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Rupert Kolmyn was a compact, thick-set man with a bushy puff of curly, grizzled hair and a beard to match. His bulky Cowichan sweater made him appear even more barrel shaped. “Crystal-Lynn! What took you so long?” He swept his daughter into an energetic hug that ignored her stiff-backed irritation.
Crystal-Lynn? Benjamin shrugged away his curiosity and set his expression to welcoming. Crystal-Lynn hadn’t wanted him to come with her to the airport in the first place. He wouldn’t make her regret his presence by teasing her, yet couldn’t help wondering what other secrets this impromptu visit might reveal.
He’d insisted on joining her, despite her assurance it was unnecessary. Behind that assurance had been irritation and disapproval and frustration, and he wanted to give her support, possibly even act as a buffer. Rupert hadn’t even glanced at him, however, let alone noticed Lynn’s aggravation. Maybe she’d been right and he was superfluous.
She stepped out of her father’s embrace. “If I’d known you were coming I would have been waiting for you when you landed.”
“We wanted it to be a surprise.” Rupert’s gravelly, whisky-fuelled voice was unexpected. He sounded nothing like the smooth tenor on the tracks Benjamin had downloaded.
“Well, it is.” Lynn’s sarcasm was heavy but Rupert didn’t blink. She turned away from her father and with deeper affection greeted the thin, slightly stooped woman standing beside him. “It’s good to see you, Mom.”
Minerva had the same poker-straight blonde hair as Lynn, though hers was highlighted with silver. Her hug was more subdued than her husband’s yet somehow more sincere. “I wanted to call. He wouldn’t let me.”
“It’s okay.” Lynn’s tone was resigned and forgiving.
Minerva’s eyebrows rose and her face gleamed with expectation. “So, where’s my grandson?”
“He’s with my mother.” Benjamin stepped forward. “Hi. I’m Benjamin Whitestone. I’m Lynn’s—”
“Friend. He’s my friend.” She shot him an undecipherable look. “I was having dinner with Benjamin and his family when you called. Since I was in a hurry to get here, it seemed simpler to leave Oscar there for now.” She’d argued with both Benjamin and Thea about that, but given up in her hurry to get to the airport.
“All right then. Let’s get going.” Rupert lifted the duffel bag at his feet and headed for the exit, clearly expecting everyone to follow.
“Here. Let me take that.” Benjamin reached for the handle of Minerva’s suitcase. “Is this all you have?”
“Yes.” Her smile was faint. He wondered if years of standing in Rupert’s shadow had faded her. “I’m used to packing light.”
Lynn gave a snort that could have been agreement or dissent. The three of them moved through the automatic doors and down the exterior ramp leading to the short-term parking area. Rupert stood, vibrating with impatience, at the bottom, head swivelling from side to side.
Lynn led them through the dark, wintry night to her SUV. Benjamin stayed at Minerva’s side. “If you’re not too tired, you’re more than welcome to come back with us. My mother insisted I extend the invitation.”
“And it was a lovely offer.” Lynn lifted the rear hatch and glared at Benjamin, her face hidden from her parents. “But I think I should just take you both to my house and go back and get Oscar while you settle in.”
Rupert tossed in his bag. “I could go for some home cooking. The food on the cruise ship is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s not like my momma used to make.”
Lynn’s retort was swift and sharp. “Maybe you would have more home cooking if, oh, I don’t know, you had a home.”
Rupert shrugged and made his way to the front passenger door, taking shotgun as if by right. “There’s a price we pay for chasing our dreams. And that’s one I’m willing to pay.”
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LYNN SLAMMED THE DRIVER’S door behind her with more force than necessary and stabbed the key into the ignition.
It relieved some of her frustration but not nearly enough.
She’d spoken with her parents only last week and they’d given no inkling that they were intending to come for the holidays. She had swallowed her disappointment and planned her days accordingly. Now her disappointment had morphed into a familiar anger at her father’s disregard for other people’s lives. Her schedule was screwed.
Yes, she had a schedule for Christmas holidays. Sue her.
In the back seat Benjamin was doing his best to draw her mother out. She’d been horrified by his offer to come with her to the airport. Introducing him to her parents would be fraught enough without adding in the current stressful situation. Not that he seemed stressed out by it, unlike herself. He had taken her unexpected announcement in stride, as had Thea and the rest of the adults.
