Chapter 12 #2
I tore my gaze away from the cozy, homey scene and held it out to Nick. The wind tickled the curls frizzing out from my beanie, and I brushed them back with one hand. “For you.”
There. I’d done it. Olive branch extended.
Of course, he wouldn’t recognize that part, but I still waited eagerly for his appreciation of the actual gift.
It was the perfect memento for him to take back home—a reminder of his Christmas with the Sinclairs.
And hopefully a reminder that maybe not all Christmases had to be horrible.
Even if we’d all made this one a little complicated.
He backed away, eyes narrowing. “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?” I shook the globe, as if the fluttering snow crystals would change his mind. “It looks like the Sinclair farm, don’t you think?”
But he barely glanced at it, just batted it away like a cat.
The globe slipped from my hands and crashed to the ground.
It didn’t shatter, thanks to the fact that most snow globes were plastic now for this very reason—okay, maybe not for this exact reason, because who shoved a snow globe away from them like Gollum rejecting Samwise’s potatoes?
I knew Nick wasn’t into Christmas, but weren’t snow globes sort of universally beloved?
I scrambled to pick it up, wrinkling my nose at the wad of chewing gum on the pavement someone had spit out. Thankfully, the globe had landed next to it, not on it. “Nick—”
“This is taking things a little far, Holly.” His narrowed eyes darkened.
I hesitated. Was he joking?
No. That tone wasn’t anywhere near teasing. My heart stopped and then restarted with an anxious thud in my chest. Nick might not know the full story behind my gesture, but this seemed a little extreme.
I repositioned the snow globe in my hands and carefully extended it toward him, keeping a tighter grip than before. Just in case. “I think you’re confused.” I drew a breath. From overhead, the music switched to “Blue Christmas.” “I just wanted to—”
“I have no idea what you want, but whatever this is—it’s too much. All of it.” Nick scrubbed his palm down his face, as if trying to reset.
Ah. He thought this was another Operation: Naughty List assault. Totally understandable.
I stepped toward him and chuckled as Elvis continued crooning. “No, listen. You don’t understand.”
Nick started to protest again, but his phone chirped from his pocket, and he paused. Glanced down at the screen.
I waited, searching his expression for clarity, an explanation. Something to explain why my gift had backfired so horrifically. But the tight planes of his face offered nothing.
With a sigh, he pocketed his phone and held up both hands in surrender. “Just stop.” Defeated creases etched his face. “You win, okay?”
Before I could even shut my gaping mouth, he turned and blended into the crowd.
Nick had officially figured out the most effective way to guarantee an awkward car ride.
He unbuckled his seatbelt as they coasted up the driveway of the Sinclair farm, casting a look at Holly’s glazed-over face.
They hadn’t said a word in the back seat of Ryan’s car the whole way home, which was understandable.
After all, he had left her standing alone by a lit tree while he’d gone to find Ryan and Lydia, who were buying out the majority of a nearby candle booth.
Now the Subaru smelled like every fruit imaginable.
Somehow he had to find a way to get Holly alone to talk without the others noticing.
But Holly slipped out of the back seat before Ryan shifted the car into Park, and managed to cover half the distance between the SUV and the house by the time Nick opened his door.
He watched her walk away. She wasn’t going to make this easy, which wasn’t entirely unfair.
He’d figured out about three candle sniffs in that Holly hadn’t meant for the gift to be obnoxious.
She didn’t know. How could she know? Now he was the idiot who, after confessing how much it hurt to have his gifts rejected, rejected hers.
But he hadn’t dared to offer the much-needed apology within earshot of Ryan and Lydia, and now he feared she wouldn’t let him try.
“Holly?” Lydia frowned as she climbed out of the car and adjusted her scarf. “You okay?”
But Holly didn’t respond as she rushed past Frosty, finally set in his proper place in the front yard, and up the steps, shopping bags slapping against her leg.
Nick shut the car door. Did she still have the snow globe in one of those bags, or had she left it on the pavement?
Not that he wanted it back.
“She’s fine.” Nick answered for Holly, which earned him a confused look from Ryan. “She, uh…” Well, dang. He didn’t want to lie and say her stomach hurt, but he also didn’t need anyone else to know he’d freaked out over a snow globe.
“Ah.” Understanding lit Lydia’s face as she began walking toward the porch. “I hate the porta potties downtown too.”
Close enough.
Ryan lingered in the driveway as his wife hurried inside the house. “I thought it was quiet back there on the way home, but with Lydia’s chattiness, I never can tell for sure.” He chuckled as he fell into step beside Nick. “Guess we Christmas’d you guys out tonight, huh?”
