Читать книгу The Lodge on Holly Road - Sheila Roberts - Страница 11
ОглавлениеI’ll Be Home for Christmas
“What do you mean you won’t be coming for Christmas Eve?” John Truman’s mother demanded.
John had not been looking forward to this conversation, which was why he’d put it off to the last possible minute. “I’m doing something with Holland.”
“With her family?” his mother asked suspiciously. When it came to Christmas and her kids, Mom didn’t like to share.
“No. Just the two of us. But we’ll be back Christmas Day.”
His mother harrumphed. “That’s all well and good, but it’ll just be us on Christmas Day. What am I supposed to tell the aunts and uncles, and your cousins? And Ben’s bringing his fiancée, too.”
As if John hadn’t already met his big brother’s girlfriend a million times. Anyway, if all went according to plan, he’d be showing up on Christmas Day with a fiancée of his own.
When he shared this with his mother, she wasn’t all that excited. “So, you’re going to do it.”
“Yep. We’re driving up to Icicle Falls tonight to stay in this really cool B and B and I’ll propose on Christmas Eve. Then we’ll come by the house on Christmas Day and show you the ring.”
There was a long moment of silence on his mother’s end. “Well, John, we love you and you know we’ll welcome her into the family.”
And that was as much as he was going to get out of his mother. She and Holland hadn’t quite warmed to each other yet. Mom thought Holland was self-centered. Translation: Holland didn’t always want to go along with Mom’s social plans for the family. Holland thought Mom was controlling. Translation: Holland didn’t always want to go along with Mom’s social plans for the family. They were both strong women but John knew they’d really come to love each other. Eventually. Once Mom got over the idea that Holland wasn’t good enough for him.
All moms thought that about their kids, right? Except she loved his brother’s fiancée, probably because Margo fell right in with everything Mom wanted to do, from impromptu family picnics to Father’s Day barbecues. But Holland had a family of her own, and an important job at a Seattle ad agency. She had a social life, too. She had girlfriends, and a book club, and that all took time. And she and John had friends. They couldn’t necessarily drop what they were doing and come running whenever Mom called. That was what Holland said when she balked at Mom’s latest plans for family (and girlfriend) solidarity. Fortunately, she’d never said it to Mom’s face, or there would’ve been hell to pay.
“I just hope you know what you’re doing,” his mother added.
Oh, yeah. Feeling the motherly support here. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You haven’t even been together a year.”
“Eleven months.” Close enough. And they’d known each other before then. They worked in the same downtown building and had hung out at lunch sometimes.
“And you two did have that rough patch,” she continued.
“Everybody has rough patches, Mom.” He remembered his parents doing their share of fighting when he was in grade school. “Anyway, that was months ago.” He and Holland had worked things out since then. Okay, so they still had a fight once in a while. Every couple had disagreements, right? “We’re fine now.” And they were going to have a great time up in Icicle Falls, where he’d booked them a room at the kind of classy place Holland would love, with a fancy lobby and fireplaces in the rooms. Oh, yeah. It was going to be totally romantic. He had everything planned out. A late dinner at one of the local restaurants, shopping the next day, followed by a romantic sleigh ride and maybe some skating in the outdoor rink in the town square. Then, after Christmas Eve dinner, he’d whip out the ring he’d bought, get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. After that they’d have champagne in their room, get a fire going in the fireplace and heat up the sheets. Oh, yeah. Holland was going to be blown away.
“I just don’t want to see you hurt,” his mother said.
Had his mother been a wet blanket in another life? “What makes you think I’ll get hurt?” He wasn’t an idiot, for crying out loud.
Another silence on the other end of the line. “Honey, sometimes you’re not...”
“Not what?”
“Not very realistic.”
Okay, sometimes he was an idiot. But how could he have known Sarah Schoop was out to use him? Okay, so she’d gotten him to buy her a few expensive presents. He hadn’t minded. He liked being generous. Maybe he liked being obtuse, too. He and Sarah would probably still be together if his mother and sister hadn’t done an intervention after his sister overheard Sarah asking him to pay for her boob job. They’d explained that Sarah loved him only for his 401k. Yeah, Sarah was a mistake. But he was older and wiser now. Once a guy passed thirty, he developed a little more discernment. And one thing he knew—Holland didn’t need to use him. Well, except as a sex toy.
“You need a woman with a good heart,” said Mom.
“Holland has a good heart.”
“I’m sure she does...somewhere.”
“Mom,” John said sternly, “you’re talking about the woman I love.”
“Don’t remind me,” she said.
“Okay, I have to go,” he said, pissed.
“All right, but what am I supposed to tell the family tomorrow?”
“Tell them that the next time they see me I’ll be engaged.”
That didn’t make his mother happy but it sure made him smile.
He was barely off the phone with Mom when his smartphone rang. This time it was the love of his life. “Hey,” he said. “I’m just leaving to pick you up.”
