What Remains (20 page)

Slipping his robe on over his pajama bottoms, Seth headed down stairs to see what the commotion was all about, for the retrievers had yet to stop barking.  What in the world could Tessa possibly be up to that had them in such a state excitement.

Once inside the kitchen, Seth understood why they were so vocal.  One of Tessa’s very shapely legs were extended beyond the opening of the pantry door, four feet in the air as she plundered through the top shops of the pantry on a wobbly step stool.  Sure that she was going to end up breaking her neck, Seth rushed forward to offer assistance.

“Tessa, what in the hell are you doing?” he griped.

The sound of his voice must have startled her, because she lost her balance and tumbled downward, lucky that Seth made it in time to catch her before she hit the floor.  The scare caused him to look down at her sternly as he cradled her small body in his arms.

“I wanted to make real hot chocolate, like my momma use to,” she tried to explain before her enthusiasm got the better of her and she gushed.  “It’s snowing outside.”

Seth’s irritation softened, and he smiled at her reluctantly, before setting her down on her bare feet.  “I know.”

“Why haven’t you left already?  You said you would be gone before I woke up.”

Tugging gently at the single braid that fell over one shoulder, he offered her an excuse that was lighthearted, though not in the least truthful.  “Aside from the fact that it’s not even eight o’clock yet, I figured I’d stick around a little while this morning to keep my clumsy housekeeper from breaking her neck.”

Tessa smacked him in the arm, though the impact was buffered the sleeve of her corded sweater that hung several inches past her fingertips.  It was only then that he noticed it was the only thing she had on, which caused him to groan inwardly.

“I’m not clumsy—you scared me!  You shouldn’t go around yelling at people like that.”

“Whatever,” he teased, trying to hide the
fact that seeing her like that drove him insane.  “Why aren’t you dressed?  It’s too chilly in this old barn to run around naked.”

“I’m hardly naked.  Besides, I didn’t think you were here.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.  Get dressed.  You’re coming with me today.”

“Oh no, no way,” she giggled.  “It’s your family; you’re going to have to deal with them on your own this time.”

“There’s no getting out of it, sorry.  I’m not letting you spend Christmas by yourself.”

“Seth, I’m not going and that’s final.  I refuse to spend my Christmas Eve with your crazy relatives—no hard feelings.”

“I decided I’m not going to my parents.  I have plans for just the two of us.”

Brushing past him, Tessa abandoned her plans for hot chocolate and made her way through the mansion to her bedroom.  Apparently, she refused to hear anything else about it, which was going to ruin his surprise. 

When she reached her room, she pulled a pair of tattered jeans out of her chest of drawers and slipped them on; giving Seth a nice view of the sexy round bottom exposed beneath the boy cut white undies she wore.  As much as he enjoyed the fact that she felt comfortable enough around him to not think twice about what she wore, or didn’t wear as the case may be, it also created a lot of awkward moments that only he was privy to. 

“It will be just the two of us this time, I swear,” he managed to choke out with some semblance of disinterest as she slipped the sweater off over her head and stood in front of the bed with only a chemise and a pair of unfastened jeans on.  The thinness of her satin chemise did little to hide the fact that she was indeed cold, or the fact that she had a very nice rack, which he was made all too aware of at his grandmother’s birthday bash.  It took him days to get that image out of his mind.

“I don’t believe you,” Tessa responded tersely, turning her back to him as she slipped off the chemise as well, to put on bra. 

When he seen her struggle with the hooks in the back, Seth stepped forward and helped her.  It took every ounce of restraint he could muster not to run his hands across her bare shoulders.  Reaching across the bed to grab the shirt she planned to wear for the day, Tessa left him with no other option but to step away.  The temptation was simply becoming overwhelming.

After she was finally dressed, she turned around to confront him.

“Now, go spend Christmas with your family, Seth Richards.  I’m staying here.”

“I can’t let you do that.  So slip your gorgeous ass out of those thread-bare jeans and put on something warm.”

“FYI, it’s my day off,” she continued to protest with no sign of wavering or with no sign that she had heard the remark he’d let slip about her
bottom.  “Which means you can’t order me to do anything.”

“I’m not ordering you.  I’m asking as a friend.  Please.”

Tessa stopped short in the middle of making up her bed.  Of everything he said so far that morning, the simple word please was the only thing that seemed to make her reconsider.

“Oh, don’t do that…” she caved ever-so-slightly.

“What?”

“You know, make me feel sorry for you.”

Arching a brow in askance, he resorted to making a silent plea if it was going to make her change her mind.

“OMG, you’re such a bastard,” she laughed.  “No!  I’m not going with you, and that’s final.  I don’t need you to babysit me.”

Seth gave up.  There was nothing he could say to change her mind.  He would have to move on to plan B.

Rubbing his hand across his bare abdomen, he watched briefly as she finished putting the pillows back on the freshly made bed before he realized what he was doing.  It was becoming increasingly difficult to stay focused around her, and keep his imagination from getting the better of him.

“Are you hungry?” she asked, drawing his attention back to the conversation.

“Huh?”

“You’re rubbing your stomach like you’re hungry.”

“Oh, yeah, I am.  Maybe we can at least have breakfast together before I leave.”

“I’ll make us some hot chocolate, too,” she remembered before approaching the spot where he stood by the door with a cheerful smile across her face.  Standing on her tip toes, she reached up and placed an innocent kiss against his chin.  “Even though I’m not going with you, the offer was very sweet, and I thank you for it.”

“No problem, baby girl.”

Careful not to touch his bare chest, Tessa pulled the front of his robe together and tied it closed.  “I’ll make it quick, I promise.  You need to get to Boston before the roads get bad.”

