Second Chances with St. Nick

3. Hot Chocolate and Home Truths

3

HOT CHOCOLATE AND HOME TRUTHS

I reached the kitchen. Mom fussed over the stove. She heated milk in a pan, and Nick leaned against the counter. He stared out the window, watching the squirrels picking nuts up from the bird table and taking them away to hide. I wrung my hands. Clearly, they had a better plan for winter than I did for my future.

I took a seat at the dining table and ran my hand over the checkered tablecloth. Mom chatted away to Nick about the wedding. He put on an admirable show of interest, nodding at the right times and smiling in the right places. He’d make a skilled politician. But every so often, I’d catch his eyes flicking in my direction and my heart would jump. They had the same intensity as I remembered. The same glow.

Only now could I take him in, and as I ran my eyes over his size—his bulk—I had to wonder how he’d turned himself into a Marvel superhero. He literally filled the room, and I swear he’d hit his head on the ceiling if he sneezed.

Mom put a cup of steaming chocolate in front of me and handed one to Nick. He blew over the top to cool it, then took a sip, licking his lips. I ran my tongue between my own. Damn, he’d turned out handsome.

Not that he hadn’t been easy on the eyes when we were younger, but the man standing in the kitchen was a world away from my old friend.

Back when we grew up, the kids at school considered us nerds. Nick for his music and me for my brains. The two of us formed a kind of club. He had a quiet, theater kid vibe and I had train track braces and thick glasses. I shook my head and chuckled to myself. My classmates called me Bottle-top Abbie. There was nothing like a mean nickname to fill a kid with confidence.

My life changed the day I discovered contact lenses, and my braces came off. But my teen transformation from homely to homecoming queen hadn’t just affected me.

I glanced at Nick again. Mom leaned on the counter next to him, looking like a tiny sparrow in comparison. Her laugh tinkled out into the quiet of the kitchen and I tuned back into their conversation.

“Well, it’s nice to have her back,” she said.

Did she mean me? Based on her welcome yesterday, I couldn’t be sure.

“And it’s lovely to see you, again,” she continued, beaming at Nick. “Once your folks moved away, I didn’t know if you’d ever come back to town.”

“Your folks moved?” How did I not know this?

Nick’s soft hazel eyes found mine, and he nodded. “A while back.”

Mom folded her arms across her ample bosom. “Moving away from your hometown seems to be quite the thing to do. We’ve hardly seen Abbie in years.”

I scoffed, taking a sip of my chocolate. “I call, Mom. Besides, Pine Springs is a long way from California. It’s not as if I can just hop on a bus.”

“California?” Nick’s eyes searched my face.

He obviously hadn’t taken the time to ask where I’d been all this time, either. Where I’d ended up. I couldn’t hold his lack of interest against him, though. Hadn’t I questioned if he lived in a cave with a cartoon bear?

“Well,” said Mom, dragging a cloth over the already sparkling counter. “I suppose you’ve had other things to occupy your time. Parties. That fancy beach house of yours.”

I rolled my eyes. “Which I don’t live in, anymore.”

She stopped her polishing and clutched the cloth to her chest. “Ah yes, that’s right. Tell me, how is your ex? Such a nice man. Always so thoughtful.”

I clamped my jaw tight. I’d call him more self-involved and narcissistic. I’d never told Mom too much about my life with Cody. She didn’t know how bad our relationship became. The one time I’d complained about his asshole tendencies, she’d turned it around on me. Gave me a lecture on choosing unsuitable men.

She shook out her towel. “I could’ve told you that relationship wouldn’t work out. He was a high-flyer and despite what you say, you’ve always been a small-town girl at heart. I don’t know why you think life at the beach is better than being near your family and friends here at Pine Springs.”

Um—should I use this cozy little “pep-talk” as exhibit A?

Mom turned to Nick. “What do you think?”

I widened my eyes. Oh Lord, please don’t involve him. But, no, she carried on.

“I know you moved further out of town, too, but you’ve still stayed close to your roots. Should Abbie consider moving back home? Wouldn’t you like to see more of her?”

A small furrow appeared between Nick’s brows. With a barely audible sigh, he put his mug down on the counter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’ll go unload the holly.”

A wound split open in my chest as I watched him walk out the door. Like someone had slammed an axe into my sternum. He hadn’t wanted to answer her question.

But what should I expect? The moment I’d thrown away my glasses all those years ago, I’d undergone a transformation. Geek to a glowed-up beauty queen. Only, I hadn’t taken my best friend—my first love—along for the ride.

I counted to ten before I rounded on my mom. “I’d rather you didn’t discuss my love life in front of other people.”

She clacked her tongue against her teeth. “It’s only Nick. You’ve known each other forever. And anyway, he’s probably not interested in your dramas.” She shook out her cloth again, eyeing me steadily. “I never understood why you two didn’t end up together. You were practically joined at the hip as kids, and I’d have bet my best china there was more going on when you got older.”

