Nash was headed out the door of his ranch house the following morning, when his phone rang. “Hey, Nash, it’s Fiona Sanders. I was just checking to see if you had made a decision about our open house on Christmas Day.”
Nash checked his pocket to make sure he had his wallet. “When did you need to know?”
“Got a better invitation?” she teased, clearly in matchmaker mode.
No, but he was hoping for one. “Actually,” Nash said honestly, “this year I’ve had a half-dozen invitations for both Christmas Day and Christmas Eve.” Seemed as if now that he was back for good, everyone was trying to fix him up.
“So you haven’t made up your mind, in other words,” the older woman guessed.
“I’m not sure if I want to try to hit every gathering—at least for a little while—or just spend the time at home, chilling out.” And missing Callie and Brian, who were both due to be in her hometown of Laramie, Texas, on December twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth.
Fiona paused, understanding as always. “Just know you are always welcome in our home. You always have been.”
Gratitude welled in his throat. In many ways, Hart’s mom had taken the place of his own, in his life, since his parents had moved to Japan. Looking out for him, always making sure he was doing okay, the way any mom of an adult son would. “Thanks, Fiona.”
“So what’s on your agenda today?” Fiona asked cheerfully.
“Every man’s favorite thing—shopping.” He had a lot of gift buying to do, and given it was now December twenty-first, not a lot of time left to do it.
The rain was still coming down in droves when Maggie arrived at Callie’s home at midmorning, little Henry in tow. After hearing that Hart was definitely on the mend and would be well in time to celebrate the holiday, Callie asked, “Mind looking at something for me?”
“Sure.” Maggie left the boys playing with blocks and followed Callie into the living room.
“This morning, the video-guy sent me the finished compilation of the DVD I made for Brian about Seth. Want to tell me what you think?”
Maggie sat down in front of the computer and hit Play. The volume was adjusted to low, but an orchestral version of an upbeat Disney tune could be heard in the background of the five-minute video that tracked Seth from early adulthood to his courtship with Callie to their wedding day and subsequent move into their first place. Sadly, there was nothing after that to showcase.
“Looks good,” Maggie said approvingly. “But clearly something is bothering you.”
Callie swallowed, trying to get ahold of herself. “I put a rush on this because I wanted to have it ready in time for Christmas, in case there were any issues with not having a male parent around.”
“And now?” her twin asked gently.
“Brian’s been so happy lately.”
“Because of Nash?”
Callie nodded, feeling happy that this was the case—and, at the same time, a little worried it wouldn’t last. That something unforeseen would happen to her and Nash, too...
Maggie stepped away from the computer. Fondly, she recollected, “That was something yesterday, what Brian asked Santa to bring him—and you—for Christmas.”
Callie blushed, aware how much she wanted the same thing. Nash—for Christmas. “I know.” She walked into the kitchen and set the teakettle on to boil.
“My only question is, what are you going to do about it?” Maggie lounged against the counter. “Have you even bought him a gift?”
Sort of. “You know how I had Brian make everyone a gift this year?”
Maggie nodded.
Callie got out the tea and all the fixin’s. “I was thinking about doing something along those lines for Nash, too.”
“Sounds good,” her twin encouraged.
The question was, Callie thought, would Nash think so, too?
She found out when he stopped by later that evening. Brian, tired from a whole day of playing with his cousin Henry, was already upstairs, fast asleep. Nash was dressed casually like her—in jeans and a sweater. With raindrops glinting in his thick dark hair, his cheeks ruddy with cold, he was sexy as all get-out. Their gazes met and held, and deep inside her, desire built.
“How did the shopping go?” Callie asked, ushering him inside.
He hung up his coat, and taking her hand in his, gave it a squeeze. “Good. Finally. I think... I hope.”
Deciding she wanted more, she turned around to give him a full-body hug. He returned it in spades and followed it with a long, leisurely kiss that kicked up her pulse even more.
“I guess we’ll find out soon,” Nash added humorously.
“You sound like you have my talent when it comes to gift giving,” Callie teased. She wrinkled her nose at him.
“A whole lot of thought without necessarily reaping a whole lot of result?” Nash paraphrased.
She laughed and drew him into the living room to sit before the fire. “And the more pressure there is to come up with the perfect gift, the more unpredictable the result.”
“Pretty much, yeah. Although,” he boasted as he settled next to her on the sofa, “I think I may have nailed it with you.”
Which made it even more important that he like what she wanted to give to him. Sobering, Callie cleared her throat and took both of his hands in hers. “Speaking of presents, I want to talk to you about the one I am proposing that Brian and I give you.”
“Okay.”
She struggled with a myriad of emotions. “You know that I’m supposed to drive Brian home to Laramie on December 24 and spend Christmas Eve with my in-laws, and Christmas Day with my family. It’s tradition. And I’m really looking forward to it.” She tightened her fingers on his. “But I really wanted to spend Christmas with you, too.”
He gazed into her eyes and returned softly, “I’ve been thinking about that, too. Because I really want to enjoy the holiday with you and Brian.”
