Chapter 41
NICK
Colt’s living room is alive with Christmas morning’s warmth and cheer.
Twinkling lights from the towering tree cast a cozy glow over the space, reflecting off shiny wrapping paper and scattered ribbons.
The scent of fresh pine and cinnamon lingers in the air, blending with the rich aroma of coffee and hot cocoa.
Mel sits cross-legged on the floor beside me, surrounded by our family and friends, laughter and chatter filling the space.
I leaned back against the couch, one arm draped casually over Mel’s shoulder as we watched Colt’s son excitedly rip open a brightly wrapped package, his squeals of delight making everyone chuckle.
“It’s a remote!” He looks up at Colt. “To what, though?” His tiny face scrunched up in confusion.
“I’ll show you, but you must promise to share it with Faye.”
“I promise! I promise! Tell me, tell me.” Bodie says, jumping up with joy. “You alright with that, Faye?” Colt turns his attention back to Faye. She nods, holding her new stuffed unicorn that my mom got her for Christmas. She looks to her mom, who gives her a slight nod, letting her know it’s okay.
“Yes,” she says, smiling from cheek to cheek.
“Okay, let’s finish opening our gifts, and then I’ll show you where it is,” Colt says all serious, and I try not to laugh.
Colt is wearing a festive sweater just ridiculous enough to be endearing and passes out another round of gifts, grinning as Bodie and Faye dig into them. Cliff, my mom, Nora, Sophia, and Abigail lounge nearby, sipping coffee and exchanging knowing glances as wrapping paper piles up around them.
Mel finally reaches for a small, neatly wrapped gift from me, curiosity shining in her eyes.
“I thought you said no gift?”
“I just didn’t want you to get me anything. Besides, you’ve given me everything I wanted.”
Her cheeks flush with embarrassment and she looks so damn adorable.
“Except a baby.” My mom says, pointing two fingers to her eyes, then back at me
“Mom, Seriously? Can we not on Christmas?”
“It wouldn’t be the worst gift in the world to give your old mom. No spring chicken, remember.”
I inwardly roll my eyes, ignoring her.
Mel sucks in a deep breath as she carefully peels back the paper, I watch her with a hint of nervous anticipation. Colt, noticing, nudges me with an amused smirk.
“You look more nervous than she does, man,” he teases.
I just laugh, shaking my head as Mel pulls out a delicate gold bracelet, her face lighting up.
“You like it?” I asked, rubbing the back of my neck. “I picked out the grilled cheese charm, Elvis and Vegas wedding chapel, and a book. And the Italian flag is for, well, ya know. Hopefully, we can go there together one day.”
Mel looks up at me, eyes soft and affectionate. “I love it.” Her voice is full of emotion.
Colt’s mom, Nora, claps her hands together. “Alright, enough romance—you two are making the rest of us look bad,” she jokes, making everyone laugh.
“Ya, especially me,” Faye's mom says. According to Abigail, she’s been doing better, but Mel called bullshit.
She said her hands seemed shaky when she picked up her coffee mug, and the dry skin was a dead giveaway she was still drinking.
Although Farrah found a job, and it seemed she was trying to better her life, there was no telling if Melanie was correct.
I hoped not because I would hate to see Faye heartbroken for what would probably feel like the hundredth time in her world.
“Oh, nonsense.” Abigail waved her off. “It’s Christmas, the season of giving, and everyone gets a gift at the Killian household. Besides, Bodie and Faye are now like brothers and sisters. Which means you're like family.”
She handed Farrah a gift, but she shook her head.
“I can’t. You’ve both done enough. More than enough, taking my daughter and I—I could never repay you.”
“You better take it. You don’t want to make a pregnant lady cry now, do you?”
Reluctantly, Farrah took the small gift in her hand. Then Abigail handed Cliff his gift the same time my mom gave me mine.
