by Mary Campisi
This is for your next Christmas tree, he’d said in a gentle voice.
She’d lifted the silver box, peeked inside. So beautiful. And then, I haven’t decorated a Christmas tree since I was a little girl.
That’s about to change. He’d stroked her cheek, leaned forward, and kissed her.
She’d thought he’d meant they had a future together and would share in the decorating of the tree, year after year. But he hadn’t meant that. He’d meant she would decorate a tree, not they.
The tears started then, gushes of sadness and torment, spilling from her soul with such force she didn’t hear the footsteps on the stairs or the click of the door opening. She didn’t realize he was in the room until he spoke. “Nicki? What’s wrong?”
She blinked her eyes open, spotted Jameson through a haze of tears. “Why…why are you here?”
He ignored the question, moved closer. “What’s wrong?”
The gentleness of his voice tore at her heart. “Christmas is always difficult for me.” That wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the reason for the tears either.
“I thought this Christmas would be a new start for you,” he said.
Why did he sound almost sad? He should be ecstatic because the woman he’d never forgotten was on her way to Reunion Gap. “It is a new start,” she said, dragging her gaze to his.
“I know you have to get back to Chicago, but I thought we’d have a few more days together…”
A few more days? So she could fall more in love with him than she already was? So he could brand her heart for the rest of her life? Nicki shook her head. “It’s time to go.”
“And you were just going to leave?” Those whiskey-colored eyes narrowed on her, the gentleness in his voice replaced with frustration. Or was that shreds of anger? “Not even a goodbye, it’s been nice?”
“I thought this would be easier.” What a lie. She’d wanted to get out before Jameson gave her the it’s-been-nice-to-know-you-but-my-girlfriend’s-back sendoff.
“Easier for whom?” he spat out, the brackets around his mouth deepening. “You? I thought you were done running from your emotions.” He paused, his next words scorching her. “Unless I didn’t rate as emotion-worthy.”
“I wanted to make it easier on you.” She swiped at her cheeks, set the glass globe inside the suitcase.
“Me? You think running away makes things easier on me?”
She hadn’t wanted to bring up Giselle, but he’d left her no choice. “Jameson, I know about your old girlfriend.”
He frowned. “Giselle? What about her?”
“She’s the reason I was put on sabbatical leave. It was her dog who had issues with me.”
“You worked for Giselle?”
“I worked for her mother, but I came up with the idea to extend my skillset to dog couture.” She lifted a shoulder. “I dressed Giselle’s dog, Bella. It was a disaster.” Now would be a good time for him to spill the truth about his upcoming reunion with the woman, but he didn’t. Instead, he stared at Nicki, as though he were waiting to hear more. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because Giselle has nothing to do with us.”
Nicki clasped her hands against her middle, tried to remain calm. “There is no us, there can’t be.”
He burned her with his gaze. “Give me one good reason why.”
“Because you’re getting back with Giselle.” Pause. “Meredith told me.”
“Meredith, as in Meredith Alexander?” When she nodded he bit out, “Tell your friend she’s been misinformed.”
Misinformed? “But Giselle told Meredith she’s coming here to tell you she wants another chance. Maybe she’s already here.” Nicki cleared her throat and spat out the rest of the tale. “I remember how you told me she was your biggest regret.” Say the rest of the words before the tears start again. “We both know you’re not going to turn her down. I get it, and I didn’t want to be around to witness it.” Pause, followed by a quiet, “I thought it would be easier on both of us if I just left.”
Jameson rubbed his jaw, stared at her so long she had to look away. “Boy, you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you? Too bad you’re way off base. Giselle did call to tell me she wanted to see me and talk about another chance. I told her there was no reason to come because we weren’t going to happen.” His next words made her chest ache. “I told her there was somebody else.”
Nicki dragged her gaze to his. “I thought you and Giselle…”
He shook his head. “You’re the only woman I want, Nicki.” He pushed the suitcase to the bottom of the bed, sat next to her, and clasped her hand. “We haven’t known each other long, but I know how I feel and that’s not going to change.” He trailed a finger along her jaw, traced her lips. “I want a life with you, and if you feel the same way, I’d even move back to Chicago if that meant we’d be together.”
He wanted a life with her? “You would?” His next words told her how much he cared.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I’d do it for you.”
“I’d never ask you to do that.” She leaned toward him and placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “Besides,” she whispered against his lips, “I don’t think your family will relocate to Chicago and I don’t want to give them up.”
He pulled away, smiled. “They don’t want to give you up, either, and they’ve been pretty blunt about me not messing up. Could you see yourself living here?”
“With you?” She kissed him again. “Absolutely.”
“I love you, Nicki Gallagher.”
Her heart swelled, threatened to burst with happiness. “I’ve been afraid of love my whole life, until you.” She blinked back tears. “I love you, Jameson, more than I ever thought possible, but I am so scared.”
“I know the feeling.”
She swiped at a tear. “But I’m more scared about not having you in my life. I guess this is the whole part of the relationship-trust piece and getting past our fears?”
