“Why did you try to extort Sameera to convince me to sell?” Tom countered, and Andy’s grin momentarily dimmed.
“You got me,” he acknowledged, turning to Sameera. “No hard feelings?”
“Plenty of them, actually,” she said.
Andy nodded. “That’s fair.” He turned to the assembled group, charm firmly back in place. “Maliks, Cookes, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Let’s do this again next year.”
Tom sighed. “I’ll walk you to your plane, Andy.”
Andy shrugged. “I’d say you’ll live to regret this, but I’m bored playing the Wolf Run villain. I’ve got an investor meeting tomorrow, and I need to think of some way to hold them off until you all come to your senses.” He winked at Nadiya, made acall megesture, and stood to go.
Sameera, Tom, Esa, and Nadiya rose from their seats in an unspoken pact not to let Andy out of their sight until he was out of Wolf Run airspace. Fortunately, he hadn’t brought much with him.
“I’ve learned to pack light during negotiations. My plane can accommodate a second passenger. What do you say, gorgeous?” He waggled his brows at Nadiya.
Her sister invited Andy to commit a solo profane act, but Sameera noticed the ghost of a smile on her face. Nadiya found Andy mildly amusing after all.
“I wouldn’t mind a ride,” Esa said, but they all ignored him, pulling on boots and jackets and trooping outside.
“You’ll never find someone as interesting or as rich as me, you know,” Andy said, slowing his long strides to match Nadiya’s. “Just think of all the attention and money you’ll get if you go on a few dates with me. Endorsement deals, free stuff, it could all be yours.”
Esa turned to his sister. “Maybe you should reconsider. I like free stuff!”
Nadiya’s voice was dry. “You don’t hear ‘no’ a lot, do you?”
“All the time, actually. I consider it an opening gambit.” Andy’s cheerful attitude really was irrepressible. Even now, Sameera was having a hard time disliking him. Though she planned to try really, really hard.
Andy chucked his bag inside the plane before turning to face them. “I’ll admit this was more fun than I anticipated,” he said, rubbing hishands together. “I thought I’d have a quiet Christmas at Wolf Run. Eat turkey. Buy your house. This was way better. Nothing like a challenge to get the blood pumping.”
“There is no challenge. You lost, Andy. Let it go,” Tom said.
“Never.” Andy grinned at his friend. He held his arm out for a hug, but Tom shook his head.
“It’s going to take me some time to get over this, Andy. You really tried to screw me over,” Tom said.
A flicker of concern and something that looked like regret passed over Andy’s face. “Would you believe me if I told you I honestly didn’t think you’d care that much?”
Tom stared at him, and Andy ducked his head. “Maybe part of me wanted to have a bit of your magic, a piece of what made you special. I always had to work ten times harder at everything, while you swanned through life. You’re even going to get the girl,” he said, nodding at Sameera. “If anything, I’m the one who should hate you, but I just can’t. I love you, brother.”
Tom sighed. “I love you, too. I just need some time to figure out how I can move past this.”
Andy looked more somber at these words than Sameera had ever seen him. He turned to her. “Take care of my brother. He’s the best guy I know. Don’t break his heart, okay?”
He held his arms out to Nadiya for a hug, but she shook her head. He held out a hand instead, and she cautiously shook it. “I knew I’d wear you down eventually. A handshake today, and who knows where we’ll end up?”
With a final wink for Esa, Andy climbed aboard his propellor plane. They moved back as he started it up, and watched as he expertly took off. They stood watching for a long time, until the plane was a tiny speck in the clear blue sky.
Beside Sameera, Esa furrowed his brows. “Do you hear what I hear?” he asked. And then they could hear it, too.
Sleigh bells.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
They followed the distinct tinkle of sleigh bells to the front of the house.
“You see Santa, too, right?” Esa asked Sameera. When she nodded, he sighed in relief. “Oh, good. I thought I was hallucinating.”
Santa was perched on a red sleigh, dressed in a fur-lined red Santa suit, complete with black boots, a black and gold buckle, and a jaunty red hat. Mrs. Claus was by his side, surrounded by six elves, all arranged on a sled pulled by a train of sled dogs. Atlas joyfully loped up in greeting, as if they were long-lost family.
