Chapter Five
The morning sun beamed through the window, warming Izzy’s back. She dipped her toe into the claw-foot tub to test the water and then sank through layers of fragrant bubbles that floated on top of hot, soothing water. Her body relaxed bit by bit, like a marshmallow melting into hot cocoa. The whisper-soft crackles and pops of the foamy water disappeared as she settled against the porcelain bottom. Her hair fanned out around her shoulders, and she leaned her head back until the bubbles pillowed around her temples. Wasn’t she far too young to have aches and pains from a simple snowball fight? At first, she’d been horrified when the snowball meant for Atticus had missed its mark and pummeled Derek. His face had been so grumpy and appalled, she’d made it her mission to include him in the fun. There was something about tromping through fresh snow that ignited childish delight inside her.
She’d been flooded with a sense of accomplishment when a competitive gleam stole over Derek’s face. She’d gotten what she wished for—Derek had walloped her. Then in an instant, he was positioned over her in the snow, so close that the hard lines of his body pressed into hers. Something sparked within her like tinder against a flame. Instead of pushing away, he’d leaned in closer, and his lips had hovered over hers. Had he thought about kissing her right there in the snow?
Her inexperience with that sort of thing had made her panic, and she’d looked away. Surely Derek had kissed dozens of women over the years and would find her drab in comparison. Had she imagined the craving that glinted in his eyes? She must have, because a girl like her wasn’t exactly the type Derek Croft would get wobbly knees over. And then he’d showed her that library. It was a dream. Did it mean he was thawing to her?
When the water had gone tepid, she slipped out of the tub, towel dried her hair, and padded to the closet. She pulled on a slightly worn, yet neatly pressed, pair of gray slacks and a pink sweater.
Derek was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs with the dog at his side. He wore a black cable-knit sweater and dark jeans that spoke to his brooding male aura. She shouldn’t find him appealing, but she did. She gripped the rail tighter and looked down at the stairs to avoid his gaze. She could feel his eyes locked on her as she made her descent. If only she knew what was going on inside his head. Did he regret asking her to stay on as his pretend girlfriend, or feel guilty about deceiving his family? Either way, it wouldn’t do to tumble headfirst down the stairs and land in a broken mess at his feet. Her conscience had a championship wrestling match inside her head since the moment she’d accepted Derek’s bargain. It seemed so wrong to lie to his family, but her grandmother was depending on her without even knowing it.
It seemed to take a century to walk across the foyer to him. The only sound in the room was the thud of her footsteps.
“All set?” she said in an overly bright voice.
“I guess I have to get it over with at some point,” he said and turned to open the front door.
“You’re the very definition of Christmas cheer this morning.” She’d nearly laughed at his tone. He was such a crusty crab, yet she longed to find out what was under that hard shell. Izzy took her coat from the closet and slipped it over her arms.
“Bah humbug. It needs to be done, but waiting in endless lines to buy things that my family could very well go out and buy themselves seems like a wasted day.” Derek held the door for her, and she stepped outside. A subzero gust of wind greeted them, and goose bumps popped over her skin. Dark, billowy clouds were building in the sky and looked ready to release a massive snowfall.
“Derek, maybe we should check the weather. Those clouds look pretty ominous.” She looked up and assessed the sky.
“We won’t be long. Besides, I’ve made it this far.” Derek closed the door and turned his key in the lock to secure the deadbolt.
“You’re barely past the threshold.” Atticus whimpered inside the house.
“I don’t get out much.” Derek followed her down the stairs and to the sleek Range Rover that was already running in front of the house.
Izzy rounded the SUV to the passenger side and pulled open the door. The warmth that radiated from within was welcome after the frosty air that burned her throat as she inhaled. She had to hold the handrail to climb in, and stretched to close the door shut once she was inside. Izzy had never been inside a car like this before, with leather seats and built-in cameras for visibility. It was a stark reminder of the differences between them. He couldn’t comprehend what drove her to work over the holidays or agree to be his girlfriend, because he didn’t have money struggles that could contend with hers. No matter how friendly they got, she had to protect her heart. They were from different worlds, and once this charade was over, she’d go back to hers, and he’d forget she ever existed. That’s what people typically did to her anyway.
Aside from the heat coming through the vents and the hum of the engine, the interior was silent. To break up the quiet, she reached over to the radio and scanned for a station. Derek shifted the car into drive and navigated down the winding path toward the main road.
“Anything but this,” he said when “Run, Rudolph, Run” filled the cozy interior.
“Oh, come on, Ebenezer. Get into the holiday spirit.” She glanced over, enjoying the way his face twisted against the lyrics. “We’re going Christmas shopping, so we need some festive music.” Her lips twitched when she heard him let out an exasperated huff. Izzy was going to make it her mission to get him to enjoy the holidays—even if it was just a little bit.