That was one way to put it. Nick forced a smile. “Something like that.”
Ryan gestured for Nick to take the stairs first. “Sorry, man. I know it’s been a lot the last few days.”
Too much. But that wasn’t Ryan’s fault. Holly had been the one to flip the script on him and suddenly start accosting him with Christmas when she was supposed to be his partner against all things Yuletide.
He’d been able to laugh off some of her antics over the past few days, roll his eyes at others…
Until tonight.
Nick opened the screen door. “It’s fine, man. I’m just tired. Been a long day.” Maybe he’d explain everything to Ryan later—as much as he could, anyway, without giving away his parents’ secret.
But first, he needed to talk to Holly and apologize for his overreaction. Maybe he’d have held it together better if his father’s text hadn’t come through a few minutes before…
The house buzzed with activity—Ryan, Lydia, and Holly shedding their coats, Mason and Janie arguing over which movie to watch despite the fact that Thomas pointed out he’d clearly beat Olivia home.
Grace set a tray laden with hot cocoa onto the coffee table, while Axel and Chloe snuggled into a corner of the couch with leftover cookies.
“Hey there, partner.” Axel stage-whispered to Mason. “Choose Home Alone. ”
“That’s a kid movie.” Mason frowned, clearly offended.
“What?” Axel scoffed. “ Jingle All the Way is literally about toys!”
The boy scowled. “And a superhero.” If an expression could actually speak the word “duh,” Mason’s would have.
“Either movie is obviously perfect since you’re both children.” Kat plopped on the couch next to Chloe and shot Axel a warning look. “Eight inches, Cowboy.” He reluctantly scooted away from Chloe.
“Hey.” Nick caught Holly’s eye by the coat rack as Ryan and Lydia moved into the living room and joined the movie debate. “Can we talk?”
Her green eyes flickered with suspicion, but to her credit she nodded. “Sure. Outside.”
Nick turned and led the way back down the porch stairs. At this point, no one should notice if they were gone for a few minutes—hopefully. The last thing he needed was Thomas to see them out the window and assume Nick was another Axel on the loose.
They stopped in the yard by Frosty—away from the windows—and squared off. The inky night sky, dotted with stars, stretched above them, serene and unaware. Cold air nipped at the back of Nick’s neck.
“I don’t have the snow globe on me, don’t worry.” Holly crossed her arms over her sweater and lifted her chin. “Or should I say, poisoned orb?”
Nick shook his head. “Okay, I deserve that.”
“You actually deserve—” Holly snapped her mouth shut. “Never mind.”
He raised his eyebrows. “What?”
“It’s nothing.” Her hair glistened under Frosty’s ambient light, and she visibly swallowed.
“No, I think it’s something.” Nick shoved his hands into his pockets, studying her drawn expression. Definitely something. “Maybe if you tell me, we could finally get somewhere.”
Holly looked down at her boots, then up at Frosty. He followed her gaze, remembering the way the carrot nose had jabbed him awake. Had that only been this morning? Something about the farm seemed to make time more of a suggestion than a fact.
Or maybe that was just Holly’s effect.
She met his stare, and he drew a steadying breath and waited. Sort of like one would if they were taking cues from a wild animal before deciding if it’d be better to run or play dead.
“Get somewhere?” She hiked her brows at him. “Tell me, Nick, where would you like to go? Because I’m pretty sure it’s not to my mom’s annual block party.” She held his gaze, which held zero humor or sarcasm. Only…
Hurt?
He shifted his weight, dried winter grass crunching under his shoes. “What do you mean?” Surely not—
“I know my brother talked you into taking me.” She hugged herself a little tighter. “I know you aren’t really here to be my date on your own accord.”
Oh no. His mouth went dry. “Holly…”
“Don’t. It is what it is.” She held up one hand. “I overheard you and Ryan talking right after you got here.”
Oh boy. He grimaced. So that explained it. “Hence the full-out Christmas assault worthy of a made-for-TV movie?”
“Hence.” She nodded once.
He let that soak in. “Creative.”
She shrugged, lips twisting into a half smile, half grimace. “I figured, why get mad when I could get even.” The half smile dissipated. “Ironically, the snow globe gift was my way of making amends, calling off the war you didn’t realize existed.”
And he’d gone and screwed that up too.
Nick blew out his breath, which formed an instant cloud against the night air. An owl hooted from a nearby tree. Even it sounded judgmental. “Look. I’m really sorry—”