“No. I’m glad we are.” He softly placed the gift by the front door. “Okay, ring the bell.”
She positioned her body away from the door and got ready to ring the bell just as the porch light turned on.
“Oh, crap,” she whispered as Jimmy grabbed her hand.
“Run!”
They turned away from the house and started to run as fast as they could. Behind them, Natalie heard the door open along with what sounded like war cries, and a little boy’s voice yelled, “Get them!”
“The little devils are going to catch us,” Natalie panted. “I’m worn out already from capture the flag.”
“Come this way.” Jimmy tugged at her hand and directed her away from the street and around the corner. “Here.” He dove behind a bush, Natalie tumbling on top of him, just as they heard the savage pattern of the kids’ feet. Jimmy’s hard chest rose and fell quickly beneath her. She rolled to his side and tried to find a place where branches didn’t poke her.
“I knew there was a reason I didn’t like kids,” Natalie moaned. This was not a soft bush.
“Shhhh. Don’t make me laugh. They’re still out there. Stop moving.”
Natalie shifted again. “I’m just trying to get comfortable.”
“We’re lying in a bush in some random person’s yard in the middle of winter. This isn’t about being comfortable.”
Natalie muffled her giggles against Jimmy’s chest, his thick arm around her shoulders.
“What was that?” one of the kids said. “Did anyone else hear that?”
Natalie tried to stop her shaking shoulders.
“How did they disappear so quick?”
“Did we lose them again?”
Feet shuffled around the house and bush, but Natalie and Jimmy held as still as possible, the only sounds they heard were their mingling breaths and the kids calling status reports to each other every few seconds.
“I just heard something back there. Come on!” The kids cheered and headed away from Jimmy and Natalie’s hiding place.
Natalie lifted her head from Jimmy’s shoulder, her face only inches from his. “Is this always how Twelve Days of Christmas goes?”
Jimmy’s breathing was still heavy. “No. This was definitely abnormal. I’m starting to get why Stan said he didn’t have the energy for this anymore.”
They looked at each other and started laughing again.
“That was crazy. Seriously.”
“But it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time,” Natalie said. “Thank you.” Their laughing tapered off, and as Natalie realized how very close they were, something in the air changed. Jimmy’s chest rose and fell under her hands, and though part of her knew she should move, another, bigger part of her really didn’t want to. Jimmy’s eyes searched Natalie’s face, and she noticed more about him than she’d ever had. His green eyes. Those long, dark lashes. A strong jaw that he hadn’t shaved in a few days. The way his lips invited hers to come closer.
Jimmy moved almost imperceptibly closer until their breaths mingled.
“We’d better leave. Like right now. Yeah, I think they’re gone,” Natalie said, the words rushing out in one long breath.
Jimmy took a deep breath and backed away. “I’ll make sure the coast is clear.” He scooted out of the bush and held his hand down to Natalie a second later. “It looks like they’ve gone back home.”
Natalie came out of the bush and tried to brush the burrs and leaves off of her. “I’m a mess.”
Jimmy reached over and plucked a branch out of her hair. “You’re beautiful.”
Natalie’s heart thudded and her hand stilled from picking leaves off of her shirt. She looked up and locked eyes with Jimmy.
“Where’s the mistletoe when you need it?” he murmured.
Natalie couldn’t move for a moment, her breath caught tight in her chest, little flurries swirling in her belly. Jimmy lifted another branch from a strand of her hair and then leaned close to brush a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Let’s head back.”
Natalie followed, unsettled. Jimmy just kissed her. It was on the forehead, yes. But it was a kiss. His lips touched her body. It made her tingle.
But that wasn’t what disturbed her the most.
No, what bothered her as she lay quietly in bed later that night and tried to sleep was the disappointment she’d felt when he hadn’t kissed her lips.
NATALIE BRUSHED HER TEETH, still thinking about the night before, when Janessa walked into the bathroom. If someone had told Natalie even the day before that she’d have fun being chased by a pack of kids and rolling in a prickly bush, she never would have believed it. Yet, here she was after a night of getting almost no sleep and scratches all over her arms and face, wishing she could relive it again.
