Abbey thought about Nick’s eyes—how curious he’d been when he looked at her, that smile lurking, just waiting to come out and knock her off her feet. She thought about how sweet and tender he could be, how it felt to kiss his lips. Did she just have stars in her eyes? She wanted to text him right then and find out how he felt about her exactly, but she didn’t. He’d been pretty clear, telling her to direct all questions to Richard.
“You’re quiet. It is one-sided,” Robin said.
“It’s not that,” Abbey tried to explain. “He made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to talk to me. He told me if I have any questions to direct them to Richard. I have to plan a party for a hundred people here. I’ve never done that before. I want to do a good job, make him happy with what I’ve chosen, and have it all completed in a timely manner.”
“I’ll help you plan the party. I do it all the time. You just weigh in on what you like design-wise and I’ll help with the rest.”
“I don’t feel right asking you to do that. This is your Christmas holiday. You need to spend it with your family, not do a job that I’m being paid to do.”
Robin laughed. “Nick hired you as a decorator. He only threw the party on you because he didn’t want to do it himself, and he knew that when it came down to it, you’d be great at it. I know him too well. You and I can plan the party together. Nick won’t care one way or the other who gets it done as long as he can tick it off his list.”
“What about your time that I’m taking? You need to enjoy your family.”
“I will! It doesn’t take long to plan it—a few things here and there. You’ll do all the ordering of supplies. We’ll be able to do it while our boys play tomorrow. Easy.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Abbey had gone herself to pick up Max after school. She took a moment to admire the exterior of Nick’s home as she drove up to it. All the exterior trees were lit in their white lights, the trees by the door lit as well, the dark green spruce wreaths on every window, their dark cranberry bows popping against the brick exterior. It was such a beautiful, Christmassy contrast to the muted daylight through the gray sky.
She parked the car and got out, tugging the scarf Nick had bought her a little tighter to keep out the frigid temperatures. Max had his coat on, but she had to zip it up as he got out. They weren’t even to the steps before the huge front door opened and Thomas stood there in his socks.
“Hi,” he called out in a very matter-of-fact way.
When they got to the top of the steps, meeting him at the door, Max smiled at his new friend, and they ran inside. Abbey went back to the car to get some extra toys she hadn’t yet unpacked, although, from the looks of it, the boys were already keeping themselves busy.
Richard met her in the drive and insisted on carrying everything in for her. She didn’t feel comfortable when he did that because she wasn’t employing him, but he assured her that he’d do it anyway. She liked Richard. He kept his personal thoughts separate from his professional life, but she could tell that a lot of what he did for the family and for her was simply because he cared. He was very quiet but thoughtful—it came through in his actions. He said he’d put it all in the living room. Then, just before he walked away, he told her that Nick was home.
Abbey immediately went to his office and knocked but no one answered. She’d had enough experience by now to know that he was probably busy. She hated when he didn’t answer the door, so without another knock, she opened it. She couldn’t wait to see him. To her surprise, the room was empty. Taken aback, she slowly closed the door, wondering where he was.
She found Robin and Caroline in the kitchen. “Nick’s home,” she said. “But he isn’t in his office. Have you seen him?”
“He was on a phone call, but I assumed that he went to the office after. I was helping Caroline with her sewing,” Robin said.
“Is he with James?”
“James isn’t here. He went to do a little Christmas shopping.”
“Okay,” she said. “Well, I’ll check on the boys.”
She made her way to the living room, but when she got there, she had to close her gaping mouth. Nick was not only in the living room—where he never went—but he was on the floor on his back while the boys were building a train track over the top of him!
“Hi,” he waved carefully from under the track.
“Hi,” she said, kneeling down beside him. “What in the world…” The sight of him like that made her want to kiss him right there on the spot.