Page 32

Holiday Leave Denied

Haley

“ H appy Christmas, Haley.” Zane runs his fingers down my arm. “Everyone’s awake and waiting for you, Little Bird.”

I sit upright with a start. “Merry Christmas, Zane.” I yawn. “Oh... oh. I never sleep in.” I never sleep in on Christmas morning. I was always the one to run downstairs first. Last year I was the first one up, but then I was on charter and I was up before the chef. I never sleep in.

Zane is smirking at me. Because yeah, that’s not true anymore.

“I’ll be right down. Give me a minute to get ready.”

“Take your time. We thought you’d like a biscuit, while they’re warm.”

I glance around the empty space. I really did sleep in. “That’s what that smell on the wind is.” Dante made one yesterday as a test to see if it would work out. That one bite had me dreaming all last night.

I find the one red tank top I own and my not so white shorts, then head down to the kitchen. The tree’s so lovely I almost burst into tears.

There’s only one present under the tree. Which seems odd considering all the secrecy. I turn away, and there’s a snicker from behind me.

“Merry Christmas,” I say and give Easton a kiss.

“Now it is. You look Christmassy this morning, Firefly.”

“Thank you.” I pull out my tank top, ignoring the spot on the bottom that I can’t get off. “Merry Christmas, Calvin.” I give him a kiss, too. I vanish into his bear hug.

“Merry Christmas, Chiefie. Did you dream of sugar plums?” Calvin asks.

“Something better,” I say.

“Really, now?” Calvin wiggles his eyebrows. I did have good dreams. And they were Christmas ones. We weren’t here. I’m not sure where we were. But I still gave the guys the gifts I made, and they loved them. But then we had electricity and running water.

“Merry Christmas,” Sam says from the other side of the table, though he’s not smiling when he says it. His eyes flick to the tree for a second, and it confuses me even more.

I’m about to head over to my cubby when Dante grabs me around the waist, dips me, and claims my lips. “Good morning, Sassy. I hope you’re ready for a fucking fantastic day?”

“I am,” I say as I catch my balance. Dante hands me a cup of coffee and a bowl with a biscuit in it that’s topped with mango puree. “Oh, this looks like heaven.”

Dante laughs. He passes out bowls to the guys, each with only half a biscuit. Guilt rises up my throat.

“Don’t even start, Sassy. They all wanted a taste, so they’ve had half of theirs already.”

“Oh.” I savor the next few bites. We all do, in silence. I’m not the only one who licks the bowl.

“Present time!” Zane yells. The guys rearrange the two deck chairs and a bunch of the wooden stumps we use as stools in a semicircle around the tree. “Sit here, Little Bird.” Zane positions me in a deck chair. “Sam, get it rolling.”

“Let me get mine.” I step over to my cubby.

But Easton spins me around and ushers me to sit. “In a second, Firefly. Open Sam’s present first.”

Sam bends and slowly walks over to me. “I hope you like it.”

Zane elbows Sam and shakes his head. I’m a little nervous to open it.

It’s heavy-ish, ten inches long and almost square.

It’s wrapped in banana leaves and tied shut with a bit of string.

I hold it in my lap for a second and gaze up at Sam.

Whatever he’s made, I’m absolutely sure I’m going to love it.

And I’m trying not to worry about how nervous he seems. I hold it up to my ear and give a careful little shake.

Not after Easton’s ornament dropped stones on the table yesterday.

“It doesn’t rattle. Guess it’s not Legos. ”

“Not Legos, but that would be brilliant, Little Bird. Think of how much fun we would have putting together one of those huge adult sets.”

“Legos have erotic building kits?” Dante smirks.

“No, you turd,” Zane says.

Dante laughs and slaps Zane’s back.

“Hush, don’t ruin this,” Calvin growls.

“Should I open it?” I ask Sam, who’s taken the seat next to me.

“Please. But carefully.”

I untie the string and slowly open the leaves. In front of me is an orange and red square of the raft plastic. “It’s a book.”

“It’s a notebook,” Sam says. “Some of the pages are still a little bumpy. It’s taken me a while to figure out how to get the paper smooth. But those are the best ones.”

I open the cover slowly, like I should have on white conservatory gloves. The plastic cover must have something thick in the middle. The first page has a dried orchid pressed into it. Beside it, Sam has written: To Haley, Merry Christmas. I love you, Sam.

It’s weird—I’ve heard them all say it, but this is the first time I’ve seen it written down and it makes a difference.

It really does. There’s no way I’m letting my fat tears land on the pages.

I wipe them away with the back of my hand.

I should pop up and tell him how much it means to me, but I’m speechless as I turn the thick pages.

He made paper! He said they’re bumpy, but they’re perfect. I turn the pages carefully.

That shakes me out of it. “It’s beyond perfect.

