Page 5 of Second Chances with St. Nick

I trailed Nick and Mom into the house, hoping they couldn’t hear my heart racing. To me, it sounded as loud as a herd of reindeer hopped up on double espressos. Mom’s tinkling laugh bit through the icy air, and the hair on the back of my neck prickled. I pushed out a breath. Something told me I was in for a little more than hot chocolate.

3

HOT CHOCOLATE AND HOME TRUTHS

Ireached 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 tooka 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’tyoulike 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.”

---