Читать книгу Desire Collection: October 2017 Books 1 - 4 - Джанис Мейнард, Maureen Child - Страница 13

Four

Dani cocked her head, her smile dimming as a knot of something settled like a rock in her stomach. Nathaniel was acting very strangely. Despite her misgivings, she forged ahead with the idea that had come to her while she waited for him to wake up. “I have a question, Nathaniel. You can say no if you want to.”

As she watched, he took two steps backward, set his empty cup on the counter and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Ask away,” he said. But his gaze didn’t meet hers. His body language was one big keep-off-the-grass sign.

Sighing inwardly, she nuzzled the top of the baby’s head. “It’s Christmas Eve,” she said flatly, as if he didn’t know. “And tomorrow is Christmas Day. Your condo is virtually empty of any sustenance, holiday or otherwise. I checked around online and found a small market about a mile from here that’s opening up from ten to four today. If I make a grocery list, will you go shopping for us?”

His lips quirked in a reluctant smile. “That’s doable.”

“I’m not the greatest cook,” Dani admitted. “I don’t think I’d be confident preparing a turkey, even if they have any. But I could do a pot roast with all the trimmings and some kind of fancy dessert. Are you allergic to anything?”

“No.” He didn’t look happy.

She was even tempered as a rule, but his silence grated. “Do you have an objection to observing the holiday with good food?” The words came out more sharply than she had intended. Still, she didn’t regret them.

Nathaniel sat down on a bar stool at the counter and grimaced. “My family was not as warm and fuzzy as yours, Dani. My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but not until I was in high school. I don’t know if you can imagine what my childhood was like.”

Suddenly Dani felt small and mean. “What about your father?”

“He loved my mother in spite of everything—and he loved me, I’m sure. But he wasn’t the kind of man who could keep gluing bits of our life back together and making things work. His solution was to spend all his time at the office.”

“I see.” In fact, she saw more than she ever had before. Nathaniel had layers upon layers, it seemed. The more she learned about him, the more it became apparent he was destined to hurt her if she let herself get too close. The man didn’t want a girlfriend or a wife. In fact, he seemed to be rabidly opposed to human emotion in general.

Squashing her disappointment, she managed a light tone. “So is that yes or no to the dessert?”

Finally, she coaxed a smile from him. “I may not know how to properly observe Christmas, but I do like to eat.”

“Well, there you go.” For no apparent reason, Dani felt like crying. She didn’t want to see Nathaniel as a person, a man with hidden vulnerabilities. She didn’t want to like or understand him anymore than she already did. Liking him led to fantasizing about a future that would never be hers. Fortunately, Nathaniel was oblivious to her turmoil.

“Your grocery store plan still doesn’t help us with the baby’s clothing situation, or lack thereof,” he said.

Dani nodded. “I have a lead there, as well. Your poor doorman made it into work this morning, but he’s bored, because clearly there’s not much action in the lobby. I phoned down to him earlier with a question or two. In the process, he told me his daughter has a little girl who’s a year old. He thinks they might have some hand-me-downs we can use for Peaches. And they live close enough he can walk to their apartment tonight after work.”

“Do you make friends with anyone and everyone?”

His tone didn’t sound as if the question was a compliment. Dani chose her words carefully. “The world can be a difficult place. We’re all interconnected. I see no harm in being open to other people and experiences.”

“Maybe you were a hippie flower child in another life,” he muttered.

“I can go, Nathaniel,” she said sharply. “You asked for my help. But if you’re going to act like a horse’s ass all weekend, I’d just as soon leave.”

Her accusation found its mark. For a moment, Nathaniel turned icy and distant. She wanted to run from his disdain, but she held her ground. The standoff felt interminable.

Gradually, his posture softened. His chest lifted and fell in a huge sigh. “I apologize,” he said. “Apparently, I’m not as good at sleep deprivation as I thought.”

“You’re forgiven. I know you’re exhausted.” Dani didn’t hold grudges. Life was too short. A change of subject was in order. “I’m worried that if you get everything we need at the market, it will be too heavy to carry.”

“I have an old army-surplus duffel bag. It’s practically indestructible. I can load it up, cinch the top and drag it back, if necessary.”

“That could work.” The thought of filling Nathaniel’s somewhat-sterile condo with the appealing scents of Christmas excited her.

“Is there anything else Peaches might need that I could get at the store?”

“We covered the basics last night. She’s old enough to begin sampling simple foods, but since we don’t know if Ophelia has given her anything yet, I’d be afraid to try. The formula will be enough for now.”

