'Tis the Season for Love: A Charity Box Set

by Maggie Dallen

“Where?”

  “Maya’s Christmas party thing.”

  “Oh, that’s tonight. Yeah, maybe.” He shrugs, glancing over his shoulder when his younger brother makes a sweet shot just behind him. Nothing but net.

  Nate scrambles to retrieve the ball and does a nice lay up while I try to ignore the searing disappointment racing through me. Nate might not be there tonight.

  That sucks!

  I put on a bright smile to hide the feels, because how awkward is it that I kind of like Nate and now that I don’t have a boyfriend, we could totally be a thing, but we won’t because hello! Nate is like super gorgeous and amazing and he was dating Sheridan McCormack—only the hottest girl to ever walk the planet. If he’s into tall, skinny, model-type girls, then he’d never be into me. But at least I can be friends with him. I’ve got that going for me, which is why it’s kind of a bummer that he may not show tonight. It would have eased the pain of having to watch Alex and Krissy fawn all over each other. Nate’s always good at distracting me.

  “Hey, girl, you better check your text. Hey girl, you better check your text.” My phone starts talking to me.

  I grab it and read Maya’s message.

  Maya: Have you left yet? Stop preening and get your butt over here. You’re beautiful always!

  I fight a smile and type back that I’m on my way.

  “Well, I might see you guys there.” I wave my hand at the Parker brothers and walk to my car.

  “Ciao for now,” Nate calls to my back.

  I let the deep timbre of his voice travel through me and then have to remind myself that it’s not going to happen.

  You don’t fall for your super cool, super sexy next-door neighbor.

  That kind of thing only happens in cheesy romance novels, and I’m not about to ignore the fact that I’d rather have Nate as a friend than some awkward crush I can’t talk to.

  Chapter 2

  Uber Crush

  NATE

  White air puffs out of my mouth as I watch Shay leave. She looks cute tonight. I love that New York beanie on her. Out of all the ones she owns, that’s my favorite. I like the way it pushes her dark hair down, framing her round face. It makes her brown eyes bigger and more beautiful.

  “Dude, you’re pathetic.” Luke bounces the ball behind me.

  It smacks against the cold concrete and I can feel the thud in my chest.

  “What?” I spin with a frown.

  “When are you going to make a move on that girl?”

  My guts clench and I hold my hands up for the ball. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, man. She’s our friend. Our neighbor.”

  “And your uber crush.” He throws me the ball and I catch it with a snicker.

  “What are we? Fourteen-year-old girls? I don’t have an uber crush.” I dribble the ball toward the hoop, wondering why my cheeks feel all prickly. It must be the cold air.

  I mean, it’s not freezing out here. The snow from last week has melted already and there’s more on the way, but not tonight. The cloud cover makes it warm enough to play outside. Plus, it gets us out of the house and away from Aunt Joy, who is on the freaking warpath tonight. Even Mom was hiding away from her in the den, using the excuse of reading to my little sister, Hailey. They’re working their way through Mom’s old Nancy Drew collection. Talk about a snore-fest, but Hailey loves it. She’s not the world’s best reader, but I think she mostly just loves having Mom’s undivided attention for a chapter or two.

  “You’ve got something for Shay, and if you keep sitting on the sidelines, someone else is going to swoop in and take her.”

  I freeze mid-throw and turn to face my brother, resting the ball against my hip. “Who? Do you know something? Has Alex changed his mind? He better not have. She deserves way better than that prick!” My reaction instantly gives me away and Luke is laughing at me before I can even recover.

  “Yeah, you’re right, bro. You don’t like her at all.”

  “Shut up,” I mutter, turning back to the hoop and missing the easiest throw in the world. I growl and race after the ball, but Luke grabs it before I can. I move into defense mode and hound him all the way to the hoop, unable to stop his layup. The ball swooshes through the hoop and lands at my feet.

  I retrieve it with a frown, not wanting to admit that my younger brother is probably the better player. We’re only a year apart, but as the senior, I feel like I should be able to kick my brother’s butt on the court. It doesn’t always turn out that way.

