by Lori Avocado
Nick gave a quick look toward the playpen. “They’re fine.” With an arm around Lani’s shoulder, he guided her into the kitchen. “Okay, look for a big bowl under that counter, a flat one’s best.”
She had no idea what he was up to, but seeing him in such a good mood—no way would she question him. Bending down, she dug around under the counter. Sticking out a bowl while her head remained inside the cabinet, she asked, “How’s this?”
“Too small.”
She dug again and held out a different one.
“Close, but has to be flatter.”
Lani peered out.
Nick was pouring maple syrup into a pot on the stove.
“Flatter? Okay, but we’re getting low on choices here.” She held out one more for his approval.
Nick shouted, “Perfect!”
Curious at what he planned, Lani stood and brought the bowl to Nick. “Now what?”
“Get your jacket.”
“What? I thought we were cooking something.”
He turned the flame low as the maple syrup bubbled in the pot.
Lani leaned near and inhaled. The rich sweet aroma reminded her of Vermont and the blueberry pancakes her grandmother used to make.
“Sort of. Haven’t you ever made maple syrup taffy on the snow?”
“No!”
He pulled her toward the door as she grabbed his parka. Nick brought the bowl with him and since he’d already had on his leather jacket, they headed out into the yard.
Occasional flakes of snow flitted through the trees. Lani felt sad, seeing that it would stop soon. Then again, she didn’t want a blizzard to make their stay at the cabin worse, but the winter wonderland made her wish the beauty of the snow would last forever.
Caps of snow sat on all the tops of the rocks like white hats on mushrooms, even the ones in the river. Occasionally, a splash of water would dissolve the whiteness, but the few inches on the ground gave a luminous glow to the woods. And a glow of warmth flickered in her heart, seeing Nick in such a wonderful mood. She hoped it wouldn’t melt like the snow from the rocks.
“Okay, scoop up some snow into the bowl. Only take the top layer, no grass or dirt,” Nick commanded.
She didn’t mind him giving instructions, actually, it was wonderful sharing the chore. Several times she cautioned herself, that this temporary family wasn’t going to last. But again, she ignored the logical right side of her brain, no matter how uncharacteristic it was for her. At times she felt as if they were the only people in the world, a world where she could have all that she wanted.
Reality slammed into her thoughts. She had a life to go back to, a life without a husband or a father for her girls. In the real world, she never could love a man who didn’t accept her daughters since they were adopted. She bent to scoop the snow.
Nick patted it tightly in the bowl. “Looks good. Come on,” he said.
She followed him back into the cabin, anxious to see what came next.
He set the bowl on the kitchen counter. “Let’s get the girls in here.”
Once Alexa had on her bib and was seated in the highchair, and Lani held Ana on her lap near the table, Nick took the pot of boiling maple syrup from the stove. The sweet scent filled the kitchen. Both girls watched silently, as if Nick were performing a magical feat. Lani, too, couldn’t take her gaze off him.
“Ready?”
Lani gave a nod.
The maple syrup bubbled from the pan, sinking into the snow. Nick took a fork and pried up a piece.
“Wow! It looks just like taffy!” Lani leaned forward to take the piece of clear brown candy Nick offered.
“See if it’s too hot before you give it to the girls,” he said.
She nodded and touched the taffy. The snow had cooled it rather quickly and gave it a sticky feel. Lani broke the piece and gave each girl a little.
Nick scooped up another one from the snow. He held it out to her and when she reached for it, Nick pulled at the same time, allowing them to share the candy and the wonderful moment.
Lani licked her fingers. “It’s delicious, Nick.”
“I learned this as a kid. I’m surprised you never made it.”
“Nope. But I will from now on!”
Lani cleaned up the kitchen after shooing Nick out of the room. He’d done a great job with their treat but she knew cleaning was not one of his strong suits. He never hesitated, but took both girls with him into the living room. Lani paused with her hand on the sponge, listening to Nick babble and her daughters’ happy giggles. A tiny worry squeezed her heart. How would not seeing Nick any longer affect the girls? Trying to console her worry, she reminded herself that children heal fast, and thankfully, her girls were too young to be hurt. She hadn’t thought about that before, but she knew darn well how his absence was going to affect their mother.
