Blue Christmas (The Moody Blue Trilogy | Book One) (10 page)

“Gevin and Marissa have always been close. The two of them, I don’t know—it’s
like they rule the roost. Y’know what I mean? They hang out and all that. But
something’s going on. I can tell by the way he’s grinning. Like the cat that
ate the canary.”

“Aren’t you and Gevin really close? Wouldn’t he tell you if something was
up?”

He hummed a few bars of something she didn’t recognize, but the look in
his eyes revealed a mind turning over every stone. “Maybe that’s why they’re
here together. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

When the rest of the McKenzie/Michaels battalion said good-night and made
their way into the driving snowstorm outside, Jason huddled next to Hannah, both
shivering in the driveway as the last carload inched slowly out of the drive.

Gevin walked up behind them holding a plastic cup of Coke. “Geez, I
thought they’d never leave.”

Whomp!
A snowball socked Gevin dead center in his chest. His cup
flew into the air, Coke cascading through the flake-filled sky before drawing a
brown dotted line across the snow-covered ground. In a fancy display of
footwork, he fought to keep his balance, but lost. “Hey!” he protested, flat on
his back.

Jason slipped into the shadows as Hannah leaned over to help Gevin to his
feet.

“What’s with you McKenzies falling flat on your butts all the time?”

Jason heard Hannah’s taunt and the sound of their laughter, then watched
as Marissa shuffled along the ice, joining them from the dark bushes on the
other side of the sidewalk.

“Girl, you see what I got to work with?” She winked mischievously at
Hannah. “These boys can’t stand on their own two feet for nothin’!”

“Did
you
throw that? Rissa, you hit me! You knocked me down!”

Whomp!
Jason ducked back behind the trees after lobbing a huge
snowball that plastered the back of Hannah’s shoulder. He watched her from his
hideout.

“Ouch!” she yelled, turning to see where it came from. “Jason! I know you
threw that! Come out here and fight like a man!”

He watched her lock eyes with Marissa.
Uh oh.
In a single fluid
motion they charged for a bank of snow and the war began.

Their screams and laughter pierced the cold night air as the snow fell
harder. Snowflakes stuck to their eyelashes and covered their hair. Marissa’s tight
curls looked like so many iced Tootsie-Rolls. Hannah’s face glowed pink from
the cold, her ears almost red. Gevin’s beard looked like a frosted chocolate
donut, his red nose easily rivaling Rudolph’s famed snout.

The four of them poised in a face-off, each daring the other to throw one
more snowball. Jason couldn’t feel his fingers anymore, but he wasn’t about to
give in. He dug his hands back in the snow for one more missile, but they
refused to cooperate. He rubbed them against his legs to get the blood
circulating again.

Marissa stood up straight across the driveway, waving her hands in the
air. “Truce! We’re FREEZING! We gotta go back inside!”

Later, wrapped in quilts and sitting by the fireplace in the loft, they
sipped hot cocoa and tried to stop shaking. They relived their battle, boasting
and posturing about the promised rematch. Eventually, the conversation slowed.

Jason felt sleepy. The sound of the hissing fire lulled him into a relaxed
trance. He looked up just as Gevin set his empty mug on the coffee table then
moved to sit beside Marissa on the hearth. He watched his cousin cover her with
his quilt and snuggle close to her. Gevin kissed her on the cheek and held her
against him as they rocked to the music of Kenny G.

Jason watched them. An uneasy wave washed over him. Just like before.

He sat in the exact spot on the sofa where he and Hannah had fallen
asleep the night before. She sat in the easy chair adjacent to him now. He
caught her eye, patting the seat beside him on the sofa. She wrapped the quilt
around her and joined him. He draped his arm around her shoulders, amazed how
comfortable and relaxed he felt with her.

Was it only last night she walked into my life?

“Well, now, are we all comfy and cozy?” he teased.

Gevin and Marissa looked at each other then back at them. They nodded in
unison.

