Wrapped Up for Christmas Read online

  ‘You two work together?’

  ‘Didn’t I mention that?’

  ‘No, but it adds a whole other level to your family dynamic.’

  ‘Sure does,’ Nick said.

  Angie sensed he wanted to say more but didn’t press him. From his pained expression, as he spoke about his family, she didn’t want to add any more sadness to his eyes.

  ‘Can I stand on that chair?’ Angie asked. The ornaments were middle and bottom-heavy on the tree and needed some closer to the top.

  ‘Sure,’ Nick said, sliding one over. The fabric on the seat cover was a pale cream color. Angie slipped her shoes off before stepping up.

  Nick held the box of ornaments for her. They worked around the tree until she was on the final layer of ornaments. She lifted a delicate angel from the table and held it in front of her. Hazel calling her an angel flitted to the front of her mind.

  ‘You look like you’re thinking about something,’ Nick said. ‘You don’t need to worry about my family.’

  ‘No, that’s not it,’ Angie said, thinking of where Hazel was tonight. Where did she sleep in the shelter? Did they even have a tree? ‘I’m a little distracted. This ornament made me think of someone.’

  ‘Your ex?’

  ‘No,’ Angie said with a laugh. ‘A woman I met at work the other day. I’m a little disturbed by the conversation.’

  ‘Do you want to talk about it?’ Nick asked.

  Angie retold her encounter with Hazel. With Nick staring up at her with hope in his eyes, she considered an idea. ‘Are there any charities around here that help shelters?’

  ‘I’m not sure. What did you have in mind?’

  Angie pressed her lips together, unable to break from the thought of Hazel on her own. ‘I want to do something.’ She shook her head, placing the last two ornaments. Without anything in her hands, she snapped her fingers, trying to spark an idea.

  Charlie barked and leaped upward at her.

  The room tilted as Charlie bumped Angie’s legs with her paws. The force of her pushed Angie off the chair. She gasped as her arms shot out to grab onto anything to keep her from falling.

  Warm, strong hands wrapped around her waist, holding her in mid-air before slowly lowering her to the ground. Her body pressed close against Nick as she looked up at him. Concern shone in his eyes.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Nick asked.

  His breath was warm against her cheeks. She swallowed and nodded as words didn’t form. She couldn’t take her eyes off his lips, fully aware that if she lifted onto her toes, she could kiss him.

  Nick’s mouth spread into a smile, and Angie was happy he still held her as her legs wobbled. ‘One of my commands for her is snapping my fingers,’ Nick murmured.

  Charlie bumped Angie’s leg, and she couldn’t help smiling. ‘Well, at least I didn’t take down the tree.’

  Nick’s gaze fell to her lips before kissing her. Her body was momentarily paralyzed, but as Nick’s mouth moved against hers, she leaned into him. Her eyes fluttered closed as she experienced the first kiss in a long time to set her ablaze. Her insides trembled and she gripped him harder to be closer to him. As if Nick could read her mind, he snaked a hand around her to deepen the kiss.

  A flash of the breakup with Brett filled her mind and she jumped away from Nick. So much for him not leaving her alone when she was with Nick.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Nick’s hand stayed on the small of her back as if he expected her to fall again.

  It was a comforting touch. Angie wasn’t sure her legs would have held her up otherwise. She gripped the top of the chair just in case.

  ‘Yes. Of course.’ Brett had ruined another thing for her. But the more her lips were away from Nick, the more she realized that it was too soon to fall into this again. Or was it?

  Nick smiled, a slow and sexy grin. A delicious swirl of tingles wove through her. Her gut couldn’t be so wrong, could it?

  Nick stepped back from the tree and admired it. The spot where his arm wrapped around her cooled quicker than she expected. At least he couldn’t see the flush in her cheeks.

  ‘Looks good,’ Nick said. ‘Better than if I tried myself.’

  ‘It’s all about teamwork.’ Charlie sidled up to her again, waiting for another head scratch. As much as a prickling heat rose from her neck, she couldn’t be mad at the dog.

  ‘Now, all I need are some gifts under the tree,’ Nick said.

