Page 29 of The Christmas Lodge
“Told you,” Derek said cheerfully, taking a bite of his own food. “Frosty’s may look unassuming, but you can’t beat it for taste.”
“Amen,” Lacy agreed fervently, taking a bite of her macaroni and cheese and feeling like she might be ascending to heaven. She lifted the mug of hot chocolate to her lips, taking a slow sip and feeling the warmth spread through her whole body. “You’re missing out.”
Derek cracked up and she glared at him.
“What?”
“I’m sorry, it’s just…” He picked up his napkin and leaned across the table to dab at her mouth gently. “You had a whipped cream mustache.”
Lacy felt herself begin to blush, but she didn’t mind. Their eyes locked again, and that same electric tension that had swirled between them on the mountain returned. She realized that she too, was leaning across the table toward him. Blinking, she sat back, and the tension crackled and snapped before dissipating again.
She caught her breath, willing herself to inhale and exhale normally.Since when did breathing become so difficult?
Louise returned to their table, a newspaper in hand. “I was just reading this in my office. Is it about you?”
Lacy leaned over to look at the newspaper and saw a picture of the old mansion before nodding. “Yes. A journalist asked me a while ago if he could write about it. I gave him some quotes.”
“Can I see?” Derek reached for the paper, and Louise set it down. “Louise, do you mind if we borrow this? I’ll return it, I promise.”
“I know you will. I was supposed to be going over my ledger in the office, anyway. Take as long as you need.”
Derek thanked her and then scooted his chair closer to Lacy’s so they could read the article together. At first, Lacy couldn’t concentrate, what with Derek’s closeness. She could feel his breath against her neck as he leaned over her shoulder to read, but finally the words came together and she was able to make sense of them. The reporter had asked her about her relationship with Nicholas Spielman, and she had been forthcoming enough, mentioning Harv’s bankruptcy due to corrupt business practices, and his and Nicholas’s subsequent relocation to Snowy Pine Ridge. Derek stiffened as he read, then pushed the paper away.
“Derek, what’s wrong?”
Derek moved his chair back into place and took a bite of his chicken pot pie, clearly needing a moment to gather his thoughts. His face was troubled. Lacy pushed her food away, suddenly losing all interest in her food. Had he decided he didn’t want to be around someone with corrupt relatives? Did he think she was like them?
“What you said in the article about your father and Nicholas,” Derek finally said. “Well, to be honest, it doesn’t sit quite right with me.”
Lacy wrinkled her brow. “What do you mean? That’s what happened.”
Derek nodded slowly, chewing the inside of his cheek, and Lacy noticed how pained his eyes were. “Look, I don’t know what happened in your past, so I know it’s not my place to cast judgment. I didn’t know them back when you were a child.”
Lacy gave a short laugh. “Well, that makes two of us.”
“The thing is, Harv and Nicholas were really beloved in this town. I mean, folks around here called your grandfather St. Nick because he was such a generous man. I wouldn’t even have my business if it wasn’t for Nicholas and Harv helping me to get it financed.” He hesitated. “How well did you know your grandfather?”
Lacy frowned, a ripple of surprise at Derek’s admission running through her.Winter Run Racingexisted because of her grandfather? And he was like some patron saint in Snowy Pine Ridge? She sighed, unsure of what to think.
“Like I said, I didn’t really know him. All I know about my father and grandfather is what my mother told me growing up.”
Derek looked at her, his eyes still pained, but now holding a new softness. “I’m sure she had her reasons.”
Lacy nodded slowly. “She went through a lot after my dad went bankrupt and abandoned us.”
Derek reached out and took her hand. “It sounds like you both did.”
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
They finished the rest of their meal quietly, rarely speaking. Lacy’s mind was a million miles away from her food, although she still took bites of her macaroni and cheese and chicken pot pie in a mechanical way. She certainly wasn’t tasting the flavors that had pleased her only a few minutes earlier. Even Derek’s presence couldn’t draw her out of her swirling thoughts, but she appreciated in a detached sort of way how respectful he was of her sudden need for space to think. And think she did—questions about her father and grandfather, about her mother’s version of events, about whether she had ever learned the whole truth—crowded against each other in her mind, pushing and pulling against each other in an endless internal debate. When Louise brought the check over to their table, Lacy tried to rouse herself from her inner storm.
“How was everything, you two?”
“It was perfect, as always, Louise,” Derek responded, giving her a warm smile and reaching for the check.
Lacy reached for her purse. “Let me help.”
Derek shook his head. “Like I said, my mother raised me to be a gentleman.”
