
She followed Justin as he made his way to the door. Suddenly, he pivoted on his heel. Carli’s heart thud against her chest. He couldn’t leave just yet.
“I almost forgot. I emailed you a document with detailing some ideas. For the Cape store. Please take a look when you get a chance.”
Just a request to look at a file. “Oh, I’ll be sure to do that.”
Without another word, he opened the door and left.
Carli stared helplessly outside her window as she watched Justin walk briskly down the street, the sketch tucked under his arm. She felt torn and helpless. But what was there to do? They’d made their peace as best as could be expected.
So why did she feel like a boulder was sitting on her rib cage?
Just to give herself something to do, she flipped open her tablet and called up the email program. As he’d said, Justin’s email sat toward the top. Clicking it open, she began to read.
It didn’t take much time to come to a decision. She couldn’t let Justin fly to Seattle and walk out of her life. She didn’t even bothe
r to grab her coat.
* * *
“Justin wait!”
Justin was almost afraid to turn around. What if he was simply imagining her voice? It was very likely he wanted to see her so badly that his mind was playing tricks on him. But when he turned around, there she was. Without a coat.
“Carli?”
He quickly went over to her; she was shivering. “You’re freezing. And I don’t even have a scarf to offer this time.”
She laughed at that even as she rubbed her upper arms with her hands in an effort to get warm.
Justin didn’t think about right or wrong at that moment. He simply went to her and put his arms around her shoulders, pulled her close.
“What are you doing out here? It’s about twenty degrees.”
Her teeth chattered as she answered him. “I think it’s less than that.”
He pulled her closer.
“I wanted to tell you I looked at the email,” she said against the base of his neck.
“Okay. You could have simply typed a reply.”
She shook her head. “No, that would not have worked.”
“It wouldn’t have?”
“No way. We clearly have to discuss all your suggestions in person.”
A heady feeling of warmth began to spread through his chest. “I see.”
With her in his embrace, he inhaled the scent of coconut shampoo and that soft subtle scent of hers that he’d grown so fond of. God, he’d missed it.
“There’s no other way,” she said, snuggled tight up against him. “You’re going to have to have dinner with me.”
“Is that so?” he asked, unable to stop himself from dropping a hint of a kiss to the top of her head.
“Uh-huh. You’re just lucky my mother passed on her lasagna recipe to all her girls.”
She had no idea. Justin hadn’t realized he could be so lucky. Lifting her chin with his finger, he decided he needed to show her with a kiss.
* * *
How in the world had he been talked into this? Justin adjusted the scratchy fake beard and groaned as he looked in the mirror in his new room at the Sailor’s Inn. The answer stood next to him. Carli Tynan could probably get him to do anything with that sweet smile of hers.
Also, she’d reminded him of all the times he’d uttered the words “I’ll make it up to you, somehow” since he’d met her. But this was hardly playing fair.
She stepped up to him and placed the velvet red hat atop his head. “You know, for someone who insists he’s not really that into Christmas, you make a pretty good Santa Claus.”
“If you say so.” The goose-down pillow that was supposed to be his fake stomach threated to drop once more, and he tightened the belt that held it up. Carli had informed him this morning that the actor who usually played Santa at the Westerson snowman competition had backed out due to a nasty case of the flu. She thought Justin would be the perfect replacement as he was the stranger in town and therefore less likely to be recognized by the older children.
Frankly, he didn’t think he was going to be able to fool anybody. For one thing, every time he tried to yell “Ho-ho-ho!” he sounded utterly ridiculous. Which was exactly how he felt.
“You’ll do fine,” Carli reassured him. “You just have to walk around the tree farm commenting on all the contestant snowmen and hand out a few toys along the way. Hammond’s was very sweet to donate those, by the way. Not to mention the matching donation to Toys for Tykes.”
He shrugged. “I’m surprised there wasn’t any kind of donation program to that charity up until now.”
“There wasn’t one until you started it.” She gave him a peck on the cheek.
“Uh-uh.” He grabbed her gently by the waist, pulling her up against his length. “You’re gonna have to do better than that. Seeing as you’re the only reason I’m dressed in this ridiculous costume and about to make a complete fool of myself.”
Taking him up on his challenge, Carli hooked her arms around his neck and brought his mouth down to hers.
“How’s that?” she asked with a breathless sigh when he finally managed to pull away.
“I’d say it’ll do. For now.”
The truth was he’d never be able to get enough of her. They’d been spending most of the days together since that fateful morning he’d stopped by her apartment. To think he had almost simply emailed her then left town. Taking the chance to go see her had been the best decision he’d ever made.
