Lysia nodded. “Quite a bit. Still does.”
“Oh, Miranda doesn’t think so. She never did apologize for her rant, but I did get lots of excuses for her behavior, and most of them were all his fault. Like how he gave up his fortune to teach and how she couldn’t support that. And how she just couldn’t see living up here. It’s cute but too quiet and boring. She didn’t really love him, but he was good to her, on and on. She doesn’t really love the new guy, either, but he understands her and her needs. Translate to he buys her shit without asking questions. He got her the cutest new Mercedes for her birthday. Geek guy apparently never did anything like that for her. That dress was five grand over budget. Five grand and her fiancé didn’t flinch. She’s a grade-A gold digger. Our town is cute enough to get married in but not live here.” Kathleen stuck out her tongue at the invisible Miranda. “I give them less than two years before they’re divorced.”
Lysia laughed. Kathleen was always putting an expiration date on the brides she sold to.
“Anyway, tell geek guy to avoid the Napa Grand over New Year’s. That’s when the wedding is.”
“If he calls, I’m going to do my best to make sure that will not be a problem.” Lysia said with a smirk. “As long as I’m not fired, I’ll keep him home in bed. He won’t want to go out anywhere.”
Kathleen’s chin dropped. “Did you just say what I think you said?”
***
Craig graded the most recent quiz while his students noisily watched a video and filled out a worksheet/study guide. Between his distraction over Lysia and the time of year, he was lucky the kids knew how to spell their own names. Traditional lessons the past few days were a waste of time, so he snuck a review in through another movie about the legend of King Arthur. Next week was easy. Three days of school before a two and half week break? Nothing but exams.
The bell rang. Desks squeaked as his students flew out the door for their weekend.
“Bye, Mr. W,” several students called out and waved as they left.
“Hey, Mr. W. Your girlfriend’s hot. You giving her something good for Christmas?” Callen Halbrook asked.
“She is hot,” Craig responded with a nod. He hoped she was still his girlfriend. Lysia had been avoiding him all week. She came over after he left for school, and she made sure she was gone before he got home. The last time he saw her was as they’d passed each other driving down his street. “When did you see my girlfriend?”
“You were walking around downtown last week all smoochy.” Callen and Dewitt puckered their lips and made smacking kissing noises.
Craig ran his hand over the back of his neck. Right, he and Lysia had gone out for dinner and then walked through town admiring the lights and holiday displays in the windows. They had stopped and kissed at every instance of mistletoe hanging above a shop doorway. And there were a lot of shops with mistletoe. The hazards of small-town life and public displays of affection, getting caught by your students. What he wouldn’t give right now to take her out for some public displays.
“So you gonna get her something good?” Dewitt asked.
Craig tilted his head to the side. “I hope she’ll like what I got her.” I hope she’s still my girlfriend. Their phone conversations were short and purely professional. Notes she left him were timelines of puppy activities. Texts were single-worded.
Callen smirked. “You gonna give her a big–”
“Shut up, dude.” Dewitt shoved his friend.
Craig rolled his eyes. “Have a good weekend, guys.”
“Bye, Mr. W.” The teens pushed out the door.
Craig was left with scattered chairs and the movie credits rolling on the classroom TV. He pushed desks back into alignment. Yes, Callen, I’m going to give her the big one, over and over and over again. I’m going to hold on and never let her go. He laughed. Those boys could be obnoxious, but they were good kids.
Ironically the big present wasn’t particularly large at all. And Craig wasn’t sure he was going to be able to last until Christmas before he gave it to Lysia. The second he got her alone and talking to him, he was going to spill. He would premature Christmas gift all over her.
Chapter Eight
Clouds threatened, but the weather held. Which was a good thing. Lysia didn’t know if the paper-mâché work on the float would actually hold up to Northern California’s typical misty winter rain. So far, so good. The weather had stayed dry enough for the figures on the float to dry and be painted. And the rain was holding off long enough for today’s festive activities, the morning parade followed by the annual Cut and Run.
Tomorrow the weather could do its own cut and run, and the rain could start. As far as she was concerned, the rain never needed to end. Then the weather would match her gloomy mood.
The past few days had sucked. She’d lived on chocolate and ice cream and cookies and cake, since she’d celebrated Mauna Loa Bob’s two-week birthday. If only one thing could remain strong in her life, sticking around through thick and thin, why did it have to be a zit?
She went to work in Craig’s spacious, homey kitchen and cut out pictures of furniture. She made workbooks for him, asking him to circle his preferences. She played with the puppies, allowing them to lick the salty tears from her cheeks.
And because she had finally found something she loved doing, she sucked up her pride and began researching scholarships and government grants so she could afford to get her decorator’s certification.
She also sucked it up and made Craig a very special gift. Now to get over her nerves, face the man, ask forgiveness, and give him the present.
In a series of cryptic text messages, he had said he would meet her for the parade. He agreed to meet her at the corner in front of St. Helena Hardware and Refurbish Rescue. The parade had started, but Craig had not shown up yet. She watched another float roll past. They paused, and people dressed like elves tossed candy into the onlookers. So far every float had been a pickup or a trailer decorated with a Christmas tree, a banner, and a host of candy tossing elves. She had missed the very beginning with the big firetruck followed by the high school marching band.
The St. Paws float would be toward the end of the parade. They wouldn’t have elves. They would have the crowd-friendly dogs leading walkers with fistfuls of leashes. The float itself boasted a puppy pen to give the little ones maximum visibility. And a tower of the shelter’s most tolerant cats, for the feline lovers to ooh and ah over. At the end of the parade, the float would be set up in front of St. Paws for a massive adoption event. Adoption, this time of year, was a tricky balance of ensuring people weren’t getting a disposable pet for a Christmas present so the dogs and cats got a forever home.
