A Corisi Christmas

  Due to the topic Nicole wanted to discuss, Abby had offered to send Judy off for a play date with her cousins, but Nicole had refused to hear it. When Judy had heard Nicole and Stephan were coming for dinner, she’d begun rushing around in excitement. If there was one thing Judy loved, it was playing hostess. She’d finished her homework early, changed into a pretty dress, and was currently helping set the table. The house staff had been with them long enough to know Abby tried to run their home as close to normal as possible, despite their level of wealth. Judy had been born into a very privileged lifestyle, but she still had chores. It was important to Abby that she appreciated what she had and how hard everyone worked to make it possible.

  “Mom, Miss Jan said we’re not having dessert because it’s a school night.”

  “That’s right, Judy.”

  “But we’re having company, and they’ll want dessert. Isn’t it cruel if we deny them what would make them happy?”

  Oh boy. Such logic might work on her father, but Abby was a harder sell. “It’s Nicole and Stephan: family, not company. They’ll be fine.”

  Judy put her hands on her hips. “They won’t be happy.”

  Abby stopped and looked at her daughter. “Really? Why do you say that?”

  Judy implored her with pleading eyes. “How could they be when I’ll be sad?”

  Abby ruffled her daughter’s hair. “You won’t be sad. You’ll be on your best behavior. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, Mom.” Judy went back to setting the table. “I bet Auntie Lil lets her kids have dessert every night.”

  “I bet she doesn’t.”

  “There is a boy at school who only eats dessert. That’s it. Just cake, ice cream, candy. Whatever he wants. His parents don’t care.”

  “Really?”

  Judy’s voice rose as she warmed to her tale. “Yes, in fact his doctor told him there are vitamins in ice cream so he has to eat as much of it as he can. Every day.”

  Abby hid her smile. “Is that true?”

  Judy glanced at her mother then away. “It could be true.”

  Abby sighed. “How about this? What if we ask Miss Jan if she’ll whip up a healthy dessert? Some frozen yogurt with berries? How does that sound?”

  Judy ran over and hugged Abby’s waist. “You are the best mom in the whole world.”

  Abby hugged her daughter. She knew from raising her sister, Lil, not every battle was worth fighting. A person could win every argument and still lose in the end. “If we ask Miss Jan really nicely I bet she’ll let you help.”

  Judy spun with joy at the idea. “I want to be a chef like Uncle Richard. He says bad words when he cooks, and no one tells him not to. When I’m a chef I’m going to say bad words all the time, and people won’t care because they’ll want my food.”

  Not sure she wanted to hear the answer, Abby guided her daughter toward the kitchen and asked, “Do I want to know what words you’re learning from Uncle Richard?”

  Judy covered her mouth and giggled. “He says stupid. He says it in French, but I can understand him. He says stuuuuuupeeeed. See? I speak French.”

  Abby laughed out loud. “Some words are universal.”

  “What does universal mean?” Judy asked, but didn’t wait for her mother’s answer because they had reached the kitchen. “Miss Jan, Mom says we can make dessert, and I can help if you’ll let me. Please. Please. Please let me.”

  The cook smiled and gave the stool beside her a pat. Abby had been thrilled when the woman had applied for the job. She had owned her own restaurant but left it after her husband passed. She’d said she was looking for a quieter life and that’s the type of home Abby had cultivated. Miss Jan was the perfect addition. She could pull off a last-minute dinner party or serve up cereal with a smile. She also adored Judy. That alone cemented her place in the house. “My little chef, what do you want to make?”

  Judy sat straight up on the stool. “She called me a chef! That means I can say—” She stopped abruptly and looked around. “Mom, do you think Santa Claus is watching right now, or do you think he’s busy wrapping presents?”

  With a straight face, Abby answered, “Oh, he’s watching.”

  Judy glanced around the room. “Does he speak French?”

  Abby gave her daughter a kiss on the head. “Behave for Miss Jan. Nicole and Stephan will be here any minute. Do you mind if I run up to change?”

  Miss Jan shook her head and waved her away. “We’re all set. You go, Mrs. Corisi.”