****
Three days had passed, and neither Lani nor Nick mentioned the water freezing. She wondered if he’d gone to check on the ice, but had her doubts. Ever since they had seen the snow sticking to the top of the ice and not melting into the river, Nick spent all his time with them. Like her, he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave.
It hadn’t occurred to her before as she tucked the girls into bed after letting them stay up way past their bedtime that Nick hadn’t had a cigarette in all that time. His cursing was nonexistent as if he had changed like the winter scenery, and she felt he cared about her. The pain from her divorce and fears of being rejected had been covered with Nick’s feelings for her. Almost like the first snowfall had washed them in a protective coating of white.
Nothing else mattered.
They’d shared all their meals together, and Nick had even rigged up a highchair for Ana from an old chair that he’d attached wooden arms to and a belt to hold her in. Luckily, she wasn’t one to squirm, and no one had to hold her at the table.
Lani found a box of candles in the living room desk drawer and, after asking Nick if he minded if she used them, lit one at each evening meal.
Soon after the last dish was cleaned, Lani took the girls into their room. She couldn’t help but kiss both of them on the head, pulled up the side rail, and sat on the edge of the bed to tell the girls a story. A shadow crossed on the floor, causing her to look up.
Nick stood in the doorway. “Can I?”
She motioned for him to join her on the bed.
He sat and placed an arm around her shoulder.
He must have been outside since his jacket felt cold. Like a master storyteller, Nick told a tale of a young boy and how he learned to hunt.
Lani guessed he made it up based on his youth, but the girls listened, enamored with the intonations of his voice. Even she was starting to believe him. In his protective hold around her shoulders, all she could manage was an occasional sigh. Like a great illusionist, Nick mesmerized her with his throaty voice, musky scent, and the way he gently rubbed her arm as he spoke.
“Come on,” Nick whispered.
Lani looked to see both girls asleep. She stood, blew two kisses and followed his lead.
He turned in the hallway, his mahogany eyes glistening in the dim light. “I want to show you something,” he whispered.
“What is it?” Excitement bubbled inside after seeing the smile on Nick’s face.
“Hang on, Cabot. Some things are better if you have to wait.” He gave her a teasing wink.
She pushed at his chest. “No fair!”
Nick covered her eyes with his hand and guided her forward.
She could tell they headed toward the living room. With arms outstretched, she touched at the walls, although he seemed to be doing a good job of guiding her from falling over any furniture. By the blast of heat, she knew they were near the fireplace, and the obvious crackling confirmed it. “Can I see now?”
“Nope. Take a whiff and guess what you smell.”
“Oh, I hate guessing games!”
“Too bad. Hunter’s rules.”
She felt his ch
uckle run along her back. His breath blew strands of her hair forward to tickle her ear. With a huff, she groaned. “Hunter’s rules,” she mumbled. “You don’t play fair.”
“Take a whiff, Cabot, or we’ll be here all night.”
She inhaled once…twice. “Pine…I smell pine!”
“Aaand?”
“And what? It smells like the woods, camping, pine trees—”
“What does it bring to mind?”
Beneath his hand, she shut her eyes and inhaled again. “Well, it reminds me of…of…Christmas—”
Nick lifted his hand. Set in a bucket near the living room window, was a pine tree, no taller than three feet.
Lani swung around. “What’s the date?”
“Twenty fourth.”
“Tomorrow is Christmas…” Tears stung at her eyes. This would be her first Christmas with her daughters. An ambivalent feeling clouded her joy when she thought of her mother. Was she worrying about Lani? By now, Mother would be trying to contact her. Family should be together on a holiday.
