Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  *****

  Cara appeared just as nervous as Lance. She fiddled with the centerpiece of the necklace around her neck, and often. Her index finger and thumb gently rubbed over the charm. She had motherly hands, the kind that would soothe her children to sleep with a back rub, a trail of fingers lightly over skin. Enough to be content.

  He had no idea what his mother would say to her. He'd made the mistake of not letting go of Cara's hand when walking into the room. Ma would sure pick up on that and make some kind of comment either now or later. It was inevitable.

  “Daddy!” Tamara waved, her voice loud and ecstatic, then her gaze slid to Cara. Wide eyes stared curiously. “Who's she?”

  “This is my new friend Cara. Cara, meet my daughter, Tamara.” Lance introduced them. He let go of Cara's hand this time to kiss his daughter's cheek, then moved to say hello to his mom. Yep. There went her look. The 'I knew it' look, which meant she'd be up to her matchmaking antics.

  “Are you Daddy's girlfriend?” Tamara inquired. “You're pretty.”

  Cara laughed. Why did he find her nervous laugh so adorable? Not that he wanted her to be nervous, but the way she did that touched his heart. “We're just friends. You're pretty, too.”

  “You were holding hands!” Tamara announced.

  “Sometimes friends hold hands, honey.” Ma jumped in. “Hello, Cara. It's great to meet you. I'm glad Lance brought you by. Please call me Mallory.”

  “Hi, Mallory.” Cara stuck out a hand to shake.

  Ma ignored her hand and wrapped Cara up in a hug, surprising her. “No formalities around here. My, Tamara is right. You are pretty!”

  Lance stifled a chuckle as Cara's cheeks reddened. “Ma-”

  “Hush, child. You should take note and tell a woman she's pretty.” Though her tone was teasing, Lance flinched at her comment. Yep, matchmaking. Well at least she hadn't- “Cara, you must come to our house for dinner one night! You and your children,” Ma offered.

  Cara's eyes widened, and she reeled back, staring between her and Lance. He'd warned her, but hadn't expected this.

  “Come on. It's Christmastime. I want to bake, cook, and have a house full of kids. I'm sure Tamara will be excited once she goes home to have someone to play with.” Ma shot a pointed look at Lance. She silently dared him to say something to back out. He knew not to mess with her plan. He could dodge the matchmaking somehow, but if she wanted a simple dinner to satisfy her Christmas spirit, what else could he do but hope Cara would at least consider?

  “Yeah! We can play with Frenzy!” Tamara added with excitement. “He's the coolest ferret ever! My daddy let me adopt him from the store,” she boasted.

  Well, he was stuck now.

  “Pick a night that you're free. Please consider.” His mom practically begged Cara.

  “Umm, sure,” she finally said, still taken aback. “Whatever you and Lance set up. Thank you.” Cara didn't sound too sure at all. Later, he'd tell her if she wanted to back out, they'd find a reason. The last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable.

  “No, thank you,” Ma said with emphasis.

  He kept a neutral look, or at least hoped he did. Inside, Lance squirmed over the whole thing. “Ready for a quick story from me before Cara and I go?” Lance asked Tamara, pointing to a box of books someone had brought in the other day. “You can still get a second one with Grandma.”

  “Will you read some, too?” Tamara pointed to Cara. “She can do the good voices, and Daddy can be the bad guy.”

  “Hey!” he protested, feigning hurt. Lance covered his chest to bring more exaggeration. Worked like a charm. His daughter's infectious giggles filled the room. “Since when did I get put in the bad guy category?”

  “What's that?” Tamara scrunched up her nose. “You're not a bad guy. I just like it when you do the voices.”

  “Well, Cara, what do you say? Want to help with a story?” Lance gestured to the books. She'd probably be a pro at the voices.

  “You bet. I love story time.” Her smile widened, reaching her eyes. Lance busied his hands with picking a book in order not to brush them across her face or run his fingers through her hair like he'd been itching to do.

  Lance brought the box to Tamara for choosing. Once she had a book in her hands, the two sat on each side of her, ready to read.

  Throughout the story, Lance watched Cara. She had a really good reading voice. She'd go high and low, totally playing the part. But of course she was. He'd already dubbed her SuperMom, and she proved it right there with her nurturing ways. Tamara adored the attention, giggling and grinning. She was the happiest she'd been in a while.

