One Special Christmas & Home for the Holidays

by Irene Hannon

  “I don’t believe this,” Laura muttered incredulously, sinking lower into the booth.

  “What’s wrong?” Sam asked again.

  “It’s him!”

  “Him?”

  “Yes. Him!”

  “Him him?” Sam’s head swiveled. “Where?”

  “Sam! Will you please turn around,” she hissed. “Maybe he won’t see us,” she said hopefully.

  Nick leaned against the bar, swirling the ice in his drink, trying to figure a way to make his escape without looking rude. He fervently hoped that this was the last bachelor party he ever had to attend. They were so predictable and boring. He was tired of the singles scene, tired of going home alone every night, tired of wondering if he would ever find someone to spend his life with, as Jack had. He envied Jack and Peggy their satisfying existence. Sure, Jack complained good-naturedly about being nothing more than a Mr. Mom and a general handyman, but Nick knew he was deeply content. And that was the kind of life Nick wanted.

  He let his eyes idly roam around the room, sipping his gin and tonic. His contacts were already drying out from the cigarette smoke that hung in the air, and he sighed wearily. At least there was a no-smoking area in the restaurant, he thought enviously, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. The faces were just a blur until his eye was caught by a redhead openly staring at him. She was attractive enough in a flamboyant sort of way, and he smiled lazily back. For a moment he thought she was alone, and then he realized there was another woman slumped in the booth beside her. Nick could only see the back of her head, but the unique strawberry blond hue caught his eye. Laura had hair that color, he thought. And then he frowned. Could it be her? he wondered. He tried to dismiss the possibility as too much of a coincidence, but he had a gut feeling that it really was her. Should he check it out? And what if he was wrong? Well, what if he was? he asked himself impatiently. He had nothing to lose. He could just make some innocuous remark to the redhead and beat a hasty retreat. It was worth a try.

  “Sam,” Laura hissed again, this time more urgently. “Will you please turn around? He’s going to notice you if you keep staring.”

  “Too late,” Sam replied. “He just smiled at me.”

  Laura moaned. “Well, will you at least stop encouraging him?” she pleaded.

  “You didn’t tell me he was such a hunk,” her friend said accusingly, still looking over her shoulder. Suddenly she straightened up. “Hey! He’s coming over!”

  Laura gave her a panic-stricken look, and then searched wildly for an escape. But they were wedged in a corner booth, and the only way out would take her directly in Nick’s path.

  “Laura, chill out,” Sam advised, aware that her friend was panicking. “You spent hours with him alone last night. This is no big deal.”

  “Maybe not to you,” Laura replied tersely, her heart banging painfully against her rib cage. What was she going to say to him? she wondered. Would he mention last night? Oh, why hadn’t Sam picked some other place!

  “Hello, Laura. I thought it was you.” Nick’s deep, mellow voice intruded on her thoughts and she slowly raised her eyes. He smiled at her, looking utterly relaxed, dressed in a pair of khaki trousers and a striped cotton shirt. He held a drink in one hand and nonchalantly leaned on the corner of their booth. He looked fantastic, as always, and Laura suddenly wished she’d dressed in something more flattering than twill slacks and an oversize cotton sweater.

  “Hello, Nick.”

  There was a moment’s awkward pause while Nick waited for her to ask him to join them and Laura prayed he would go away.

  Sam looked from one to the other, decided it was time to step in and salvage the situation and smiled brightly.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Sam Reynolds,” she said, extending her hand.

  Nick took it, looking at her quizzically. “Are you sure we haven’t met? Your voice sounds familiar.”

  “Not exactly,” Sam said with an impudent grin. “But we have spoken before.”

  “We have?”

  “Mmm-hmm. I’ve had a spare key to Laura’s office ever since she locked herself out a couple of years ago, and I answered the phone the day you called looking for her.”

  Nick had the grace to flush. “Then I think I owe you an apology. As I recall, my manners were somewhat lacking that day.”

  “Well, I would hardly have described you as Mr. Congeniality,” Sam agreed. “But that’s okay. I survived.”