Nick’s finger wiped across her cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Blinking hard, she looked at him. “It’s just, my mother—”
He touched her lips. “Don’t do that to yourself. There’s nothing we can do about it now, and at least you’ll be able to relieve her worries in a few days. Is she Catholic?”
Lani felt her forehead wrinkle. “Yes.”
“Then if she’s anything like you, I’d guess she’d be at church, praying for your return.”
“Midnight,” Lani whispered. “Yes, she’d be at mass then. Midnight mass.”
“Well, nearly, but I’d guess—what’s your mom’s name?”
“Marjorie.”
“Marjorie what?”
“Cabot. I kept my maiden name for business reasons when I married. I did that hyphen thing, but dropped Stephen’s last name after the divorce.”
“Okay, I’ll bet Mrs. Cabot went a little early…” He gave Lani a hug. “If you’d rather not decorate it, I’ll understand.”
Lani knew Nick was right. There was no point in worrying about her mother. She knew her mother’s pain would only be temporary. But the girls would never have another first Christmas in the United States with their new mother. After a silent prayer for her mother, she put her hands on her hips. “Not decorate? Are you crazy? I’ll have you know I was the champion—”
“I know. I know. Christmas tree decorator!” They filled the room with laughter until Nick placed his finger over his lips. “Not too loud or Santa won’t come.”
“Santa? Oh no, Nick, I don’t have any presents for the girls…” She followed his finger pointing toward the couch. A large box, wrapped in a brown grocery bag, sat behind it.
Where had he gotten that? The man was full of surprises. “I see you’ve thought of everything.”
“Well, not exactly. I have no idea what to decorate this tree with.”
Lani laughed. “How about popcorn?”
“Fresh out.”
“Hm, I’m guessing you haven’t stocked whole fresh cranberries around here.”
He shook his head.
“Let’s go see what we can find in the kitchen.”
Lani rolled balls of aluminum foil while Nick stuck a threaded needle through them until they had a long enough string to wrap several times around the tree. He found a tin of old buttons in the pantry that he mixed amongst the foil. While she threaded elbow macaroni on another string, Nick went outside with a flashlight to collect pinecones.
“Any sign of the jolly old elf out there?” she asked as he came into the kitchen shaking from the cold.
“Not yet. We ready?”
“Um.” She gathered their decorations and followed him into the living room.
Nick bent to reach the top of the tiny tree and wound the foil string first.
“Not too much at the top,” Lani teased.
He groaned and shifted the shiny string.
“More to the left.”
He growled.
“Wait!”
He nearly slipped, turning so fast.
“What are we going to put on the top?”
“Hm.” Nick rubbed his chin. “Hang on.” He ran down the hallway and came back with his hands behind his back. “Close your eyes.”
Lani covered her eyes with her hands.
“Okay, open.”
Her breath hitched. “Oh, Nick, that’s perfect!” She looked at the small white lampshade—the one from the lamp she’d knocked him out with the first night she’d arrived in his cabin.
Nick set it on the top of the tree.
Her heart skipped like the stones across the river. “Just straighten it a little.”
He glared then straightened the lampshade.
“Actually, maybe I should have mentioned this sooner…but the tree is crooked—”
He spun and grabbed her.
Muffling her laugher against his chest, she allowed her heart to soar with joy.
Nick eased her back and reached into his pocket.
Eyeing him suspiciously, she watched him pull out a twig of some bush with tiny red berries.
“Makeshift holly.” He held it above her head and kissed her.
Lani couldn’t care less if the twig was a palm frond. Nick’s kiss worked its way down to her toes that curled like elves’ toes inside her shoes. Cupping him under the chin, she returned his kiss and opened her mouth to taste him. Nick eased his tongue between her lips. She moaned and wondered how he managed to still hold the twig above them. Her muscles had gone limp a few seconds ago. She was surprised she still stood.
“Merry Christmas, Cabot.”
Lani pulled free and looked at the clock. Five past twelve. A tear worked its way down her cheek, but this one didn’t come from worry. “Merry Christmas, Nick Hunter.”
