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  Let It Snow

  Kristie Leigh

  Edited by

  Wallflower Edits

  Cover Design

  Vanilla Lily Designs

  Copyright © 2019 by Kristie Leigh

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  For all my Hallmark loving ladies!

  Contents

  1. Sullivan

  2. Melissa

  3. Sullivan

  4. Melissa

  5. Sullivan

  6. Melissa

  7. Sullivan

  8. Melissa

  9. Sullivan

  10. Melissa

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Kristie Leigh

  SULLIVAN

  Christmas was less than a week away, and I sat in my office chair, remembering a time I used to love the holiday season. In fact, Christmas was always my favorite. My grandma would make me pancakes in the morning, and I would sit and watch as she worked around the family kitchen in preparation for the holiday feast. It was always such a big event.

  The highlight of the entire day was when she would let me help stuff the turkey. Getting my hands in there and mushing it all around was the best part—and I couldn’t screw it up. Granny always waited until my mom went to the bakery to pick up her order of fresh buns because she would try endlessly to prevent me from staining my new Christmas clothes. I still wasn’t sure why she didn’t wait until the afternoon to put them on me instead.

  Those memories were long past. Now, I could take it or leave it. Although Christmas wasn’t my favorite time of year, I understood just how much it meant to most everybody else.

  I was a different man now. I may not be crazy about the holidays, but I still understood people needed time away from the office to spend to with their loved ones—the reason they show up to their nine-to-five. I looked down at my new Rolex—an early Christmas gift to myself—and noticed it was nearly five. Seeing as it was the Friday before the holiday, everyone would be ready to run out the door.

  I stood from my cushioned seat and looked out over the city as I stretched my arms in front of me, arching my back. The door opened, and I turned slightly to see Samantha walk in. She was perhaps the best secretary I’d ever had since…well, since ever. She had stuck with me since almost the beginning and likely knew more about me than my mom.

  “Sir, it’s just about five. I believe you wanted to address the staff before they went home for the holidays.” Her voice was light and cheery as always, but there was a hint of a question mixed in there as well.

  I turned back to my desk. “Yes, of course. You say that like you think I might change my mind,” I said with a smirk, but I knew why Samantha would question me. I hated giving any type of public speech, and I would usually do just about anything to get out of it. Even after years of speaking at conferences and meetings before I owned my own firm, I still felt the ground move beneath me whenever I got on a stage or faced an audience.

  She giggled. “I’ll let them know you want to have a word.” She turned and closed the door behind her.

  I blew out a heavy sigh and walked out of my corner office. Everyone had started to gather around; most had already packed up and had their briefcases in hand. The excitement could be felt in the air. I had a great staff, and they were all hard workers—they had earned this time off. I’d made it a rule that no matter what, everyone got to spend two weeks over Christmas and New Year’s away from the office. We completely shut down all work—no email, no phone calls, no nothing. Although I wanted everyone to spend time with their family, it was ironic that I never spent any of that time with my own. Nevertheless, I wanted everyone else to enjoy their holidays and come back at the start of the new year completely refreshed.

  “Gather round, everyone. I’d like to have a word, and I promise I won’t take too much time. I know how important it is to start your holiday at the stroke of five.” There was a hint of humor in my tone, and most of the employees grinned, and a slight chuckle drifted through the crowd as I garnered their attention.

  “It has been a marvelous year, and I am so proud of every single one of you. Even with the financial crisis and bleak forecasts, our clients were still able to get substantial returns on their investments. Some of them even made up to thirty-five percent profit, and that says a lot. I want to thank each of you for your hard work and dedication.”

  I looked around to make sure Samantha had passed around the champagne, then picked up the glass she’d set down beside me.

  “I would like to make a toast.” I raised my glass, and they followed suit. “To every employee who works at Moore’s. I want to thank my secretary for taking all my bullshit and making sure I make the right decisions. I want to thank all of you for always bringing your A-game. Now, before I make this too long, I would like to finish this off with a toast to all of your families—the real reason why we all do this. Thank you.”

  There was applause, and someone in the group yelled, “We love you, too, boss.”

  I was never one to take a compliment very well, but I blushed and thanked Sean for his praise.

  Two hours later, I locked the doors behind Samantha—the last employee to leave. She was the only one who would stay with me that long on a Friday night, let alone before a holiday, but I always compensated her with a hefty Christmas bonus.

  “So, let me guess. You are going to spend most of the holidays in your office?” Samantha asked me with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

  For years, I’d assumed she was dropping hints so I would ask her out, but I wasn’t quite sure, to be honest. It wasn’t that she wasn’t attractive or that I wouldn’t be interested under normal circumstances. I just wasn’t one to ruin a professional relationship with a good friend for something that most likely wouldn’t last. To me, the loss would be way too great.

  “You know me too well, Samantha. Don’t worry, I’ll try not to stay up too late,” I joked. “Get home safe.”