“So here’s what I propose. What if tomorrow night, you and I create our own Christmas Eve celebration here, and then have our own Christmas Day celebration together early on December 24? Before I head to Laramie with Brian.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Or I could go with the two of you to your hometown and enjoy Christmas with you there.” He paused. “Seems like it might be easier for you and less confusing for Brian. Although I would also like to be with you on the twenty-third. So we could still do our own private celebration before we left.”
Callie bit her lip, wondering how everything could go awry so quickly. “You want to meet my parents?” she asked in shock, not sure she was anywhere near ready for that.
“And all your sisters.” Nash flashed another easy half smile. “I’ve already met Doris and Rock.”
Her emotions in turmoil, Callie withdrew her hands, stood. Outside the rain continued to fall, harder now. Unable to look into his eyes, she paced away from Nash. “That’s not a good idea.”
He followed her to the hearth. “Why not?”
She whirled to face him. “Because if I were to take you home it would be a whole different holiday than the one I have planned.”
His face took on a brooding expression. “In what way?”
“You know how wildly enthusiastic Doris and Rock are, under the best of circumstances. They already have us practically married off. So if I were to just show up with you on my arm, they would take it to mean we were as serious about each other as they had hoped.” She winced. “And then they’d be shouting it from the rooftops to everyone in town.”
Tension knotted her gut as she forced herself to continue as pragmatically as possible. “And, on the other end of the spectrum, we’d have my parents jumping to the same conclusion as Rock and Doris.” She paused to look Nash in the eye, and her throat ached with the tears she suppressed.
“Only my folks wouldn’t approve, Nash.” She moved closer. “Because the last thing they want to see is me diving into something heart-first, when I’ve already made that mistake once before.”
He regarded her soberly, still listening.
“And then there’s my son to consider. You’ve heard him, Nash! He already wants you to come and live with us. If I take you home to Laramie, and everyone reacts the way I predict, Brian will be elated when he’s around Doris and Rock, and even more confused and upset when he’s around my parents.” She sighed wearily. “It would just be a bad situation, all around.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “And of course that’s not what you want.”
His accusation stung. Again, she tried to make him understand. “I just want things to stay simple, and easy, and uncomplicated.” Even though that didn’t really seem possible, especially when her feelings for Nash were so complicated. And getting more so every day. “At least whenever I’m in Laramie,” Callie added lamely.
“Where you are still known as the tragic young widow.” He lifted a hand before she could protest. “Those are your words, Callie, not mine.”
She lifted her chin. “I don’t like being referred to that way!” It was a miserable way to live. And he knew it, too—since he had suffered a similar fate due to his own family tragedy.
He continued to study her calmly. “Then why not do something to change it?”
Irked by his refusal to understand, Callie threw up her hands. “I have. I moved away. I struck out on my own.” All of that had helped her cast off the stigma of being a young widow. “And that’s where I would like to keep things for now.”
“Meaning what?” he countered. “You don’t want any man in your life—at least publicly? It’s okay if we have an affair in the shadows, as long as no one else knows about it? Is that what the deal is?”
Pretty much. “For now. However, in the future,” Callie promised sincerely, when she felt she could handle it, “things will be different.”
Cynicism darkened his slate-gray eyes. “Okay. Give me a timetable. If not now, when will you let people know that you and I are seeing each other? Seriously seeing each other?”
“I—”
He stood his ground. “January? February? March? Six months from now? A year?”
“I don’t know. Whenever it feels right!”
He exhaled roughly, looking as ticked off as she felt. “Or maybe never.”
An ugly silence fell. To the point Callie wondered if she had ever really known him at all.
“Why are you putting all this pressure on me?” she asked, upset.
His jaw clenching, he braced himself as if for battle. “Because you aren’t the only one who doesn’t want to make the same mistakes you made before,” he said in a low, accusing tone. “Because I spent the last half of my childhood pinning my hopes on my parents’ promise that one day they would get over my brother’s death, that one day things would be normal again, that one day we’d be able to celebrate Christmas and treasure all that we still had, instead of dwelling on what we had lost.”
He moved closer, pain radiating in his eyes and voice. She could swear she saw the glimmer of tears. “Only it never happened, Callie. Those were empty promises given by two people who had either forgotten—or maybe were just unwilling—to ever fill their lives with love again.”
Now she was crying, too. “I’m not like that.”
His glance raked over her sadly. “You just don’t want to ever marry again.”
Feeling as if her whole world was crashing down upon her once again, she moved closer, locking her eyes with his. “I was honest with you about that from the very first,” she reminded him quietly. Before he had come into her life, she hadn’t thought she could ever risk it. She still wasn’t sure she could.
Nash’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “You’re right—you were up front about that,” he admitted. “I just didn’t listen.” He gave her one long, last look, then said quietly, “Merry Christmas, Callie. Tell Brian I wish him the same.”
He grabbed his coat, and without a backward glance, walked out into the icy December rain.