One Night: A Christmas Romance (The Lakeland Boys Book 2) Read online

  Laughing to himself, Nick turned and entered the bathroom, as if there wasn’t a giant bed sitting in the middle of the room.

  “And, Jenny,” he called from inside the bathroom, “don’t worry. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

  My heart lurched. Was I that obvious? And, why hadn’t he said something earlier? I could have eliminated a lot of anxious worrying if he’d said something at the beginning.

  Studying his gray hoody, I sat on the bed to wait, then jumped up immediately and moved to one of the chairs. No way was I letting him come out of the bathroom to find me waiting on the bed.

  I heard the water turn on in the shower and my insides turned over when I thought about Nick taking a shower.

  Don’t go there, girl, I thought to myself. Do. Not. Go. There.

  I sat there with my hands in my lap and waited. I could have turned on the TV, but I didn’t want to move. My body felt like a violin string pushed to the limit. Ready to snap at any moment.

  After a while, I heard the water turn off. My heart increased its beat accordingly.

  A few minutes later, the bathroom door open and Nick stepped out in a cloud of steam.

  He was shirtless and barefoot. Jeans hugged his hips, and he was drying off his hair with a white motel towel.

  I swallowed hard and looked away to give him some privacy. But, not before I saw that silly smirk again and a toned, wide chest.

  I swear, the boy was pushing my buttons on purpose.

  Grabbing his hoody, I snaked past him and into the bathroom. I couldn’t get in there fast enough.

  “Hey, I’m going over to the front office,” he said. “They’ve got vending machines. Do you want anything?” he asked.

  It took me a moment, as I stared at myself in the mirror. “Anything,” I answered, as I hung up my dress. There, I thought. That sounded normal.

  The shower was heaven. I felt semi-normal afterwards. At least I did until I put on Nick’s Sweatshirt.

  He was right. It did come down halfway to my knees. At least almost hallway. I pulled at the hem, trying desperately to stretch it out.

  My stomach rebelled. This was not my normal attire, to say the least. It wasn’t like I was a prude or anything. But, I did have standards and wearing only sweatshirts was not in my normal range.

  Especially, not around Nick Parsons.

  Brushing my hair, I tried to think up some alternative to the situation. I still had to call my mom. My stomach cramped with pure fear.

  Hey, he said he’d sleep on the floor.

  But, was that fair? I wondered. He was paying for the room. Shouldn’t I be the one sleeping on the floor?

  My mind tumbled and turned, but I couldn’t figure out anything. After a moment, I realized I was stalling.

  Taking a deep breath, I stepped out into the room.

  Nick was sitting in a chair, his socked feet up on the bed, watching the weather channel. He’d placed his boots neatly next to the front door, his leather jacket hung over the back of the chair.

  And, he was dressed. A shirt and everything.

  Thank you, I silently whispered to myself.

  He tore his attention away from the TV to glance my way and froze. His eyes bore into me, as if he’d never seen me before. I felt my entire body begin to blush.

  His eyes slowly traveled up my legs. I swear, if he didn’t stop staring I was going to punch him or something. My dad always said that violence was never the answer. But, I’m pretty sure he’d agree with me.

  Nick swallowed and slowly shook his head. “Darn girl, you rock a sweatshirt. You should think about wearing it every day. Just like that.”

  Okay, so I wasn’t as upset as I should have been.

  Totally ignoring him, I hurried over to the table. My hands tightly grasping the hem of the shirt the entire way across the room. I knew for a fact that if I moved the wrong way, I’d end up flashing him. Not something I wanted to think about on my death bed.

  Nick smiled and began pulling chips and candy bars out of a white plastic bag.

  “I didn’t know what you wanted, so I grabbed one of each,” he said, as he continued to pull more and more from the bag.

  My stomach rumbled. I was so hungry. I didn’t care that it was Christmas Eve and I was missing my mom’s roast.

  “The guy gave me a couple of candles in case the power goes out,” Nick said, as he finished removing items, then jumped up and slipped a small paper bag into his gym bag. A bag way too small for candles, unless they were for a birthday cake.

