Love at Christmas Inn Collection 2

by Tanya Stowe et al

  “Please. If it’s a quick fix, you can work through dinner and be done by movie time. I’ll even order dinner and have it sent in here to you. What do you say?”

  He gave a quick shake of his head and looked up at her with one eyebrow raised. “I could work through dinner and not charge you as a friend.”

  “Absolutely not. If you won’t keep your Christmas holiday precious, then I will. Deal.”

  She held out her hand. That low chuckle rumbled through his chest again. Shaking his head, he grasped her hand. Their palms met, long fingers wrapped around hers and electric shocks sang along her senses making her feel more alive than she had in years. That feeling roared to life inside her, making the smile fade from her lips.

  Had she awakened a sleeping dragon?

  Shane pushed “save” on his computer and watched as a spinning wheel turned on the screen indicating his changes were locked into the program. He had implemented a few ideas that added just the right spark to Lauren’s presentation. It hadn’t been that many changes. He felt a little guilty taking double pay for what amounted to a favor for a friend, but she was right. He needed to keep his Christmas time special.

  Honestly, an hour or so of work time without worrying over the kids had been a bonus as well. He knew they were in good hands with Lauren and her father. One more proof and he’d be on his way to join them. As the program loaded onto his screen, he lifted the sandwich Lauren had the kitchen send over. She hadn’t forgotten her promise to feed him and she even remembered to ask for extra mayonnaise the way he liked it.

  No doubt about it. He and Lauren hadn’t lost their touch when it came to style and design. They still had the same eye, the same preferences and the ideas rolled out like a well-ordered machine. It was a nice feeling. He might enjoy doing the occasional project for Lauren. But working together all the time? That was another story.

  Truth be told they did a lot of things well together. Even parent. Despite the fact that Lauren had no children of her own, she seemed to instinctively know what needed to be done and how. On the skating rink, she’d slid in and taken charge like an experienced mom, making the outing a success where he’d almost failed. And he didn’t have to remind her that he couldn’t leave his children in the room while he finished her pet project. She made arrangements to cover that. She was a natural at being a mom. Maybe that’s why she was so intent in helping him out this Christmas. Had she realized something was missing in her life?

  But no way could his children be the antidote to her unsatisfied feelings because sooner or later she would return to her high-powered life in New York and they would return to their little town in Tennessee.

  Besides, even if they were great work associates and she was a great parenting partner, it took a lot more to make a marriage work. He knew that first hand. No matter how hard he’d tried to keep his marriage together, the fact remained that it takes two. Both partners have to want it as much as the other. Both sides need to work hard at compromising, sharing the work load, and love needs to carry them through. That uncompromising, unconditional love pushes a marriage through the hard times. That indefinable spark.

  And frankly, that spark simply wasn’t there anymore with Lauren. Not for him. Maybe he still carried too much leftover hurt from their first break-up. Or maybe after two seriously failed relationships he’d lost the ability to give that kind of love. Whatever the reasons, he didn’t feel that certain spark for Lauren. He cared about her…deeply. She’d been his best friend for years. He hurt for the lost years between them, even felt sorrow for what they might have lost. But that special kick, or spark or indefinable something just wasn’t there. These few days together had proven that true. He was thankful for learning that after years of wishing and wondering what might have been.

  No. That kind of sense-tingling, jolting sensation didn’t exist anymore. He closed down the computer, tossed his trash in the can and headed up the stairs, two at a time.

  If those feelings didn’t exist why was he in such a hurry?

  Because the pressure was off. Now that he knew how he really felt about Lauren, all the old hurts and misguided emotions could be put aside. He was free just to enjoy her company, his children and Dale Bradford, one of the nicest men he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing. It was going to be a great night!

  Their room was empty. All of their clothes were neatly folded and placed in piles at the end of the bed. Obviously, Lauren had supervised the change into PJ’s for movie night. Livy would never have been able to get all of the boys’ clothes on and the dirty ones folded. Shane smiled, then rushed to find his blue plaid lounge pants and Henley shirt. Not exactly pajamas but they would work great. In moments he was headed down to the movie hall.