“You are in so much trouble,” Janessa sang. She grabbed her own toothbrush and ran it under the water.
“Why?” There was no way Janessa knew about the kiss. She’d been asleep when Natalie got home and was just waking up now. Besides, even if Janessa did find out, it was just a kiss on the forehead. Nothing to go crazy over.
“Uh, does overnighting a package ring a bell?”
Natalie stomach dropped to her feet. “Oh, crap.”
“Oh, crap is right. You owe me big, sister.” She stuck her toothbrush in her mouth and brushed a little too happily, in Natalie’s opinion.
“I can’t believe I forgot. Did you talk to Grant?”
Janessa held up a finger while she finished up brushing her teeth. How could Natalie forget to send those papers to Grant? She knew how important they were to him. She totally should have skipped capture the flag yesterday and sent the contract then. It was unlike her to forget something so important. He was probably furious with her.
“Yes, after the twentieth time of him calling your phone.” Janessa took a long drink of water from the sink and wiped her mouth with a towel.
Natalie groaned. “Was he mad?”
“Extremely.”
“I think I’m going to be sick.”
“I took care of it for you.”
“You did? But you hate Grant.”
“Pretty much, yeah. Yeah, I do. Even more after last night, actually. But you happen to be my best friend.”
Natalie pulled Janessa into the tightest hug she’d ever given anyone. “I owe you so big.”
“Just name your first child after me and we’re even.”
“I will, even if it’s a boy. I’ll just call him Jay for short.”
Janessa snorted out a laugh. “Poor kid. He’ll hate me for life.”
“Small sacrifices for the greater good. You probably single-handedly saved my relationship with Grant.”
Janessa groaned. “Don’t tell me that! If I’d have known you guys could break up over something like this, I could have just let it ride. Taunted him a little more.”
Natalie ran into the room and rifled through her purse until she found her phone. “You taunted him?”
“I may have made him beg before I sent the contract.” She laughed wickedly. “If he hated me before, it’s nothing compared to now.”
“You’re evil. But I don’t care. Thank you for doing it for me.” Natalie slid her thumb across her phone. Seventeen missed calls from Grant. This was so bad. “I’m going to call him and try to do damage control.”
It rang for so long, she didn’t think he was going to answer.
“Hello, Natalie.” He sounded too formal.
“Grant, I’m so sorry. I can’t even tell you how sorry I am. I just got busy with some Christmas stuff here and totally forgot. But no excuses. I’m horrified with myself.”
“I was really counting on you. You put me in a serious bind.”
“I know, I know. What can I do to make it up to you?”
He sighed. “I don’t know, Nat. I’ve got my client coming in about five minutes.”
“Wait.” Natalie hated how desperate she sounded. Some part of her knew that he was overreacting.
They were just papers. Janessa took care of it. Yes, she dropped the ball and he had a right to be mad, but didn’t he see that it was out of character for her? She was never unreliable. “Are we okay?”
After a pause, he replied, “No, Nat. I’ve got to go.”
Natalie turned off her phone and rested her head on her knees. What had she been thinking last night? Instead of supporting Grant and following through on her commitments, she’d run around the streets with a man who still needed to grow up. “I’m the world’s worst girlfriend.”
“No, you’re not.” Janessa crouched down beside her. “I will kill him if this ruins your Christmas, Nat. You’ve been acting happier than I’ve seen you in years. You never let go and have fun like this anymore. I took care of it for you. Grant’s fine. His job is fine. He’s still up for that stupid promotion. Stop worrying.”
Natalie closed her eyes. “You don’t even know the half of it.”
“This doesn’t have anything to do with how late you and Jimmy stayed out last night, does it?”
“You should probably get in the shower before breakfast.”
“Change of subject, pink cheeks, won’t make eye contact . . .” Janessa’s smile widened and she plopped on the ground next to Natalie. “You like my brother, don’t you?”
