Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 1)

by Lucy McConnell

  “How about you? Where’s your family?”

  Anika hesitated. “You know, I don’t really have anybody. I was raised by a single mom. She died about eight years ago.”

  “Man, I’m sorry. That’s got to be rough around the holidays.”

  Normally Anika would bristle at the attention and sympathy, but Carlos sounded sincere. He stopped working and faced her. “I admire you, what you’re doing with your daughter. I can tell that it’s not easy.”

  Suddenly everything was blurry and Anika blinked rapidly to clear the moisture in her eyes. There was a knobby lump in her throat trying to burst, but Anika dammed it up and rolled back her shoulders. She swiped a hand over her eyes. “It has been hard, but we’re making do.”

  Carlos nodded. “Mi madre was sick with cancer and mi familia all pitched in to bring her to Florida from Puerto Rico so she could get treatments. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my house, but it was all worth it, you know?”

  Something was happening inside Anika’s chest. That place where her rock-hard heart pumped out a rhythm that protected her and Megan suddenly felt as if a crevice had opened up. Her toes tingled and the lump in her throat doubled in size. Carlos was reaching out to her, allowing her to open up to him if she wanted to. Over the past three years, she’d never been close enough to anyone— male or female— to share her struggles. This man who had a strong family network had just opened up to her, clearly as an invitation to provide a shoulder. And the way he bent over a loose board and pried it up with a crowbar left no doubt that those shoulders were strong. Anika took in a breath. It would be so nice to talk to someone who understood— or even to talk to someone who was willing to listen without judging her for all the things she lacked as a mother, employee, as a person.

  “I think that’s wonderful what your family did for your mom.” Anika thought about saying more, but the grandfather clock in the housewares department chimed eleven o’clock. “My goodness, I didn’t realize it was already so late.”

  Carlos lifted his head. “The time went by fast tonight.” He grinned. “That happens when you work with good people. Let me walk you out to your car and then I’ll get cleaned up in here.”

  “But don’t you have to be back in here before seven tomorrow?” Anika tallied the few hours of sleep he’d get and felt the exhaustion hitting her hard.

  “It’s only for a week. Then I’ll have time to recuperate before Christmas.” He slid a couple of tools into his belt, and unfastened it from his waist. “Are you parked out back?”

  “Yes, but please, I’m fine.”

  Carlos shook his head. “No, mi madre would be enojado if she found out that I didn’t walk a lady to her car at this late hour.”

  His accent was irresistible. “Okay, you win,” Anika said.

  They walked back to the employee lounge and grabbed their coats and gloves. When they stepped out of the store, Anika was grateful she’d let him lead her out to the parking lot. The streetlights illuminated some slippery patches of ice and the darkness beyond seemed deeper that night. The subzero air bit at her cheeks and she ducked her head. “It’s freezing out here,” she mumbled against the fabric of her coat.

  “It’s nights like these, I can’t disagree with mi familia for calling me crazy to live here.”

  Carlos loved his family, and it sounded like they were close. That was something she’d never had— something she wanted to give to Megan. Anika couldn’t wait to get home and kiss Megan’s sleeping face.

  The light shimmered on a patch of black ice and though she tried to walk carefully, she ended up sliding into Carlos. “They need to salt this before somebody gets hurt.” He took her arm and guided her over the slippery asphalt. His heavy, rubber-soled work boots were much steadier on the ice than her dress boots.

  “Thank you,” Anika said. With his touch, she felt everything come into sharper focus. A magnetic pull was at work between them. Anika couldn’t concentrate on anything but the gentle way Carlos moved, his footsteps matching her own in a protective cadence. Her car was parked right next to a puddle that had turned to ice, so she didn’t mind when Carlos steadied her as she fished in her purse for the keys.

  “Thanks again for helping me, Carlos. I hope you get some rest.” She unlocked the door and pulled it open. He held onto it as she slid into her seat.

  “Be careful on these roads,” he said. “I don’t want to get a call from the fire department tonight.”

