Tempting Fate

by Lisa Mondello

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  Chapter Three

  The flash of fear in Lauren's eyes startled Kyle. Her eyes were wide and luminous, like a deer shocked by the headlights of an oncoming car. It was many years ago, but he'd seen that same brand of fear before in Chas. Although a lot had changed since those rebel days, the memory of his friend's pain was etched in his brain forever.

  And now he was seeing it again in Lauren. His first reaction was to reach out to her, hold her. Anything to erase that pain. But when he reached out to take her hand, she did something completely unexpected.

  She laughed and shouted, "Come on!" Pulling both Kristen and Kyle deep into the crowd of people already joyfully caroling, she began singing at the top of her lungs. Kristen sang in between giggles and jumping up and down with glee.

  A rush of excitement mixed with bewilderment consumed him. Was this the same woman who bluffed so miserably last night? Just when he thought he knew what to expect, she did a one hundred and eighty degree turn on him and raced in the other direction.

  "You better watch out," she sang. "What's wrong? Join in," she urged.

  They sang and laughed as Santa rode around the common before making his way through the crowd of people. With the music still blaring over the loud speakers, she shouted teasingly, "It's a good thing they don't discriminate for singing out of tune."

  His eyebrows furrowed. "Why's that?"

  "Because you would have been kicked out of the choir long ago. You can't carry a tune to save your life." When she laughed, her voice was rich and pure and her face was brighter than the midday sun.

  His breath caught in his throat. "Hey, it's the enthusiasm behind the song that counts."

  She nudged him. "If you say so."

  As Santa Claus made his way through the cheering crowd, the town Christmas tree was set ablaze. A chorus of oh's and ah's filtered through the town square along with cheering.

  Kyle gazed down at Lauren's face and was transfixed by the awe he saw there. Her mouth was agape and her eyes were as wide with wonder. Along with Kristen, she stared up at the Christmas tree as if she'd never seen anything like it before. In fact, both mother and daughter looked as if they had just walked into Santa's winter wonderland with the golden key.

  God, she was beautiful. He wanted to touch her, but didn't want to break the spell that had come over her.

  They waited in line to see Santa, toes and noses frozen in the dipping temperature, watching the mist from their breath, without any real conversation. Despite the laughter they'd shared earlier, Kyle knew that there was something Lauren was holding back. She'd acted weird, to say the least, when she met his mom and he mentioned that he was adopted. Suddenly, he needed to know the reason why. Given the right moment, he fully intended to get to the bottom of what made Lauren Alexander tick.

  "Look, the line has died down for sleigh rides. Why don't we take advantage of our luck?" Kyle said, gently tugging Lauren by the hand. It felt so natural holding her hand that when he realized he was doing it, he just held on and savored the toasty feeling it gave him.

  "I really should get Kristen home," Lauren said. "She's been out late two nights in a row."

  "It's not a school night. Surely, she doesn't have to be in bed so early," he challenged, hoping he could gain a little advantage by soliciting Kristen's help. He wasn't disappointed.

  "Yeah, let's go see the horses!" Kristen squealed, scrunching her shoulders up to keep herself warm.

  She shot a you're-playing-dirty glance at Kyle and turned to Kristen. "But honey, you look so cold. I think we need-"

  "We'll keep her warm. We can sit her between us," Kyle interjected before Lauren could make another protest. Moving closer he drew in the scent of her, fresh and clean, uniquely feminine and he added in a whisper, "Will that be a safe enough distance for you, Ms. Alexander?"

  She sucked in a breath and peered straight into his eyes. He hadn't expected her to let go of his remark without a comeback. He figured she'd shoot back with that same wildcat fire he'd seen last night in the parking lot. What downright shocked him was seeing the fire hidden in the depths of her wide eyes that spoke of desire. And maybe a hint of fear. She said nothing and that surprised him most of all. But then again, he was finding out fast that Lauren Alexander was full of surprises.

