Mistletoe Magic (Evergreen Lake: Under the Mistletoe)

Chapter 23

twenty-three

HOLLY

I stood outside the door to Chris’s apartment, second-guessing myself. No, that wasn’t quite right. By now, I was debating this for the tenth or maybe it was the eleventh time.

“Aren't you going to knock, Mom?” Noelle asked, staring up at me.

She was a good kid. She hadn’t even blinked when I announced over lunch that we were leaving the ski resort. My father, on the other hand, let’s just say I was glad we were in a public place and he was obsessed with what people thought. Had we been in private, I’m sure I’d still be listening to his tirade as he blew a gasket and told me how disappointed he was with me and all the mistakes I was making with my life.

After I’d dropped my bombshell, Noelle and I finished our lunch, packed up our things, and stopped in the lobby to buy a ridiculous amount of overpriced candy before climbing into Chris’s truck and heading back down the mountain.

It had only been a few days and I missed him. I didn’t want to because I had no idea how this could work or even if he wanted it to, but I didn’t want to be at the resort. I didn’t belong there. It was full of rich, pretentious assholes whose mission in life was to make others feel inferior. I wanted no part of it, and I certainly didn’t want my daughter to be exposed to such an ugly side of life.

“Yeah, I’m just …” Stalling? Chickening out? Debating whether it was too late to run away.

Noelle took the decision out of my hands. I watched as she lifted her hand and knocked hard on the door before taking my hand.

The door was yanked open, and I took a breath. Chris looked good. Better than good. His hair was damp and messy like he’d been running his fingers through it. He wore a pair of faded jeans that sat low on his hips and a navy pullover.

“Are you going out?” I blurted out embarrassingly.

Chris looked confused. “Ah, no?”

“You look like you’re going out. We can get out of your hair. I’ve parked your truck out the front. If you just want to give me the keys and let me know how much I owe you.”

I was babbling and freaking out. I don’t know what it was about Chris that made me turn into a silly schoolgirl, but I couldn’t help it.

After he’d called earlier, I hadn’t been able to forget Chris. No, that wasn’t really true either. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him from the moment we’d pulled out of his drive a few days ago, and Noelle had been no better. Yesterday, she was out playing in the snow with my dad when she told him that Chris was better at making a snowman and that Dad was doing it all wrong. Noelle’s innocent comment quickly turned into my interrogation and my father demanding to know who Chris was and what he meant to us.

I didn’t know what he meant to us. What he meant to me. It was something. I just didn’t know what.

“Holly,” Chris said my name so softly I felt my whole body deflate. “Come inside,” Chris invited, ushering us into his apartment.

I looked around. This place felt more like home, more like me than that resort ever could. The Christmas tree by the window wasn’t perfect. Its branches dropped under the weight of mismatched ornaments, but I didn’t care. It was the perfect tree. One decorated with love.

“How was the resort?” Chris asked as he helped Noelle out of her coat.

“Boring,” she replied, and I snorted.

“Excuse me,” I apologized, covering my face. Nothing like a kid's honesty to tell it how it is.

“I’m sure it wasn’t,” Chris tried, but Noelle wasn’t budging.

“It was sooo boring. We had to get dressed fancy for dinner, and they didn’t even have mac and cheese!” Noelle declared like it was a travesty.

“But did you have fun in the snow?” Chris tried a different tact.

“No. Poppy wouldn’t let me throw snowballs, and Nikkie yelled at me for making a snow angel.”

“She yelled at you?” I interrupted. That was something I hadn’t known about.

“She told me I was being childish and unladylike,” Noelle said dramatically, folding her arms across her chest like she was being offended all over again.

Nikkie really had no idea. Noelle was a child. Of course she was going to act like one.

“Would a hot chocolate make it better?” Chris offered.

“With marshmallows?”

“Noelle! Remember your manners,” I scolded as Chris shot me a look.

“There’s no other way to have hot chocolate. Should we make Mom one, too?” Chris asked Noelle as he knelt down to meet her eye.

“Yes please.”

Chris took Noelle’s hand, leading her into the kitchen before lifting her onto a stool at the counter and grabbing the bag of marshmallows. I stood at the door watching them. I hadn’t even removed my coat. I just stood silently watching them. It wasn’t until I saw it for myself that I realized how much she glowed under Chris’s attention, and he wasn’t immune either.

“Mom, are you coming?” Noelle called.

Chris looked at me with a strange look. I’m sure he had a million questions about why I was here, but he was keeping them to himself for now.

When he walked over to where I was standing, frozen like a statue, he reached up and unzipped my coat.

“What are you…?” My words were cut off as he unwound my scarf from around my neck and hung it on the hook right beside his.

“Mom, look!” Noelle squawked and both Chris and I turned to face her.

“What?” I asked.

Noelle was pointing at me. At least I thought she was. “You have to kiss!” She giggled.