  “I’m telling you, man. Make. A. Move.”

  I snatch the basketball and dribble it back to the center of the driveway, focusing on a free throw. It bounces perfectly off the backboard and straight through the net. I leave my hand high, a satisfied smirk on my face.

  Until Luke catches the ball and ruins it for me. “You know Ollie thinks she’s cute, right?”

  “What!”

  “I heard him saying it the other day.” Luke takes a shot and it skims the rim.

  I race after the ball before it jumps over the fence, but then rest it against my hip again, focusing all my attention on the guy determined to ruin my night.

  “Ollie’s my friend. He wouldn’t.”

  “Why not? He has no idea you like her.” Luke’s pointed look makes me feel small and stupid. I glare back at him, then bounce the basketball with a hard smack. It hits the driveway, then rockets into the sky.

  Luke snickers and readies his hands to catch it while I groan and stomp to the porch.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To Maya’s party!”

  Luke laughs again. “Alright, alright.”

  He sounds pumped about the idea, and for a second I wonder if he was just messing with me so we’ll go. Not that he can’t drive himself or anything, but Luke wouldn’t show up to a senior party without me. Maya wouldn’t mind, but it’s better if I’m there too.

  Not bothering to shed my shoes or jacket at the door, I walk through the house in search of Mom, but am stopped midway.

  “House rules say no shoes on my polished floor,” Aunt Joy reminds me.

  “It’s only for a sec, Aunt J. I’m just finding Mom to let her know Luke and I are out tonight.”

  “And where are you going?”

  I hold in my sigh and slowly swivel to face my aunt who likes to act like my mother, even though she’s not. It’s bad enough that Dad’s miles away, but to have him replaced by Aunt Joy just makes the sting that much worse. I wish Mom would tell Joy to back the hell off when it comes to her kids, but her sister’s always been the stronger one, which is probably why we moved in with her after the marriage fell apart.

  “We’re off to a student Christmas party.” Luke gives her an easy smile. “At the Rhinehoffs.”

  “Oh!” Aunt Joy’s face lights like a Christmas tree. “God bless those people. Make sure you say hi from me and give Petra an extra big thank you for keeping me in business.” She chuckles and squeezes Luke into a hug before he can react.

  I back away before she gets me in her clutches, and double-time it down to the den.

  “Make sure you’re home by ten,” Aunt Joy is telling Luke.

  My mouth fills with a bunch of choice words I’d like to throw over my shoulder, but I hold them in and tap gently on the door.

  “Hey, Mom,” I interrupt her reading. “Is it cool if Luke and I head to Maya’s for a party?”

  “Of course.” She smiles at me. “Make sure you guys are home by midnight, though, okay? I know you’re on your full license now, but I still don’t want you out too late.”

  “No worries.”

  “Can I go?” Hailey asks with a grin. The twinkle in her eyes tells me she’s not serious and I laugh, because Mom completely misses the joke.

  She gasps. “Hailey, you’re only eleven. Of course you can’t go.”

  “Aw.” She pouts, putting on an award-winning show. “I never get to do anything.”

  “I know it’s hard being the youngest, sweetie.” Mom star
ts stroking her hair. “I’ve got an idea. Why don’t we do a movie night instead? We’ll gather up all the leftovers from Aunt Joy’s shop and gorge ourselves on candies and cupcakes.”

  Hailey sniffs and gives Mom a nod like that will have to do.

  I snicker and shake my head, winking at Hailey when she catches my eye.

  Mom is such a softy.

  “See ya, Mama Bear,” Luke calls over my shoulder, tugging on my jacket and handing me the car keys.

  “Have fun, you two. And look after each other!” she calls as we race out of the house before Aunt Joy can give us any more instructions to ignore.

  Chapter 3

  The Sad Saga

  SHAY

  I park at the end of Maya’s long driveway. Cars are already lining it and I’m going to get an earful about being late. But it’s not like I one hundred percent want to be here anyway.