“The last time you roped me into a seasonal activity, it nearly cost me my hands.” He stared straight ahead, eyes locked on the road, but she sensed a hint of playfulness in his voice.
“Well, I assure you, listening to holiday music is completely harmless.” Towering evergreens lined the road with snow caked atop the sagging boughs. Yesterday’s snowfall glittered like a thousand diamonds in the midmorning light that streamed through gaps in the trees. There wasn’t another home for miles, only thick forest. The wealthy aristocrat that had built the castle for his rags-to-riches bride certainly hadn’t wanted to be bothered.
“My ears are saying otherwise,” Derek said drily. With his eyes locked on the road ahead, Izzy took the opportunity to steal a long glance at his face. He was attractive, no doubt about it. Black hair brushed against the collar of his shirt and offset the hard lines and planes of his face. If she touched it, would it slip through her fingers or tangle them up? A tiny scar was etched into his chin, and his lips were set in a boyish pout.
“Your ears are just fine.” She leaned back against her seat and forced herself to swallow. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as the scenery changed from miles of woodland to quaint homes with picket fences and children gleefully playing in the snow. She glanced at the sky. They might be getting more of it before long.
“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” came on the radio, and a ghost of a smile flickered across Derek’s face. “This is more my speed.”
“I’ll say.” She couldn’t contain the chuckle as it bubbled up from her throat. How much of Derek’s stormy personality was genuine, and how much of it was a defense mechanism to keep people out? Izzy was on to him. If he were truly as sullen and ill-tempered as he appeared at times, he wouldn’t make sure there was a variety of gourmet bones for Atticus hidden in the kitchen cabinet, or a room stocked with chew toys and an embroidered blanket just for the dog. And how about his profession? A children’s author? She’d nearly laughed when he told her. What would drive him to write for children if he didn’t even like people? There was more to Derek than he let on, but for some reason, he chose to keep his true personality and feelings locked up tight. Had he been a different person before his mother left?
Derek muttered a curse when they got stuck in traffic outside the packed mall. A parking attendant waved the vehicles through to an overflow lot where cars were sandwiched in like ham between two slices of bread. They circled the lot three times before finding a space, and the tension that had built up between her shoulder blades lessened. Derek looked ready to shove the car in reverse, stomp on the gas, and head back to his fortress.
They crossed the street behind a parade of last-minute shoppers. Izzy’s breath came out in steady white puffs. She was sure her cheeks and nose were bright red, even if they’d only been outside for a few moments.
Inside the mall, rows of green garland dotted with shiny red ornaments looped across the ceiling, and the scent of baking cinnamon rolls and fresh pretzels filled the air. Holiday music pumped through every corridor, and people rushed by, laden with packages and bags.
“Why did I think this was a good idea?” Derek looked truly overwhelmed beside her.
“It’s not so bad. Let’s make a plan of attack.” She pulled him to the center of the hall where there were clusters of chairs and benches. “You need to buy for your father, your stepmother, and her daughter,” she listed. “Do you know what they like?”
Derek ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against a chair. “Mary is ten years old. Janet had adopted her before she met my father. Last time I saw her, she was into drawing.”
“Great. She’ll be easy, at least. What about your father?” She ticked his relatives off with her fingers as Derek listed them.
“He’s recently taken up kayaking, but he has the boat and the oars—what more could you need?” Derek pulled her closer to him as a scooter brigade of seniors whizzed past.
“There must be a sporting goods store here. We can take a look. And Janet?” Izzy asked.
“I have no clue. You can smell the perfume she wears from the next state.” Derek’s face crinkled.
Izzy laughed. “Okay, we’ll play Janet by ear, then. At least we have a starting point.”
She scanned the mall map behind her and located a sports store and an art store. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.” Derek sighed. He looked like he was faced with changing a baby’s dirty diaper.
She touched his elbow lightly and led him into the crowd. In the middle of the mall, girls in bright red dresses and little boys in suits craned their necks to get a glimpse of Santa, who rested in a green velvet chair at the end of the line. One by one, they hopped up on his knee to tell him their secret holiday wishes while a photographer snapped a picture for eager parents.
She and Derek entered the art store first and quickly found an easel, drawing paper, and pencils. Derek added some how-to books to the basket and some pastels. After they had purchased the supplies, they went to the sports store and steered toward the fishing and kayaking section.
“A safety kit and some dry bags might be helpful to store his belongings and lunch,” Izzy suggested. Derek nodded and took them from the shelf. A book display caught her eye.
