“Just apologizing for being so difficult,” he said contritely.
She blinked at him, utterly confused by his erratic behavior. He’d been hard to predict lately. “Uh, okay . . . I think we’d better just concentrate on my shopping list.” Pulling it out of her coat pocket, she turned away and continued into the store, counting on Peyton to follow.
She had been touched by Peyton’s offer to keep her company. That was what she liked most about him—the way he focused his energy on her. But his kiss had left her flat-out cold, which was not a happy realization considering she could sense a proposal coming.
This was all Alex’s fault! If he hadn’t swept back into her life reminding her how incredible it could feel to really love somebody, she’d have been totally satisfied with Peyton.
Now? She didn’t know if she could bring herself to kiss him for the rest of her life.
Chapter Nine
With his stomach coiled into knots, Alex watched Tori walk away. Peyton trailed after her, casting a smirk at Alex as he went. The flickering flame of hope that Tori would leave the weasel and come back to him gasped and died.
He’d waited too long to reclaim her. She was clearly into Peyton Fischer in a big public-display-of-affection kind of way.
“Why, Alex, darling. How good to see you!”
Responding to the warmly uttered sentiment, Alex turned his head and found his former English teacher beaming up at him.
“Oh, hey, Mrs. Fritz. How are you?” He spared a distracted glance at Tori but could no longer see her.
“Wonderful. I heard you were back. Will you be home long, dear?”
He would have stayed for a whole month if Tori wanted him around. After that, since his new assignment had him working ninety minutes away, he’d be in Edenton every chance he got. Instead, with defeat weighing down his shoulders, he muttered, “No, ma’am.” And suddenly incapable of small talk, he added, “Excuse me” before brushing past her with his purchases.
He’d intended to stop by Tori’s apartment later that day in one-last ditch effort to win her over. He’d hoped if they were alone again, she would succumb to the chemistry that still simmered like an active volcano between them. However, after witnessing Peyton’s possessive kiss, he didn’t see the point in beating his head against a brick wall. Tori had obviously made her choice, which meant Peyton had done way more than kiss her.
As Alex started to envision what sex was like between them, his rational mind tackled his imagination and forcibly restrained it.
Don’t go there, he told himself.
As he approached his truck, he noticed the front end of a sleek black Audi parked in the next lane over, looking as out of place in the parking lot as a swan amidst a flock of ducks. His gaze cut to the license plate. The realization that INVEST2 belonged to none other than Peyton Fischer made him want to key the fucker’s entire vehicle.
Instead, he climbed into his own Ford pickup and sat for a despondent minute staring at the emblem in the center of his steering wheel. Then he cranked his engine and left. He decided then and there that he would give Tori the next gift regardless of how this had turned out. There was no one else he would ever give it to, and she was still the woman who filled his heart.
He knew that Just Desserts would be closed all day, like every other small shop in Edenton on Sundays. Yet he no longer wanted to carry out his plan to see her, didn’t want to look at her gorgeous mouth that had recently kissed Peyton.
Instead, he would place the present in her mailbox mounted by the shop’s front door. His only regret was not getting to witness her reaction when she beheld the contents. Watching her face light up was more reward than the gift giving. He was pretty sure she knew how he felt about that, which was why she always acted so delighted.
When she found it today and realized he’d simply left it there, she would understand that this present would be the last from him.
If only that realization were enough to win her back.
* * *
Crossing from the curb to the door of Just Desserts, her arms laden with bags full of gifts to wrap, Tori spotted the red and silver striped package peeking out of her mailbox, and her heart gave a leap of recognition. Alex!
She immediately sought some sign of him, sweeping her gaze up and down the street in the hopes of spying his pickup or Alex himself lounging in a doorway. Regret that Peyton was following her up the walkway grabbed her by the ankles, slowing her step. However, there was no sign of Alex anywhere.
