Christmas Presence

by Lisa J. Hobman

  “You can put it over there.” Sydnee motioned to where the stand was already placed near the window in the living room. She still couldn’t believe she let a perfect stranger follow her home, but for some reason she felt comfortable with him. Once again, she found herself admiring his liquid-like movements, and she shook her head trying to clear the immoral and very uncharacteristic thoughts pervading her mind. His strong physique was impeccable and she could tell even with the bulky jacket he wore, he was in very good shape.

  “Okay.” He walked over and placed the tree in the stand, securing it before cutting the netting away from the branches. “It hasn’t been tied up long, so you shouldn’t have to wait to decorate it.”

  “Oh great. Thank you again for doing this. I’m not sure we would’ve been able to get it in the house in one piece without you.”

  “No problem. Just doing my job.”

  “Well, thanks. Boys, what do you say to the nice gentleman?” She blushed again, realizing she didn’t even know the young man’s name and here he was standing in the middle of her house. Of course, the boys were oblivious to anything since they were occupied going through the boxes of decorations. They barely mumbled ‘thank you’ before they went back to talking about how they were going to decorate the tree.

  “You’re welcome, and it’s Quinn.”

  “What?”

  “My name…it’s Quinn.” Sydnee felt her stomach do a flip-flop as he looked at her. And, she saw just how strikingly beautiful his eyes really were. They were like newly minted silver dollars and she was mesmerized by his gaze. Standing so close, she could smell his cologne mixing with the crisp smell of the evergreen in her house and every nerve ending in her body stood at attention.

  “Oh, uh, well thank you, Quinn.” She shook herself out of her haze and handed him a $20 dollar bill. When his fingers grazed hers, she felt a slight buzz of electricity shoot through her skin and she wrung her hands together.

  “Oh, no, you don’t have to-” He tried to refuse the money, but she wouldn’t take it back from him for reasons that were purely selfish. She wasn’t sure she could handle the electric feel of his hand on hers again and she hugged her arms close to her sides.

  “Please. I insist. Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome.” Sydnee moved to open the front door to usher him out. As he headed out of the house, the young man turned when he got to the top step. “I hope you and your boys have a Merry Christmas.”

  “You too.”

  ###

  “Looks like you did pretty well last night.” Jack motioned to the cash register as they worked to open up the lot.

  “We did okay.” Since the previous night, Quinn had thought of nothing else but the beautiful woman with the twin boys. She had the smoothest caramel brown skin he’d ever seen and she barely looked old enough to have kids. Her brown eyes had a soft glow to them and her smile was addictive.

  “We ended up $20 over. Did someone get charged more than they should?” Jack stopped counting and looked over at Quinn.

  “Oh, no. I got a $20 tip last night, so I added it in this morning.”

  “A $20 tip? Humph, seems like I should let you close up on your own more often. What kind of service are you doing?”

  “He’s delivering trees.” Quinn cut his eyes to his cousin JJ who was walking past the two and laughing. JJ and his big mouth. He knew he was going to hear it from his uncle, but he couldn’t help it. He’d had to deliver the tree. As soon as he’d seen the woman, he knew he didn’t want to let her get away, and he had used every tactic he could to make sure he was able to talk to her. The only failure in his mission, he had no clue what her name was. Epic fail Quinn.

  “You’re delivering trees now?”

  “Just one.” Quinn stared a hole in JJ as he continued to laugh.

  “Quinn, you know we don’t do that. You’re going to be the death of me, you know that?”

  “Oh come on, Jack. It’s just one tree. We were about to close and the lady wasn’t going to be able to get it home without some help. And maybe you should think about delivering trees. You may see bigger profit margins if you did,” Quinn replied.

  “Quinn, I understand you wanted to help her, but just don’t do it again okay? I don’t need the liability. You are way too much like that brother of mine.” Jack shook his head, referring to Quinn’s father’s entrepreneurial spirit he no doubt had passed on to his son.

  “Oh, please forgive me. Can you ever forgive me Uncle Jack?” Quinn dropped to his knees and pulled on Jack’s pant leg sarcastically, begging for mercy with his uncle. “I promise I’ll be good.”

  “Get up and get out of here; the both of you, get back to work.” Jack shooed Quinn away as JJ laughed at Quinn’s antics before the two went to finish opening the lot.

  ###

  Placing the dishtowel on the rack, Sydnee finished cleaning up the kitchen before realizing she only had a few hours before she was supposed to pick up the boys from their grandparents’. She walked into the living room and smiled at the boxes of ornaments they had sifted through the night before. They were going to bake cookies and decorate the tree later that night. Sitting on the sofa, she picked up an ornament, un-wrapped it from the tissue paper and sighed. It was two little mice snuggled gently in a crib with two other mice standing beside them with their arms wrapped around each other. The writing on the ornament said ‘our little bundles of joy’. It was the ornament Matt had given her for the twins’ first Christmas. Feeling the threat of tears, she quickly wrapped it back up and placed the ornament in the box. It boggled her mind how she still let the memories of her failed marriage to Matt get to her. He was the one who walked away, so why was she feeling bad? Get it together girl. You can do this.