“No!” Natalie said it too vehemently.
“You can’t fool me, Natalie Ekins. I’ve known you your whole life.” She rested her head against the bed. “You and Jimmy. I can see it. You’re good for each other.”
“Stop. I don’t like him like that. I’m in love with Grant.”
“And that’s the only thing you two have in common.” She held her hands up like a scale. “You’re in love with Grant. Grant’s in love with Grant. It’s not enough for a good relationship.”
Natalie pushed away from the bed and got up on her knees. “We have a ton in common! We’re both driven in our professions. We both want to be successful and are taking measures to ensure that happens. We love working hard. We love making goals.”
“Do you even hear yourself, Natalie? Those are all things that you look for in a business partner, not a relationship! Does his touch give you butterflies? Do you dream about him when he’s not with you? Do you miss him when he’s not there, and you can’t get close enough to him when he is? Does he accept you for who you are now instead of who he thinks you can be?”
Natalie rolled her eyes to hide how much Janessa’s words shook her. “Butterflies? We’re not in high school anymore. What Grant and I have is a real relationship based on mutual goals and interests. Of course I miss him and want to be with him, but we both realize that our careers are important and we can’t be together all the time.”
Janessa’s head had rolled back during Natalie’s speech and she started snoring. Natalie pushed at her arm. “Are you even listening to me?”
Janessa’s head shot up and she blinked her eyes a few times. “What? I’m sorry, your relationship was boring me to sleep.”
Natalie let out a huge, frustrated breath and stood. “What is up with you and Jimmy? Me and Grant do not act like business partners, okay? We’re in love. At least we were in love. I don’t know what he thinks now.”
“If one little mistake takes him out of love with you, then you need to reevaluate this whole relationship. I just want to see you happy, okay?”
“I am happy. Really, really happy.”
Janessa stood and tossed Natalie her work notebook that had slid under the bed at some point. “Maybe someday you won’t have to convince yourself so hard that that’s true.”
Natalie skipped breakfast, her stomach twisting too much to eat. Grant said they weren’t okay. She’d twisted those words around and around in her mind, trying to figure out what he meant. But it always came back to the obvious—the one that made her feel completely powerless. He wasn’t sure if he still wanted to be with her. And all because of a stupid contract. Wasn’t she allowed to make a mistake ever?
Janessa didn’t say much when she brought lunch up to Natalie, but Natalie knew that Janessa had kept everyone from bugging her all morning to join in the Christmas fun. Grant’s call had killed her mood for anything joyous or jolly or jingly. She just wanted to soak in her regret and—once that got old—she decided to put the finishing touches on her ad. It was pretty much done. Anything else she did to it now would just be changing, not enhancing. After debating for a few minutes, she decided to call Brittany, Mr. Billings’s assistant, and see how the contest was coming along.
“Brit, it’s Natalie.”
“Hey, Natalie! How’s your vacation?” Brittany smacked her gum into the phone and Natalie couldn’t help but smile. Brittany was also Mr. Billings’s daughter and could pretty much get away with anything.
“It’s going okay. It’s kind of a real-life Christmas wonderland here. How’s the office?”
“Meh. Just a sec.” Her voice was muffled as she said, “Hey Rob. Yeah, just put it on my desk. I’ll give it to him when he gets back from lunch. No, don’t wait here. I’ll make sure he gets it. Bye, bye.” The line became clear again. “Okay, I’m back.”
“Are people already bringing in their ad workups?”
“Yeah. We’ve had four come in so far.”
“Have you looked at them?” What Natalie really wanted to ask was if they were any good, but knew she shouldn’t.
“Yeah, I’ve looked at them.” Her voice lowered. “Nat, I totally shouldn’t tell you this, but I’m going to anyway because I like you best. I overheard Dad talking last night while he was going through the ones he already had. All I can say is, whatever you do, don’t use alliteration in your slogan.”
