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

by Lucy McConnell

  “Did you say, what’s the point?” Jessica bit her knuckles. “Have you ever walked behind Carlos? I mean, if there was a mold for the perfect— “

  “Okay, okay. You’ve made your point,” Anika interrupted her. “He’s totally hot, but I can’t afford to get involved with anyone right now.”

  “It’s one date, not a proposal,” Jessica said. “C’mon, we’ll all be there. You can’t miss it. And hey, it’d be a good opportunity to show that you’re a team player. You know, that you’re serious about being considered for the full-time position after the holidays.”

  Anika sighed. She was about to shake her head but she had a feeling that Jessica wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “I’ll go and talk to him.”

  “And be nice,” Jessica said.

  “I’ll try,” Anika replied.

  “What is it with the women in this town?” Jessica grumbled. “It’s like they’re all wearing full body armor. Cupid doesn’t have a chance.”

  Anika laughed. “I’ll see you later.” She stuffed the last of the socks in the bin and walked toward the checkout stand. She saw movement to her left in the lingerie section and stopped. There was no one there, but she could have sworn she’d seen Gentry in his purple silk shirt out of the corner of her eye. A long red nightgown swung back and forth as if it had just been bumped. Strange. Anika shrugged and continued walking. There was another flier for the Candy Cane Twist on the counter. She studied the details about the dance Jessica had insisted she attend. She wasn’t sure if she even had anything to wear to the dance. Carlos came to her mind. The hurt look in his eyes had her clenching the paper. She stuffed it in her purse and buried herself in her work. The countdown to Christmas was in full swing and there was plenty to do at Kenworth’s to keep her busy.

  When Carlos finally found Gentry, he was walking away from the lingerie section of the women’s department and his face was red. Carlos nodded at him as they passed, but Gentry didn’t make eye contact. It looked like Anika had turned him down too. At least one thing had gone right that day. He wasn’t giving up on Anika. Tonight he’d show her that he really did care about her and her daughter Megan. Maybe he could ask her to lunch tomorrow.

  By the time Anika showed up to help him at the Soda Fountain, Carlos had rehearsed about fifty different conversations in his mind. None of them had infused the confidence he needed to approach her again. He handed her a pair of work gloves. “So you won’t get your hands dirty.”

  She laughed and slapped his arm with the gloves. She set them on the counter and tilted her head, puckering her lips slightly. “So, I’m thinking about going with you to the dance.”

  “You are?” Carlos’s mouth hung open. “I mean, that’s great.” He stood up straighter and stepped closer to her. The way she’d been standing there with her lips just begging to be kissed had him all undone. Heat rose up in his belly, and he blinked, trying to clear his thoughts.

  “I’m really sorry about the way I acted,” Anika said. “This is hard for me. I have trust issues.”

  Carlos nodded. She was talking to him, and he didn’t want to mess this up. He thought about every lecture his mother had given him on listening to girls and looked straight into Anika’s beautiful crystal blue eyes. His mind whirred with some of the conversations he’d practiced earlier. Just be you, he thought.

  “It’s okay. I’m not very good at this either.” Carlos rubbed his hand along the edge of the countertop. “I wanted to ask you to lunch first, you know, give you a chance to get to know me, but I was afraid that someone else was going to ask you to the dance first.”

  Anika actually smiled at him. “That’s sweet of you, but I doubt anyone else would ask me.”

  “How is it that you don’t see yourself? You’re gorgeous, and a good mother too.” Carlos brushed his fingers across her knuckles.

  She looked at her hand, curled her fingers inward, and then relaxed them. “No, I’m not. I’m a terrible mother. I can’t even pay my daycare bill so I brought Megan to work and almost got fired over it. She’s only four and I’m already letting her down.”

  “She looked pretty happy when I saw her.” Carlos kept his hand over hers. “Just because your situation doesn’t look like the perfect scenario doesn’t mean you aren’t doing your best.”

  Anika hung her head and sniffed. Uh-oh, she wasn’t supposed to cry. What should he do now? The urge to take her into his arms was strong, but he didn’t want to mess this up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry,” he mumbled.

