The Christmas Tree Guy

by Railyn Stone

  “Quinn,” she murmured, closing her eyes, wrapping her arms around his bare waist. “If you don’t stop, I’m never going to leave.” His magical mouth was more than she could handle at the moment, and he was tempting her, with every searing, sultry kiss, to stay longer.

  “I know,” he grinned deviously. “How about I come by later this week and spend some time with the little guys? Maybe play a few video games?”

  “I’d like that and I’m sure they would too,” she reluctantly pushed back from him reaching for her purse and keys. “I gotta go, okay?”

  “Yeah, I’ll see you later.” Kissing him quickly before she got wrapped up in his embrace again, she made her way out of the door and to her car.

  CHAPTER 15

  “Aww, man, Travis, you’re beating me.” The twins laughed as Quinn’s little character spun around in circles and Travis’ kept going.

  “I win.” Travis exclaimed as Charlie looked on.

  “Yes, you did. You guys are too good for me.” Quinn chuckled as the two little boys fist-bumped each other with the ritual they had devised with Quinn. He came over just as promised and he and the boys were playing video games. It was something they looked forward to and Quinn had a ball spending time with them.

  “Okay, if you are done beating Quinn, it’s time to eat. Go wash up.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Both boys bolted out of the living room and he watched Sydnee shake her head listening to their footsteps echoing off the walls.

  “Should I even ask them to stop running?”

  “Well, you could, but I’m not sure it would work.”

  “I beat you.” Travis stuck his tongue out at Charlie once they raced back to the kitchen. Quinn nearly laughed out loud when both stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing their mother glare at them. It was amazing, no matter what they were doing, Sydnee had a way of giving them a look and they knew they were dangerously close to being punished for something they’d done.

  “All right, guys, come on and grab a seat,” Quinn quickly suggested, trying to keep them out of trouble. Sitting down to dinner, they chattered on and on about their game with Quinn, things at school during the day and about the baseball game with their dad the previous week. Travis talked more about the baseball game and the time they spent with their father, and Charlie would chirp in when something was mentioned about the mascot. Quinn listened, and asked the boys questions and kept them giggling throughout dinner. Once they finished, the boys talked him and Sydnee into building houses with them out of blocks until it was time for bed.

  The twins groaned at first, but Quinn promised to tell them a story if they would go ahead and get ready for bed. He helped them with their pajamas and brushing their teeth and once they were in their beds, he told the most animated version of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ they had ever heard. They laughed and giggled as he huffed and puffed like the big bad wolf while Sydnee cleaned the kitchen.

  “Do it again,” Charlie squealed, as Quinn finished the story.

  “Oh, no, you have to get some sleep. Otherwise you won’t be able to keep your eyes open tomorrow at school,” Quinn added, making sure they were both tucked in.

  “Quinn, will Mommy come and kiss us goodnight?”

  “Sure she will. She’s just cleaning up right now, but she’ll be in here in a minute to tuck you guys in and give you kisses.”

  “Will you kiss Mommy before you leave?”

  “What, buddy?” Quinn laughed, looking at Travis as he sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Will you kiss Mommy?”

  “Uh, maybe, if that’s okay with you and her.” Quinn wondered where all of the questions were coming from. It was a little weird to hear the questions Travis seemed to be spouting.

  “I don’t think Mommy likes kisses from anybody but me and Charlie.”

  “Why would you say that?” He looked at the little boy fumbling with the edge of his comforter between his little fingers. Quinn thought the conversation was somewhat strange for a six-year old, but he could tell something was on the little boy’s mind.

  “Cause when Daddy kissed her, she didn’t like it.”

  “Really? Daddy kissed Mommy?” Quinn could feel his jaw automatically tense. Matt kissed her? When and where? Had he been here at the house? And why was this the first he was hearing about it, and it wasn’t from her? He sensed something was a little off with Sydnee. She’d been distant lately and it seemed she had something weighing on her mind. He hadn’t been able to put his finger on it, but now, things were starting to get clearer. “How do you know she didn’t like it?”

  “Cause when Daddy kissed her, he wouldn’t let her go and she hit him. We aren’t supposed to hit people.” Travis looked up with the most innocent eyes and Quinn could see the confusion clouding the brown spheres. Kids were resilient and tremendously perceptive.

  “You’re right Travis. Hitting isn’t nice. But, sometimes, grownups don’t always follow the rules and sometimes it’s because other grownups don’t follow the rules.”

  “What do you mean?” He turned to face Charlie who spoke up. Quinn knew he was getting into a conversation that could potentially become heavier than what either of the twins could comprehend and he was going to have to tread lightly on the subject.

  “Well, Charlie, sometimes grownups do things to other grownups they don’t really want them to do.” He paused trying to figure out a way to help them understand and simplify it as much as possible. “It’s kind of like when you were on the playground and that little girl in your class held your hand, but you really didn’t want her to.” Quinn thought back to the day Charlie had confided in him about the little girl who clearly had a crush on him. Charlie was disgusted by the thought of the little girl holding his hand, and Quinn had tried his best to contain his laughter at the situation as he talked to Charlie about girls. Of course, it wasn’t a very detailed or in-depth birds and the bees talk. Charlie was still too young for that, but he helped the little boy manage the situation without embarrassing him. It was something they shared and Quinn felt the trust building between the two.