  A few moments later Abby was reaching behind to zip the back of the simple dress she’d chosen when two strong hands finished the job. She smiled when that action was followed by a kiss to her neck.

  “What time did you say Nicole and Stephan were coming over?”

  Abby turned and wrapped her arms around Dominic’s neck. “They’ll be here any minute.”

  He kissed her warmly and smiled against her lips. “Damn.”

  Abby tipped her head back while moving her hips against his growing excitement. “You’ll live.”

  He growled and kissed the side of her neck again up to her ear. “You never used to care if we were late to dinner.”

  Abby laughed. “That was before we had a child who is not afraid to come looking for us.” She pushed his roving hands away. “Now stop before I forget why this is a bad idea.”

  He raised his head and gave her a light tap on her tush. “Not a bad idea, just a poorly timed one. We’ll continue this later.”

  Abby gave herself a final check in the mirror, stepped into her shoes, then took a moment to appreciate the handsome profile of her husband. “Did you have a good day?”

  He smiled. “Every day that ends by coming home to you is a good one.”

  Abby bit her bottom lip. Dominic wasn’t a man who said anything he didn’t mean so when he said things like that Abby’s heart still did somersault. Tonight, she told herself. We can wait until tonight.

  She gave herself an inner shake. She hadn’t said anything to Dominic about why Nicole was coming over because she hadn’t felt it was her place, but she was beginning to wonder if she should lay a foundation for the conversation that was about to happen.

  They walked out of the bedroom and down the hallway. “Dom, I’ve been thinking . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “You know how we get together every year with Lil and Jake and have a small celebration?” Dominic stopped and looked down at his wife without saying anything, so she continued. “Have you ever thought of doing that with Nicole and Stephan?”

  “No.”

  The firmness of his answer took Abby by surprise. “It might be nice. I know we see your sister at the Andrades’ for the holidays, but we could exchange presents in a smaller setting, too.”

  “No.”

  Abby stepped in front of her husband and searched his face. His expression was carefully blank. “Why not?”

  The cool look he gave her would have intimidated most people, but Abby was secure in his love. She knew her question had made him uncomfortable. His normal response to feelings he didn’t want to deal with was to slam a door between himself and them. The look he was giving her was nothing more than evidence that he was doing exactly that. “Drop it, Abby. I’m in a good mood. Let’s just enjoy dinner.”

  Abby put a hand on his chest and felt his heart beating wildly there. “You’re shutting me out. You promised you wouldn’t do that. I love you, Dom. All of you. The best of you, and your dark secrets. You don’t have to hide anything from me. Why don’t you want to celebrate alone with your sister and Stephan? Talk to me, Dom.”

  A muscle in his jaw pulsed. “Am I a good husband to you?”

  His question floored her. “Of course.”

  “And a good father to Judy?”

  Abby searched his face for a hint that he was anything but serious. “Absolutely.”

  “Then respect my wishes on this. There is a rage within me, Abby, that I keep contained so well I almost forget it’s there. When we?
??re alone, my sister digs at old wounds until I can feel the rage bubbling within me. Christmas alone with her would be hell for me. I don’t want that anger in our marriage. I don’t want it around Judy.”

  Abby stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her husband’s tense body. “I understand, Dom, and it’s okay.”

  He hugged her to him and expelled a long breath. “I love my sister.”

  “I know you do.” Abby rested her cheek on his chest.

  Suddenly dinner felt more like an ambush than the gentle prodding Abby had imagined it would be. The doorbell downstairs rang and Judy’s voice called out, “They’re here. Mom. Dad. Auntie Nicole and Uncle Stephan are here.”

  Abby held her husband tight for a moment longer and sent out a request. Okay, Santa Claus, forget about the calorie-free eggnog I asked you to invent. That was a joke. This is serious. This year, could you bring some healing to the man I love? There has to be something that could help him let go of the past. He’s a good man. His anger doesn’t rule him anymore. He just needs to see that.