“You’re too good to me, you know that, right?”

“Oh, it’s the story of my life, Boss Man…” she giggled as she swept past him.  “Give, give, give…”

Seth waited inside the terminal at Logan Airport for his corporate jet to arrive that carried Tessa’s four children.  For weeks, he had wracked his brain about what to get her for Christmas; she wasn’t an easy woman to buy for.  He knew any gift she received would have to come from the heart or it would be a disappointment.  Then one evening when the phone rang and it was Rene, it hit him.  The only thing Tessa truly cared about was her family, and when her oldest daughter eagerly agreed to help make it happen, Seth knew he had found the perfect gift.

In all honesty, it had been a blast planning the surprise; the clandestine phone calls to and from her children, setting up all the arrangements, going out and shopping for gifts for everyone and hiding them.  It was the first Christmas he could remember being excited about.  It had become more than just a dreaded occasion to exchange elaborate gifts to a family who had everything.  This year he finally was able to experience the joy of giving to someone who didn’t expect it, but who deserved it.  It was also the first time his wealth felt more like a blessing than a means of manipulation.

A sudden case of nervousness came over him as he spotted the plane with his corporate logo on the side of it, pulling into the tarmac.  They were the only ones on board, so it wouldn’t take long for them to disembark.  After only about twenty minutes, an easy smile crossed his lips when he watched their hurried approach, laughing amongst
themselves.

Being that he was the only other person at the gate who wasn’t standing behind a counter or pushing a broom, they spotted him immediately.  Each and every one of them had their mother’s charismatic smile, which alleviated much of the apprehension of meeting them for the first time, as did the warm greeting they gave him, wrapping their arms around his neck and thanking him for the all the trouble he went through to help them spend Christmas with their mother.

The three girls looked so much like Tessa that it was easy to for him to feel comfortable with the affection they offered.  Her son, who must have taken after their father, stood back with a proud grin on his face as he watched his sisters weave their magic.  When they had finally settled down enough for Seth to hear him over their excited chatter, Shane extended his hand and greeted him with the quiet stoicism of an only son.  Seth recognized the mature manner in which he conducted himself, because he had grown up with the same sense of responsibility as an only son in a family of women.

“It’s nice to finally meet, sir,” he stated, in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

“Please, it’s Seth.  And I’m glad you could make it.”

After a few stops to pick up food supplies that the girls needed to put the finalizing touch to their plans to make it like Christmas’ past, they headed home to Amherst, with the girls constantly giggling over stories from their childhood.  Their voices added to Seth’s already festive spirit, and filled him with a sense of deep contentment.  The four of them were so animated and full of life and laughter.  Seth now understood why Tessa always seemed so happy.  She was wealthy beyond belief with the intangibles that made life worth living.

The sun was already beginning set by the time they arrived at the estate, even though it was only six o’clock.  The precipitation had stopped hours earlier, so the sky was now clear and full of stars.  The Christmas lights from within the house cast a welcoming glow on the new fallen snow.

As they exited the SUV and approached the kitchen, Shane ordered his sisters to be quiet so that Tessa wouldn’t hear them, but it was hard for those three, a fact Seth found endearing, and caused him to want to ask Shane to ease up on them.  But he knew his place, and their brother was right, everyone had worked hard to surprise her, it would be a shame to ruin it now.

The plan was for Seth to go ahead of them, carrying packages so that Tessa wouldn’t be able to see the children until they entered behind him, and it worked perfectly.  She was already squealing with delight from having Seth return home, when her daughters and son rushed in and threw their arms around her, all four yelling “Merry Christmas”.  Tess was so overwhelmed that tears of joy flowed freely as she touched each one of their faces, telling them how happy they had made her.

“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Mr. Richards, Mom.  It was his idea, and he’s the one who made all the arrangements.  This was his gift to you, to all of us,” Rene told her, looking back at Seth with gratitude.

“Group hug,” Ann announced before
all of the females bum rushed him, embracing him tightly, smattering kisses on his cheeks.

Shane stood back and laughed at them, ignoring Seth’s silent pleas for assistance, even though he had to admit, the attention was heartwarming.  After he grumbled something about putting things away, the females offered him a reprieve and busied themselves with helping bring in the luggage and putting their things away before starting dinner. 

The festivities lasted until around eleven-thirty, with everyone’s stomachs full, the presents under the tree, and the credits for A Wonderful Life scrolling down the wide screen.  The goodnights lasted for about fifteen minutes, causing Seth to smile,
feeling as if he was in an episode of The Waltons.  They were so damn charming; he could feel himself being drawn in by their affection for one another, and a very real part of him wanted them to love him as well. 

It was probably a simple case of him getting carried away in the whole Hallmark moment, but still it was the first time he ever felt regret over not having children of his own.  Was it possible that he was falling in love with an entire family?  He had never laid eyes on those kids before today, yet, he already felt pride over their accomplishments, and a desire to help them succeed in any way he could.       

Chuckling at his own musings, he made his way into the kitchen.  Tonight he got a taste of what it was like being a part of a real family.  It was nice, but he couldn’t allow himself to get carried away.  This wasn’t his family, those weren’t his children, and Tessa, unfortunately, wasn’t his wife.  All he could do was enjoy the fleeting glimpse of a life he would never have.

Tessa was drying the last of the dishes and humming along to the song on the radio when Seth entered.  This was nice too; seeing her so at peace for a change and looking unbelievably sexy in her silk pajamas and oversized sweater.  Her face was make-up free and glowing pink with vitality, her hair up as usual, and disheveled.  But that was when he found her the most irresistible, when she gave herself permission to be vulnerable around to him.