“This is for both of you.” My mom said, smiling so wide it looked painful. I tore open the gift quickly since it was a tiny square box, and when I opened the top a glass ball ornament lay inside. I pulled it out, and Mel covered her mouth in surprise.
“Oh, Biance, I love it.” Mel grabbed the ornament from my hand and examined it like it was an expensive diamond. But then again, something told me something so simple was precious to her since she only got material things growing up. Never meaningful gifts.
I knew what it was going to be since my mom gave us a personalized ornament every year, but as I looked at the picture of Melanie and me on our wedding day, I couldn't help but smile.
“This is my favorite ornament yet.” My voice was soft with wonder. Before I could say more, Melanie leaned in and softly kissed my cheek. And in that instant, the world faded away. Nothing else existed–nothing felt more real than this.
“A Grinch mug and Grinch socks? Really?” Cliff says, looking at Nora.
Farrah carefully pulled out a dress, a sweater, and a few other clothes so quietly, I wondered if she was trying to look invisible.
“What, they suit you.” Nora smiled
Lifting her chin. “You could at least look festive when you drink your coffee with Baileys.”
Cliff grunted, and he went to open up Abigail's gift. He tore it across the front and immediately paused.
Abigail smiled down at him. Cliff just stared down at what seemed to be a picture frame.
“I found that picture when Colt and I cleaned Blake's room. I thought you would want it framed.”
Cliff continued to stare at the picture, unmoving. Mel and I shared a glance, wondering what the hell Abigail had gotten him.
“Thank you,” His eyes welled with tears. “Thank you. I thought I’d never find this picture again.”
“Getting soft in your old age, Dad,” Colt says, lightening the mood, and Cliff quickly wipes a tear before anyone can see it fall.
“Ya, I know. I need to get laid soon.”
“Cliff,” Nora swatted at his arm. “Children.” She said, glaring at him.
“Oh, sorry.”
“Grandpa, what’s laid?” Bodie asked.
“Uh, it’s just another way of saying, I need to get a doctor's checkup. Yup. I need to go see a doctor soon.”
“The love doctor,” I muttered under my breath. And Colt and I stifled a laugh as Cliff grabbed his lukewarm coffee on the table next to him. “Just wait until you knuckleheads get to my age.” He stood up and walked into the kitchen, murmuring, “I wish this coffee did have some Bailey’s in it.”
The morning rolls on in a blur of shared stories, torn wrapping paper, and the soft humming of Christmas music. It’s one of those mornings when time slows, and the simple joy of being surrounded by people who feel like home makes the holiday magic come alive.
Snowflakes drifted lazily through the air.
Hours later and we are headed back home.
Melanie wanted to check on her mother and make sure she was doing okay, since she stayed behind.
Melanie invited her to Colt’s house, but she said she didn’t have any gifts so she felt bad coming over empty-handed, and I could tell Melanie didn’t care about the gifts.
She just wanted her to spend time with her on Christmas Day.
“It’s really coming down now,” Melanie says, looking out her passenger window. “It’s so beautiful.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen snow?”
“I’ve seen snow every time my parents took me skiing in Colorado. But I've never seen it on Christmas Day. That’s why I was hoping it would snow today.”
She turned to face me and I swear it felt like my heart was going to explode. Warmth filled my chest. Her voluminous hair cascaded past her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her blue eyes glistened against the twilight sky.
She was so damn beautiful especially when she smiled.
My phone dinged on the dashboard, reminding me I had an extra stop to make before I could take Melanie home and ravish her.
“The alarm app for the restaurant pingged twice when I was at Colt’s so I need to stop over there and check it out. Is that okay?”
“Sure, it’s not like I’m in a hurry. Everything is closed so I know my mom couldn’t have gone anywhere. And she’s there with Loco so we can take all the time in the world.”
“All the time in the world, huh? Did you have anything particular in mind?”
She began twirling her hair as she propped her feet up on the dashboard. Tapping the bottom of her chin with her index finger, she hummed. “A few things.”