Thea’s smile, if anything, had grown wider at Lynn’s announcement her parents had arrived without warning. “How wonderful that they’ve come to visit. Please, make sure they know they are welcome to come eat with us.” She’d gestured at the heaping table. “There’s more than enough.”
Benjamin obviously got some of his laid-back, lack-of-conflict genes from his mother. Lynn was frantic at having to make up her spare room at the last minute. Thea couldn’t have looked happier at having uninvited guests.
She hadn’t missed the flicker of his eyelids when she’d jumped in earlier to prevent him from telling her parents he was her boyfriend or lover or whatever it was he was going to say. If she’d hurt him it had been unintentional. But she needed to tell them in her own way, and in her own time.
Maybe she should have mentioned her new relationship when they were thousands of kilometres away. Too late now. She couldn’t ban Benjamin from her life until they left, so they were bound to discover it sooner or later. Speaking of which...
“Do you know how long you’re staying?” She struggled to keep her tone light. If only she’d had some advanced notice, she’d be thrilled they were here. She’d get there, but it would take a few hours. “Not that I’m rushing you, but I’ll need to do a grocery run tomorrow so there’s enough food in the house.” The thought of battling the crowds on Christmas Eve made her scowl and clench the wheel tighter.
“We’ve got to be back in Miami by January second. The only reason we have this time off is the cruise line decided to go all Christmas all the time this week and brought in a different singer they thought fit the atmosphere better.” Rupert put air quotes around the last four words, his disgust evident.
Lynn did the math in her head. Given the distance between Prince George and Florida, they’d probably have to leave the day before to get back in time.
Nine days. She could survive nine days. After all, wasn’t this what she’d always wanted—a big family Christmas?
Her temples throbbed.
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BY THE TIME LYNN FELL into bed that night more than her head ached. Her neck was stiff from tension, her lower back twinged, and her shoulders were strained from pacing with Oscar in her arms as she’d tried to soothe him to sleep.
The first half hour or so at Thea’s hadn’t been horrible. Rupert charmed everyone as he plowed his way through two helpings of dinner. Minerva hadn’t eaten much but glowed at the chance to hold Oscar.
The longer they stayed, however, the tetchier Oscar grew. Despite several hints it was well past his bedtime, it was only when she’d said she was leaving and Rupert could walk the few blocks home if he wanted to stay longer that she managed to drag him away. Oscar screamed the entire, thankfully short, trip, and had taken a long time to settle down. Minerva tried to help but he was having none of it. Lynn suggested she make up the hide-a-bed in her home office instead, and when Oscar finally wore himself out enough to sleep, her parents were in the spare room with the door closed. She had taken refuge in her own room with heartfelt relief.
She set her mind to relaxing every fibre in her body in the hopes that sleep would claim her. Despite the warm weight of her duvet, she was chilled, the sheets cool and slick. Tossing to her other side, she huddled deeper under the covers, searching for the elusive warmth, and then finally faced the truth.
She missed Benjamin in her bed. Missed the steady sighing of his breath, the dip of the mattress under his weight, the touch of his foot on hers as if he needed that tiny connection as he slept.
It would be the new year before he could stay again. Though she was committed to telling her parents they were dating, nothing on earth would make her comfortable enough to have him in her bed with her parents just across the hall.
Her sense of loss was stronger than she liked. It wasn’t as if he’d spent every night with her since they’d decided to be...whatever it was they were. She counted back, growing drowsy as the sheets slowly warmed, and realized they had spent more than fifty percent of their nights together. It was rather lowering to admit that she slept better when he was there. She didn’t think it was just the sexual exercise, either. She was certain her subconscious let her sleep deeper knowing someone else was there who might hear Oscar if he awoke.
She’d been in such a tizzy to get Oscar home, as well as still reeling from her parents’ sudden appearance, that she hadn’t even kissed Benjamin goodbye. Shifting on her elbow, she swapped her pillow for the one he used and buried her nose in it, searching for his scent. As faded as it was, it gave her some measure of comfort.
By tomorrow she’d be over her father’s blithe disregard to her life and plans and be able to appreciate their time together. She had invited them after all. She just wished she’d had some time to prepare.
What a way to end the year.