Mistletoe Magic (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 5

five

HOLLY

I love my daughter.

I love my daughter.

I had to keep repeating it to myself, reminding myself that I loved her before I strangled her with my own two hands!

I don’t know what had gotten into her, but Noelle was testing my patience and getting on my very last nerve.

I mean, I don’t know where she got this dramatic diva attitude from, but she could seriously shove it where the sun doesn’t shine at this point. Twenty minutes ago, she’d been complaining she was cold and was going to have a shower. That was only the start.

Since then, she’d cried because Chris’s apartment, the one he was so generously letting us stay in, didn't have a bathtub. And Noelle wanted a bath.

I’d tried to convince her she could shower, but she didn't want a shower. Then, after the stomping of her tiny feet, she finally conceded a shower was her best chance at warming up her frozen toes. But then, the tears came because I didn’t have a shower cap for her so her hair didn’t get wet.

“Noelle,” I begged. “Please. Just get in the shower and warm up before you catch a cold.”

I was pleading with my daughter who was standing in the middle of Chris’s bedroom completely naked and whining that she was cold.

“But, Mom …” she whined.

“No! No, but mom, Noelle. Get in the shower and I’ll find your pajamas.”

“I’m not wearing pajamas!”

I don’t know if I was too afraid of another meltdown or just too exhausted to deal with it, so I picked my battles. And what she wore when she got out was one of them.

“Fine. Hurry up and have your shower then get dressed. Chris is getting the Christmas tree ready to decorate and you wanted to help. You can’t do that if you’re a frozen popsicle.” Thankfully that had her scurrying into the bathroom.

I followed her in, turned on the faucet, and waited for the water to heat up before making sure she actually got in.

Chris was surprisingly neat and tidy for a single guy, especially one who ended his day covered in grease and grime. His bathroom was all white tiles, with huge square charcoal tiles on the floor. A shaving cabinet was above the sink, and I resisted the urge to open it up and go through his things. He was being so kind, the least I could do was respect his privacy, even if curiosity was driving me to distraction.

With Noelle finally in the shower, singing Christmas carols like the past ten minutes hadn’t just happened, I stepped back into the bedroom.

I opened my suitcase and watched as everything fell out. I hated packing. It was the worst and I was the worst at it. I always left it to the last minute, then shoved in everything I thought I might possibly need before hoping it zipped up. Now underwear, a hair dryer, my makeup bag, and a black satin bag spilled all over the floor.

“Fuck my life,” I muttered as I tried to find something warm and comfortable to wear.

It didn’t take long for me to become so frustrated that my suitcase was now empty and everything was spread out all over Chris’s bedroom floor.

“Whoa!”

I looked up and found Chris standing in the doorway, hands buried in his pockets, staring down at me with wide eyes. I could only imagine the thoughts going through his mind at the moment. He probably thought I was a crazy lady. I’d upended my suitcase, and I could hear Noelle trying her best to out Mariah Carey, Mariah Carey. It was one rendition of All I Want for Christmas that would make dogs howl. My daughter was a lot of wonderful things, but a singer was not one of them.

“I … uh … um … yeah …”

I didn't know how to explain.

I’d packed this wardrobe thinking I was going to be on show sixteen hours a day. I’d packed cute cashmere sweaters, leggings, high-heeled boots, and even a navy sweater dress with a thick gold buckle. I was expecting to be staying at a fancy ski resort. I was anticipating being judged and critiqued on every move I made. I planned on having to curl my hair before pulling on my ski suit and hitting the slopes. I knew I was going to have to put on a full face of makeup before breakfast each morning. But none of that was happening now, and walking around Chris’s home in a five-hundred-dollar sweater seemed like overkill.

“I didn’t say anything,” he remarked, a smug smirk on his face making him look younger than he was.

“You didn’t have to,” I grumbled as I tried to hide the lacy lingerie .

An ear-piercing note echoed, and I winced.

“She’s talented,” Chris offered kindly.

“Noelle is my pride and joy, but there are some things she cannot and should not do. Singing is one of them. But she loves it,” I explained. “So, I usually just go outside and let her enjoy herself.”

“Sounds like a solid plan.”

“I’m sorry about the mess. And invading your space.”

Chris waved away my apology. “It’s all good.”