  “I will. See you tomorrow.” Anika waved and he shut the door for her. He stood there for a moment while she started the car and pulled out slowly onto the snowy streets. He waved as she drove away. She tried to ignore the tingles creeping up her arm where Carlos had held her. If she didn’t need the money so bad, she’d run the other direction because working with Carlos was dangerous for her heart.

  CARLOS SLAPPED AT HIS ALARM CLOCK the following morning at six o’clock. Before he even opened his eyes, thoughts of Anika swirled in from every direction. Usually when he was working on a project with a tight timeline like the soda fountain, he’d spend every minute visualizing what he needed to do to transform something old into something new and functional. But all he could see was Anika and the way she looked last night. Her light brown hair pulled back, revealing the slender lines of her neck. Her ivory skin looked soft and her bright blue eyes lit up something inside his chest.

  He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. There was something special about Anika. Last night it seemed like she was about to open up and talk to him, but then she’d left in a hurry. There was a story behind that beautiful face and Carlos’s insides tightened when he thought about the pain behind her eyes. If only she would trust him, he’d show her that there were good men around. Carlos would never hurt a woman and his hands clenched into fists when he thought about the jerk who’d obviously treated Anika terribly.

  Carlos hurried to get ready for work, all the while thinking of how he might get up the nerve to ask her on a date. Of course, he didn’t know when either of them would have time outside of Kenworth’s. He would be working every spare minute on the soda fountain and Anika would be working with him. He’d noticed that her shift at Kenworth’s was in the afternoon, so that meant she might have a few minutes free for lunch. He brushed through his hair and stared at himself in the mirror. “You can do this,” he told himself. He should have asked her yesterday, but he wouldn’t let another day pass.

  The thought carried him through the rest of the morning. Work on the soda fountain went quickly. After he secured the area with plastic sheeting to contain the debris, Carlos started working. Not long after, Tayton showed up to help him and with both of them at it, they were able to rip out all of the broken tiles, warped wooden siding, and the ancient laminate flooring before the store opened at ten. Tayton was surprisingly down to earth and the two of them chatted about the direction Kenworth’s was taking and the hope that this season would boost them out of the slump they’d been in. Carlos had several buckets full of debris that he hauled out one by one with the help of a couple of the guys who normally kept the parking lot cleared of snow. If he kept up this pace, he’d have most of the grunt work done before tonight and Anika could help him lay the new tile floor. He whistled until Cecilia walked by with a glare. He couldn’t help smiling at the grumpy woman. In just a few hours, Anika would be coming in to start her shift.

  Keira Kenworth approached Carlos just before noon. She tucked a strand of strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear and rocked forward onto her toes. “We’ve come up with a fabulous idea,” she held out a flier. “We’re going to sponsor an old-fashioned Christmas dance for the grand re-opening of the soda fountain. We’re calling it the Candy Cane Twist.”

  Carlos took the paper and glanced at the date before he reacted. He let out a breath when he saw that it was for the following Saturday. “That’s a great idea. And I’ll have everything ready before then.”

  “Terrific, you’re doing great with this rush timeline,” Keir
a said. “If possible, we’d like the soda fountain operational by next Thursday so that we can test it out and make sure there isn’t anything we haven’t thought of. Can we make that deadline?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem as long as you get the plumbing done in time,” Carlos said. “I’ve already made a lot of progress today.”

  “Fantastic. Did Tayton tell you the plumber was coming by today?”

  Carlos nodded. “Yeah, I think he should be here any minute.”

  “Good. Keep up the great work,” Keira said. “Oh, and Carlos?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You should bring a date to the dance. You deserve to have a little fun after all your hard work.”

  “Uh, I’ll think about it,” Carlos mumbled. He read the paper again, his eyes catching on the words waltz and jitterbug. He had moves, but wasn’t as familiar with the old time dances. But it sure would be neat to take Anika to something like that. He folded the paper and tucked it in his back pocket. Pulling on his gloves, he went back to work removing the final pieces of broken tile and debris from the ailing soda fountain.

