Page 5 of The Present

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The sound of the door opening brought Tessa up out of the deep sleep she’d fallen into. She turned her head toward the noise to find Janice silhouetted in the doorway. She attempted to raise herself up, but something had her weighed down.

“Tess? I saw your car. What are you still doing here?”

“What time is it?” Tess tried to look at her watch, but her arm was caught under something.

“Two-thirty. I went back to Kevin’s for a night cap and, well, one thing led to another—” Lights flashed on. “Oh. My. God!”

Tess blinked, shielding her eyes. She tried again to sit up, but the something still had her pinned down—when she could focus it turned out to be Hal’s big warm body. He lay sprawled half on top of her, wedged against the back of the couch, wearing only his unbuttoned shirt and very loose-fitting boxers.

“What the hell is going on here?” Janice’s shriek brought Hal’s head up.

“Huh? Morning already?” He peered down at Tess and smiled blearily. “You don’t need to leave yet, do you? I don’t have to be at work until eight.”

“What are you doing on top of my sister, Hal Chapman?” Janice’s voice could have cracked the sound barrier. She stared at them, her gaze going from Hal’s partially naked body to Tess’s equally unclothed one and her face deepened to the shade of the red hand-blown De Carlini Christmas ornaments on her tree. “This had better not be…What have you been…Have you lost your mind?”

Hal peered up at his ex-girlfriend. “I don’t believe I have, Janice.” Then he grunted, freed one hand from beneath them and ran a finger down Tess’s cheek. The unexpected caress made her shiver. “I don’t think I’ve lost anything at all.” He returned his attention back to Janice. “Except a lousy girlfriend.”

Gaping like one of the trout Tess used to catch on fishing expeditions with their father, Janice looked like she wanted to murder one—or both—of them. With no weapon to hand, however, she settled for the next best thing and stalked over to glare down at Tess. “And you, you little slut. You were supposed to get rid of him. Not screw him.”

Aching to haul off and smack the shit out of her sibling, Tess breathed deeply and aimed as low as she could muster. “I figured better me than you, Jan. After everything you’d told me about Hal, I just had to see for myself.” She eyed Hal up and down, a slow, thorough, look that lingered on his boxers. “I have to say, you weren’t lying.”

The audible gasp from Janice almost made Tess sputter with laughter as her sister’s face turned the awful shade of red called puce.

“Out! Both of you get out of my house, this minute.” Janice even stamped her foot, which made it even harder for Tess not to laugh.

Smirking, Hal shifted and eased off her until he sat on the end of the sofa, rubbing the back of his neck. Glancing around the room, he located his pants, draped over an end table. With a loud groan he stood and reached for them.

As he pulled them on, Tess sat up looking for hers as well. She located them wedged between the sofa cushions and pulled. Hal was sitting on them, so of course they didn’t budge. “Hal.”

He turned to her and she motioned to where her pants were trapped beneath him.

“Oh, sorry.” He stood and finished putting on his pants. The whirr of his zipper seemed loud as a chainsaw in the silent room.

Tess jerked her pants from under the sofa cushion, then stood and stepped into them, eyeing her sister.

Eyes bulging, chin quivering, chest heaving as though she’d run a marathon, Janice stalked back to the door and threw it open. “I never want to see you again.” Her gaze flashed from one of them to the other and her voice rose. “Either of you!”

A quick glance at Hal, who nodded, and Tess grabbed the velvet box from the coffee table and paused. She needed to get her coat, but it was in the closet, too close to Janice to chance it. She wouldn’t put it past her sister to throttle Tess if she came too close. She’d have to brave the winter’s chill long enough to get into her car. And pray the heater decided to work tonight.

Hal slung his jacket over his shoulder and put an arm around Tess, guiding her out the door and being sure to put himself between the sisters. However, he stopped just before they crossed the threshold. “Merry Christmas, Janice. Thanks for the present.” He squeezed Tess’s shoulders and promptly ushered her through the door.

Tess caught a glimpse of her sister’s face, which approached the purple reserved for eggplants, as the door slammed shut.

Hal pulled her down the short corridor toward the parking lot. Thank God her sister lived on the ground floor. It made for a quicker getaway.

Once they were far enough away she was certain Janice couldn’t hear them and hadn’t decided to follow them and keep berating them, Tess looked up at Hal.

A huge grin spread over his face, and he suddenly picked her up and spun her around, whooping with laughter. When he stopped, they leaned together, laughing until Tess felt boneless with relief. And a lot more tingly than she expected.

“Now services have been completely rendered.” He stepped back from her, though his hand seemed to linger as it slid down her arm.

“Quite to everyone’s satisfaction.” She paused a moment and grinned. “Except Janice’s of course. Revenge is very sweet.”

Hal pulled his coat on and adjusted the collar against the cold night wind. “I just have one question, Tess, if you don’t mind answering it.”

“What’s that?” Shivering, she dug in her purse for her keys, regretting not going for her coat, despite the personal danger she might have been subjecting herself to. That had been her only outer coat.