Page 48 of Holly and Nick Hate Christmas
“Why, indeed.” Festiveness. Was that even a word? Nick ran a hand through his hair. It was a good thing he’d decided he wasn’t interested in Holly, because otherwise, he’d feel pretty vulnerable right now with his pajamas and cold feet, trapped in bed by a nine-foot snowman.
After last night’s property walk with Thomas, he’d yet again remembered he was there for a greater purpose than whatever Holly had up her sleeve, a purpose that was far more important than her reindeer games.
Though, man, she looked cute with that bed head—a fact that was even more annoying pre-caffeine.
Nick scrubbed his hands down his face as the snowman’s hat loosened its hold against the ceiling with a slow scrape. He needed to keep his clarity. He needed coffee.
The carrot nose bounced onto his leg.
He needed to stab Frosty with a straight pin.
“Where’s Axel?”
Holly shrugged. “The air mattress was empty when I snuck in here—I mean, when Frosty decided to bunk with you guys.”
Ah. The kid was probably in full retriever mode, sleeping outside Chloe’s door. “I should probably go find him before your dad does.” Nick started to push back the covers, but Holly didn’t budge from her post.
“He’s with Dad already, messing with the heater.”
While Nick slept the morning away? That wasn’t a responsible look. He worked to keep his tone even despite his rising panic. “I should get ready then and go help. Maybe find some of that coffee you’ve got there.”
“Actually, this was the last cup.” She took another slow slip, briefly closing her eyes to savor it. “Dad finished off the grounds working on the heater.”
So she’d drunk the last of the coffeeandbooby-trapped his room with a bigger-than-life-sized Christmas song. And then had the audacity to stand there and revel in it.
Fine.
He tossed back the covers and stood in his pajamas. Suddenly, Frosty’s theme song blared through his room. He peered around the inflatable. Holly held up her phone like a lighter at a concert, singing along with the vintage tune. “Thumpety, thump thump…”
With a growl, he moved toward his suitcase. Surely she’d take the hint now and leave him alone to get dressed. He raised his voice to be heard over the obnoxious music. As if it didn’t bother him at all. As ifshedidn’t bother him at all. “Guess I’ll just take my truck into town and get coffee then.”
Still leaning against the doorframe, Holly blessedly turned down the volume. “Good luck finding anything this early in Point Bluff. Most stores don’t open until ten during the holiday season.”
Then she cranked the music back up. Clearly, she wasn’t going anywhere until his torture was complete. He narrowed his eyes.
Two could play at this game.
He moved toward his suitcase and wrenched his T-shirt off over his head. Maybe he flexed a little as he did, maybe not.
On second thought, he must have, because Holly scurried from the room like it was on fire. Strains ofFrostydrifted in her wake.
Nick grinned as he reached for a fresh shirt, suddenly not at all minding the snowman bumping his shoulder.
I wasn’t sure how many pieces of red and green construction paper it was going to take to rid my mind’s eye of Nick’s abs.
Apparently, more than seven.
I cut another strip of green, then reached for the tape. I’d make a chain for Janie too. And Mason. Heck, maybe the whole family would get one at this point.
Whatever it took to be free of the most welcomed unwelcome image I’d ever encountered.
“Okay, what gives?” Olivia flopped onto the couch next to me, wearing a plaid scarf and beanie despite the fireplace sizzling across the room. Dad hadn’t fixed the heater yet, as evidenced by my cold toes tucked inside my house shoes.
And yet my chest still felt flushed.
“What do you mean?” I picked up my scissors, careful to resist eye contact. Big sisters saw all. “You know how old that heater is. I’m sure it needs a part or something.”
Kat piped up from the armchair where she lazily braided my rejected strips of paper. “Last I saw, Dad was bent over that oldclunker while Ryan, Nick, and Axel all scratched their heads. It’ll be a while.”