“Are you sure? I mean, really sure?”

“Holly, it’s fine. So, I’ve got the tree all set up and ready for you to decorate.”

“You’re not going to help?” I asked, hating that disappointment fluttered through my body.

Chris rubbed the back of his neck and looked awkward. It was almost like he wanted to be anywhere but here, and I got the distinct impression I’d overstepped.

“Christmas isn’t really my thing,” he replied. “But you obviously love it. And Noelle can’t have Christmas without a tree. So …”

“So, you’re letting us put one up?” I finished for him.

“Something like that. Anyway, the tree’s ready for you. I’m gonna run to the store and grab a few things. Everything will be shut tomorrow for Christmas, and the way this storm is rolling in, it may even be earlier.”

“It’s that bad out there?”

“Yeah, and they say this is only the start.”

“Are we going to be okay?” I asked nervously.

I didn't mind the snow. In fact, I preferred it to the stinking hot, humid, sweaty days, but a storm that trapped people in towns and shut down the city wasn’t something I was keen to get caught up in. Although, from what Chris was saying, that’s exactly what was happening .

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Even if we end up camped out down in my office in the shop. It’s got a wood burner fire and a stack of wood. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but if the worst comes to worst, we can ride it out down there.”

“Oh.”

I didn’t really know what to say.

It worried me that he was already considering backup plans. But it wasn’t like I had many options.

Even though I’d known him for less than twenty-four hours, I found myself trusting him to take care of us. I don’t know what it was, maybe his patience, maybe the fact that he seemed so calm, or maybe it was just how good he looked in those worn denim jeans, but I did. I trusted him. I trusted him to protect us, and I trusted him to take care of us. A realization that almost blindsided me. I didn’t trust anyone with Noelle, hardly ever.

“Is there anything you want or need while I’m out?” he offered.

“Um …”

I racked my brain.

Tomorrow was Christmas.

I had to somehow make it special for Noelle, despite everything that was going on outside.

I rattled off a few things that I thought could help and it wasn’t until I stopped and looked up at Chris’s face that I saw how scared he was.

“It’s too much, isn’t it?” I backtracked.

“Not at all. It’s just …. I can’t remember half of what you said,” he admitted, his cheeks turning red.

“What’s your number?” I asked, grabbing my phone.

“Huh?”

“Your phone number. What is it?”

“Holly, are you asking for my number?” Chris asked flirtatiously .

It took me a minute to get with the program and realize what I’d said and how it must’ve sounded.

“Oh my god, no! I mean. Yes. I mean … shit!”

I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole.

I took a breath.

I looked up at Chris who was still laughing at me.

I took another breath. “I was going to text you what I needed to make it easier. That’s why I wanted your number,” I explained calmly while internally dying.

“Yeah. Okay. Sure. Let’s go with that,” Chris replied, still making fun of me.

I started laughing.

I had to.

If I couldn’t laugh at myself, what was the point?

Chris rattled off his number, and I added it to my phone before texting through the list. When I tried to hand him my credit card, he looked offended.

“I can buy groceries, Holly,” he declared.

I stood up. If we were going to argue about this, I wasn’t going to do it sitting on the floor surrounded by panties while he towered over me.

“I never said you couldn't. But you shouldn’t have to. At least not for me and Noelle anyway. You’re already doing so much.”

“It’s fine,” he replied firmly, and I thrust my card out again.

“Please, Chris. Please take it,” I begged just as Noelle cried out for me. “Please,” I tried one last time, shoving it in his hand before turning and fleeing into the bathroom.

“Bloody women,” I heard Chris mutter before turning my attention to Noelle who’d tried to turn the taps off herself and managed to have the icy, cold water blasting down on her.

After Noelle was dressed in her favorite pink jeans and Christmas sweater, I took my turn to have a shower. As much as I wanted to stand under the hot water until all my worries washed away, I didn’t want to use all his hot water.

I’d just stepped onto the bathmat when Noelle barreled into the bathroom almost giving me a heart attack.

“Mom! Your phone keeps ringing,” she said, waving my cell around.

Knotting my towel between my breasts, I tried to calm my racing heart. I took the still-ringing phone from Noelle as she scooted off like she hadn’t almost given me a heart attack.

I saw Dad’s name flashing on the screen.

