by Lexi Ostrow
“It’s beautiful, Nick. Very practical too.” She lifted the leather bound Monte Blanc day planner that had her named perfectly written in a gold cursive font.
“I’m glad you like it. Tasha tried to convince me no one likes office products as Christmas gifts.” He grinned at his girlfriend, “I’m happy to know she’s wrong.”
Everyone laughed and Tasha elbowed Nick in the gut, causing him to let go and scoot to the seat next to her.
“I think, after nearly thirty years, I’m used to my brother’s gift giving style.” She winked at Leena, who had received high-end pens from her brother for years.
“Leena, go next,” Jake said, getting off the cough and grabbing a small, but tall, square box.
Raising a brow, she slipped her nail under the tape on one side and gently worked her way around the box.
“Your kid is going to hate you unless you let them open presents before mommy,” she teased Jake.
“Oh my goodness.” Leena gasped as she looked into the gift box. Her eyes were filled with sparkling tears as she glanced up at Jake and pulled out a small comb, brush and mirror, all likely platinum based on the coloration of the metal. “They’re beautiful, Jake.” Her voice waived as she walked to kiss him, who stood off the couch and wrapped his wife in his arms.
“I wanted our little one to get a gift this year too. He or she might not be here, but it is their first Christmas.”
She’d never heard her brother sound so sentimental, and it warmed her heart to see her goofball of a sibling finally grown up, despite him being the oldest.
“I love them,” Leena said. “Nick, why don’t you open your first gift?”
“Oh, I don’t think Anna is going to get see him open it,” Peter said with a chuckle as he pointed past the Christmas tree to Marshall walking just outside the window.
She felt herself flush but got up off the couch. Anna managed to reach the door and open it before he’d knocked, leaving an adorable confused look on his face. She froze, taking him in, and couldn’t help feeling tingles as she looked at him. His hair, as always, was covered but sticking out the bottom of a gray beanie. Instead of his normal snowsuit, he had on a crisp berry red button down and a pair of jeans that she knew would make her drool if she could see his ass.
“Merry Christmas,” Marshall said with a smile as he passed her a medium-sized gift bag that had ornament paper on it and white glittery tissue paper sticking out the top. “I wasn’t sure if I could give you a gift this year, but I had this, and I figured I’d break tradition if I suddenly didn’t get you something.”
Smiling as she took the bag she looked from it to him.
“Go ahead,” he said laughing.
Smiling wide, she dug her hand in the bag and pulled out the tissue paper, letting it flutter to the hallway floor only to have it blow backward as the wind pushed through the open door.
“I’ll just close this.” Marshall shut the door.
Seeing the beautiful, vibrant purple in the bag, she pulled it out—trying not to show her shock at the present. Marshall typically found the most beautiful things to give her, but she was quite certain he’d blown an entire month’s salary or more on the plum Versace sweater.
“It’s beautiful,” she said as she held it up to her body. “But how?”
“It doesn’t matter, Anna. Merry Christmas.” He turned to leave as soon as the words were out.
“Why don’t you just come do Christmas with us, Marshall? Every year, you slink away after giving my daughter a thoughtful gift,” Elaine called from where she stood.
Anna flinched. She had a feeling Marshall had no desire to sit and watch as gifts that cost more than his salary were exchanged. She knew her mother could see them. It was a straight shot down the open concept hall. In fact, everyone could see them, and she wondered if they noticed her unease.
Marshall however, didn’t appear to mind the invitation at all. “That would be wonderful, if you don’t mind the intrusion,” he said as he stepped past Anna and walked down the hall.
“Now, now. The past is long gone, Marshall. You know you’re welcome any time.”
Not for all of us, Anna thought tensely as she walked back to the living room and sat next to, but not close to, Marshall. I miss his touch, she realized as she almost slid her hand across the suede cushion to grasp his.
She noticed Nick and Tasha both had unwrapped gifts. Nick a Rolex and Tasha a rather expensive looking pair of gold Loui Vuitton.