  “Yeah, that was icky.” Charlie screwed up his face, clearly disgusted by the memory of the little girl holding his hand in the line to go back to class after recess. Quinn smiled, knowing when Charlie got older, he’d be okay with a young woman wanting to hold his hand.

  “Exactly. You didn’t like her holding your hand without your permission. That’s kind of like what happened with your Mommy and Daddy. He may have kissed Mommy and she didn’t give him permission to.”

  “That’s why she hit him?” Travis asked slowly.

  “Could be.”

  “I don’t think Daddy should kiss Mommy,” Charlie added softly. Quinn turned back to the little boy and his downward gaze. It was amazing to him, even at the young age of six, how smart and intuitive both of the boys were and it made him wonder exactly how they felt about him being there. Or even how much they understood about his and Sydnee’s relationship.

  “You don’t?”

  “No. He isn’t nice to Mommy like you are. He makes her sad and I don’t like it when Mommy’s sad.” Charlie hung his head and Quinn’s protective instinct seemed to kick into overdrive. He hated what Matt had done to them and he couldn’t stand the idea of the man being anywhere close to Sydnee or the kids.

  “I don’t like it when Mommy’s sad either, Charlie. Hey, I think it’s time for you two to get some sleep okay? Mommy’s pretty lucky to have you guys to protect her and care about her,” Quinn winked. “Goodnight.” He walked to the door and switched off the light.

  “Good night.”

  Entering the kitchen, Quinn could hear Sydnee humming as she finished wiping down the counter. How could she let Matt kiss her?

  “Oh, hey, are they in bed already?”

  “Yes. Just waiting for you to come and kiss them goodnight.”

  “Okay, well, let me go and I’ll be right back,” she squeezed his arm as she bounced by, headed to the boys’ roo
m.

  “Yes, and when you get back, you can tell me why Matt kissed you and you didn’t tell me.” Sydnee stopped in the middle of the hallway and he turned his head to look at her intently. The surprised look on her face was a dead giveaway something had actually happened between her and Matt. He wanted it to all be a figment of Travis’ imagination, but the look in her eyes confirmed his suspicions. Matt had kissed her. He wasn’t sure if he’d been at her house, but she still hadn’t told him and he couldn’t understand why she kept it from him. And now, Quinn wasn’t sure what to think. Was she contemplating going back to him? Was that why she’d been so distant?

  “What?” Her tiny voice barely carried to his ears, but he could hear a slight tremor in it telling him she knew she’d been found out.

  “Mommy?” The twins took turns calling to her and he could see the wheels turning in her head at his last comment.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you get back,” Quinn answered, turning away from her gaze and trying his best to stamp down the rage building inside of him.

  ###

  Once she’d tucked the boys in and gave them both good night kisses and hugs, she walked out of their room and closed the door. Sydnee paused outside of their door for a second to gather her thoughts. Quinn was now outside on the patio with his hands shoved in his pockets looking at the stars. She quietly joined him outside.

  “Hey.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” The evenness in his voice slammed into her heart like a sledgehammer and she automatically hated the fact she hadn’t come clean with him before now. This is exactly what she hadn’t wanted to happen. Damn you, Matt.

  “Quinn, there was nothing to tell.” Sydnee moved to the other side of the patio crossing her arms to ward off the chill of Quinn’s attitude, and tried her best to gloss over the incident.

  “Sydnee, evidently something happened. Travis was concerned about it.” His steel grey eyes shone darker as his unwavering glare held her hostage.

  “So he did see it.” Breathing deeply she rubbed her temple. She hadn’t been sure before, but obviously he had seen them, and he had told Quinn. “I didn’t know Travis was standing there.”

  “When?” His response was short and she looked to see his lips were pressed in a tight line and his glare was intense.

  “The night of the baseball game. Matt dropped by and said he needed to talk.”

  “He was here?” Quinn asked. She could see he was clearly agitated by the idea of Matt being in the house with her and she wondered exactly what he was thinking.

  “Yes.”

  “And you didn’t mind Matt putting his hands on you?”

  His bristling tone intensified and it shocked her. Yes, maybe he had a reason to be upset with her for not telling him Matt was there, but he didn’t have to be so short with her. It wasn’t like she’d wanted Matt to kiss her. “Of course I minded. That’s why I slapped him. Why do I have to explain myself to everyone?”

  “I’m not asking you to explain this to everyone, just me. I want to know why you didn’t tell me. I thought we had something here and I thought we were being honest with one another.” Tilting her head to the side, Sydnee narrowed her eyes at Quinn.

  “Being honest with one another? How can you say that to me?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re one to talk about honesty, Quinn. I’ve been honest with you. I told you I was scared to have a relationship with you because I was afraid of getting hurt again.” Now she was getting angry. How dare he put this all on her. He had kept secrets too. Both of them had and it wasn’t fair she was being called out on it.

  “You didn’t tell me Matt was here.”

