Page 2 of Sugar Plum Serenade

Olive stood on the small porch, keys in hand, ready for a night in. Maybe a movie on TV and one of the frozen dinners she’d purchased when she’d stocked up for her stay. She wanted peace and quiet, her feet up, maybe some cookies after that frozen dinner…

She jumped when a man’s voice interrupted her introspection.

“Welcome to the neighborhood, Olive Carson.”

Those were not alarming words, the tone of voice was easy and friendly, and he knew her name. Was that good or bad? She turned to face the man who stood in the yard.

Him.

“Thanks,” she said. “I’m just here for a few weeks.”

“Mike told me. Nice of you to help while Dawn is out of commission.”

She’d met Nate Tucker three times in the past few years, during quick trips to Seawolf Beach to see her sister. Christmas; a summer barbecue; during a fall music festival. He was one of those laid-back, easygoing guys with a charming smile and no apparent ambition. Nice body, a bit of stubble on a strong jaw, dark blond hair, blue eyes. She’d noticed those eyes before, in their brief interactions at Dawn’s house. They were lively, striking, mischievous. Women stared as he walked by, and with good reason. You might even say some swooned. She did not swoon. Ever. This guy looked like trouble walking.

“They’re family,” she said. “I’m happy to help.” Which was only kind of a lie. She loved her sister, but why was she having a baby at Christmas? Olive was usually able to ignore most of the holiday season, and enduring a couple days of forced holiday cheer with family was bearable. It didn’t last long. This year, however…

Tuck — everyone called him by a shortened version of his last name — jerked a thumb at the big white house next door. She’d walked past it on her way in and had admired the structure, and the fact that unlike the other houses on the street he had zero Christmas decorations on the exterior of his house. She hadn’t bothered with lights or wreaths, either. After all, she wouldn’t be here long. Anyone driving or walking past would peg them as two Scrooges, side by side.

“If you need anything while you’re here, give a shout and I’ll do what I can.”

She wouldn’t need anything from this too good-looking, overly-friendly man. He was just being polite. Men like this one were always taken by some woman or another. Or more than one. Unless something had changed since she’d seen him last, Tuck spent his nights in the bar he owned. The Magnolia, located on the other side of the highway, looked like a dive on the outside, but there must be some appeal. Whenever she drove past it was always packed. There was live music most nights, Mike had told her the one time he’d tried to convince her to go there.

No thanks.

“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” With that she turned away and inserted the key in the lock, twisted it, and opened the door. She immediately backed out onto the porch again, stumbling a little as she escaped the horror. “Oh my God, someone broke in!”

“What?” Tuck ran up the steps, passed her, and stuck his head inside. “What’s wrong? Everything looks fine to me.”

Olive pointed past him to the offending object. “That wasn’t here when I left this morning.”

Tuck looked down at her. She didn’t remember him being this tall, but then he’d never been quite this close before. “The Christmas tree?”

She nodded.

The offending tree was maybe four feet tall, and it sat on a side table in front of a small window in the living room. If she’d walked around the house instead of straight to the front door, she would’ve seen the tiny white lights reflecting off small gold balls through that window.

Tuck walked inside and straight to the tree. He picked up a piece of paper, which had been placed beneath the tree like an unwanted gift. He read the note silently, soon breaking into that easy smile of his. “Mike. He said the girls wanted to surprise you. They insisted Aunt Olive needs a Christmas tree.”

Aunt Olive did not need a Christmas tree.

If not for Willow and Ava, she’d take the tree down immediately, but it was likely they’d be in the house at some point while she was here. It would hurt their feelings if she removed this reminder of the holidays they’d gone to such pains to give her.

“Well, I am definitely surprised,” Olive said as she walked inside the house. She turned and looked up at her temporary neighbor. “Thanks. I guess I’m on edge today. Retail is new to me. I mean… people.”

He laughed. Dammit, it was a nice laugh. “I hear you. I deal with a different crowd, but the public is the public no matter where they are.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Would it be rude to shoo him out the door? With an audible “shoo” and a wave of her hands? Probably.

“You should come by The Magnolia tonight,” he said, and then he turned and walked toward the open front door. “We don’t serve anything fancy, but the chef makes a mean burger, and the fries are crispy and salty. After a day of retail, a glass of wine might be just the thing. A good local band will be there tonight playing seventies and eighties covers, mostly. They start at eight, if you’re interested.”

She was not. She planned to be in her pajamas well before eight.

“Maybe if you stop by, I can convince you to dance with me.”

There were a hundred ways she could say no, a hundred better ways, but she blurted out, “I don’t dance.”

Tuck turned in the doorway. “Never?”