  “No, it’s not that.” Anika sniffed again. “I just don’t know what to do.”

  The magnetic pull between them was too much. Carlos stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tentatively. She leaned into him, her head resting against his chest, her body trembling. He held her for a moment, breathing in the scent of her— vanilla and cinnamon. Anika smelled like his favorite cup of Christmas cocoa. He wondered what her lips would taste like. Before he could follow that train of thought, Anika stepped back and wiped her eyes. He wished he could keep holding her, somehow make her believe that the way he saw her was true. She was a good woman. He reached out and wiped a single tear from her cheek.

  Her cheeks flushed and she ducked her head. “I’m sorry. I think I’m really worn out.” She fished a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “It’s a stressful time of year.”

  “And Cecilia coming down on you doesn’t help,” Carlos added. “Try to let it go. She’s like that with everyone.”

  “Even you?”

  Carlos chuckled. “Especially me. I’ve learned to anticipate her complaints. She could find something wrong with Santa Claus given the chance. I think she missed her calling in life.”

  Anika giggled. “What’s that?”

  “She should have worked for the IRS or something.” Carlos brushed a bit of sawdust off the ledge of the soda fountain. “Look, if you’re too tired to work tonight, it’s okay. I’m actually ahead of schedule.”

  Anika considered for half a second. “If I promise not to blubber on you anymore will you let me work with you for an hour?”

  “That sounds great, but you can uh, talk to me anytime.” He nudged the stack of tiles with his toe. “How about we finish laying this row tonight?”

  “I can do that.”

  They worked alongside each other, and the process went smoother than Carlos had ever remembered. The gleaming tiles in a mint green shade lined up perfect next to the white squares on the grid he’d prepared. Anika told him more about Megan, and he shared a few stories from his early years in Puerto Rico.

  At ten-thirty, Carlos’s watch chirped, and he set down the last tile in the row. “I’ve kept you past your bedtime. It’s already been an hour and a half.”

  “That’s okay,” Anika said. “This is just what I needed.” She moved the tile an eighth of an inch to the left.

  Carlos noticed her attention to detail and nodded. She was a perfect partner to work with, eager to learn, and with an eye for what needed to be done. More than that, she was excellent company. He wanted Anika in his arms again, snuggled against his chest. His heart thrummed when he breathed in her scent lingering in the air around them. If she would agree to go on a real date with him, maybe she could see that he really did want to know more about her. “I was serious when I said I wanted to take you to lunch. How about a date tomorrow— me, you, and Megan?”

  Anika lifted her head, blue eyes dancing. “I almost said no, but I don’t want to face Jessica’s wrath tomorrow if she finds out I turned you down twice.”

  “Jessica? What does she have to do with this?”

  “Well, she might’ve threatened me when she heard I turned you down for the dance.”

  Carlos raised an eyebrow. “So, does that mean you’re saying yes to lunch?”

  She brushed her hands on her jeans and stood. “Yes. I think that’d be really nice. My shift starts at three.”

  Carlos had her shift memorized, but he didn’t say so.
“Are you a fan of Chip’s Diner? They serve the best fish and chips in town.”

  “I’ve heard of that place, and Megan loves fries.”

  “Can I pick you up at noon?”

  “Uh, how about we meet you there?” Anika said. “I have a few errands to run before.”

  “It’s a date.” Carlos wondered if Anika was embarrassed about where she lived. She had mentioned they were in walking distance of the library and there were some pretty rundown apartments near there. His chest tightened. Anika was a hard worker, trying to do right by her daughter. She deserved better. He licked his lips. He’d made a few phone calls already. He prayed that the local Christmas foundation would be able to deliver a miracle to Anika and Megan this year.

  ANIKA FELT LIKE EVERY CHILDHOOD memory of the night before Christmas, stomach churning with anticipation. But Santa didn’t have anything to do with her jitters, a certain carpenter with strong hands and a kind smile had her spinning around her apartment primping like it was the first day of high school all over.

