Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses(77)
For so many years, she’d cared about people, she’d tried to show them what love was, but she never really got that love in return. This time, she felt something for someone, and he cared about her too. Why did he have to go to New York?
She knew what it was like to need a job, and she didn’t want to judge him. Just because he had a lot of money didn’t mean that he didn’t need to keep making that money to make ends meet. But at the same time, couldn’t he downsize a bit and make his life what he wanted?
“Why are you so insistent on making your father’s company profitable?” she asked, feeling like he was making the wrong decision by moving.
“Because he trusted me to do so.”
“Yes, but I doubt he wanted you to do it at the expense of the rest of your life.”
“You don’t understand,” he said as he walked.
She shuffled up in front of him and stopped him. “Then make me understand.”
“I don’t think I can.” He politely moved around her and she walked up beside him. “Let’s work on getting Max’s Christmas presents. I still have to tie up a few loose ends before I get on a plane in the morning.”
Chapter Nineteen
The ride home from shopping was quiet. She hadn’t meant to put a damper on things. She just felt in her heart that the business wasn’t right for Nick. It was holding him back from so much happiness.
She was tired of things being serious. Instead of taking the exit toward home, she asked him to go straight. She wanted to meander through the city instead, taking the long way. Then, she had an idea.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“I know you have a few things to tie up,” she said. “But I want you to buy me something.” He looked over at her. She knew that would get him.
For the first time since they’d left the mall, a real smile spread across his face all the way up to his eyes. He knew she was up to something. “You’re asking me to spend money on you?”
“Yes,” she said, chewing on a smile.
“I’m intrigued. And a little surprised at your forward behavior. I’ve never had someone ask me to spend money. They usually just allow me to.”
“I make it clear what I want,” she teased. “Pull off there.”
Nestled in the skyscrapers of the city was an ice skating rink. She could hear the Christmas music through the windows of the car.
“You want me to buy you an ice skating rink?”
She let out a little giggle. “No. I want you to buy us each a ticket and two skate rentals. I have this new scarf and no reason to wear it. I’d like you to take me ice skating.”
He looked over at the rink and Abbey followed his line of sight. There was hardly anyone there. She noticed the clerk. He seemed so cold—he was hunched over a Styrofoam cup of steaming liquid, looking miserable. Nick had noticed him too.
“He doesn’t have my scarf,” she said with a grin.
“I’ve never been ice skating,” Nick admitted.
“I haven’t either.”
“What if we slip and slide all over the place?”
“Might be fun,” she said with a devious look. She had no problem at all with the thought of falling in a heap on top of him.
He absorbed that comment and immediately opened his door. “Absolutely. You’re right. Let’s skate.”
Nick purchased their tickets and skates from the frozen clerk and they sat on the bench, lacing up.
“What if we break an ankle?” he asked.
She pursed her lips and looked over at him. “You are awfully cautious,” she said. “You won’t break an ankle. I’ll hold you up if you fall.”
“As small as you are, you would never hold me up.”
“Then don’t fall.” She stood up on her skates, wobbling slightly before getting used to standing on the small blades. He stood up beside her, grabbing the bench for balance.
Abbey slid out onto the open rink, and turned around to view Nick. Strings of lights stretched above them, their bulbs yellow against the gray cloud cover. A Christmas tree sat at one end of the rink. She’d only noticed it because Nick had looked at it as he bobbled and wiggled his way onto the ice.
“That’s just waiting for someone to plow into it,” he said as he looked at the tree.
“Please don’t let it be one of us,” she laughed, reaching out to grab his hands.
They skated slowly, holding hands, her going backwards and him in front, leading precariously.
“Why is it that you wanted to do this?” he asked, only half serious. He jerked, catching himself before he pulled them both down onto the floor.
“It’s romantic!” She let go of his hands and turned around, gliding slowly but balanced across the ice. She turned back around and pushed against the skates until she was skating toward him again.