“Your turn, Jake.” Tasha pointed at a garment bag draped over one of the big club chairs.
“For little old me?” Jake let go of Leena’s hand and walked over to the garment bag. As he tugged the zipper down, he let out a whistle. “Well, I suppose this is one way to tell me I need to dress for success.” He slipped out a blue pinstriped suit complete with pale blue shirt and tie.
Anna couldn’t see the label, but if Tasha had selected it, she had a good feeling it was Prada.
“Just trying to impose some standards on my older brother,” Nick smirked.
“Well, I, for one, think he’s handsome in his traditional dress pants and polo.” Leena kissed his cheek as she walked over to him. “Who’s ready for more hot cocoa?” she chimed.
A chorus of laughter and groans broke out. Marshall looked at her quizzically.
“Leena is a huge hot chocolate person. So we all drink hot chocolate,” Anna explained.
“I’m still voting for egg nog,” Jake said, poking his wife.
“Too bad you don’t get a say. The flaw of being a married man.” His wife practically beamed at him.
“What about mulled cider?” Marshall asked, drawing all eyes on him.
“Mmm, I do love cider.” Anna licked her lips.
“Nope. Hot cocoa for everyone. Pass me your mugs.” Leena looked apologetically at Marshall. “Sorry, Marshall. I should have just gotten you one, but how about a good old-fashioned Christmas mug?”
He laughed and leaned back into the couch. “A Christmas mug would be perfect. Thank you, Leena.”
Her sister-in-law bounced toward the kitchen with far too many mugs hanging off her fingers by their handles.
“Are you certain you don’t mind spending your Christmas morning here?” she asked Marshall, even though she knew it had to be more enjoyable than spending it alone…assuming he didn’t have friends he went too.
His smile was dazzling, and he did reach out and squeeze her hand sending a flurry of butterflies fluttering in her stomach.
“I’ve always enjoying being with you, Anna. I might have been a bone-headed teen and then a pathetic pansy as an adult, but I’ve never had anywhere I enjoyed being more than with you.”
She flushed and resisted the urge to lean against him. She’d made the right choice coming up there with the intent of changing the status of her and Marshall’s relationship. She just hadn’t realized the change would be them moving forward together, not alone. The only reason she didn’t allow herself to rest against him was that she’d never heard back from Adam. She wasn’t shocked, given that it was Christmas Eve, but she still felt like it would be wrong to do anything further with Marshall until she and Adam were not an item.
“I’ve rather liked spending time with you. Even if it hasn’t seemed like it for the past ten years.” She offered him a smile and squeezed his hand before removing hers from his hold.
The action left her feeling cold, lonely even, despite being in a room full of people. Her mind wandered from gift opening, something that had never happened, and all she could focus on was Marshall. From his smile to his giving personality, she couldn’t find a single flaw with him—except that he’d run away from her without giving them a chance ten years ago. Looking at him now, she couldn’t see the temperamental boy he’d been, or even the shy adult she’d interacted with many times. Beside her sat a man who had suffered, but was emerging stronger for it. He’d made the first move in their childish dance, and she was only sorry neither one of them had do
ne it sooner.
“All right, clear out. I need to prepare dinner, and there are far too many bodies in this house that will try to steal things out of the pot as I cook.” Elaine made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go on, all of you. Get out and enjoy some fresh air. Lord only knows when you’ll get out of toxic city pollution again.”
“Mom, the cities aren’t that bad,” Nick said as he stood. “Tasha, you up for a little movie watching?”
“As long as you don’t make me watch another horrible one from the start of my career.”
“Shucks, guess you’ll have to endure,” he teased as they both walked down the hall.
“I think a Christmas walk is in order, don’t you, Jake?” Leena asked, holding her empty mug.
“Anything you want, even though I know we’ll be out later looking at lights.” He kissed the top of her head and tenderly smoothed a hand over her hair. “Grab an extra sweater, you’re not allowed to get sick anymore.”
