CHAPTER ELEVEN
Stan wrapped a blanket around Annabelle’s legs. “Listen to what Mr. Costas says and don’t stand up while the sleigh is moving.”
“Yes, dad. Uncle Mark told me the same thing last year.”
“And we’ll keep telling you each year,” he muttered. “Mia and I will be right behind you with Auntie Eileen, Max, and Wyatt.”
Annabelle, Nick, and another three cousins turned around and waved at Mia.
Mia smiled and waved back.
After the evening they’d had, she was probably too overwhelmed to do anything else. From the moment they’d walked into Mark and Eileen’s home, they’d been bombarded with questions, hugged and kissed at least a dozen times, and sent on a pumpkin treasure hunt that almost gave Mia frostbite.
Stan’s brother handed him a large picnic basket. “You’ll have to take this. We’re out of room.”
The basket was so heavy that he had to hold it with both hands. “Eileen’s packed enough food in here for an army.”
Mark snorted. “You haven’t seen everyone in a while. The army has got nothing on the amount of food these kids eat.”
A chorus of indignant voices filled the cold air.
Stan grinned. “That’s what you get when you decide to have five children. I’ll see you on the ridge.” He trudged back to Eileen’s sleigh, glad that they’d be moving soon. “Mark gave me the picnic basket. He’s run out of room.”
Unlike their siblings, Max and Wyatt were only too happy to look after the food.
“Don’t open it,” Eileen warned. “The brownies are for everyone.”
“Just one, mom,” Max said with as much pleading as any nine-year-old could manage. “No one will notice.”
“I’ll notice and the answer’s no. Is everyone ready?”
Max and Wyatt sighed. “We’re ready.”
Stan sat beside Mia, pulling her close as she wrapped a blanket around his legs. “We’re ready, too.”
Eileen climbed up beside Mia. “Here we go.” She lifted the reins and the horses set off through the fresh snow.
Mia laughed and held her hand to her ear. “Is that Santa’s sleigh bells I hear?”
“These ones keep the grizzly bears away,” Stan joked.
“Don’t listen to him,” Eileen scolded. “We haven’t seen a grizzly around here in six months.”
“The last one was in the Big Belt Mountains,” Max said helpfully. “It tore into someone’s tent and nearly took off their arm.”
Wyatt choked back a laugh. “You’re making that up.”
“No I’m not. Ask dad. He told me all about it.”
Eileen clicked her tongue. “That’s enough. We’re here to enjoy a pleasant ride, not listen to you two bickering.” She rearranged the blanket around her legs. “Are you warm enough, Mia?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for the loan of the hat and mittens.”
“You’re welcome. Only Stan would surprise someone with a visit to our ranch in the middle of winter.” She looked over Mia’s head at her brother-in-law. “What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t thinking of anything apart from your delicious roast turkey and cranberry sauce.”
Eileen sent him a knowing smile. “Flattery will get you nowhere. Do you enjoy working with Stan, Mia?”
Mia glanced up at him. Her mischievous smile did nothing to calm his racing heart. “I’ve enjoyed helping him with the gala. We only speak to each other every couple of days, so that’s made it easier.”
“We talk more than that. You enjoy telling me what to do.”
Mia smiled. “I don’t tell you what to do. Not all the time, anyway.”
Eileen gave the horses a nudge. “Sometimes we all need clear directions.” She looked over her shoulder. “Isn’t that right, boys?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they said together.
“Have you got a brownie in your hand, Wyatt Lewis?”
Stan looked over his shoulder and saw a guilty blush sneak up his nephew’s neck.
“Only a little one,” Wyatt mumbled.
“You’d best put it back before we all get hungry. And when we stop, that’s the one you eat first.”
Wyatt glared at his brother. “Yes, mom.”
“It wasn’t me,” Max muttered.