  She curled her hair and clipped it back so it hung loose over her shoulders. Kenworth’s gave the employees a discount and she had found a blue rayon blouse on the clearance rack for only three dollars and fifty cents. With the extra money from the soda fountain, she’d gone ahead and splurged considering it her Christmas gift to herself. It hung nicely over her blue jeans and she practiced smiling to see if some of her worry lines would decrease. She smoothed her fingers over the scowl line in between her eyes. Maybe Jessica was right, it was time for her to lighten up. She was stepping way out of her comfort zone to go on this date with Carlos.

  Megan bounced around the room. “Hamburgers, hamburgers, hamburgers, and fries!”

  “No hamburgers or fries until you hold still long enough to let me braid your hair.” Anika scooped up Megan and headed for the bathroom. She tickled her and the little girl squealed.

  “You’re the French fry monster, Mommy!” Megan giggled.

  “Okay, hold still, sweetheart.” Anika brushed through Megan’s flyaway hair and braided it quickly while her daughter squirmed. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d eaten at a real diner. Megan would make a new memory today— that was worth going out on one date with Carlos. Although the Candy Cane Twist next week would make two dates, but the thought didn’t scare Anika as much as it had before.

  At five minutes after twelve, Anika pulled up to Chip’s Diner. Megan giggled and pointed at the big red rooster perched on top of the diner. Carlos must have been waiting right inside because he hurried out and opened her car door. “Hi, how’s Megan today?” he waved at Megan buckled into the back seat.

  “We’re great. I hope you didn’t have to wait long,” Anika said.

  “I just put our name down for a table, so your timing is perfect.” He reached out his hand to help her from the car. Anika took it and what felt like a spark ran from his fingertips to hers. She let go and turned to unbuckle Megan.

  “This is my friend Carlos I told you about. He’s going to buy you a hamburger.”

  Megan tilted her head, studying Carlos. “And French fries?”

  Carlos laughed. “Lots of French fries.”

  Megan hopped out of the car and stood next to her mother. The three of them walked inside the diner together. Chip’s Diner was probably as old as the two buddies in their nineties sharing a table right inside the door. A hostess wearing a light yellow dress and a name tag of Bettie led them to one of the booth seats flanking the window. Anika took in the aroma of bacon, coffee, steak fries and milkshakes that hung heavy in the air. Her stomach rumbled while they looked over the menu. After they ordered, Anika helped Megan color her kids menu.

  “This is a nice place,” Anika said. “I’ve heard a lot about it, but I’ve only been once— when I applied for a job.”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t get that job or we wouldn’t have met,” Carlos said.

  For some reason Anika felt her cheeks grow warm. She smiled. “Me, too.”

  Carlos reached his hand across the booth table and covered hers. Immediately her whole body was alert with his touch. “Do you have the same work schedule next week?”

  “Yep. Three to nine except for the days I’m closing, then I have to stay a little later. What about you? What’s next after the soda fountain?”

  “I’m not scheduled to do any more projects at Kenworth’s and most everybody is getting ready for Christmas so I’m hoping to spend some time on my own place. It’s a fixer-upper.”

  “Do you like doing renovation?” Anika asked.

  “I do. It’s a challenge and it’s hard to be patient while I wait for the money to complete each project, but I’ve been working on the house for a year and it’s really coming along.”

  “Carlo, can I have my French fries yet?” Megan said his name without the -s.

  Carlos leaned over the table. “I think they’re cooking them right now so be careful when they bring them out to you, they’ll be nice and hot. You don’t want to burn your little fingers.”

  Megan turned her hand over and studied her fingers, looked up at Carlos and smiled. “I’m hungry for fries.”

  Anika and Carlos laughed. The waitress brought out their food and Anika kept busy helping Megan while they continued to chat.

  “I’d love to show you my house sometime, if you’d like.” Carlos dipped two fries in ketchup and popped them in his mouth.

  “That would be great.” Anika’s feet tingled. Carlos wanted to see her again, and she was okay with that, eager almost to spend more time with him.