  “Well, maybe we can start over. After all, Laura gave me a second chance, and I was even more rotten to her,” he said with an engaging grin.

  “I don’t know…” Sam said, pretending to think it over. “What do you think, Laura?”

  Laura couldn’t think, period. “Sure. I guess so,” she mumbled.

  “All right. If Laura says it’s okay, then I guess it is. Would you like to join us?”

  Laura gave her a venomous look, which Sam ignored.

  “As a matter of fact, yes. Thanks.” Nick slid into the booth next to Laura, and she quickly tried to move over, only to find her progress blocked by Sam who had relinquished just a few measly inches of the seat. Nick didn’t seem to mind the close proximity, but Laura was all too aware of his body whisper-close to hers.

  “Help yourself to some potato skins,” Sam offered.

  “No, thanks. I’ve been eating bar food all night.”

  “I hope we’re not taking you away from your friends,” Sam said.

  “No. It’s a bachelor party, and like they say, if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. I was about to make my excuses, anyway.”

  “Good. Then you can stay awhile. Isn’t that great, Laura?”

  Laura felt Sam’s elbow in her ribs and realized that she hadn’t taken any part in the conversation. “Oh. Yes, that’s nice.”

  Nick casually draped his arm across the back of the booth, and the tips of his fingers rested on Laura’s shoulder. She tried to move slightly away, but Sam had her wedged in.

  “Can I buy you ladies a drink?” Nick asked.

  “Thanks. I’ll have a tonic water,” Sam said.

  “Laura?”

  “Iced tea, please.”

  Nick signaled to the waitress and relayed the orders before resuming the conversation.

  “So what brings you two to this mecca for swinging singles?” he asked.

  “What do you think?” Sam said pertly. “We’re looking for men. Are you available?”

  Laura looked horrified, but after a moment of stunned silence, Nick chuckled. “Your friend here doesn’t pull any punches, does she?” he said to Laura with a smile.

  “Sam’s pretty direct,” Laura agreed. “But that’s not why we’re here. At least, I’m not. Sam picked this place.”

  “And I’m glad she did,” Nick replied smoothly. “Otherwise there wouldn’t have been anyone to rescue me from that bachelor party. And, Sam, to answer your question, yes, I am.” He turned to look at the bar for a moment. “Would you excuse me for a minute? I think the group is leaving and I need to give the groom my best wishes.”

  “Sure,” Sam said. “We’ll still be here.”

  “Will you?” Nick asked quietly, directing his question to Laura. He was aware of her tension and he wouldn’t put it past her to bolt the moment he was out of sight.

  The thought had crossed her mind, and she flushed guiltily. It was almost as if he’d sensed her impulse to flee, and now he was asking for a promise to stay. But as long as Sam was here, what could be the harm? “Yes.”

  He smiled at her. “Good. I’ll be right back.”

  The moment he was out of earshot Laura turned on Sam. “Sam, how could you? First you invite him to join us, then you ask personal questions. I’m not only a nervous wreck, I’m embarrassed.”

  “Why?” Sam asked innocently. “He didn’t seem to mind. And you should thank me. Now you know for sure that he’s available,” she said smugly.

  “So what? Available and interested are two different things.”
<
br />   “Oh, he’s interested,” Sam said confidently.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because.”

  “That tells me a lot,” Laura retorted.

  “Look, he came over here because he thought it was you. The man wasn’t exactly trying to avoid an encounter—he arranged it. And when he talks to you there’s a soft, gentle look in his eyes that makes me feel mushy inside,” she said dreamily. “Yeah, the man’s interested.”

  “Well, maybe the woman isn’t.”

  “Oh, she’s interested, too.”

  “What are you, a mind reader?”

  “No. It doesn’t take a sixth sense to pick up the vibrations between you two. Laura, you’re scared, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And why do you think you’re scared?”

  “Because I haven’t been around a man for a very long time.”

