They ordered their food and a bottle of wine, settling in for a long, leisurely dining experience. “So, now will you tell me what’s in the box?”
Colin picked up the shiny silver package. “You mean this box?” he taunted.
“Yes. That’s the one.”
“Not right now. I have something else to discuss.”
Natalie’s eyebrow went up. “You do, do you?”
“Yes. I was wondering what you’re doing Sunday evening.”
Natalie wished she had her tablet with her. “Sunday morning, we clean and break down from Saturday’s wedding. I don’t think I have plans that night, aside from kicking off my shoes and relaxing for the first time in three days.”
“That doesn’t sound like it’s any fun. I think you should consider coming with me to a Christmas party.”
“Oh no,” Natalie said, shaking her hand dismissively. “That’s okay. I’m not really comfortable at that kind of thing.”
“What’s there to be uncomfortable about? We’ll eat, drink and mingle. Aside from the reason for the party, you might even forget it’s a holiday gathering.”
“Yes, but I won’t know anyone there. I’m awful at small talk.”
“Actually, you’ll know everyone. It’s Amelia Dixon’s party.”
“Amelia?” Natalie frowned. “My friend Amelia invited you to a Christmas party?”
Colin took a sip of his wine and nodded. “She did. Why are you so surprised? Did she not invite you?”
Honestly, Natalie wasn’t sure. She didn’t really pay much attention to her mail this time of year if it didn’t look like an important bill of some kind. A few folks, Amelia included, always seemed to send her a Christmas card despite her disinterest. If she’d gotten an invite, it was probably in her trash can.
“I typically don’t attend Amelia’s Christmas party. I’m more curious as to how you got invited. You don’t even know her.”
“I know her well enough for a little Christmas gathering when I’m dating her close friend.”
“Are we dating?” Natalie asked.
“And more importantly,” he continued, ignoring her question, “I think she understands you better than you’d like to think. I get the feeling she invited me to make sure you showed up this time.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Amelia had proved in the past that she was a scheming traitor when it came to men. She’d lured Bree to a bar to see Ian after they broke up. Natalie had no doubt she would stoop to similar levels to push her and Colin together and get her to come to her annual Christmas soirée. “Despite how much she pesters me, she knows I won’t come.”
“Well this year, I think you should make an exception and go. With me.”
She could feel her defenses weakening. It all sounded nice, and she couldn’t wait to see what kind of party Amelia could throw in their big new house with all that entertaining space. But she wished it didn’t have to be a Christmas party. The last Christmas party she went to was for kids. Santa was there handing out little presents to all the children, they ate cupcakes and then they made reindeer out of clothespins. She was pretty certain that wasn’t what they’d be doing at Amelia and Tyler’s. What did adults even do at Christmas parties? “I don’t know, Colin.”
“It’s settled, you’re coming.” Colin picked up his phone and RSVP’d to Amelia while they were sitting there. Natalie opened her mouth to argue, but it was too late. There was no getting out of it now. Amelia would insist and there would be no squirming.
“Why do you hate me?” Natalie asked as he put his phone away.
“I don’t hate you. I like you. A lot. That’s why I’m so determined to make the most of our short time together. It also doesn’t hurt that it might help me win that kiss.” His hazel eyes focused on her across the table, making her blood heat in her veins.
Natalie sighed, trying to dismiss her instant reaction to him. “I’ve kissed you twenty times. What’s so important about that kiss?”
“It’s The One. The most important kiss of all. Nothing can compare to it, I assure you. But I’ll make you a deal,” he offered.
“A deal? Does it allow me to skip the Christmas party? I’ll gladly spend that whole night naked in your bed if you’ll let me skip the stupid party.”
Colin’s lips curled up in a smile that dashed her hopes of that negotiation. “While that sounds incredibly tempting, no. You’re going to that party with me. But, if you promise to come and not give me grief about it the entire time, I’ll let you open this box.” He picked up the silver-wrapped box with the snowflake hologram bow and shook it tantalizingly at her.
Considering she was pretty much stuck going to the party anyway, she might as well agree and finally soothe her curiosity about that package. “Okay,” Natalie conceded. “I will go with you to the party, and I will not bellyache about it.”
“Excellent. Here you go.”
Natalie took the box from Colin’s hand, shaking it to listen for any telltale clues. No such luck. She’d just have to open it. Peeling away at a corner, she pulled back the wrapping to expose a white gift box. Lifting the lid, she found a Swarovski-crystal-covered case for her tablet.
This wasn’t some cheap knockoff they sold at the flea markets. Natalie had done enough weddings to recognize real Swarovski crystal when she saw it. She’d seen covers like these in the hands of Paris Hilton and other celebrities. Out of curiosity, she’d looked it up online once and found far too many zeroes at the end to even consider it. It was impossibly sparkly, each crystal catching the flickering candlelight of the restaurant, and it twinkled like thousands of diamonds in her hands. It cast a reflection on the ceiling like stars overhead.
“Do you like it?” Colin asked.
“Yes, I love it. I’ve always wanted one, but I don’t think I ever told anyone that. What made you think to buy me something like this?”