  “The end.” Cara closed the book gently and handed it to Tamara. “I love that story. You picked out an excellent one.”

  “You're so good at this!” Tamara proclaimed.

  “Well, she is a mom.” Lance poked his daughter in the arm gently.

  “I want a mom,” Tamara whispered. At her words, his heart sank. His chest burned with pain and regret for the things he couldn't give to his baby girl.

  In an instant, the mood in the room changed. Cara pursed her lips and sadness flashed across her face.

  Lance hoped Tamara wouldn't ask Cara to be her mom. Luckily, his daughter didn't. He avoided his mother's gaze until he had to say goodbye to them.

  “You better do right by this one tonight,” Ma whispered after hugging him. “I like her. So does your daughter.”

  “Stop, Mother. Please,” Lance begged, knowing it was no good. “I don't need a meddler, even with good intentions.” He planned to do right by Cara, but not because his mother told him to.

  “Good to meet you, Cara. You have fun tonight, and you tell my son to arrange for you all to come to my house. You're always welcome.” Mom hugged Cara as if she were already part of the family. Lance wondered what she whispered in Cara's ear before letting go. Sneaky woman.

  “Bye bye, Daddy!” Tamara said with enthusiasm. “Bye, Miss Cara!”

  “Have a good night with Grandma.” Lance kissed her forehead. Tamara's happy face and attitude made everything worth it. He still carried guilt for leaving her, but Tamara was in good hands and he knew it.

  Cara's smile never wavered, though a look haunted her eyes that Lance wasn't sure what to make of.

  “Ready for a little holiday cheer?” he asked, almost feeling the spirit himself.

  “I am. Your mom and daughter touched a place in my heart tonight. I'm glad I got to meet them.”

  Lance was, too. Somehow, he knew they'd make an arrangement work between Frenzy and the kids, but what would work with his developing feelings for Cara?

  Chapter Twelve

  A wail of a saxophone greeted Cara and Lance when he led her into the fancy clubhouse. A moment of panic gripped her at the upscale level vibe she picked up. Had she under dressed? Would she fit in with these people, even for just a few hours? Would she be frowned upon and have people turn their noses up at her? Lance seemed like a good guy, but it didn't say much for what type of people he hung out or worked with.

  She wanted to slap her inner demon voice. Badly. Plastering on a smile, she entered the room with her head held high and her confidence shaky as Lance held the door open for her. Cara gasped as she took in the surrounding sights. What in the world did this man do for a living? Why hadn't she asked this before? This place was stunning! The main room itself was at least four times the size of her house, and it wasn't like her place was cramped. Holy moly! Colors of gold covered the walls. Rich red drapes hung over large windows. This room could probably hold three hundred people comfortably.

  He sensed her hesitance. Lance's hand moved to her shoulder. “You all right?”

  She didn't know him well enough to tell him her thoughts about this, even though he'd seen her in moments of maternal weakness. Cara shrugged off her doubts and nodded. “Just a little hungry.” The lie slipped from her lips so easily, she almost believed it. “Hey Lance?”

  He lightly moved his hand to he
r elbow. “Yeah?”

  “What is it you do? For work, I mean?”

  “I work in graphic design, which is why I can work from anywhere most times. This party is thrown by one of my coworkers and friends. It's not officially a work hosted party. We're all good friends, so we get together for this every year.”

  “Lance, my man! You made it!” A tall, beefy man with a full beard and mustache sauntered up to them. He wore a Santa hat on his head, which did not match his intimidating physique. It just seemed... unnatural. The man set his gaze on Cara. “Who's this with you? You're dating?” His large hand clapped Lance's shoulder, sending him back a little and Cara jolted, too.

  “Carl, this is Cara.” Lance didn't respond to the dating comment at all. Did he not want to hurt her feelings by blatantly admitting this wasn't a date, or did he not know what to classify tonight as either?

  “Good to meet you, Cara. How'd you wind up with this weirdo?” He jabbed Lance again.

  “Oh, you know,” she stammered. “He charmed me into coming.” Lame. Cara couldn't even muster up a funny response.

  “Ha, Lance and charm. Yeah.” The man's eyes twinkled. “Welcome. Really glad to hear your daughter is making a recovery, Lance. I'm going to do some mingling, as my wife likes to say. Nice to meet you, Cara.” With that, he was gone. Cara breathed a sigh of relief. Nice man and all, but he was a bit intimidating. Loud, but harmless.

