Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

Nick

Friday

I wake early with a stiff neck from sleeping on the too-short couch, a smile when I remember that Noelle's just feet away in the bedroom, and a to-do list as long as Santa's beard. I stretch lazily and decide I should bring Noelle coffee in bed to start her day. I scratch my belly and glance at the bedroom door. It's ajar.

I launch myself off the couch and bolt toward the bedroom. That door was closed all night. There's no way Bianchi got in here right under my nose. I burst into the room, ready for anything.

Anything, that is, except what I find. Noelle stands in front of the antique mirror in the corner, pirouetting in the Mrs. Santa sundress or whatever it is. I think she called it a cocktail dress. Aptly named, because the sight of her in it has my co—never mind.

She catches my eye in the mirror, and I cover the front of my boxers with both hands.

"Morning."

"Uh, yeah, morning."

"I'm just trying on the dress."

"I see that." I cough. "It looks like it was made for you."

She beams. Then her eyes travel down my bare chest and further south. She bursts into laughter. I try not to take offense.

"Sorry," she says after she catches her breath. "Your boxers are cute."

I look down at the surfing Santas that festoon my underwear. "Oh, right. You might as well know, I always wear Christmas boxers."

She raises an eyebrow. "Not always , right?"

"I counted once. I have forty-seven pairs of Christmas themed boxer shorts. So, yep. Always."

"You're a very dedicated St. Nick," she tells me as she walks toward me.

When she's about six inches away, I swallow hard. "I'm warning you now, Noe. If you come any closer, we're going to run behind Holly's timetable all day because I'm this close to ripping that dress off you and taking you to bed."

Her chest rises in the snug bodice and a pink stain colors her cheeks. Her lips part. "Oh."

We stare at each other for a long, long moment. I can feel the heat rising off her body. My pulse rushes. Finally, I grit my teeth and say, "I'm gonna put some clothes on and get the coffee started."

Her eyes are still locked on mine, heavy with desire, but she nods. "Good idea. We have a big day. I'll get dressed and meet you in the kitchen."

I turn and take my surfing Santa-covered butt out of the room before my willpower deserts me.

Ten minutes later, we're fully dressed, drinking coffee at the butcher block kitchen island, and splitting one of the Jule-logs that Merry left in the fridge.

"Nothing like a healthy breakfast of caffeine and chocolate," Noelle observes.

"It's an occupational hazard, Mrs. Claus. For the next three days, you'll be running on pure sugar."

She wrinkles her nose. "Oh, that's unfortunate."

"Next week is all about vegetables, clean proteins, and gallons of water to even it out."

"Fair enough." She pops another morsel of chocolate sponge into her mouth.

"That's the spirit. Last night, you said you would help with open house. What about the library?"

"We close for the duration of the Christmas in July festival and let the performers use our parking lot."

"Didn't know. I always walk over to the gazebo."

"In any event, I'm all yours."

"I like the sound of that." I lean over and nuzzle her neck.

She drops the cake and crawls into my lap. We're making out like a pair of teenagers, when there's a knock at the door.

I ease her to the floor and open the door to see Thyme standing on the little porch, wide-eyed .

"Morning, Thyme."

"Good morning, Uncle Nick. Hi, Noelle." She gives me an apologetic smile. "Holly wants to know whether you plan to join us or if you're going to slack off all day."

I glance at my watch. "It's not even six-thirty yet."

"Correct. But if you check the timetable, you'll see that work assignments started at six o'clock."

We stare at each other for a moment.

"What have I done?"

"It appears you created a monster, Uncle Nick. Rosemary is intense, but she has nothing on Holly."

Noelle places a hand on my arm. "I'll talk to her. She's probably overcompensating because she's afraid she won't live up to Carol's precedent."

As soon as she says it, I know she's right. My Grinchy heart grows at least one size as I think of the impossible task Holly's set for herself. "No, I'll do it. She needs to hear it from me that she's doesn't have to compete with her mom. She can put her own stamp on the open house."

She smiles. "That'll mean a lot to her."

I give her a quick, chaste kiss, then turn to Thyme. "Please wait for Noelle so you can walk over to the inn together. I don't want you to be alone. I'll clear things up with the boss."

Noelle protests. "It's broad daylight. And it's only seventy yards."

I remember the icy fist of fear that gripped me when I saw the bedroom door hanging open and repeat myself. "And I don't want to you be alone. Not even to walk across the property. Not until Bianchi's off the street."

She turns her mouth down, but nods .

"Tell me you understand."

"I understand," she pouts.

I give her another kiss? this one slightly less quick and marginally less chaste. "Good."

Then I grab my coffee mug and wander out into the backyard to find my taskmaster daughter and talk her down before her unpaid workforce of siblings and cousins revolts.