Wrapped In Red: Mistletoe Mantra / White Hot Holiday

“She’s only staying a couple of days, Jilly.”

“I know, but that in itself is huge. She hasn’t been home in five years. Maybe you can convince her to stay a little longer. Have a Christmas fling.”

A fling? Just the thought made his skin tight. “Not that easy, Jilly. She’s coming back for Nolan Polk.”

Jilly’s eyes grew wide and she cursed under her breath. “What are you going to do?”

That was the question. He’d created the Nolan Polk pseudonym for his work back in college when he’d been trying to distance himself from the family name. He’d wanted people to want his work because it was good, not because his father was a senator. But one bad decision and Polk had become a prison he couldn’t escape.

There was no way in hell he could help her find Nolan Polk. Problem was, when Nomi had something she wanted, she wouldn’t let it go.

“I can’t use the Polk name or distribute that work until the New Year. If I do, I’m in breach and it’ll cost me everything.”

Jilly ground her teeth. “I could kill that woman for locking you into this deal.”

He wished he could wipe his whole relationship with Melanie Stanfield off the plane of existence. Just thinking about it made anger pulse in his veins. When he and Melanie had been together, at first things were great. She had art connections thanks to her family, particularly abroad. When he’d proposed, she’d officially become his manager.

The one clause in his contract he should have paid closer attention to stated that no one else could distribute his work for profit for a term of three years. At the time, he’d been convinced of their love. Like a chump.

But then things had gone bad. And she’d started paying more attention to the value of his work than the value of their relationship. When they’d broken up, she’d held him by the short and curlies to his contract. He’d rather eat glass than give her a dime.

For the past two years since he’d been home, he hadn’t sold or exhibited a single piece, except for charity. Suddenly the only thing he’d ever wanted had a hundred-and-ten-pound blond albatross attached to it.

But he’d made his bed, he had to lie in it. “My fault, Jilly. I trusted the wrong person. I’m not eager to do that again.”

Jilly shook her head. “Nomi wouldn’t hurt you, Linc. That’s not her.”

No, that wasn’t the Nomi he remembered, but he’d been wrong about people before. “I thought the same thing about Melanie once, too.”

His sister put a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe this gig could put you back on the map again. Have you shooting. This is your chance to finally leave for good. Maybe go back to Europe. See more of Africa. You always used to talk about it.”

“That was a long time ago, Jilly.”

She pursed her lips. “Sooner or later you won’t have Dad as an excuse anymore. You’ll have to face the big bad world. You were destined for great things, little brother. Time to stop hiding.”

Linc ignored the numb feeling that spread from his chest. With his father’s early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis two years ago, he’d come home to help out. They both had. But for him, it had also been a way to escape all the mistakes he’d made.

Though, coming home hadn’t been any easier. His father had been a man’s man. Confident, a little brash, but fair and kindhearted. It had helped him get elected over and over again. It had helped people trust him. But that man was gone now. And it hurt. Some days weren’t so bad. The lucid days. Which were more than the non-lucid days. But the other days, the ones where his father couldn’t even recognize him, those hurt. It was the sole reason he stayed. Otherwise he’d have left, off for parts unknown by now, spreading his wings. At least that was what he liked to tell himself.

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“Whatever you say. What I do know is, all you have to do to get the girl of your dreams is to share a part of yourself. It’s not that hard, Linc. Now’s your chance to take a shot. Even if it’s just for a couple of days.”

“First things first. I need to keep Nomi from finding Nolan Polk. Then I’ll worry about taking a shot.” Too bad his brain and his heart had different priorities.

Chapter 3 (#ulink_ec5145f5-b930-58d6-8528-4e64270e0b0b)

It was official. Hell had frozen over. And it looked an awful lot like Faith, Virginia. Nomi strode through the train station looking around at the white canvas outside. Of course it was snowing. This was Virginia, after all, and there were only a few days left till Christmas. What had she expected? The balmy seventy-degree weather in Los Angeles looked mighty good right about now.

Get in and get out and you can go back.

She was giving herself three days to get what she needed and be back at home in the safety of her apartment before Christmas hit.

She turned on her phone and checked her messages. So far nothing from Linc. Hopefully he was already here. She was behind the curve as it was. Amber had used her miles to upgrade herself to an earlier flight and presumably had caught the afternoon train, so Nomi was playing catch up.

She took the escalator down, choosing to walk rather than ride it. All the while she scanned the luggage area for Linc. Frowning when she didn’t see him, she craned her neck. Don’t be ridiculous. He might have changed in all this time.