  “I would say, you, too, but you’re home already.” She laughed.

  I watched as she walked to her Mercedes Benz AMG. Nice car, but it wasn’t really my style. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I cringed, knowing who it was. But still, I hoped it wouldn’t be her.

  I looked down as I pulled it out my cell. Damn. It never failed.

  I swiped right and lifted the phone to my ear. “Good evening, Mother. How are you?” I knew what she was going to say, and I already had my answer locked and loaded. I still wasn’t sure why we did this song and dance every year.

  There was a brief pause before she replied, “So, it’s time for the Christmas holidays; should we be expecting you?” She was a little more assertive than in recent years. She was hopeful even in the face of all the negative replies I had given to one form or another of the very same annual question.

  “Mom, we’ve been through this already. I’ll come home when I’m ready, for now, I—”

  “Before you go any further, there’s something I need to tell you.” Her voice was stern, leaving no room for arguments.

  My heart skipped a few beats. I only remembered having heard my mother say that one other time, and the next thing she’d told me was that my father had died in a car accident. My thoughts ran all over the place. “What is it, Mom? Are you okay?” Panic laced my tone.

  “It’s your grandmother. She’s been sick for some time, and the doctor said she might not make it through Christmas.” Her voice caught on the last word, and my heart broke for her, for me, and most of all, my poor grandmother.
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  I didn’t have a choice; I needed to go home—to say goodbye.

  My mother continued, “I know how close you two were. I think she’d like to see you again before it is all over. And not for nothing, but I would love for you to be here for Christmas, too. I’m still your mother, after all. “

  I took a deep breath, wishing there was a way to get out of a trip home and a horrible goodbye, but as an adult, I couldn’t stick my head in the sand. “Okay, Mom. I’ll be home as soon as I can get a flight.” There was some silence. “And for the record, I’m not just coming because of Grandma. I want to come home to see my mom, too.”

  There was a sniffle followed by silence before she finally choked out, “That makes me happy to hear, son.”

  After disconnecting, I looked down at my watch—man, I loved that thing—it was already seven-thirty. I swiped the screen on my iPhone and dialed my driver as I went up the elevator to my suite to gather my things.

  “Hey, Tim. I’m sorry to intrude on your time off, but I need you to take me to the airport; it’s a family emergency.” I’m sure he heard the panic in my tone because thirty minutes later, and I was comfortably seated in the back of my Maybach as we drove down the streets of the city. The air conditioning was on, but somehow, I felt stifled in my suit. I tugged on my black tie and removed my jacket. The pressure was like nothing I’d ever felt.

  I’d always looked up to my grandmother. She was the daughter of an immigrant, and despite all the odds stacked against her, she was determined to make something of herself. She had worked her ass off, and it wasn’t long before she started her own business. By the age of forty-five, she was one of the wealthiest women in South Carolina. I was pretty sure that I’d gotten my drive and work ethic from her.

  I laid back my head on the headrest and closed my eyes. Thoughts of home swirled around in my mind. If I thought about it hard enough, I could still smell the roses and dew that lingered on summer mornings. I had missed that. I’d been so focused on my career and making it on my own that I hadn’t thought much of going back in the last eight years. Two years ago, after I finally felt like I’d made it, it seemed like it was time for me to go home.

  But by then, I was so estranged that the only place I felt at home was in my office, back in the city. I didn’t have to pretend to be anyone other than the boss in my firm, and I was comfortable playing that role, even if it got lonely sometimes. And although I’d had girlfriends in the past, it didn’t look like a serious relationship was in the cards. Each and every one of them complained of the same thing—I never gave them enough of my time. I lavished them with gifts, but I was never really interested in them or making memories together. I was in love with my job and everything else fell to the wayside. After hearing the same thing over and over, it got to the point that I’d decided I was better off alone. Maybe something was wrong with me; maybe I wasn’t meant to fall in love. I was good at what I did, and that was where I gained satisfaction.

  I looked outside at the blur of cars as we sped to the airport, and I thought about how much things had changed since I’d left home. I was a different man now; I was no longer the fun guy I’d been in my youth. I was no longer that dumb kid who thought hanging out with his friends was the most important thing in the world. Now, that was the last thing I wanted—time was money, and I didn’t waste it socializing. I was a businessman and mostly wanted to be alone. However, my grandmother needed me, and I refused to deny us a proper goodbye.

  We pulled up to the airport, and I jumped out quickly. Thankfully, Tim would check my luggage at the curb.

  “Thanks, Tim. I apologize to pull you away tonight. Enjoy the holidays with your family. I’ll try to do the same with my own.” I reached out and shook his hand, including a hefty gratuity in my palm.

  “Thank you, sir.” Tim tipped his hat.

  I didn’t bother waiting for him to get things sorted. I needed to run to the terminal, or I was going to miss my flight. My flight was boarding any minute—which was confirmed by the announcement over the intercom when I got into the TSA line—and I hadn’t made it through security.