  Moving the box to the side, she noticed a pair of gloves. At first she thought one of the boys had left theirs, but she quickly realized it was an adult pair of gloves. Thinking back to the previous night, she realized they belonged to the handsome young man who had helped them with their tree. He must have taken them off to set up the tree, and forgotten them. She had to admit, it had taken her a while before she could stop thinking about him. He was clearly taller than six feet and he was definitely strong. He had picked their Christmas tree up with little to no effort; and she couldn’t get those eyes out of her mind. Quickly realizing the time again, she grabbed her coat and her keys and exited the house. If she left now, she would still be able to get in her Pilates class and swing by the tree lot to drop off the gloves before she had to pick the boys up.

  ###

  “So, are you going to deliver that lady’s tree too?” JJ continued to rib Quinn about delivering the tree the previous night.

  “Aww, don’t be jealous. I’ll help you take your tree home too if that will make you feel better.” Quinn needled, ringing up a customer. He was about to head off to tie up a few trees before his scheduled break when he saw a familiar SUV pull up, and the gorgeous woman from the night before popped out of the front seat. My lucky day. He watched her slender approaching frame. He’d kicked himself the rest of the night for not asking her what her name was. Even now, she was dressed in a black fleece sweat suit and her beautiful jet-black hair was pulled back in a sleek ponytail under a black baseball cap riding low over her eyes. Even covered up, he could swear she looked like a supermodel.

  “Hi, ma’am, can I help you?” Quinn watched Jack intercept her as she walked up and he quickly made a beeline to where they both stood.

  “Actually, I’m looking for a young man named Quinn. Oh, hi.” She grinned, looking at Quinn as he approached.

  “Hello. Is everything okay with the tree?”

  “Oh, yes, of course. It’s fine. Thank you again. I just wanted to return these.” She held out his gloves and he smiled as he reached for them. “Thought you may need them. Out in the cold.” She added, referring to the catchy motto he’d made up the night before and he nodded, noting how cute her upturned nose was.

  “Thanks. I was
looking for these. Um, where are your sidekicks?”

  “Oh, they are with my in-laws. They’re giving me a little time to get some things done, and I figured I could just drop off your gloves too. Well, thanks again, and Merry Christmas to you both.”

  “Thanks, you too,” Jack glanced over at Quinn with a sideways grin.

  “Excuse me, ma’am?” Quinn started after Sydnee as she turned to walk away.

  “Oh no, please. No ma’ams. It’s Sydnee.”

  “Sorry?”

  “My name…it’s Sydnee.”

  “Oh, okay, Sydnee. I’m actually getting ready to go on my break; could I buy you a cup of coffee?” He may have let her get away the night before, but he didn’t intend on letting her get away again.

  “That’s sweet, but I don’t think so.”

  “Wow. I don’t know if I’ve ever been rejected that quickly. I could be scarred for life.” He beamed, clutching at his heart and looking into a set of deep brown eyes he knew he could get lost in.

  “Something tells me you’ll be okay,” she giggled and he was hooked. She had the most infectious laugh and he was prepared to do whatever he needed to do to keep hearing it.

  “It’s just coffee.”

  “Look, Quinn, it was really nice of you to deliver my tree last night, even though I know that’s not a service this tree lot actually provides. But I just can’t go out with you.”

  “Hmm, so it’s not that you don’t want to go out with me? I mean you said you can’t so, technically, I still have a chance?” He could only hope he was making progress as her giggle turned into a full-blown laugh.

  “You are an optimist. I have to go.”

  “Hey, you didn’t say you weren’t interested. You just said you can’t go out. There’s a difference.” He continued to walk alongside her as she strode to her car.

  “If you say so.”

  “So what does a guy have to do to get you to say yes?”

  “Goodbye, Quinn.” She paused, smiling at him before she turned to walk off.

  “See you later.” He grinned and she spun around to look at him quizzically. “Hey a guy can dream can’t he?” His eyes danced and she could only shake her head at his persistence. Quinn could still hear her melodic laugh as she got in her SUV and pulled away. He smiled as Jack approached him, slapping him on the back.

  “Shot down huh? Maybe you should stick to females your own age. I can see why you delivered the tree last night, but son, that’s a real woman there, and I doubt you have a snowball’s chance in the devil’s house with her.” His uncle laughed.

  “Uncle Jack, you so underestimate me.” Quinn winked, walking away to help a customer.

  ###

  Sydnee was still grinning after she changed her clothes and took her spot in her Pilates class. She was meeting her best friend, Sara, who suggested she join the gym after Matt left to help her relieve stress and to fight off the depression she was slowly sinking into. It was the best thing she could have ever done. It didn’t make the pain go away, but it helped her deal with it a little better. She even managed to lose about twenty-five pounds and was back at her pre-twins weight, which wasn’t a bad trade-off.

  “Okay, spill it.” She looked over to see Sara taking her place beside her.

  “What are you talking about?” They still had ten minutes before the class started, other women started to arrive and find their spots around the two.

  “You’re smiling like a Cheshire cat. What’s going on with you?”