He couldn’t stand the suspense. “All right, you two. That’s it. Out with
it. What’s going on?”

Marissa dropped her head, quietly laughing. “You tell him,” she called
up.

His heart pounded in his chest. “Tell me what?”

“Cuz, it looks like you need to get your tux to the cleaner’s. Seems I’m
in need of a best man.”

Jason eyed his cousin then exploded in a wild outburst. “Get outta here!
You guys are getting
married?
” His shout echoed against the beamed
ceiling as he jumped to his feet.

Gevin wrapped both arms around Marissa. “We most definitely are.” He
planted a passionate kiss on her lips then stood into Jason’s bear hug.

“I can’t believe it!” Jason drew Marissa into the hug.

“I was
dying
to tell you earlier.” Her eyes glistened with tears
of joy, her voice husky with emotion.

Jason pulled back to look at her. “Rissa, this is fantastic! I’ve always
thought you guys were perfect for each other!” He scooped her up in his arms,
lifting her off the ground. “When did this happen? When did you—”

“It’s been going on for a while,” Gevin said with a shrug. “We just
didn’t want anyone to know until we were really sure ourselves. I proposed last
night. You guys are the first to know.” He paused for a split second, looking
across the room. “And Hannah, I—”

“You don’t even have to say it.” She moved closer toward them. “This is
confidential and I totally understand that. I won’t say a word to anyone. I
promise.” Hannah could see the visible relief on their faces. She joined their
communal hug. “Congratulations— to both of you!”

They settled back and talked incessantly. Jason pelted them with questions.
When did they first know it was more than friendship? How did they hide it so
well? Had they set a date? “So when are you gonna tell the rest of the guys?”

“Well, I was just getting to that.” Gevin laughed. “We’re hoping to tell
them privately before the New Year’s party.”

“Good idea. That’ll be a perfect time to make an announcement. Well, I
mean, a private announcement. When do you plan to go public with this?”

The smile slowly waned from Marissa’s face. This time it was Gevin who averted
his eyes and looked down. “Well, that’s just it, Jason. There’s a little more
to it than what we’ve told you so far.”

Jason straightened his shoulders. “Okay. So what is it?”

Gevin glanced at his fiancée. She gave him a look of reassurance. “Go
on,” she whispered.

He looked across the room at his cousin. “The thing is—Jason, it’s time.”

The words hung in the air. Jason stared at Gevin. He felt a tremor grip
him.
Surely he doesn’t mean what I think he means?

His gaze locked on Gevin’s—the knowing look in his cousin’s eyes he
didn’t want to see. Jason’s mind refused to accept it. He shook his head, the
slight movement screaming what he could not.
No! Not yet—not yet.

He forced his thoughts on a desperate detour. A myriad of memories and
concerts and appearances flashed through his mind all at once—those that had
gone before and those that would never be.

This can’t be happening.

He tried to tune them out, tearing his eyes away from Gevin and looking
into the fire. He couldn’t even breathe.

He felt someone take hold of his hand and gently squeeze it, an arm
tucking beneath his.
Hannah.
He released a sigh, thankful for the air in
his lungs. Thankful she was there for him. He lowered his eyes but couldn’t bring
himself to look at her. He patted his other hand over hers.

Seconds passed. The silence made him nauseated.

“Hannah, how about you and I go find some of that pecan pie Laura made?”

Marissa’s hushed voice startled him. He felt Hannah squeeze his hand then
pull away as she stood up. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched them slip
out of the room and quietly down the stairs.

Chapter 7

M
arissa touched her elbow. “I’m
sorry, I just felt like they needed some privacy,” she whispered.

Hannah didn’t know what to say so nodded her reply.

At the bottom of the stairs, Marissa turned to face her. “And I hope you
don’t mind if I don’t talk about it right now. This has been like an albatross
around our necks, and I’d just rather not get into it. No offense, Hannah.”

