“You can stay too,” Davey found himself saying. What the hell? But the words were out and he couldn’t take them back.
They all settled in front of the TV, with Ben in between Davey and Hud. As Ben rummaged through his games, Davey looked over at Hud. Was he here because of his relationship with Davey’s mother or because of his relationship with Nora? He hoped it wasn’t the latter. “What’s up with you and Nora?” he blurted before he could stop himself.
Hud chuckled. “Nothing to worry about here.” He lifted his hands in the air. “She’s like the kid sister I never had.”
Davey’s body relaxed and all of the sudden he liked Hud a whole lot more. Ben popped in his NASCAR game and the three of them played for forty-five minutes.
Ben was his usual chipper self, and the more Davey chatted with Hud, the more he liked him. After finally winning a race, Hud put down his controller. “We should head downstairs, grab some food.”
“You’re just saying that ‘cause you won,” Ben said.
“We made donuts and muffins,” Hud said, and Ben tossed his controller aside.
In the kitchen when Davey spotted bacon and sausage, he nearly hugged Hud. He assumed it was Hud who had cooked since both Nora and his mother didn’t eat meat. After a delicious breakfast, they made their way to the living room to open presents.
Ben ripped open his gifts in a wild frenzy, then flopped on the floor in between Cosmo and Daisy who were hitting it off well. Ben still had another gift to open from him and Cruz, but they were saving it for last since it was a group gift.
Davey had expected to be uncomfortable with the gift giving. He and Cruz usually did an event instead of a gift. They’d take in a sporting event or go fishing. One year, they went all out and spent a few days on a beach in Bora-Bora. Because he and Cruz didn’t do traditional gifts, he hadn’t been a part of a big gift exchange since his youth.
Drifting back to his childhood Christmases, he had to admit that his mom had gone all out to make them special. They’d always gotten a big tree and he and his mother had decorated together. She would bake for days, making all of his favorite sweets. On Christmas day, they’d open presents and afterward his dad would retire—meaning he’d go out drinking—and Davey, Cruz and his mother would watch Christmas movies all afternoon. He and Cruz had carried on the tradition of watching Christmas movies.
When Hud rose holding a red, white, and blue quilt resembling the American flag, Davey returned to the present moment. Hud got up and hugged Nora. “You remembered my cold apartment.”
Nora smiled. “I’ve been working on that quilt for a long time.” She kissed Hud on the cheek. “I didn’t know what I was going to do with it until you told me about your drafty bedroom.”
Davey was touched by Nora’s thoughtfulness. He hadn’t known that she quilted, nor did he know how she found the time to do it between her job and taking care of Ben.
“Oh, Nora.”
Davey turned to look at Cruz surprised by his tone of voice, a mix of wonder and admiration.
“Where did you find this?” Cruz asked, holding up a worn Serenity High School yearbook.
“Ella and I found it at an estate sale,” Nora said. “I fanned through it and recognized Steph on the cheerleading squad. After that, I looked for you and found pictures of you too.”
“That is so sweet,” Steph said, making her way over to Cruz. She leaned over Cruz’s shoulder as he flipped through the yearbook. “Look at us in this picture, Cruz,” she said, resting her hand on his shoulder. “Remember our nights putting the yearbook together?”
As Cruz and his mother reminisced, Nora handed Davey a present.
Surprised, he took the square package. He hadn’t expected anything from Nora. “Thanks,” he said, then ripped off the paper to uncover a scrapbook.
Inside were pictures of Ben all the way back to the day he was born. Davey’s heart squeezed studying Ben, young and innocent and new to the world. He turned the page to find pictures of Ben as a baby, then his first birthday party. As Davey flipped through the scrapbook, appreciation welled in his chest. There was Ben taking his first shaky step, Ben with a fishing rod, Ben in a baseball uniform. Nora had painstakingly put together chronological pictures of Ben’s life, with callouts of key milestones, and people, places, and dates. She’d given him the gift of memories from the years he’d missed in his son’s life. It was the best present anyone had ever given him. Deeply moved, he got up and pulled Nora into a hug. “Thank you.” He felt like he should say more but thought he might actually cry if he talked about it.
