Holiday Spice Read online

  And he didn’t consider many people that.

  So he’d called her, and after talking to Savannah, he had reluctantly agreed to her version of helping him out. She couldn’t come personally, but she was sending someone to help him—someone she trusted and assured him would be an asset. Right now, he wasn’t so sure. It was no different from his publisher sending someone, but at least this way, he had a personal reference from a friend.

  Darcy Shaughnessy. Over the last several years, Ben had heard Savannah mention her sister-in-law, but he’d never had the opportunity to meet her himself. He was going to. Soon. But he still wasn’t sure she was going to be of much help to him. After all, she wasn’t a writer like Savannah, and that was what Ben had wanted. Ultimately, he had accepted the offer because Savannah had assured him that Darcy had brilliant office skills and a creative mind—all the things combined she swore would help him finish this project.

  With a stretch, he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a second cup of coffee and contemplated his day. There wasn’t any reason to be up this early; it was just the way his internal body clock worked. And with his hand still throbbing, he knew going to the workshop right now wasn’t wise.

  “Looks like a paperwork day,” he murmured and then realized the paperwork was everywhere. A muttered curse was his first reaction and then a more vicious one when he raked his bad hand through his hair and rubbed it the wrong way.

  “Okay, so clearly it’s going to be that kind of day. Great.”

  Yeah. Things weren’t looking too good for him to make much progress on anything right now. Darcy was due to arrive this evening, and he’d already invited her to join him for dinner, so he was going to have to attempt to clean up. Not that the house was dirty, but there was stuff everywhere. Like paperwork. Newspapers. Tool catalogs. The first thing to do would be to do a quick sweep of it all and throw away the junk he didn’t need.

  That took over two hours, because there were a lot of tool catalogs he’d forgotten about, and now he had a list of items he wanted to order for some projects he wanted to do in the spring.

  “Still progress,” he told himself as he began—in earnest again—to weed through the junk mail and minimize the piles.

  By the time lunchtime rolled around, Ben was beginning to wonder if maybe he should have offered to go to LA and work with Savannah there. It probably would have been a whole lot less stressful and aggravating than this nightmare. But on the upside, the living area looked good. Small piles of magazines and catalogs were fanned out on the coffee table, and he could totally live with that. He dusted off the newly uncovered surfaces and then ran the vacuum and felt a sense of accomplishment.

  Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  * * *

  Six hours later, the steaks were ready to go on the grill.

  The salad just needed to be dressed.

  The potatoes au gratin were in the oven.

  And there was a platter of assorted cheeses and crackers on the counter along with a bottle of wine and glasses. He might not entertain much, but he hadn’t forgotten how to be a good host.

  Off in the distance, he heard a car door close and smiled. It seemed weird that he was actually looking forward to this night. It was possible that Darcy would want to wait until morning to get started, but hopefully—with a few strategically placed hints—she’d see there was no time like the present. After all, the sooner they got started, the sooner they’d be done. And if she felt half as awkward about this unconventional situation as he did, she’d see his thinking was right.

  He opened the front door and was heading down the steps just as she was pulling her purse from the backseat. He was about to call out a greeting, but words simply escaped him.

  Dark chestnut hair that seemed to caress her shoulders. Fair, flawless skin that had a hint of rose from the cold. And wide green eyes that seemed to sparkle as she looked over at him with a smile. Ben noticed how she moved with grace and ease and confidence. Medium build, with trim legs encased in well-worn denim and… He had a feeling he was staring and forced himself to stop.

  Stepping forward, he closed the distance between them and held out his hand. “Darcy? Hi, I’m Ben.”

  Darcy smiled brightly at him as she shook his hand. “Hi! It’s a pleasure to meet you. Savannah’s told me a lot about you.”

  Ben forced himself to keep his eyes on hers and not to look as shaken as he felt. She had a firm handshake—one that in a professional meeting he’d appreciate—but right now, he found it hard to ignore how small her hand felt in his or how soft her skin was. He noticed the odd expression on her face and realized he hadn’t responded to her.

  Part of him wanted to ask if it was good or bad stuff she’d heard, but he figured it would sound too corny. “Likewise,” he said instead. “How was the trip?”

  “My flight was great, but I had a little trouble getting here from the airport,” she said, but it didn’t come off like a complaint. “You’re certainly not close to any major cities. I was beginning to think I’d never get here.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry. I guess I should have warned you.”

  She laughed with him. “Savannah mentioned it, but I thought she was exaggerating.” She paused. “The scenery was amazing. Seriously, with the little bit of snow on the trees, it felt like I was driving into a Christmas card scene or something.”

  They stood there for a moment, and Ben realized he still had her hand in his. It would seem weird just to drop it, so he kind of casually slid his palm against hers until he could simply put his own hand in his pocket.

  “Thank you so much for doing this,” he said as they pulled apart. “I don’t know how much you know about this project. Savannah said you were there visiting and on vacation, so…”

  “Well, you caught me at a good time. I think I would have gone broke if I’d stayed much longer.”