  The movies had not started. His family was seated in the back row. Justin and Bryce sat on either side of Dale. By the smiles on their faces, he’d guess the older man had been regaling them with a funny story. Livy sat next to Lauren, of course. Todd was on Livy’s lap but was engaged in some sort of hand game with Lauren. None of them heard him enter or slide into the empty seat next to Lauren. She had her back to him, tickling Todd. Both Livy and Todd dissolved in laughter. Since no one noticed his entrance, he took advantage.

  Leaning toward Lauren, he smelled the sweet scent of her flowery perfume. Her waist span was still that of a young girl. For a moment his hands wrapped around her waist. She might have the slim center of a younger woman but there were definitely some womanly curves beneath. But he experienced nothing. No spark. All those feelings were gone. He poked her like a kid in junior high.

  She screamed, jumped and spun. Livy and Todd dissolved in giggles. Lauren laughed, too.

  When the laughter finally died down she looked at him. “All done?”

  “Yep. I’ll show you the finished product in the morning.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I see you haven’t missed me too much.”

  A satisfied smile slipped over her lips. “We’ve managed.”

  Todd chose that moment to crawl into his lap. “Daddy, Grandpa B has a wig.”

  He looked at Lauren. “Grandpa B?”

  She lowered her voice. “Don’t make a big deal but Dad’s as pleased as punch.”

  Shane ruffled his son’s hair. “He’s shown me that joke many times, Todd. Next time he wiggles his scalp, pull on his hair and see if it really is a wig.”

  Todd’s eyes lit with mischief. “I knew he was just foolin’.”

  “Don’t say anything. Just tug on his hair.”

  His son nodded like a good conspirator. “Got it.”

  The lights blinked to signal the movie starting. The hotel staff handed out bags of popcorn just before the room went dark and old-fashioned music ramped up the screen. Bryce and Justin were full of questions and Dale was kept busy answering. Livy had a few too. Lauren’s head was nestled close to his daughter’s as they whispered.

  The classic old movie had too much talking and not enough action for Todd. Fortunately, the bag of popcorn kept him occupied but it soon ran out. He climbed off of Shane’s lap and crawled up onto Lauren’s. Without batting an eye, she wrapped an arm around the little one to secure him, held her bag out so Todd could reach inside and answered Livy’s question without pause.

  Amazing. He had never seen his son be at ease with any other woman. Did she know what a small miracle she had accomplished? Or was Lauren just the miracle herself? That she could step into his family so easily, make his children feel welcome and comfortable and fill the role of a good friend and maybe even a mother so quickly was a wonder that stunned him.

  He eased back into his seat, determined not to disrupt the peaceful unity that she had brought to his family. But he couldn’t help glancing her way every few minutes. Todd was so relaxed he even laughed when Jimmy Stewart began to hoop and holler, relieved that his life was back in place. The kid poked Lauren with a butter-coated finger and pointed to the screen. Lauren nodded and whispered something. Todd, Livy and Lauren
laughed quietly. Funny thing, Shane felt like his life was back in place too.

  How did Lauren do it? How did she make everything right? And how long would it last?

  Shane shook his head. It didn’t matter. She would leave. She had a company to run. But in the meantime, she’d made his children happy and eased their transition into a somewhat normal life. For that he would always be grateful.

  Nothing else mattered. He settled back to watch the rest of the movie. Close to the end all the characters gathered together to sing Auld Lang Syne. Before the credits rolled, Shane glanced once more at Lauren. Todd had curled into her lap, tucked his head in the curve of her neck and fallen asleep. Just as the credits flashed onto the screen, Lauren gently dipped her head and pressed her lips into the child’s curly hair and closed her eyes in sweet bliss.