  ‘Do you need help wrapping them as well?’ Angie asked.

  ‘Are you offering?’

  ‘Well, not to brag, but I was a gift-wrapper at Bloomfield’s years ago. Never a complaint or a paper cut.’

  ‘You should put a website up for all your Christmas season talents. I bet you could pull in a lot of money. Only if you help me first. I mean, I discovered you.’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Don’t forget the little people when you become a billionaire.’

  ‘For Christmas decorating? Yeah, right.’

  ‘My ex hired people to decorate my place last year,’ Nick said.

  Angie tried to ignore the sting of jealousy in her chest. Nick lived in a bubble in her mind. She couldn’t imagine him with anyone else. It wasn’t fair in the slightest, yet it was a reflex she couldn’t shake. ‘Isn’t the fun part doing it yourself?’

  ‘I know that now,’ he said. ‘But it wasn’t cheap. With your event-planning background, I bet you would succeed.’

  Ideas flowed through Angie’s mind. Nick didn’t know her in California, but it was nice to hear him boasting her background.

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ Angie said and meant it. It seemed as if Nick and Mom were on the same page about her sticking around. But Nick seemed sincere in his compliment. She would have an open mind about her next steps since there was no reason to turn anything down because she had nothing to lose.

  Angie wasn’t sure about a Christmas decorating job – it would take up a few months out of the year. She knew how to plan an event, though. Instead of committing to one hotel or venue, she wondered if branching out would fulfill her more.

  ‘Looks like you’re thinking about it right now,’ Nick said with a chuckle.

  ‘I am.’ With dinner and tree-decorating done, there were only two options. She could take their kiss further tonight or take some space to make sure it was what she wanted before exploring that another time. She wasn’t sure she trusted herself to stay longer. Complicated thoughts flitted through her mind as she slipped her shoes back on.

  Nick’s phone pinged from the kitchen, and he narrowed his eyes in the direction of the room.

  Angie had found her perfect excuse. ‘I should get going.’

  ‘You don’t have to,’ he said, walking closer to her. The more she inhaled the scent of him, the less she wanted to leave.

  ‘I’m working the morning shift tomorrow.’

  ‘I want to see you again.’

  Her toes curled in her shoes. She wanted to stay, and the instinct terrified her. Angie was sure that she wanted to be friends with him, and she was determined not to ruin it. Jumping into a rebound relationship with Nick wasn’t going to help her move on.

  Nick took her hands. ‘There’s a tree lighting ceremony downtown outside the mall on Wednesday night. Want to come with me?’

  ‘My mom has been trying to get me to go.’ The town tree lighting had always been the highlight of Angie’s teen holidays. All the kids in her grade went, and it was the perfect time to celebrate the holiday season with whoever she had a crush on that year.

  ‘Great, so I’ll see you then,’ Nick said.

  His eagerness warmed her insides. ‘See you then.’

  Chapter 12

  With Angie leaving so abruptly, it made Nick rethink kissing her. Angie had seemed happy in his arms and spending time with him, and he couldn’t help wanting more. He’d never remembered having so much fun decorating for Christmas with anyone since he was young living at home with his parents and competing with David on w
ho could put up the most decorations the quickest.

  He understood her hesitation though. The kiss they shared was amazing, but while he would have loved to test the boundaries of their relationship, they had started with the understanding of her not wanting to date anyone.

  Saying goodbye created a heavy sensation in his stomach. But he hadn’t completely turned her off. With another date set, he couldn’t wait for it to come, even though it worried him that he hadn’t mustered the courage to tell her the truth about his job. It had been right there, hanging over him the whole time he talked about the dynamic between Dad and David. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t snuff the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him, especially with the knowledge that her ex-boyfriend used to be her boss too.

  Angie had said she wanted to be friends, but a closeness grew between them which neither of them could ignore anymore. Nick wasn’t sure he could hold up that part of the bargain too much longer. He almost wanted to see where their relationship took them, even if it was doomed from the start. He wanted a long-term partner, but how could they make it work if she moved across the country again for a job? Had the holiday spirit captured them both? He had no idea what was going to happen after the Christmas.

