she relented with a smile. “I’d hate to get you in trouble.”
He grinned before heading toward his work shed in the backyard. That left Nick on his own with Julia, which was awkward. He hadn’t planned on seeing her again, so he hadn’t bothered to apologize for his poor behavior yesterday. Another strike against him. Considering his dismal track record with women, he really should be used to it by now.
Hoping to smooth things over, he motioned her ahead of him the way he had the first time they met. “Ladies first.”
Instead of sailing past him as he’d expected, she studied him for a long, uncomfortable moment. “You’re a perplexing man.”
Sensing he’d made some progress with her, he grinned back. “I’ve been called worse.”
To his immense relief, she laughed. Shaking her head, she added, “I can only imagine.”
When she turned up the snow-covered walkway, her foot slipped, and she nearly went down on the gravel. Nick reached out to catch her, and by some bizarre happening she ended up in his arms.
Holding her lightly, he gazed down into those sparkling blue eyes. Wearing her ivory coat and framed by the white snow, she reminded him of the Victorian angel ornament that had reigned over the top of his mother’s Christmas tree since he was a little boy. Elegant and beautiful, with the wispy look of something that might vanish into thin air if he closed his eyes.
Part of him longed to maintain that hold, to keep her close and enjoy the scent of magnolias that followed her everywhere. Instead, he did the gentlemanly thing and released her.
“It’s a little slippery,” he managed to say as he took her arm and guided her to a clear section of the path. “Watch your step.”
She rewarded him with a queenly smile. “I will. Thank you.”
While he stood there watching her go up the path, he noticed the very distinctive way she moved. With the grace of a ballerina, she seemed to float over the snow, barely touching the ground before going up the steps. Nick had dated plenty of models and dancers, but he’d never met a woman who walked the way Julia did.
People didn’t usually snare his attention this quickly, but she’d managed it somehow. It was a good thing he was headed back to Richmond tomorrow, or he might have given in to his curiosity and done something stupid like ask her to dinner.
Right, he thought with a grimace, as if there was any chance of her saying yes, whether he stayed in town or not. Men had probably taken her to Paris for dinner and a ride on the Seine. There was no way a guy like him could compete with that, even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.
Unfortunately, a tiny, annoying part of him disagreed, and he was wrestling it back into submission when Todd jogged up and stopped beside him. “Coming?”
“In a minute.”
Todd gave him a curious look but shrugged and followed Julia into the house. Standing there with snow falling all around him, Nick took a deep, chilly breath of air. He’d never met a woman who rattled him as thoroughly as Julia Stanton did. Whether that was good or bad, he couldn’t say.
But it was definitely interesting.
* * *
When Nick came through the door into the cozy kitchen, Julia watched as his niece attacked him like a frenzied cub.
“We’re doing the tree today!” she shouted with obvious joy. “That means you can help us.”
“I don’t know about all that,” he hedged, hanging his coat on the rack near the door. “I’m not much use in the decorating department.”
“Oh, it’s easy,” Todd assured him between sips of cocoa. “Just do what the girls tell you, and you’ll be fine.”
Taking a steaming reindeer mug from Lainie, Nick chuckled. “This might come as a shock, but I’m not in the habit of taking orders from anyone.”
He sat down, and instantly Hannah was in his lap. Having seen him at his prickly worst, Julia thought it was adorable how his niece had taken to her brusque uncle.
“What do you do at your house for Christmas, Uncle Nick?” Hannah asked.
“I pretty much hang a wreath on the door and call it done. I don’t have kids, so it’s not a big deal.”
“Julia doesn’t have kids, either,” Lainie pointed out. “And she does a fabulous job with her decorations.”
“She sure does.” He flashed her an approving grin that actually made her blush. To hide her reaction, she lifted her Frosty the Snowman mug for a sip of cocoa.
“You need somewhere to put your angel,” Hannah informed him in a very grown-up voice. “Ours came from Eye-land.”
“Ireland,” her mother corrected her. “Gramma brought it back from one of her trips to Waterford.”
Hannah looked up at Nick with wide eyes. “Did she bring you one, too?”
Nick traded an uncomfortable look with Lainie but finally nodded. “It’s different from yours, but it’s really pretty. I keep it on a shelf in my living room, and whenever I look at it, it reminds me of Gramma.”
The kitchen went silent, and Julia could hear the quiet ticking of the mantel clock in the next room. A quick glance at Lainie told Julia her friend wasn’t accustomed to her tightly controlled brother opening up that way. Then again, you’d need a heart of stone to resist Hannah Martin’s innocent charm.
“That’s nice,” she rattled on, “but we put ours on the tree. Daddy usually lifts me up to set her on, but since you’re here you could do it.”
Clearly worn down, Nick gave in with a chuckle. “Sure, munchkin. I’ll give you a hand.”
“Yay!” Now she turned pleading eyes on Julia. “Can you help us? You’re so good with ribbons and stuff.”
This time, she didn’t check her watch. It simply wasn’t in her to disappoint any child, but especially not this one. A few months ago, she’d hesitantly entered the Safe Harbor Church for the first time and searched for a place to sit in the crowded chapel. Lainie Martin had spotted her and slid down to make room for the new girl in town.
That simple, friendly gesture marked the beginning of a solid friendship Julia had come to treasure, and she was touched that they’d include her in one of their family traditions. “I’d love to, Hannah. Thank you for asking.”
After hugging Nick and then Julia, she scampered away with her parents to start gathering up the ornaments.
“She’s such a doll,” Julia said as she took a seat across the table from Nick. “You must love her to pieces.”
“It’s hard not to.”
The wistfulness in his tone alerted her that something was bothering him. While she suspected what it might be, she thought it might help him to voice it out loud—with a little nudging from her along the way. “It’s nice to be with family this time of year, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Looking down at his hands, he wove his fingers together before adding, “I’ve missed a lot the past few years.”
“You’re here now.”
When he lifted his eyes to hers, the misery in them made her want to give him a hug. She still thought it would help him to talk out what he was feeling, but she couldn’t bring herself to press on still-aching wounds. Old hurts were the worst, she knew, and some never healed. She had no idea what had estranged him from his family, but for Nick’s sake, she decided it was best to change the subject. “When did you last go sledding?”
Her question had the desired effect, and his expression brightened as he laughed. “Ten years ago, maybe more.”
“If this snow keeps up, we’ll be able to do something about that.