“Mom, Nick was just a friend.”

I’d told no one about the night we kissed—the night he asked me to the Snow Ball and said I was all he’d ever wanted.

Mom folded her towel and popped it on the counter. “Well, friends or not, he’s turned into a fine-looking young man. Did you see his shoulders? I bet he could bench press a redwood. And it wouldn’t take much more than a nice suit to clean him up. He’d make a handsome date for Cissy’s wedding, wouldn’t you say?”

“Mom!”

“What? Don’t tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing. I saw the way you looked at him. I’d have found him pleasing in my day, too. Nice and tall. Though he could lose the ponytail, and I don’t know what he’s thinking with that beard.”

“Mom! Please.” I mean, his sandy-colored beard was a bit of a shock, but now I’d had time to check it out close up, I found I didn’t mind the idea. I’d describe my ex as preppy. Nick’s “man of the mountains” vibe struck quite a contrast—in all the right ways.

“I’m just saying you could do worse. You and Nick have always been close. Who knows what could happen if you spent a little time together? And why is he still single, looking like that?” She pulled up short, placing her hands on her hips. “Is he still single?”

I had no idea. Cissy gave me no reason to believe he wasn’t. But if I didn’t even know where he lived, how would I know if he had a girlfriend, or a wife?

Mom didn’t wait for an answer. “If I were you, I’d find out. Handsome young men are scarce, particularly ones with such fine manners.”

The noise of a throat clearing sounded out behind me and I spun round in my chair to face the door. Nick stood there, eyes too wide for comfort, and pinned on me. Even underneath the beard, he clamped his jaw tight.

My face erupted into a firestorm. How much had he heard?

The room fell into silence. After four ticks of the kitchen clock, Nick spoke. “I’ve unloaded the holly onto the deck. I put some tarp over it, but you might want to get Mr. Cooper to hang it soon. A storm’s heading our way in the next couple days.”

Nick dusted off his large hands. Did I look at his ring finger? Yes. Yes, I did. And I couldn’t deny the loosening of my shoulders when I saw it bare.

“Thank you, Nicholas.” Mom smoothed the back of her hair as if she was getting ready to meet royalty. “Would you like to stay for dinner? I’m sure you and Abigail would love some time to catch up.”

My gut rolled at her suggestion. If he’d heard our conversation, he’d think that both mom and I were angling for something more than a family dinner.

Nick shifted from foot to foot in the doorway, eyes bouncing about the room. “I… um…”

He glanced at me and the look in his eyes reminded me of a man pleading for his life at an execution.

“I’m sure Nick has things to do,” I said.

Mom let out a little sniff. “Well, that’s probably true. I hear around town you’ve been looking after your uncle. Is he on the mend now?”

With his bottom lip tethered between his teeth, Nick looked unsure—a little shy—and the sight took me back years. To the young boy I knew.

Finally, he nodded, reaching into his pocket and wedging his beanie onto his head. “Yes. And I need to get the truck back to him. Thanks for the hot chocolate, Mrs. Cooper. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, Nicholas,” Mom said. “Just remember, though, we’d love to see you at Cissy’s wedding. You could even play your little fiddle.”

I rolled my eyes internally. She didn’t even consider checking with Cissy. If I knew my cousin, she’d have her day planned with military precision. “Nick played the violin, Mom.” Still, anything would look small in his arms.

Nick lingered in the doorway. “I’ll try, but I have to help my uncle with work.”

“The wedding’s the day after Christmas! I’m sure he can spare you. What do you say, Abbie? Don’t you want Nick to come?”

His eyes darted to mine, and I swear his cheeks flushed.

All the moisture left my mouth. “I…well, um…” I cursed my sluggish brain. Perhaps I should add “eloquence under pressure” to my Christmas wish list.

He didn’t even wait for my response. Instead, he looked at his feet and bustled out of the door without another word.

Mom gaped at him like a hungry baby bird, and she gave her head a quick shake. “Well. How rude. He couldn’t have high-tailed it out of here any faster.”

My stomach churned. Nick wasn’t rude—more like terrified. I recognized his tight jaw. Some things never changed. And if not terrified, he must hate me—probably couldn’t stand being in the same room. But how could I blame him? I hurt him. Maybe I should accept that Nick forgiving me was out of the question.

Despite the heat being turned up to the max, an icy shiver ran over me. After Cissy’s wedding, I’d head back to the coast and restart my life. Find a new direction, a fresh purpose, and bury the uncomfortable feelings seeing Nick brought.

Taking a breath, I exhaled through pursed lips. It turned out I wasn’t over my first love, but it was time to let him go. As I stared at the space he’d occupied in the doorway, my pulse jumped in my veins.

Maybe my heart hadn’t gotten the memo.