“Dad,” I answered.

“Where the fuck are you, Holly? I expected you yesterday. You don’t show up, and you don’t even bother to call. I raised you better than that!”

He started berating me like I was a disobedient teen.

I put him on speaker and started toweling myself dry, waiting until he’d run out of puff before I even bothered to try and explain.

After two minutes and thirty-six seconds, a new record for him, he finally asked a question and shut up long enough for me to answer. “Well? Where are you?”

“Dad, we’re fine,” I started, assuring him. “We’re in Evergreen Lake.”

“Evergreen Lake?”

“It’s the last town before you head up to the resort. There was a minor accident …”

“Accident? Holly, what accident? Is Noelle okay? The car?”

I rolled my eyes. Of course, he was worried about the car before me. It was the only thing I’d taken from him in years, and despite my protests, he still rang every other month to make sure I’d had it serviced and checked the oil .

“Everyone's fine,” I replied, trying to keep my voice in check and not bite. Fighting with him wasn’t going to make this any better. “We’re stuck in Evergreen Lake because of the storm. Most of the roads are already cut.”

“You could’ve called!”

“I tried, but the phone lines have been down most of the day and all last night.”

“Hurmpf,” he grunted unhappily.

“Look, Dad, we’re fine. We’re safe, but it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to get up there for Christmas,” I told him, biting the bullet.

“Holly,” he replied, and I recognized the tone. It was the one he used when he was about to tell me what a disappointment I was or let me know I was making the wrong decision.

I steeled myself for what was coming because I knew no matter what he said next, it was going to sting.

“Nikkie planned such a lovely Christmas, and you’re ruining it by being selfish,” he started the lecture, and this time, it cut a little deeper than I was expecting.

Selfish? How was I being selfish? The roads were cut. There was a goddamn blizzard out there. No one was going anywhere. He wasn’t coming down the mountain and I couldn’t get up there. Even the very expensive helicopters were grounded. So, unless I wanted to bundle up my six-year-old daughter and trek up the mountain in the blizzard, we weren’t making it for Christmas no matter what Nikkie had organized.

“Everything is planned and paid for. I told you you should’ve flown up with us, but would you listen? Now you’ve gone and ruined Christmas!”

Snatching the phone up, I took him off speaker not wanting Noelle to overhear Dad’s reaction. He was nothing if not predictable and I could pretty much guarantee he was going to have something to say .

“Dad, we can’t get there. Not because we don’t want to,” although now I really didn’t want to, “but because we can’t. There’s no way out so we’re staying put.”

Rarely did I stand up to my father. Most of the time, it was just easier to let him tire himself out making me feel like shit, then I’d go drown my sorrows with a bottle of Prosecco and a box of my favorite dark chocolates. Today, though, I couldn’t let it go.

“We wanted to be there, but we can’t. So, I’m sorry Nikkie’s plans are ruined and you’ve already paid for everything. I’ll reimburse you …”

“You will do no such thing!” he snapped.

“Noelle and I will make the best we can of Christmas, and once the storm passes, hopefully, we can get up the mountain.”

With my phone wedged between my shoulder and ear, I tried to pull on my panties. It wasn’t easy and I was pretty sure I was going to topple over, but somehow, I kept my footing.

After a long pause, he retreated. “Fine. Can you please let Noelle know I have her gifts here?”

I felt like the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. The fight I knew we’d have was done, and we’d survived without too much bleeding. “Why don’t you tell her yourself tomorrow? I’ll get her to call you and say Merry Christmas.”

“I’d like that.”

My dad could be a gruff old man, but when it came to his granddaughter, he was a marshmallow. Right from the start he’d been like that. When she was born, he’d made a bet with me that he wouldn’t cry when he met her for the first time. He thought he was tough, and nothing could bring him to tears because real men don’t cry. He was so stubbornly confident he’d bet one hundred thousand dollars on it. As he walked through the door to my private room in the hospital, he handed me a check as he reached for her. From that moment, he’d been a sucker, and I couldn’t imagine that ever changing.

“Okay then. Dad, I have to go. I just got out of the shower and need to get dressed before Chris comes home …”

I knew my mistake as the words came out of my mouth.

“Chris? Who the fuck is Chris, Holly? And where the hell are you staying?”