Chapter 8

8

It was right in the midst of the all-out snowy battle that Matt Nelson appeared, surprising everyone. Especially Tahlia.

“What the…!” he skidded to a stop but wasn’t fast enough to avoid Tahlia’s throw, which had been aimed at Jed, and was hit square in the face. He froze, fists tight against his sides and eyes closed. Jed and the kids broke into peals of laughter, but Tahlia was far from joining them.

She’d just hit her mercurial, no-nonsense boss in the head with a snowball. What were the odds he’d laugh it off?

Tahlia wasn’t about to wager on them.

“Mr. Nelson? Are you okay?” she called. He hadn’t moved yet, although he’d opened his eyes and they were pointed like lasers at her. Bits of snow slowly slid down his nose. “I’m so, so sor-”

She didn’t get the chance to finish her apology, because a snowball smacked her right on the chin. Staggering back, Tahlia spluttered snow out of her mouth. Nelson had a terribly satisfied expression and another snowball waiting in his hand. How he’d managed to make two that fast was beyond Tahlia, but now it was on .

Bending down, Tahlia pulled together a pack of snow and flung it at her boss with a shout.

After that, it was a free-for-all. Snowballs flew from and in every direction. Maddy and Kaiden were having the time of their lives and Tahlia couldn’t lie…she was too. It was a morning she would never forget, cemented by the blinding grin on Matt Nelson’s face when his children tackled him into a snowbank.

Unfortunately, after the snowball fight, Nelson got pulled into another call which turned into an all-day conference with three other executives.

“At least he played with the children for a little while,” Ophelia sighed during the lodge’s Christmas tree decorating contest. “That’s more than I think any of us expected from him.”

Tahlia was silent, but her mind repeated the same thing over and over: But it shouldn’t be.

Nevertheless, that’s the way it was. After a dinner where Matt Nelson was again absent, Tahlia gathered the kids up and took them back to the cabin. She had plans for a fun evening to get their minds off their dad eschewing the vacation.

“You all get the blanket fort up and I’ll get the snacks!” she declared once back. Twenty minutes later, all three were snuggled in a makeshift tent - the kids had obviously made plenty of blanket forts in their time, watching their first Christmas movie of a marathon, one of Tahlia’s favorites: Miracle on 34th Street .

She liked to be reminded that the world could still be enchanting. However, the full day had been a bit much for the kids and, in the middle of movie two, they fell asleep. They were wrapped up in blankets on a mountain of cushions and Tahlia couldn’t bear to wake them so she promised herself to give it to the end of the movie.

It wasn’t until she was shaken awake that she realized she’d fallen asleep, too . Groggily, she opened her eyes, but any remnant of sleep dissipated when she became conscious of a large, looming shadow. Instinct to protect the kids forced her wide awake and she sat up with a gasp.

“Shhh, it’s me,” Nelson whispered. He was kneeling outside the blanket fort, peering in with an amused expression. Tahlia looked around for the kids. They were on either side of her, sound asleep despite her shuffling. Nelson moved aside to let Tahlia out and she managed to escape the fort without disturbing Maddy and Kaiden.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly once they’d moved to the kitchen. The clock on the microwave said 1:30. “They passed out during one of the movies and I didn’t have the heart to move them. I was going to after the movie but…I must have passed out, too.”

“It’s okay, Miss Jameson,” he assured her. “It was a full day. Besides, a night in a blanket fort won’t hurt them.”

“No, I suppose not.” Tahlia relaxed. She watched him from the kitchen’s island as he moved quietly around, searching the cabinets for something. “What are you looking for?”

“Cereal?” he opened another cabinet and frowned when he didn’t find what he was looking for.

“It’s over here.” Tahlia moved to a cabinet beside the fridge and opened it. Nelson’s eyes brightened and, in his eagerness, reached over her to grab a box. By accident, the move pressed Tahlia against the granite counter and she instinctively put a hand out to stop him, palm in the center of his chest, before he squashed her.

Nelson’s eyes dropped down and he froze, except for a very thick swallow. Almost as if he was nervous. Tahlia stared up at him, for some reason unable to bring herself to move or breathe. She wasn’t caged in, he was just close, inches away, and she couldn’t stop staring at him. He was a little disheveled, his hair mussed, a lock hanging down on his forehead, with a day’s growth of scruff on his jaw. The sleeves of his forest green sweater were rolled up to his elbows, giving her a glimpse for the first time of his forearms. Which were very toned. And his chest was very hard.

Where does he find the time to work out? she couldn’t help but marvel, flexing her fingers just a bit over his sweater. Does he bench press during meetings?

“Sorry,” he rumbled and slowly backed away. Tahlia pulled her hand to her own chest, right over where her heart was thumping wildly. “I’m really…hungry.”

If his eyes flicked over her in a certain way, Tahlia knew she must have imagined it.

“You should eat,” she stepped quickly aside. After a second of hesitation, he took down a box of cereal and retrieved a bowl and spoon, his movements somewhat stilted. Needing a distraction, Tahlia peered into the living room to check on the kids. They were still sleeping, oblivious to the silent chaos in the kitchen.

“You should go to bed.” Tahlia heard Nelson say. When she turned around he was looking into his bowl of cereal. “It’s late.”

“Are you sure you’re alright with them sleeping in the living room?” she asked and he nodded.

“I’m sure. Get some sleep, Miss Jameson.”

While her amazingly comfortable bed was calling her, Tahlia hesitated. “You were gone all day,” she ventured. He paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “The kids missed you.”

“There was an emergency,” he said slowly. “It couldn’t wait.”

While she doubted it was something that couldn’t be handled without him, she didn’t voice it.

“I’m glad you were able to come outside,” she said instead. “They had a lot of fun.”

Her boss lifted one corner of his mouth into a bashful smile. “It was fun,” he agreed. “Uh, I’m sorry about hitting you in the face like that…”

Tahlia huffed a quiet laugh. “It’s alright. I’m just happy you didn’t fire me after I pelted you.”

“That is probably the least fireable thing you’ve done so far, Miss Jameson.” He was absolutely deadpan but there was an ever-so-slight crinkle around his eyes.

Tahlia grinned. He was teasing her. Well, well.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Good night, Mr. Nelson,” she said, her grin softening.

“Good night, Miss Jameson.”

His voice was low when he replied, as if saying something more intimate than a simple good night, and a shiver went down Tahlia’s spine. Though she tried to sleep, Tahlia spent longer than she’d ever admit thinking about his voice and that shiver.