Anna couldn’t get over the change in her party-boy brother. He’d rarely cared enough about himself, let alone another person. It suited him, and she couldn’t wait to welcome her niece or nephew into the world in six months.
She wasn’t sure where Peter had gone, but only she and Marshall were left amidst a pile of paper and another of presents.
“Any chance you’d show me your place? I know you moved up here full time after Mandy passed, but I’ve never gotten to see how a mountain man lives.” She grinned at him, trying to lighten the fact that she brought up his ex-wife.
His smile in return was warm. “I’d love to show you. Though it probably won’t be terribly impressive to someone used to penthouse flats in London.”
“I do not live in a penthouse!”
“Oh, no? Okay, then for someone used to a huge London flat.”
“Much better.” She stood up and offered him her hand, trying not to smile when he took her help. “Come on then, mountain man. Show me how the rugged type lives.”
Shaking his head and laughing, he led the way.
Marshall wasn’t one hundred percent certain about anything that had occurred all morning. He only knew Anna was walking by his side through the snow to his home.
Ask her if something changed, he demanded of himself. To which he then replied, Leave it alone. She will tell you when she’s ready. Don’t push her away again.
“Marshall?” Anna said quizzically and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Sorry, I wasn’t listening,” he admitted.
That drew a wonderful laugh and a smile from her. “Well, you’re certainly no different than my brothers in that aspect. I asked what it’s been like staying here year round.”
He shrugged. “It’s not too different. I gave up the coaching job I had, obviously, but it’s not like I was ever stellar at that.” He pointed at a house about three hundred feet from them with a traditional log cabin look, complete with smoking chimney. Smokey the Bear would probably bitch at him for leaving it the fire blazing when he left, but Marshall worked out in the cold, and he didn’t want to come home to it too. “It’s nice being here when the crowds are low. Really peaceful. Something I bet you don’t get in London.”
“Is that it?” she asked and waited for his nod. “It’s adorable! It looks gigantic. I don’t know why, but I was expecting only six or seven hundred square feet.”
He let out a bark of laughter. “I’m not a hermit, Anna. I just meant it wasn’t lavish like what you’re used to. It’s about the same size as your cabin back at the resort. No comment on London?” He pushed open the door and gestured for her to step in first.
“No lock?” she asked as she walked in, set her bag on the coat rack, peeled her expensive Burberry coat off and did the same.
“No need. Not a whole lot of crime up here, and it would be closer to the lodge if there were any.”
She nodded as she surveyed his out of place modern furniture, her face not giving away anything. “Makes sense, and no, no need to comment on London since you’re perfectly accurate. It’s a loud, bustling community with police sirens, drunks and kids laughing as they run around. Is it as beautiful as the mountain? In its own way, I think it is.”
He cringed at the haughty tone in her voice. It was rare for her to speak down to anyone, but he supposed he deserved it. He’d never kept quiet about his distaste for her choice to run the London office. It just wasn’t typically vocalized to her, but rather to his friends during poker.
Scrubbing a hand over the back of his head he looked sheepishly at the floor. “I’m sorry, Anna. I guess I’m not still just a little bitter that London took you away from me.”
She flashed a dazzling smile and gathered her hair up into a pony tail. “Only a little?”
She was playing, but the words seem to light a spark in him. He didn’t want to play any longer. He wanted to tell her to tell the other guy to fuck off and to be with him or that he was ready to leave everything for London if it meant a lifetime with her. Marshall wanted to say it so badly his short nails were cutting into the palms of his hands as he clenched his fists.
“Sledding.” He practically grunted the word.
She raised a perfectly manicured, fiery-colored brow and put her hands on her hips. “Excuse me?”
Sucking in a deep breath of air through his nose and blowing it out slowly through his mouth before he spoke, he tried to push off the desire to claim her like he should have done years ago.