Stan didn’t wait to see what Wyatt did next. The two brothers would sort out their battles in their own way. He was too focused on Mia. She sat beneath his arm as if she was made to be there. He hadn’t held a woman like this since Sandra had died and it felt right. More right than he thought it would.
As the sleigh passed under the main gates to the ranch, Stan didn’t think that life could get much better. He was happier than he’d been in a long time and it was all because of the woman beside him.
***
“What do you think of Pine Ridge?”
Mia took the cup of hot chocolate that Stan held out to her. “It’s beautiful. Thank you for bringing us here.”
“It’s my favorite place on the ranch. I come here each time I visit my brother.” Stan sat beside her on the fallen log. He glanced up at the stars. “Dad used to bring Mark and me up here. We’d sit together for hours, staring at the sky and imagining what it would be like to travel to different planets.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“It was. Dad taught us so much more than where the stars and planets were. We used to argue all the time, but we learned to appreciate the strengths that came from our differences. Mark brings his children up here all the time. I guess dad started a tradition and he didn’t know it.”
Mia looked across the ridge at Annabelle. She was sitting with her cousins, gazing at the sky. “How often do you visit your brother and his family?”
“Not often enough. We try to come to the ranch every month, but it doesn’t always work.”
“Annabelle likes it here.”
Stan looked down at his hands. “She likes being part of a big family. I hope she didn’t embarrass you when she was talking about having more brothers and sisters.”
Mia smiled. “I wasn’t embarrassed, just surprised. I felt the same way when I was her age.”
“It must have been hard growing up without your parents.”
Mia cradled her hot chocolate. The heat seeped through her mittens and into her cold hands. “My friends didn’t understand why I was so sad. They still had their families, everything that was familiar to them. I had no parents, a new home, and a grandfather that I didn’t really know. It took me a long time to find my way in the world, to appreciate the gifts I’d been given.”
“Some people never appreciate what they have.”
Mia nodded and took a deep breath. “There were other things I did that weren’t so great. I learned how to bottle things up, how to pretend I was happy, when all I wanted to do was burst into tears. When I paint, I don’t feel like that. I pour every emotion into the canvas. I guess painting is my therapy. It helps me see the world differently.”
“It puts your life into perspective.”
The gentleness in Stan’s voice touched something deep inside her. She wanted to know more about him, what made him the person he had become. “Did you always want to be the director of a hospital?”
“A hospital was the last place I wanted to work. After all of dad’s stories, I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to be the person who explored our solar system and found new planets.”
“What changed your mind?”
“When I was sixteen, mom was diagnosed with cancer. Reaching for the stars wasn’t as important as helping her. So I did a medical degree instead of astrophysics. Her cancer went into remission and we thought everything would be okay. By the time I turned twenty-eight, her cancer had returned. She died two years later.”
“I’m sorry.”
Stan looked across the ridge and into the night sky. “It was a hard time for everyone, especially dad. Mom meant everything to him. It broke his heart when she wasn’t there. A year after mom passed, dad had a heart attack and died. Eighteen months later, Sandra died.”
“I didn’t realize…” She left her drink on the ground and wrapped her hand around Stan’s arm. “You had a horrible time.”
“It wasn’t easy. Sometimes Annabelle was the only reason I got out of bed each morning.”
“Look at her now.” Mia nodded at Annabelle. She was eating chocolate brownies and watching Wyatt make a snowman. “She’s a great kid. Through everything that’s happened, you did good, Mr. Lewis.”
Tears glistened in Stan’s eyes. “We all did good. If it wasn’t for my family and friends, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Mia felt the same way. Her gaze moved to Nick, to the man who had changed his world for a sad and lonely ten-year-old. Without his big heart and stubborn pride, she wouldn’t have become who she was today.
He had helped her find the person buried under layers of grief—the person who had the ability to transform her life and the lives of others with the stroke of a brush. And that, she knew, was the greatest gift anyone could give another person.
***
A loud bang pulled Mia out of a deep sleep. She blinked, remembered where she was, then rolled over, falling back to sleep.