“You’re the expert.”

“Hardly. I’m just grateful Peaches is an easy baby. I’ve heard stories about colic and other stuff. This situation could have been much worse.”

“It would have been,” Nathaniel said bluntly. “Without you.”

She flushed. “I was an extra pair of hands, that’s all.”

“No,” he said carefully. “It’s more than that. I see it at NCT all the time. People come to you with problems and questions. You triage. You offer solutions. You give support. You’re an extraordinary woman, Dani. Don’t ever underestimate yourself.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Dani put a hand to her hot cheek. Wow. That was the warmest and most personal testimonial she had ever received from her boss. And it told her he actually noticed what she did for the company. Sometimes she wondered. He became so absorbed in his work, she’d been convinced at times that he saw her as no different from a computer or the copy machine.

It was disarming to know he was watching.

Peaches had drooled all over the shoulder of Dani’s shirt, which was, of course, Nathaniel’s shirt. At this rate, she would have to borrow half a dozen to keep up with the baby’s tendency to destroy clothing.

This was the strangest Christmas Eve Dani had ever experienced. Over the last decade, she had dated a number of men, but none of them long enough to warrant spending the holidays with their families or vice versa. The only Christmases Dani had ever known were celebrated in the bosom of her family.

Though Nathaniel’s condo was a far cry from her parents’ warm and welcoming home, Dani was determined to make this day memorable. For Peaches. For Nathaniel. Heck, for herself.

Someday, God willing, she would be marking the holidays in a house of her own with a husband, two as-yet-to-be-named kids and maybe a dog. She would be in charge of the meals and the decorations and the Santa gifts.

Maybe this odd Christmas was a testing ground. Did she have it in her to make the holiday special under these circumstances? Would Nathaniel even care?

One glance at the clock on the stove told her she had no time to spare. Presumably Nathaniel had disappeared to suit up for his foray into the winter wonderland. Dani loved playing in snow as a rule, but she didn’t have the appropriate clothing, and it was too cold for the baby even if Dani had wanted to go along.

With Peaches in one arm, she quickly scanned the contents of the cabinets. They were mostly empty. One set of salt and pepper shakers. An out-of-date container of cinnamon. Half a bag of questionable flour. But at least the basics of cookware were represented. Maybe a woman had furnished the kitchen.

She found a pen and started writing. By the time Nathaniel returned carrying the big empty duffel bag, Dani had filled three pages of a notepad advertising a well-known realty company. “I hope you can read my writing,” she fretted. “I’m not good at one-handed penmanship.”

Nathaniel grinned. “We have these things called cell phones...”

“Well, that’s true. But what if I’m changing a diaper at the exact moment you need to call me?”

He shrugged. “Then I’ll wait.” Even bundled from head to toe, he managed to look ruggedly handsome.

“What about eggs and bread?”

“I’ll put them on top. It will be fine. Quit worrying. You should know, though, that walking a mile and back in a foot of snow won’t be quick. Not to mention how long it’s going to take me to find all this stuff.” He waved the list in the air.

“Sorry,” Dani said. “I guess I got carried away. Maybe I was making sure you didn’t have to make a second trip.”

“Maybe,” he chuckled. He kissed the baby’s cheek, his lips dangerously close to Dani’s, close enough to give a woman ideas. “You girls stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”

* * *

On the elevator ride down to the lobby, Nathaniel started to sweat. He’d put on clothes from his last Colorado ski trip. When he stepped outside, he was glad he had kept the heavy winter gear. As useless as it normally was in Atlanta, today it was going to come in handy.

The snow had turned into a nasty drizzle that froze on contact. Soon, he couldn’t feel his cheeks. He wrapped his fleece scarf around all of his face but his eyes, and picked up the pace. It wasn’t easy. Snowshoes might have been a good idea if he had owned any.

He relished the physical exertion. Despite his lack of sleep the night before, he wanted to push himself to the limits, anything to keep from thinking about Dani. She was his very valuable assistant, not a lover. He had to remember that, no matter how great the temptation.

He’d never seen Atlanta like this. It was a ghost town, a frozen ghost town. Occasionally, an official vehicle passed. There were a few intrepid explorers out, like himself. For the most part, though, his fellow citizens had hunkered down to wait for the snow to melt.

What did normal people do on December 24? There would be no last-minute shopping today, that’s for sure. Even Amazon couldn’t fulfill impulsive wishes in the midst of a blizzard. Fortunately, Nathaniel had resources Amazon didn’t possess. Early this morning, he had made a couple of phone calls and arranged to get a gift for Dani. She deserved at least that much for putting up with his bizarre situation.