  Slamming the door, I trudge up to Maya’s behemoth house. It’s actually like the coolest house I’ve ever seen. It’s in the middle of this massive property. Pine trees border the southern edge and to the north is this amazing view of the mountains.

  The design is all square, but with these different angles on the roof line. It has three stories. Yes, three! And the north side of the house is basically all windows and decking. With the lights on, it’s like a beacon on a hill, welcoming you toward it.

  I catch a whiff of smoke from the chimney and breathe it in. That’s one winter smell I do love. Smoke equals fire, and fire equals warmth, which is something I’m constantly chasing in the winter. I can’t wait for it to be over already. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come.

  We’ve had a few snowfalls already, but the heavy stuff always hits around January and February. Oh joy!

  Wiping my boots on the entry mat, I knock once, then push the door open. It’s not like anyone is going to hear me with Maya’s party beats thumping. Knowing her, she would have put a lot of thought into the playlist, skimming through Spotify for hours to create the perfect mood for her Christmas party. Thank God she hasn’t gone for Christmas tunes. I’ve been surrounded by them all day and I don’t think I can stomach another cheery carol.

  Nudging the door shut with my butt, I shed my jacket and scarf, hanging them where I usually do. Although this time, I’m throwing them over a mound of other coats. Some people will have fun finding their stuff tonight. It’ll be like a freaking treasure hunt for whoever arrived first.

  I don’t really want to unlace my boots, but it’s a cardinal sin to wear shoes in this house, so I wobble on one leg, awkwardly taking off my boots and then pulling my thick, wooly socks back into place.

  “Shanae Landers!” A cheerful voice greets me from the top of the stairs.

  “Hey, Petra.” I grin at Maya’s mother as she scuttles down the stairs to wrap me in a hug.

  “I promised Maya I’d stay invisible tonight, but I don’t think she’ll mind me giving her bestie a little squeeze.”

  I grin against her shoulder and squeeze back. Mrs. Rhinehoff is like the coolest mom ever. She’s stylish and artsy. Just the kind of person I want to be. She actually designed the house we’re standing in. How cool is that? She’s a freaking architectural genius, but she also paints and sketches and just… ah! I want to be her!

  She pulls back to look at me, her brown eyes warm with affection.

  “Have you been working at the store all day?”

  “Unfortunately.” I bulge my eyes. “It’s such a drag.”

  Her smile only gets bigger. “I know your mom really appreciates the help. You’re a good kid.”

  I snicker and shake my head, not exactly feeling like a good kid. I’ve been complaining so much about having to work at the stupid shop, and now I’ve just complained to the coolest adult I know.

  I press my lips together, so I’m not tempted to say anything else.

  “Mom!” Maya suddenly appears from the living area, her face the picture of indignation. “You said you’d stay upstairs!”

  “I’m going. I’m going!” Petra lifts her hands in surrender and runs up the stairs, winking at me before she disappears.

  Maya rolls her eyes. “Honestly. She can’t help herself. I was going for low-key cookies and popcorn, and look what she came home with!” Maya drags me to an elaborately laid table that is covered in all kinds of yumminess. Tiered trays of colorful Christmas frosted cupcakes, platters of gingerbread men and white chocolate truffles, bowls of candy canes, and at the end is a massive pot of apple cider, next to a thermos that smells like mint hot chocolate.

  “Wow!” I raise my eyebrows. It’s kind of hard not to be impressed by this. “Someone visited Joyous Cupcakes today.”

  “I swear my parents keep that place in business.” Maya nudges me with her elbow, then looks over her shoulder with a grin. “Speaking of Joy. D’you know if Nate’s coming tonight?”

  I never should have told her. Sleepovers are the worst for late night confessions. But she’d just told me all about her die-hard crush on Ollie Myers and I accidentally, in a total moment of weakness, mentioned that his best friend wasn’t too bad either. I thought I’d said it casually enough, but Maya’s romantic heart jumped all over the idea of me falling in love with my next-door neighbor.

  Giving her a casual shrug, I try to look all nonplussed, and murmur, “He said he might.”

  “So you spoke to him?” Her eyes light up.