  Nick’s phone went off again, and he wandered into the kitchen to answer it with Charlie on his heels. He lifted a treat from a small jar on the counter and tossed it to her. She caught it mid-air.

  He expected several messages from his dad. After their earlier argument, Nick had no doubt Quinn would continue to pressure him about Ivy.

  Instead of his father, there were two messages from Ivy. Their dads must have exchanged their phone numbers.

  I need your opinion on something. Are you interested in a platonic non-date our parents haven’t set up?

  Nick smiled at the screen. Even if his dad wasn’t on the same page at least Ivy knew where they stood. It made no sense to him that his father was so interested in pushing him and Ivy together.

  I’m free tomorrow. What did you have in mind?

  Ice skating?

  Nick hadn’t been on a rink since senior year of high school when he was on the varsity hockey team. He didn’t want to think his father had suggested they go ice skating. But he trusted that Ivy understood wanting to stay friends.

  ***

  Nick met Ivy the next night outside of the entrance to Cove Park. Holiday music poured from the covered pavilion outside of the ice-skating rink. Underneath, a holiday party with dozens of people moved around the space drinking from small plastic cups and eating passed appetizers from waiters moving around the space.

  ‘No skates?’ Ivy asked, walking up to Nick. She wore a fur-lined hat and a long thick coat cinched at the waist.

  ‘I haven’t been for a while,’ he admitted. ‘I’m going to have to rent them.’

  Ivy’s lips quirked, but she said nothing. Nick understood that skaters were protective of the tools of the hobby, but he had hung his up a long time ago. Her worn white skates showed she skated a lot. He couldn’t help wanting to know more about that. They had a lot in common, at least where their fathers were concerned.

  ‘It’s good to see you again,’ Nick said, as they walked over to the rental booth together.

  Families crowded the space. Kids tried to tie their skates as soon as possible to get on the ice. Nick avoided a particularly excited group of boys shoving each other to get to the rink first. They reminded him of his nephews. Nick couldn’t help smiling.

  ‘I wasn’t sure if you would come out,’ Ivy said. ‘I can imagine how this part of the year is stressful for you.’

  ‘This season doesn’t let up.’ As much as he was busy at work, he had found time for holiday fun with Angie. He wouldn’t have done anything if Angie hadn’t come into his life.

  Nick paid for his rental skates and walked over to a bench. Ivy sat next to him and lifted her boots off her feet. She swapped them for skates, quickly tying them as if she were in a rush.

  Or maybe Nick was out of practice. When he stood, he bent his knees to get the feel of the skates. They were a little big in the toes, but they would do.

  ‘Ready?’ Nick asked, grabbing onto the bench to steady his shaky legs.

  Ivy reached out a hand to him, laughing. ‘Are you?’

  Nick wasn’t sure if he was. Once they were on the rink, it was as if he was one with the ice. It was like riding a bike. His memory of how to move returned quickly and before he knew it, his cheeks were red from the air pinching his skin.

  Ivy moved on the ice like a graceful figure skater.

  ‘I see why you wanted to come here,’ Nick said. ‘Trying to show me up, huh?’

  ‘A little,’ she said. ‘My company is investing in this park. I wanted to see it, and I haven’t skated in a while.’

  ‘What’s the plan?’

  Ivy twisted her body until she was in front of him. Her body swayed to keep momentum and held his gaze. ‘The plan is always for development.’

  It was something his father would say. In her, he saw a mirror image of himself. In years past, Nick hadn’t looked at the season as anything other than a money-maker for the company. He celebrated at the office holiday party and during Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners and that was it. He hadn’t experienced a holiday like this one since he was a child. Already, Angie changed the way he looked at the holiday. Would she understand that if she knew where he worked? Or would she regret kissing him?

  Ivy looped around the ice, faster than they had gone before. She weaved through families and couples. They watched with awed expressions as she passed.

  When she returned to his side, she let out a breath creating a swirling cloud around her face. Her cheeks were pink. ‘That was fun.’