  * * *

  "Thanks, Dad," Kyle said as the horse-drawn carriage came to a halt in front of one of the town's oldest Victorian homes, located just on the outskirts of the common. For the past three holiday seasons, his father had used two of the work horses from the farm to give sleigh rides on the back trails of the farm. But for use in the town square where the pavement was clear of snow, he needed the carriage to give "sleigh" rides.

  "Anytime. We can take another ride after dinner on Sunday if you like," Will Preston said to Lauren as he helped her down from the sleigh. Kristen was still in her arms and well on her way to falling asleep. "We can take a real sleigh ride then. Maybe this little lady will stay awake to enjoy the ride next time." He smiled and rumpled the little girl's hair causing her to stir in her Lauren's arms just enough to let out a lazy yawn.

  "Well, I'm not sure that we can-"

  "We better get Kristen inside," Kyle interrupted.

  "Yes. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Preston."

  "Likewise. Be seeing you on Sunday I'm sure," Will called out as he climbed back on to the carriage.

  Kyle waved as his father rode away. "See you."

  He grasped the cold brass knob and yanked the door with more force than a girl as tiny as Kristen could ever muster. "I'll be by tomorrow to oil this door jamb. You're going to dislocate your shoulder if you keep this up."

  "On the up side, I don't have to go to the gym. Thanks, but there's no need. Mrs. Hopkins' son usually comes by to do repairs when needed," Lauren said, dismissing his offer. Her hair shimmered in the moonlight giving her an angelic look that caught Kyle off guard. His eyes focused on the fullness of her glossy lips as he fought the urge to bend his head and steal a kiss. If it wasn't for Kristen being in her mother's arms, he probably would've done just that.

  He wondered just what kind of man tosses aside a woman as beautiful as Lauren Alexander without any thought of the child they created. How that same man could live without the laughter just waiting to bubble up from the depths of her soul to fill his own. She was full of life just waiting to burst free. He'd seen just how much tonight when she pulled him into the crowd of Christmas carolers and sang to her heart's content.

  "Let me take her," he offered, watching Lauren step awkwardly with a sleepy Kristen in her arms.

  "No, thanks. I have her."

  "It's a long way to the third floor."

  "She's my daughter. I do it all the time." Lauren moved past him, her jaw squared and determined like she'd been last night, her boots scuffing against the worn wooden treads as she advanced up the stairs. He wondered if they'd ever get past this barrier. Tonight, he had hoped she'd lower her shield enough to let him get a real glimpse of her.

  They climbed the three flights of stairs until they reached the landing that headed to her attic apartment.

  "Thank you once again, Kyle." She shifted Kristen in her arms and rattled her keys in her hand, but made no move to unlock the door. It was clear to him that she was debating whether or not to invite him in.

  Without a word, he took the keys from her hand. "This one?" He lifted one of the keys for her to view.

  She nodded. "There's a light switch on the left side as you open the door."

  The door swung open and Kyle grazed his left hand against the smooth wall until he found the switch that illuminated the living room. He stepped in and Lauren breezed straight by him into a back room.

  "I'll be out in a minute," she said in a voice just loud enough for Kyle to hear.

  He pulled the key from the lock and closed the door behind him, jingling the keys in his hand as he scanned her home. It was a cozy attic apartment with slanted walls in the gable ends and old style
woodwork that spoke of the craftsmanship of the building's earlier years. He brushed his hand over the stained wood grain in admiration. You didn't see moldings and cabinetry made with such detail in new construction. He'd have to remember the detail work when he added the finishing touches to his house.

  As he walked into the open living room, his boot kicked something pliant, spilling its contents. He stooped to see the damage and found a wicker basket filled with magazines, some of which had scattered on the floor by the slipcovered sofa. He quickly refilled the basket with what would fit and placed the rest on the end table. He lingered a moment to read the cover of one of the magazines before placing it down next to a course catalog from a local community college.

  The furniture, although worn from years of use, felt homey and invited you to sit down and get comfortable. Kyle guessed that everything was either a hand-me-down or bought at the Salvation Army store with limited funds. A picture frame perched on the television caught his attention. He picked up the wooden frame, a double oval containing a portrait of Lauren with a man and woman he guessed were her parents on one side, a candid shot of Kristen at the park in the other.