  Something exploded inside Shane. A million sparkles like bright white firecrackers snapped through his body, igniting things he didn’t know existed. The sight of her holding his precious son and so sweetly and quietly kissing his head undid him. He wanted to lean forward, wrap his arms around both of them and kiss her as gently as she’d kissed his son. He wanted to press his mouth to those pink lips…and not just in thanks. He wanted it so badly he clenched his fingers into fists to keep from reaching out.

  He forced his attention back to the screen and willed himself into control. But it didn’t come easily. It took a long, long time. Way too long for his peace of mind.

  Chapter 5

  “ALL RIGHT EVERYONE. TIME TO put on those hair nets!” Graham Forrester, Christmas Inn’s nationally famous chef, handed the box to his wife, Lydia. She pulled small black nets out of the box and handed one to Lauren and another to Livy. The pre-teen made a face, which the chef caught and added. “It’s the law and it’s just plain manners. Would you like to find a hair in your Christmas cookie?”

  Livy made another face that clearly conveyed her feelings about that “gross” occurrence. Lauren repeated the expression. Chef Forrester had agreed to hold a cookie baking class in Christmas Inn’s spotless stainless steel kitchen for teens and pre-teens. Livy wanted to sign up but had to be accompanied by an adult and Shane could not possibly trust his rowdy boys in the kitchen. Lauren had volunteered and with a sigh of relief, Shane set off to the ice rink with the boys to wear down some of their energy. Not that that strategy worked very often. The one who came back worn down most was Shane.

  He was a wonderful single dad and if Lauren could give him a rest while they were here, she was more than happy to do it. Even her dad seemed to be more energized by the boys’ outdoor activities. Running into Shane and his family was the best thing that had happened to Lauren in a long time. But it was also good for her father. He seemed happier this Christmas than she’d seen him in years.

  Spending time with Miss Opal almost certainly had some bearing on her dad’s happiness as well. The craft lady seemed to be spending a lot of time at Christmas Inn this year and most of that was in her dad’s company. Not that Lauren minded. It was good to see them talking and laughing. The last few years had been hard on her old friend, too. Miss Opal and her dad had a lot in common and she was glad they found companionship in each other.

  “Miss Lydia will be handing out the aprons. Then I’d like you all to line up to wash your hands. She’ll show you how to scrub properly and while she does that, I’d like you all to look up here.” He held up a tray of completed cookies. Sparkly wreaths, green trees, red and white Santas, every room of the inn was represented in the cut-out cookies on the tray.

  “We will be preparing cookies just like these for tonight.”

  The oooh’s and aaah’s of the crowd echoed back and forth. Excitement charged the air. But all Lauren could think was how hers would not look like that. Soon she and Livy were hands and elbows in a mixing bowl, taking turns trying to stir the cookie dough. Chef Graham stopped by their table and shook his head. “You’ll need some milk. Those are a tad bit dry.”

  Lauren blew a hair out of her face that had somehow wiggled out of the net and nodded to Livy. “I’m glad he’s here to help us correct my mistakes. Cooking is not my best skill.”

  Livy giggled. “That’s okay. My dad is a good cook.” She took the bowl and added the milk while Lauren stared at her back.

  What was that supposed to mean? Did Livy think Lauren and her dad were a couple…that they might have a future together? It was not true and Lauren needed to correct the young girl’s thinking right away. But now didn’t seem like the right time. The chef ordered them to roll out the sugar cookie dough and start cutting with the shapes he’d provided. Then it was time to line them on the cookie sheet and pop them into one of the kitchen’s multiple ovens. They cleaned up their area and before they knew it, their sheets of cookies were done and cooling on the racks. Chef Graham gave them a mini-course on decorating and Livy loved it. Of course she would. Colors and design were so easy for her.

  Before Lauren could even take a breath, the cooking session was over. They were cleaned up and heading toward the skating rink. Now wasn’t the right time for that type of conversation either. But…when was the right time?

  They reached the edge of the rink. Just as Lauren suspected, Miss Opal was there, watching her dad skate with the two older boys.

  Livy turned to Lauren. “Do you think I could skate for a while?”