  What was that all about? I wondered. Why the mystery? I swear, if he bought condoms I’d shoot him. I don’t care if I had to carve a gun out of soap, I’d shoot him.

  He pretended like it wasn’t anything and returned to help me finish the fruits of the vending machine.

  When we were done, I leaned back, then remembered and pulled my shirt down.

  Nick’s glance fell to my hand on my bare leg and smiled.

  “Will you please stop looking at me like that?” I demanded.

  He looked back with an innocent expression. “Like what?” he asked, as if he didn’t know exactly what I was talking about.

  Sighing, I shook my head and said, “I’ve got to call my parents.”

  “Go ahead,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll understand.”

  “Yeah right,” I laughed as the dread began to build in my body.

  This was not going to be good. I just knew it.

  Chapter Four

  The phone at home was ringing. My heart was racing, and Nick was smirking at me.

  My mouth had gone drier than a desert, and my palms were so sweaty I thought for sure I was going to drop my phone.

  “Hello,” my dad said, as he answered the phone.

  “Hi Dad,” I said, fighting to keep my voice from quivering.

  “Hi honey,” he replied. “Are you home already? I thought you weren’t due back until tonight. Do you need me to come to the school and pick you up?”

  “Um ... No daddy, that’s okay. Is mom there?”

  “No, she ran to the store.” He paused on the other end. “Is everything all right?”

  My insides clenched up into a solid ball of pure worry.

  “Yes, everything is fine. I promise.”

  “What’s going on Jenny?” he asked. I could tell that serious tone of voice. It was the same one he used when my little brother did something wrong. He knew. Already, he knew things weren’t right.

  Swallowing hard, I said, “Daddy, everything is fine ... It’s just that there has been a problem.”

  “A problem?” he asked.

  “I missed the bus,” I said. There. I had gotten it out.

  “You missed the bus? You mean in Ellensburg?”

  “Yes, I missed the bus. It’s a long story. I’ll explain when I get home.”

  There was a long pause on the other end. “So are you still in Ellensburg? Do you need me to come get you?”

  “No daddy, I caught a ride. A person I know from school offered me a ride home. We’re about halfway between Ellensburg and the mountains.”

  The silence on the other end felt like a sword hanging over my head.

  “Jenny,” my dad said, “What’s going on? Who gave you a ride?”

  It bubbled out, I couldn’t have stopped it if I tried.

  “I got a ride from Nick Parsons. There was an accident, Nick helped save a man. The pass is closed. The police told us to get a motel.”

  I held my breath waiting for an explosion. Instead, there was just silence. Then, two simple words.

  “Nick Parsons?”

  “Yes, sir,” I said. “He was there to see his little brother. The bus was gone, I didn’t really have a choice.”

  Nick scoffed and shook his head. I know that it didn’t sound very nice. But, I was fighting to save my life here. Cut me some slack.

  “Jenny, are you okay?” my father asked again. “Can you talk? Are you sure you’re fine?”

  “Yes, Daddy,”
I said. “It’s not like that. Nick is just giving me a ride. The pass is closed, and we have to share a motel room until they get it cleared. Nothing to worry about.”

  My dad harrumphed on the other end. I could feel his eyes boring into his phone at my idiotic statement.

  “Jenny, believe me. There is a lot to worry about. What do you mean, share a room? I’ll pay for a room. Tell the motel to call me.”

  “There aren’t any more rooms, Daddy,” I said. Even I knew that sounded like a story a teenager would make up.

  I could hear my father take a deep breath, as he tried to bring himself under control. Like I said, he was a great dad. A little over protective and with a lot of rules. But, he loved me, and I loved him. That was one of the reasons I hated disappointing him. That disapproving scowl of his could turn my guts to jelly.

  “Dad, it’s fine, I promise. I’ll be home tomorrow. You guys don’t have to hold Christmas for me. I understand, really I do.”

  “That is the least of my concerns, Jenny,” he said.

