“She certainly didn’t say it was because you looked the way she does when she’s around Michael,” Callie said dryly. “You and I both know she won’t admit how she feels about him even to herself, let alone to us. No, I’m sure she’s using me as her shining example of what a woman in love looks like. Though it’s been a while since I’ve actually fit that description.” Her smile was grim but an improvement over the years she refused to speak about her breakup.
“Well, Amber’s wrong. I’m not in love with Nick.” Not anymore.
“I know. And that cuckoo is never coming out of that clock again.”
From behind them, the clock made its familiar whirring warning that the door was about to open. A second later, the cuckoo appeared and began sounding the hours.
She glared at Callie, who laughed.
“It’s horrible always having me be right, isn’t it? But that’s what older sisters are for. Now, let’s go. It’s time to get ready to party.”
It was also time to give up the false hope she had held onto with both hands. Obviously, considering Callie’s attempts to get her into a party mood, her big sister somehow knew that, too.
Because just as obviously, Nick had made his choice, and once again, it didn’t include her.
Lyssa didn’t wear the elf costume. In fact, she had left the green velvet outfit buried in a hamper at the lodge, beneath her clothes and some of those she had borrowed from Amber.
In the living room, she stood nursing a crystal champagne flute filled with ginger ale and tried to pretend she was enjoying the party. Well…she loved their annual Christmas Eve open house, so she was enjoying it. Except for the many times her thoughts drifted to Nick.
After her teasing references at Holidaze, Callie hadn’t said another word about him. Not a comment about anything she might have discussed with him while they waited at the lodge. Not a mention of where their rescuers had taken him once they had come back to town. Not a hint of any message he might have asked Callie to pass on to her.
And she refused to ask Callie any questions.
Because she didn’t want to hear the answers.
Someone jostled her arm. She turned to find one of Callie’s friends, another teacher from the grade school, standing beside her.
“Oops, sorry,” the woman said. “Not a lot of elbow room here.”
“True,” she agreed. “Every time a few people leave, more come in to fill up the spaces.”
“That’s because your family throws such a great party.”
“Thanks.” She smiled as the woman continued past her. Callie’s party-planning skills had been passed down from their mom and dad, and the Barnett open house was wildly popular with everyone in Snowflake Valley. As usual, the house was filled to overflowing, with people crowding the living room and kitchen and standing in the halls and on the stairs.
Her mother was making her way from the kitchen with a tray of appetizers held almost above her head. Mom’s cheeks were bright pink, probably from the heat in the kitchen. Lyssa wove her way between guests to grab the tray. “I’ll put this on the dining room table.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. That would be a big help.”
The tray was filled half with bacon-stuffed mushrooms and half with mini quiches. The quiches made her think of the “Scrambled Eggs and Bacon” she had served at the lodge…was it only yesterday?
As she reached the table on the other side of the room, she saw Callie easing her way through the crowd to join her. Callie plucked a quiche from the tray and nibbled at it.
“Have you seen Amber?” Lyssa asked.
“Not in a while. She had to run an errand. Mom and I have been taking turns checking in on Penny while she’s gone. She ought to be here soon, though.”
A drift of cooler air tickled the back of her neck, telling her someone had opened the front door. Temperatures had dropped again, and the forecast called for more snow. It was a good thing Callie and her team had arrived in time to bring them down the mountain before a new storm hit. Wasn’t it?
Why did she suddenly feel a bit homesick for the lodge?
Maybe because she knew that being snowbound with Nick had been her only hope of finding a Christmas miracle. Now he was on his own, free to leave town—a chance he had evidently jumped on at his first opportunity.
And after she’d taken the time to think it over, she had to admit it was better he had left. It would only hurt worse to be around him when she knew they could never have a future together.
A burst of laugher broke out on the other side of the living room. She turned to see Amber had just come through the doorway. Her gaze found Lyssa’s immediately, and her crooked smile seemed to offer a half-embarrassed apology. It didn’t come close to masking the gleam in her eyes.
Just what was Amber up to now?
In the doorway behind her appeared a sturdy, well-padded individual with a white beard and a fur-trimmed red suit, who shouted the expected “Ho, ho, ho!”
As she recognized the voice, her heart sank, leaving plenty of room to fill her chest with fresh pain.
No, no, no, she chanted silently. Isn’t this where I came in?
Chapter Fifteen
Santa was a huge hit with everyone—except the woman he had come here to see.
Nick noticed how careful Lyssa was to move to another part of the room the minute he took a step in her direction. He saw how often she managed to miss meeting his eyes.
It was the party at Michael’s lodge all over again.
It was a repeat of the day she’d dumped him at the end of the summer.
Then, he had accepted her decision to end their relationship and had let her go. He had always felt more comfortable dealing with work issues than personal ones and, from that day on, he had assured himself he didn’t have time for a relationship, anyhow. He wasn’t willing to do that now. Not without some tough negotiation on his part first.
How could he have expected Lyssa to meet him halfway when he hadn’t really given their relationship a chance? When he hadn’t thrown all his cards on the bargaining table…or put his heart on the line?
