She held her shirt up. “Would you rather I change in the bathroom?”

“Oh. I take it you’re not shy?”

Nic gave her a quick smile. “Not at all. That’s one of the perks of being at the gym nearly every day.”

“I see. Well, if you want to change out here, that’s fine.” Abby grabbed a small overnight bag and what looked like flannel pajama bottoms. “I’ll take the bathroom.”

Nic watched her as she hurried away and closed the door firmly behind. Damn, was she scared of her or what? With a shrug, she went back to her bag. She had no flannel, but she did bring a couple of pairs of sweats. Of course, she’d be much more comfortable without them. She slipped out of her jeans and folded them neatly. Instead of putting them back into her bag, she put them into one of the drawers Abby had offered. They were going to be here ten days. No sense in leaving her clothes shoved into a bag.

She’d just finished unpacking when Abby came out. She was wearing the brown and beige pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt. No bra. Her feet were bare and Nic smiled at the red nail polish Abby sported. How sexy is that? she thought.

“I got a pedicure after work the other day. Christmas red,” Abby explained.

Without another word, she went around to the other side of the bed. She stopped before pulling the covers back.

“Do you have a preference for sides? I usually sleep on this side, so…”

“That’s fine.”

She took a turn in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and splashing water on her face. There was a tiny, foot-tall Christmas tree in the corner by the sink and mirror, and she stared at it, the glitter on its limbs seeming to twinkle in the lights. Then she looked up, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

What in the world was she doing here? She was in a house among strangers, about to crawl into bed with a woman she’d known a few days, and she was going to celebrate a holiday that had been nothing but a blip on her radar as a child. Uncle Jimmie had tried to make it into something special, but she’d already been scarred. The first Christmas with him had been difficult, to say the least, despite the multitude of gifts he’d had under the tree for her.

This year, though, would be different. She wouldn’t have the comfort of home. She wouldn’t have Uncle Jimmie there to remind her that she was okay. She wouldn’t have the closeness of Eric and Addison. Christ, what had she been thinking?