“Yeah, about that.”
Oh, no. His mind latched on to the image of a building getting whacked by a giant wrecking ball. He could practically hear the crack and crumble of his carefully laid plans. “What?”
“I have to work late.”
Two days before Christmas? Was she working for Ebenezer Scrooge?
“You go on up and I’ll meet you there.”
Oh, yeah, take two cars to a romantic getaway. “No way. We’ll wait and go tomorrow morning.” He’d paid a good chunk of change for the room but so what?
“No, you may as well have fun. Just go on up.”
How was that supposed to be fun without her? Here he was, planning to sweep her off her feet, and instead she was pulling the rug out from under him. “I’m not going up without you. That’s lame.”
“No, it’s not. Anyway, you paid for the room. You might as well use it.”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you. I’ll wait and we can go up later, after you get done at work. I’ll drive. You can relax.”
“There’s nothing relaxing about the way you drive,” she informed him.
John frowned. Honesty was important in a relationship, but sometimes Holland was too honest, especially when it came to his flaws. “Thanks a lot,” he muttered.
“Come on, John. Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“All disappointed and grumpy.”
Kind of hard not to be disappointed. He’d had this all planned, and she’d known about it for a month. Since when was she so gutless that she couldn’t tell her boss she couldn’t work late?
“It’s been a sucky day. I just want to get a good night’s sleep in my own bed,” she continued, further bruising his ego.
Yeah, God forbid she’d want to cuddle up to him. They were serious, an item. Weren’t they supposed to want to be together?
“So I’ll see you up there tomorrow. Where are we going again?”
“The Icicle Creek Lodge,” he said, but not grumpily. He was not grumpy.
“Okay, see you there,” she said, and ended the call.
No matter what Holland said, he wasn’t going to go off and start their romantic getaway alone. “This reeks,” he grumbled as he tossed his phone onto the seat next to him and drove home.
Home was a one-bedroom apartment in Seattle’s Belltown. He guessed he’d find some Bruce Willis movie on Netflix and kick back with a beer.
And let that room at the Icicle Creek Lodge sit empty?
Yeah. That was the gallant thing to do because what kind of turd-brain went off and started a romantic weekend without his girlfriend?
A pissed one.
The car was all loaded with the champagne in the trunk, along with his suitcase. And, as Holland had pointed out, the room at the Icicle Creek Lodge was paid for. So, he could go home to his apartment and sit around feeling grumpy or he could go on up to Icicle Falls and check in to a really cool place, get everything ready for when she came up tomorrow. Hmm.
No, it didn’t feel right.
Still, he’d already paid the money. He called Holland again.
“What?” she snapped.
“Are you positive you don’t want to go up tonight? I’ll give you a back rub when we get there,” he promised. Holland loved his back rubs.
“No, I don’t. I’m not sure when I’ll get done and I’m tired from having to come in early. And I told you, I had a sucky day. I’ll see you up there tomorrow. Okay?”
Well, there was no reason to get snappy. Oh, except for PMS. And if that was what was going on he’d be better off letting her get a good night’s sleep.
“Fine,” he said, a little snappish himself. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” she said in a quasipatient tone of voice, as if she was dealing with someone who was a severe trial.
He knew when to give up. If she wanted to take two cars and waste gas, fine. “Okay.” He wanted to urge her not to take all day getting up there, but then he remembered that possible PMS thing so he didn’t. Instead, he said, “See you when you get there.” He added, “I love you, babe,” but she’d hung up. Well, he was the more romantic of the two of them. Weird, but there you had it.
He was also the thriftier of the two, probably because he didn’t make as much as she did. There was nothing wrong with being thrifty, and hey, if she was determined to bring her own car, then he’d go up tonight.
He turned toward I-90, brought up Pandora and got the Christmas music going. Once he hit Icicle Falls he’d maybe enjoy a late dinner at Zelda’s restaurant, where he’d planned to take Holland, just to check it out. And wish she was there.
She’ll be there tomorrow, he reminded himself. And then everything would go according to plan.
He made good time until he neared Snoqualmie Pass. Then the sleeting rain that had started around Bellevue turned to snow and traffic slowed down. There was a veritable logjam of cars in the spot designated for putting on chains, and with the way the snow was coming down, he could see why chains were required. Maybe Holland wouldn’t want to deal with that. Damn. He knew he should have waited and come up with her.
He quickly called her and got an impatient hello. “Hey, chains are required.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Uh, you okay with doing that?” This was their first time going to the mountains together. What if she couldn’t put on chains?
“I do know how to put on chains, John,” she said.
“Okay, fine. You home yet?”
“Yeah, and I’m about to take a bath.”
Oh, there was an image to make a man smile. “Get good and relaxed,” he said. “See you tomorrow.”
“Okay, bye.” And then she was gone.