  “How about next week, maybe Monday? We could do lunch at my place.” Carlos leaned forward, his eyes bright with excitement.

  Anika was about to say yes, but then she thought about how she was supposed to have sworn off men. Carlos had found his way past her barrier and even though she liked him, a buzzing in her head reminded her of all the bad memories Jimmy had helped store away— memories that impacted the choices she made today. “Maybe we should see how things go with the soda fountain first. I don’t want to overbook you.”

  Carlos’s smile slipped for a fraction of a second, but he recovered quickly. “Probably a good idea.”

  “I’ll see you tonight though,” Anika said.

  “I have my extra pair of gloves ready so you won’t have to get your hands dirty.”

  Anika laughed. Carlos had a way of turning every situation into something to smile about. She felt bad for turning down his offer to see his house. Her insides were jumbled up like the twisting branches of the giant artificial Christmas tree she’d had to decorate. If she could make it through the holidays unscathed, it would be a small miracle. The way Carlos was flirting with her, and how her heart was responding to his every look and touch should have excited her, but the doubts kept circling around in the back of her mind. Caution had been her constant companion over the past few years, so why did she feel like running into Carlos’s waiting arms?

  ANIKA FELT LIKE SKIPPING TO WORK after her lunch date with Carlos. Even Lila noticed something different about her attitude when she came to babysit Megan.

  “Good news about your job?” Lila asked just before Anika was leaving.

  Anika shrugged. “Sort of. The extra hours are great, but I still don’t know if this temp job has a chance of turning into something permanent.”

  “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you because I’ve got more homework done in the past week than I have all year.” Lila tapped the pile of books on the kitchen table.

  “That’s good. Make sure you save your money for college. Then when you get old like me you won’t have to worry about working temp jobs.” Anika smiled to soften the hard truth of her words.

  Lila nodded. “I will. I’m going to be a teacher.”

  “You’d be excellent at that.” Anika waved before she opened the door. Lila beamed and distracted Megan as Anika scooted out into the winter wonderland of her parking lot. She hated scraping her windshield, but with the te
mperatures hovering below freezing for the last couple days everything was like a solid sheet of ice. Her Nissan took a few minutes to warm up so Anika was nearly to Kenworth’s by the time heat started to blow from the shuddering vents.

  Even though she probably should resist, she made a detour and walked past the soda fountain on her way to the women’s department. Carlos lifted his head in a nod toward Anika. “Hi again.”

  “Fancy seeing you here,” she said.

  He lifted one shoulder. “This place is kind of growing on me. Kenworth’s has great employees.”

  “See you later.” Anika wanted to stand there and talk with him, to feel the warmth emanating from his dark chocolate brown eyes, but she walked purposely to her station and checked the notes Jessica had left for what needed to be done first.

  Re-stock the Christmas display. Great idea, Anika! We’re in the lead! — Jessica

  Anika reread the note twice before tucking it away with a smile. Their department was in the lead for the sales contest! She walked around the counter to re-stock the display. Jessica was right, the Christmas stockings and glittery sweaters were selling like ice water in the desert. Anika had worried over what Jessica would think about her idea, but it had been a great choice to set up a display of Christmas décor alongside the sweaters and fancy dresses people would wear to Christmas parties during December.

  The stockings, bells, and ornaments she’d taken from the houseware section still rung up the same in the women’s department and it seemed to be helping people remember what they needed to get ready for Christmas. It had provided extra exercise for Anika because she’d had to return to housewares four times already to restock her display. She put a stuffed reindeer next to a pile of long sleeved blouses and hung another stocking from the edge of the table.

  After she set up everything, she walked through the Children’s department, eyeing the rows and rows of beautiful clothing, blankets, and toys— lots of well-made toys. If they won the sales contest, she wouldn’t have to buy the cheap dollar store crap to stuff Megan’s stocking. Anika found the doll section and sighed when she saw the three-story dollhouse on display. Megan had found it the first day she came to the store and subsequently told Santa all about it. “It’s easy, Santa. You can get it right from this store. The elves won’t even have to make it.”