“Oh ya, like…”
“Like making pasta.”
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving.” She said, biting her lip, and I was picking up what she was putting down. The restaurant was the first place I fucked her, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t wanted to do it again. In fact, it crossed my mind every time I was in my office.
“Well then, I better feed my princess.” Rounding around the corner, we pulled up to Billa Ravenna.
The warm glow of Christmas lights flickered in the restaurant windows, but something felt…
off. The air was still, too, still. The snow-covered pavement reflected the dim streetlights, casting eerie shadows that danced in the corners of my vision.
Putting the car in park. I told Melanie to stay in the car while I checked the place out first, but I should have known she would put up a fight.
“I’m not staying in the car,” she demanded. “That’s like asking to be kidnapped.”
“That’s why you lock the car door.
“Have you heard of, if there’s a will, there’s a way. That won’t stop a criminal from breaking the window or shooting at it.”
I raked a hand through my thick hair that’s grown out the longest I’ve ever had it, making me feel like some shaggy dog.
“Melanie, I’m serious. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Snow crunched beneath my boots as I stepped out of the truck, my breath curling in the icy air.
It was dark except for the dim glow of the neon sign above the door.
Villa Ravenna. It should have been empty.
Melanie and I had locked up last night, knowing no one would be back until after Christmas. But something felt off.
“You okay?” Melanie asked, watching me as she pulled her coat tighter around herself.
Of course, she didn’t listen.
“I told you to stay in the car.”
“And I told you no.”
I didn’t even bother arguing. As we walked closer, my gut twisted, the old instincts kicking in. The way the back door was slightly ajar—the faintest disturbance in the snow near the entrance.
Someone had been here.
“Just wanna check inside,” I muttered, already moving toward the door.
Melanie hesitates. “Nick—”
“I’ll be quick,” I promised.
The second I stepped inside, the air changed. The restaurant was silent, but something about it made my skin prickle. I reached for the light switch. Nothing. Power was out. A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. My breathing slowed. My muscles tensed.
It was too dark. Too quiet.
Just like that, I wasn’t in the restaurant anymore. I was back in Afghanistan, moving through a bombed-out building, every shadow a threat, every creak of the floor a warning. My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I reached for my side, but there was no rifle there–just empty air.
A sound. Soft. A shuffle from the kitchen.
My hand clenched into a fist. I pressed back against the wall, my pulse hammering in my chest. I could almost hear the radio chatter, the distant thud of mortar fire.
Stay focused. Breathe. Clear the room.
The footfalls were silent as I moved forward. My senses heightened. I pushed open the kitchen door, ready for–
“Jesus!”
A figure jumped back, nearly dropping a flashlight—a kid. Maybe sixteen, wide-eyed, frozen in place near the storage shelves. I exhaled sharply, my mind snapping back to the present—no war zone. No enemy. Just a scared kid with a half-eaten cheese and bread sandwich in his hand.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” I asked. My voice was rougher than I intended.
The kid swallowed hard. “ I-I was just looking for food. I didn’t mean—”
Mel’s voice cut through the tension as she stepped inside. “Nick?” She took one look at him and the kid and seemed to understand.
I forced myself to breathe. To let go of the tightness in my chest. I glanced at the kid again—thin, shivering, clearly alone.
Instead of anger, exhaustion settled over me. I ran a hand over my face. “You hungry, kid?”
The boy nodded, eyes still wary.
I sighed. “Come on. Let’s get you something warm to eat.”
Mel touched my arm gently, grounding me. I looked at her, seeing the understanding in her eyes. Then, stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around me, pressing her cheek against my chest. My heartbeat is still racing.
“You’re home, you’re safe,” She whispered.
I let out a slow breath. Closing my eyes.
Yeah. Home.
The war wasn’t over. Not really. Because the memories were forever ingrained in me, but maybe just for tonight, I could fight a different kind of battle-the kind that healed instead of destroyed.