  I didn’t know what to say. What more could I do?

  “Put the young man on,” my dad said after a long pause.

  “What?” My heart jumped. No way did I want Nick Parsons talking with my dad. Especially about motel rooms.

  “Jenny, you are my daughter. I trust you completely. I’ll call you later and check on you. But, for now, put him on the phone.”

  I swallowed hard and looked at Nick. He stared back at me, his eyebrow cocked, questioning me as to what was going on.

  Holding my breath, I held out my phone and said, “He wants to talk to you.”

  I swear, a brief flash of fear danced behind Nick’s eyes. Probably for the first time in his life. It was surprising to see a hint of un-coolness in Nick Parsons. I guess talking to the father of the girl he was sharing a room with wasn’t high on his list of favorite things.

  He nodded, squared his shoulders, and took my phone.

  “Mr. Brewster,” he said, giving me a serious look that let me know how much he didn’t enjoy being dragged into my drama.

  “Yes sir,” Nick said, as he nodded.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “No, I ... Yes, sir,” he continued.

  “No, I can’t sleep in my car. There’s as a blizzard. I’d freeze to death, and your daughter would never get home.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I give you my word,” Nick said.

  My stomach turned over. How embarrassing. Why couldn’t my father have just let things alone? Why didn’t he understand that Nick didn’t think of me that way?

  “Yes, sir,” Nick said again. “Yes, I understand.”

  There was a long silence, then Nick looked at the phone and shook his head.

  I wanted to die.

  He held the phone back to his ear and frowned.

  “What is Jenny wearing?” he asked.

  I gulped, what was my father doing?

  “Sir, she’s wearing one of my sweatshirts. And, nothing else. Don’t worry though. It covers most everything. At least an inch.”

  Oh, My, God. No.

  “Yes, sir, I won’t let her seduce me. But, I’ve got to tell you it’s going to be difficult.”

  “Nick,” I screamed, as I tried to grab the phone from him.

  He smiled, as he let me take it from his hand.

  “Daddy!” I exclaimed into the phone.

  A solid dial tone came from the other end.

  Nick laughed. “He hung up a minute ago. Said that he’d call you back in a little bit.”

  My fist hit Nick in the shoulder before I could stop myself. Sometimes, obviously, violence was called for.

  “You are a mean, mean person,” I said, as I flapped my hand back and forth to shake off the tingle. Hitting his shoulder had been like punching a brick wall. I still couldn’t believe that he’d teased me like that.

  He laughed. “Chill Jenny,” he said. “It was only a joke.”

  “There was nothing funny about that,” I said, as I gave him my best stare of disappointment.

  He laughed and said, “It depends on the perspective.”

  “What did he say?” I asked, as I bit my lip. The last thing I wanted was to discuss my father and Nick Parsons talking about me and a motel room.

  “Not much,” Nick said, “he told me that before he was a pastor he was a Marine. And, that when it came to you, the Marine took priority.”

  Okay, it was now official, I wanted to die.

  “He mentioned something about knowing seventy-six different ways to kill a man, and the fact that Sherriff Osborn is a member of his church. That there was no way a jury would convict him.”

  Nick’s eyes twinkled, and he had that silly smirk going full power. For a second I wondered if he was teasing me again. Then remembered my father and realized, nope, that was exactly the kind of things my dad would say.

  Hanging my head in shame, I tried to figure out a way to disappear into thin air.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. It was pretty much all I could think to say.

  He laughed again. “Don’t worry about it Jenny,” he said. “I understand. You can’t blame a father for being worried about his little girl.”

  I swallowed hard. “It’s just that he doesn’t understand.”

  Nick’s brow narrowed in confusion. “Understand what?” he asked.

  I looked up into his eyes. How could I explain? Shrugging my shoulders, I said, “He doesn’t understand. You’re you, and I’m me.”

  Nick frowned and shook his head. “Jenny, your dad understands perfectly.” His eyes traveled up my legs. Finally stopping at my eyes. “Believe me, there is a lot for him to worry about. But, I gave him my word. A fact that I am pretty sure I am going to regret for the next couple of years.”