Disappointment tempered her pleasure in receiving yet another gift from him. Smoothly, she stepped in front of her mailbox to block Peyton’s view of it while she worked her key into the lock, longing suddenly to be alone.
“Thank you so much for taking me out,” she said, scrounging up an excuse to send him on his way while fighting with the sticky lock. As with everything else in the building, the lock needed replacing. “I had a great time,” she added, casting him what she hoped was a convincing smile. “Honestly, though, I have so many orders to fulfill before Christmas that I’m going to have to take a raincheck on our dinner date.”
“Oh.” He sent her a quizzical look but didn’t seem nearly as put out as she’d feared he would be. “I can understand that,” he said, sounding slightly relieved. His financial situation had to be more pressing than she’d realized.
“Good.” She freed the lock and swung the door inward. Putting one foot inside the door, she hastily dumped her packages in order to free her hands to take the rest from Peyton.
“What’s this?” Over her shoulder, he had spotted the gift in spite of her attempt to conceal it. “Looks like someone left you a present.” Plucking it out of the mailbox, he turned it over looking for a tag.
Tori caught herself about to lie about some appreciative customer who’d apparently left an anonymous gift. Yet why shouldn’t Peyton know the truth? Alex had been her best friend since high school, and she shouldn’t have to hide the truth from the man she intended to marry.
“It’s from Alex,” she stated, wresting it out of Peyton’s hands and sending him a bright smile. “He’s given me a couple of gifts already since he’s been back,” she added. If their marriage was going to get off on the right foot, she might as well make it plain that Alex was a part of her life.
Although she wasn’t sure Alex would want to continue being in her life now that Peyton was in it.
Peyton’s mouth fell open. A sudden pallor seemed to slip over his face as he divided his gaze between the package in her hand and Tori’s face. “I see,” he said on an inscrutable note.
“Please don’t feel threatened,” she assured him. “I’ve known Alex for a long time, that’s all. We’re just friends.” She gave herself a mental pat on the back at the resolute tone of her voice.
Peyton visibly bristled. “I’m not threatened,” he insisted, but his tone was distinctly defensive.
“Good.” She took the rest of her packages from his slack grip and dropped them with the others just inside her door.
Peyton fell silent. He stood on her stoop as if expecting to be invited inside, a strange light in his dark eyes.
Keeping a firm hold of the doorknob, she prevented the door from yawning open. “Thanks again.” Leaning toward him, she dropped a peck on his cheek, undesirous of an amorous smooch like the one he’d laid on her at the mall. “I’d better get busy baking,” she added, hinting heavily that he should leave.
The fact of the matter was she couldn’t wait to open Alex’s present.
Peyton seemed to shake himself out of a trance. “Right.” He stepped backward off her stoop, nearly losing his footing. Then, in what appeared to be a daze, he rounded his Audi and dropped into the driver’s seat, and drove away.
Chapter Ten
Once Peyton’s car was out of sight, Tori locked herself in her bakery and breathed a sigh of relief. Leaving her purchases on the floor, she crossed to the lit Christmas tree and dropped into the same chair by the window where sh
e’d opened Alex’s first gift. Her pulse thrummed with anticipation. But the sudden silence had her looking up at the empty chair where he’d sat watching her admire the owl he’d bought from Otovalo Market.
Why wasn’t he here watching her open this gift? Except for the times he’d sent packages from overseas, he’d never not been around to witness the unwrapping of his gift. This time, he’d left it in her mailbox for her to find. What did that mean?
With a pang of remorse, she realized he was backing away, leaving her to marry Peyton. After all, she’d told him his gifts would get him nowhere.
Her gaze darted to the bags by the door, one of which contained the present she had bought for Alex. It wasn’t much—only a fishing lure meant to remind him of the first time they’d gone fishing together. She’d looked forward to giving it to him, but now she wondered if she’d get the chance.