  “Yeah, Carl is an interesting character.” Lance picked up on her relief and pulled her toward him again. “Good guy, but he's kinda in your face.”

  Cara nodded, saying nothing. She scanned the room. Fancy gold and red cloths covered long tables. She counted at least seven of them. In the corner sat stereo equipment and a large 58" television. She spotted something beside it and nearly squealed in delight. “Oh, karaoke? That always gets interesting.”

  “Carl's terrible at it, but that doesn't stop him from singing.” Lance chuckled. “Do you sing?”

  “Do kids songs count?” Cara replied. “I haven't done karaoke since my bar hopping years. Long time ago.” Before Shelly, Alex, and married life. It seemed like another lifetime ago. Weekend after weekend, she'd ventured out with her friends to unwind by having a few drinks and singing. She missed those days.

  “Duet with me?” His eyes twinkled.

  For a second, Cara blinked, thinking he'd said something more off base than what he actually meant. A blush crept up in her cheeks, and she was glad for the dim lights. Maybe he wouldn't catch on. What was wrong with her?

  “Umm, we'll see,” she finally managed to say.

  “I can be persuasive,” he whispered in her ear, hot breaths tingling against her earlobe.

  “I bet you can. I've seen your daughter and mother,” Cara shot back with a smile. Oh, he was persuasive all right. If only he knew.

  He took a step back and feigned a wounded look. “They're a bad influence on me. What can I say?”

  “Lance! You're here!” A woman squealed, running toward them in high heels and a long navy blue dress. “Oooh, Carl was right. You do have a pretty date!”

  Cara blushed as Lance reached for her hand. He confused her with him not responding to date comments, but he touched her constantly. Light, comforting, more than friendly but not in a possessive way. Her skin always tingled beneath his touch.

  “Mary, meet Cara. Cara, this is Carl's wife, Mary.”

  “You and I are going to be the best of friends tonight!” Mary grinned at Cara. “I'm going to tell you so many stories about Lance that will make him blush!”

  “You're worse than my mother! Cara, don't listen to a thing she says. I'm sure at least ninety percent will be an exaggeration.” Lance wagged a finger at them.

  Cara's nerves finally eased away. She'd fit in just fine with these people. “All more reason to listen.” She flashed him a wicked smile.

  “Oh boy.” He clapped a hand to his forehead, groaning in mock horror.

  “We'll be gentle- at first!” Mary promised. “Seriously, I'm so glad you dropped by tonight and that you brought someone with.”

  “My family has been telling me to go home at night,” Lance admitted.

  “But you don't go home.” Mary pointed to Cara.

  “Well, lately, no. Though it's not-”

  “Lance!” Another loud male voice interrupted them. Cara immediately realized he had a lot of good friends around him. After a while, she got lost in the shuffle as people she didn't know were introduced and Lance received a lot of well wishes about Tamara. Every time he tried to come talk to her, someone else interrupted. He'd have his hand over hers more often than not. His looks were apologetic, but he'd always kept her included in conversation.

  Mary saved the day by sticking to her like glue when Lance was pulled away for something. “He hasn't been seen out in public in a while,” she told Cara quietly, “so you two being here tonight has you all in the spotlight. How did you meet? I didn't know Lance was dating again.”

  “We're not really dating. Or if we are... well, I don't know how to categorize tonight.” Cara fumbled for the right words. She smoothed a ripple in her blouse. “My son hid in the bathroom in his daughter's hospital room, and we've been bumping into each other ever since. My son also found his daughter's ferret.”

  “Okay, that's one heck of a cool meet story!” Mary grinned. It faded fast. “Lance can't keep his eyes off of you. He keeps trying to come back over here before someone else gets a hold of him. Not that it's working well. Maybe I should start up the karaoke. That'll distract everyone.”

  “Or not.” One of the other ladies groaned. “Look. The arm wrestling thing again. Each year I think someone's gonna break a bone.”

  Cara glanced in the direction. Two of the men were huddled over a table, most definitely arm wrestling. Lance shook his head with a smile and his eyes met hers. He positioned his body her way and took a few steps forward before someone else stopped him. Cara noted the disappointment on his face, but he stayed to talk to the person, continuing to look her way often. His gaze was intense, heated, and full of longing. Then the men urged him to do a round of arm wrestling. Lance tried to back away, but they chanted his name.