“Lysia.” Her knees quivered and turned to Jell-O at the sound of his voice.
She turned around to gaze up at him She wanted to throw herself into his arms and hold tight. He shuffled from foot to foot, his hands shoved into his pockets..
“Hi, Craig.” Her own voice cracked. She was more nervous than she wanted to be, more nervous that she was willing to admit to herself.
When he returned her smile she turned back to watch the parade. He stood just behind her. Close enough to feel his warmth, but not close enough for her to be able to lean back against him. They stood like that and watched the parade in silence.
Finally the St. Paws float, led by the dogs and dog walkers, rolled past. They were far enough at the back of the parade they didn’t pause since the parade was all done with performances for the grandstands by now. People cheered, and a collective “aw” came from the crowd as the puppies peeked out over the sides of the pen.
“You did a really great job on that. It’s terrific.”
Lysia’s stomach flipped at Craig’s words. A compliment had to be a good sign.
He slipped his hand into hers and tugged her away from the side of the street. “I need to talk with you.”
“But…but the parade.” She stumbled over her words.
“Sorry.” He droppe
d her hand. “Are you really interested in the rest of it? I thought we could get out ahead of the crowd.” He was tripping over his words, too. This was hard on both of them.
Lysia sucked in a deep breath and picked his hand back up. “Yeah, let’s go.”
She didn’t comment or ask what destination he had in mind. They turned on Hunt and passed the Town Hall. He kept walking into the park to the rose garden, and pulled her up the steps into the new gazebo the city had installed over the summer. For the season, the gazebo was festooned with lights and hundreds of poinsettia plants. It was beautiful and quiet with the rest of the town still watching the parade over on Main Street.
“I have something for you.”
“I made you something.”
They both spoke at once.
Lysia let out a nervous laugh.
Craig said, “You first.”
“Okay.” Lysia pulled a wrapped present from the bag that hung from her shoulder. “I made you something, and I don’t think you should wait to open it.”
“Lysia.” Craig gently took the package from her. It wasn’t overly large. He could hold the box comfortably with one hand. His eyes flashed to her face before he began removing the bow and unwrapping the present. He lifted the lid and his eyes locked on hers. “You made this for me?”
She nodded. Her guts were in turmoil. She didn’t know what to get the man who could buy anything he wanted. Hopefully he would understand what she was giving him.
Craig pulled the paper from the box and then lifted the object out. He sucked in air as he studied the large dimensional heart. It filled his palm Words Lysia had cut out from magazines or had handwritten covered the heart. In the center, it said, ‘Lysia’s.’ Craig’s jaw went slack, and he carefully rotated the object as he read every quote, every saying. The back said ‘Craig’s.’
When he looked at Lysia again, she saw tears lining his lower lids.
“I love you.” Her voice was little and uncertain. She had given him a handcrafted ornament covered in quotes of love, love that she felt for him. It was the best she could do for a Christmas gift, to give Craig her heart and hope he understood.
She blinked away her tears, and he crushed her to him in a sudden embrace. This felt right; this was where she belonged. In his arms, wrapped in love.
“This is beautiful.” He sprinkled kisses on the top of her head. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen, and I let things go for too long before I apologized. I’ve missed you so much.” Craig eased his grip. “And now that you’ve given me your heart, it makes this a whole lot easier.”
He stepped back from her, huffed air through his lips, and knelt.
“What are you doing?” Lysia asked before realization caught up with her. Her jaw dropped, and she made an O with her lips.
Craig extended his hand, presenting a small velvet box. He lifted the lid.
Lysia found it hard to breathe. A heart-shaped, intensely red ruby ring twinkled up at her.
“You have given me your heart. Now I’m asking you to please take mine.”
Lysia quaked as she extended her left hand to Craig. He slipped the ring on her finger and stood.
“Will you marry me?” The words rushed from him.
Lysia couldn’t speak. She began nodding, the motion getting quicker and more erratic until she finally found her voice. “Yes. Holy crap, yes.”
For the second time, she was crushed to him. His lips captured hers, and she knew she was home.
“Did you like your gift?” Lysia asked.
“Of course. What about you? I couldn’t wait until Christmas morning.”
“It’s perfect. The perfect ring, and the perfect man, and a perfect proposal.” All of this, she hoped, would lead to the perfect life, or as close as two humans and two puppies could get.
Looking for more ridiculous holiday fun?
You need The Twelve Strippers of Christmas
Sometimes the best presents unwrap themselves!
With a twist…
and a thrust…
and some break away snaps.
Grab some holiday cheer the naughty way with the bite-sized Christmas stories. Have fun with a sexy Santa Strip-O-Gram. Party with sassy strippers and skilled shifters. Get ready for surprises such as nude zero-grav ballet, and a Celtic drum band that bares all. And in every story? The romance you’ve been waiting for.
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About Lulu.
Lulu is an aspiring best seller who manages life in a series of to-lists. It should not surprise you she loves sticky notes, and they are posted all over her various offices (home and day job). Her not so scandalous past involves attending art school, teaching bellydance, earning too many degrees in education, and failing miserably at mastering the hula hoop and roller derby.
Her husband is tall, dark, and handsome, and really does wear kilts. Her children are bad-ass derby girls who have great plans on making this world a better place. The voices in her head come with complete character profiles and plot lines.
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St. Helena Vineyard Series Page 9