  Dominic met his sister’s eyes across the dinner table and felt a twinge of remorse about what he’d said to Abby earlier. Nicole had always been, and would likely always be, a fragile soul. She would never deliberately hurt anyone or knowingly cause trouble. Their problem lay in the difference in how they dealt with their demons.

  As if she could read his mind, Abby took his hand in hers and gave him a supportive smile. Hers was a gentle strength that never ceased to amaze him. She stood her ground when it was important and fought for not only herself but also everyone she loved. He was a better man because she was at his side. He would do anything for her, anything within his power anyway.

  Only someone who had been held down and beaten, lived in helpless fear watching others receive the same, and vowed to never feel that way again would understand why Dominic refused to revisit that time in his life. He’d protected Nicole when he could, but he hadn’t been able to protect their mother. And after their mother had left, he’d failed Nicole by leaving her with a man who had nothing but hate in his heart.

  What was there to look back for? He couldn’t change any of it. Remembering any part of that time only served to remind him that he’d been no better than his father. In the end, he had failed his family just as miserably.

  Abby gave his hand a squeeze. “Judy, why don’t you tell Auntie Nicole what you want for Christmas?”

  Nicole smiled at her young niece in encouragement. “Can I guess?”

  Judy clapped her hands together. “Yes. Guess. Guess.”

  Nicole tapped one of her manicured nails on her chin. “Is it alive?”

  Judy shook her head, a move that sent her curls swaying wildly back and forth. “No. Guess again.”

  “Is it smaller than this table?”

  Judy nodded. “Way smaller.”

  “A doll?”

  “Nope.”

  “A teddy bear?”

  “Not even close.”

  Nicole looked to her husband for help. “What do you think, Stephan? What would Judy not have a million of already?”

  Stephan sat back, folded his arms across his chest. “Her own airplane?”

  Judy pushed out her bottom lip. “Dad said I’m too young for that. I have to wait until I’m sixteen.” She stressed the last word as if it were an eternity away.

  Abby shook her head and laughed. “You’re not getting your own plane. Not now. Not when you’re sixteen.”

  Judy looked to her father. “But Dad said . . .”

  Dominic shrugged and conceded the point to his wife. “If your mother says no, it’s no.”

  Judy made a face. “I guess I can share yours.”

  Abby rolled her eyes. “The horror.”

  Stephan laughed. “She’s going to be a handful as she gets older.”

  Nicole leaned toward Judy and whispered, “Ask Stephan what his cousin Maddy got when she was sixteen.”

  Judy bounced in her seat. “Was it a plane? Did Auntie Maddy get her own plane?”

  Abby waved a hand in the air. “Don’t say it, Stephan, unless you want to wear the next course.”

  Stephan made a motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

  Judy shrugged. “I’ll ask Auntie Maddy. She’s not a good secret keeper.”

  The fact that Judy already knew that about Maddy had everyone laughing. Even Dominic found himself smiling at the idea that Judy already had Maddy’s number.

  In the quiet that followed the laughter, Nicole put her hand on her husband’s and said, “Stephan and I have news we want to share. We’re having a baby.”

  Judy’s eyes rounded. “Right now? Tonight?”

  Nicole put a hand on Judy’s shoulder. “No, honey, in about six months.”

  Dominic looked from Nicole’s face to her husband’s and back then nodded in approval. Stephan had proven himself so far as being good to Nicole and looked excited about the news. “Congratulations.” He walked over to hug his sister then shook Stephan’s hand. “I’m really happy for you both.”

  Abby hugged both Nicole and Stephan. “I’m so excited for you.”

  Judy crawled onto Nicole’s lap. “Where is it?”

  “The baby?” Nicole asked.

  “Yes.”

  Nicole rested a hand on her stomach. “It’s in here.”

  “Why don’t you have a big belly?” Judy asked.

  “I will,” Nicole said with a laugh. “It’s early yet. The baby has to grow.”

  Judy put her hand on Nicole’s stomach. “There’s a baby in there? Right now? How does it get in there?”

  Dominic held back a laugh and Stephan coughed.

  Abby said, “We’ll talk about all that later, Judy. Just say congratulations for now.”

