Fake Christmas

by Lexy Timms

  She let out a shuddering sigh. “Honestly, I’m really nervous about how Christmas is going to go. We’ve had joint family gatherings before, but nothing is like Christmas.”

  “Has that been stressing you out?” he asked.

  “A little,” she admitted.

  “It’s okay to need a break. Or to tell me if you’re stressed,” he said. “You try so hard to be perfect and make it all look effortless, when you don’t have to do that. Sometimes you put a hell of a lot more pressure on yourself than anybody else does.”

  Her husband was probably right about needing a break now and then, but there was nothing wrong with hard work. “Your mother expects things to be a certain way,” she reminded him.

  “Nothing will ever be good enough for her,” he said. “That’s simply the way she is. You don’t have to work yourself to death for her approval. You’ve been doing so much to please your parents and my mother. When are they going to try to please you for a change?”

  “Their presence during Christmas is enough to please me,” she replied.

  Dane scoffed. “You’re too good for them. For all of them. They don’t deserve you.”

  Allyson wanted to believe her husband’s words. Believe and accept them. But Dane had an obvious bias. He always supported her. Always believed in her. Even when he was stubbornly trying to protect her, he did it not because he didn’t think she was up to a challenge, but because he valued her so much.

  Being cherished like this was so new to her. She was trying to accept it, but was still getting used to it. Still, if she had learned anything this year, it was that she wasn’t going to be afraid of her newfound happiness.

  Not even when she was keeping a secret that would change everything.

  SHE WAS TEXTING SOMEONE. As her fingers typed out the message on her phone, a blush crept up her cheeks.

  The change on her face was subtle, something only Dane would notice. Who on earth was she texting that made her blush like that?

  “Are you texting Cameron?” he asked, keeping his voice even so he wouldn’t give his annoyance away.

  Her hands started shaking, and she nearly dropped the phone. “Yes. How—how did you know?”

  “Lucky guess,” he muttered.

  “I was just messaging him back since he sent a text to let me know he got to California safely,” she said.

  He glanced out the window. The sun was setting, a reflection of its red and gold rays bouncing off a wing of the plane. They would be in New York soon. But the thought of spending Christmas with a bunch of people while his wife pulled further and further away didn’t appeal to him.

  “I also sent a message to your mom,” she continued quickly. “She wanted to know if she should send something to Nicholas Handel. Guess she had the same thought I did.”

  “Great minds,” he said blandly.

  “Anyway, I told her that it was probably best not to.”

  He glanced back at her and raised an eyebrow. “You changed your mind?”

  “Yes. I mean, you were right. Sending Nicholas and Francesca a card for Christmas was kind of a ridiculous idea,” she said. “And I don’t think sending a card to either of them would go over well. They’d probably think we were trying to rub their misfortune in their faces. I’m guessing they resent us enough as it is.”

  “That’s the right call,” he said. “Wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea.”

  Her lips pursed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means we don’t always know people’s motives,” he said flatly. “We think we know a person, but maybe we really don’t.”

  She flinched. “What’s wrong, Dane?”

  “Nothing.” Getting into another argument about Cameron wasn’t going to change anything. The unease about the guy was all his, and somehow he was going to have to get over it. “Haven’t gotten into the Christmas spirit yet.”

  “You will. Just wait until we’re surrounded by all our friends and family.” Allyson reached for the fizzy drink on the table between them and took a sip. The frosty glass had been decorated with metallic wrapping paper and the drink topped off with a candy cane garnish. Exactly the kind of thing his wife would order and appreciate.

  Watching her look over the glass with a smile on her face made some of his annoyance disappear. Here they were, on a luxury private jet, and the thing that had caught his wife’s eye was a decorated cup and candy cane. With Allyson, it really was the simple things. Maybe that’s what they needed to get back in sync. Some simplicity. If only he knew how to make their complicated lives less complicated.

  “Your mother says she’s gotten you a gift you’re going to love,” she said. “Maybe that will lift your spirits.”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “Don’t you think I’m a little too old to be getting excited about Christmas presents from my mom?”

  “Gosh, it didn’t even occur to me, but you must have been impossible to shop for,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “You must have had everything as a child.”

  “I did not have everything,” he said defensively.

  “Oh yeah? What kind of presents did you used to get?”

  Memories of past holidays flitted through his mind. “Nothing that unusual. Action figures. A television. I think one year I got a polo mallet.”

  She threw back her head and laughed. “A polo mallet? What kind of present is that for a child?”

  “I was fifteen,” he said. “I’ll have you know that I was a damn good polo player. I needed that mallet. I also got a horse the year before.”

  She stared at him, eyes wide. “You’re actually serious.”

  He nodded. “Oh, for my eighteenth birthday my parents bought me some shares in a local sports team. And an ice rink.”

  “That’s crazy.”

  Holding up his hands, he admitted, “Okay, maybe my childhood wasn’t exactly normal. What did you get?”

  “Doll houses, stuffed animals. I think one year I got a chemistry set,” she replied. “But those presents were from Santa, not my parents.”

  “I never got presents from Santa.”

  An amused expression flashed on her face. “Why? Were you a badly-behaved boy?”