The last she’d seen him, his dark hair had dusted his shoulders and he’d been rail thin and barely taller than her at maybe five feet nine inches if she was being generous. She had no idea what to picture now. Maybe he’d gone extra emo like every other hipster she knew and had grown a beard or a mustache to be ironic.

As she looked around, the memories of the last time she’d been home washed over her. When she’d left here five years ago, the plan had been to never come back.

Thanks to her AP courses and the summer sessions she’d taken at the local community college, she’d finished all her high school credits just before the holiday and had planned to work from December through graduation and then head for UCLA in the fall. Brad was supposed to move out with her and had been planning on attending the University of Southern California. But that night had changed everything.

When he’d picked her up, he’d taken her to the big lake by the country club. Over the summers there were usually parties out there, bonfires on the tiny beach. It was also the standard make-out spot. But he hadn’t taken her there to make out. Or, hell, propose like her idiotic seventeen-year-old self had thought.

Just thinking about what he’d said made her blood boil. “Nomi, it’s been a fun two years, but we need to think about our futures. Or rather, I need to think about my future.”

She’d been too shocked to cry in the moment. And since she hadn’t said anything he’d continued.

“As great as you are, you’re not the right person to take into my future. I need to be with someone who complements me. Someone who has the same vision.”

What he’d meant was someone with a rich family and even richer connections. For the most part, his parents had been okay with her. His mother was more disapproving of her middle-class roots than the color of her skin. But she’d never missed an opportunity to parade rich, blonde debutants in front of Brad. The ass wipe had finally taken notice. His next words still sat with her today. “I’m seeing Lila Banks now.”

She’d finally found her voice then. “Lila Banks? That wannabe socialite barely has one brain cell.”

“Well, she’s perfect and her family is perfect. And I also got into Georgetown. I think even you can agree that it’s is a better school than USC. You don’t really fit into my circles. And, let’s face it, not everyone would understand our relationship. You’re the only one who didn’t see this coming.”

“H-how long?” She’d never regretted a question more.

“A few weeks. I’d have told you sooner. But your dad, he implied my history grade would be in jeopardy if I hurt you.” Nomi could still visualize his strong shoulders as they shrugged. “So I waited until after the report cards had been sent.”

Even now, Nomi could remember the instant nausea when he’d said that. Her parents had known. They could have insulated her or protected her and they hadn’t said a word. That verbal slap had left scars.

Brad had been with her as a note of rebellion, but now that real life was starting, he wanted his perfect blonde girlfriend and perfect life, and Nomi didn’t fit.

She’d walked away from him, leaving him at the top of the hill. Tears streaming down her face, she’d walked across the golf course and through the trails to Jilly’s house. Somewhere along the way it had started to rain, the frozen splashes stinging her face as she walked.

Jilly hadn’t been there. But Linc had. He’d opened the door and dragged her inside by the fire and wrapped a blanket around her. After a change of clothes, a go-around with Jilly’s blow-dryer and some hot cocoa, she had felt better.

He hadn’t asked her a thing, merely been there. Linc hadn’t batted an eyelash when she had asked for a ride home so she could pack. His only objection when she had asked for a ride to the train station was that she should wait for Jilly to come back before she left. But her friend was at Villanova visiting the college, and Nomi wanted out so bad she couldn’t wait.

She would never forget his last words to her. “You always deserved better than him.”

Then he’d given her a hug and his phone number and told her to call him if she ever needed anything. And that was that. Before that, they’d only been peripheral friends. She’d always seen him just as Jilly’s brother. But she’d always liked him. Unlike most of the other kids at her school, he’d talked to her when Brad wasn’t around. Nothing heavy, but he always went out of his way to make her feel comfortable. She’d always assumed it was because her mom worked for his father, but given that he was braving the cold to come pick her up now, maybe he was just a nice guy.

When she didn’t see him, she shuffled to the baggage claim wishing she’d worn her Uggs instead of her Cole Haan stiletto boots. She’d opted to check her bag instead of lugging it from car to car. Her train from Dulles had carried the usual commuter crowd, so the claims area was practically empty even though there were plenty of people waiting for their passengers.

For the most part, no one paid her any attention, but after several minutes the hairs on the back of her neck stood at attention. Nervously, she whipped around, expecting to see someone behind her. There was no one there. But at the far corner of the arrivals area, a man stared at her. He was tall, maybe around six feet or so. And he had one of those thin, rangy builds that screamed soccer player or some sort of athlete. His dark hair curled over his forehead and framed one hell of a face. Holy hell. There were men that hot in Faith? Maybe she’d been missing out.