by Leah Atwood
“Well,” Rayne huffed and brushed invisible lint from her pencil skirt as though dusting off the last trace of people far inferior to herself. “When Levi said he’d arrange for transportation I had no idea he meant he’d send a local. Why wouldn’t he send a proper car from a service?”
“Oh, chin up Rayne, this isn’t so bad.” Dixon Nash offered his signature smile that could have charmed the polish right off a shoe.
Chelsea quickly reversed her earlier assessment. He was even better looking in person. Her mouth went dry.
He held out one hand. “Dixon Nash. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”
Chelsea placed a trembling palm against his and gave him a nod. To think she was shaking hands with him was just crazy. How many movies had she seen the man in?
She started to withdraw but he tightened his grip. “And you are?”
“Oh,” heat bloomed in her face. “I’m sorry. I’m—”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Chelsea. It’s only Dixon.” Rayne waved a hand between them. “Dix, this is Chelsea Tan. Chelsea, Dixon.”
“I’m sure she’s quite capable of speaking for herself, Rayne.” Dixon gave Rayne a chastising look, but there was kindness in his blue eyes when he returned his focus to Chelsea once more. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chelsea.”
Having apparently secured the luggage, Cannon slid back into his seat and the introductions were repeated.
Chelsea was still in a conundrum over what to do about the bodyguards. She checked her mirrors trying to find where they’d disappeared to and wondering how long they’d need to wait for them. The airport personnel didn’t like people to linger in the pickup zone. They’d just have to pile in until she could get them to the hotel, she supposed.
From the backseat Rayne huffed, “Anytime today, Chelsea.”
“Oh, I was trying to figure out what we would do with your bodyguards?”
A bark of laughter escaped Rayne.
Dixon was the one who spoke. “Oh, sorry for the confusion. They are local hires and came in their own vehicle. Generally we would have ridden with them, but Levi had said he’d be happy to pick us up, so we’d already told them we wouldn’t be riding with them. Anyhow, they will be traveling behind us in their own vehicle.” No censure coated his tone.
“Oh! Well…” Chelsea put the car into gear, “I’ll just get you two to your hotel then.”
“Oh, let’s not go straight to our hotel.” Rayne leaned forward. “It’s still so early, don’t you think, Cannon? And Dixon and I are on a little vacation. Surely there’s something to do around here?”
Chelsea chewed the inside of her lip thinking of the fact that her alarm clock would be going off at five a.m. so she could get to the coffee shop by six. And that she still needed to run by tonight and close up since Aunt Flo didn’t trust anyone to do that but herself or Chelsea, and it generally fell to Chelsea to do it – okay almost always fell to her. Okay always. But all she said was, “Um, sure… where would you like to go?”
“It’s almost Christmas. Let’s do something Christmassy, like… ice skating!”
“Ice skating?” She hoped no one else in the car had detected the squeak in the words. If there was any way on earth she could make a fool of herself in less than ten seconds flat, it would be with thin blades for shoes and ice beneath her feet. “Um sure. I know a place. But I actually have to run close up the coffee shop for my aunt, so if it’s alright with you guys I’ll just drop you off and then swing back by to pick you up and take you to the hotel?”
“Chelsea, Chelsea. Still all work and no play, I see. But I’m not taking no for an answer. Run close up the shop if you must, but I insist you take at least a couple spins around the ice. Let’s call Havyn and Levi! They can meet us there, I can introduce them to Dix, and it will be like a little mini reunion of the Africa debacle. Minus the two nerdy guys and the pastor.”
“Rayne!” There was a sharp reprimand in the tone of Dixon’s voice, and in the rearview mirror Chelsea caught a look of chagrin on Rayne’s face.
“Sorry.” She murmured softly. “That was out of line. I don’t know what came over me. I must be tired from this trip.”
“It’s okay.” Chelsea was quick to offer her absolution.
“No. It’s not.” Dixon’s voice was as tight as his jawline.
