Sweet Cinderella (A Christmas Novella) (The Klaus Brothers Book 4) (11 page)

“Me? My plan? Do tell.” She beamed with pride.
She’d had a good plan! Woo hoo!

“You were right about family and Christmas being important to her. I’ll never win her over until she believes that our two lives—and our two families—are compatible. I’m not giving up until she caves.”

Shirley put her empty coffee cup on the table. “Wow. Did you just pay me a compliment? I think I might faint.” She raised a hand to her forehead in a swoon.

“Don’t get cocky, kid.”

“Look, Klaus. I get into a lot of trouble. It’s not very often that someone pays me a compliment. I’m enjoying this moment. Maybe you can put in a good word with Pops. Let him know how awesome I am.”

Gregor nodded. “You can tell him yourself. We need to go back to Glasdorf. Family meeting.”

Her face fell. “We have to go back to Glasdorf. Damn it!”

“What’s wrong? I thought you loved Glasdorf.”

“I do. But Mrs. Chen is having another mahjong party tonight, and I really wanted to go. I’m getting good at that game.” Her eyes lit up.

Gregor shook his head. “No more gambling, Elf Girl. Time to get back to the North Pole.”

Gregor sat brooding in the solitude of his Glasdorf home. He stared into the flames in the fireplace and contemplated the meeting he’d just had with his brothers. Sven had fallen hard for Andi De Luca, Hannah’s sister. Gregor was shocked to find his normally laid-back brother gunning for a chance with the woman he loved. The hippy brother had chucked his mellow vibe for a take-no-prisoners approach. That was typically Gregor’s show. And now Hannah was somewhere in the Sudenwelt, and he was here surrounded by icy winds and snow mounds taller than his house.

Something was definitely wrong with this picture.

The door to his cottage flew open, and Sven stomped into the foyer.

“I knew I’d find you here. Moping,” Sven said. He shook the snowflakes from his hair.

“Thanks for knocking.” Gregor sipped his Scotch.

Sven laughed and made himself comfortable on a leather chair. “We need to talk, brother-of-mine. I know you were reluctant to spill your guts with everyone, but I want to know what’s going on with you and Hannah. I have a right to know.”

“You’re now the self-appointed defender of the De Luca family? Give me a break.” Gregor shot him an exasperated look.

“I care about Andi and Hannah. The whole family. They’ve been through so much—”

Gregor held up a hand. “I know their story. And you don’t have to worry about me and Hannah. The truth is . . . I’m crazy about her, but she’s pushing me away.”

Sven’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me.
She’s
pushing
you
away? Why?”

“She has some asinine notion that we’re from two different worlds, and we’re not compatible.” Gregor tipped his head back on the chair and stared at the ceiling. “I’ve tried everything. I showed up at her apartment every day for a week and treated Hannah and the twins to every holiday activity I could think of. Clearly, it wasn’t enough to push her over the edge.”

“What do you mean . . . compatible?” Sven looked confused.

“She feels . . . threatened by our wealth and status. She’s very self-conscious about her apartment and simple lifestyle, which means nothing to me. In fact, she’s impressed the hell out of me. In spite of their tight budget, she manages to make an unforgettable Christmas for the whole family. She even volunteers at the food bank. She’s an inspiration, and she has nothing to be ashamed of. But hell if I can convince her of that.” Gregor ran a shaky hand through his hair.

“You can convince her.” Sven walked over to the bar and helped himself to a holiday beer. “Christmas is coming up. You know what to do.”

Gregor stroked his beard. “What do you mean?”

“You have to show her how much she means to you. And it has nothing to do with money.”

Gregor frowned. “Go on.”

“Andi told me they have their big celebration on Christmas Eve night. A special dinner and exchange of gifts. You need to be there, man. You need to be very thoughtful about the gifts. It’s not about how much they cost—”

“They need to be meaningful.” Gregor placed his empty glass on the table.

“Exactly.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re brilliant? For a lumberjack anyway.” Gregor smiled at his brother.

“Lumberjacks are way underrated,” Sven said with a smirk. “Now I just need to use my superior thought process to win Andi and make her my wife.”

“Thank you,” Gregor said quietly. “I appreciate the advice. Good luck with Andi.”

Sven nodded. “Any time, bro. You don’t need to muddle through things on your own all the time. We’re all here to help. We
want
to help. That’s what brothers are for.”

“I’ve been feeling . . . numbed out lately. Completely detached from the whole Christmas thing. And it’s not just because I live in Manhattan. I . . . sort of lost my way.”

“I was wondering about that. You haven’t seemed happy for a long time. I’ve been worried about you.” Sven pounded his brother on the back. “You okay now?”

“Yeah. Thanks to Hannah. Her love of Christmas is infectious. And seeing the holiday through her eyes, and through Matteo and Anthony’s eyes, has been a wake-up call for me.”

Sven nodded. “So we’re ready to do this? We need to head back to Manhattan and win over the De Luca sisters.”

Gregor started to chuckle. “I’ve used elfin Magik, manipulation, seduction, and straight-up desperation to try to win Hannah De Luca Andersen. I think it’s time to use some good old-fashioned Christmas spirit.”