He pulled up behind a Honda that had seen better days, where a woman in a black parka and jeans and tennis shoes was struggling to get chains around one of her rear tires. Unlike Holland, who was leggy and svelte, this woman filled out her pants with a well-rounded bottom. She wore glasses and had curls of blue hair escaping from a red knit hat. Two little kids, a Latino boy and a cute little girl with big brown eyes and cornrows, were hanging out the back windows, trying to catch snowflakes in their mittened hands. Meanwhile, the woman was still struggling with the chain. It wasn’t hard to see why; she wasn’t wearing gloves. Her hands had to be frozen. She stopped to blow on them and glared at the chain.
Here was a job for Super John. He got out of his car and came over. “Can I help you with that?”
She looked up at him gratefully and rubbed her hands together. “That would be great. I just can’t seem to get these stupid chains on.”
“It’s hard when your hands are cold.”
“I forgot to pack my gloves. Here we are, going to the mountains, and I forget to pack gloves. Can you believe it?”
“Looks like you were packing for more than yourself,” John said. The girl had joined the boy at his window and was now regarding John. She was cute as a button with her big brown eyes and that goofy tiara on her head. Her parka was a little frayed but clean. The boy’s coat looked too small for him but it, too, was clean and his mittens looked new.
“My mom needs help,” said the boy. “I could’ve done it.”
“I’m sure you could,” John agreed. He wondered what had happened to these kids’ dads. This woman sure wasn’t alone because she was a dog. She had a round face and blue eyes and Angelina Jolie lips. Cute, he thought. Not that he was interested, of course. It was just an observation.
He introduced himself to the mom and learned her name was Missy Monroe. Cute name, too. “Where are you guys headed?”
“To Icicle Falls,” she said. “We’re going to spend Christmas up there.”
“No way. Really? Me, too,” he said.
“All I want is to get there in one piece. I’ve never put on chains before,” she confessed.
She had them laid out properly, with the connector facedown. Unfortunately, she was putting them on the wrong tires. “Well, you made a good start,” he said, “but I’ll bet this is a front-wheel-drive car, which means you need those on the front tires.”
She took that in. “Oh. Oops.”
“Easy to fix,” he said. “Let’s move the tires off the chains and try again.”
She nodded and hopped behind the wheel. Moments later the chains were matched with the correct tires.
“Gosh, I’m glad you came along,” she said as he hooked them up. “Even if I got them on, they would’ve been useless.”
“No problem,” he said. Yeah, good thing he’d decided to come up today. Otherwise, this poor woman would’ve worked away at those chains until her hands turned as blue as her hair. “So, where are you staying in Icicle Falls?”
“We’ve got reservations at this place called the Icicle Creek Lodge.”
“No way,” John said again. “That’s where I’m staying.” That made her face light up like a Christmas tree. Uh-oh. Maybe she thought he was single. “Uh, with my girlfriend,” he added.
Her face reddened. “Oh.” She looked over to his car, where there was plainly no girlfriend.
Now he felt embarrassed. “She had to work late. She’s joining me tomorrow.”
The woman nodded slowly, taking that in. “Oh.”
“And are you, uh, meeting someone?”
“No.” For a moment she seemed a little sad, but that was replaced by a forced brightness. “Just the kids and me. We’re going to have a perfect, old-fashioned Christmas.”
He nodded approval. “Great.” He finished with the last chain and stepped away from his handiwork. “Okay, you’re good to go.”
“Thanks,” she said, and smiled at him as if he was some sort of genius.
He waved away her thanks. All in a day’s work for a holiday superhero. “If you have any problem, I’ll be right behind you.”
“Well, I guess I’ll see you there,” she said.
“Yeah, see you.”
“And thanks again for helping me with the chains.”
“No worries.”
She gave him a bashful smile and then hopped into her car. He could hear her instructing the kids to buckle up. The car started and the sounds of “The Little Drummer Boy” drifted out to him. The son leaned his head out the window and waved, and John waved back.
“Come on, Carlos, we’re not moving until you’re buckled in and the window is up,” said his mom.
Up went the window and the car chunk-chunked its way back onto the highway. John gave them one last wave and then got busy with his own chains. Someday that would be him, he thought as he pulled back onto the highway, taking his kids up to the mountains for Christmas. Maybe they’d even cut their own Christmas tree.
They’d have to do that without Holland. She wasn’t much into hiking, even in nice weather.
But she liked to shop and she liked good wine, and that was another reason he’d picked Icicle Falls. He’d done a search for holiday getaway spots in Washington and the town had come up at the top of his search list. It wasn’t hard to see why. In addition to its charming town center it had lots of those cute shops chicks loved, along with local wineries and good restaurants. Oh, yeah. It was a Holland kind of place. And the Icicle Creek Lodge was the frosting on the red velvet cake. They were going to have a great time.
