Second Chances with St. Nick

12. Nutcrackers and New Beginnings

I sprinkled icing sugar across the still warm cookies, tapping my palm against the metal sifter. Soaring notes from Nick’s violin reached my ears through the kitchen door. I’d left him in the sitting room to play for Cissy and Harry’s first dance.

We’d transformed the whole house into the winter wonderland my cousin wanted, and as I watched Nick play under the sparkle of fairy lights, my heart overflowed. I actually teared up.

He looked so beautiful—was so talented. And he’d watched me, too, with that special glow in his eyes. As the moisture threatened to spill over my lashes I had to leave. Better to get away before my makeup ran and I looked like a panda for the rest of the day.

I refilled the sifter before giving the cookies another pass. As I worked, the door creaked behind me. The sound of conversation and laughter increased, then faded again.

A sweet smell of cinnamon and pine reached me, and I smiled.

“I didn’t think I’d find you here, wrist deep in baking.” Nick’s husky baritone swept over me.

I let out a breath. “What do you mean?”

I picked up the nutcracker on the counter and placed a hazelnut between its jaws. I wanted to sprinkle some of its shards over the cookies. With a grimace I squeezed the handles together.

Nick stepped up behind me. “Aren’t you the bridesmaid? I thought your job was to fuss over your cousin all day.”

I gave the hazelnut a second squeeze, and a tiny grunt escaped my lips.

Nick’s chuckle wrapped around me, and he curled his arms around my waist. “Can I help you with that?”

I didn’t like to admit defeat, but as I looked down at his corded, inked forearms, I wasn’t about to refuse. He’d rolled up his shirt sleeves earlier. No smart wedding suit for my Nick. He was unapologetically himself, and I loved him for it.

I held my hands up like I’d surrendered to a bank robber, and he took the nutcracker from me before applying enough pressure with just one hand to crack the hazelnut like an egg.

“Thank you,” I said, remembering Nick’s powerful hands as he’d held me in place against his fridge only last night. I bit at my bottom lip.

“You’re welcome. Someone has to clear your kitchen chores and get you back to the party. Cissy will notice you’re not there.”

I chuckled, handing him another nut to crack for me. “Are you kidding? Have you not seen how completely in love she and Harry are? I’d be lucky to get a word in between their kisses.”

He cracked the nut then put it down on the counter along with the nutcracker. Within a heartbeat he brought his lips to my neck—his warm breath sending shivers down my spine. “Seems like they have the right idea. Maybe we should join them.”

My belly flipped in a full somersault, and I turned around in his arms to face him. “G-get married? I... I… we only just…”

Nick’s hazel eyes flashed, and his now familiar throaty laugh filled the air between us. He shook his head. “Don’t panic. I was thinking more of the kissing, but… if you like being back in Pine Springs and don’t mind the snow, I wouldn’t mind talking about it somewhere down the line. I can’t imagine anyone else I’d rather hang out with for the rest of my days.”

I swallowed hard, my breath rolling faster through my chest. His smile bowed even higher, and he brought his mouth to mine.

As we kissed, he circled my waist again, and I slid my hands over his chest, threading them around his neck. The feeling of the two of us together steadied my giddy heart. Nick couldn’t imagine hanging out with anyone else for the rest of his days and I felt the same about being in his arms. Why did I ever stay away so long?

Savoring his lips, I sent a quick prayer of thanks to St. Medard, patron saint of blizzards. His timely intervention on Christmas Eve changed my life. If every snowstorm led to this kind of happiness, I’d gladly sign up for an extended stay at the North Pole.

Nick dragged one thumb down my arm, sending a shiver through my body. He’d done the same yesterday—again and again. After Nick and I left the hospital, I called Mom and explained why I wasn’t home on Christmas morning. She started off the call getting herself into a tizzy, but the moment I mentioned Nick, she relaxed. With her approval, he took me to see his place in the mountains. We’d spent the rest of Christmas day eating doughnuts, drinking hot chocolate in front of the fire, and getting to know each other a whole lot better.

We’d talked late into the night. I agreed to stay in town a little longer. In fact, I wasn’t sure I’d ever go back to California. As much as I loved the heat, with Nick in my life, there was more than enough sizzle in Pine Springs to keep me happy.

