Page 7 of Sinful Santa
“You scared me!” she exclaimed softly, not wanting to wake the kids. Her boss frowned and stuffed his hands into his pockets, drawing his shoulders up. Tahlia got the sense he was trying to make himself appear smaller and instantly regretted her reaction.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she waved a hand and composed herself with a deep breath, which perhaps wasn’t a great idea because Nelson was close enough, she was able to inhale his cologne, warm and woodsy with a hint of spice and it turned her head.
Be professional dammit!
Tahlia cleared her throat. “What did you want to have a word about?”
“Ah,” Nelson grew serious and Tahlia wondered if she’d done something wrong. “Your work.”
She must have. “My-my work? Did something happen?” She wracked her brain for any mistakes she could have made between exiting the plane and arriving at the resort but came up short. He seemed okay after their little tiff on the plane but maybe he wasn’t and she was going to get fired after all.
“I wanted to say I think…no, Ihavebeen harder on you than was necessary. I apologize.”
An apology? From the least apologetic person in the world? This would make the second apology he’d given her tonight, actually. Maybe the world was ending.
Realizing he was expecting a response, Tahlia pulled herself out of her shock.
“Oh, um, thank you,” she managed to stammer out. “I, uh, I really appreciate that. But,” now she couldn’t help being curious, “what brought you to that conclusion?”
Nelson lifted his dark gaze away from her and toward the room where his kids were sleeping in a cozy bunk bed.
“I haven’t seen you with them before, not since our interview. You are surprisingly astute about their needs as individuals.”
Tahlia snorted. “Thanks, I think.”
“I’m not trying to be backhanded by saying that.” He turned to her again, just as serious but there was a softness around his eyes. “You understand them. You listen to them. You’ve drawn them out in ways I haven’t seen in a long time.”
Goodness, she wasblushing.
“Thank you, Mr. Nelson,” she said quietly and hoped he didn’t notice her red face. “I’ve grown very fond of them. They’re great kids. You should be proud.”
“I know,” he murmured with an actual, real, soft smile. “I am. And I’m…I’m grateful that you think so.”
Tahlia felt her mouth move up into a grin before she realized what was happening. “Are we friends now, Mr. Nelson?”
“Um,” he cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, a hint of pink visible on his cheeks. “I guess we can be. As far as an employee and their employer can be.”
“I’ll take that.” Tahlia stuck her hand out and he stared at it for a moment before he took it. Then, of all things, he smiled again. At her.
A new start. That’s what this was.
She tried not to think about how nice his smile was.
7
Haven Mountain Resort’s main lodge was a huge building with well over a hundred guest rooms, a spa, a five-star restaurant, a bar and lounge, and an event center plus smaller conference rooms. It was a short walk from the cabin and where Ophelia and Jed were staying during the vacation. The morning after arriving, Nelson, Tahlia, and the kids traipsed over to the lodge and joined the grandparents for breakfast at the restaurant. Tahlia still experienced some awkwardness eating with the family, but Ophelia and Jed had made her feel so welcome at Thanksgiving the nerves quickly faded.
“I’m so glad you could join us this year, Matt!” Ophelia exclaimed. Her eggs Benedict was forgotten in favor of fawning over her son’s unexpected appearance. Apparently their son had overlooked informing them he was coming. “Such a wonderful surprise!”
Nelson looked very uncomfortable and Tahlia had the stray thought he maybe deserved it. Just a little. Not appearing at family gatherings had consequences.
“A God-ahem-gosh darned Christmas miracle,” Jed grumbled from beside his wife, after a swift glance at the grandkids. “He deigned to make an appearance.”
Nelson’s face was blank, but it was plain he was irritated. Tahlia had to admit, the swipe was unnecessary, especially in front of the kids. She frowned and pulled Kaiden and Maddy’s focus to the list of activities the lodge had planned for the day, but kept one ear on the conversation.
“Jed,” Ophelia said in a warning tone, throwing a very familiar scowl at him. Jed ignored her in favor of his breakfast, obviously unapologetic as he tucked into his loaded plate of ham, eggs, grits, and biscuits with gravy. His wife looked on the verge of giving him a piece of her mind, grandchildren or no grandchildren. Time for an intervention.