  “Broke?”

  “Savannah and I did a lot of shopping,” she said. “With Halloween coming up, I bought Aislynn a couple of costumes.”

  “Does she need more than one? She’s a baby, right?” he asked with mild amusement.

  Darcy nodded. “She is, but all the more reason for her to need multiple. Babies are messy.”

  “Makes sense.”

  “Then I started Christmas shopping—”

  “It’s October,” he stated, figuring she might need the reminder.

  “I know, but the stores already had Christmas stuff out—I swear it gets earlier and earlier every year—and that got me all excited because it’s Aislynn’s first Christmas.”

  “Do babies know it’s Christmas?”

  She giggled, and just the sound of it made him smile.

  “She may not, but I bought her the cutest little elf costume.” Then she stopped and blushed. “Sorry. Here we are standing out in the cold, and I’m yammering on about my niece.”

  “It’s quite all right,” he said, enjoying the color in her cheeks. “But now I kind of feel worse about taking you away from all of that. It sounds like you were having a great time.”

  “It was a lot of fun, but this work you need help with intrigued me. I’ll admit it seemed like an odd request when Riley told me.”

  “Riley?”

  Darcy nodded. “He was the one who initially told me.” Ben was about to ask why, but she was one step ahead of him. “I had been teasing him earlier in the day, and I guess he thought it would be funny to throw me out.”

  Ben’s eyes went wide. “Throw you out? That seems a little harsh.”

  She shook her head and laughed. “Trust me, that’s not it at all. Like I said, this sort of hit at a good time. I’ve been job hunting for what seems like forever. I’d love to work at an art gallery or an art magazine, but those jobs are few and far between. My job back home is only a temporary one, so I’m kind of looking at other options. So really,
I should be thanking you,” Darcy said with a smile.

  “What can I help you with?” Ben asked, looking over at the car. “Can I carry anything?”

  She shook her head. “Savannah mentioned that you offered to let me stay here, but…” She shrugged. “It’s nothing personal, but I’m more comfortable staying at a hotel.”

  “I understand,” he said and took another step back, because he felt himself wanting to move in closer just to be near her. He knew he was going to have to be careful if he was already feeling this drawn to her.

  “I promise it won’t interfere with our work time. I’m not a super early riser, but if that’s what you need from me, then that’s what I’ll be,” she said with a wink.

  “No worries. I’m sure we can come up with a schedule that works for both of us.” He motioned for Darcy to precede him up the front steps. All twelve of them. Which was a mistake. With nothing to do but admire the soft sway of her hips as she moved and how snug the denim was across her—

  “Great cabin!” Darcy said, interrupting his thoughts.

  Ben had done a lot of renovations and updates on his home, and he found himself curious about what Darcy saw when she walked inside. He’d done his best to keep the original feel of the cabin, but he’d wanted more rustic elegance than just rustic. So he’d added more windows along the rear of the house for a better view of the lake and for the natural lighting. Vaulted ceilings and exposed beams along with a stone fireplace made the living room one of his favorite rooms in the house.

  Unable to help himself, he mentioned some of the newer aspects of the house as they made their way inside. He talked about the improvements and what he still had planned for future projects. She smiled and nodded until they walked into the kitchen.

  His domain.

  This was the room that stepped away from the original rustic charm his grandparents had aimed for. Gone were the simple-yet-functional cabinets and butcher block counters, and in their place, Ben had installed restaurant-quality stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, an additional vegetable sink in the large island, a gas stove, and ebony wood cabinets with undermount lighting.

  To him, it was a spectacular space.

  “This kitchen is a dream,” Darcy said softly as she turned and smiled at him. “I don’t cook a lot, but I bake, and the sheer size of these countertops has me feeling a bit envious. I’m imagining how many dozens of cookies I could cool on these surfaces!”

  He couldn’t help but smile at the look on her face—he could almost see the wheels in her head spinning as she tried to figure out how she’d utilize the space.

  “I’m not much of a baker, unless you count boxed mixes. And even that’s only when I absolutely have to have something sweet to eat and I don’t want to drive the forty minutes into town.” They both laughed softly at that. “So what’s your specialty?”

  “I am a whiz at cookies and gourmet brownies, but other than that, it depends on my mood.”

  “I get it. That’s how I am with cooking. I love to do it, but it’s certainly more fun when I’m making something I really want.”

  And for a brief moment, all he could think of was how he wanted her.

  Clearing his throat, he offered her something to drink and then decided to get their dinner started.

  “You have quite the view,” Darcy commented as Ben started gathering the steaks and grilling utensils. “I bet when the snow really comes down, it’s mesmerizing.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “Probably have a white Christmas every year too, huh?”

  He chuckled. “I’m noticing a trend here—you sort of have Christmas on the brain.”

  “I know. We live in a coastal town and don’t get a lot of snow. Most of the time, I only see it in Christmas movies or cards or that sort of thing. But when I look around here, that’s what it reminds me of.” She paused and reached for a cracker. “And I love Christmas. Like, seriously love it. And this view and all the shopping I just did…it has me in that frame of mind. Plus, I bought a ton of holiday romances. So yeah, just in case I didn’t say it enough, I totally love Christmas. Don’t you? It’s my favorite holiday.”