  “And you didn’t tell me about the NFL offer!” She shot back. They both fell silent, and their eyes locked with more vehemence than she could stand. “Yeah, it doesn’t feel too good does it?” Placing her arms back across her midsection she could feel her insides trembling. She didn’t want to confront him like this. All she wanted was for him to come clean and tell her about the opportunity, but he hadn’t, and judging by the look in his eyes, he was surprised she knew anything about it.

  “How do you know about that?”

  “What difference does it make how I know? What matters is YOU didn’t tell me. So don’t stand there and lecture me about honesty.”

  “Sydnee, there’s nothing to tell.” Quinn moved closer to where she stood. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “And there was nothing to tell about Matt kissing me.” They stood, staring at one another, trying to figure out if the other was really telling the truth. “And what do you mean, you aren’t going anywhere?”

  “Syd, it would be crazy for me to leave now.”

  “Quinn, this is a chance of a lifetime for you; something I know you’ve worked hard for, and want. Why would you just throw that away?” This wasn’t just only something he’d worked for, but something he deserved.

  “I haven’t even interviewed for the job and the way you’re pushing, it sounds like you want me to go. Maybe if I go, then you and Matt can work out your differences and get back together.”

  “Are you kidding me? That’s how much you think of me?” She was astounded he would even say anything like that to her knowing all of the pain Matt had caused them.

  “I don’t know, Syd. You tell me what I’m supposed to think. What’s going on between you two? He comes here out of the blue, you let him right back in to the boys’ lives and you spend the day with him at the game. You’ve been off in another world and so distant lately. Maybe, you’re having second thoughts about me, and us?” He added, watching her carefully. Sydnee couldn’t believe his attitude. How could he think she was having second thoughts about him?

  “Quinn, I cannot believe you. I told you why I stayed at the game. It had nothing to do with me wanting Matt. I stayed for my children. They mean everything to me, and I can’t even believe you’re accusing me of wanting Matt back.” She was amazed at his crazy accusations.

  “I don’t know what to think anymore, Syd. If it didn’t mean anything to you, then why didn’t you tell me he was here? Do you even still want this relationship?”

  “I didn’t think it was a big deal, Quinn.”

  “You didn’t think it was a big deal?” She watched him rake his hand through his hair and look out into the darkness of the backyard. His jaw was clenched in obvious frustration.

  “Yes. Call me crazy, but it isn’t as big of a deal as you taking a job hundreds of miles away.” Sydnee could hardly believe Quinn’s attitude.

  “Sydnee, I don’t even know if I’m going to interview for it.” He turned and the coolness in his steely eyes sent shivers down her spine.

  “Quinn, this is what people work for. An opportunity to move up and do more, and make more money. This is an opportunity many people don’t get. Why wouldn’t you interview for it?”

  She watched him pause as if he were piecing together a puzzle. The usual gleam in his eye was gone and she wasn’t sure what he was thinking. “Is that what this is all about?” He paused for a moment before adding, “It’s about how much money I make?”

  “Quinn. No. I just…I just figured you wanted to progress. I don’t honestly expect you to stay at Fahrenheit forever and give up your dream.”

  “I see.” He scrubbed his face with his hands. “Mr. Six Figures is back and now you can have it all again. The boys and you will be well taken care of and all will be well with the world.”

  Sydnee’s eyes widened and she took a step closer to Quinn. “No. That’s not it! I don’t care about Matt’s money. I-”

  “Then what is it, Syd? Hmm? Cause I don’t want to take the job because it would mean moving away from here. Moving away from you and the boys. I don’t want that.”

  “Quinn, I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you give up your dream for us.”

  “Are you kidding me? Sydnee, you and the boys mean everything to me. What are you saying? You want me to t
ake the job and move hundreds of miles away from you?” She paused before she responded to his question. Ever since she overheard the trainers talking in the locker room, she had mulled over confronting him about the situation. She had thought long and hard about it. It was difficult because she had such deep feelings for Quinn, but how could she hold him back from an opportunity of a lifetime? He was just starting his life and career; she couldn’t stand in the way of that. She thought back to the conversation with his mother and how proud she was of him. How his whole family was so proud of him. Janae wanted Quinn to realize his dreams and this was his chance. How could she possibly stand in the way of him doing what he’d always wanted to do? She would want the same thing for Charlie and Travis. She wanted them to dream and to have every chance to reach their goals.

  “I don’t want to lose you, but I can’t stand in your way, Quinn. I won’t do it. I won’t let you give up your dreams for us.”

  “Sydnee?”

  She could see the shock from her response in his eyes and she blinked back tears. She knew he cared about her, but she just couldn’t let him give this up because of her. “I don’t want to wake up years from now knowing you resent us for not choosing to advance your career. I don’t want that.” She turned away before he could see the tears in her eyes.

  She could feel Quinn’s eyes boring through her. “I wouldn’t, Syd.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “And you don’t know that I would!” He shot back a response so quickly she knew he hadn’t really thought any of this through. He couldn’t give up his chance like this for her. She wouldn’t let him.

  “I don’t want to take that chance,” she quickly wiped at her cheek as a tear escaped and rolled down her face.