  “Nope. Wrong answer, kiddo. Not just any man could make you feel like this. It’s Nick. Because you’re attracted to him, too, and for the first time in years you sense a threat to that insulated existence you’ve created for yourself. You’re not scared because he’s a man. You’re scared because he’s Nick—a very special man. And by the way, I approve. He’s not only a hunk, he’s got a great personality and a good sense of humor.”

  Nick chose that moment to slip back into the booth, giving Laura no time to respond. She had been about to protest Sam’s quick assessment, but in retrospect she had to admit that maybe Sam was right.

  “Did you miss me?” Nick asked with a grin.

  “Oh, were you gone?” Sam asked, feigning surprise.

  “Well, that’s a surefire way to deflate a man’s ego,” Nick replied good-naturedly.

  Laura listened with envy to the exchange. Sam was so at ease with Nick, while she was a mass of vibrating nerves. She couldn’t even think of any witty remarks to add to the repartee. Miserably she stirred her iced tea. The ice was slowly melting and diluting the color, washing it out to a pale image of its former self. Sort of like her, she thought. Sometimes, emotionally, she felt like an empty shell of the woman she used to be.

  “…so I’ll leave you two to carry on.”

  Laura’s attention snapped back to the conversation and she realized that Sam was sliding out of the booth.

  “Sam!” There was panic in her voice. “Where are you going?”

  “I knew you were daydreaming,” Sam declared. “I’ve got to go, kiddo. I have to show a house very early tomorrow morning and I want to be thinking clearly when I meet the client. He’s only in town for the weekend, so it’s now or never for the sale. Nick, it was nice meeting you.” Sam extended her hand and Nick stood, taking it in a firm grip.

  “Can I walk you to your car?” he offered.

  “I’m parked right at the door,” she assured him. “Besides, I just spotted someone at the bar that I know and I want to stop and say hi. But do me a favor, will you? Walk Laura to hers when she leaves, no matter what she says. She’s at the far end of the lot.”

  “Done,” he said with a smile.

  Laura suddenly felt like an idiot child, being talked over instead of to. “Sam, I’m quite capable of taking care of myself,” she said stiffly.

  “Now don’t get all huffy,” Sam said. “If you’re with a gentleman, let him act like one. Good night, Nick.”

  Nick watched Sam leave and then slid into the booth again next to Laura. “I like her,” he said with a smile. “Her candor is very…charming.”

  “I can think of another word for it,” Laura muttered.

  Nick chuckled. “Come on, be nice. She’s obviously a good friend. She’s graciously bowed out, leaving you alone with me, and she’s made sure you get to your car safely. What more could you ask?”

  “That she butt out?” Laura suggested. “Look, Nick, you don’t have to keep me company. Actually, I was thinking about heading home. This,” she said, gesturing around the crowded, noisy room, “isn’t my style, anyway.”

  “Mine, neither. And as for keeping you company, I wouldn’t have come over here if I hadn’t wanted to see you.”

  “That’s what Sam said,” Laura admitted, her eyes searching out her friend, who was now carrying on an animated conversation with an attractive man at the bar.

  “Well, Sam is very insightful.”

  “But why?” Laura turned her attention back to Nick, truly bewildered by his interest.

  Nick placed his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers, staring at her pensively. Then he shook his head. “You amaze me, Laura. I told you last night. You’re an extremely attractive woman. I admire your determination. You are a great conversationalist and fun to be with when you’re not totally stressed out, which you seem to be tonight. Is it me?”

  Laura shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not stressed,” she lied, avoiding his question.

  In response Nick reached over and captured her fingers. “Your hands are trembling.” His thumb moved to her wrist. “Your pulse is rapid. With any other woman, Laura, I might attribute those symptoms to something else,” he said bluntly. Then his voice gentled. “But you’re just plain scared, aren’t you?”

  Laura snatched her hand away and groped for her purse, making Nick realize he had pushed too hard.

  “Laura, I’m sorry. Forget I asked, okay, and don’t run off. Besides, there’s something I want to ask you.”

  Laura looked at him uncertainly. “What is it?”

