disappointed look on their faces when I told them Olivia and I weren’t going to be home for Christmas flashed before me. Even though Daniel and Robert were young adults and mature enough to understand, I still felt like I had abandoned them.
Gabriel had wanted to know why we couldn’t spend Christmas together like a regular family. Except that we weren’t a family any more. Hadn’t been since we separated nearly two years ago. Yet he hated the idea of Olivia and I being in another country over Christmas.
“What’s wrong?” Olivia and Nick chimed simultaneously.
“I…er… nothing,” I stuttered, shaking the uneasy feeling. I was thousands of miles away from the three men in my life in Australia. Nothing I could do to change that now, so I may as well enjoy what was offered to me right here, right now. In the present.
I looked around the table at everyone’s expectant faces. Three people I also wanted to see happy. And I could give that to them so easily. “Yes, we’ll come. Thank you, Nick ; that would be lovely.” I smiled up at him just to be blown away by the look of sheer joy on his face. Wow, he really was easy to please.
Olivia went on about how she’d seen scenes of the Hamptons in various movies and TV shows.
“Will it snow as much as at Emily’s house in Revenge ? I always look at the thick snow on her porch, visible through her big windows,” Olivia asked.
“It’s just a TV set. The snow is probably fake .” Sarah laughed.
“But it does seem so real. My favorite movie setting is the gorgeous house in that chick flick with Jack Nicholson. I want a study just like hers in my next life,” I said.
“Ooh, that is a nice house, set -piece or not,” Olivia chimed in, with Sarah nodding her agreement.
“I love that movie – ‘Something’s Gotta Give’. Have you seen it, Uncle Nick?”
Nick shook his head, laughing. “No, I'm allergic to chick flicks. But I do think Jack is an awesome actor. So maybe I’ll check it out some day just to see what you women are raving about. Can't be all bad if the great Jack Nicholson is in it.”
“At least you’re not as frozen as Erica in the movie, Mom.” God, if she only knew! A part of me was equally as frozen as that character. But there was hope – after all, it worked out well for her in the movie, didn’t it? Nick was thawing the frozen parts of me in ways I hadn’t realized until now.
“It's settled then. We will leave at 8 :30 tomorrow morning. So don’t stay out too late, young ladies.” Nick waggled his eyebrows at them, which seemed to soften the blow of asking them to be home at a respectable time.
“Well then , we better get a move on now,” Sarah said, folding her napkin as she nodded to Olivia. “Please excuse us.”
Nick held up his hand as they both pushed to their feet. “My driver, Hank, is downstairs with the car at your service tonight. He will take you wherever you want to go and bring you back home too. Have a great time out, Sarah, Olivia.” He nodded at each of them.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening,” they chimed together. Maybe they were spending too much time in one another’s company; they were even talking at the same time like twins. Olivia always wanted a sister. As a middle child, she didn’t like being the only girl sandwiched between two brothers.
“Alone at last,” Nick breathed as he watched them leave. He took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on my fin gertips, before turning my hand over in his and tracing his finger up my palm, along one of the lines.
“I see a long and happy life with a tall dark handsome stranger,” he said in a husky voice. I would have laughed at his joke, except that his tone was so serious, I felt my heartbeat quicken. His touch sent shivers down my spine.
“Are you cold?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. It was alarming how he read my body – picking up on the smallest change or signal.
I shook my head.
“Time to go
Gabriel had wanted to know why we couldn’t spend Christmas together like a regular family. Except that we weren’t a family any more. Hadn’t been since we separated nearly two years ago. Yet he hated the idea of Olivia and I being in another country over Christmas.
“What’s wrong?” Olivia and Nick chimed simultaneously.
“I…er… nothing,” I stuttered, shaking the uneasy feeling. I was thousands of miles away from the three men in my life in Australia. Nothing I could do to change that now, so I may as well enjoy what was offered to me right here, right now. In the present.
I looked around the table at everyone’s expectant faces. Three people I also wanted to see happy. And I could give that to them so easily. “Yes, we’ll come. Thank you, Nick ; that would be lovely.” I smiled up at him just to be blown away by the look of sheer joy on his face. Wow, he really was easy to please.
Olivia went on about how she’d seen scenes of the Hamptons in various movies and TV shows.
“Will it snow as much as at Emily’s house in Revenge ? I always look at the thick snow on her porch, visible through her big windows,” Olivia asked.
“It’s just a TV set. The snow is probably fake .” Sarah laughed.
“But it does seem so real. My favorite movie setting is the gorgeous house in that chick flick with Jack Nicholson. I want a study just like hers in my next life,” I said.
“Ooh, that is a nice house, set -piece or not,” Olivia chimed in, with Sarah nodding her agreement.
“I love that movie – ‘Something’s Gotta Give’. Have you seen it, Uncle Nick?”
Nick shook his head, laughing. “No, I'm allergic to chick flicks. But I do think Jack is an awesome actor. So maybe I’ll check it out some day just to see what you women are raving about. Can't be all bad if the great Jack Nicholson is in it.”
“At least you’re not as frozen as Erica in the movie, Mom.” God, if she only knew! A part of me was equally as frozen as that character. But there was hope – after all, it worked out well for her in the movie, didn’t it? Nick was thawing the frozen parts of me in ways I hadn’t realized until now.
“It's settled then. We will leave at 8 :30 tomorrow morning. So don’t stay out too late, young ladies.” Nick waggled his eyebrows at them, which seemed to soften the blow of asking them to be home at a respectable time.
“Well then , we better get a move on now,” Sarah said, folding her napkin as she nodded to Olivia. “Please excuse us.”
Nick held up his hand as they both pushed to their feet. “My driver, Hank, is downstairs with the car at your service tonight. He will take you wherever you want to go and bring you back home too. Have a great time out, Sarah, Olivia.” He nodded at each of them.
“Enjoy the rest of your evening,” they chimed together. Maybe they were spending too much time in one another’s company; they were even talking at the same time like twins. Olivia always wanted a sister. As a middle child, she didn’t like being the only girl sandwiched between two brothers.
“Alone at last,” Nick breathed as he watched them leave. He took my hand in his and lifted it to his lips. He placed a soft kiss on my fin gertips, before turning my hand over in his and tracing his finger up my palm, along one of the lines.
“I see a long and happy life with a tall dark handsome stranger,” he said in a husky voice. I would have laughed at his joke, except that his tone was so serious, I felt my heartbeat quicken. His touch sent shivers down my spine.
“Are you cold?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. It was alarming how he read my body – picking up on the smallest change or signal.
I shook my head.
“Time to go
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