Chapter Six #2
A roil of voices erupted from across the room as Broderick, Chuck and Conrad carried in a towering live Christmas tree.
The fresh scent of pine hung in the air, blending deliciously with the warm cinnamon candles she’d lit an hour ago.
Marshall followed behind, his face cross from not being able to do anything besides guide the tree toward its stand hidden in a massive decorative urn.
“I was hired to help him while he recovers.” Not to make out with him.
“You are helping, and we’re grateful to have found you. You’ve done a lot to make today all the more special.” She lifted her plate of fruit drizzled with chocolate.
“All I did was haul down some decorations and set up a few snacks.”
“What a great spread,” Shana said, swirling a strawberry through the melted chocolate. Her eyes widened with delight as the chocolate coated the fruit. Truth be told, the strawberry looked mostly chocolate at that point.
“It’s easy to put out a spread when the budget is virtually unlimited.” As if Tally needed another reminder of their very different worlds.
“I hear you. I grew up with a more...limited...budget.” Shana gestured to the massive living room. “All of this still feels overwhelming sometimes even though I’ve been a part of it for five years. But, of course, that could be because I don’t remember the whole five years.”
The statement fell flat. Pointed.
Tally gasped, at a loss for what to say other than, “Oh my. I didn’t know.”
“I assumed Marshall would have told you.” Shana touched her forehead. “I suffered a mild aneurysm recently, and it left me with a patchy memory of the past few years.”
“I’m so sorry. How scary that must be.” Tally focused her full attention on the woman, abandoning the decorations.
“I’m grateful to be alive, and my memory is coming back in pieces. I have my health and my husband. That’s so much more than I had before the hospital scare.”
The men arranged the tree off in the corner, securing the live fir with a thin wire. Marshall nodded, looking pleased as he surveyed the way the boughs fell.
Tally stayed diplomatically quiet, not wanting to be pushy, but unable to squelch her curiosity about this family—Marshall’s family.
Shana carefully picked up a crystal snowflake, playing with the facets. “Chuck and I had a rocky marriage. We’ve found our way back to each other, and we don’t intend to lose our way again.”
“I’m happy for you.”
“It wasn’t easy.” Shana exhaled hard. “I had a lot of insecurities to work through, and Chuck had a tough time balancing work with home life. We’re both working on things, though. I have to admit, I sure didn’t realize how much work went into a marriage, but I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“Sounds like you’re an amazing couple.” The love in their eyes for each other was unmistakable. It was hard not to envy that. Tally had felt so alone for so long, especially during her pregnancy.
“You’re a good listener.” Shana squeezed Tally’s arm. “Thank you. It feels good to talk to someone who didn’t know us before. It’s like starting with a clean slate. That’s a part of what motivated us to move.”
“You’re moving?” Marshall hadn’t mentioned it. Tally couldn’t imagine this family moving away from one another. “Where to?”
“To North Dakota, at the end of January. Chuck’s taken a less demanding position with the company.
” Shana glanced at her broad-shouldered husband securing the towering Christmas tree.
Her eyes shone with appreciation, love. Warmth and desire.
“I know it wasn’t easy for him to step back.
There’s a lot of tension between the Steeles and the Mikkelsons, power plays and such.
That Chuck would do this for me... It means everything. ”
“You’re a lucky couple.”
“We’ve been given a second chance. Those are rare in life.” Shana swiped an emotional tear from her cheek and smiled. “But enough about me. I want to know about you.”
“There’s not a lot to tell.” Well, that was a lie, but there wasn’t much Tally felt comfortable sharing with this family.
“I grew up in Alaska. My mother and father passed away when I was still in my teens. I’ve been lucky to build up my cleaning clientele.
I hope to hire on assistants within a year. ”
Shana smiled, then said, “Well, then the fund-raiser is going to be perfect for meeting potential customers. Let’s talk about plans, starting with that bachelor auction.”
Tally listened while Shana talked about the different men in the family and some of their friends who would be participating in the event. The auction should bring in big money for their charity foundation.
For the first time, Tally really thought about someone purchasing a date with Marshall. She knew it was just in fun, but still the notion made her stomach knot.
She looked around for Marshall, realizing sometime during her conversation with Shana, she’d been distracted long enough to lose sight of him. Maybe that was her answer to how to resist temptation. Immerse herself in the holiday spirit.
And somewhere along the way, she would figure out how she was supposed to make peace with her past while not hurting this family that had already been through too much.
From the second-floor railing, Marshall watched Tally move seamlessly with his family, steering the decorating with an unassuming efficiency.
Much the same way she kept the refreshments stocked, the fondue having been swapped out for a mix of gourmet subs made of wild salmon and barbecue reindeer sausage.
He wasn’t as helpful as he wanted to be. In terms of mobility, passing things one-handed was the extent of his contributions. Still, he enjoyed having everyone together. In one place. Like the old days.
That too-familiar pang went through him as thoughts of his mother and sister loomed. He couldn’t go there in his mind. Not now. And he couldn’t think about Tally, so he made his way over to his younger brother, Aiden, walking the length of the railed gallery hallways securing fresh garland.