  "She was asleep before I took her coat off. Didn't even stir." Lauren bounced into the room as if there had never been a moment of tension between them. Kyle leaned against a built-in bookcase and realized this was the first time he'd seen her without her bulky coat on. "Nice, isn't it?" she said.

  "Hmmm. Oh, the woodwork? Yes, it's beautiful."

  "It's one of the things I love about this apartment. Want some coffee? I have decaf."

  "Yeah, sure."

  She stretched to reach some mugs in a cabinet over the sink and he noticed that her long legs, accentuated by her form fitting jeans, were like that of a dancer's. They almost seemed too long for her torso. The coral turtleneck she wore tucked neatly into the waistband set off the color of her eyes and put a rosy glow on her creamy complexion.

  She busied herself in the tiny, but functional kitchenette, seemingly unaware of Kyle's study of her. He had to admit he liked just gazing at her, the way she shuffled her socked feet on the floor, the way she unwittingly pushed her hair behind her ear to reveal the soft flesh of her earlobe.

  "I hope you don't mind instant. As you can see, counter space is nearly non-existent so there is no room for a coffee maker. Why don't you sit on the sofa and take off your coat? It's almost done. Oh, and how do you take your coffee?" she asked. Lauren knew she was babbling, but she couldn't help it. She always tripped over her own tongue when she was nervous. It was the first time she'd had a man who wasn't there to make repairs in her apartment. The first of many first's, she guessed.

  "Black, please."

  With a trembling hand, she poured the boiling water into the two mugs, sloshing liquid over the brim of the second. She wiped up the spill with a dish towel and topped off her mug with milk before joining Kyle on the sofa.

  This is so ridiculous. She was a grown woman acting like a school girl with her first crush. All she needed was pompoms and a pony tail to complete the picture.

  "Your family seems so nice," she commented. Anything to keep him from staring at her like he was about to swallow her whole. She wasn't sure if the thought frightened or excited her.

  He smiled in response and his eyes lit up with such affection it made her heart ache.

  "I noticed the pictures on the television." Kyle pointed to the picture frame.

  "Krissy loves the jungle gym. She was just four years old then." Lauren clenched the hot mug in her hand and felt her sweaty palms burn against the ceramic.

  "The couple with you, are they your parents?" he asked as he got up and retrieved the frame.

  "Yes."

  He sat down on the sofa next to her and smiled warmly as he stared at the faces behind the glass. "They must spoil Kristen rotten. Most grandparents do."

  She dropped her mug on the table with more force than was necessary and regretted her gut reaction immediately. "She doesn't know them."

  His expression fell and his eyebrows furrowed. "You don't see them?"

  "No." She wasn't about to tell him it wasn't by her choice, but theirs. She couldn't stand the thought of his pity, nor did she welcome it.

  "For God's sakes, why not?" He genuinely looked aghast. His clear blue eyes were darker in color, and his mouth agape.

  "Not everyone has a close-knit family," she said softly, taking the frame from his hand and returning it to its rightful place.

  She could feel his eyes probed her, seeking the answer to his questions. It made her insides churn.

  "What could they have possibly done to make you leave?"

  She straightened her spine and swung around to face him. "It was a mutual thing, Kyle. I'd prefer not to dredge up the past. Can we talk about something else, please?"

  He drew in a deep breath and for the first time Lauren saw the muscles of his chest expand against the hunter green cotton shirt he wore. He was strong in form where she had always considered herself strong in will. Why did the man make her insides crazy? She had an unfamiliar feeling of longing to touch him coupled with the terror of wanting to fly like a bat out of hell.

  He smiled wickedly. "Okay, dinner on Sunday."

  "What about it?" she asked as if she didn't already know what he was getting at.

  "I've already spilled the beans and told my parents you were coming. To be perfectly honest, your presence there could help me redeem myself after the Thanksgiving fiasco."