When he drew back, Nora smiled and rubbed his arm. She seemed to understand his inability to communicate his deep gratitude. “You’re welcome,” she whispered.
Davey returned to his chair more than impressed by Nora’s gift giving. Her gifts hadn’t cost as much as his, but they had come from the heart. He couldn’t have been more moved by the scrapbook and the memories she’d given him. Cruz had clearly been touched by the memories in his yearbook, and Davey’s mother had been thrilled with the grandma frame and mug Nora and Ben had made for her.
After Davey gathered himself—which had taken a few long minutes—he and Cruz handed out their gifts to his mother, Nora, and Ben.
“You need to open these at the same time,” Cruz said.
“It’s a group gift,” Davey added.
Ben ripped his open first. Holding up the airline ticket, he scrunched his lips. “What is it?”
Nora pulled out the Talladega NASCAR Experience ticket that accompanied the airline ticket. “It’s for a trip that includes a race experience.” Her words were directed to Ben but her gaze was glued on Davey. “It’s a very generous gift,” she said, her eyes dreamy.
Nora’s reaction pleased Davey. He had figured Ben would love the gift and his mother would too, but he hadn’t been sure about Nora until she gave him the honey-sweet look. His body heated thinking about time away with Nora and time alone with her if he could arrange it.
“A family trip,” his mother said, her voice blissful. She rose and pulled both him and Cruz into a hug. “What fun!”
“Where are we going?” Ben asked. “And do we really get to race?”
“We’re going to Alabama,” Davey said. “And we got tickets for the NASCAR Experience at the Talladega race track.” He grinned. “And yep, we’ll get to race.”
“This is epic,” Ben said. “But I wish Lucas could come too. He’s gonna be jealous.”
“Guess what?” Davey squatted down to look Ben in the eye. “We got tickets for Lucas and his dad too.”
Ben’s eyes widened. “Oh boy—it’s double epic! Are we gonna tell him tonight?”
“Yep.” Rising, Davey ruffled Ben’s hair. “And you can do the honors.”
After another round of video games, this time with Cruz, they all made their way next door to his mom’s. They had to leave the dogs behind at Nora’s since his mother’s cat wasn’t fond of dogs, but Davey didn’t mind. Daisy looked perfectly content snuggled up to Cosmo.
They ate Christmas dinner at his mother’s place and Davey wanted to kiss Hud for preparing the best ham he’d ever tasted. Ben devoured the mac and cheese Davey’s mother had baked, and everyone, including Davey, loved Nora’s gnocchi. Davey and Cruz insisted on cleaning up since they hadn’t helped with the cooking.
“I didn’t cook either,” Ben said. “So I’ll help too.”
Ben’s help added an extra fifteen minutes, but he made the chore fun. Davey marveled at his son’s ability to make anything fun, even doing dishes. After drying the last pot, Davey put down his towel and went in search of his mom to ask where to put the few dishes he and Cruz couldn’t place. As he stepped toward the living room, Nora made her way toward the kitchen. Talking over her shoulder, Nora slammed into him.
He grabbed her arms to steady her as a blush crept into her cheeks.
“Sorry,” she said. “Guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
“It’s okay.” His voi
ce was barely audible because his breath had caught in his throat. He didn’t let go of her. He couldn’t; he was completely and totally captivated. Instead, he gazed into her pretty green eyes. He wanted to say something brilliant, pithy, or funny, but no words formed. All he could think about was kissing her. Every single day he thought about the kiss they had shared. He fantasized about it and mulled over what it would feel like if he did it again. He probably would have sold his soul for the mere chance.
“Look,” Ben called out in a gleeful voice. Davey heard him but was unable to pull away from Nora’s spell.
Nora tipped her head toward Ben and blushed again. This time, her cheeks turned deep crimson.
Curious, Davey glanced over. Ben was pointing at a large cluster of mistletoe hanging above him and Nora.
Cruz gave Davey a puckish look. “You can’t disrespect the mistletoe.”