  “Oh no, I was actually a pretty well-behaved kid, considering what a brat I could have been,” he said. “I just mean that I never believed in Santa as a kid.”

  “You’re joking!” She was staring at him like he had just sprouted horns. “Why didn’t you believe in Santa?”

  H shrugged. “My mother told me that it was all a bunch of nonsense.”

  “Dane, promise me you won’t do that to our kids,” she pleaded.

  “You want me to lie to our kids?” he asked.

  “I want you to give them a sense of wonder,” she replied. “Teach them to have an imagination. Besides, it’s possible that Santa is real. You said it yourself: some things are true even if people don’t believe in them.”

  He let out an exaggerated groan. “Trapped by my own words.”

  “Promise me,” she begged again, sounding positively horrified that she even had to ask.

  Placing a hand on his heart and raising the other, he said solemnly, “I promise not to tell our kids that Santa isn’t real.”

  “You had better warn your mother, too,” she said. “I don’t want her ruining Christmas for her grandchildren.”

  “Oh, so you finally found something to criticize her about.” He chuckled.

  “Promise me, Dane,” she said sharply.

  Hand on heart again, he said, “I solemnly swear to make sure my mother never tells our children that Santa isn’t real.”

  “Right, because that isn’t true or accurate,” she said. “Santa is real.”

  He stared at her. She was dead serious. The look on her face made him laugh. “Allyson, what am I going to do with you?”

  “You’re going to love me and cherish me forever and ever.” A sudden, delighted laugh escaped her. It was such a be
autiful sound. High and clear and pure. Like she was laughing from her soul. He had missed that sound terribly.

  They talked for a little while longer until Allyson began yawning.

  “Why don’t you go take a nap?” he suggested.

  “I am kind of tired. Been a busy week.” She yawned again. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course, I’m sure,” he said. “You deserve to rest. I’ll wake you up before we land.”

  She got to her feet and approached him to give him a quick kiss. “Goodnight, Dane.”

  “Goodnight,” he said as she slipped away to the bedroom. “Sleep well.”

  He focused his attention on reading the newspaper, making sure to go over the business section carefully. When he finally set the newspaper down, he heard the captain’s voice over the speakers.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Prescott... this is your captain speaking...” The captain’s voice trailed off. Then the captain said the words Dane had never wanted to hear. “We seem to have a bit of a problem.”

  Chapter 5

  His stomach knotted as he followed the flight attendant to the cockpit.

  The pilot and the co-pilot nodded a greeting to him.

  “What’s going on?” Dane demanded.

  “There’s a snowstorm over the Northeast that’s bigger and more violent than anticipated,” the captain said. “We won’t be able to land in New York City.”

  He swore under his breath. Allyson wasn’t going to like this one bit. “Where are we going to land instead?”

  “We can turn and head toward Richmond, Virginia,” the captain answered.

  “Are we going to be able to get out of Richmond once we land?” Dane asked. “Maybe take a train or a rental car?”

  “The city of New York is basically at a standstill for the next twenty-four hours at least,” the captain replied. “A state of emergency is probably going to be declared. People have been advised to stay indoors. Non-essential travel is basically impossible.”

  “So, you’re saying—”

  “If it isn’t an emergency, forget it,” the captain informed him.

  With travel to New York now impossible, it looked that they weren’t going to be getting home until at least Christmas Eve. Which was cutting things close in regard to their Christmas plans. “I don’t think my wife’s going to want to spend the next twenty-four hours in Virginia.”

  “We’ve got to land somewhere,” the co-pilot said.

  A sudden idea seized him. He knew a way to salvage this trip and make his wife happy. “Wait. Do we have enough fuel to fly further south?”

  “How far south are we talking, sir?” the pilot asked.

  “I’m talking way south of the border,” Dane said. “I think we can take a detour for a little vacation out of the country.”

  HE ROUSED HER BEFORE landing. Allyson looked so peaceful sleeping on the bed, wrapped in a blanket. But he needed to wake her up. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he gently shook her awake.

  Her eyes opened, and she yawned. “Is it time to land already? How long have I been asleep?”

  “Hours and hours,” he said.

  She frowned. “That doesn’t sound right. I thought we were going to be landing in New York much sooner than that.”

  Dane shook his head. “A storm has hit the city, so we won’t be able to make it for the next twenty-four hours at least.”

  Allyson bolted upright. “What?”

  “I know this isn’t what you wanted, but at least this trip won’t be a complete waste—”

  “What do you mean a storm has hit the city?” she asked.

  “The snowstorm that everyone predicted came earlier, and is a hell of a lot worse than anticipated,” he said.

  “Well, maybe we can catch a train and—”

  “Believe me, I already suggested that,” he interrupted. “New York City is on lockdown. Nobody’s getting in or out unless there’s an emergency.”

  She threw her hands up in frustration. “This is an emergency. The caterers are coming tomorrow morning. We have to visit Holly and James tomorrow evening. And I have...” A pause. Then her eyes widened.

  He eyed her suspiciously. “You have what?”