  ‘Looked like it,’ Nick said. ‘You can do it again if you want. It was impressive.’

  ‘That’s what training for thirteen years looks like.’

  ‘Why did you stop?’

  ‘I wasn’t going to the Olympics. I chose to follow in my dad’s footsteps. It was a practical choice.’

  Nick understood the mentality. Most of the time, when asked about his career choice, his father’s words slipped into his mouth, just as Jared’s spoke through Ivy.

  Practical was the word most used.

  Nick wondered if his father had set him up with Ivy because he saw what he wanted. Not what Nick wanted.

  After skating, Ivy suggested a walk around the park. The trails outlined with lights in the shapes of reindeers, Santas, snowmen, bells, ornaments, and other holiday symbols. The display reminded him of Angie’s next-door neighbor. ‘Over here is wasted space,’ she said.

  ‘It’s a park.’

  She nudged his arm. ‘Hear me out.’

  Nick commented on her ideas, but as their time wound down, Ivy seemed distracted. It was a look he knew well enough. In her head, she worked through whatever plan she wanted for the park.

  ‘Would you mind cutting this short?’ she asked. ‘So many ideas just came to me and I want to get them down.’

  ‘Sure.’ As much as he said so, Nick wasn’t ready to go yet. He wanted to leave the park with a smile on his face, filling himself up with some holiday cheer. ‘I’m going to get some food. I haven’t eaten yet.’

  ‘This was fun. Thanks for your help.’ She leaned forward, and before he knew it, her lips pressed against the corner of his mouth.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘It was meant to be a cheek kiss.’

  Nick laughed. ‘It’s fine.’

  Ivy waved before turning toward the parking lot, her skates slung over her shoulder and her steps as light as they were on the rink. He waited until she was in the car before he touched his face to wipe off the dampness from her kiss. A small bit of red lipstick smudged across his fingertips.

  Nick walked toward the rink again. The lipstick wasn’t coming off, as much as he dragged his fingers across his face.

  ‘Do you need a mirror?’ someone asked.

  He turned to see a woman
standing outside the pavilion. She waggled her fingers at him, beckoning him over.

  As he neared, he noticed how she rubbed the side of her round belly absently as she dug into her bag with the other. Her dark hair covered her face as she spoke.

  ‘My husband hates when I get lipstick on him, but I keep telling him I don’t wear it for him,’ she said with a wry smile, handing over a small compact mirror.

  ‘Thanks,’ Nick said and glanced at the lively pavilion behind her. ‘Your party?’

  ‘No, my holiday party is much more fun. These guys can be a little stiff with conversation.’

  Nick nodded as he wiped the remnants of Ivy’s kiss from his face. ‘Thanks again.’ He handed the compact to her.

  She slipped it into her bag and sighed. ‘I should head inside before my husband realizes I wandered off.’

  ‘Thanks again,’ he said.

  Nick walked around the rink toward the concessions, appreciating the lights strung on the trees and the festive air. Ivy hadn’t seen this place for the feel of it. She only saw it for her purposes. What those purposes were, he had no idea.

  Nick couldn’t help thinking of Angie and how much fun they would have had tonight. He wouldn’t have wiped her lipstick off his mouth. The idea of kissing her again overwhelmed him and the image stuck in his head for the rest of the night.

  Chapter 13

  Between work and hanging out with Nick, Angie needed some facetime with Reese. They kept up their daily texting, with Reese giving her all the gory details of pregnancy and her food cravings, but Angie wanted to do something special for her friend.

  Reese usually worked a few days a week at Jeremy’s dental practice at the front desk but found it hard to sit all day. Which made her go a little stir-crazy on the days she stayed home.

  Angie woke before her shift to visit with Reese. The night before, she’d made chocolate chip pancake batter, knowing Reese would approve. Dad always thought the pancakes came out better when made the night before. Plus, it saved time in the morning. With Reese’s pregnancy cravings, Angie wanted to help out as much as she could. Chocolate seemed to be a recurring theme, and Reese insisted Angie bring crunchy peanut butter and whipped cream too.