Home for Christmas (12 page)

“Happy?” he asked.

“More than you can imagine,” she
answered, slipping her arm through his as they traversed the acreage
companionably debating the merits of the Grands, Nobles and Frasier firs.
Austin couldn’t care less about the variety, but he loved to hear her
passionate rationale as to why the Noble Fir was the only tree for him.

Austin had waived one of the
teenagers over who were running around in John Deere gators and toting chain
saws, explaining to Savannah why he really didn’t need the experience of
actually cutting down his own Christmas tree. She’d disagreed, but when the
snowflakes began sticking to her eyelashes, her cheeks and fingers frigid and
numb, her breath vapors almost freezing, she decided he was right.

After a promise to meet back at the
log cabin gift shop, Savannah and Austin watched their nearly fourteen-foot
Noble tree puttering its way down the hillside in the back of a gator. The
engine sound growing faint as they watched it slip through a band of trees.

Soon a magical silence filled the
air that can happen only in a forest blanketed in snow. The families had all
long since left for warmer and drier conditions and Austin and Savannah found
themselves alone on the hillside, in the snow, with Christmas surrounding them.

As they paused, relishing the
moment as the sun at last sank below the western horizon, Austin turned toward
Savannah and gently smiled as he gazed at the white snow that had encrusted her
red wool hat; her nose and cheeks pink from the cold; yet her eyes, warm and
dancing, drew him as nothing ever had.

And in that electric moment charged
with expectation, he gazed intently into her eyes; pondering, weighing, then
finally capitulating. He turned, capturing her frozen cheeks between his bare
palms. Issuing a silent petition that was answered in the depths of her eyes as
they gazed at each other, he slowly lowered his lips toward hers; gently,
tentatively at first; tasting, experiencing … sealing the moment.

Cocooned by the enchanting snow and
trees that promised Christmas, the passion between them was building, the kiss
deepening, lengthening; warming their bodies and bones from the inside, out.
Completely isolated, each gave themselves wholly to the moment; nothing else in
their worlds mattered.

Minutes ticked by, twilight was in
its last stage as Austin finally began to recognize his limits as he slowed the
intensity, pulling back gently until finally he stopped kissing her perfect
lips, but not before kissing the tip of her pink nose. Embracing her tiny form
against his and resting his head on top of hers, he caught his breath and tried
to still his erratic heart. The kiss was like none other he’d ever had or
given. And one he knew he’d never forget.

She rested her head on his
shoulder, wishing time could stand still. Wishing she could memorialize this
most perfect moment, like none other she’d ever experienced. It was as if all
of her favorite things had been condensed into one moment in time. And if she
wasn’t careful, he would see the tiny little tears even now forming at the
corner of her eyes and never understand what they meant.

Thankful for the now complete
darkness, Savannah pulled slowly out of his embrace. There wasn’t any
awkwardness, no unanswered questions, no expectations or thoughts for the
future. Each understood and relished the shared moment. Each content to just …
be.

Hand in hand, they made their way
back to the giant log pavilion to find their tree, warm their hands beside a
roaring fire built in the outdoor flagstone fire pit with giant logs blazing,
and warm their insides with a piping cup of coffee for him and hot chocolate
for her.

“It’s a gorgeous tree,” Savannah
uttered near midnight, standing back to appraise the nearly fourteen-foot Noble
they’d chosen to place in the library, it’s conical top only narrowly missing
the coved ceiling beams, one of her favorite features in the room she’d spent
so much time in growing up.

Eyes twinkling, she wrapped her
arms around her middle while gazing at the tree they’d decorated together in an
eclectic, almost primitive style; featuring lots of textures and natural
products.

Austin had lit a fire in the
Library fireplace and Savannah had turned on an old Frank Sinatra Christmas CD
she’d had in her car and piped it into the home’s new media system. Sipping hot
chocolate, they’d worked together to light the tree, which was no small feat.
With patience, they’d individually wrapped each branch from trunk to tip with
tiny white lights. But the effect was natural … and magical.

Savannah had previously found giant
pinecones from Northwest Sugar and Ponderosa Pine trees that she’d fastened
with floral wire and dangled here and there from the thick, cultured branches
now brightly lit. They’d also wound garlands of burlap and grapevine through
the branches, bringing out the rustic feel she felt so reflected Austin’s
style, even though he assured her that he really didn’t have one … a style that
is. But when she added the massive vintage silver mercury glass ornaments with
bronze fittings, he had to admit that perhaps … he did.

She had some additional ornaments
she wanted to add as well as to place faux packages wrapped in simple craft
papers beneath the colossal tree, but her aim was to keep it simple and
natural. But that was for tomorrow. For tonight, it was finished.