  “It’s funny, but I got hit on today.” Sydnee couldn’t help giggling at the thought of the young man asking her out for coffee.

  “Are you serious? Was he cute?”

  “Okay, puppies and babies are cute. But, yes, he was very attractive. I mean, he was tall and even with his jacket on, you could see he was pretty well built. His eyes were what really caught my attention. They were almost, like, transparent or something as bright as they were and, crap. Sara, why am I even telling you this? I guess in a way you could say he was cute, because he looks a lot younger than me.”

  “What! You got hit on by a baby cub, you cougar.” Laughing, Sara sat and started stretching. Sydnee had always loved Sara’s quick wit since the day they met. Sara was one of the first people she met when she and Matt moved to Louisville. They met at the apartment complex Matt and Sydnee lived in for the first six months before their house was finished. The day they moved into the apartment, Sara had walked across the hall and been the first to introduce herself. From that day on, the two formed a fast friendship and Sara became the sister Sydnee never had. “Sounds like a delicious little one too.”

  “I know, isn’t that crazy?”

  “Well, no, I mean, honestly, Syd, I can see it.” Sara stopped stretching to look at Sydnee with a serious face and Sydnee laughed at the thought. “You’re a beautiful woman.”

  “It was flattering, but I turned him down.”

  “Okay wait a minute. He asked you out?”

  “He asked me to go get a cup of coffee with him.” Honestly, she was flattered he asked her out and she couldn’t lie. The man was definitely good-looking and after talking with him, it wasn’t just the way he looked, but the way he carried himself that was even more intriguing. Had she been younger and things a little different, she may have considered his offer.

  “How old is he?”

  “I don’t know. He’s probably in his twenties, maybe twenty-five, twenty-six.”

  “Well, that’s not bad.”

  “Sara. Are you kidding me? He’s too young.” Sydnee dismissed her comment and continued to stretch her legs.

  “Well, just think about it. You’re thirty-four.”

  “Hey, shhh, not so loud.” Sydnee giggled.

  “Whatever, you’re thirty-four; he’s possibly twenty-five. That’s less than a ten year difference.”

  “Yeah, by one year.”

  “Still, you should feel good about it. It means you still ‘got it’,” Sara added, snapping her fingers and rolling her head back.

  “Oh, I got it all right. I have two five-year olds I’m raising alone. Instant family for any guy that comes along.” Rolling her eyes, Sydnee shook her head and stretched her arms above her.

  “Hey, look at it this way, he doesn’t know that and to him, you’re a single hot older lady.” Sara added in a sultry voice, nodding her head.

  “Actually, he does know that.”

  “Okay, what are you not telling me? Suddenly I feel like there’s a lot more to this story than you’re letting on.” Sara straightened up and looked over at Sydnee.

  “No, what I mean is, I met him last night. You know I told you I was taking the boys to get a Christmas tree.”

  “Yeah?” Sara urged Sydnee on.

  Sydnee proceeded to tell Sara the whole story of Quinn delivering their tree and how happy the boys were. She continued on about taking the gloves to him and how he was so persistent about taking her out.

  “Hmm, sounds like he had a point.”

  “What? How can you say that?”

  “You didn’t say you didn’t want to go out with him. Even when you were telling me about it, you never said you didn’t want to go out with him. You said can’t, and it’s different.” Sydnee stared at Sara and the smirk gracing her face with disbelief.

  “Sara, you’re crazy. I can’t go out with him. How would that look? I’m practically ten years older than him. I have two five-year olds, and I just don’t think that looks good.” Sydnee dismissed Sara’s crazy thought process. She could only imagine the looks they would get, and never mind the comments people would make.

  “To who? Seriously Syd, more and more women are doing exactly what men have done for ages. What’s so wrong with it? Obviously he doesn’t have a problem with you being a single parent of five-year olds. And you said yourself the boys seemed to be in awe of him, and he even let them help with the tree, so he’s good with kids.”

  “Sara, you’re just a silly hopeless romantic.” />
  “Hey, it could work.”

  “There are other factors that I don’t think would work,” Sydnee confessed slowly.

  “Like? C’mon, Syd, what’s the problem?” Sydnee paused before starting to list the issues she felt would present a problem.

  “He’s…he’s white.”

  “So?”

  “So? Sara, really? That just makes it even harder.” Sydnee didn’t have a problem with race. She got along fine with people of all backgrounds and she had no problem with interracial relationships. If someone loved someone, that’s who they loved. It was just something she’d never experienced.

  “Whatever, Syd. Obviously he doesn’t care about the race issue, so why should you?” Sara stopped. She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, before a grin the size of the Mississippi River spread across her face. “You’ve never gone out with a white guy before, have you?”

  “Well...no. I haven’t. You know that.”

  “Gurrrrrrl. You better get with the program. Don’t limit yourself.” Sara laughed at Sydnee rolling her eyes. “I’m serious. You never know, he might be what-cha need.”

  “I guess we’ll never know because I probably won’t ever see him again.”

  “Well, maybe, but he does know where you live.” Sara laughed, looking at the face Sydnee made as the instructor started the class.

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  www.5princebooks.com

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