  I gulped, as I stared back into his eyes.

  Nick looked at me for a long moment, then shook his head and turned away.

  Had I just seen what I thought I saw in his eyes? No way.

  He snatched the bedspread and a pillow off the bed and started making up his bed at the foot of mine.

  Was he upset at me?

  I watched him work for a moment. It took me a second to get back to reality. Something about that strong back and those wide shoulders. They could confuse a girl.

  “It’s been a long day,” he said without turning around. “We’d better get some sleep.”

  Sleep? In the same room as Nick Parsons? What if I talked in my sleep? What if I drooled, or made less than lady like noises?

  No, life couldn’t be that cruel.

  Get in bed, Jenny, I thought. Either that or stand here in this spot all night wearing nothing but Nick Parsons’ sweatshirt.

  I nodded and climbed under the blankets. My heart went out to Nick. He had to sleep on the hard floor. It wasn’t fair I thought. But, what else could I do? There was no way I was sharing a bed with Nick Parsons.

  It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. No, it was something else. Something worse. I didn’t know if I trusted myself.

  “I’ll leave the bathroom light on, and the door cracked,” he said, as he arranged the candles and matches on the table in case he needed them in the night

  “Goodnight,” I said, as I turned on my side and hugged my pillow.

  “Goodni...”

  With a flash and a clunk, the power went out. Just like that, we were plunged into quiet darkness.

  Nick laughed, “What else could go wrong?”

  I didn’t laugh.

  Nick got up and lit a candle. I didn’t say a word. I just lay there and watched him.

  Using the same match, he melted the bottom of the candle and stuck it on a plastic wrapper on the table.

  The faint yellow light revealed that he’d removed his shirt before laying down. My heart jumped again. Would it ever be normal again? I wondered.

  Giving me a quick grin, he disappeared behind the bottom of my bed.

  I lay there, afraid to move. Afraid to fall asleep.

>   “Is the candle safe?” I asked. I could just see it now. We burned the motel to the ground. That was the kind of day we were having.

  Nick sighed heavily from his bed then got up and stomped to the bathroom. He placed the candle in a water glass then glanced at me, as if asking if that was good enough.

  I gave him a sweet smile of thanks and laid down. But, not before seeing him shake his head. Mr. Nick Parsons was not in a good mood.

  Who could blame him, I thought. Trapped in a room with me. I am sure he could name a dozen different girls he would have preferred to be holed up with during a winter storm.

  Sighing internally, I turned over and tried to go to sleep. Of course, I failed miserably. There was no way I was going to sleep with Nick only a few feet away.

  My stomach felt like a washing machine on a spin. My head pounded and my heart raced.

  The room was eerily quiet. No machine noise. No heater blowing, no distant sounds of traffic. Nothing, but the occasional shuffle of Nick’s blankets, as he tried to find a comfortable spot on the floor.

  It was as if we were buried in a deep dark cave. Alone, just the two of us left in the world.

  My mind raced, as I retraced the day’s events. The way Nick had smirked. His quick, sure hands, as he helped the man in the truck. How he’d teased me about my father. Everything bubbled around inside my brain and I realized it would be a long time until I fell asleep.

  As I lay there, the room grew cool, then actually cold. I was surprised how fast it happened and how important that heater was.

  Nick sighed, and turned over for the tenth time. I could well imagine the floor was cold. If I was getting cold, Nick must be freezing.

  My heart went out to him. This wasn’t right. It was ridiculous. I could trust him and I could trust myself. At least I could if I tried.

  Bighting my lip, I gathered my courage.

  “Nick, are you awake?” I asked.

  He sighed heavily and said, “Yes.”

  Taking a deep breath I said, “This is ridiculous. You can sleep in the bed.”

  The silence felt like a ton of bricks. What if he laughed?

  My heart raced, as I waited for some kind of indication about how he felt on the matter. Still, the silence continued.

  “Are you sure?” he asked finally.