“Are you serious?” Everything Natalie had worked up—had spent hours working up—was the Towers Tough and Tall.
“Yeah. So far everyone’s turned in some kind of alliterative phrase and I heard him say that they are cheesy and overdone.”
“That totally sucks.”
“I have faith in you, Nat. Come up with something awesome so we can work together. Can you imagine Rob getting this job? He’s such a hoverer. Be brilliant. Do it for me.”
Natalie laughed, but her stomach still felt sick. She had nothing. There was no way she could pull this off in less than a week. It had taken her three to get as far as she had on the towers idea. “I’ll try.”
“You’ll succeed. Ugh. Rob is pacing outside the office. I need to go chase him off. See you next week, kay? Hugs.”
Natalie hung up the phone and rested her head in her knees, waiting for it to explode. She couldn’t pull this off. She didn’t even have any back up ideas. Everything was ruined. Her ad. Her relationship with Grant. Her whole dreamed-up future.
To put it simply, she was screwed.
“Nothing says Christmas like shrimp and steak on the barbie,” Stan said with a semi-recognizable Australian accent. Smoke gusted into the air above his head as he threw several huge steaks onto the grill. The kids ran around the backyard their coats zipped all the way up to their necks while Jimmy and David got a bonfire started in the back of the yard.
Janessa stood shivering by the door. “You know that it’s warm in Australia at Christmas, right? Summer. That’s why they celebrate outside,”
“Come on, Janessa.” Anne slid past her with a plate of shrimp kabobs. “It’s only sixty degrees today. The sun is shining. There’s no wind. It’s beautiful.”
“And the boys will have the bonfire going soon,” Stan said.
“That’s debatable,” Janessa said. The boys were trying to put all of the sticks in some kind of tee-pee formation that seemed way too complicated for something that was just going to be lit on fire and burned to ash.
Natalie still felt sick about her project and Grant. After staring at a blank paper for forever and thinking of nothing but how much she’d blown things, Janessa convinced her to come down to dinner. Since the walls of Janessa’s room weren’t inspiring any new ideas, but maybe the backyard would lead her somewhere.
&nb
sp; Natalie and Janessa dragged a few pool chairs onto the grass by where the boys were making the bonfire and lounged back while they waited for the food to be done. Jimmy ran into the house and a few minutes later came back with some lighter fluid.
He shook it with a triumphant air. “This’ll do the trick.”
“That’s cheating,” Janessa said.
“Nope. It’s being smart.” Jimmy squirted a bunch of it over and around the wood before striking a match and throwing it on the pile. A warm puff of air wafted over Natalie’s face as the fire whooshed up. It felt heavenly in the cold.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Everyone gathered around the grill and got their food before finding their places around the fire again. Jimmy sat next to Natalie on her long lounge chair and they ate in silence for a moment. Natalie was starving since she hadn’t eaten well all day, and Stan had grilled some amazing shrimp.
“You’ve been kind of nonexistent today.”
“I know. I got some tough news from work.”
“Yeah, Janessa told me.”
Natalie waited for some kind of commentary from him, but he didn’t say anything further. A comfortable sort of quiet settled between them while they ate and watched the flames. Ben came over and started playing a made-up high-five game with Jimmy.
“I don’t think I can do it,” Natalie said out of the blue, mesmerized by the flow of the fire.
“Do what?”
“Come up with another ad. You read my ideas. They were all awful. I’m done.”
“No, you’re not.” Jimmy barely took his attention off of Ben’s silly hand game and for some reason it irritated Natalie.
“Yes, I am. I’m not doing it anymore. There will be other jobs. There will be other clients like Fantastique.”
Jimmy grabbed Ben, tickled him, and then sent him back toward his parents. “I don’t believe you.”
“There are other cosmetic companies.”
“Not about that. I don’t think you’ll actually quit. The Natty I know has never been a quitter.”
“Well, maybe I’m not the Natalie you’ve always known. And it’s not like you’re out there trying to find a new job.”
All I Want (Three Holiday Romances) Page 12