I looked up and hanging above our heads in the doorway was a bunch of mistletoe tied with a red ribbon. I don’t remember it being there before we left. I had a sour taste in my mouth as I wondered who Chris had hung it there for.

“Oh.”

I looked at Chris who was grinning like the cat that got the cream.

“You don’t have to,” I told him, not wanting to make it more awkward for him than it already was.

“Oh yes I do,” he replied devilishly .

“Chris …”

“It’s the rule,” he replied before cupping my face in his hands and bringing his lips to mine.

Chris’s touch brought me to life, and when he sealed his lips down on mine, I moaned like a wanton hussy and what’s worse was, I didn’t even care. I could hear clapping and cheering but nothing mattered. Nothing except the man in front of me. I grabbed a fistful of his sweater and held him to me. Chris tilted my head and deepened the kiss. When I groaned, Chris took the opportunity and plundered. With our tongues dueling, I held on tight.

The chanting of ‘Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!’ snapped me out of the lust haze and sent me spinning straight back to reality.

Chris stepped away, an infectious smile on his face.

I reached up and touched my kiss-swollen lips, sure I looked a mess. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I could hear the blood roaring through my veins.

“Wow,” I exclaimed as the kettle’s whistle echoed through the room.

Leaving me standing there, Chris went and finished making hot chocolate, handing Noelle the bag of marshmallows and her mug.

“Two only, Noelle,” I told her, not needing her riding a sugar high and stuck in the car.

“Mom!” she whined.

“Two,” I repeated only for her to grumble and drop two into her mug with a splash.

Over our hot chocolate, Noelle babbled while Chris and I eyed each other over the rim of our mugs, our looks saying more than either of us was ready to admit. I didn’t know what to say. I was leaving. Our life, my job, and Noelle’s school weren't in Evergreen Lake, but I had this sinking feeling that our hearts were. Leaving wasn’t going to be easy, but it wasn’t like I could just stay. Besides, Chris hadn’t asked me to.

Noelle finished her drink and scampered off to play with the deck of cards on the coffee table, leaving Chris and me staring at each other.

“Chris …”

“Holly …”

We both spoke at the same time.

“You go first,” he invited, setting our empty mugs in the sink.

“Thank you for everything. If you hadn’t taken us in, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“You’re welcome, Holly,” he replied politely.

“How much do I owe you?” I don’t know what it was I wanted to say, but it wasn’t that.

“Excuse me?” Chris snapped, looking like I’d slapped him across the face.

I realized how it sounded and wanted to crawl into a hole. “For my car,” I added quickly.

“Oh.”

“How much do I owe you for the car?” I asked, this time putting it in a full sentence.

“I don’t know, four hundred,” Chris replied, not bothering to look at me.

I walked over to the door and picked up my purse which I’d left there. Taking out my wallet, I reached in and grabbed some cash before setting it on the kitchen counter.

Chris didn’t touch it.

He stared at it as if it was poison.

“I’ll grab your keys,” he replied automatically, already moving toward the door and stuffing his feet in his boots.

I knew I’d pissed him off, but I didn’t know how to undo it. I hadn’t meant to, but I’d been stupid and now I’d hurt him .

“Come on, Noelle. It’s time to go,” I hurried her, holding out her coat.

We followed Chris down the stairs and into the dark workshop. Chris disappeared into his office before returning with my keys.

“Here you go. She’s all good to go.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll help get your bags loaded,” Chris offered as he walked over to the door and pressed a button, the roller door rising with a groan.

A gust of cold wind blew through the door making us shiver. I helped Noelle into the car and got her settled, while Chris loaded our bags. Not once did he make eye contact or even look at me. It was like we were strangers.

He shut the truck and came to stand beside me.

“Drive safe,” he offered, opening my door.

I thought he was going to kiss me. I thought he was going to ask me to stay. I wanted him to. But instead, he told me to drive safe. Not wanting to draw out my humiliation any further, I slid behind the wheel and fired up the ignition.

“Take care of your mom, Noelle,” Chris reminded her through the open door.

“I will,” Noelle promised.

When he pushed my door closed, I swear a piece of my heart shattered.

But I couldn’t show him. I wouldn’t. Instead, I shoved the car in reverse and backed out of Chris’s workshop. He walked to the edge of the door and raised his hand. It was his final goodbye and I had to accept that.

With one final wave, I blinked back unshed tears and headed home.

Ten minutes down the road, I was almost blinded. This felt real. It felt final. When I sniffed, I gave myself away.

“Why are you crying, Mom?” Noelle asked innocently.

“I’m not, sweetie,” I lied.

“Mom?”

“Yes, Noelle?”

“I miss Chris.”

Noelle’s innocence broke me. I was already a teary mess, and when Noelle gave voice to everything she was feeling it pushed me over the edge. It'd barely been ten minutes and she missed him.

“I miss him, too,” I whispered to myself, finally admitting out loud what my heart already knew.