Chelsea didn’t know how to smooth that over so she just pressed her lips together and concentrated on driving.
Cannon pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call Levi and see if he and Havyn are free.”
Chelsea loosed a breath. Bless him for easing the tension that could almost have been cracked like a Christmas nut.
They all listened to Cannon’s half of the conversation until he hung up and said. “Great. They’ll meet us there. Havyn said she knew the place. So Chelsea and I will drop you off, run close up the coffee shop, and then come back. Sound good?”
At the ice rink, after Dixon and Rayne had disappeared inside followed by their bodyguards, Chelsea turned to Cannon. “Listen, it will only take me a bit. Why don’t you go in and join everyone. I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise.” She didn’t add that Aunt Flo was probably at the shop right now and was the last person she wanted him to meet at this point in their relationship. She held her breath, hoping he would agree, but not really believing he would.
He tilted his head and studied her. “It will go twice as fast if I help you.”
Maybe, but how did she explain Aunt Flo’s proclivities? She gave it one last try. “And you’ll have twice as much fun if you stay here.”
He tilted his head and squinted an exaggerated assessment. “Afraid to let me see you in your natural habitat, are we?”
She laughed despite herself.
“Besides, we need to get your car, remember?”
He was right. With a sigh, she put the car into gear. “Fine. But never say I didn’t warn you.”
“Warn me about what?” He was looking exceptionally pleased with himself.
“Not what. Who.”
Chapter Five
Cannon stepped through the shop door after Chelsea, the bell above their heads tinkling Christmas cheer. He hadn’t noticed this morning that the front window of the shop was outlined with garland and red lights, and a huge decal of a manger scene filled the middle. Icicle lights also draped the underside of the counter. Maybe all that was more noticeable now that it was dark outside.
An elderly woman, who looked like she could have stepped straight out of a British clothing catalog, complete with a veil on her bright red hat, strode toward them from behind the counter tugging on a pair of matching red gloves. “Chelsea Tan, I swear if you weren’t my dead brother’s child, I’d have you replaced on the sp—” The woman’s gaze landed on him and her eyebrows lifted.
Chelsea looked embarrassed but offered. “Aunt Flo, this is Cannon Jones. He’s in town for Havyn and Levi’s wedding. Cannon this is my aunt, Florence Tan.”
Even though he’d rather have given her a dressing down for the way she’d spoken to Chelsea just now, Cannon stretched out one hand. “Nice to meet you.”
But lady-in-red didn’t take it. One of her unnaturally dark eyebrows quirked upward as her wizened eyes narrowed and scrutinized him through the black gauze. She took him in from head to toe and back again.
Apparently finding him of no consequence, she gave a dismissive little flip of her wrist and turned the full force of her ire back on her niece.
Cannon shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, gritted his teeth, and watched the woman’s second brow join its mate near her hat line.
“Do you know how much damage your little flirtation with Ted has cost us, young lady? We are going to run out of Kona and just at the peak of our season, too.”
“Aunt Flo! I wasn’t flirting with him!”
“Nonsense! I do declare I don’t know why I keep you on.”
Chelsea sealed her lips together.
Cannon fisted the li
ning of his pockets. It took every ounce of his willpower not to step over and shield the now visibly trembling Chelsea from the abuse being blasted her way.
“I’m so sorry, Aunt Flo. I’ll put in a new order first thing Monday morning and have them put a rush on it. And I’ll pay for it myself.” She blurted the last sentence so fast the words seemed to trip over themselves to escape.
“Of course you will, because I’ve taught you well. I suppose there’s nothing to be done now but to do as you say. But if the beans don’t arrive in time and we start to lose orders those will come directly out of your pay as well, is that understood?”
“Yes, Aunt Flo.” Chelsea’s gaze remained respectfully trained somewhere below the woman’s knees.