“Well,” Colin explained, “whenever I see you at the chapel, you’ve got your iPad in your hands. It’s like a third arm you can’t live without. It seemed a little boring though. I thought a girl that drove a little red sports car might like a little bling in her life. Besides, jewelry seemed...predictable.”
Natalie shook her head. “I’m pretty certain that a fling doesn’t call for gifts, much less jewelry. This is too much, really. What is this for?”
“It’s your Christmas present. I thought you could make good use of it at your upcoming weddings so I wanted to give it to you early. Besides, we’re not supposed to make it to Christmas, so I thought if I was going to give you something, the sooner the better.”
“It’s perfect,” Natalie said. Even as she ran her fingertips over the shining stones, she felt guilty. Not just because he’d bought her a gift, but because Colin had given it to her early because she was too flaky to stick with a relationship for two more weeks. She shouldn’t feel bad, though. They’d agreed to the arrangement. It had even been his suggestion, and yet she found herself already dreading this coming to an end. “But you shouldn’t have done it. It’s too much money.”
Colin only shrugged at her complaints. “What is the point of earning all this money if I don’t do anything with it? I wanted to buy you something and this is what I came up with. End of discussion.”
“I haven’t gotten you anything,” she argued. And she hadn’t. She hadn’t bought a Christmas gift in years and she was adamant about not receiving one. Every year she had to remind people she was on the naughty list, so no gifts. It had worked so far. Then Colin came in and started busting down every wall she had, one at a time. Soon, if she wasn’t careful, she’d be completely exposed.
Colin reached across the table and took her hand. “You’ve given me plenty without you even knowing it. The last year has been really hard for me with the divorce and everything else. For the first time since I found out about S
hane, I’m excited for what each day holds. That’s all because of you.”
* * *
“That may have been the most amazing bread pudding I’ve ever had,” Natalie said as they stepped out of the restaurant and back into the mingling flow of holiday shoppers.
“It was excellent, I have to admit.” He wasn’t entirely sure where he wanted to take Natalie next, but he knew he didn’t want to rush home. Not because he didn’t want to make love to her again, but because he wanted her to take in some of the holiday ambience. This was a shopping center in December, but it wasn’t the day-after-Thanksgiving crush. There was rarely a riot over a sale at the Louis Vuitton.
He also wanted to simply spend time with Natalie. He’d meant what he said in the restaurant earlier. For the past year, he’d been going through the motions, trying to figure out what his life was supposed to be like now that he wasn’t a husband or a father any longer. It had been easy to focus on work, to center all this attention on expanding Russell Landscaping into Chattanooga and Knoxville.
It wasn’t until his sister announced her engagement that he’d snapped out of his fog. Pam may not have been the right woman for him, but there was someone out there who could make him happy. He’d started dating again, unsuccessfully, but he was out there. And then he’d spied Natalie at the engagement party and his heart had nearly stilled in his chest from the shock of how beautiful she’d become.
How had the quiet teenager with the dark braid, the braces and the always-serious expression grown up into such a beauty? The timing was terrible, but Colin had known that he would do whatever he had to do to have Natalie in his life again.
Of course, at the time, Colin hadn’t known about her pessimistic stance on love and marriage. That had been like a dousing of ice water. It was cruel for the universe to bring him into contact with such a smart, beautiful, talented woman, then make it impossible for them to have any kind of chance of being together. She even hated Christmas. That was a smack in the face of everything he held dear.
Their night together after the bridal shop had just been a chance to release the unbearable pressure building up. He had been dismayed to wake the next morning and find he wanted Natalie more than ever. Continuing to see each other casually until the wedding was a good idea in theory, but it was prolonging the torture in practice. This date, this night together, would probably do more harm than good in the end. But he couldn’t stop himself.
Colin knew he was playing with fire. He hadn’t gone into this thinking any of it would happen the way it had, or that he could somehow change Natalie’s mind. At least about love and marriage. His determination to help her find her Christmas spirit had made slow progress, but progress nonetheless. He could already see cracks in that facade after only a week of trying.
He could see a similar weakness when she was around him. Her mouth was saying one thing while her body was saying another. When she’d stepped out in that wedding gown, it was like nothing existed but her. As much as she built up her theories about biology interfering in relationships, he could tell she was comfortable around him. Happy. Passionate. If they could both be convinced to take whatever this was beyond the wedding, there would be more between them than just sex.
But would what she was willing to give him be enough to make him happy? Companionship and passion seemed nice, but without love in the mix, it would grow tired, or worse, she might stray, like Pam. Without the commitment of love and marriage, there was no glue to hold two people together. It didn’t matter how alluring or wonderful Natalie seemed, she would never be the woman he wanted and needed. But for now, for tonight, none of that mattered. They’d had a nice dinner and he had a bet to win. Reaching out, he took her hand. “How about a stroll to walk some of that dinner off?” he asked.
“I probably need to.”