Nick ended our kiss. As our lips parted, he brought his hands to my shoulders and studied my face.

“What? Has my mascara run?”

“No. Hold still.” Nick ran his thumb gently over my cheek then, with the sexiest smile known to womankind, brought it to his lips. He licked the tip. “Icing sugar.”

I brought a hand to my face. “Oh, crap, am I covered in it? I probably look like a mess.”

Nick raked his eyes over me, shaking his head. “Absolutely not. You look gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so charming.”

At his words, a flash of heat ran through me, like I’d been struck by lightning. “Damn! I almost forgot to give you your Christmas present.”

He huffed a soft laugh. “No, you didn’t. I’m holding it. And it's perfect. Just what I always wanted.”

Nick leaned in to kiss me again, but I held my hand to his chest. “No, I have something else for you.” I dug into the hidden pocket in the side of my dress.

Nick widened his eyes. “You have pockets in there? I’m sorry, I assumed someone sewed you into that gown. You look incredible.” He brought his mouth to my neck, trailing feather-light kisses behind my ear. With his touch, all thoughts of presents and Christmas left my brain, as my nerve endings sparked to life. Hell, he knew exactly how to distract me. But I had something that belonged to him. Something I wanted to return.

“Nick.”

“Mmm?”

“We shouldn’t. Someone could walk in.”

He paused, lips hovering millimeters from my skin. “I have every faith in you.”

“Sorry, what?”

“I’m sure you could take an intruder down with those nutcrackers in a second.”

I giggled, drawing a small silk bag from my pocket. I took one of Nick’s hands and placed it in his palm. “Here, I wanted you to have this back.”

Nick examined the bag, quirking a brow. After a beat, he pulled open the drawstring and tipped out the contents. The music-note charm he’d given me, so many years ago, lay against his calloused palm. I’d kept it on the gold chain that belonged to my grandfather.

He flipped the charm over, running his finger over the metal. “Isn’t this…?”

I nodded. “I thought you might like it back. I hope you like it.”

The apples of his cheeks raised, and his eyes sparkled. “I love it. Thank you.”

Nick leaned in and gave me a lingering kiss on my forehead. “But what can I get you?”

Try a lifetime of watching him chop wood and keeping me warm at night. With a smile, I wrapped my arms around his waist. “You don’t need to get me anything.”

“Oh, I think I do.” Nick smiled and secured the charm around his neck.

“Well, you could book me in for a tattoo. One to match your special heart.”

His eyes sparked. “I don’t know, Abbie. A tattoo is pretty permanent.”

I grinned. “I’ll take my chances.”

He swept me up in his arms again, kissing me gently. “What kind of tattoo would you get?”

“I don’t know. Something to remind me of you.”

“Maybe an axe?”

My mind lingered on the memory of the wood splitting demonstration he’d given me yesterday at his cabin. I wasn’t sure an axe was really my style, but I was more than ready to sit through a million wood-chopping lessons, should he require.

“How about a sleigh and reindeer across your back?” he asked.

I giggled. “That’s a bit flashy for me.”

His lips quirked at their corners. “Okay, maybe a little Santa hat or perhaps…”

“You know, I think I’m going to keep it simple.”

He shook his head slowly. “You are anything but simple.”

I tapped the back of my hand against his solid torso. “No, I mean simple, like us. As in we’re simply meant to be together.”

A broad smile spread over Nick’s lips. “I can do simple. I love you, Abbie. I never stopped loving you and now that I have you back, I want to spend all my time loving you.”

My breath hovered somewhere in the back of my throat. If the last forty-eight hours were any measure, I wanted him to spend all his time loving me, too.

I cupped Nick's face, tracing his cheekbones with my thumbs. “I love you too—so much. I still can’t believe everything that’s happened, but I’ve got Ms. Carey, my loose beanie, and my shocking balance skills to thank for it. And this Christmas? Hands down the best.”

With a lift of his brow and a grin that stole my breath, Nick leaned in. The moment we kissed, his hands wrapped around my back, and a wave of excitement flooded through me, electric and undeniable. He held me close, and in that moment, all my dreams had come true. My first love and I had found our way back to each other. Our hearts had found their way back to each other.

We had a second chance. An opportunity to start again. And with St. Nick driving our sleigh, I couldn’t wait to see where our journey would take us.