Flo spun on one heel and sashayed toward the exit. “Very well. So long as you understand.” She stopped and spun back to pierce her niece with one last look. “You might consider what happened this morning as you decide whether to let him stay while you lock up.” The glance she pegged Cannon with could have turned fire to ice, but he refused to break eye contact with the woman. After a long silent moment she finally lifted her chin and resumed her walk to the door. “Get to locking up then and don’t forget to go through the checklist or you’ll likely forget to do something.” The bell clanged a chilly note of departure.
Chelsea couldn’t meet Cannon’s gaze. She slowly stepped to the door and turned the lock. That couldn’t have been any more of a nightmare if she had dreamed it. Aunt Flo was…Aunt Flo. She had been the same since she’d been forced to take Chelsea in when she was orphaned at ten. And had turned even more prunish after Uncle Hank passed that next year.
She chanced a peek at Cannon’s face.
He looked stricken. In fact he was still staring sightlessly at the spot where Aunt Flo had stood only moments ago.
She winced. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel sorry for her. Actually…she studied his expression more closely. Maybe the look on his face showed that he was finally seeing her for who she really was. Just a mousy little nobody who could never seem to do anything right no matter how hard she tried. A sigh slipped free. Because after the nice time they’d had today she realized that was truly the last thing she wanted. But maybe it was for the best. Better he find out now than later down the road after things progressed. If things progressed. She pressed a palm to her forehead. Oh, this man had her in a muddle.
Until him, she’d been content with who she was. She served Aunt Flo and the customers at the coffee shop, she went to church, she spent time with Havyn who’d been her best friend since she and Aunt Flo moved to Seattle her eighth grade year. Her time with Havyn had been limited lately since Havyn had gotten back into the relationship with Levi. But even though it left her spending more time on her own and a little forlorn, she’d been more than happy to deal with the loneliness because she’d known Havyn was happy.
But this…this worry over whether she was going to lose a man she didn’t even have yet. She didn’t like this feeling. It made her uneasy because it proved she wanted something more than she ought to. If there was one lesson Chelsea had learned in life it was not to get her heart too set on something. If she didn’t want it, she couldn’t be disappointed when it didn’t come about.
Her rule had slipped right out the door the minute Cannon stepped back into her life this morning, she realized.
The silence was growing unbearable.
“Cannon listen. I’m really sorry about all that. Aunt Flo is just—”
“Abusive?” Sheer anger filled his tone and a muscle pulsed in his jaw
She was taken aback. “N-no. I wouldn’t necessarily call it that. Just…opinionated.”
“Chelsea…” All the fight seemed to drain out of him. Two steps put him in front of her and before she realized what he was doing he had her cheek cupped in one hand.
She touched his wrist, but couldn’t find the willpower to push him away. His gaze was tender and so full of emotion, she held her breath, not wanting to miss anything he might say.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. But no one should talk to you like that. Ever. You are much too precious to ever let anyone treat you that way.”
A frown tugged at her brow. He obviously didn’t understand. “Aunt Flo has put up with a lot from me and she just…isn’t afraid to speak her mind, you know?”
His thumb whispered across her cheekbone. “What has she had to put up with from you?”
Chelsea felt a tremor vibrate through her. If she told him she might lose him for good. Could she handle that? She bit her lip. If she felt this attached to him now it was only bound to get worse. Better she just tell him and rip the Band-Aid off all at once. “M-my parents died when I was ten. A semi ran a stop sign and they were killed instantly. Aunt Flo and her husband took me in, but he passed away from cancer that next year. Aunt Flo had a promising career as a singer and songwriter. She had to put all that aside to get a job and take care of me. And I’ve tried to be as little of a burden to her as possible, you know? But…” Tears welled up because she really did have remorse over all the troubles she’d given Aunt Flo through the years. “No matter how hard I try I just seem to never be able to do everything right. She likes things just so. And I try to keep it all straight, but I invariably mess up. But even through all my mess-ups she’s put up with me. So I try and have a little more patience if her words are less than kind sometimes.”
