Haley gave Laura an impressed look. “Wow, you’ve trained them well.”
Laura laughed. “I wish I could take credit, but actually, Ben and Jeff had been clearing the table long before I got here.”
“My mom taught us.” Jeff smiled, remembering.
“The rule in our house was whoever cooked didn’t have to wash. Everyone else cleared and cleaned,” Ben added.
“We do that at our house, too,” Susie said. “Ian’s the far better cook. But that’s okay. I’m fine with cleaning up as long as he’s cooking me great meals. We make a great team.”
Ian kissed her on the cheek. “We sure do, babe. Now we just have to agree on what to make at Christmas.”
“Yeah,” Susie said. “There is that.” She held up her empty wineglass. “More wine, please.”
Everyone laughed.
John looked at his two teenagers. “I think we need to start doing this deal of who cooks doesn’t clean at our house.”
“Uh, Dad, first someone would have to actually cook because takeout doesn’t count.”
John pretended to look confused. “Wait, what? Why not?”
Madison and Blake both laughed.
“I love takeout,” Haley jumped in. “I’m coming to your house.”
“You’re welcome anytime,” John said.
When Ben returned from the kitchen, he stood at the end of the table, rubbing his hands together. It was clear he was up to something. Haley didn’t have to wait long to find out what.
“So, now that everyone’s done with dinner, are you ready for your next Christmas Camp activity?” he asked.
Haley’s smiled faded. She hadn’t realized there was another activity after dinner. She was hoping to get some work done before she went to bed, and she was already exhausted. But by the look of excitement in Ben’s eyes, it was clear he had more Christmas Camp fun in store for them.
Chapter 9
The group had now gathered in the sitting room and was looking at Ben expectantly, waiting to find out what was happening next. He walked over to the fireplace and took down a red velvet stocking with white fur trim.
“In every Christmas Camp, one of our traditions is playing Christmas Camp Charades on the first night,” Ben said. “We’ve found it’s a great way for everyone to relax and have some fun and get to know each other better.”
Susie jumped up. “I love Christmas charades! I play every year with my family.”
Haley looked over at her. “Great, then you’re on my team.”
Ben looked around the room. “Okay, since we already have some teams forming here, how about we do the girls against the guys?”
Haley looked over at Jeff, who gave her a look that was a challenge. She stood up and walked over to Susie. “I think that’s a great idea. Come on, Gail and Madison. Let’s show them some girl power. We’re going to crush this.”
Ben’s eyes widened. “Well, I don’t know about anyone crushing anything; this is just a friendly little game of charades . . .”
But the look Haley gave Jeff didn’t say friendly, it said, You’re going down! She got her team in a huddle and put her arms around them. “Okay, girls, we’ve got this. Susie, you’ll be our coach. What advice do you have?”
Susie looked a little scared by Haley’s intensity. “Um, I’d just say, have fun!”
When Gail and Madison nodded their agreement, Haley jumped in. “Have fun and win. We definitely want to win . . .”
Ben laughed at Haley’s enthusiasm. “Okay, sounds like the girls are ready to go. So, here’s how it’s going to work. Inside this stocking are the names of some Christmas songs, and you’ll each draw one name and that will be your song for the charades . . .”
“Got it!” Haley said, eager to get going. She was already eyeing the stocking Ben was holding.
“And here’s a little twist,” Ben added. “Both teams are going to go at the same time and whatever team guesses the correct song first, wins. Any questions?”
“Nope, we’re good,” Haley said, answering for everyone. She clapped her hands several times. “Let’s go. Come on, team!”
Haley’s team looked slightly afraid of her.
Ben held the Christmas stocking out to Gail. “Okay, Gail, why don’t you draw first?”
Gail put her hand inside the stocking and pulled out a folded piece of green paper. Unfolding it, she read what was written on it. “I got a good one,” she said.
“Yes!” Haley high-fived her.
“Okay, just remember, don’t show anyone,” Ben said. He then continued around the whole group, and everyone drew their song from the stocking.
Haley was the last to pick. When she pulled out the remaining little piece of paper, she read it and laughed.
“Problem?” Jeff asked. He watched her closely.
Haley hid her paper from him. “Nope. I’m good. I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
Ben smiled back at everyone. “You heard Haley, it’s time to start. Son, why don’t you go first for the guys, so you can show everyone how it’s done. Who wants to go first for the girls?”
Haley jumped up. “I do!”
Everyone laughed when Haley went over to Jeff, and they went toe-to-toe and playfully stared each other down.
“You’re sure you want to go first?” Jeff asked. “I thought Susie was the expert here?”
“She is, but we have a strategy,” Haley said. “Don’t we girls?”
“Uh, sure,” Susie answered. But she looked clueless, like she had no idea what Haley was bragging about.
“Okay, then let’s do our first round.” Ben held out his hand. “Please give me your songs and let me remind you of the rules. This is charades, so there’s no talking, but when someone guesses the right word, you can point to your nose, like Santa would, to let them know they guessed it right . . .”
Haley pointed to her nose then pointed to the girls and then kept repeating the motion over and over again.
Jeff laughed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m practicing,” Haley said proudly. “Because I know my girls are going to be guessing all the right words. Right, girls?”