His smile covered her. “I guess so.” He cupped her chin, kissed her long and slow, a tender offering that spoke of promise, hope, and forever. “How about we go tell my family, so we can finish our own celebration later…in private?”
“I think that sounds perfect.” Who would have thought she’d find love and family in a small town miles away from the life she thought she wanted? Or that Christmas would be her new favorite holiday? “Merry Christmas, Jameson. Thank you for giving me the best present of all.” She held his gaze, whispered, “You.”
Eleven months later
* * *
Did you see Thomasina Price’s outfit?
She looks ten pounds lighter and eight years younger.
Nicki says she can show us how to look good on a budget. Thrifty chic, she calls it.
I like the sound of that.
I’m sure glad she’s in Reunion Gap. We need somebody to teach us about fashion.
And not go into debt doing it.
She and Jameson make the perfect couple!
I hear they stayed in the Peace & Harmony Inn honeymoon suite last weekend. And they weren’t even on their honeymoon.
But they’re still newlyweds…and that’s so romantic.
Bet there’ll be a baby soon enough,
Won’t that make Thomasina Price happy?
Sure will. There’s nothing like a new baby in the family.
They’ve only been married three months.
You’ve got a point. Still, you never know…
Are you going to the open house at Ask Nicki, this Friday? I hear she’s going to demonstrate how to use scarves to accentuate our body types.
Oooh. I need that class.
Me, too. If there’s a chance I can look half as good as she does, then I’m in.
She sure has been beaming lately…maybe she’s pregnant.
Hmm. Could be. If she is, I’ll bet she’ll spring the news on her hubby as a Christmas gift.
Imagine that? What better gift could there be?
Exactly.
* * *
On Christmas Eve, Nicki Price handed her husband a gift that contained a teddy bear wearing a T-shirt that read Merry Christmas! Guess who’s having a baby?
Part II
Three and a half years later
Chapter 7
Mid-October
People called Nicki and Jameson Price the perfect couple. They loved their children, their jobs, each other. How many husbands and wives could say they still wanted to spend time with the other person? And if they had it to do over again, that they’d choose the same partner? Some would, many wouldn’t, and others would opt for a five-year negotiable marriage contract with a want-to-be-single-again clause.
Not Nicki and Jameson. They respected one another, knew what it meant to be alone and without that special someone, and they were not going to do anything to jeopardize their home, their children, or their marriage. That didn’t mean they couldn’t have their own dreams. Nicki wanted to expand her Ask Nicki boutique to include seminars, podcasts, and specialized merchandise all aimed at helping women look and feel their best—inside and out. Jameson hoped to open another restaurant in a nearby town and expand the current one in Reunion Gap to include live entertainment.
The Prices believed that dreams and goals were important and should be supported and encouraged by the other partner. And that’s why Nicki didn’t hesitate when Jameson received an offer to fly to California and consult on a new restaurant in Laguna Beach. Sure, it would be a pain to have him gone. A month was a long time, and Nicki and the girls would miss him, but how often did a chance like this come along? It could be a great opportunity to showcase his talent and the money involved would fast-track his plans for another restaurant. Marriage was about compromise and making sacrifices, and when she thought of the opportunity this four-week separation would give her husband, she couldn’t say no.
Besides, he’d be back before Thanksgiving.
She’d never known what it was like to belong to a real family, one who loved and cared about her, or what it meant to be part of a town that respected her. But it had all happened because of Jameson. Her husband had given her so much; how could she not do this for him?
“Why do you have to go to California?” Thomasina Price raised a brow, said in a voice that let him know she didn’t approve, “It’s so far and the holidays are coming.” A frown, accompanied by a shake of her head. “You’ve got a wife and two babies, Jameson. The days of chasing dreams and foolishness are long gone.”
Jameson sighed, helped his three-year-old daughter, Olivia, out of her chair, and whispered, “Go play with your cousins.” When she’d scampered out of earshot, he sat next to his wife, slung an arm around her shoulder, and faced his mother. Thomasina Price was the no-nonsense matriarch of the Price family. She had an opinion regarding how her adult children’s lives should unfold and if she disagreed with their choices, she offered suggestions for improvement. Lots of them. Too many. Jameson cleared his throat, forced a smile. “Mom, Nicki and I have talked about this and we agree it’s a good opportunity for our family.” The pinched lips and squared shoulders said she didn’t agree. He tried again. “It’s short-term; I’ll be home in time to make the pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.”
“And what exactly will you be doing? I’m still not clear on that, or how this person selected you, all the way from California.”
Leave it to his mother to make a guy feel insignificant. “He’s from Chicago and is familiar with my old restaurant there. He and his partner are opening a place in Laguna Beach and think I can help make the place a success.” We’d like your help achieving the flow and symmetry of The Oak Bench. We want the same, yet different, and that goes for the menu as well. Sure, we could find someone else, but we want you. It made no sense to hire someone two thousand miles away, no matter how talented they thought he was, but the man didn’t agree and neither did Nicki. You can do this, Jameson, and you should, she’d said. There’s no place like The Oak Bench and that’s all because of you. Go, share your gift, and then came back to us.