Across the room, he saw Callie and Amber talking with each other. When Callie looked his way, he caught her gaze. He nodded in Lyssa’s direction and, immediately, Callie understood. She said something to Amber, and the two of them turned to cross the room, splitting up to close in on Lyssa from different directions.
With her attention diverted, he was able to work his way through the crowd and come up behind her. Both her sisters looked on, mischief gleaming in their eyes, as he tapped Lyssa on the shoulder. Her back went rigid. Then, slowly, she turned to face him.
“Ho, ho, ho! Look who we have here. Lyssa Barnett, have you been good this year? Because if you have, Santa has something for you.”
“I’ve been wonderful, Santa.” Her tone sounded sweet, but unlike her sisters’, her eyes glittered coldly.
He wouldn’t let that bother him. “You left something behind on the kitchen counter. I thought you might want it.” Smiling, he reached into the pocket of his costume and presented her with the ring Tommy had made for her.
“Thank you for making the delivery. Now your job is done, there’s no need for you to stay.”
“Well, yes, there is. Callie invited me to the party, and Amber was nice enough to come and pick me up.”
“I see.”
Evidently, the crowd around them had noticed something, too, because the loud chatter had turned into a low murmur that spread throughout the room.
“Is that an engagement ring?” Amber asked loudly.
He heard a few gasps from the crowd.
“It’s anything Lyssa wants it to be,” he said. “I’ll let you know her decision after we’re done negotiating.” He took Lyssa’s hand and began to lead her toward the staircase, figuring the only place they might be able to talk privately would be on another floor of the house. The crowd parted in front of him, making their progress easier than he had hoped.
Now, if only his ne
gotiations would move along as smoothly.
Lyssa didn’t attempt to pull away, which he took as a good sign. Still, he held her hand more firmly just in case the idea of running occurred to her. And to be honest, he needed to steady his grip because his hand had suddenly begun to shake.
These were going to be the most important negotiations he’d ever entered into. One way or the other, the outcome would change his life forever.
They made their way past the folks sitting on the staircase. Lyssa led him silently to a room down the hall. She stepped inside and waited just long enough for him to follow before closing the door. He couldn’t help but be encouraged by the fact she had led him into a bedroom and shut them alone inside.
Then she crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, and he saw the baby lying inside a small crib set against one wall.
He removed his Santa hat and beard and tossed them onto the bed. “Is that the arbitrator?” he asked, frowning.
“The witness,” she replied.
“Do you think we’ll need one?”
“I don’t know.” She turned to him. “It depends on what you’re trying to pull.”
“I’m not trying to pull anything. I just want to talk.”
“I’m listening.”
She sounded grudging, but it was a start. “I’m taking a vacation,” he said abruptly. “Here, in Snowflake Valley.”
“What happened to your client?”
He took her interest as another good sign. “He and I had a candid discussion. Then I had another one, with Michael DeFranco. Now, that man did pull something, and he pulled it on me. Since he’d set me up to play Santa again this year, I figured he owed me a favor. And he paid up.”
“How?”
“He agreed to float a loan for my client.”
“The one who doesn’t like banks or bankers?”
“Yeah. And my client agreed to accept the terms. Michael will get a nice return on his investment, and my client will keep himself out of bankruptcy.”
“And you’ll save the business that has been passed down for generations,” she said softly. A small smile curved her lips.
“Yes.” He smiled, too. Considering her love of tradition and family, he should have realized how much she would appreciate that aspect. “As far as I’m concerned,” he said honestly, “that’s the best part of the deal.”
“Well, I can see why you have something to celebrate. But why would the man who never takes vacations suddenly have a desire for one?”
“Because,” he said solemnly, “I have a desire for you.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move or say a word.
He took a seat on the bed beside her, then held the clay ring up for her to see. “You know, I’ve told you my theory of gift-giving, that you give what you can afford. When I first thought of presenting something like this to you, the idea made me break out in a sweat. But it occurred to me that giving it to you would be a test.”
“Of me?”
“No, of me.” He hesitated for a minute, trying to find the best way to explain. “My mom never would have been happy with a gift this insignificant, and maybe that’s had something to do with the value systems I established while I was growing up. Then I met you. And maybe all along I was sure if she’d reject something without much worth, you would reject it—and by extension, reject me—too.”
He shook his head. “You know, when we were dating, I guess everything I did backfired. You saw the nice gifts and the front-row theater tickets and the dinners at five-star restaurants as my attempts to impress you with my status. But that wasn’t it at all. I just wanted to take you to some of my favorite places and to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. And as I’ve got the income, it really never occurs to me to think about the cost of these things.”
“And I’m just the opposite. But I told you, money was usually tight in my family.”
“Callie said the same thing.”
“Really?” she said coolly. “My sisters seem to have done a lot more talking than they should have lately. What else did Callie tell you?”
“That when you were all kids, your mom got sick.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, her eyes glistened. “That was a very tough time.”
“Tell me about it.”