“Right!” Madison said, pointing back at Haley.
Everyone laughed.
Haley pumped her fists into the air and bounced around like a boxer in a ring. “Okay, come on. Let’s go!”
Jeff looked amused at her showboating.
Ben stood between them and took Haley’s hand then Jeff’s. “Okay, if everyone’s ready?”
“We’re ready!” Susie said.
“Then let the Christmas Camp charades begin—right now!” As soon as he let go of their hands, both Haley and Jeff started running around trying to get their team to guess their song.
“Come on, Jeff!” Ian shouted.
“Come on, Haley,” Susie fired back.
Haley thrust her hand up to the ceiling and pretended to be singing.
“The Statue of Liberty,” Susie guessed.
“‘Singing in the Rain,’” Gail jumped in.
Ben laughed. “Remember these are Christmas songs.”
The guys’ side wasn’t doing much better. Jeff was motioning like he had a huge stomach and was over at the fireplace, pointing at the chimney.
“A chimney guy? A chimney sweep?” Ian guessed.
Ben laughed. “We’re looking for Christmas songs. Keep guessing, teams.”
Haley started leaping through the air, flapping her arms. She looked like . . . a crazy person wearing an ugly Christmas sweater.
Jeff, watching her, stopped what he was doing and burst out laughing.
Now Haley had made a circle with the fingers of both hands and held it over her head as she continued to leap across the room.
“It’s a bird,” Madison said.
“It’s a plane,” Blake chimed in.
“It’s super Haley,” John finished.
Everyone laughed.
“Wait, wait! I got it!” Madison jumped up, waving her arms around.
“She’s an angel!”
Haley victoriously shot both fists into the air then pointed at her nose and then to Madison.
Meanwhile, Jeff grabbed a pillow off the couch and stuffed it into his shirt, giving him a big belly.
“‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’?” John guessed.
Jeff shook his head and kept motioning to his belly then threw his head back like he was laughing and mouthed the words “ho, ho, ho . . .”
“Santa Claus!” Ian shouted. “You’re Santa Claus?”
“Yes!” Jeff shouted back at him.
Haley threw a pillow at Jeff. “No talking!”
He threw it back at her. “You’re talking!”
Ben stepped between them. “Both of you, stop talking. Keep going, teams.”
“Okay, okay, you’re Santa Claus,” Ian said.
Haley started to panic. She jumped in front of the girls to get their attention and then started leaping around the room while Jeff ran over to the fireplace again and kept pointing at it and then back to him.
“Okay, everyone, you’re so close. Keep going!” Ben was just as excited as everyone else.
Haley did one more leap and then stopped to hold her hand up to the ceiling and pretend she was singing, like an opera singer. Jeff was back at the fireplace.
Gail and Ian guessed the correct answers at the same time.
“‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’!”
“‘Here Comes Santa Claus’!”
“Yes!” Haley shouted out in victory and then ran over to give Gail a big hug while Ian and the guys also celebrated. Ben came over, took Haley and Jeff’s hands, and held them up in victory.
“We have a tie!” Ben shouted.
“I want a rematch,” Jeff demanded in a teasing voice. He smiled when he looked at Haley. “Not bad for a rookie,” he told her.
“Oh, I’ll take you on any day, Santa.” Haley pointed at her nose and then back at Jeff.
As they were laughing Haley realized she couldn’t remember when she’d had so much fun, and for the first time she thought maybe Jeff was right. Maybe she could do her research at Christmas Camp for her Tyler Toys pitch and still have a little fun. Still, she knew her number one focus had to be work. She ran over to the fireplace, took down her stocking, and removed the Christmas Camp activities list. After she dug around and found her snowman pencil, she proudly marked Christmas charades off her to-do list. “One more activity completed,” she said proudly. “I’m going to get all this stuff done in record time.” But when she looked up and saw Jeff watching her, she noticed his smile had faded. She pretended it didn’t bother her and turned her attention to her team. “Who’s up next?”
“I am!” Susie waved her Christmas song pick in the air.
“Oh, you’re going down,” Ian said. He joined her in the center of the room. He was bouncing around like a boxer.
Susie rolled her eyes but was laughing.
“Oh, this should be good,” Blake said.
“Real good,” Madison agreed. “And we’re next.”
“You’re on!” Blake pointed to his nose and back at his sister.
Haley and Jeff flopped down on the couch at the exact same time. They looked at each other and laughed.
“I’m exhausted,” Haley said.
“Being an angel isn’t easy.”
“You can say that again.” She laughed. “But it was fun trying.”
“Really?” he asked.
“Really,” she said, feeling surprised that she actually meant it.
Ben walked over to Susie and Ian, took both of their hands, and raised them in the air. “Okay, everyone, get ready for round two!”
“You got this, Susie!” Haley yelled.
“Come on, Ian!” Jeff countered.
“Ready, set, go!” Ben dropped both their hands and round two started with Ian looking like he was playing a drum.
“‘Little Drummer Boy,’” Jeff shouted.
“Yes!” Ian shot his fist into the air.