Sven slung an arm around his brother’s shoulders. “It can’t lose. We’re not part of the Klaus family for nothing.”

Gregor fist-bumped Sven. “Damned straight.”

Shirley knocked on Gregor’s front door. His house was usually the least decorated of the Klaus brothers’. He hardly ever bothered with wreaths or lights, unless his mother sent over an elf brigade to do the honors. Today—Christmas Eve—it was bursting with energy. Lights flowed around the corners and swirled over the roof.
Sternschnuppen
giggled in the window boxes and raced over the front stoop.

Something was going on.

The door flew open. “
What
? Shirley, what are you doing here? I’m busy.” Gregor looked completely disheveled.

“I heard you were heading back to Manhattan today. I wanted to send some candy canes with you. You know . . . just in case.” She walked into his foyer and spied an enormous sack.

“Just in case what?” he snapped.

“Just in case you’re going to see Hannah again.”

He raked a hand through his tousled hair. “I’m going to see Hannah again. Today. I’m—I’m working on my outfit.”

For the first time, she noticed his clothes. Gregor was wearing dressy slacks, Nike running shoes, and a polo shirt. With a thin leather belt.

“Um, what the hell are you doing?”

“Trying to dress casual. You know, so I fit in with Hannah’s family. She teased me about my ‘high brow’ clothes.” He peered at himself in a mirror next to the front door. “What do you think? Is this okay?”

She winced. “Um, actually . . . yeah, I’m gonna have to vote a big fat
no
on that one.”

“No?” He crossed his arms belligerently. “Why no?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Klaus, but you look like a dork. Have you never dressed like a normal human being before?”

“I work in the financial district of New York. I dress appropriately.”

“I get that. But what about casual outings? Like a baseball game? Or a movie night?”

“Most of my dates are right after work, at trendy restaurants. I wear a suit and tie.”

Shirley nodded. “What did you wear when you took the twins ice skating?”

Gregor looked embarrassed. “A suit and tie.”

She laughed. “Okay. I got this covered. Just a minute.” She took a cell phone out of her patent leather purse. “Hey. Greta. Could you please bring a pair of vintage blue jeans over to Gregor Klaus’s house? And some cool old rock T-shirts, fitted sweaters, thick leather belt, and chukka boots. All in Gregor’s size. Yeah, thanks.” She hung up her phone. “Don’t worry about a thing, Klaus. We’ll get you all spiffed up to see Hannah and her family.” She pointed to the sack. “Are those gifts?”

Gregor nodded. “Yes.”

She opened the bag and dropped in her candy canes. “Be sure to pass these out to Hannah and the kids. They’ll love them.”

“I’d better trim my beard and work on my hair . . .”

“No! Your beard looks good scruffy, and you gotta lose the gel. You look perfect. No cologne. Nothing. Just wear the clothes I ordered for you, and you’ll be all set. Got it?”

Gregor laughed. “Got it. Thanks, Shirley. Have I thanked you yet for all of your help?”

“No, you have not. And I would love a pair of new combat boots. In purple. So . . . add me onto your Christmas list.”

“You got it.”

Shirley left the house, humming a
One Direction
song and smiling to herself. “Dress slacks and sneakers.
Oh my God!
”

C
hapter
11

Hannah lit the candles on the table. This is what Christmas Eve should look like.

A roast turkey sat nestled on a platter, garnished with sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Bowls of mashed potatoes and stuffing—and of course Uncle Dominic’s favorite onion casserole—surrounded the mismatched plates. Matteo and Anthony had been in charge of decorating, so creative dioramas made with Lego figurines covered the table top. Santa knickknacks and dancing reindeer and pomander balls were scattered along the tablecloth. It was a mishmash for sure, but Hannah wouldn’t have it any other way.

She pulled fresh rolls out of the oven. Cooking in her parents’ apartment was always hectic, but it was necessary to ensure that everyone was comfortable on Christmas Eve. Uncle Dominic got too nervous changing his routine, and her dad needed a handicapped accessible place for this wheelchair. Her mom also knew how to maneuver in this familiar spot—she felt safe here. So this was where they hosted all the family dinners.

Hannah was usually bursting with happiness on this day. Dominic had curated the perfect holiday music mix. It played softly in the background. Her parents were drinking eggnog and entertaining the twins. But Hannah couldn’t shake her melancholy mood. All she could think about was Gregor . . . what he was doing, if he was happy. She had the most awful feeling that she’d made a horrible mistake the last night they’d spent together. And she had no idea how to fix it.

Her night with Gregor had been full of revelations. Santa was real! And the defining moment of her childhood—an unexpected visit that had changed her forever—wasn’t just a dream or wishful thinking. Shirley the Elf was
real
and not merely a figment of her imagination. How glorious that the Klaus family was surrounded by Magik and Christmas spirit all year long. But the real magic of that evening was making love to Gregor Klaus. No matter how hard she fought to protect her heart, the intensity between them was undeniable.

To make matters worse, Sven Klaus was here with Andi and the two of them were ridiculously in love. He seemed right at home in their cramped apartment. With his bushy blond beard and flannel plaid shirt, he looked like a lumberjack. The boys peppered him with questions about Klaus toys and wood-working, and Sven was gracious enough to oblige them.