She hesitated. He could see her wanting to pull away. Maybe this was her test. He held his breath, hoping she would go on.
Finally, she said, “Callie, Amber, and I are the oldest in the family. Then our twin sisters came along, and after that, our only two brothers. Not to stereotype, but I guess with the three oldest of us being girls and born a few years ahead of the rest, my dad tended to tell us more than he did the other kids about what was happening. And then since he was always working, we also tended to step up to do more around the house.”
“Callie said she went away to school.”
“She did.”
“And then a lot of the responsibility fell on Amber and you. But especially on you.”
“Just how much did Callie tell you?”
“That was about it. I want to hear the rest from you.”
She hesitated, as if she didn’t feel the need to tell him about her past.
He needed to have her share her story. Yet he said nothing.
In negotiations he conducted for his clients, he knew the value of silence at the bargaining table. Now, he didn’t so much remain silent as sit there holding his breath. Though Lyssa wasn’t one of his clients, he was bargaining his future on getting her to trust him. So, he waited.
Finally, she said, “When my mom was sick, Amber and I did what we had to, whatever we could to take care of the house and the kids.” She shrugged. “But sometimes the stress gave Amber migraines, so I tried to handle everything on my own as much as I could. I did the grocery shopping, paid the bills. I tried to cut down on costs by doing things like making homemade bread and sewing some of our clothes.”
“That was a heck of a load for you to take on. You were, what—sixteen?”
“Sixteen, seventeen, around there. But what else could I do? They’re my family,” she said simply. “Besides, I don’t mean to make it sound like it was all just work. I love cooking and baking and sewing.”
“And then on top of that, you had to take a job.”
“And I loved working at Holidaze. I still do.” Her cheeks turned pink, but she smiled. “You know, this afternoon, I thought about the fact you’re always so wrapped up in your work. I guess I am, too, but in a different way. When we’d talked once before, I’d said that caring is about giving people what suits them and what they want. What makes them happy. But people need to do things to make themselves happy, too. And for me, that’s my job at Holidaze.”
He nodded. “And what about me?”
Her smile dimmed. “I really do understand that your life is right for you—but it’s not for me. And I’ve learned to accept that we just come from two different worlds.”
“Maybe not as different as you think. You say your job makes you happy. So does mine. I’m happy to earn a living as a troubleshooter. And yeah, I’m glad it brings in a good bundle of cash. But that’s not what interests me most.”
“It isn’t?”
The hopeful note in her voice gave him renewed hope, too. “No, it isn’t. I happen to like handling worst-case scenarios, where I can jump into a disaster and do damage control. I like dealing with problems. To me, fixing a problem is like solving a puzzle.” He smiled. “And I think I’ve just solved a major puzzle of my own. Now you’ve told me what you and your family went through, it’s made me understand why you’d be conscious of how much I spend.”
He laughed softly and shook his head. “The thing was, when I’d given you gifts and you didn’t seem overjoyed to receive them, I thought, like with my mom, I just needed to give you something bigger and better.”
“That’s not what I wanted at all.”
“I know. Believe me, I finally have figured that out. And before it’s too la
te, I hope.” He shifted on the bed to see her face more clearly. “I meant it when I said I thought if I could give you this ring without breaking into a sweat, I could pass the test. I could understand what you believe—that for some people, the ‘best’ really doesn’t matter. And I do get it now.” He took her hand. “You heard me telling Tommy why I’m like Santa Claus, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “Because you love giving gifts to people. And when you buy someone a gift, it shows how much you care about them.”
“Right. But buy or make, it’s all the same. Because I know, for you, it’s not the gift itself that’s important. It’s not even the fact you prefer things that are homemade. The point is, it’s the giving that matters, isn’t it? It’s the feelings and the love behind a gift.”
“Yes, it is.” Her eyes gleamed with sudden tears, and he knew he really had figured things out.
“Well, then, there you have it. We’re a perfect match. I’m logical and practical. You believe in magic and Christmas miracles. We balance each other, like two halves making a perfect whole. And when it comes to giving gifts, we both agree. There’s something else we agree on, too, I think.” He squeezed her hand. “A minute ago, you said your job made you happy, and I said ‘What about me?’ I wasn’t talking about my job.” Lowering his voice, he said, “I meant, can I make you happy?”
At the tone of Nick’s voice and the look in his eyes, Lyssa’s heart skipped a few beats. She had resigned herself to the fact they would never have a future together. Yet a small part of her—the part that believed in magic and Christmas miracles—had held out hope they could somehow work things out. And now that small part of her dared to believe a miracle was about to happen.
“What about it, Lyssa?” he asked.
“Can you make me happy?” she repeated, her voice breaking. “What you mean is, can we meet in the middle?”
He nodded.
“I think so. Now I know how you feel about giving gifts to people and that you understand how I feel, I think we can make a deal.” She smiled. “And once in a while, I think it just might be possible for me to enjoy parts of your life, too.”
Snowbound with Mr. Wrong (Snowflake Valley) Page 14