Tell Me What Is Priceless (Siren Publishing Classic) (29 page)

The crowd moved forward slightly. “Please don’t push. There are plenty of bags in here for everyone,” said Zar. “I will not give anything to those who feel a need to be rude to the person standing near them by shoving. By the way, the lovely woman who stands at my side is my soon-to-be wife, and she will be helping me, along with my twin brother, Kale.”

The first person in line stepped up and handed Blaze two toys. She gestured to the box, and they took two bags, moving off to the side to open them. It began a parade of people exchanging children’s gifts for grab bags of their own. An exhaled cry halfway through the line brought everyone to a stop. A woman howled, “I got it! The trip to New York. It includes a limo, dinner, and a party afterward. I never win anything.”

Zar turned a smile on Blaze and whispered, “What do you want to do for New Year’s? We could go anywhere on the face of the earth.”

“I want to go up to the house in the hills and drink champagne with the man I love.”

“It’s a deal. As soon as the line dwindles down, we can go back inside and party. You don’t like crowds, do you?”

“No, not really. I will survive.”

“I know you will.” A tiny voice in Zar’s head asked if he expected to be surviving at her side after his upcoming appointment. He pushed the thought away and gave Blaze a smile. “Let’s get these gifts handed out.”

They arrived home late and got up equally late in the morning. Blaze threw the ham in the oven to cook, and once everything was set up, she snuck Zar’s presents out and put them under the tree. At some point, he had done the same, and the circular gate was bulging with gifts.

Zar came out of the bathroom and grinned. “Wow, that tree has grown since last night. Do you want to open them or wait until everyone gets here?”

“We can’t open anything until Choey and Moosey open theirs. They will then help us open ours. They love to shred wrapping paper, and then everything belongs to Choey.”

Zar laughed and pulled a small box from under the tree. “I want you to open this first. I had it made just for you, and I am dying to see if you like it.”

Blaze unwrapped the box and opened it. “Oh Zar,” she said in an awestruck voice. “This is beautiful. I have always wanted a fourteen-karat gold dragon. They are usually made out of silver. This is amazing.”

Zar ran his hand down her cheek. “I know. I made a copy of one of your designs and brought it to a jeweler. He had a special mold made to pour the gold, and then I picked out the heart-shaped stone to be placed in the dragon’s claws. I didn’t think they were going to have it done for Christmas. Kale and I picked it up on our way home from Massachusetts.”

“I love it. It is a true statement in thoughtfulness. You are amazing.”

“I try. Now pick me out a gift, and then we will have the dogs open theirs.”

Blaze looked at the packages and sighed. “I didn’t get you anything this spectacular. Maybe this box will let you know how much I love you,” she said, picking out a box and handing it to him.

Zar shook it and frowned. “It’s huge and well packed. I have no clue.”

“Well, then open it. I didn’t ask you to guess.”

He tore off the wrapping and frowned deeper as he began to open and dig through a mass of smaller boxes. Blaze snickered at the mock irritation on his face, and when he hit the final box, she waited breathlessly. Zar groaned and opened it, expecting a smaller package, and then looked up at her. “Where did you get this?”

“You’re not the only one who has connections. I have a friend who runs a medieval shop in Branford. She put me in touch with someone who deals in rare medieval armory, and he got me this.”

“I’m impressed. Do you have any idea how long I have been looking for a knife with opal stones? I heard tale of a few around, but I couldn’t get anyone to sell them. Are you sure it’s real? I usually have them authenticated before I buy them.”

“I took it over to the museum and had one of the curators check it for me. He begged me to let him have it, but I didn’t. I paid him well for his time. He checked out the piece to verify that it was from the right time period. I am glad you like it.”

“I love it. Thank you, Blaze.”

“You’re welcome.” Blaze set down the box and leaned to kiss him. The embrace put an end to opening presents as they wandered back to bed.