  Watching this fascinated Cara. Tonight, she saw Lance in a different form- acting like a guy. It made her realize that he showed her a much different side- a sentimental, vulnerable side that she learned he didn't show often at all. But he had with her. And despite how much she hated that side of herself, it made her feel good knowing somehow, Lance had been comfortable with putting himself out there like that.

  Cara was definitely glad she came.

  *****

  The downside to being a hermit lately was how everyone wanted to talk to him. Lance wouldn't mind it normally, but every time he wanted to get back to Cara's side, someone interrupted. And now he was sitting here arm wrestling, of all things. He didn't even know how the conversation started. All he knew was that someone yanked him over here and managed to get him an opponent. Whatever. He'd indulge in a match, then get back to Cara. He knew her eyes were on him right now, which made him actually care about winning.

  “For the record, if you snap my arm, I'm not going to be able to work!” he joked with Chester, the bulky guy he was wrestling with.

  “Hey, you could easily snap mine.” Chester eyed him, trying to act macho.

  Halfway through his match, someone started the karaoke. He wasn't even paying attention any more as he focused on Chester and not breaking his arm. Muscles spasmed as he fought hard to keep his hand in the air and shove Chester's down. With a grunt, he squinted and focused harder.

  When a woman's voice poured out her heart in Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, goosebumps broke out on his arms. Lance searched for the singer and stopped in awe when his gaze landed on Cara. The very same woman who always hid herself from people. The very same woman who said she hadn't sung in forever. Well, she sure shocked him by putting her all in that song right now.

  “Boom!” Chester slammed
Lance's arm down and shouted in victory. Pain shot up from his elbow as it connected with the table.

  “Yeah, you win.” He congratulated his friend, then moved from his seat, shaking his sore arm. Lance never took his eyes off Cara as she continued her song. Another thing to add the the list of amazing and nurturing ways about Cara- her ability to entrance him with her voice!

  “Your girl has some hidden talent!” Mary nudged Lance as he neared the stage.

  He didn't bother to correct her. “I never knew she had it in her.” The normally shy attitude Cara had was gone. In its place was a brave, confident woman who took the stage by storm. Sure, it was a Christmas song, and a slow one, but the way she had the guests in the palm of her hand left him starstruck.

  “No one else has signed up. Get up there with your Elvis Christmas song,” Mary begged.

  He shrugged, a coy smile playing on his lips “Sure, why not? Put me down for Blue Christmas.” He should have figured another Elvis encore this year was in order.

  “Score!” She scurried off and promptly searched for his tune.

  Cara's song finished and the room erupted in thunderous applause. She blushed and hurried off the stage. Lance caught her hand, gently easing her close to him. “You wowed the entire room!” Including me.

  “I don't even know why I got up there and did that!” Her tone came out a little breathless.

  “Amazing, Cara. You were a completely different person up there.” He closed his eyes for a brief second, capturing the image of her serenading the room in his mind. Beautiful. This woman had so much going for her.

  “Hey everyone! Our favorite Elvis impersonator is back! Come on up, Lance!” Mary gestured wildly.

  He hugged Cara. “My turn, and then I promise I won't let anyone else distract me from you.”

  Her lips curved upward. “It's worth it to see your Elvis moves.” She cocked her head to the side in the direction of the karaoke machine. “Let's see what you've got.”

  Lance hadn't done this in a while. Last year he shied away from the karaoke. The year before that, he'd been all over it. But something about the way Cara opened herself up on stage had him wanting to do the same thing. The guests ate it up, especially when he jumped off stage and stood right in front of Cara, singing directly to her about how he'd have a blue Christmas without her. Lance heard a few awws as he crooned out the tune. Cara couldn't stop smiling, and her cheeks flushed. Lance took her hand and held it as he sang. He swayed left and right and he watched her carefully. Her face lit up as he continued, then at the last verse, he sank to his knee and put on the charm with the tune. When the song ended, he stood up, kissed her cheek softly, and said, “Don't let me have a blue Christmas.” He handed the microphone back to Mary. With his friends and their family still cheering and letting out shrill whistles, Lance guided Cara to a table to finally sit and enjoy a few moments together.