  She was so passionate about what she was saying, and her smile was beautiful and beguiling, but… He sighed. He wasn’t going to start out their working relationship by lying to her. Not knowing what to say to that, he simply nodded and walked out onto the deck, sliding the door closed behind him.

  His parents had died two weeks before Christmas.

  Even thinking of it now caused his heart to squeeze painfully in his chest.

  Still.

  They had been away on a vacation—just the two of them—when it had happened. It was something they had started doing once he and his brothers had gotten old enough to stay home alone. Ben had never begrudged them their time together. They’d worked hard for so many years to provide a good life for their kids, and he felt they deserved the time away.

  On that particular trip, they had gone to Mexico. Ben remembered how excited his mother was to be going somewhere tropical. After living in the cold Northwest her whole life, going someplace warm and sunny for vacation was her idea of heaven.

  As if it were yesterday, he could remember what he’d been doing when the phone rang that day. He’d been helping Henry cook dinner because Jack wouldn’t. They had been arguing about it. The phone had shut everyone up for a second, and Ben had grabbed for it distractedly.

  As he listened to the voice on the other end telling him about the boating accident, he thought he was going to be sick. His head had begun to pound, and his stomach lurched.

  There was an accident…

  Drowned…

  We’ve recovered the bodies…

  He had wanted to scream for the man to stop. To shut the hell up and stop lying to him. His parents weren’t dead. They were on vacation. They were coming home for Christmas. The tree was up, and presents were already wrapped and waiting under it.

  But they didn’t come home. Not alive. And Ben’s world had never been the same.

  And since then, he had stopped celebrating the holiday.

  It was too painful—brought back too many bad memories.

  And Darcy loved Christmas.

  When she had admitted that to him, he had gone a little bit cold.

  It didn’t take long to get the steaks on the grill, and rather than go back inside, Ben took the time to get himself—his emotions—under control. Turned out, freezing cold temperatures worked well on that sort of thing, and by the time he stepped back inside and joined her at the table, he felt more like himself. Maybe now would be a good time to start to get to know each other—break the ice, so to speak. They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Darcy spoke.

  “So tell me about this book,” she said enthusiastically. “Savannah told me about your work, but I guess I’m having a hard time envisioning why you would need a writer to describe your own work.”

  Okay, not so much with the breaking of the ice, he thought. And while he had been hoping to learn a little bit more about her, he knew he needed to focus on the book.

  For the next few minutes, Ben went over the concept and explained the pictures, files, and paperwork he had. “I’ve got all the proofs back, and honestly, I hate it. All of it. Nothing’s right with the wording, and I’m just too busy to deal with it.”

  “I’d love to look at it, if that’s okay,” Darcy said. “I mean, I know you’re cooking and everything, but I’m really curious.”

  With a nod, Ben stood and went to get the pile of stuff he’d put to the side in preparation. It didn’t take long to put it all out on the kitchen island, and Darcy stood and began sorting through it. When he watched her, she gently shooed him away. He took the hint and began to work around her to get dinner on the table.

  Their conversation flowed, and even as he served the food, he watched as D
arcy moved around to help him while still eyeing the assortment of photographs and notes.

  “Do you have anything in mind for the intro?” Darcy asked, interrupting his thoughts, and he instantly gave her his full attention.

  “The intro?”

  She nodded. “I made sure I got as much info as I could out of Savannah before I left, and from everything she said and what you just told me, what you need help with is the writing portion of the book—the acknowledgments, intro, describing your work with stories about your inspiration or funny anecdotes. Now I’ll admit, I’m not a journalist—”

  “That was why I reached out to Savannah,” he said with a hint of exasperation. “She’s excellent at what she does, and since we had worked together in the past, I knew she’d be able to help me with this better than anyone else.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ben wanted to take them back.

  She looked deflated.

  With little more than the slightest of nods, Darcy put her attention on her plate, and that made him feel even worse. How could he have messed up this soon? And it wasn’t as if he was saying that Darcy couldn’t help him, it was just… Okay, that was kind of how it came out. All he had to do was take his foot out of his mouth and try again.

  “I know you haven’t had a chance to look at everything yet, but after your first glance, what do you think?” he asked, hopeful it would be enough to turn this whole thing around.

  Darcy finished chewing, took a sip of her wine, and looked him square in the eye. “As I was saying, I’m not a journalist, but I do feel confident that I can help you. Previously, I interned for ArtView magazine, and I worked as a receptionist at a small gallery in Myrtle Beach. In college, I used to work with the art department, helping them hang and display work for their shows, and I worked in the Contemporary Art Museum office.” She paused and took a steadying breath. “So as you can see, I’m familiar with the arts, and it’s something that I’m passionate about. If it’s all right with you, rather than work with what they wrote for you, I’d like to start from scratch. And really, the key is to get you organized.”