The likelihood that this gift from him would be his last made her slump in her seat. Peeling back the tape that secured one end of the red paper, she unwrapped it slowly. As with the previous two gifts, she was met with a box. Prolonging the experience, she waited a moment before lifting the lid. A thick three-ring binder with a gorgeous, sage green leather lay inside.
She lifted it out, set the box on the coffee table, and cautiously turned to the first page. Several index cards filled a clear plastic sleeve, each displaying the same slanted handwriting.
“Oh—!”
Gob smacked at what she was seeing, Tori flipped through several sleeves. Recipes. Dozens of them. Along with family photos taken over several decades. All painstakingly preserved and handed down from several generations. Grandma Ciara’s famous corned beef and cabbage. Mama Rhonda’s award winning whiskey cake.
Her breath caught and her fingers stroked the glossy pages. Underneath one of the notecards was a photo of her and Alex celebrating their first Christmas.
Too stunned to move, she stared at how they had looked, so young, so happy in each other’s company. Alex held a mistletoe over Tori’s head, a huge grin on his face. And Tori, oblivious to the dangling evergreen above her head, rested her head on Alex’s shoulder.
Her serene, contented expression sent a shaft of longing through her. God, she hadn’t looked that happy in years!
With a hand that had started shaking, she turned the page again only to be blasted by another memory, then another. Senior prom. The day after she’d had her braces removed. Their first fishing trip together—Oh, Lord, she had just bought him the fishing lure in memory of that same event!
Every magical milestone she and Alex had shared over the years was here. The pictures began to blur as tears filled her eyes. Tori indulged in the rare luxury of wallowing in her regret and allowing the tears to flow freely. It felt good to weep, to acknowledge her grief. Along with sadness, self-doubt roared through her like a freight train on a track. The last few days seeing and talking to Alex had been . . . confusing, yes. Yet she’d also caught herself several times over the few days looking over at the bakery entrance hoping Alex would walk in. An excited nervousness, familiar and not entirely unwelcome, had plagued her since his return—something she’d never felt with Peyton.
The last picture in the book was of Tori and Alex’s last Christmas together. That was the year he’d given her those cupcake-shaped salt and pepper shakers, the year she’d sobbed her heart out while begging him for a break from the emotional turmoil of trying to stay together. She’d needed to focus on her future, and the Navy kept taking him away.
She looked around at Just Desserts. The future was here. Yet her decision to cut Alex loose hadn’t made her any happier than she was when they’d been together, had it?
Spying a folded sheet of paper behind the photograph, Tori’s heart suspended its beat. Was that a note from Alex? With her heart already hurting and cheeks still wet with tears, she wasn’t sure if she could stand to read it. Especially if the note reflected the message he’d conveyed by not giving her this gift in person. What if he’d written her to say that he’d given up—that he would never bother her again?
Her heart protested powerfully at the thought, caving in on itself like an old mine shaft. With dread, she pulled out the note and unfolded it. The crisp, neat handwriting made her frown—not Alex’s. Her gaze dropped to the name at the bottom.
Intrigued, she scanned it quickly.
My dearest Victoria,
I have never been the kind of mother to put my nose where it doesn’t belong, choosing to allow my children to figure things out on their own. Learning experiences help children grow into stronger, well-adjusted adults. So, when you and Alex broke things off, I kept my silence.
I’m not sure of the whys and wherefores of your break-up, but it’s because I love you that I can no longer remain quiet.
When Richard died, I lost the light of my world. Thank the good Lord I had my beautiful children, Alex and Joel, to see me through the hard times. And believe me, there were plenty. I was bitter, angry, depressed—all those emotions one experiences with such a great loss. But one thing I never felt was regret. We had so little time together. But even if I had known I would lose him so soon, I’d still have married him.
Because I loved him.
You see, my precious darling? We are never guaranteed tomorrow. We only have today. And if we are blessed to have only that single moment of happiness rather than a lifetime of nothing special . . . well, then . . . give me that single moment.
I want you to live with no regrets, Tori.
Love You,
Rhonda M.
