by Debra Druzy
She couldn’t thank Nick enough for lifting her out of her financial hole, although all that was left of her home was a big hole in the ground. But that was a discussion for another time.
“All I want for Christmas now is shower and a pair of pajamas.” Her gauze-wrapped hair reeked of stale smoke, and the mint-green hospital gown revealed more than it concealed.
“The doctor said to wait another day. How’s your appetite?”
“I can eat. What’s on the menu tonight?” She studied the piece of paper on her bedside table.
“Not hospital food, that’s for sure.” From behind the curtain, Nick rolled a cart with a cardboard box on top. “I know it’s not a traditional Christmas feast, but I figured a burger from the diner would be the next best thing. And some spring rolls from Zhang’s Chinese take-out.”
“How did you know about the spring rolls?” Maybe he was a mind reader after all.
“You mentioned it once.”
“Wow.” His attention to detail was impressive.
He cut her food so she could eat it with her one good hand. Then he popped the cork on a bottle.
“Champagne? In a hospital?”
“Non-alcoholic sparkling cider.” He flashed the label before filling two clear plastic cups. “Peach.”
“Yum.”
Then he set a small decorative tree on a spare table.
Her heart swelled at his thoughtfulness. “Gosh, I feel so special.”
“As you should.”
“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”
“What trouble?”
“The food. The cider. And a tree.”
“This is no trouble at all. You have to admit, it feels a lot more like Christmas, dontcha think?”
She nodded. He was right. The holiday bonsai tree was the perfect touch. “I’m just happy you came back to see me.”
“Lily, I wanna spend Christmas with you no matter where you are.”
At the end of visiting hours, the nurse came in to kick him out for the night.
“Merry Christmas, sugar.” He dropped a kiss on her lips. “I hope Santa brings you everything you want.”
Although she wished he could stay longer, she didn’t want to be greedy with all he’d given her, so she simply smiled. “He already did.”
****
Lily drifted off to sleep sometime before midnight and woke when the nurse made a final check of her vitals before the change of the guards.
After a few minutes of lying there, staring at the dark ceiling, the door opened again and someone entered. She recognized the red suit as anyone would.
“Hi, Santa,” she whispered.
Nick pulled off the hat, revealing his own dark locks, then yanked down the beard. He shut the door behind him and flicked on the soft light in the corner of the room.
“Ho-ho-ho,” he said in a low voice. He leaned over the bed rail and kissed her with his delicious cinnamon-flavored lips.
“You’re really getting some miles outta that costume, huh?”
“What do ya mean?” He smiled. “I’m just doing my job.”
“What happened to your belly, Santa?” Lily pressed the button that angled the bed so she could sit upright, getting a better look at him.
“Yeah, well…” He patted the red and white fur hanging loose around his middle. “What can I say? Santa’s been working out.”
“You know it’s too late for visitors. They’ll kick you out when they catch you in here.”
“Not this time. I’m not going anywhere tonight. The chief gave me an all-access pass for Christmas.”
“I’ll have to thank him.”
“By the way…” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, wrinkled yet recognizable. “He also gave me this. He thought Santa might know where to find an emotionally available man for a special young woman.”
She couldn’t control the stupid smile filling her face, no matter how hard she tried. “Um, what are you talking about?”
“Oh, so this doesn’t ring a bell?” He flipped the paper over, showing her both sides before handing it to her. “Maybe it’s from someone else from Barbieri’s Barbershop. Maybe Bob. Or Sophia.”
Her cheeks got hot. Caught asking for a man for Christmas was as desperate as it gets. “Well, maybe it’s mine. I mean, it could be mine. I don’t remember. An emotionally available man is quite a request for Santa to fill.”
“You’re telling me. But I think I can handle it.” He gave her a sideways glance. “Are you sure you can handle me?”
“God, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with your Christmas gift.” He waved his hands down his body. “Considering what you did to the other gift...”
Hiding her face in her hand, she groaned, “Please don’t remind me.”
“We’ll talk about rebuilding once you’re outta here. In the meantime, as long as this emotionally available man is okay by you, I have something else...” He didn’t wait for her response. Just pulled out a red velvet box and flipped open the lid.
“Nick, really…I don’t need anything. All I want for Christmas is you.” Breathless at the revelation of the glittering diamond inside, the pear-shaped stone set high in the simple gold setting looked just like the ring her mother had worn before hocking her valuables to pay the bills. “Where did you get this?”
“The Swap ’N Shop.” His eyes twinkled.
“But how did you know?”
“Know what—that it was your mother’s? I didn’t. But the man who sold it to me did. I took a chance and looked into buying back Britney’s ring—the one she accused you of stealing—hoping she’d leave you alone. I didn’t know Mark’s full name so I mentioned yours. The owner said he knew you. He had this in the vault with your name on it. He’d been holding onto it all these years because he didn’t have the heart to sell it, in case you ever came looking for it.”
“I didn’t even know about it.”
“Well, it’s all here.” He put a small shoebox on her tray.