As they sat together enjoying the
work of their hands, the twinkle of the lights, the warmth of the fire just now
dying down, the scent of freshly cut fir, Savannah knew this night … and this
day … would live forever in her memory. The man sitting next to her with his
arm casually draped over the back of the down cushioned sofa was everything any
woman dreamed of. And she knew it was too good to be true. But, just for
tonight, just for this moment, she wanted to savor his strength, his warmth and
believe it was just for her. While she knew better, she refused to obey the internal
warnings.

Austin slid his arm from around
Savannah’s and captured her hand and brought it onto his lap. It was completely
silent but for the crackling and pops from the fireplace and the softly crooning
Sinatra in the background. Sated by a day of fresh air and yes, even physical
labor, they each felt a sleepiness creeping over them.

“You look exhausted,” Austin
commented and he patted her hand.

Savannah wasn’t completely
successful in stifling her yawn as she was about to answer in the negative.
“Well,” she replied sheepishly, “maybe a little tired,” she reluctantly
admitted. Retrieving her hand, she stood, adjusting her cardigan over her
jeans, and asked, “What do you think?”

Austin teased, “I think I’m glad
that we only did one tree.”

“Hey,” she rejoined. “You loved
every minute of it,” she replied huffily. “I saw it in your eyes.”

He smiled while standing to join
her, extending a sideways hug. “Okay. I loved every minute of it,” he said,
smiling that evil smile of his. Her face grew pink as she instantly backed away
from whatever his intentions might have been.

“Uh …” she stammered.

“Seriously, Savannah,” he said,
knowing she was too tired to be teased, “I love this tree. I know you’ll
probably have more fancy trees planned for other rooms, but to me … this is the
perfect
tree.”

And suddenly, the weariness
evaporated as she looked one more time toward the tree that was, at least in
her mind, theirs. And agreed. It really was the perfect tree.

“Now come,” Austin commanded as
another giant yawn escaped as Savannah quickly covered her mouth
apologetically.  “I’m driving you home,” he said ushering her out of the
warm, wood paneled room newly furnished with volumes of books in the floor to ceiling
walnut shelves. He allowed one last look at the library and the Christmas tree
as he turned off the lights from the switch by the door. He’d always thought he
was attracted to glass, steel and cement … anything contemporary. But even he
would have to admit there was something about the charm and warmth of this room
that could never be replicated by those modern elements he thought he loved so
much. Of course, there was no denying the effect of the woman who’d created it
all. Perhaps it had something to do with her as well.

Courtney, bleary-eyed and sleep
deprived stood in the kitchen the next morning, hands on hips, ready for a
confrontation. To say she wasn’t
pleased
, was an understatement. She
was, in fact,
livid
. Whether or not it was justified was another matter
all together.

And the object of that ire stood
before her, dressed stylishly and impeccably, but Courtney took perverse
pleasure in noticing the dark smudges under her eyes, marring her otherwise
flawless appearance. It was justified; she consoled herself over that
delightful discovery.

Savannah was always put together,
always clam, always poised … and it irked Courtney sometimes. She was supposed
to be the irresponsible, impulsive, workaholic, out-all-night-without-calling
friend who left the entertaining of one’s boyfriend to another. Savannah was
the practical, measured … boring friend who was supposed to be predictable,
supposed to do the right thing … who was
supposed
to call. And lately,
she’d been anything but.

Courtney had needed Savannah’s
touch and expertise to pull off the promises she’d made to land the Austin
Douglass P.R. account. And thanks to her, it was coming along famously. While
she had originally intended a little match-making between the two, believing
Savannah and Robert needed a break from each other, she had changed her mind.
Not that the two needed a break from each other but that Austin and Savannah
would be good together. Robert and Savannah
definitely
needed a break.
The Austin and Savannah combination was too risky … for her. Now … the two of
them were spending entirely too much time together. And that affected Robert …
which affected her. This whole mess wasn’t boding well.

Savannah continued brewing her
coffee without even a glance toward her fuming friend.

Okay, Courtney told herself, so
maybe she was overreacting a bit, but for goodness sakes, she was tired … and
she never,
ever
got up at the crack of dawn.

Savannah sensed her friend’s
frustration. And while she almost always had patience for her outbreaks, she
didn’t today. She continued to jot some notes down in her bound notebook, her
back to Courtney, while waiting for the caffeine she desperately needed. Groggy
mornings were a rarity for her, thankfully. Not so for her friend.

“Robert was here last night,”
Courtney challenged, finally breaking the awkward silence.

“He was?” Savannah questioned with
surprise, craning her neck to address Courtney before closing her eyes, palms
flying to her forehead when memory of her commitment came rushing back. “Oh no
…” she exclaimed.

“So, now you remember?” Courtney
accused sarcastically. “Aren’t you the one who always lives by their calendar,
whose phone is practically attached to your hip?” she questioned unkindly.