“New England Kayaking: Best Bodies of Water in the Region. That’s interesting.” She looked at Derek as she dangled the book over the shopping basket.
“Toss it in.” He pushed the basket closer to her, and she placed the book inside.
Next, they went in search of something for Janet. They settled on a bath set with creams, body wash, and sugar scrub, and a lavender silk scarf. As they left the store, Derek’s phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket, glanced at the screen, and with an eye roll that made her giggle like a schoolgirl, he answered the call. To give him some privacy, she wandered past the nearby storefronts.
She stopped in front of a women’s clothing store. A timeless sheath dress in white lace was on display in the glass window. Delicate eyelash trim graced the hem of the skirt and tips of the sleeves. Next to it was a ruby-red sweater dress with a deep cowl neck and a sassy belt. Would Derek’s family be dressed up on Christmas? She didn’t want to be the only one in everyday clothes. She looked back at Derek, who was still on the phone, arms crossed over his chest, his mouth set in a hard line. It looked like he might be a while, so she popped into the store and rounded the corner to the display. Izzy flipped the tag on the lace dress and winced. The sweater dress was a little less but still way out of her price range. Who could afford to buy dresses that expensive? One would eat a sizable chunk out of her payment for the two weeks, never mind both.
She walked out of the store, shoulders sagging slightly. If she were truly meeting her boyfriend’s relatives, she’d want to make the best impression possible, but this was pretend, so what did it matter if her clothes weren’t perfect? It had been a long time since she’d purchased something for herself, but she just couldn’t part with her sparse funds on silly, frivolous things when the money could help Gram instead. She glanced up, and Derek was staring at her intensely. Four calling birds took flight inside her belly, flapping their wings furiously. Gosh, he was good-looking. And salty—he looked very, very salty.
“Everything all right?” Izzy paused to let throngs of people pass by before crossing over to Derek’s side.
“It was Janet again.” He rolled his eyes, and she laughed. “Wanted to know what size you are. What type of scents you favor.” He was so tall, he had to look down at her to talk.
“Why would she ask that?” Her stomach rolled.
“To do the same thing we’re doing. Holiday shopping.” Derek readjusted the mountain of bags he was holding and shrugged Izzy away when she reached out to take one.
“Oh, that doesn’t feel right. I can’t accept gifts from your stepmother. It’s so…dishonest.” She dropped her gaze to the floor, and a thickness fogged in her throat. It was so wrong to play his parents this way—especially after his father had been roped along by his wife and then left to raise a young boy.
“Well, you can’t turn them down. It would set off warning bells. Let’s find something to eat.” Derek started walking, and Izzy followed. Her insides tangled as she imagined waking up on Christmas morning at Derek’s house to presents that weren’t really meant for her. If only she’d thought of those intricate details before accepting. She was quiet for a moment as she struggled to keep stride with Derek. They passed several restaurants with lines out the door and kept moving.
After a moment, Izzy cleared her throat. “What did you tell her?”
“Janet? That you smelled like something sweet baking in the oven.”
Izzy paused briefly. It was the closest thing she’d gotten to a compliment from the opposite sex, and she just needed to bask in it for a moment. She supposed it wasn’t anything earth-shattering for another girl, but Izzy wasn’t exactly used to having a beautiful man comment on her scent.
“Guess it’s the food court for us,” Derek said. They both got in the line for Chinese food—the shortest one possible.
“Do you think the other people here know something we don’t?” She looked around at the other jam-packed fast food stops.
“Like the chicken is really alley cats? I’ll take my chances. Those lines are outrageous.” Derek scoffed. Patience clearly wasn’t one of his virtues, but for some reason, it made Izzy grin.
She played it safe and stuck to noodles and vegetables. They found a seat in the middle of the dining room and put their packages down. Next to them, a little girl with pale blond curls bounced up and down in her shimmery holiday dress, chattering about Santa as she clutched a Rudolph stuffed animal. Izzy remembered how on Christmas morning, she’d crept downstairs in the dark to sit in front of the tree shrouded by packages. Those quiet moments of awe and magic had been her favorite part of the holidays. For youngsters, the holidays were dreadfully exciting.
“What was your favorite part of Christmas growing up?” Izzy asked as she wound noodles around her fork. The other patrons were missing out, because they weren’t half bad.
Derek looked taken aback by her question. “My mother used to hide this stupid pickle ornament in the tree. I’d look for it after I opened my gifts, and it would have a note attached to it with clues to the whereabouts of my final present.” His voice was bittersweet, and Izzy’s heart ached for him. “After she left, we stopped celebrating. My dad and I would go on a getaway instead. Then Janet showed up, and the traditions started again.” He brought a spoonful of rice to his mouth.