“Yeah Dad,” Ben agreed. “Now you gotta kiss Aunt Nora. Ha, ha.”
Nora turned back toward him. “I, uh….”
She started to pull away but he tightened his grip on her arms. “We can’t risk the mistletoe wrath,” he said quietly.
Clearly flustered, Nora opened her mouth, then closed it. When she opened it again, she leaned toward him, blinking her lashes. He was pretty sure she had no idea what she was doing, but in the process, she was killing him.
Swooping in, he touched his lips to Nora’s. Because they had an audience, he kept it to a light, breezy brush. But that didn’t lessen the impact. His entire being felt the smoldering effects. He desperately wanted to shoo Cruz and Ben off so he could haul Nora someplace private where they could give in to their blazing chemistry.
Nora stepped out of his arms and his body slumped with disappointment. He took one last look at her before making his way to the living room.
A short while later, his mother brought out cookies, popcorn, and the homemade hard candy she used to make when he was little. He caught her gaze and she extended the bowl of candy toward him. “I haven’t made this in years, but I thought you might like it.”
As he took a piece of the red ribbon candy, warm affection whirled through him. “Thanks.” Once again, he wanted to say more, but he didn’t know what else to say. He popped the candy into his mouth. It had been a kind and thoughtful gesture, especially since he remembered how long it took her to make this candy. “It’s really good,” he finally said, making his mother smile.
They all settled in the living room to watch movies. Once again, he was touched by his mother’s gesture to recreate their happy holiday memories. He and Nora sat on the floor with Ben and in between them. He could have stayed like that forever, drawing in Ben’s gusto and Nora’s sweetness.
Two movies later, Cruz announced they had to leave. They’d promised to take Ben to Lucas’ so Ben could visit with his best friend and so he and Cruz could bring some cheer to Jamie who was missing his wife.
Later that evening, Davey reflected on his day. He’d expected the rounds and the family togetherness to be draining, but it hadn’t been. It had been the best Christmas he’d ever had.
He’d experienced the joy, warmth, and comfort of family for the first time. As a child, his mother had made his Christmases warm, but there hadn’t been a lot of comfort given the ongoing contention between his parents. But this Christmas had been a positive, loving experience that he would cherish for many years.
Chapter Eleven
Two days after Christmas, Davey was on a plane sitting in between Ben and Nora. Lucas and Jamie sat directly behind them and Cruz and his mother were across the aisle.
“It’s like we’re riding on the clouds,” Ben said, peering out the airplane window and making Davey smile.
It was Ben’s first time flying and his enthusiasm was contagious. Davey flew a lot during the race season. He couldn’t remember his first flight or the last time he stopped to appreciate the clouds, the mountains, and the square plots of land below. Through Ben, he experienced all of it with childlike wonder.
They’d flown from Knoxville to Atlanta, a quick, but beautiful trek over the majestic blue-green peaks of the Smokies. Now they were en route from Atlanta to Birmingham and Ben had already pointed out various sights—the busy streets of Atlanta, hazy white mist, and a short while later, wide open land.
The plane bucked and Ben’s face paled. Davey put a hand on his son’s arm. “It’s just an air current, nothing to worry about.”
Ben nodded, but his expression was still cautious.
“You okay?” he asked, thankful that the turbulence had been short-lived.
Ben gave him a thumbs up. “Fucking fabulous!”
“Ben!” A muscle above Davey’s brow twitched. “Not a good word to use. Where did you hear that?” he asked, even though he was confident he knew the source.
“Cee-Cee,” Ben said, confirming Davey’s suspicions. He made a mental note to tell his idiot friend to watch his language around Ben.
Thank God Nora hadn’t heard. He was pretty sure she would have smacked him in the head if she had.
“Listen, son,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “sometimes guys say stupid things. But that’s not a good word to use, okay?”
Ben nodded, then flipped around to chat with Lucas and Jamie who were seated directly behind them. Davey shifted to his left and Nora’s head dropped onto his shoulder. As she dozed, he gently pressed her head against him. Feeling her soft inhale and exhale against his neck made him feel things he shouldn’t. Comfort, affection…and something he couldn’t quite place. The emotion he couldn’t place scared the bejesus out of him because it was deep and intense, and he had a policy against deep and intense feelings when it came to women.
