But here? Trick could do so much decorating, which had always been one of her favorite things about the holiday. She remembered all the Christmases she and Greta had shared with their parents.
She paused, drank her coffee, and thought about her mom and dad. Dad was always so busy with work that he never took the time to come out here to visit, had never once seen her dance. Work was always more important. Her mom had flown out a couple of times.
It wasn’t the same.
“You look deep in thought.”
She lifted her gaze to see Trick coming in, wearing a pair of low-slung workout pants and no shirt, his feet bare. His hair was sleep mussed and he looked absolutely gorgeous.
Yeah, she could get used to seeing him dressed like that every morning.
“I put a cup out for you.”
“Thanks.” He brewed a cup of coffee and came over to sit next to her. “So what were you thinking about?”
“My parents.”
“Yeah? What about them?”
She shouldn’t get into it with him, was surprised she’d even brought it up. “Oh, nothing.”
He laid his cup down and grasped her hand. “Tell me.”
She took a deep breath.
“I miss my parents. It’s the holidays, you know.”
“Yeah, I know. Where do they live?”
“Portland, Oregon.”
“So why don’t you fly back and see them over the holiday break? You get a rehearsal break, right?”
She nodded. “It’s a really busy time of year, both for flying and for me. Such a hassle. Besides, Greta’s going to come up here and look for a place.”
“Okay. So have your parents come out here and spend Christmas with you.”
She laughed. “My dad wouldn’t take the time. He barely takes Christmas Day off work.”
“He’s come out for your performances before, hasn’t he?”
“No.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “Never?”
“Never. He owns a transportation company. He’s always at work, always has been at work. I imagine he always will be at work until he dies. That’s just what he does. Work is his life.”
“I’m sorry.”
She shrugged. “I’m used to it. He made his choices and we all live with it. My mom has seen me dance, when he allows her to get away. She works for his company, too, so it’s hard for her to get the time off.”
He looked offended. She liked that.
“Well, that sucks.”
“Tell me about it.” Tired of thinking about her parents, she shook off the melancholy and smiled at him. “Tell me about your family.”
“My dad died five years ago. It’s just my mom now, and she lives in Milwaukee.”
She laid her hand over his. “I’m sorry, Trick.”
“Me, too. He was a great guy. Loved hockey and always encouraged me. He put me on skates as soon as I was old enough to balance myself and I took to the ice like I’d been born there. He and I used to skate together, play hockey together, and he never missed one of my games. He either watched me on TV or he’d come to whatever games he could. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. I miss him a lot.”
Hearing him talk about his dad made her sad, wistful, and just a wee bit jealous that he’d had that kind of relationship with a parent. “He sounds like he was a wonderful man. You should be thankful to have had a parent like him.”
“I am. My mom is pretty awesome, too. You’d like her. She’s funny and mouthy—like you.”
Stella arched a brow. “You think I’m mouthy?”
“I know you are.”
“Huh.” She got up and brewed another cup of coffee, then made her way back over to sit beside him. “Is your mom coming out here for Christmas, or are you heading to Milwaukee?”
“She’s actually going to my sister’s in Cleveland.”
“So . . . you have a sister, too. How did I not know this?”
“Because we never talked about our families before.”
That was true. She’d never wanted to dig deep into family with Trick before. That was too personal. She wasn’t sure why she was doing it now. “Younger or older?”
“Older. Brenna’s married to a great guy, Paul, and I have a five-year-old niece named Arabella.”
Stella grinned. “Cute name.”
“Yeah, she’s cute all right. She’s the princess of the family. And you’ll like this—she’s taking ballet lessons.”
“I do like that. I’ll bet she’s adorable.”
“She might have her uncle Trick wrapped around her little finger.”
Stella laughed. She could well imagine that. “So you like kids.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I love kids. Do you?”
“Very much. Though I can’t seem to convince Greta to settle down and have any. And I can’t see myself having any in the near future.”
He sipped his coffee. “Is that right? Why?”
“Well, first, my career. And second, I don’t see myself settling down any time soon.”
“I see.”
That had been a very cryptic I see. She wondered what he meant by that, though she shouldn’t care. And they were teetering on some very precarious cliffs, topic wise, discussing family and, good God, kids. She hadn’t even thought about having kids since . . .
Well. Since that last disaster of a relationship, after which she’d decided she’d never have a relationship again.
Still, she was comfortable with Trick. And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe . . . just maybe . . .
She got up and looked around. “You need a Christmas tree.”
“I do?”
“Yes.” She pointed. “Over there.”
“Okay.”
She’d expected more of an objection. Men typically didn’t like women invading their space, making suggestions. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’ve never had one here and I figure it’s about time, so let’s go get one today. I don’t have all the bells and whistles that go with a tree, so you’ll have to help me pick all that out, too.”
“Okay, now you’re pushing all my happy decorating buttons. Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?”