Stunned, shaken to the core by the truth that radiated from her mind right through to the ends of her toes and fingers, Tori scarcely breathed as she read the letter a second time, savoring each word.
My God, Rhonda was right. No wonder she was dreading the proposal she could sense Peyton was poised to deliver. No wonder she’d been heartbroken at the thought that this gift might be Alex’s last token of affection for her.
She had never stopped loving him. She’d let the fear of losing him and the pain of their separation dictate her actions. She’d pulled away and tried desperately to recreate what they’d had with someone else.
How’s that working out for you, Victoria?
It wasn’t working out, and it never could. Because the bond she’d forged with Peyton was a mere shadow of the kind of connection she and Alex shared. He was her one and only. Running from the pain of their separation hadn’t made her love him any less. Better to face it and deal with it, counting on the blessing of time spent together to outweigh the heartache of time apart.
Exultation propelled her out of her seat on a quest to find her cell phone. She had to tell Alex what she’d realized, to ask his forgiveness for forcing a separation on him, while asking him please to give her another chance.
She stopped short. It wasn’t that simple, was it? She’d spent the last year cultivating Peyton’s trust and affection. Dumping him and expecting Alex to take her back just like that wasn’t reasonable or fair to either man. For all of the time and money he’d spent on her, Peyton deserved to be let down gently. And Alex? Alex deserved to be the only man in her life when she told him she was his if that’s what he still wanted.
Therefore, she had to give Peyton the news first.
Considering the thirty-two pies she needed to bake before closing the following day, she had best fulfill her orders first. After all, Peyton, who was also her landlord, might react badly to her breaking up with him and disrupt her business out of spite.
She frowned. Wow, it had only occurred to her then that Peyton was actually petty enough to do something like that. Maybe Annette had Peyton pegged all along, and Tori had simply been too blind to see it.
She shook her head. Regardless of Peyton’s reaction, she had a reputation to live up to. Baking Christmas pies came first. After her customers’ orders were filled, she would concentrate on breaking up with Peyton in as gracious a manner as possible. Of course, she would have to tell him before he
stuck his neck out and publically proposed to her. Having treated her as well as he had, he didn’t deserve the humiliation of being turned down in front of witnesses.
Her mind made up, Tori savored the excitement burning in her like the sun at the center of her heart. Her attachment to Alex had proven more stubborn than she’d ever realized. It had survived silence and separation without diminishing one iota. And she was pretty sure the same was true for him. It was about time to put their faith in the bond they’d forged and relinquish her fears forever.
“Baby, I’m back!” She shouted the declaration at the top of her lungs, relishing the joy that filled her as she went to collect her purchases and take them upstairs.
Soon enough, she would say those words to Alex, in person.
Chapter Eleven
Tori’s phone chimed—again—and she pointedly ignored it—again. Instead, she frowned at her reflection in the full-length mirror on her bedroom wall.
Peyton no doubt wanted to discuss the voicemail she’d left him, breaking things off. It hadn’t felt right to leave a message like that but she’d called six times that day, and he’d never picked up. Better to forewarn him than to lead him to possibly humiliate himself in front of everyone.
The red gown she had bought online for her mother’s annual party had cost her a whopping one hundred big ones, more than Tori typically spent, but her reflection assured her the money had been well spent. Sleeveless, it exposed her slender shoulders and toned arms while modestly covering her chest. The silky layers of the skirt fell lightly around her ankles, and she’d chosen a pair of gold heels with ankle straps to finish the look. The four-inch stilettos would have made Annette proud.
She spared a poignant thought for her padded gingerbread slippers, but they wouldn’t do tonight. Her mother expected her to make a stunning entrance at the annual Christmas Eve dinner. And so she would. As soon as it was over, though, she’d slip away from Peyton and any attempts he might make to win her back, and she’d zip over to Alex’s, in the hopes of rekindling their relationship.
Rekindled, a Christmas Novella Page 5