“Mia? It’s me. Are you awake?” More pounding. This time it was quieter, less frantic.
“Annabelle?”
“We’re taking the snowmobiles onto the ranch. Do you want to come?”
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. “You can come in. The door isn’t locked.”
Annabelle burst into the bedroom like a mini tornado. “Isn’t it a beautiful day? The sun is shining and the sky is so blue. We’ve been awake for ages.”
Mia peered at her watch. “It’s seven o’clock.”
“That’s late on the ranch. Auntie Eileen and Uncle Mark are awake before their rooster crows.” Annabelle sat on the end of Mia’s bed and bounced up and down. “This is a great bed. It’s softer than mine.”
Mia’s brain was still considering the color of the sky. “Is Nick awake?”
“He’s been up for ages. Auntie Eileen made pancakes for breakfast. She said to come and get some if you’re awake.”
“I guess I’m awake.”
“What are you wearing today?”
Mia pulled herself out of bed and opened her small suitcase.
Annabelle stood beside her. “There isn’t much in there.”
“I know.” She looked at the half-empty case. “I don’t keep a lot of clothes at Granddad’s house. At least I’ve got clean underwear.”
Annabelle pulled out a pink T-shirt and a gray sweater. “This would be okay with your jeans.”
“I guess so.” Pushing her hair out of her eyes, Mia studied the T-shirt. She hadn’t worn it in years. But considering she didn’t have a lot of choice, it would be fine.
Annabelle grinned. “I almost forgot. Happy Thanksgiving!”
Mia gave her a quick hug. “Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.”
Somewhere outside, an engine roared into life. Annabelle rushed to the window and threw back the curtains. “It’s Uncle Mark. He must be ready to leave.”
Mia squinted against the bright light. Usually, she was awake long before now, but she’d somehow managed not only to sleep in, but to have her best night’s sleep in ages. “You go with your dad. I’ll keep Eileen company and see you when you get back.”
“Are you sure? Riding on the snowmobile is awesome.”
“I’m sure. Say hi to your dad for me.”
“Okay. I’ll take some photos and show you later. Bye.”
Mia smiled as Annabelle opened the door and thumped downstairs. She heard more voices coming from along the landing. A dog barked and someone squealed.
She gathered her clothes and found the towel and soap Eileen had left in the room. A hot shower would wake her up and get her ready for the day. By the time Stan arrived home, she’d be feeling less sleepy and more human.
A solid thud rattled the bedroom window. Mia’s heart plummeted. She ran across the room, expecting to see a stunned bird lying on the gable below.
The roof was bare. Not one pine cone, bird’s nest, or stunned animal littered the wooden shingles. She opened the window to look farther along the roof, holding her breath as cold air stung her lungs.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Stan yelled from below her window. “Happy Thanksgiving!”
Mia took one look at her chest and dropped to her knees. Wearing her old New York Yankees T-shirt to bed was one thing. Letting Stan see it was completely different “Happy Thanksgiving. You’ve got a good aim.”
He held another snowball in the air. “I’ve had lots of practice.”
Mark appeared beside him. “Not at throwing snowballs at beautiful women’s windows,” he yelled. “He means at me.”
Stan said something and Mark laughed.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come snowmobiling with us?” Stan asked. “You could ride with me.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“About an hour. Nick’s staying at the house.”
“I’m not ready.”
“If you can be downstairs in ten minutes, we’ll wait for you.”
Stan’s grin sent butterflies straight to her stomach. Not going with him suddenly felt like time that would be wasted. This had been his surprise to her and she wanted to make the most of every minute.
“Wait there. I’ll come with you.” She yanked the curtains closed and shut the bedroom door. In double-quick time she changed into her clothes and ran downstairs.
The sweet smell of maple syrup and pancakes made her mouth water. She turned toward the kitchen and walked straight into Stan.