“Hey, no fair!” Haley turned to Jeff. “You probably already know all the songs we’re doing!”
“And you’re just figuring that out now?” Jeff asked.
When Haley playfully swatted him with a pillow, Madison, Susie, and Gail joined in and pretty soon he was under a full pillow fight attack. Haley laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach. When she looked over at Ben, he was smiling at her.
“Are you feeling merry?” he asked her.
At the same moment when Haley nodded, Jeff hit her over the head with a pillow.
There was more laughter, and when Haley looked at Ben, she really did for the first time in a long time understand the “merry” in Merry Christmas. And then it hit her, an idea for her Tyler Toys campaign. She hurried over to Ben. “This has been so much fun,” she started.
Ben didn’t miss a beat. “But?”
“But”—Haley fought to find the right words—“I was thinking, hoping, that I could maybe turn in a little early?”
“Of course. I know it’s been a long day,” Ben said.
Haley smiled her best smile. “And since I’m done for the night, do you think I could get my phone and computer?”
“To help you rest?” Ben asked, looking her in the eye.
Haley squirmed. Clearly, she thought, she wasn’t going to be able to fool Ben. Unfortunately for her, he was as smart as he was kind, so she didn’t even try to pretend. “I do have some work I need to get done, so I thought it better to start now before I get too tired. The charades gave me an idea . . .” But as Ben continued to look into her eyes, she forgot what she was about to say. It was like he was looking into her soul, and she was afraid of what he might find. So, she looked away first and was surprised when he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I’ll go get your things and be right back. I hope you enjoyed your first night at Christmas Camp?”
Haley felt a wave of guilt over Ben’s genuine concern and kindness. “I did,” she assured him quickly. Even though all she wanted to do was mark everything off the to-do list and get back to Boston as soon as possible, if she was honest with herself, there was something about being at Holly Peak Inn that made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a long time. Like what it was like to sit with family around a dinner table and share a meal and joke around and play games. Lately, she’d spent so much time at work and working from home, she’d forgotten how to have the kind of fun that didn’t involve making money for her clients.
As Ben disappeared to get her things, Jeff walked up to her and gave her a questioning look. “Is everything okay?”
Haley avoided looking into his eyes. She was already overheating from her bulky sweater and playing charades, and she knew looking at him would only make it worse. “I’m just feeling a little tired, so . . .” As she struggled to find words, she nervously fiddled with one of the Christmas ornaments hanging from her sweater, and accidentally knocked it off. When she and Jeff reached for it at the same time, their fingers touched, and their eyes met. The spark between them was undeniable, and they both looked confused by it and stood up. Jeff had the ornament, so he handed it to her.
“Here you go. I’ll see you in the morning.” He walked back to join the group before Haley could say anything.
She was relieved when Ben appeared holding her computer and phone.
“Here you go,” he said. He handed her everything.
“Thanks, Ben.” She saw Gail and the girls watching her. They looked disappointed. She started to feel a little guilty, but she had already turned on her phone and saw she had six missed calls. She’d had her fun, now it was time to pay the piper and get back to work. As she headed up the stairs, she didn’t realize Max was following her until she was halfway to her room. When she stopped, he stopped. “What are you doing following me?” she asked.
Max barked, wagging his tail.
Haley stared down at him and shook her head. “Sorry, all I’m doing is work; go back and hang out with everyone e
lse.”
Max tilted his head and looked adorable.
Haley looked away, thinking Max was just another distraction she didn’t have time for. But a couple seconds later, she realized he was following her again.
“Seriously.” Haley looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. “Okay, whatever. It’s your house.” But when she entered her room, she left Max standing outside. “Sorry, time for me to get to work.”
Max barked again as Haley shut her door. She stood inside her room and waited about thirty seconds, then slowly opened the door and peeked out. Sure enough, Max was still sitting there. He wagged his tail. His eyes were hopeful.
Haley let out a long sigh. “Fine, you can come in, but only for a few minutes.” When Max ran into her room, she would have sworn he was grinning.
Chapter 10
As Haley sat on her bed with her computer on her lap, she FaceTimed with Kathy on the phone.
“Finally, you call back,” Kathy said. “I’ve left you like four messages and was starting to wonder if you got abducted by Santa Claus.”
“Close, I was playing Christmas charades against a Santa Claus, but that’s a whole different story. What’s going on?” Haley looked closer at Kathy. “And where are you?”
“I’m at the Christmas party, our company party. Remember?”
Haley fell back onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling. “That was tonight?”
“Yup, do you like my outfit?” Kathy held the phone back so Haley could see that she was wearing a pretty red satin dress.
“Is that new?” Haley asked.
“Yup.” Kathy grinned back at her. “I splurged. It’s Christmas. I deserve it.” She brought the phone closer to her and was now looking at Haley. “But wait, the bigger question is, what are you wearing? Is that . . . no!”
“Oh yeah, it’s a Christmas sweater, an ugly one.” Haley held her phone back so Kathy could see better.
Kathy started laughing. “That’s from the ugly-Christmas-sweater campaign we shot last year.”
“Yup, Larry gave it to me before I left because, of course, you can’t come to Christmas Camp without an ugly Christmas sweater.”
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