Chapter Twelve
A cool breeze touched Lani’s cheek. In her sleepy state, she peeked out to see the fire was now a grayish pile of burned embers. Forcing open her eyes, she realized she’d fallen asleep on the couch. Vague memories of Nick holding her last night, humming a variety of Christmas tunes in her ear, and an occasional kiss brought a warmth to her heart. As she sat up, the blanket Nick had obviously covered her with slipped to the floor. Giving a quick smile to their unique Christmas tree, she ran to check on the girls. Both slept peacefully, and she noticed it was only six thirty on the bedside clock. With a groan, she headed toward the kitchen, craving a cup of hot tea.
Nick’s bedroom door was ajar and his bed empty.
He wasn’t in the kitchen as she’d expected, and when she looked through the window, his rocker was empty too. Worry sped her pulse, but she calmed herself, knowing he couldn’t have gone far. After all, the only way out was the frozen water and—her body tensed.
Oh God, had Nick left? Lani ran out of the kitchen door, ignoring the frigid air slapping her face. Before she could head down the stairs, she heard a crunching in the snow and turned.
“What the heck are you doing out here without a coat?” Nick shouted. He came across the yard with his rifle, or shotgun, she still couldn’t tell the difference, tucked under his arm and some kind of bird dangling in his other hand. “Get inside, Cabot!”
She hugged her arms around herself. “What is that?”
“Christmas dinner.” Sunbeams peeking through the trees glistened on his teeth as he smiled and held up the bird. “You know how lucky we are to have this?”
Lani cocked her head. “Nooo, what is it?”
“Turkey dinner! I’ve been out here since five waiting for him to show his beak.”
She laughed. “I didn’t recognize it with all the feathers…I hope you don’t think I’m going to pluck that—”
“Go get the biggest pan you can find. I’ll be in the shed, plucking.”
Lani ran back inside and rummaged through the cabinets until she found a large pan. After she stuck it on the counter, she poured water into the teapot. She
ran her hands up and down her arms to speed the warming. Looking out the window at the snow-covered stillness of the woods, she felt a thrill of excitement.
Today was Christmas! The holiday had always been a special time to share with family. She followed Nick’s advice and wouldn’t allow her worries of her mother to ruin the holiday.
The whistle of the teapot pulled her attention back to the kitchen. After adding a spoonful of sugar to her tea, she held the mug in her hands for extra warmth.
The back door opened and Nick came in carrying the turkey. He held it up for Lani. “Now do you recognize this guy?”
She laughed again. “Well, I’m used to seeing it frozen and covered in plastic, but…” She squinted toward it. “Yeah, it’s a turkey. I recognize it better without the feathers and the poor thing’s head.”
Nick set the bird in the pan and added some salt, pepper, and butter.
With avid interest, Lani sat at the table watching. Nick certainly had been full of surprises from the moment she’d knocked him out. He made a lousy first impression, and he could have packed her and the girls up that night and driven them to the nearby town. But despite his rough exterior, he’d let them stay. Maybe, if he’d known about the bridge washing out….
The oven door slammed. “Okay, he’s in for a few hours. What do we have to go with turkey?”
“Hm, canned corn, and there are three potatoes left!”
“Great. We can cut them up and share them.” Nick poured himself a cup of coffee and sat opposite Lani. He covered her hand with his. “This is going to be one heck of a Christmas.”
“I’ll never forget it,” Lani whispered, her throat tight.
Nick tightened his hold as Alexa’s wail intruded.
“I better get her before she wakes Ana.”
Nick held Lani’s hand to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on top. “I’ll get the fire going. Shall we feed the girls first or have them open their gift?”
“I could never wait to open mine as a kid, but they’re too young to be that impatient.” She stood, reluctant to let go of his hand. “I know Alexa is always hungry right away. Let’s feed them first.”
Nick followed her into the living room.
She paused for a minute to watch him throw several logs on the fire. This is going to be one heck of a Christmas.