There, she’d blurted her whole sorry life’s story. Now the ball was in his court.
“Chels…”
She blinked. Were those tears shimmering in his eyes? She couldn’t stand the thought that she’d hurt him somehow. “I’m fine Cannon, really. You don’t have to—”
His thumb settled over her lips, silencing her.
“Chelsea, your aunt is blaming you for the spilled coffee when it wasn’t your fault. She’s making you pay for something that the business should be covering. She didn’t even ask if you were alright after a guy practically assaulted you this morning. That’s what I object to. You deserve better than that.”
“Maybe she’s right though. Maybe I just gave Ted a wrong signal somehow.”
Cannon shook his head. “Not possible, Chels. I know you. You didn’t do anything to lead Ted the Jerk on. And if your aunt would take a breath and think about you, she ought to know that too.”
She considered. “Maybe I gave off some unintentional signal that made him think I was interested?”
He tilted his head, his mouth twisting in disbelief. “You really think that?”
She thought of all the times Ted had asked her out. She’d repeatedly told him no in what she hoped was a kind way, but she’d definitely been firm with each invitation she’d declined. “Okay, maybe you’re right but Aunt Flo has done so much for me, I just want to keep the peace, you know? Turn the other cheek and all that.”
“Chels…” His thumb was back to stroking her jaw line in a slow soft way that made her knees feel weak. “You can turn the other cheek and still walk away. Jesus never expected people to stay with an abuser. You can stand up for yourself and still show them the love of God. In fact sometimes standing up for yourself is what shows them you are someone God loves. And they are too.”
“I think you may be misunderstanding Aunt Flo. She’s really not so bad. You just met her on a bad night.”
He didn’t look convinced. “How many nights a week do you come in and close up for her?”
Chelsea waved a hand. “Aunt Flo has a bad back and can’t do the cleaning and lifting that’s needed for closing up. Cleaning out the big mixers, putting all the chairs up on the tables, that sort of thing.”
“So you do it every night?”
She tilted her head. “Yeah.”
“You’re pretty special, you know that?”
She laughed. “It’s not rocket science, Cannon.”
“I know. And I’m sorry for speaking so harshly. You’re just important to me and I don’t
like to see anyone talking to you like that.”
She smiled softly, touched by his concern. “I’m fine. Really. But I’d better get to closing up.”
“We’d better get to closing up.”
She lifted her brows. “You probably don’t know what you are getting yourself into.”
He stepped over to one of the tables and started upending the chairs onto it. “You might be surprised to learn that I worked my way through college at a Starbucks.”
“Ah!” She cringed and gripped her head as though she was in great pain. “You are not allowed to say that word in here!” He laughed and she turned to get him the mop hoping a little hard work would expunge the last vestiges of her own personal little nightmare before they rejoined the others at the rink.
Chapter Six
Chelsea plunked onto the bench and turned her skates upside down, eyeing the seemingly knife-thin blades dubiously. I’ll be lucky if I live through this. How had she let them talk her into this? Christmassy? Since when had ice skating been Christmassy?
Rayne and Dixon Nash swept by laughing and waving a welcome. Chelsea watched as Rayne dug her skates in and dashed out in front of Dixon before spiraling into the air in a perfect pirouette and landing with a graceful swoosh, one leg stretched out behind her, arms extended. Dixon slid to a sideways stop and clapped his hands for her as she circled him in a perfect orbit. Havyn and Levi passed her bench without seeming to notice her. They were holding hands and Levi was skating backwards as they stared into each other’s eyes and murmured quiet words that only they could hear above the lively Christmas music.
Cannon sank onto the bench beside her and bumped her with his shoulder. “You okay? You don’t have much more color than the ice.”
She pressed her lips together and nodded. She could do this, right? Her eyes dropped closed. Who was she kidding? She was going to be the laughing stock of the entire rink the minute her feet touched the slippery surface.
“Hey, what’s up?” True concern touched Cannon’s tone.