  She laughed, remembering Judy's mention of a perfectly basted turkey and decided to tease him. "Kyle, don't tell me you ate all the turkey. You're a grown man-"

  "I wasn't the one who ate all the turkey. Anyway, you're never grown as far as your parents are concerned. Mine still think of me as the twelve year old dirty-faced kid that got deposited on their doorstep." His smile was wide and did wonders to help dissipate the tension caused by the mention of her parents.

  Her mouth dropped open. "You were twelve?"

  "Yeah. Here my folks were praying for a baby. You can imagine their surprise when all they got was a juvenile delinquent." He rubbed his face with his hand and shook his head as if in remembrance.

  "I'm sure you weren't that bad or you wouldn't have ended up as successful as you are now," she suggested.

  "Oh, success was a long time coming. The road getting to today has been pretty rocky." He dropped his gaze from her and circled the rim of his mug with the edge of his thumb.

  "Tell me about it," she urged, suddenly intrigued.

  He gave a quick smile. "Maybe someday."

  "How am I going to help you redeem yourself if I don't know your story?"

  "Does that mean you're coming?"

  She'd backed herself into a corner with that one. "You know, I hadn't planned on going tonight. It was a spur of the moment decision. What would you have done if I hadn't shown up?"

  He squinted one eye as he looked at her and said, "I probably would have been in the dog house."

  "Why's that?"

  "Let's just say that my mother is a maniac about three things-breakfast, lunch and dinner." He laughed hard and added, "And she doesn't share my need for taking in strays of the four legged variety."

  "This sounds like a good story."

  "Come on Sunday and I'll tell you about it."

  She couldn't figure out why this meant so much to Kyle. But after meeting his folks, she had to admit the idea of a family Sunday sounded appealing. In fact, it seemed downright heavenly. She missed her own parents so much that she couldn't resist even a few hours in the company of nice people like the Prestons.

  "We'll be there."

  * * *

  Lauren slammed the car door and stood in the driveway gazing at the Preston home. The house was something out of a Currier and Ives picture print. The lighted Christmas tree as well as the tiny white lights illuminating each window could be seen from the street and were the first thing to catch Lauren's attention. Snow clung to the evergreen ga
rland strung around the railing and banister of the Farmers porch giving the house a welcoming quality.

  With her gloved hand placed over her chest, she fought her emotions. It reminded her of her grandmother's home in upstate New York where she'd spent the holidays as a child.

  She blew out a mist of breath. "They live in a postcard," Lauren muttered, unable to take her eyes from the picture perfect home.

  "Mommy?" Kristen called from inside the car, breaking Lauren from her trance.

  "Sorry, sweetie." She opened the door and helped Kristen out of the car, wondering if she would be able to make it through dinner without reliving all her childhood memories. Each Christmas Eve since she'd left home, she would cry for hours after Kristen was snug in her bed and the presents from Santa were neatly placed beneath the tree. Only she knew the heartache of what they were missing by being alone for the holidays.

  The scent of pine needles intensified as they reached the front door. A wide wreath adorned with a bright red velvet bow hid most of the oval etched glass on the door. She rang the doorbell and immediately heard the scurry of feet and young voices running toward the foyer. Suddenly, she felt a mixed sense of excitement and apprehension filled her whole being. It was the kind of excitement she'd felt in her youth. Looking down at Kristen, she squeezed her little hand in hers and waited for the door to swing open.

  "Hey," the young teenager said. Her hair was a multitude of color and shaved in various odd places. A quick glance at the line of gold studs on her ear made Lauren wonder if this girl had more gold than Fort Knox. "You Lauren?"

  She nodded. "And this is Kristen," she said when the girl just stood there staring.

  "Come on in."

  From inside the foyer, Lauren was hit with the heavenly aroma of good old-fashioned home cooking. She missed that. Not that she was a bad chef, she just hadn't quite mastered much beyond a can of soup and a box of macaroni and cheese. It was a good thing Kristen wasn't finicky.