They walked together through the outdoor mall, passing a trio of musicians playing Christmas carols. Farther up ahead, Colin could spy the giant Christmas tree that the mayor had lit the week before. The whole place was decorated. There were white twinkle lights in all the bushes and wrapped around each light post. Near the fountain was a fifteen-foot gold reindeer with a wreath of holly and a cluster of oversize ornaments around his neck.
“The lights are pretty,” Natalie admitted as they neared the big tree. “It reminds me of the tree in Rockefeller Center.”
“Now why would a Grinch go see the tree in New York?” he asked.
“I was there on business,” she insisted. “I went down to see the ice skaters and there it was. It’s pretty hard to miss.”
They approached the black wrought iron railing that surrounded and protected the tree. It, too, was wrapped in lighted garland and big velvet bows. Colin rested his elbows on the railing and looked up at the big tree. “I think our tree is nicer.”
Natalie cozied up beside him and studied the tree more closely. “I think you’re right. This tree is kind of impersonal. Ours had a special something.”
“Maybe we need hot cider,” he suggested.
“No,” Natalie groaned, pushing away from the railing. “There is no room left in me for anything, even hot cider.”
She reached for his hand and he took hers as they started back to the other end of the shopping center where they’d left his car.
“Thank you for bringing me here tonight,” she said. “I’ve never seen this place decorated for the holidays. It’s pretty. And not as crowded and chaotic as I was expecting it to be.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Colin said with a chuckle. “If you’d have been miserable, it could’ve set me back days.”
“No,” Natalie said, coming to a stop. “It’s perfect. A great first date, I have to say.”
“It’s not over yet.” As they paused, Colin noticed a decorative sprig of mistletoe hanging from a wire overhead. He couldn’t have planned this better if he’d tried. “Uh-oh,” he said.
Natalie’s eyes grew wide. “What? What’s wrong?”
Colin pointed up and Natalie’s gaze followed. He took a step closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “That’s mistletoe up there. I guess I’m going to have to kiss you.”
“Sounds like a hardship,” she said. “Christmas is such a burdensome holiday. Shop, eat, decorate, make out... I don’t know how you people stand it every year with all these demands on your time.”
“Am I wrong or does it sound like you’re coming around to Team Christmas?”
Natalie wrapped her arms around his neck and entwined her fingers at his collar. “I wouldn’t say I’m that far gone yet. A lot hinges on this kiss, though. I’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe, so I can’t understate how critical this moment is to you potentially winning this bet.”
“No pressure,” Colin said with a smile. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth was soft and yielding to him. She tasted like the buttery bourbon sauce from the bread pudding and the coffee they’d finished their meal with. He felt her melt into him, his fingertips pressing greedily into her supple curves.
Every time he kissed Natalie, it was like kissing her for the first time. There was a nervous excitement in his chest, tempered by a fierce need in his gut. Combined, it urged him to touch, taste and revel in every sweet inch of her.
As they pulled apart, Colin felt the cold kiss of ice against his skin. Opening his eyes, he saw a flurry of snowflakes falling around them. “It’s snowing!” he said in surprise. Nashville did get cold weather, but snow was an unusual and exciting event. “How’s that for your first kiss under the mistletoe? I kiss you and it starts to snow.”
“Wow, it really is snowing.” Natalie took a step back, tipping her face up to the sky. She held out her arms, letting the snowflakes blanket her dark hair and speckle her black coat. She spun around, grinning, until she fell, dizzy, back into Colin’s arms. “I guess I haven’t been paying enoug
h attention to the weatherman,” she admitted when she opened her eyes.
“I’m not sure snow was in the forecast. It must be a little Christmas magic at work.” Colin looked around as the other shoppers quickly made their way back to their cars. Not everyone appreciated the shift in the weather. In the South, snow typically ended up turning icy and the roads would get bad pretty quickly. They all had to make an emergency run to the grocery store for milk, bread and toilet paper in case they lost power.
He wasn’t worried about any of that. Colin just wanted to be right here, right now, with a flushed and carefree Natalie in his arms. She’d worn her hair down tonight for the first time and it looked like dark silk falling over her shoulders and down her back. The cold had made her cheeks and the tip of her nose pink, accentuating the pale porcelain of her complexion.
But most enticing of all was the light of happiness in her eyes. It was the authentic smile he’d been so desperate to lure out of her. The combination threatened to knock the wind out of him every time he looked at her.
“When I picked you up for our date tonight, I didn’t think you could get more beautiful,” he admitted. Colin brushed a snowflake from her cheek. “I was wrong. Right this moment, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Natalie tried to avoid his gaze and ignore his compliment. He wasn’t sure why she was so uncomfortable hearing the truth. She was beautiful and she needed to believe it.
Instead, with a dismissive shake of her head, she said, “Flattery won’t help you win the bet, Colin.”
“I’m not trying to win a bet,” he said, surprising even himself. “I’m trying to win you.”
Nine
“You’re here!” Amelia nearly shrieked when she spied Natalie and Colin come through the front door of the sprawling mansion in Belle Meade she and Tyler had bought earlier that year. “I didn’t believe it when he said you’d agreed to come.”
A White Wedding Christmas Page 10