Unlike the decision to agree to this whole Santa thing. That was a totally different story. Carli noted the time on her cell phone. “We should make our way down. It’s officially about to start. We’ll have to sneak you out the inn’s receiving door in the back of the building.”
“Just tell me I don’t have to ride in a sled.”
The tree farm was bustling with activity when they arrived. Justin hoisted the toy bag over his shoulder and was immediately surrounded by a slew of youngsters.
“Santa’s here!”
Despite himself, Justin had to admit this was somewhat fun. The cheers and laughter from the children as he handed out toys buoyed his spirits. Or maybe that was just the effect of Carli’s infectious laugh as she walked by his side. He even attempted a lame “Ho-ho-ho” once or twice. Eventually, the onslaught of children approaching them slowed to a steady trickle, with a single child here and there. Good thing. His bag of toys was nearly empty.
“Aunt Carli!” Ray’s exuberant voice rang behind them, and they both turned around as the boy ran up.
“Ray!” Carli bent and embraced her nephew. “Would you like to say hello to Santa?”
Ray’s response was a knowing giggle. “That’s not Santa! That’s Justin!”
Carli gave a frantic look around and put her gloved finger to Ray’s mouth. Luckily, no other kids were near them at the moment.
“Shh, you don’t want to spoil it for the other kids.”
“Okay.”
“But how did you know?” Carli asked the child as Justin crouched to give him a fist bump.
Ray shrugged as if it should be obvious. “Prolly ’cause his eyes. But mostly ’cause I know him. He’s my friend.”
“I see.”
“And he’s your boyfriend!” Ray added, nearly shouting this time as he clearly thought this was a hilarious thing to say.
Justin’s eyes met Carli’s over Ray’s head. A surge of emotion shot through him. Her nose had gone a deep cherry-red in the cold. She wore a fuzzy elf’s hat on top of her head with a small bell at the end. Her ears were adorned with the same snowman earrings she’d worn the night of her office party. The whole look was meant to appear whimsical and fun in the spirit of Christmas.
He didn’t think any woman had ever looked more strikingly beautiful.
“You’re right,” Carli answered her nephew. “He is my boyfriend.”
EPILOGUE
One year later
JUSTIN SCANNED THE large and ever-growing crowd in front of him. All of Westerson appeared to be here. He’d been an official resident for just under a year now, and it never ceased to amaze him the degree of loyalty the people of this town had for each other.
How he’d managed to snare one of their own as his fiancée he would never fully grasp. But he knew better than to ever take it for granted.
The object of his thoughts approached him from the side of the dais. “It’s time to cut the ribbon,” Carli prompted.
Mr. Freider came to stand next to her. He would be the one doing the actual cutting. After having managed the store for over two decades, and how hard the man had worked to bring the new version to fruition, he more than deserved the honor.
James and Noelle stood ready behind them near the podium. They’d flown in two days ago for the grand opening of the new
and improved Hammond’s Toys Cape store. A project that had been a year in the making.
“Ready?” he asked her.
“I think so. Funny, I know everyone here quite well. But I’m still nervous to speak in front of all these people.”
“You’ll do great,” he assured her.
Carli leaned into the microphone and cleared her throat. “Thank you everyone for coming,” she began. “We are so excited to unveil the new Hammond’s Toys Cape store. Although the name has not changed, a lot inside the store has. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to read the write-up in the Westerson Eagle or haven’t otherwise heard, Hammond’s now is so much more than a toy store. It’s been expanded to include a teen center, an arts and crafts area, which will offer weekly lessons, as well as a state-of-the-art arcade. And so much more in the way of seasonal activities depending on the time of year.” She gave him a smile that shot pleasure through his chest, then took a deep breath. “I can’t tell you how proud it makes me to tell you that all this was the brainchild of my fiancé, Justin Hammond.” She held her hand out toward him.
Justin’s turned to the audience and took a mock bow. “That was the easy part,” he yelled toward the crowd. As was the financing. Justin had found willing investors in a relatively short period of time once he explained his vision. The store was such a central point of the town, it only made sense to have it offer more reasons for the customers to visit and more for them to do once they got there. All those new attractions Carli mentioned would not only bring in their own revenue, they’d increase traffic to the actual toy store—resulting in higher sales.
Carli continued. “And now, without further delay, we would like to welcome you to the new Hammond’s.”
Cheers and raucous clapping erupted before she even finished the sentence. Once the applause died down, the five of them watched as Mr. Freider handled the comically large scissors to cut the wide red ribbon. Two newly hired employees dressed as elves pulled the double doors open to let the still cheering crowd into the renovated store.