“Let’s go sledding. There’s fresh snow, plenty of light and I can’t think of anything more fun than sledding with you.”
The particular winter activity was how they’d met. He’d crashed into her posh sled with his trashcan lid when they were fourteen. Horny little kid that he’d been, there’d been no missing how beautiful she was. It was only getting to know her via AOL chats for a year that made him fall in love with her before she’d even arrived back at the cabin the next winter.
Marshall hadn’t been afraid then. Puny little teenager that he was, he’d kissed Anna the moment he ‘d seen her and had told her he’d fallen in love over the course of the year. She’d said it back immediately, and they’d made a go of it. Until a year later when they’d been caught in bed by her parents. That Marshall had vanished after his wife died. He knew he couldn’t stomach that kind of loss again, and having Anna turn him away would be that devastating. Sometimes, he felt like a real chick when it came to his feelings for her.
“I’d love to go sledding, but I’m not dressed for it.” She showed off her Christmas pajamas.
“I’ve got a woman’s snow suit around here somewhere. Hold on.” He took off for his bedroom.
“You have it why?” Anna asked, a distinct note of jealousy tingeing the words.
Hearing the emotion in her voice, he couldn’t help smirking at his reflection. “I keep extras for lessons. You’d be surprised how many people come up here thinking they can ski or snowboard in jeans and a sweater.” Digging around in the third drawer of his chest, he finally found it. “Got it!” He called before tugging it from the drawer and walking back out.
“That looks a bit…big,” Anna said, trying to withhold a laugh.
He shrugged. “I have to keep a big one and a kids one. But it’s okay, it shouldn’t get in the way of the sled. The lodge has some great ones.”
“Oh, you mean we aren’t going to use trashcan lids?” She playfully punched his shoulder and grinned.
“You remember that?” He asked in shock.
“It’s not every day a girl forgets how she met the first love of her life.”
The tension settled back around them like a snug blanket. They stared at one another, and Marshall felt everything slip away except for her. It was just the two of them and no one else was in their way. Unconsciously, he took a step toward her, and she didn’t back away. His head was tilting to the side, lowering to press his lips against hers when she pulled back.
“Let me just tug these over my pajamas and I’ll be all set!” He
r voice was strained, as if she was fighting off the surge of attraction that was racing through him.
He watched, practically mesmerized, as she got into the green snow suit and looked up at him. Passion shone in the depths of her eyes, and he swallowed hard. He needed to keep things light. She’d just proven that less than a minute ago when she’d deflected his advances. Yet, if she was experiencing what he was, he knew she wouldn’t be able to push him away much longer.
“Ready?” he asked, his voice dry with need.
“Ready.” She nodded and walked to the front door. “Though I think this is a clever ploy not to show me the rest of your house.”
Laughing, he opened the door and waited until she stepped out to do the same. “I’m pretty sure there’s nothing of interest in my house. Its best feature is the outside.” Unless you want to see the bedroom, he added silently as he closed the front door.
“Which way?” she asked, grinning at him.
He pointed to the right. “Just up that way. About a mile. You think you’ve got some more walk in you?”
“Marshall! I’m not some eighty-year-old woman. I’m not even thirty. Of course, I’ve got some more walk in me!” She kicked snow at him.
Chuckling, he put his hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t sure how much exercise fancy executive bosses get to take.” He started to walk and looked over his shoulder. “Well then, come on.”
He heard her run just enough to catch up to him and walk by his side. He resisted the urge to hold her hand. You’re resisting and awful lot of urges. Better hope she is too, or this is going to end in one spectacular disaster.
“Executives get plenty of exercise. We hire assistants to do all our work after all.”
“Seriously?”
She burst out a cackle. “Of course not! Well, not in my family. I’m sure there are some that don’t. But I know I can speak for my brothers and cousins when I say we put the long hours in. We’ve all sacrificed something in the name of work. Even Jake, who is probably the last person anyone would expect to actually be spending time in the office.”