That, more than anything, had destroyed any lingering illusions she’d had about Stavros Minos being a decent human being.
She’d, of course, heard stories about men lying to get a woman into bed. But she’d never imagined it would happen to her. When he’d desired her, Stavros had been romantic beyond belief, seducing her with sweet words, passionate kisses and, most astonishing of all, proposing marriage and having a child together.
But from the moment he’d gotten what he wanted, he’d expected her to
disappear.
Holly had known she wouldn’t let him make the baby disappear, too. She couldn’t take the risk of seeing Stavros Minos again, even accidentally, or letting him know she was pregnant.
So she’d left New York.
She’d been happy in Switzerland. She was lucky. All right, so Thanksgiving, the traditional American kickoff to the Christmas season, had felt a little quiet yesterday, since the holiday wasn’t celebrated in Switzerland. Growing up, Holly’s mother had always spent the whole day cooking turkey and baking pies that smelled heavenly, while the two girls stretched out in the morning on the carpet of the family room, watching the Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. In the afternoon, during commercials of his football game, their father inevitably wandered into the kitchen, hoping to sneak a taste of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, before their mother shooed him away with a playful smack of a Santa-decorated towel.
Christmas had always been Holly’s favorite time of year. At least until last year. Now, with her heartbreaking memories of Stavros last Christmas Day, she was almost afraid to face the holidays this year.
Holly steadied herself. She had so much to be thankful for now. This warm, cozy chalet, her baby, her health. And after nearly a year of estrangement, when she’d phoned her sister to wish her happy Thanksgiving yesterday, for the first time her sister had actually answered the phone.
All right, so Nicole had mostly just yelled at her during the ten-minute call. Apparently Oliver had been fired from three different jobs over the past year, causing the newlyweds to move from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, then back to New York, where he was now unemployed. Her sister blamed Holly.
“It’s your fault,” Nicole had shouted. “His bosses expect too much. You should be here taking care of things for him. And for me!”
Feeling guilty, Holly tried to change the subject. “I’ve been busy this year, too...” And she’d finally told her sister the happy news about the baby.
But if she’d hoped it would make Nicole forgive her, or have any joy at the news of a baby nephew, Holly was soon disappointed.
Her sister had been shocked, then furious, then demanded to know the identity of the father. Swearing her to secrecy, Holly had shivered as she’d whispered Stavros’s name into the phone. It had been the first time she’d spoken his name aloud in almost a year.
But knowing that secret only seemed to enrage Nicole more.
“So now you’re a baby mama for a billionaire?” she’d cried. “You selfish cow—you never have to worry about anything, do you?”
And her sister had slammed down the phone.
At least they were talking again, Holly told herself now, trying to remain cheerful. It was a start. And who knew what the future could hold? After all, they were coming into the season of miracles.
Her baby was the biggest miracle of all. She could never be sad about anything for long, not when she had him. She smiled down at Freddie, who was all bright eyes and plump cheeks. And if, with his dark eyes and black hair, her baby strongly resembled a man she didn’t want to remember, she blocked it from her mind with harsh determination.
Freddie was hers. He had no father. Holly would be the only parent he’d ever need.
The baby, born a week late in a Zurich hospital, had been over four kilos—nine pounds, two ounces—and continued to gain weight at a healthy clip. As Holly looked down at her precious child, her heart twisted with love such as she’d never known.
And Stavros would never even know he existed.
Holly looked into the fire. She’d had no choice, she reminded herself fiercely, as she’d done many times over the past year. Stavros had made his feelings clear. The morning after he’d seduced her with promises and lies, she’d woken up on the happiest Christmas morning she’d ever known, only to be tossed out with the trash.
After she’d found out she was pregnant, she’d fled New York in fear that his lawyers might try to force her to end the pregnancy. She’d gone to London, where her former employer had made it clear she had a standing job offer. He’d been bewildered when, instead of accepting a high-paying office job, she’d asked about being a caretaker to his family’s old chalet in Switzerland.
“It’s not St. Moritz, you know,” he’d replied doubtfully, stroking his white beard. “The village is deserted in winter. It was my great-grandfather’s cabin. It’s a bit of a wreck. Are you sure?”
Holly had been sure. And she’d never regretted her choice. She’d made friends with her elderly neighbors down the road, kind people who’d delighted in showering lonely, pregnant Holly with advice and Älplermagronen, and since her baby’s birth, with babysitting offers and cake. Holly’s high-school German was rapidly improving. As far as she was concerned, she’d be happy to live here forever. Happy enough.
How could she ever admit she felt lonely sometimes, or that she didn’t think her heart would ever completely heal from her brief affair with Stavros? It would be the height of ingratitude to ever feel sad, when she had so much: home, friends and Freddie.
It was enough. It had to be enough.
She looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Stroking his rosy cheek, her heart full of love, she whispered, “I’m going to make your first Christmas perfect, Freddie. See if I don’t.”
The baby yawned in reply, drowsy and sleepy with a full belly and a warm fire. Carefully, Holly rose to her feet and settled the baby into a small bassinet in the cabin’s bedroom. Leaving him in the darkened room to nap, she softly closed the door behind her.