Blaze barely had time to take a shower before their guests arrived. Zar handed her a box and told her to open it as she came out of the bathroom. She tore through the packaging, wondering when the doorbell was going to ring, and smiled. “Thank you. Now I have something to wear that is cute and also comfortable. I love leggings, although I think my legs have gotten a tad skinny to wear them.”

“No, they haven’t. It is just that all your leggings are too big. Go get dressed, and don’t forget your new Tasmanian devil slippers that are on the bed. I thought they would be a nice touch.”

Blaze kissed him quickly and headed into the bedroom. She came out a few moments later in her black leggings, a long, green Tasmanian devil Christmas shirt, and her slippers. Zar clapped, his face filling with a smile. “Adorable!”

She took a bow, laughing as she went for the dogs’ presents. They immediately tore into them, shredding the wrapping between their paws and teeth. “They’re very good at this, aren’t they?” Zar asked, laughing at their antics.

“Yes, they are. I used to give them chewies, but neither one can have them anymore. I can’t risk that Moosey gets a chunk caught in the scar tissue in his intestines. I will never forget almost losing him three weeks before Christmas. All I wanted that year was to have him come home from the vet’s and not get an infection. I got my wish. Now I have to protect it.”

“What is your wish this year?”

Blaze sat down next to him on the sofa, throwing two more packages on the floor. “I don’t have one to make. Maybe…that you make out good at the doctor’s and he has something that will help you. What is yours?”

“My wish is to see you happy. Blaze, you are special. Angelica reminded me last night of how horrid it is possible to feel. I looked at you and realized how wonderful you are in comparison. She wanted me for what material things I could give her. You only seem to want the things money can’t buy. What do you think of Kale?”

“That is a strange question. I like Kale. He is nice now that I got to know him. I feel bad because of what Jenny did to him. The two of you are a lot alike, and it bothers me to see him sad. Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I was just wondering.”

Moosey chomped on his toy, making it croak like a frog. Choey dropped her quacking duck and grabbed for his present. Moosey turned his back to her, biting into the toy again. Blaze laughed. “Oh, here we go. Choey thinks that all toys are hers, and it is against the rules for Moosey to play with anything. He gets bored of the toys quickly. Usually when he is playing with a toy, it’s for the sole purpose of irritating her.” Choey continued to harass him until she snatched the frog from his mouth.

Blaze got up and gave Moosey the duck, and the game began again. Zar said, “You’re not kidding. She wants all the toys. Typical female.”

Blaze slapped him on the bottom of his crossed foot, and Zar revised his statement. “Well, except for you. By the way, what did you threaten Angie with last night? I don’t remember seeing her pale like that before. Even her abundance of blush looked washed out for a moment.”

“I threatened her that she might wake up in one of the nightmares from my books. Not all of them are so filled with magic that they can’t come true.”

“Interesting. Angelica loves to read fantasy books. She has probably read all of yours.”

“Good, because I’m a really sick puppy.”

“I really wonder about you, Blaze,” Zar said as the doorbell rang.

Kale strolled in with a woman at his side. She had sparkling black hair and a very short skirt. “Merry Christmas. This is Patricia. We met last night. Her boyfriend was being an ass, and I came to her rescue. I hope you don’t mind that I invited her. They are still fighting.”

“As long as the fight doesn’t come to this house, of course you are welcome, Patricia,” Blaze replied, noting that the woman had her eyes glued to Zar.

Zar noticed it also and put his arm around Blaze. “It’s nice to meet you. Did you have the pleasure of meeting my fiancée, Blaze, last night?”

“Oh, no, I didn’t,” she replied in a slightly disturbed tone. “I didn’t know you were going to get married.”

Kale seemed oblivious to her change in attitude, and Blaze took the plate of cookies from the woman’s hand. “I need to go check on dinner.”

Patricia leaned over Moosey in a dominating fashion and tried to pet him. He growled at her and walked away. Choey bounced up onto the chair, her coat and paws wet from being outside. Zar groaned, “Oh, Choey, you are soaked. Blaze, throw me a towel.”