“It must have been a painful time of year for both of you.” Izzy took a sip of her drink to wash down the taste of soy sauce. Her mother never called during the holidays. She’d phone Izzy a few months after Christmas to ask if Santa had visited. Gram had always ensured he did.
“You stay and finish up. I have a few things to grab, and I’ll meet you back here.” Izzy stood up, grasped her purse, and darted around the mall as quickly as she could. If his family was going to buy her gifts, she was going to return the favor—even if she wasn’t really Derek’s girlfriend.
She picked up a few fragrant candles for Janet, a nail polish and lip gloss set for Mary, and a hat and glove set for Derek’s dad. As she was circling back to the food court, a Christmas tree window display caught her eye. The artificial ferns were dotted with ornaments of all shapes and sizes, and hidden amongst the bunch was a shiny green pickle.
She nearly laughed out loud. What a strange coincidence. Izzy had never even heard of that tradition until today. She snuck inside the store and lifted it carefully off the faux tree. What type of gift could she purchase to be the scavenger hunt prize? Izzy looked around the store and found a lovely snow globe with a castle centered in the middle of the glass ball. Little flakes of white swirled around it when she tipped it upside down. It was just like his fortress in the middle of the woods. Izzy looked at the price tag, and a frown line creased between her brows. She wouldn’t be back to a shopping center before her tenure was done, so she blew out a breath and carried the globe, the pickle ornament, and some wrapping paper to the register. She’d spent far more than she’d wanted to, but what choice did she have?
Izzy found Derek right where she’d left him. She approached from behind and saw him angle his wrist to check his watch.
“I’m back.” She stopped short as a group of children dashed in front of her, laughing and screaming, “Tag, you’re it!”
“Thank God. I never want to see the inside of the mall again.” He took their parcels off the floor and stood up.
Izzy grinned. “Oh, it wasn’t so bad.”
His lips twitched. “I suppose not, but I’m not one for crowds.”
“You don’t say?” Izzy giggled, and his lips turned into the faintest of smiles. He really was gorgeous, and the little grin set off his sharp features. A pull ran through her belly, and she clutched the bags a bit tighter. They opened the door to the parking lot, and a gust of glittery snow swept inside. It drifted to the ground from the thick clouds above and accumulated on a fresh white sheet layering the pavement. Izzy bit her bottom lip. Hopefully, driving conditions would be okay. They were at least forty-five minutes from the house.
They got into the SUV, Derek sparked the ignition, and put the vehicle in reverse. He was just about to pull out when he paused, swore under his breath, and shifted the car back into park.
“Just a minute,” he muttered and pushed open his door to hop out.
Where on earth was he going? Izzy looked out her window, and her heart sighed. An elderly woman was slipping and sliding through the snow, hands overflowing with bags. Izzy watched as Derek took her belongings, then held out his arm for her to grab. Oh, he wasn’t the cold and selfish bachelor he pretended to be. The lady whispered some secret in Derek’s ear, and a smile—a real one—bloomed over his face like an amaryllis opening on Christmas morning. It stole her breath, and a twirl of warmth ran through her, right to the tips of her toes. Derek gingerly loaded the bags inside the car, and the woman reached up and pinched his cheeks. How easy would it be to fall for a man who was handsome as the devil and helped senior citizens cross the street?
“That was very sweet,” Izzy said when he returned to the car.
“Five people passed her by without helping. Unacceptable.” He huffed out a breath and put the car in reverse.
She rather liked this irritable side that hid away all his softness. It was like unwrapping a present layer by layer and finding a nice surprise hidden underneath. With Derek, you had to work to gain his trust, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. As they rounded the corner, the car slid on a patch of black ice. Izzy’s heart clenched before Derek regained control.
“Geez, it’s getting really bad out.” She gasped and held on to the side of the door.
“Don’t say I told you so.” Derek’s face tightened with concentration as he strained to see the road through a gauzy white layer of snow.
“Hadn’t even thought to, but now that you’ve said it—” Izzy kept her voice playful so he’d know she was joking. Where had this snappy side of her come from?
“Yeah, yeah. I should’ve checked the weather like you said. This car was made to handle rough terrain, and this storm is turning it into a baby on roller skates.” Derek’s hands gripped the wheel tightly.
In front of them, a car swerved to the right and fishtailed across the highway. Izzy braced herself. It was coming so close. She shrieked as it barreled into them. The impact jolted her and pushed them against the guardrail. The car caused a chain reaction, and a silver truck veered and smashed against them, too. Her insides quaked as she heard the sickening screech of metal. The guardrail gave way, and they plummeted down into the gully below.