  Lauren shrugged. “I don’t see why not. If your dad is too tired, I’ll stay and take you back to your room. But only for a while. It’s getting close to the boys’ nap time.”

  Livy gave her a quick hug then ran off to find the right size skates. Lauren looked up to see Miss Opal watching her with a very speculative gleam in her gaze.

  Lauren squirmed under the older woman’s observation. “What?”

  “You’re pretty good at this for someone who doesn’t have children of her own.”

  Lauren paused. “You know, I hadn’t thought of it like that. I’ve just been enjoying myself so much…”

  She let the sentence hang.

  Opal made no comment and turned back to the rink. Her father had just challenged the boys to a race around the rink and cheated by cutting across. The little guys laughed and called him out as they all went around for a second time. Now he let the boys catch up, seeming to trip on his own feet. Lauren saw the smile on his face and knew he’d stumbled on purpose.

  “There’s someone who seems to be a natural grandpa, too,” Opal said.

  It was true and something like a sledgehammer hit Lauren. She’d never considered what her choice had meant for her father. As an only child, she’d left him no possibility of grandchildren. Of course, she couldn’t have children just to satisfy her father’s needs but it was a little painful to see what he’d been missing in his life.

  She looked at Opal. Her gaze was fixed on Lauren’s dad. A soft smile curved her lips and the look in her eyes gave Lauren pause.

  “You and my dad seem to be enjoying each other’s company.”

  The older lady nodded. “Having someone to talk to that’s your own age is great. They know what you know, they’ve lived through the same times. It’s even better when they have had the similar experiences. It’s a special blessing.”

  Her words grabbed Lauren by the throat and she watched Shane swing around the ice with his youngest son in his arms. Their dark, curly heads were close together and Todd’s laughter rippled across the ice. The sight tugged at Lauren in ways she didn’t know a heart could go.

  “I think that’s a special blessing at any age,” she murmured.

  “Uncle…uncle.” Her father held his hands in the air. “I give up. That’s all this old man can take. I need a break!”

  He skated over to the side of the rink where Lauren and Opal stood. The older lady laughed. “You lasted a lot longer than I would have.”

  Her father grinned. “I was done minutes ago. I’m just too stubborn to admit it.”

  They laughed. He sat down on the bench. “Did you ask Lauren about what we
discussed earlier?”

  Opal shook her head. “No, we didn’t get a chance.”

  “What?” Lauren plopped down next to her father on the bench.

  “Well, we’re missing something.” He turned to face her as he slid off one skate. “We have no Christmas presents for these kiddos. I think we need some.”

  Lauren’s lips parted. “You’re right. But I have no idea what they want or need.”

  Opal sat down next to her dad. “That’s why you need to take Shane with you. Your dad and I will take the little ones to dinner and then to the caroling tonight so you two can slip out and get what you need.”

  “That’s a good idea. Did you ask Shane about it?”

  “No. We thought we’d better ask you first.”

  They finished talking just as Shane skated over with the boys. “These guys are getting tired. Time to call it quits.”

  The boys mumbled and grumbled as they slid off their skates and back into their street shoes. But as soon as they finished, her dad said, “How about that hot chocolate I promised. Anyone game?” The boys all jumped up and down and her father looked at Shane. “How about you, Dad?”

  Shane smiled that oh-so-winning boyish smile. She’d forgotten how sweet his smile could be. His dimples—currently hidden behind his neatly trimmed beard—were killers. But she remembered them perfectly. Had she needed a reminder, she had only to look at his youngest son who was the spitting image of Shane’s photos from that age. Maybe that’s why little Todd tugged at her heart so much.

  “I’ll take a coffee, please. The caffeine will do me good.” He called out to Livy, telling her time was up. Then he smiled at Lauren. “How did cooking class go?”

  Livy’s remark jumped into her mind. Should she tell Shane? Should they talk about it and decide what to say? Before she could think it through, her mouth moved. It seemed to be talking before her brain could object.

  “I’ll tell you later. Right now I need to ask you something else. Dad and I would like to buy the kids some Christmas gifts…”