Cruz gave him a knowing look from across the aisle. Jesus, if even Cruz recognized it, he was in big trouble.
He brushed a silky strand of hair away from Nora’s eyes. They were still trying to figure out their relationship—were they just Ben’s family or were they something more to each other? Because of Ben, Nora would always be in his life. She wasn’t someone he could employ his usual love-em-and-leave-em MO with. That’s why he hadn’t tried to kiss her again, other than the brief mistletoe peck, even though he’d thought about it a hell of a lot.
He told himself he was better off with his usual approach. He’d contemplated calling Kim, Cindi, or Suzanne. But every time he pulled out his cell to do so, something stopped him. His gaze took in the spunky woman sleeping on his shoulder. She was the reason.
His heart stammered as he thought about the gift she had given him at Christmas. He’d been deeply touched by the homemade scrapbook and by the time and care she’d obviously put into creating it. But that was Nora. She was kind and caring, smart and funny. She was deeper than any of the members of his circle, male or female, with the exception of Cruz. Davey found himself gravitating toward Nora more and more, and not just for her help with Ben. Davey was still pondering their relationship when the plane descended to land at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport.
After they landed they made their way to the baggage claim area. Ben and Lucas entertained themselves watching luggage move on the conveyor belt.
“Be right back,” Jamie said, winking at Davey. He took off to meet his wife Melissa, which had been the other part of Jamie’s Christmas present. Davey had arranged for her to fly to the States for a few days to join them. Jamie and been thrilled, but they’d agreed to keep it a secret so she could surprise Lucas.
Jamie returned a short while later with his wife.
Melissa quickly spotted Davey, rushed over, and threw her arms around him. “You are a sweet, sweet man,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “By the way, I’m a fan,” she called out over her shoulder as she rushed toward Lucas.
When Davey circled back, Nora and his mother were gaping at him.
Cruz laughed. “Davey negotiated with the USO to fly her home for a few days,” he said, his eyes beaming pride so great it made Davey’s heart swell. Cruz was the
one person in his life he wanted to please. Now there was Ben too. And maybe Nora.
Flying Melissa home hadn’t been a big deal. He liked Lucas and Jamie, and he knew they missed her. He also liked supporting the troops. The whole thing had been relatively easy for him to arrange. Even so, Nora and his mother stared at him as if he had parted the oceans. Scrubbing a hand over his jaw, he let out a low laugh. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was incredibly kind,” his mother said, touching a hand to his cheek.
When she stepped aside, Nora swooped in and planted a kiss—right on his lips. Even though it was a noisy, exaggerated kiss likely for benefit of their audience, it still sent a jolt of lust straight to his gut. “You’re sweet,” she whispered. As her lips lingered at his ear and her hand in his hair, an intense want shot through his system.
Nora pulled back and held his gaze for a long, heated moment before she ambled over to Ben. Blowing out a breath, he tried to shake off the mayhem she inflicted on him. When he lifted his gaze, Cruz slanted him a look, his discerning eyes flicking between Davey and Nora. Davey shook that off too, because he didn’t want to acknowledge what Cruz had implied…that maybe he was falling for Nora.
They drove their rental vehicles to the uptown Westin and checked in. Afterward, Davey suggested Jamie and Melissa take some alone time while he and Cruz take everyone else on a drive-by of the small nearby town where he’d lived while racing sprint cars.
Later that evening, Davey met their group in the lobby, then they made their way to the hotel’s restaurant. They were seated at a large table along the windows.
“Dad, Dad, sit next to me,” Ben called out.
Davey stepped over to the seat next to Ben, then pulled out the chair on his other side and gestured to Nora.
She bit her lower lip making him think once again about the incredible kiss they’d shared and how damn much he wanted to kiss her again. A flush crept into her cheeks as if she had been thinking the same thing.
Nora's Promise Page 13