Patricia glared at him. “That dog tried to bite me. If it’s not friendly, maybe it shouldn’t be loose.”

“He is very friendly,” Kale said. “He probably just doesn’t like you batting your eyes at Zar. I think I will call you a cab, Patricia. I am not going to spend the evening watching you drool over my twin brother.”

Patricia pursed her lips in a cutesy fashion and whined, “I am sorry, Kale. I didn’t mean anything by it. I have just seen him in the papers so many times. It is like spending Christmas with a celebrity. I was a little shocked when you pulled up in front of this house. I was kind of expecting a mansion.”

“I don’t live in a mansion. I build them. Blaze and I have quite enough space here. If you are looking for extravagance, then you chose the wrong person to spend Christmas with.”

“I am sorry. I know I just made a horrid first impression. In all honesty, I have nothing to go home to. My family lives out west, and my boyfriend left me last night. I would really like to stay and have someone to share the holiday with. I promise I will be a good girl.”

Kale kissed her on the cheek. “If you promise not to bat your eyelashes at my brother again, I won’t call you a cab. Deal?”

“Deal,” she replied before wandering off to help Blaze in the kitchen. Zar sat down across from Kale on the sofa and flipped on the television for background noise. They spoke quietly until Blaze’s mother and aunt arrived. They called Nan up from downstairs, and the evening was spent in pleasant conversation and good food. When everyone finally left, Blaze yawned at Zar. “I’m so tired. I still want to try out the body paint that you gave me.”

“How about we try it out in the morning. I am really tired myself.”

“Okay,” she replied as she headed into the bathroom. As she stood brushing her teeth, it suddenly hit Blaze just how accustomed she had become to having Zar in the house. On more than one occasion over the last few days, she had wondered what would happen if his test results were bad. It was a worry that scared her to death, but also not one that she could afford to dwell on. She had to keep up a positive attitude for Zar and try to reaffirm the fact that, no matter what happened, she wanted to be at his side.

Zar’s cell phone dragged them from sleep. He was reluctant to answer it, but he did. He rolled his eyes to Blaze and then thumped his head down on the pillow. “Yeah, I will be there. I want to know what idiot left the equipment trailer unlocked. I want their head. It’s the morning after Christmas, and I had no intention to get up early. Find out!” he snapped, clicking the phone off.

“Blaze, I am so sorry,” he said, getting out of bed. “Some idiot took off for the weekend and left the equipment trailer open. Everything of any value is missing. Drills, saws, marble cutters, hand tools that sell for two to three hundred dollars a piece. Damn, there was probably fifteen to twenty grand worth of hand and power tools in that trailer. I gotta go down there.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“You can if you want, but there is little point. I’m going to be trying to figure what is missing to make a report to our insurance company. Mason is meeting me there, and it would make for a boring day for you.”

“You are probably right, and I have last night to finish cleaning up. Go take a shower. I’ll make you something to eat.”

“I’m really sorry, Blaze. I’ll be home as soon as I can. Could you do me a big favor? Print up a copy of
Reflections
. Kale is interested in your books and has been reading them. That is the next one in line, and he wants to read it.”

“I can do that. I think I have a copy that I printed for my agent. I’ll see.”

Zar got into the shower, and she got some eggs cooking while she checked on the book. She already had a rough draft in print. It was perfectly readable and far easier than printing a finalized copy. She made Zar’s eggs into sandwiches and sent him off with a cup of coffee.

It was late in the day when he called her. “Hi, love, do you miss me yet?”

“Of course I miss you. How much longer are you going to be there?”

“I don’t know. The police just left, and the claims adjuster for the insurance company is supposed to be here any moment. Kale came for the ride with me. He has been talking about Jenny all afternoon. Patricia called her boyfriend after they left last night, and she went back to him. He has been a big help, but he is driving me insane.”