  “Jack and his wife, Peggy, are giving a little party next weekend. Sort of a pre-Fourth-of-July barbecue. I wondered if you’d like to go.”

  It took a moment for the invitation to register, and then Laura realized that Nick was actually asking her for a date. A real date, not an unexpected, spur-of-the-moment get-together.

  “When is it?” she asked.

  “Saturday. About four.”

  “I work on Saturdays, Nick.”

  “All day?” he asked with a frown.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Maybe that’s one of the reasons you always look so tired,” he said gently, reaching over with one finger to trace the shadow under one of her eyes. “Everyone needs some fun in their life.”

  Laura swallowed. “I don’t have time. I’m a one-person operation, Nick. Saturdays are a good time to get caught up on the books. Besides, I’m going home for a long weekend over Fourth of July, so I need to make up the time.”

  “We could go to the party late,” he offered.

  “I don’t want you to miss any of it because of me,” she protested.

  “Laura, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather be at some of the party with you than all of it alone,” he replied with a smile.

  “Well…” Nick was being completely accommodating, and there was no reason to refuse. Besides, she liked Jack. They would be in a crowd, so what could happen? Sam was always telling her to make an effort to improve her social life, and this was a good opportunity.

  She looked toward the bar again, just in time to see her friend heading for the door on the arm of the man she’d been talking to. Sam never seemed at a loss for male companionship. Maybe there was a lesson to be learned here, Laura thought. Her best friend had more dates than she could handle and was always telling Laura to spice up her social life. Perhaps, Laura reasoned, the Lord had put her in this uncharacteristic setting tonight so that she and Nick would cross paths. It seemed like an awfully strange coincidence to have happened purely by chance. There must be a message here. And maybe it was simply that if Sam could go out with dozens of men, she could at least go out with one. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Nick. “Okay,” she agreed.

  Laura was rewarded with an ecstatic grin. “Great! I’ll call you this week to firm up the plans.”

  “All right.” She withdrew her keys from her purse. “I really have to go, Nick. It’s been a long day, and frankly the smoke in here is killing my eyes.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” he concurred. He thought of suggesting a quieter lounge nearby, but
decided against it. He’d already gotten more than he expected out of the evening when she’d agreed to go to Jack’s party with him. He wasn’t about to push his luck. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “It’s really not necessary. Sam’s just overprotective.”

  “A promise is a promise,” Nick said firmly.

  “Well, have it your way,” she capitulated.

  Nick signaled the waitress again and quickly settled the bill before sliding from the booth. He reached for her hand, and, short of rudely ignoring it, Laura was left with no option but to take it. Once on her feet, she assumed he’d release it, but Nick had other ideas, tucking it into the crook of his arm. Laura’s heart went into fast-forward at the protective gesture. Calm down, she told herself sharply. Nick probably treats every woman he’s with the same way. You’re nothing special.

  As they threaded their way through the crowd, Laura wasn’t even aware of the glances directed her way from the bar. But Nick was. He looked down at her, noted that her eyes were focused straight ahead and realized that she was oblivious to the admiring glances. She was a woman with absolutely no conceit, he thought. Actually, she went the other direction in terms of self-image, which wasn’t good, either. Why? he wondered for the hundredth time.

  As they stepped into the warm night air, Laura drew a deep breath. “I hate those kinds of places,” she said vehemently.

  “Then why come?”

  “Sam likes them. She drags me along occasionally because she thinks it will enhance my social life,” Laura joked, sorry immediately that she’d made such a revealing comment. She knew Nick was too attentive to let it pass unnoticed.

  “If your social life is lacking, I can only believe it’s by choice,” he said.

  Laura shrugged. “The business keeps me busy,” she said noncommittally.

  They had arrived at the corner of the parking lot, and Nick finally released her hand, making no comment. He leaned against the side of her car and folded his arms across his chest, apparently in no hurry to leave. Self-consciously, Laura fumbled for the right key and unlocked the door.

  “Well…thank you for walking me to my car,” she said breathily.