  A few minutes later he thought he heard Anika’s name and he immediately dropped the screwdriver he’d been using to remove screws from the paneling. He was crouched down behind the soda fountain and the two men talking hadn’t seen him.

  “Anika who?” a man with a deep voice asked.

  “You know the new girl over by the sweaters— the one with a nice rack,” another man answered.

  Carlos peered around the corner and recognized Gentry from men’s apparel. Carlos had met him when he repaired the dressing rooms in the men’s department last year. Gentry was a creep dressed in nice clothes. Carlos felt his neck heat up with fury at the crass way Gentry was referring to Anika.

  The first man laughed. “Well, Keira said not to be shy about inviting co-workers to the dance, since we want to promote positive employee camaraderie.”

  “Fantastic!” Gentry imitated Keira in a high falsetto. He sniggered “It’ll promote more than that.”

  Both men laughed and walked to the other side of the store. Carlos picked up his hammer and gripped it tightly until his fingertips turned white. There was no way Carlos would let that jerk get near Anika, but what could he do? I’m going to have to ask her today. His face burned just thinking about it. What if she said no? That was the likely scenario, but he wanted to make sure that Gentry knew she was unavailable. Maybe he should just tell Gentry to steer clear of her, but that probably wouldn’t bode well since Gentry thought he was every woman’s Christmas wish.

  Carlos sat back on his heels and slipped the hammer back into his tool belt. He could do this. Anika was on the verge of trusting him, and he didn’t want to mess this up. He closed his eyes and sent up a prayer, Please, don’t let her get hurt anymore. Help me do the right thing.

  It was hard to concentrate on his work after that. He kept a close eye on the women’s department and another eye in the direction of Gentry’s area. Carlos knew the moment Anika arrived at her station. He glanced at his watch. It was five past three, only six hours until she’d be working by his side. The flier in his back pocket burned. He had six hours to work up the nerve to ask her to the dance.

  Anika’s brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and it swished from side to side as she bent to unload a box of hangers from one of the cupboards near the cash register. She lifted her head and smiled when she saw Carlos watching. He thought about ducking, reminded himself he wasn’t in junior high, and waved. She waved back before turning to speak to Jessica who’d just approached pulling a rack of clothes down the aisle.

  The work went slower because Carlos kept looking at Anika, and then scolding himself for staring. At seven o’clock, Tayton came out onto the floor and handed out more fliers for the dance. He gave one to Anika, and Carlos watched as she read the flier before dropping it into the trash. Not a good sign.

  About thirty minutes later, Carlos heard a familiar voice.

  “Hey, where’s Anika?” Gentry asked.

  Carlos lifted his head and saw Gentry standing in front of Anika’s station. Jessica pointed to the back of the store. “She’s on break, but she’ll be back in about fifteen minutes. What did you want?”

  “It’s nothing. I’ll talk to her when I go on break.” He checked his watch before working his way back across the store. Carlos’s stomach churned and his palms began to sweat. Anika wouldn’t agree to go to the dance with Gentry, would she? The flier in her garbage can indicated she probably wasn’t interested, but maybe that’s because her automatic response was programmed in because of her history. Carlos had noticed some softening the night before and he’d hoped to approach her when no one else was around. He stood and brushed off his pants. He was on his own time. And it was time for a break.

  The employee lounge was quiet since it was almost eight o’clock, only an hour until closing. Carlos spotted Anika in the corner holding a sandwich. She was bent over a magazine in her lap and didn’t look up until he was three paces from her.

  “Do you mind if I sit here for a minute?” Carlos motioned to the worn green and tan striped sofa.

  Anika’s eyes widened, she scooted to the edge, and nodded. “There’s plenty of room.”

  She’s already acting nervous, Carlos thought. He sucked in a breath and sat down. Remembering the way Gentry talked about Anika gave Carlos courage to do what needed to be done. It was probably best to just get it over with. He opened his mouth to speak, but Anika turned toward him. “I haven’t seen you in here before. I wondered if you ever stopped for a break.”