The small neighborhood market shone like a beacon at the end of his journey, bringing cheer to the gray, icy day. In addition to the store’s normal illumination, swags of colored lights festooned the entrance.

Inside, Nathaniel grabbed a shopping cart and stripped off his outer garments. Christmas music played from overhead speakers. Oddly, it didn’t irritate him as it sometimes did. When he found himself humming along with a familiar tune, he frowned and concentrated on Dani’s list.

The store was mostly empty. He was able to go as slowly as he wanted, one aisle at a time, until he was confident he had fulfilled his mission.

At the checkout stand, he began to have a few tiny doubts about getting all this stuff back to the condo. No matter. He’d told Dani it might take a while.

The store manager rang up the purchases. “You’re a brave man,” he said. “Must have a woman at home ready to cook.”

“Something like that.”

When the last item was scanned, Nathaniel handed over his credit card and began loading the canvas duffel, putting the canned goods on the bottom. The manager looked to be in his late forties and bore a passing resemblance to Santa Claus. He was dressed in overalls and a red flannel shirt, probably not his usual work attire.

The older man began grouping smaller items and tying them into plastic bags to make them easier to stuff in the duffel. “You got a tree already?” he asked.

Nathaniel shook his head. “No. I don’t usually decorate. It’s a lot of trouble.”

The Santa look-alike frowned. “Then you should take one of those small live trees. On the house. They’ll be useless to me by Monday. For that matter, I’ll throw in a stand and several strands of lights. Might as well. I’ll be stuck with that whole display seventy-five percent off. I’d rather you and your lady friend enjoy them.”

“Oh, but I—”

The manager interrupted, “I know, I know. You’re walking. I get it. My son, Toby, is in the back unloading pallets. Do you know how hard it is for a seventeen-year-old boy to be snowed in the day before Christmas? The kid needs some exercise. He’s driving me and his mom crazy. Let him walk back and carry the tree for you.”

“It’s a long way,” Nathaniel protested.

“Won’t matter.” The man punched in a message on his cell phone. “He’s on his way.”

Moments later the kid appeared. Six foot four at least, with shoulders that told Nathaniel he probably played football. The teenager was visibly eager, chomping at the bit to get outside. “Happy to help, sir,” he said, beaming at Nathaniel. “Which tree would you like?”

Nathaniel wanted to say forget it, but in his gut he knew Dani would love having a tree. “Any of them.” Good grief.

The manager grimaced. “Sorry we don’t have ornaments.”

“Believe me,” Nathaniel said, “it’s okay.”

The trip back to the condo was surprisingly entertaining. Nathaniel dragged the heavy duffel bag along behind him, occasionally changing arms when his shoulder protested. “So tell me, Toby, do you work at the store on a regular basis?”

“When I’m not practicing football or basketball or out with my girl.”

Toby had the four-foot, live tree—in a plastic stand—balanced on one shoulder. In his other hand, he carried Dani’s precious eggs, a loaf of bread and the strands of lights. The teenager wasn’t even breathing hard, nor was he wearing gloves. Nathaniel, probably only fifteen years his senior, felt like an old man trying to keep up.

“Have you been dating this girl for a while?”

“A year and a half, sir. We have plans to go to college together and get married when we graduate.”

“Your parents are okay with that?”

“Oh, yeah. They adore Kimberly. Her parents have been married almost as long as mine. Mom always told me to look at a girl’s family. That way you know what’s important to her, and you can decide if you’re compatible.”

The young man’s casual confidence rattled Nathaniel. Was this what happened when you grew up with actual parental guidance? Surely this kid was far too young to know what he wanted out of life. Then again, Nathaniel wasn’t qualified to weigh in on interpersonal relationships, not by a long shot.

Toby used the next twenty minutes to bend Nathaniel’s ear about everything from his interest in NASCAR racing to his amazing girlfriend to the Central America trip he and his youth group were going to make during the summer.

Nathaniel listened with half an ear, wondering if he himself had ever been as passionate and excited about life as this young man. For Nathaniel, every goal had been about getting out on his own and proving himself without his parents. Yet here was an all-American kid who actually enjoyed his life.

Even Toby tired after the first half mile. When they stopped to catch their breath, Toby set the tree and his packages carefully on the ground and rolled his shoulders. He even put on a pair of gloves.