  We finally touched down around nine-thirty. I couldn’t wait to get off of this plane—the seats were cramped; I couldn’t even recline it. But I didn’t have much choice with a last-minute flight. The passengers all scrambled off the plane like a herd of cattle, and I let out a huge sigh of relief when I was free of the crowd.

  My parents’ place was a little over an hour from the airport, so I had rented a car. When I pulled out of the underground parking garage and found snow on the ground, I was beyond surprised. Living in small-town South Carolina we didn’t get much snow. I could count on one hand how many white Christmas’s we’d had over the decades I’d lived here. And although the Audi A8 I’d rented was optimal for comfort and style, it had not been an excellent choice for inclement weather, nor would it be for the road leading up the hill.

  I’d somehow managed to miss the driveaway four times. The roads seemed different, but it was probably more my own distracted thoughts. The town had changed a little, but it still wasn’t a city. It probably never would be, but there seemed to be more modern homes off the road than there were when I was last here. The fact that it was snowing didn’t make it any easier to find the house I’d grown up in—the white had covered each driveway in a pristine blanket, blocking them from easy view. When I slowed down enough to read the street numbers, I finally saw the sign. The Moore Family.

  “Ah! Finally,” I mumbled to myself as I turned the steering wheel into the drive a little too fast and nearly fishtailed into a ditch.

  The snow didn’t make one part of my already-stressful and nerve-wracking experience any better. I pulled onto the pad to the side of the house and threw the car in park, taking a deep breath to calm my anxiety. When I finally looked up, I saw the only structure that seemed like it hadn’t changed at all. The paint appeared to have been touched up, there were some new light fixtures, and a new car in the driveway, but the rest of the house seemed to be just how I’d left it.

  After I killed the ignition, I gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles began to turn white. “You can do this,” I muttered to myself as I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry; it’ll be just like old times.” I was lying to myself. Too much had changed, and even more was going to if what my mom had said were true.

  I took a deep breath and hopped out of the vehicle—big mistake. My shoes immediately sent mud flying in all directions. The snow had started to come down harder, so I grabbed my luggage out of the trunk and took off toward the front porch for shelter. I was already beginning to regret coming home.

  As I stood on the porch, I looked back at the rental now covered in slush and mud and then down to my Salvatore Ferragamos, which had matching filth all over them. “Oh, fuck me,” I mumbled softly as if I feared my mother would hear me. Trying to make myself presentable seemed like an effort in futility. By this point, most of the product in my hair had dissipated with the wet snow. Nevertheless, I tried to dust the flakes from the top of my head to tame my mane.

  I finally mustered enough courage to reach up and knock. It was freezing outside, and at that moment, I found it odd that in modern times, my mom still decided to keep the manual mechanism instead of a doorbell. I was about to lift the brass knocker again when the door swung open.

  The housekeeper stood there in what looked like complete shock.

  “Hello, Bridget.” A coy smile played on my lips as I called her by her name, dropping the Miss I used to use. It was the kind of smile that a guilty child would have if his hand were caught in the cookie jar. I wasn’t sure what to do since it had been so long. Should I go in for a hug or just a handshake? Maybe a nod of the head was more appropriate. I stood there, contemplating my next move, but thank God, she took the guesswork out of it.

  “Master Sullivan, it has been far too long. Come here.” She opened her arms and gestured me to come into her embrace
.

  I didn’t hesitate as I dropped my luggage without thought and hugged her. The emotion that rolled through me was overwhelming, but I kept the tears at bay. I’d missed this woman immensely, although it was seeing her that reminded me of just how much. The smell of her clothes brought back so much of my childhood. The hug lingered for a few seconds before she finally pulled away, holding me at arm’s length for a moment. She picked up my luggage. I took the luggage back immediately and smiled at her. I wasn’t comfortable with staff doing those types of things—especially not an older woman—that I was perfectly capable of doing myself. I didn’t have staff at home for that very reason.

  “Come, Master Sullivan. Your mother will be so happy to see you.” She clapped excitedly.

  My heart began to feel like it was going to burst. While I was happy to see my mother, I was beyond nervous—a foreign feeling in my adult life. I didn’t know how she was going to take my arrival or, moreover, my extended absence.

  Bridget closed the door behind us and walked me to where my mother was seated in the main living room. She’d always loved sitting here, overlooking the back garden. This was where she used to stay when she wanted to be alone. Plus, there was a small bar in the corner that stored her favorite liquors. Bridget pulled my bags from my hand before I could say another word and nodded in the direction of the stairs.

  “I’ll prepare your old bed for you,” she said on a whisper and smiled before ducking out, so I couldn’t argue.

  I peeked around the corner and spotted my mother, who sat on the couch exactly as I remembered. This time she was reading a fashion magazine and sipping what appeared to be orange juice, although she used to love her liquor, it was never ruined—as she would say—by adding mixers.