The Best Christmas Ever

“Everything Ella cooks is a specialty,” Allison said as she dipped a fork into the cake. “But you don’t have to sit in here with me, Nick. I’m just a neighbor, not a guest that has to be entertained.”

His sudden smile was crooked, as though he found her words amusing. “You don’t have to make such a point of getting rid of me, either.”

A blush spread across Allison’s fair cheeks. Had it really been so obvious that she wanted to avoid his company? She hoped not. She didn’t want him to think she disliked him. But then, she didn’t want him to think she was interested in him, either. “I wasn’t. I mean—I just meant that your family will be wanting you to finish eating with them.”

Nick shifted around on the cushion so that his back was resting against the arm of the couch and his knee nearly touching Allison’s thigh. She felt every nerve inside her coil to sudden attention.

“I’ll be here until after Christmas. They’ll all be sick of my company by then. Besides, I’m curious.”

Without looking at him, she lifted the cake to her mouth. “Oh? About what?” she asked, although she could already guess. He’d probably been wondering throughout the evening about Benjamin, and why a young single woman like herself had a child.

“About my family,” he answered. “Not one of them mentioned to me that a beautiful woman had moved next door. I wonder why that is?”

Allison’s eyes remained on the fat slice of cake she was holding. “Probably because I’m not beautiful,” she murmured, hoping he couldn’t sense the rapid beat of her heart.

She knew she was behaving like a complete idiot, but she wasn’t used to dealing with men or compliments. At least not since her ordeal with Larry. Since then, she’d steered clear of any kind of male attention.

Nick laughed softly and took a bite of his cake. He could see that he bothered her. He didn’t exactly understand why, but the fact that he did pleased him enormously.

“You don’t like me much, do you?”

His question was so unexpected that her head jerked up. “What?”

He gave her a patient smile. “I said that you—”

“No, I mean, why would you—why do you think that?”

He smiled again, knowingly this time. “Oh, it probably has something to do with that ice I see in your eyes every time you look at me.”

Embarrassed, she jerked her eyes away and looked across the room to where Ben still sat playing on the rug. “You’re misreading me,” she said as casually as she could manage. “How could I not like you? I don’t even know you.”

“That’s true,” he said thoughtfully, then took another bite of cake. “At first I thought it was simply because I was a man. But you seem to like Dad, and it’s obvious that you like Sam.”

“Of course I like Sam. He’s a dear man.” Since she’d moved into her grandmother’s old house, Sam had done things for her that she could never possibly have managed on her own. Like when he’d fixed the broken water line in the bathroom and patched the roof where it had leaked near the foot of her bed. She never forgot a kindness and Sam had been kind to her.

Nick snorted, but the sound was softened with a grin. “Believe me, Allison. Sam’s not a dear. He’s a bear.”

Tilting her head to one side, she looked at him. “Really? Then what are you?”

His dark blue eyes were suddenly full of laughter. “Why, Miss Lee, I thought you knew I was a soldier.”

He was playing with her, Allison thought. But, surprisingly, she didn’t resent the fact. Why should she? she asked herself. Nick was more or less a stranger and he’d be gone from here in a matter of days. He couldn’t hurt her in any way. She felt a bit safer at the thought.

Smiling now, Allison sliced off another bite of cake. “And what kind of soldiering do you do? Do you sit behind a desk or are you out in the field?”

“A little of both.”

“Do you like it?”

Nick shrugged. “I guess I like it. I’ve done it for six years.”

He hadn’t really answered her question. But Allison wasn’t going to point that out to him. The last thing she wanted was for Nick Gallagher to get the idea she was interested in him.

Chapter 3

A few moments later S.T. and Sam came into the den. Allison quickly excused herself to join the women in the kitchen. Ella brought out the silver polish and they all went to work cleaning the silverware and table pieces that would be used for the wedding reception. When that job was finished they went to work making bags of rice, cutting tiny little squares of fine red netting, filling them with dry rice and tying the tops with satin ribbons. It was a painstaking job, but Ella said it wouldn’t be a wedding unless the guests had rice to throw at the bride and groom.

None of them realized they’d been working for nearly two hours until Sam and Nick came into the room.

“Olivia,” Sam said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You’re going to be worn-out. Why don’t you call it quits for tonight?”

Ella quickly agreed, saying they could all use another round of cake and coffee.

“I’d really better be going,” Allison said quickly. “Ben needs to be in bed. Especially with tomorrow being a workday for me.”

“Your son is sound asleep,” Nick told her. “I think Dad told him one too many farming stories.”

Allison glanced to where he was standing across the table from her and smiled briefly. “Thank you for keeping an eye on him. I’ll just go start the car and let it be warming before I get him.”

She was over by the door, pulling on her coat, when Nick walked up behind her. Allison knew it was him even before he spoke and her heart began to thud heavily against her breast.

“I’ll go start your car,” he said.

Her hands stilled on the button at her neck. His voice was so coarse and deep, so totally masculine that it sent shivers down her spine. “That’s okay. I’m used to doing it.”

“Nonsense. Give me the key.”

Not wanting to appear ungrateful to the rest of the Gallaghers, Allison pulled her keys out of her coat and handed them to him.

He went out the door with a grin on his face while Allison took a deep breath and headed to the den for her son.

She’d told everyone good-night and was carrying Ben across the breezeway when Nick suddenly appeared in front of her.

“The car is running,” he said. “Let me carry him for you.”

“Really, Nick, I can—”

Before she could say more, Nick reached for the sleeping child. Allison could do little more than hand him over. As she did, her fingers inadvertently touched Nick’s arm. The warmth and strength she felt beneath the thin material of his shirt left a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tried her best to ignore it as they made their way through the kitchen to the back door.

“Oh, Allison,” Kathleen called, hurrying to catch her before she stepped onto the porch. “You forgot to take Buddy.”

Allison hesitated, then shook her head as Nick’s sister thrust the floppy-eared dog toward her. “No, I couldn’t take your dog.”

Kathleen laughed at Allison’s protest. “Why ever not? Ben loves him.”

“I know. But the dog is obviously your keepsake.”

Kathleen smiled fondly at the dog in her hand. “I’ve had him forever. Now I want to give him to Ben.”