“None taken. But I’m just sorry it’s been a problem when it should be the
happiest time of your life.”

“Yeah, that part pretty much sucks.”

They entered the expansive kitchen. “Let me get us a couple pieces of
that pie,” Hannah said, grateful for the distraction.

“Sounds good. I noticed a cappuccino maker over there on the counter. I’m
a pro with these things. You want some?”

“Sounds great.” Hannah opened cabinets until she found the dessert plates
then searched for a knife. She cut two small slices of the rich pecan pie then found
a chilled bowl of whipped cream in the refrigerator. She dressed each slice
with a dollop and set a fork on each plate.

Slowly, little by little, sitting on barstools at the granite kitchen
counter, Marissa and Hannah got to know each other. Marissa’s depth of
character amazed Hannah. She found her laid back, easy to talk to, and
extremely intelligent. Bright and lovely and deeply in love with Gevin
Michaels. At the mere mention of his name, her eyes sparkled and conveyed more
than her words ever could.

Anxious to change subjects, she pounded Hannah with questions. She seemed
especially interested in Hannah’s career plans and her writing. “I’ve got so
many people I want to introduce you to. You like to do interviews? Write about
people?”

“That’s what I love more than anything, Marissa—”

“Please call me Rissa. All the guys do.”

“Okay, ‘Rissa.’ She acknowledged the term of endearment with a smile.

“JT nicknames everyone he meets. First day I met him, he cut to the chase
and I’ve been Rissa ever since.” She wiped a streak of whipped cream from her
lip. “But go ahead. What were you saying?”

Hannah sipped the cappuccino, wrapping her hands around the fat mug. “One
of my greatest passions is probing people to find out all about them. What
makes them tick, what their dreams are, that sort of thing, then put it on
paper and communicate it in a way no one else has ever done.
Love
that.”

Marissa took another
bite of pie then jumped from her stool, dancing with head and arms in motion. “Hannah,
fasten your seatbelt, girlfriend. Just say the word, and we’ll introduce you to
so many people, honey, your head will spin right off.” They laughed, Marissa continuing
to rock to some rhythm in her head. “But first I’ve got to ask you something.”

“Ask me what?” Hannah asked, flaking the crust of her pie with her fork.

“You and Jason.” She took her seat again, reaching for her cappuccino. “The
thing is, the last time I saw him, there was no one special in his life. Hasn’t
been for quite a while now.” Her eyes narrowed as she seemed to wait for
answers. “He was dating a little, mostly publicity appearances, but nothing serious.”

She set the mug down and faced Hannah with a curious bright smile. “Then,
we come here and find this
sweet
angel of a girl who has quite clearly
stolen the heart of our Jason . . . and
then
some. And
the whole family already loves this angel. And I’ve just got to wonder, what
did we miss? When did this happen!? Because I’ve gotta tell you, Hannah, these
guys are my life. I love ’em all like they were my own brothers—well, okay, that’s
not
exactly
how I feel about Gevin now.” She chuckled quietly and
continued. “So, when all of a sudden, I see something going on with my man Jason,
I wonder. Where did this come from? And who
is
this girl who’s lighting
up his eyes again?”

Marissa tented her fingers, resting her chin on them. “Hmm? C’mon, now
Hannah. Spill the beans to Auntie Rissa.”

Hannah traced the rim of her mug. “Oh, ‘Auntie Rissa’ is it?” She smiled
back at the inquisitive face focused on her. “Geez, I don’t even know what to tell
you. This whole thing happened
so
fast. One minute I’m working at my
store, the next thing I know, this kind, wonderful lady invites me to dinner—though
I had no idea who she was, whose mother she was—then I’m sharing an intimate
holiday evening with them when suddenly
my teen idol
appears, for crying
out loud!” She covered her face with her hands, then raked her fingers through
her hair. “I mean, how crazy is that? I still can’t believe any of it. I keep
waiting to wake up. Because it’s got to be a dream. Has to be.”