  Judy snuggled against Nicole. “Congratulations. You’re going to be a mom. I hope you get someone like me. I make my parents happy.”

  “Yes, you do,” Dominic said and earned a huge smile from his wife.

  Nicole hugged her closer and over her head said, “When I found out I was pregnant, I started thinking about Christmas—”

  Abby knocked a glass of water over. “Oh, my God, look at that, I’m so clumsy sometimes.”

  Everyone handed her their napkins and Dominic called for the housekeeper who came quickly and cleaned up the mess. When everything was settled again, Nicole said, “As I was saying, I’ve been thinking that this year—”

  Abby stood. “Nicole. Can I talk to you in the kitchen for a moment?”

  Stephan turned his wife’s hand over in his and gave her a long look. “I have an idea. The holidays are crazy around here. What do you think if this year we do something small, just the four of us?” He winked at Judy. “Five of us. We could fly over to Isola Santos the week before Christmas and celebrate there before we come back and celebrate here. We never do anything with just us. It might be nice.”

  Nicole gave her husband a teary smile. “Would you really be okay with that? I’ve been trying to find a way to ask you if we could do that, but I was afraid you’d think I didn’t enjoy Christmas with your family. I do. I just want one Christmas with mine.”

  “No,” Dominic said. He met Abby’s guilty gaze and realized she’d known what Nicole wanted to ask. Their conversation from earlier suddenly made sense. Anger began to spread inside him, but he clenched his teeth and kept his thoughts to himself.

  Nicole gasped at the abruptness of his tone, and Stephan put his arm protectively around her.

  Abby walked over to where Judy was still sitting on Nicole. “Judy, why don’t we go see if Miss Jan has the dessert ready?”

  Judy looked around at the suddenly tense-looking adults and said, “Mommy, what happened?”

  “Nothing, Baby. Let’s go.”

  “But—”

  Abby gave her daughter a look that ended whatever Judy had been about to ask. Abby paused in front of Dominic. “I’ll be one minute.”

  As soon as she’d cleared the
kitchen door, Stephan stood and said, “What the hell is your problem tonight, Dominic?”

  Nicole put a hand on his arm. Her eyes were shining with tears. “Don’t, Stephan. I knew he wouldn’t want to. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  Normally Dominic would have said something cutting back to Stephan, but he was protecting Nicole and Dominic couldn’t hate him for that. The last thing Dominic wanted to do was hurt his sister, but the scene unraveling over dinner was exactly why a Corisi Christmas shouldn’t happen.

  Stephan approached Dominic, his voice rising with anger as he did. He stopped within inches of Dominic. “Pick a side, Dominic. Either you’re a loving brother or an asshole who I won’t let anywhere near my wife.”

  This is the man my sister loves. He’s the father of the child within her. “Don’t come between my family and me, Stephan. It’s a dangerous place.”

  Stephan didn’t back down. He snarled, “I’d take your own advice, Dominic. Nicole and our baby, that’s my family. You hurt them, and you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting you did.”

  Abby returned and stepped between them, putting a hand up. “No one is hurting anyone. Both of you take a deep breath.”

  Neither man did. They both remained postured for what was moving toward a physical altercation. Between gritted teeth, Dominic said, “I would never do anything to hurt my sister.”

  Stephan fired back, “What do you think you just did?”

  “Please stop,” Nicole said, looking back and forth between them with tears running down her face.

  Abby took the two men each by one arm and turned them toward Nicole. “Do either of you think you’re helping Nicole feel better, or are you both so wrapped up in yourself that you can’t see you’re upsetting her?”

  Dominic saw real distress in his sister’s face and was overcome with anger at himself. He hated that he couldn’t be the brother she needed, not when they were younger and not now. Stephan had every right to call him every name in the book. This was what he’d wanted to avoid. He met Abby’s eyes briefly then strode out of the room.

  Chapter Four

  Nicole was shaking. Stephan was talking to her, but he sounded far away. In her mind she was reliving what Dominic had said and fighting back the fear that she could lose her brother again.