“I don’t like it, Jameson,” his mother said, those dark eyes burrowing straight through him. “A lot can happen when you start separating families, especially around the holidays. They’ll want you to be available all hours, and you won’t be able to say no, not with the amount of money they’re paying you.” She shrugged, slid a glance at Nicki. “I pestered Nicki until she told me, and maybe that wasn’t right, but I wanted to know how much your family was worth.”
“Mom, that’s out of line.” Now she was making him angry. “This is not about my career or my family. I would never do anything to jeopardize that.” He squeezed Nicki’s shoulder, thought about life without her and the kids: empty, painful, worthless.
“People never mean to hurt other people,” his mother said in a gentle tone. “Their intentions start out honorable and clear, but somewhere along the way, the path winds and they lose their way. I don’t want to see that happen to you, Jameson.” Her dark eyes grew bright, glistened. “There’s too much at stake.”
He opened his mouth to tell her he knew exactly what was at stake, but Nicki spoke up. “You don’t need to worry, Thomasina. Jameson and I have discussed all of the pros and cons of him heading to California. The girls and I will miss him and it’s going to be a long four weeks, but it’s such a great opportunity for him.” Her voice spilled with emotion when she added, “For all of us.”
“See, Mom?” He smiled at his wife. “We’ve got it covered. I want you to relax and stop worrying, okay?” Of course, his mother could not just nod and let it go. Nope. She had to offer up the Thomasina Price school of reason and caution. “A mother never stops worrying until she closes her eyes for the last time.”
Jameson blew out a long sigh. Something was up and it had to do with a lot more than a four-week trip to California. “Mom, what’s really got you all worked up? This isn’t just about the trip, is it?”
Was she thinking about their father and another holiday season without him? Had she received news from her doctor? Had she—
“I can’t stop thinking about Chicago and what happened there,” she blurted out. “It changed you and not in a good way. You were distant and unapproachable...barely recognizable. Nicki didn’t know you then, but I remember what happened, how you chased money and that horrible woman, and it almost destroyed you.”
She meant Giselle Robard, his old girlfriend and almost-fiancée. Yeah, that was a lifetime ago and not one he cared to remember. “Mom, this is not the same. I have a wife and two kids. I’m happy, and I’m not chasing anything.” He glanced at Nicki who watched him, eyes bright. “I’ve got everything I need.” He leaned in, kissed her temple.
“Of course, you do, son. I’m not worried about you, but there are women who don’t care if you’re married with children. They don’t care about anything but getting what they want.” Pause, followed by a strong, “And they’ll want you.”
That made him laugh. “Because I’m a celebrity? A star to be followed and fawned over?”
His mother did not find his comments humorous. “Because you’re you.”
Another laugh. “Right. I don’t think so. I’ve got a job to do and I’m going to do it.” He turned to his wife, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and murmured, “Then I’m coming home.”
Later that night, his mother’s words stole sleep and cast doubt on his decision. Thomasina had a way of making even the most confident person question himself and his choices. It was this damnable doubt that made him turn to his wife, whisper, “Nicki, are you awake?” He liked to talk to her at night when it was just the two of them cuddled in bed, her honeysuckle scent drifting over him. Nicki calmed him, helped him realize what was really important in life, like love, trust, and family. She and the girls had brought him joy and a slice of heaven on earth and he’d do anything for them, including agree to a trip that could help their future. “Nicki?” he said again. “Are you awake?”
T
he soft sigh told him she hadn’t been sleeping either. “Do you want to talk about it?” She turned toward him, eased a hand along his waist, and said in a gentle voice, “I’m guessing your mother’s comments have been dancing in your head since she left.”
“You don’t think she’s right, do you? That maybe I should ditch the whole offer and stay here?” Doubt clouded his logic, filled him with confusion and what-if scenarios. His mother had always had a way of making him second-guess himself, but his father had usually been able to temper those comments. But he was gone and this was a huge decision. What if it was a mistake? What if he should reconsider and stay home with Nicki and the girls? What if—
“We talked about this. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often, especially in a small town like Reunion Gap.” She paused. “Unless one of the Alexanders offers you a job. Maybe Tate will hire you as his personal chef.”
He didn’t miss the humor in her voice. “Funny. He’s the only decent Alexander in this town.”
“What about Camille? I thought you liked her.”
“I do, but she’s only an Alexander by marriage.”
“True. And Meredith? What do you think about her?”
“She doesn’t live here,” he hedged. And I’m glad she doesn’t.
“But if she did?”
She’d be nosing around in everyone’s business. “It would be an adjustment.”
“An adjustment?”
He didn’t miss the edge in his wife’s voice. She didn’t have a lot of friends, but she was fiercely loyal to the ones she did have, especially Meredith Alexander. “You know, because of her causes and attempts to save the world.”
“At least she’s trying to do good.”
“Right.” Or she was running away from something or someone.
“Enough about Meredith. What about California?”