  “Nothing,” she said, her expression hardening. “I have nothing. Never mind. Where are we landing? If we’re close enough to New York, maybe we can still make it late tomorrow night. Maybe we can still salvage Christmas Eve.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”

  Her face fell. “What? Why not?”

  “We’re a little further away from New York than you realize.” He smiled. “We’re going to be in the Bahamas in less than half an hour. You’ll be getting time off after all.”

  “The Bahamas?” she said in a disapproving tone.

  “Yes. The Bahamas. That warm, beautiful place where the sun is almost always shining, and we won’t freeze to death.” He crossed his arms. “You know how many people would kill to have a Christmas vacation in the tropics?”

  “Dane, this is crazy. How could you?” she fumed. “Our families are expecting us. The caterers are expecting us. We have a Christmas dinner to plan.”

  He stood up and looked down at her. “I thought spending time at the villa we got married in would lift your spirits. Relax you. Clearly I guessed wrong.”

  She sighed. “You should have consulted me.”

  “I just wanted to surprise you,” he said. Somehow, he’d hoped the happy memories there would take her mind off the snowstorm. “Today’s the 22nd, so there’s still a good chance we’ll make it to New York on Christmas Eve. I know that makes it tougher to plan everything, but we can’t change the weather.” He stared at her, trying to read her facial expression, but wasn’t able to get a hint of what she was thinking. He sighed and added softly, “We’re landing soon, so you should get ready.”

  With a nod, she merely said, “Okay.”

  They landed at the airport soon after, and hailed a cab to take them to their villa. Allyson sat through most of the trip in chilly silence, her face like stone.

  How had he screwed this up so badly? They couldn’t land in New York. If they needed a detour, wasn’t this the next best place? They’d been through a heck of a lot as of late; a couple days here would be relaxing. Wouldn’t it? He really had thought she would’ve appreciated time to unwind and spend some alone time with him. Her heart had been set on a perfect Christmas with family, but her reaction had seemed particularly negative. Almost as if there was more to it than she was letting on. But what?

  When they arrived at the villa, he took their luggage out of the cab while Allyson paid the cab driver.

  It was dark out, but the villa was well lit. They made their way inside.

  As expected Mrs. McKenzie, the housekeeper, was already in the villa. She greeted them in the foyer and filled them in on some of the latest news around town. Dane had contacted Mrs. McKenzie and Chef Durand on the flight, and they had been gracious enough to head down to the villa on such short notice. From the look of the place, Mrs. McKenzie had already gotten to work making everything neat and tidy.

  A mouthwatering savory scent wafted through the air.

  “What is that wonderful smell?” Allyson seemed to perk up for the first time since he had told her they couldn’t head to New York tonight.

  “Chef Durand is preparing some stewed pork for you both,” Mrs. McKenzie replied.

  “Thank you so much for coming down so close to Christmas.” Allyson hugged the small, portly woman.

  Mrs. McKenzie beamed. “You’re most welcome!” She snapped her fingers. “Oh! I just had a thought! The Christmas decorations are in storage. Would you like me to put those up?”

  Allyson bit her lip and hesitated. “Oh, Mrs. McKenzie, I don’t want to put you through so much trouble.”

  Mrs. McKenzie waved her hand good-naturedly. “It’s no trouble. Tell you what... why don’t I come down tomorrow morning to put up the decorations? We can spruce up the villa
.”

  “We’d be happy to help you,” Dane volunteered. “Maybe that could get everyone into the Christmas spirit?” He glanced meaningfully at his wife, but her attention was still focused on Mrs. McKenzie.

  “Mr. Prescott, perhaps we could also ask the gardener to come down and help us with the trees on the property?” Mrs. McKenzie suggested.

  “That’s a terrific idea.” Dane reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. He sent off a quick text message to the gardener Mr. Bell. With the message sent, he hauled their luggage up the stairs and into the master bedroom. The bedroom had been cleaned, with fresh sheets put on the bed, and there was the distinct scent of furniture polish in the air. A cool breeze came in through the open double doors that led outside to the balcony.

  Allyson appeared in the room. “We’re badly dressed for the tropics,” she said, gesturing to herself.

  He had taken off his coat on the plane, but he was still dressed in a suit. And his wife still had on her sweater and boots. “There should be some extra clothes in storage,” he informed her. “We usually try to have extra items in the villa in case of emergency.”

  “I guess right now is a bit of an emergency.” She looked downcast, and her shoulders sagged.

  Dane had no idea how to lift her mood, because he had no idea what was troubling her. Not really. There had to be more to her disappointment than getting into New York later than they had hoped. After all, there was still a good chance that they’d get back to the city in time for Christmas. His wife was going through something she refused to share with him. He knew what that was like. To hide the truth from the people he cared about. After all, when he started to have doubts about staying on as Prescott’s CEO he’d been hesitant to share his feelings with her.

  His insides were in knots, but right now he was certain that pushing her for answers would only backfire.

  “How about I go get some stuff out of storage while you call your family?” Hopefully, talking to her family would help to lift his wife’s spirits.

  She didn’t say a word. All she did was nod and head out of the bedroom, leaving Dane behind to wonder what his wife was keeping from him.