  “He’s my friend. I speak to him all the time.”

  She ignores the way I emphasize the word friend and loops her arm through mine, leading me to the main party area. “Cool. Cool. Cool. Cool.”

  “Don’t,” I clip.

  “I’m not.”

  I jerk to a stop and point at her. “You are. And you better stop this before we walk into your living room. It’s not going to happen, you little matchmaker.”

  “Aw, come on, Shanae! It’s Christmas. I specially hung mistletoe for you two.”

  My eyes narrow with a heated glare.

  “What! You are now single again. And so is he. Hello, open window! This is your chance.”

  “I never said I wanted a chance.”

  “You don’t have to. I know you. I know that since the day he arrived in this town, you have been pining for the great and beautiful Nathan Parker. But the sad saga goes that before you could find the courage to make your move, he was wooed into the evil clutches of Sheridan McCormack.”

  “She’s not evil.”

  “Shhh! You’re ruining my story. So while Nate was blindly caught within her spell, you lost all hope and let the world’s biggest loser try to win your heart.”

  “This is stupid.” My gut pinches as I look around the room, hoping Alex and his heinous girlfriend haven’t arrived already.

  “But as fate would have it, the Baroness of Bitchville swooped in to steal him away from you, but not before Nate escaped the spell and broke up with Princess Sheridan.”

  I roll my eyes as Maya drags me further into the house, dramatically whispering the rest of her story.

  “And now two hearts that were destined to beat as one are free to find each other and seal their love with a Christmas kiss.” Maya stops beneath the mistletoe, blinking up at the green leaves and patting her chest like she’s just given the performance of a lifetime.

  I give her a wry smile and peck her cheek. “You’re crazy.”

  “Crazy in love with the idea of you two being a thing. Like an item. Like a Shathan or a…” She narrows her eyes and looks to the ceiling while she tries to work out the other blend. “Nanae doesn’t work.”

  “Neither does Shate,” I mutter, my voice dry and borderline caustic.

  Maya bursts into a laugh so bright and effervescent that I can’t help but crack a grin. I shake my head, trying to pull my lips into line.

  “Seriously, Maya. I love that you are so enthusiastic, but I just… there’s too many factors against this.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, for one, my heart is still kind o
f sore and missing Alex a little bit.”

  “Bluch!” Maya makes a face, which I look away from.

  “Plus, Nate and I are neighbors, so if it didn’t work out, that’s like way awkward. And then, he’s my friend and I don’t want to screw that up. Not to mention the fact I am nothing like Sheridan, so what would he even see in me?” I glance over my shoulder and spot the girl who caught Nate’s eye pretty soon after he arrived. They dated for months. Like seriously months. It was painful, but I got it. Two beautiful people. Both really nice and decent.

  She was heartbroken when he broke up with her.

  Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to come tonight. It must be kind of weird for the guy. He’s too nice to want to hurt someone’s feelings. I still don’t know why they broke up. No one really does. Nate’s pretty private about that kind of thing and Sheridan has only told those closest to her. I’m not one of those people.

  “Wanna drink?” Maya heads for the cider while I psych myself up to enter the living room. I’ve just spotted the “baroness” in her red Christmas dress. It looks like she squeezed herself into it. And she’s wearing stupid candy cane earrings. Ugh! Why do people think that’s so cute and fun? My mom has sold a bunch of those this season. I think they’re tacky…especially on Krissy Pilsbury.

  Her perfectly painted red lips pull into a smile as she tips her head back with a laugh. Running her hand down Alex’s arm, she rests her forehead on his shoulder while he grins in triumph.

  Oh yeah, Alex. You’re such a funny guy. So charming. So—grrr!

  I spin around, not wanting to look anymore. It should be my head on his shoulder right now! I should be laughing at his joke, not her. She outright stole him from me, and it pisses me off.

  Hunting for a quiet corner to hide in, I nearly head for the sliding door which leads into the TV room. There are probably a bunch of guys in there watching a basketball game or something. I can blend into the wall behind them and no one would even notice me.