  “I— well, once in a while I stop for a breather.” He leaned back against the sofa. Maybe if he pretended he was relaxed, she would too. “Things are coming along nicely today. I thought you might be glad to know that I got a lot of the dirty work done.” He brushed at the dust on his pants.

  “I brought my work clothes. I’m not afraid of a little dirt.” Anika quirked an eyebrow.

  Carlos smiled at her jab, but he was having trouble concentrating with that piece of paper in his pocket. “Uh, I guess Tayton told you about the dance they’re doing for the grand re-opening of the soda fountain?”

  “Yeah, that’s kind of a neat idea,” Anika said. “Are you worried about getting everything done on time?”

  “No,” Carlos answered. “Keira checked with me earlier and I told her we could do it.” He hesitated after using the word “we” because he hadn’t meant to imply he and Anika. “The plumber came in and got started. He’ll finish up his work tomorrow.”

  “That’s good.” She finished off her sandwich and brushed her hands together.

  Carlos scrambled to think of something to say. Crap, her break is almost up. It was now or never. “I wondered if you’d like to go to the dance with me?” His voice caught on the last word and he cleared his throat, but kept eye contact.

  Anika looked down. “That’s nice of you, but I can’t.”

  “So you’re not going to go at all? Or were you hoping someone else might ask you?” Carlos kept his tone friendly and innocent.

  She shook her head. “I don’t like being away from Megan more than necessary.”

  “I understand,” Carlos said. His shoulders slumped, but he decided to try one last thing. “You know, I bet she’d have a blast if you brought her along.”

  Anika’s head lifted and she gave Carlos a genuine smile. “That’s sweet of you to think of her.”

  Carlos grinned back. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all, but then Anika’s smile dissolved into the worry lines around her mouth. “But I can’t. Thanks so much for asking me. I’ll see you later.”

  Before he could think of a response, she stood and hurried out the door. Carlos slumped back against the sofa and heaved a sigh. At least he had tried. He wasn’t prepared for how much Anika’s rejection stung. Even as he tried to reassure himself that she wasn’t really turning him down, more the situation, he couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling t
hat he might’ve messed up his chances for any kind of date with Anika by rushing forward.

  He slammed his fist into the cushion wishing it was Gentry’s face. That made his heart pound because Anika had left and would probably run right into Gentry. Carlos nearly ran from the employee lounge. He skidded around the corner, barely missing a customer. By the time he reached the women’s department, his heart was triple-timing the beats and his nerves felt loaded with electricity. Gentry wasn’t in sight, but neither was Anika.

  ANIKA SAT DOWN ON THE FLOOR with a pile of socks and began sorting them into the correct bins. “I hate Christmas time,” she grumbled.

  “Sweetheart, you need to lighten up!” Jessica said. She was probably the only person in Echo Ridge who could say that and make it sound like your best friend had just given you a hot fudge brownie sundae. Anika hadn’t seen her behind the racks of silky pajamas, but her manager must have heard her Scrooge-like statement.

  “Really, I mean it.” Jessica moved aside a rack of clothes to face Anika. “You’re in this slump and you walk around like the world is out to get you.” She held out the flyer to the Candy Cane Twist. “You need to give the world another chance. And while you’re at it, give Carlos Rodriguez a chance too.”

  Anika’s head snapped up. “What?”

  Jessica giggled. “I was right.” She gave a little fist pump. “Girl, take it from me. If Carlos is paying attention to you, he’s not just flirting and you’d better think really hard before turning him down.”

  Anika opened her mouth and closed it again.

  “Wait, did he already ask you to the dance?” Jessica’s face morphed “You didn’t! Please tell me you did not turn Carlos Rodriguez, finest fireman in Echo Ridge, down.”

  “I told him I couldn’t go.” Anika sighed.

  Jessica groaned. “Anika, this isn’t right. You have to fix this.”

  “I can’t,” Anika said. “What’s the point? I’d just be wasting my time. No guy wants to be strapped with a woman like me no matter how sweet my daughter is.”