“All?” Joyful tears stung the backs of her eyes as she looked inside and found all the precious things she’d thought were long gone. “I-I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say thank you.”
She shook her head. “Thanking you isn’t enough.”
“Then spend your life with me and we’ll call it even.”
A nervous giggle escaped in response to his informal proposal, afraid to say anything in case it was his idea of an early April Fool’s prank.
“So, even when I’m standing here, fulfilling your letter to Santa in the flesh, you still doubt me?” Shaking his head disappointedly, he pulled out another little box and opened it.
Lily was breathless. “Oh, Nick. Is this for me?”
“Of course, it’s for you. Only this one didn’t come from the Swap ’n Shop. It’s brand new, never been worn, no history, no baggage, no nothing. But I can hold onto it for you until you’re ready to wear it.”
She took the box from his fingers to get a closer look. The center diamond was bigger than a sugarcoated peanut from Brawny’s Fall Festival. Now she really didn’t know what to say.
“If you don’t like it, you can always exchange it for something else, like a new car.”
Lily cut her eyes at him. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s beautiful.”
“No. You’re beautiful. That’s just a ring.”
“Oh, Nick. I love it.”
He exhaled. “God, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. I was worried that you might throw it at me, then throw me outta here permanently.”
“I told you…” She dabbed her tears with a tissue. “I’m not afraid any more. I love you and that’s that.”
“You’re sure you like it?”
“I do,” she cooed, never so pleasantly surprised. “I absolutely, positively do.” She studied the diamond clusters through misty eyes. “Wait—is it an engagement rin
g or a…”
“Wedding ring?” A distinct blush crept upon his face that she hadn’t witnessed until now. “I just took a chance and bought both. In case you say yes. I don’t mind a long engagement if that’ll make you happy. Get to know each other better first like you said. But I saw the rings together and thought you’d like ’em.”
She handed him the box.
Nick’s face fell. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
“Then, why are you giving it back?”
“So, you can put it on my finger, silly Santa.”
His smile stretched slowly. “Oh. Okay. In that case…” He got down on one knee. “Lily Lane, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her heart fluttered in bliss like she’d never felt before, making the machine blip wildly. “Yes, Nicholas Knight. There’s nothing in the world I want more.”
He plucked the ring from the cushion, slipped it on her finger, and pressed his lips to her hand, sealing his proposal with a kiss.
“But after everything you gave me for Christmas, I have nothing to give you.” Then a big idea crossed her mind. “Well, maybe there’s one thing…”
He stared at her curiously confused. “What do you mean?”
She waggled her eyebrows at his baggy red pants and licked her lips. “Maybe I can, um, you know…kiss your candy cane?”
Nick laughed so hard he was nearly ho-ho-ho-ing. “Well, now look what you’ve done. You got Santa all ho-ho-hot and bothered. I like the way you think, but I say we save it for the ho-ho-honeymoon, Mrs. Claus. Or at least until you’re outta the ho-ho-hospital.”
Epilogue
One year later
Nick paced the hospital floor in a glorious haze, with a dumbstruck smile plastered to his face, more amped up than a kid on Christmas morning. He hadn’t felt this incredible since Valentine’s Day, standing beside Lily at the altar in town hall.
For a guy with next to no sleep for the past forty-eight hours, he was functioning fairly well.
As tired as he was, he couldn’t stop staring through the maternity ward window at the special delivery in the incubator marked with his last name.
On his second Christmas with Lily, they were blessed with the greatest gift she could ever give him—offspring.
Twins in fact.
A boy and a girl. A little early. But healthy, which was all that mattered.
The double dose of adorableness made his heart flutter every time he looked at them, still finding it hard to believe they were his. Theirs.
Born ten minutes to midnight on Christmas Eve, their son came first. They named him Nicholas after the proud papa, of course.
Shortly thereafter, in the wee hours of Christmas Morning, their daughter made her grand entrance. They called her Natalie for two reasons—she was born on Christmas Day and it had been Lily’s mother’s name.
As if the holidays weren’t hectic enough, they were in the process of rebuilding the house that had burnt to the ground. A new construction on the land that had once belonged to Lily’s parents made their home sweet home even more bittersweet and sentimental. She didn’t argue when he suggested they live in his camper until their house was ready. It might be a tight squeeze for a little while, but he could never be close enough when it came to her.
Funny how things worked out. For once, everything was perfect. His life. His babies. His marriage. But life was crazy like that sometimes. All of a sudden, before you know it, you’re living happily ever after.
A word about the author...
Debra is thrilled to be working with The Wild Rose Press on her first published novel—a sensual contemporary Christmas romance entitled Sleeping With Santa.
Meshing her love of Christmastime-anytime with her appetite for steamy romances into one passionate package, she hopes you enjoy reading Sleeping With Santa as much as she enjoyed writing it.
Up next on her to-do list is drafting two more sensual Christmas romances, also set on Long Island, in the fictitious harbor town of Scenic View, New York.
You can find out more about Debra on her website at:
www.DebraDruzy.com.
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