How... I... It’s...” I hold it to my chest and bounce to standing.

“I love it, and you. And thank you so much. This must have taken forever.” I place the notebook on my chair and give Sam a kiss that I hope makes him understand how much I appreciate all the time this must have taken.

“Damn, Sassy, wish I’d made you a notebook. But I did help.”

Sam ends the kissing. When he does, I’m dizzy.

“Everyone helped. There was a lot of experimenting. Which brings us to...” From behind them and under the table, the guys fill up the space underneath the tree.

There’re all kinds of wrapped presents. Wrapped in what must be some of Sam’s first attempts.

The paper is bumpy and has holes. But the guys have colored it with patterns.

“Holy... Night.” It’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. “Wait, I want to?—”

Zane hands me his phone. It’s already powered up. “Figured you might want to.”

“Thanks!” I take a bunch of shots of the tree and the pile of gifts and my notebook. Then Calvin, with his long arms, takes a shot of us all with the tree and Penny. Because she, of course, appears out of nowhere.

“All right, Sassy. Sam might have the?—”

“I want to go next. Well, partially next,” Calvin says.

“Okay?” I shrug.

He jogs down the trail, Penny at his heels. He’s back in a few minutes with two chairs. They’re made of driftwood and what looks like part of the derelict. Zane rolls two stumps away, and Calvin sets them in place. “I’ve only made two so far. I kind of want feedback.”

“Damn, Viking. When did you make these?”

“I don’t sleep,” Calvin says.

“Right but... Never mind. May I?” Dante asks.

“Sure. As long as Chiefie tries this one out. I made it more to her size.”

I sit tenderly at first. I don’t know why. Calvin would never make something that’s not quality. “It’s really comfortable.”

“It is. And unlike Haley, I have no problems hurting the Viking’s feelings,” Dante says.

“Dante!”

“What? It’s true, Sassy. Well done, Calvin.”

“Thanks,” Calvin says standing in front of me.

I place my notebook on my chair and give Calvin a long kiss. When I pull back, he’s smiling from ear to ear, and that in itself is a Christmas miracle.

“Okay, my turn.” Dante gathers a plastic box from the kitchen. “I have two things for you. One was too bulky to wrap, and then this one. Not Legos, but don’t shake it. Open it first.”

It’s a small bottle of oil. With caution, I open the lid, and I can smell it already.

“We only have so much shampoo left, but I think I’ve come up with a good recipe.”

“It smells lovely,” I say.

“And I made you this. It’s a flower press. I thought you might like to press specimens of the plants you’ve been collecting, and write about them in your new notebook,” Dante says.

I’m oohing and aahing, and there’s another round of kisses.

“This one’s from the two of us.” Easton hands me a small, wrapped package and nods his head at Calvin.

Inside is a bracelet of pearls. And hanging from the strand are six little wooden circle charms carved with the first initial of each of the guys and me.

“It’s so pretty. Easton when did you find the time to do so much diving without me seeing?”

“I’m stealthy.”

“Will you put it on for me?”

“I’m still working on a clasp.”

“Tie it on. I’m never taking it off,” I say. I kiss Easton, then Calvin again.

Zane’s standing in front of me, his cheeks rouged. “Okay, now, mine isn’t as dramatic as the rest. It’s also two parts.”

The other guys groan.

“You’re like the kid with the A+ project who tells the teacher that they could have done better,” Dante says.

“Right, okay, here, Little Bird.” He hands me a piece of paper from Rocky’s planner.

I don’t quite know what I’m looking at. Then it hits me. It’s the treehouse, only there’s another platform.

“I’m building you a water closet platform. Well, without water. Or mostly without water. I’ve got a good portion of the pieces cut. But it was hard to install and have it be a surprise.”

I place the sketch inside my new book and kiss him. I’m excited about the washroom space, but even more so that he didn’t turn into a beast while working on it in secret. Last time, he was so stressed he drove everyone crazy.

“Oh, and here’s the second half of my gift.” He hands me a beautiful picture of a house. “It’s what I will build you when we’re rescued. Well, maybe not with the sea view. That’s kind of a here thing.” Zane smiles.

Notebook on my lap, I sit and stare at his sketch.

It’s just the sort of house I would want.

Where there’s an inside without sand or bugs, but there are tons of windows so that you feel like you’re outside.

Mid-century modern meets craftsman with a zippy energy to it.

It’s a hundred-percent Zane. “I love it. I can’t wait to see it. ”

He scrubs his hand over his chin and turns away.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” I’m at his shoulder.

“No, Little Bird. You said something right. The fact that you love it and have enough faith that we’re not only going to get off the island but that you’ll see my creation... That means the world to me.” He squeezes me tightly in his arms.

When he lets go, I sink into my new chair. I’m overwhelmed, and then I remember. “I haven’t given you your gifts yet!”