Nathaniel hid a grin. He did remember what it was like to be seventeen and driven by testosterone. Of course, with Dani in his home, those feelings were pretty much the same right now. He didn’t feel the need to flex his muscles, but on the other hand, he had made a long trek through knee-deep ice and snow to bring home provisions. Maybe this was the twenty-first-century equivalent of slaying a wild animal and dragging it back to the cave.

Toby blew on his hands and bounced from one foot to the other. “What about you, Mr. Winston. Do you have any kids?”

For some reason, the question caught Nathaniel completely off guard. “Um, no...”

Toby grinned. “You don’t sound too sure.”

“I’m sure,” Nathaniel said firmly. “Come on. Let’s get going before we freeze to death.”

At the condo, Dani buzzed them in and welcomed them at the door. The way her face lit up when she saw the scrawny little tree gave Nathaniel a warm fuzzy feeling that was scary as hell.

“This is Toby,” Nathaniel said. “His dad manages the market. Toby got drafted to help me get back with all of this.”

Dani beamed at the teenager, baby Peaches on her hip. “Thank you so much, Toby. Here, wait.” She reached into her purse on the table in the foyer and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “Merry Christmas.”

The boy’s cheeks reddened even more than they had from the cold. Dani’s smile could melt a snowman at fifty paces. “Merry Christmas, ma’am. Happy to do it.”

“Will you stay long enough for me to make some hot chocolate?” Dani asked.

Toby grimaced. “Wish I could, but I’d better get back to the store. Your baby is cute.” Peaches flirted with him unashamedly.

Dani blinked. “Oh, well, she’s not mine, but thanks.”

Toby shot Nathaniel a raised-eyebrow look. The baby wasn’t Dani’s, and Nathaniel had said he didn’t have kids. No wonder the boy was confused.

Nathaniel decided to hurry the goodbyes along. “Too bad you can’t stay. Thanks for your help. Tell your father thanks, too. Merry Christmas.”

When the door closed behind the teenager, an awkward silence fell, one that weighed a thousand pounds. Nathaniel cleared his throat. “I got a tree,” he said.

Dani nodded, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. “I see that.”

“I thought you’d like it, it being Christmas Eve and all.” He didn’t tell her it wasn’t his idea.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Dani said softly. She went up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, so quickly he barely felt it. “Thank you, Nathaniel.” She paused. “If you don’t mind taking the baby, I’ll start putting the groceries away. Would you like something warm to drink? I have a fresh pot of coffee brewing.”

“Give me a minute first,” he said gruffly. “I need a shower and different clothes.”

* * *

Dani regretted the kiss as soon as she did it. She wasn’t sure what had come over her except that she had been so darned touched by Nathaniel’s effort. Toby had helped significantly, but still...

She suspected she had either shocked her boss or made him extremely uncomfortable or both. She came from a very affectionate family. For a moment, she had forgotten where she was. It was a mistake she wouldn’t repeat. Nathaniel had disappeared so fast, he probably left a trail of steam.

Before Toby departed, the two men had hefted the full-to-the-brim canvas duffel onto the granite-topped kitchen island. Even with Peaches on one hip, Dani was able to begin putting cans and dry goods into the cupboard. She often enjoyed watching cooking shows on cable, but she didn’t consider herself a pro. Something about Christmas Eve, though, gave her a tingling sense of anticipation for the dinner to come.

“Here’s the thing,” she whispered to Peaches. “It would be super helpful if you would take a nice long nap. Nathaniel needs one, too, and I have a ton of cooking to do.” The little girl gazed up at her, fist in mouth. She didn’t look at all sleepy.

“Okay, fine. Stay awake. But Santa doesn’t visit cranky children, now does he?”

After half an hour, Nathaniel still hadn’t appeared. Was he avoiding her? If they were to eat at a decent hour, she needed to get the roast in the oven and start on the pecan pie. For Christmas morning, she had planned a coffee cake with streusel topping and mimosas. Christmas lunch would consist of open-faced beef sandwiches with a cranberry salad.

Without the internet, she would have been lost. Her phone was her lifeline. It helped that Nathaniel kept a drawer full of extra charging cords. Impromptu travel with literally nothing except her purse was not the easiest thing in the world.

When four thirty rolled around, she decided to go in search of her missing boss. She found him facedown on his mattress, sound asleep. Poor man. She knew he wouldn’t have left her to handle everything on purpose.

He was bare from the waist up, his tan evidence of holidays spent in tropical climates. His shoulders and back were smoothly muscled. The pair of navy knit pants he had pulled on rode low on his narrow hips.