Savannah was still shaking her head
in disbelief.

“I’m so sorry!”

“You should be,” Courtney responded
curtly. “You were the one who started the tradition in the first place,” she
reminded, stomping loudly toward the cushioned club chair by the window,
dropping into it gracelessly.

“I know. I’ll have to email the VP
of Development …”

“The VP of Development?” Courtney
stuttered aghast. “What about
Robert
? He was the one who was
inconvenienced,” she stated, exasperated. “How many years, Savannah, have you
made Robert take you to Seattle Pacific University’s Sacred Sounds Christmas
concert? Do you know that Robert isn’t even fond of classical music?” she
challenged.

Savannah’s brow crinkled over
Courtney’s confession. “He doesn’t?” she questioned with surprise.  “He
does too,” she answered more confidently than she felt. “Anyway, it doesn’t
really matter. Both our families have given large amounts of money to the
University’s business program and it is really our duty …”

“No, Savannah, it isn’t
your
duty … and it’s not mine,” Courtney answered emphatically. As silence filled
the kitchen following the harsh words, she sighed deeply, blowing her bangs off
her forehead as she did so.

“What do you mean …
not your
duty
?” Savannah asked quietly.

“I went in your place last night, Savannah.
I couldn’t let him go alone. He was pretty disappointed in you.”

“I’m disappointed in me too,” she
agreed softly. “It’s just that I got caught up in …
it all
. I forgot
about a lot of things,” she acknowledged as she retreated to the barstool near
where she’d been standing.

Courtney silently watched the guilt
play over Savannah’s features, feeling only slightly remorseful for her role in
bringing it about. It wasn’t her fault, she told herself. Savannah had brought
this on herself … right? Robert was a wonderful guy, a
loyal
guy … a
catch, even to someone like Savannah.

But the more she tried to convince
herself, her regret only grew stronger. After all, her relationship with Robert
wasn’t exactly her
business;
only, somehow she’d found herself in the
middle of it. They’d become such good friends of late, Robert and her. Having
grown up together, she was astounded at how much more alike they were than she
ever knew. As far as appearances went, he’d always been the conservative type,
she -- the quirky type. She still was; him – not so conservative any longer. It
was … intriguing.

The smile, brought on by her inner
musings, faded as she looked over at Savannah and her obvious distress over the
oversight. Courtney hadn’t really minded standing in for her … and quite
possibly, that was the whole problem. Misplace the blame so one could absolve
their own guilt? 

Standing up and walking slowly back
into the kitchen, Courtney watched Savannah check and triple check her notes
and calendar. She was filled with regret once again as she watched the pink
flush steel up her friend’s cheeks. Savannah had been through a horrendous
year, she was a great person; giving, considerate, thoughtful. She didn’t
deserve the treatment she’d been dealt this morning. It was Courtney’s turn to
feel compunction – her earlier defensiveness evaporating. Sighing again, she
continued the route to the barstool next to Savannah. She hated to apologize.
It was her very worst talent.

“I’m sorry,” she finally muttered,
dropping onto the stool.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,”
Savannah said quietly and distractively. “You’ve had to bail me out too many
times recently. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be living in that horrendous place
across town, counting my pennies until January. And now you’ve had to take on
my social commitments as well. And I
know
that isn’t your favorite kind
of entertainment,” she said wryly, glancing her way.

“You might be surprised,” Courtney
admitted reluctantly. “It was pretty cool.”

“Really?” Savannah asked, perking up
a bit.

“Kind of,” she qualified, rolling
her eyes a bit.

Savannah couldn’t help herself as
she giggled over the expression she’d seen cross her friend’s face since they
were in elementary school together.

“Speaking of bail-outs,” Courtney
continued. “You’ve certainly bailed me out on this project. I well remember
your reluctance to take it on. You’re doing more for me than I’m doing for
you,” she admitted. Savannah smiled graciously.

“But, seriously, do you think this
job is too much for you?” Courtney finally asked as each of their smiles faded.
“I mean, going back there, playing house, essentially. And Austin Douglass
isn’t exactly unattractive,” she said slyly, trying to lighten the moment yet
glean some information that Savannah would never willing divulge.

“I don’t know,” Savannah admitted
after a time. “It’s been wonderful to be back there, I can’t deny. It’s like
getting to bring new life to something I thought was dead and over. It’s like,
saying goodbye, one more time.”

“Savannah, it is dead and over. And
if you have any designs on Austin Douglass …”

“I don’t,” she interrupted her
friend. “It’s just a … job.”

“Then what were you doing last
night?”

Savannah chewed her lip,
speculating her friend’s reaction, wishing she could lie, knowing she couldn’t.
“We went and cut a Christmas tree and decorated it,” she finished quietly,
moving toward the coffee and pouring a cup.