“That was quick.” His hands wrapped around her waist. Instead of letting her go, he tightened his hold.
Mia tried to remember to breathe. “I still need to have breakfast, wash my teeth, and find my jacket.”
Stan moved closer. “You forgot something.”
His lips skimmed her cheek.
“Eileen’s hat and mittens?” she squeaked.
“No, but it would be a good idea to take them.” His hands circled her ribcage as his lips inched closer to her mouth.
Mia’s heart pounded. “Where are your family?”
“Not here,” he muttered thickly.
Stan’s mouth landed on hers, teasing her lips until her brain cells melted. Need spiraled inside her so quickly that she opened her mouth and took everything he was offering. She didn’t know who groaned first and she didn’t care. Her hands tangled in his hair, urging him closer.
Stan lifted her higher, sandwiching her between his hard muscles and a door. He tasted like snow, and sunshine, and the pine trees that grew on the ranch.
The door swung open. Mia gasped as Stan stumbled forward with her legs wrapped around his waist. He twisted sideways, reaching for the wall to stop them both from falling on the floor.
Someone cleared their throat.
Mia froze. Her eyes widened as she looked past his ear. “This is bad,” she groaned.
Stan tightened his hold on her bottom. “How bad?”
“About as bad as it can get.” She wiggled her legs and slid down his body.
Seven pairs of eyes were staring at them.
Mia stepped in front of Stan and cleared her throat. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone,” she croaked.
No one said a word.
Nick’s eyebrows slammed down. “Mia? Is there something you would like to tell your pappouli?”
Eileen dropped a plate of pancakes onto the table. She glanced at her children, then at Nick. “Perhaps Mia should leave her explanation for later, Nick.”
Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse, the kitchen door burst open.
“I’ve found a helmet for Mia. It should be big enough.” Mark looked around the silent kitchen and frowned. “What’s happened?”
Wyatt grinned. “Uncle Stan kissed Mia. On the mouth.”
Charlotte and Olivia giggled.
“It was gross.” Max added a gagging sound for extra effect.
Annabelle frowned. “Does this mean you’re getting married?”
A sinking feeling hit Mia’s stomach and stayed there.
Annabelle looked confused and it was all Mia’s fault. If she hadn’t kissed Stan, none of this would have happened. Eileen and her children wouldn’t be staring at them as if they were aliens and her granddad wouldn’t be looking at her as if she’d wiped dirty feet on the Costas family name.
The only person who looked amused was Mark.
Stan held Mia’s hand. “What would you think if Mia was my girlfriend, Annabelle?”
“I already thought she was.” Annabelle’s confusion deepened. “You’ve never brought anyone to Uncle Mark’s house before. I thought Mia was special, that you wanted to make her part of our family.”
“Mia is special, but we—”
Mia squeezed Stan’s hand, hoping he realized how upset Annabelle was becoming. “We could talk to Annabelle together.”
Stan looked at his daughter, then at Mia. “It’s probably better if I talk to her alone. We’ll find you as soon as we’re done.”
At any other time, Mia would have appreciated Stan talking to Annabelle. But right now, she was as confused as his daughter. She had no idea what was happening between them or even if their scorching hot kiss had meant anything to him.
Eileen handed her an empty plate. “Come and join us. The pancakes are still warm.” With calm efficiency, she asked Olivia to pass Mia the maple syrup and Max to take the last rashers of bacon out of the oven.
Before Mia had gathered enough courage to look at Nick, Stan walked out of the kitchen with an unhappy-looking daughter.
She had a feeling that the Lewis family would remember this Thanksgiving Day for many years to come. They might even laugh about it if their children weren’t traumatized for life.
It was just a pity that her granddad couldn’t see the funny side of what had happened. But Greek men, Mia knew, took the reputation of their granddaughters very seriously. If Nick thought she’d been compromised in any way, he would be having a very serious conversation with Stan. And there were only two words to describe how that would end. In disaster.