This was what Nathaniel Winston would look like on lazy Saturday mornings before he climbed out of bed. Or maybe he sleeps in the nude, Dani. He can’t very well do that with his executive assistant and a baby in the house.

Her cheeks hot, she debated her course of action. Peaches took it out of her hands. The little girl chortled loudly. Nathaniel shot straight up in bed, wild-eyed. “What’s wrong?” He scraped his hands through his hair.

“Nothing,” Dani said quickly. “Sorry to wake you. But I need to start dinner, and I can only do so much one-handed. I thought Peaches would be asleep by now, but she obviously knows it’s Christmas Eve, and she’s too excited to close her eyes.”

Nathaniel didn’t seem amused by her whimsy. “Let me have her. We’ll play in the den and stay out of your way.”

“How thoughtful,” she said, deadpan.

His sharp look questioned her sincerity, and rightly so. It didn’t take a genius to see that Nathaniel wanted to avoid Dani as much as possible. Fine. She didn’t need him in the kitchen getting underfoot anyway.

Fortunately, her ambitious Christmas Eve dinner menu consumed her attention for most of the subsequent hour. Once she had seared the roast and tucked it in a deep pan flanked with carrots and potatoes, she put the pie together and popped the sweet treat in the oven with the meat, very glad both dishes cooked at the same temperature.

The condo had a small dining room just off the kitchen. Inside a modern-looking buffet, Dani found navy placemats that matched the navy-and-cream stoneware in the kitchen cabinets. It frustrated her not to have the trappings of holiday colors or even a store-bought poinsettia. Even a couple of red candles would have been nice.

That was the problem with bachelors. They didn’t know how to set a scene anywhere but in the bedroom.

Oops. Thinking about Nathaniel and bedrooms was bad mojo. She was already in trouble for her innocent thank-you kiss. Best not to let him see that she was curious enough and attracted enough to be fascinated by thoughts of his private life.

Which brought her directly back to Peaches and Ophelia. Damn Nathaniel’s mystery woman. How had she found the chutzpah to pull off such an outrageous stunt?

Brooding over the baby’s lack of a proper Christmas didn’t help matters. Best to concentrate on what she could control. The only thing left was to put together a spinach-and-almond salad and prepare a light dressing. Serving pieces were ready. She and Nathaniel could take turns holding the baby during dinner, if necessary.

The roast and pecan pie had to cook for thirty more minutes. Plenty of time to put the Christmas tree in the den and decorate it. That meant running into Nathaniel again, but at least he had put on a shirt before he left his bedroom.

She knew that only because he had made a quick appearance in the kitchen earlier to grab coffee. Neither of them was dressed for a formal Christmas Eve meal. She supposed he had kept his appearance very casual in light of her predicament.

Wistfully, she imagined what it would be like if they were actually dating. She might find herself wearing a very special, sexy dress, knowing, or at least hoping, that Nathaniel would remove it at the end of the evening.

After her boss’s chilly reception earlier, it took a measure of courage to intrude on his privacy. But the den was arguably the best place for the tree, and this designer condo needed a punch of color and light, tonight of all nights.

Nathaniel didn’t look up when she entered the den dragging the tree along behind her. The fir had lost a significant percentage of its needles en route from the store, but it was still presentable. With the heavy plastic base already attached, all Dani would have to do was add some water tonight before going to bed. After all, the tree would stand guard beside the fireplace barely twenty-four hours before the lord of the manor tossed it out. She was pretty sure she knew Nathaniel that well.

Without speaking, she unboxed the tiny lights and began twining them around the tree, attaching one strand to the next. Still, Nathaniel didn’t acknowledge her presence. Peaches sat on his knee, trying to get one of his shirt buttons in her mouth. Nathaniel held her firmly, but his attention was on the television. He flipped channels rapidly, presumably checking the football scores.

When she finished the tree and plugged it in, she expected at least a token comment. Her boss was mute. He had to have noticed the cheerful Christmas tree. It upped the cozy factor of the den tenfold. But maybe Nathaniel just didn’t care. Stubborn, gorgeous man. She didn’t know whether she wanted to kiss him or smack him.

Subdued and disappointed, she tweaked a branch and turned to walk out of the room. “Dinner in twenty minutes,” she said over her shoulder.

“Wait, Dani,” he said.

She turned around, bracing herself for criticism. “What?”

He lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “I don’t mind the tree. But don’t expect too much from me. This holiday stuff isn’t my thing.”