Pinning the pine boughs in place, Aiden looked at Marshall. Running a hand through his dark hair, he blurted out, “I’m not going back to college next semester.”
That pulled Marshall’s attention firmly to his brother. Marshall had busted his ass finishing college on time while staying on the rodeo circuit. “Dad’s going to have a fit.”
“Let him,” Aiden said defiantly.
“If you don’t finish college, then you don’t come into your trust fund until you’re twenty-five.”
“I’m fully aware.” He shrugged, examining the garland, securing it farther down the railing. “I’m not a child. I have a plan.”
“I’m listening.”
“You may have finished college, but you also found your way. I want to do the same. I’m going to work in the oil fields.”
Damn. That actually sounded logical. Still, Marshall felt compelled to point out, “You’re not qualified for anything more than entry level.”
“Again, I’m aware. That’s what I want. To prove myself.”
When had his brother grown up? Marshall realized he’d viewed Aiden as perpetually a kid. Time had not frozen that day their mom and sister died. But it sure felt that way sometimes. “Okay, then. When are you going to tell Dad?”
“Soon—not tonight, but soon.” Aiden looked at him sideways, gripping the railing. “I was hoping you would come with me. You have experience with not following in the old man’s footsteps.”
“Glad to be there for you. Whatever you need.” And Marshall meant it. His eyes gravitated to Tally, and he thought about her alone for the holidays, working for others, staying in someone else’s home.
What would make the occasion special for her? He found himself wanting the answer to that. To make her smile. And yes, he wanted that smile to follow a breathy sigh of pleasure when he kissed her.
Five hours later, after his family had left, he still hadn’t come up with an answer.
Surely inspiration could be found somewhere.
Parked on the great room sofa in front of the fire, he fiddled with a pen cap, tracing its grooves.
He searched the decorated space for the tendrils of a plan.
Everything twinkled, but nothing seemed as fantastic as the oversize Christmas tree.
Lush boughs displayed family ornaments from his grandparents, made of spun glass, hand-painted. Precious and irreplaceable.
White lights lined the tree thanks to the joint effort of Mikkelson and Steele men.
A winter wonderland. Romantic by all objective accounts.
His family had gone above and beyond, and while he appreciated the effort on his behalf, he also found it brought back a few too many memories of childhood Christmases here.
Better to focus on business.
He picked up the legal pad with the brainstorming list he and his family had compiled of additional contacts for the company’s marketing department, people who might be willing to donate high-priced items for the silent auction.
Any pressure he could take off that whole buy-a-bachelor fund-raiser would be a bonus.
He felt the weight of Tally’s eyes on him. He turned to find her holding Nugget, scratching the pup’s ears. Tally’s tenderness with his dog, joy riding the horse, all tugged at him with how easily she was fitting into his world.
Marshall cleared his throat, turning the legal pad upside down. “Can I help you with something?”
“Actually, I was hoping that I could help you. As I was looking around at all the family you have and seeing the decorations, it made me think of all the work holidays bring for you—along with the joy.”
“What do you mean?”
Chewing her bottom lip, she took a step closer. Nugget seemed content in her arms, nuzzling closer. The dog let out a deep, relaxed sigh. “Have you finished your shopping? I thought you might appreciate some female input. You have so many people to buy for.”
The light in her eyes was mesmerizing. He wasn’t much for shopping. He usually just wrote checks to everyone’s favorite charities. But here was his answer to how to make Christmas special for her. “Sure, we can drive into town tomorrow, look around...go out to dinner.”
“Dinner, too?” She picked at her fingernails nervously. “That doesn’t seem fair. I’m paid to cook for you.”
“You’ve been working overtime, and we both know it.”
“I’m trying to be professional.”
He sensed her hesitation. Convincing her to go with him suddenly seemed more important than winning any rodeo. “If you weren’t working for me, would you go out to dinner with me?”
“If I weren’t unobtainable, would you be asking me?” she asked smartly.
He chuckled softly. “Now there’s a circular argument.”
She set down the dog and eased the legal pad from Marshall’s hand, their fingers brushing.
“Let’s get started making a list of who you need to shop for so we’ll know what types of stores to hit.
I know of some fun, niche shops...” She paused.
“Although my budget would be much different from yours. Maybe—”
“My family doesn’t go overboard on Christmas gifts.” Which was true enough.
“I enjoyed today.” She sat beside him, her leg brushing his. A crackle of awareness snapped between them as tangibly as the pop of the settling log in the fire.
He wanted to reach for her, to finish this day celebrating in the best way possible. Her gaze skittered away, and she fidgeted with the pad in her hands.
The last thing he wanted was for her to feel anxious in his presence. He wanted to peel the clothes from her body and kiss every inch of her bared flesh.
However, as much as he wanted her, the timing wasn’t right. “I don’t want you to be nervous around me. I meant what I said about the next move being yours.” He scooped up his dog and backed away. “Good night.”
The flash of awareness—and yes, regret—in her eyes encouraged him. An attraction like theirs couldn’t be denied. They both should let it run its course while they had the chance.