Kissed by Christmas

by Jamie Pope

  “You’re gorgeous. Stop worrying.” He got up and walked toward her. “You’ll make people’s jaws drop when you walk in tonight.”

  “You have to say that. You’re my boyfriend.” She turned to face him, tilting her head to one side as she looked up at him. “We both might have a case of love goggles. Do you ever think about that? I could be so attracted to your spirit that you could have bad teeth, pimple-filled skin and a beer belly and I wouldn’t even be able to tell because your inner beauty has me blinded.”

  “No.” He couldn’t suppress his smile. She could be silly sometimes. He loved that about her. No one else had ever made him smile so much. “I never think about that.” He slipped his hand into the pocket of his suit and pulled out a small black box. “Your ears look cold.” He pulled out the diamond hoop earrings that were unique and classic at the same time. “You said that you were going to have to borrow a pair of earrings from your mother before you went, but now you don’t have to.”

  “They are beautiful.” She touched her ears.

  “You haven’t even looked at them yet.”

  “I don’t have to. I already know, because you picked them. I hardly have any good jewelry anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “I gave it all back,” she said softly. To Brent. She didn’t have to say any more. His presence hung between them. They hadn’t spoken about him since they had that disagreement he ended by making love to her and Hallie seemed to be happy to go on the rest of her life never mentioning him again. But they weren’t finished. There was no closure there.

  No sure sign from Hallie that there were no lingering feelings.

  She’d come to New York to escape her problems, to escape Brent, but he would always be here. Every time she came back he would be there, their issues never resolved, him continuing to think that she still loved him.

  As much as he loved her, Asa didn’t want to be her rebound. She had been dropping hints, speaking of their future as if they were definitely going to have one. When we get back to New York... Let’s go there this summer... If she was coming back to New York, it would be for him. Not for any other reason and that should’ve made him feel good. But he didn’t want to be the person she tried to forget her former love with. And he didn’t want her making sacrifices for him. If she had loved New York and found another reason to stay, that would be one thing. He didn’t want her to stay just for him, because in the end she wouldn’t be happy. And it would be the same thing that had happened with Brent.

  “Don’t give these back.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out her next gift. “This is your real present.” It was a gold charm bracelet. “This is all the stuff we did this holiday season.”

  “There’s a little ambulance.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  “For how we first really met. And a Christmas tree for that day we walked in the park. A train for the ride we took together. A gingerbread house for the ones we decorated in the castle. This last one is a lily to represent the ones that grow wild all over this island, where we ended up for the holiday.”

  She really started to cry then, not just tears streaming down her face, but full chest-heaving crying.

  “Honey, why are you crying?” He smoothed his hand down her back as he held her.

  “You know why.”

  “You like your present?”

  “It makes mine look like crap.”

  He laughed. “I’ll love it. I know I’ll love it.”

  “This hurts, you know. The amount of what I feel for you is so much that it hurts.”

  “I know,” he whispered. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I almost don’t know how to handle it.”

  “You don’t have to handle it.” She looked up at him. “Just be with me.”

  He nodded and wiped away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. “We’ve got to get going.”

  “My face is a mess, isn’t it?”

  “No. I think it’s just perfect.”

  A half hour later they had arrived at his sister’s oceanfront mansion. Virginia and Carlos didn’t normally throw around their wealth, but tonight they weren’t afraid to show off what they had because they had opened their homes to the entire island. This was a night that the people of Hideaway Island wouldn’t forget.

  The house looked like a Christmas wonderland. They had brought in white Christmas trees that had been decorated with ornaments in various shades of blue and silver winding up the long driveway. There were candles—hundreds and hundreds of flickering candles—lighting the paths that led to the back of the house where there were tents set up overlooking the beach. The first thing they were greeted with was a replica of the town made completely from gingerbread. It was all there—the historic church, the town square, even the post office—and the little edible buildings were all decorated for the holiday exactly like the real town had been.

  “I’m amazed by this,” Hallie said as she looked up at Asa. “Truly amazed by it all.”

  “My sister is amazing. She had a really small, intimate wedding in Costa Rica. So this is her making up for it.”

  “I’ll say.” Hallie’s eyes traveled to the tables and tables of food around the room. Whole turkeys and hams. Trays of freshly caught fish and pasta and a dozen things she couldn’t identify. One table just held candy, another a giant chocolate fountain.

  Christmas music filled the air, provided by a band dressed in black tie and in the center of it all, in front of a large evergreen, stood Carlos and Virginia, looking dazzling and staring at each other like they were in love, like there was no one else in the world but them.

  “Hallie.” Asa touched her shoulder. “Your grandmother is trying to get your attention.”

  “Oh.” She looked over to the bar where her grandmother was holding two glasses of champagne and staring at her. “I didn’t even see her there.”

  “Go speak to her. I’m going to say hello to a few people.”

  * * *

  Asa went over to his sister and brother-in-law, whom they had seen briefly when they first walked in. Virginia was in a white, flowy gown that managed to look beachy and perfect for winter at the same time. There was a white flower tucked into her curls and a smile on her face. He had never seen her look happier.

  “Hey, twin.” She hugged him. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to do that earlier.”

  “Don’t be. This place looks fantastic. All the planning was worth it.”

  “You think so? I just want everyone to have a good time. I want to thank them for everything they have done for us on this island to make us feel welcome.”

  “You succeeded.”

  “Good. How’s Hallie? She looks like she was crying.”

  “She was, but please don’t tell her that. We almost didn’t make it because she thought she looked a mess.”

  “Why was she crying?” Virginia raised a suspicious eyebrow.

  “She liked the present I gave her.” But he knew it was more than that. She loved him. Or she wanted to love him and felt guilty about not being able to.

  She cared deeply for him. That was the only thing he was sure of at the moment. There was so much uncertainty around them. He didn’t want to push her to make a decision. He just wanted to be there. A quiet force showing her that he loved her, that his love was unwavering. That he would always be there for her when it mattered. He needed her to choose with her heart instead of her head. He wanted to force her to choose him, to rage at her for not knowing, to beat the hell out of Brent for existing, but he knew that wasn’t the way to win her.

  Being patient was by far the hardest thing he ever had to do.

  “It was incredibly thoughtful. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  “It seems like things are getting pretty serious between you two,” Carlos said.


  “It seems like it.”

  “I think she’s good for you, Asa.” Virginia glanced over to where Hallie was. “Mom loves her. Daddy already is referring to her as his future daughter-in-law.”

  “What do you think about her?”

  Virginia exchanged a look with Carlos and for a moment Asa’s stomach dropped.

  “I think that if you don’t ask her to marry you, the entire family will turn against you and I will forever be the favorite.”

  “So you like her?”

  “No. I adore her. Don’t waste any more time. You found her. Be happy with her.”

  That was the only thing he wanted, but he caught Brent in the corner of his eye and knew that once he spotted Hallie, he wasn’t going to leave tonight without speaking to her again, trying once again to convince her to come back to him.

  “What’s the matter, Asa?” Carlos asked. “You look like you’re gearing up for a fight.”

  “I’m not. But there is someone here I would love to knock on their ass.”

  “Who?” Carlos swiveled around, his shoulders growing broader. “We can go get him.”

  “No, you won’t be going anywhere, dear husband.” Virginia grabbed his hand. “Not until we announce our big news. Asa can handle himself.” She looked up at him. “Who’s got you wanting to do bodily harm?”

  He motioned over to Brent, who even Asa had to admit was looking dapper tonight in a navy blue tux. “Hallie’s ex.”

  Carlos’s eyes hardened. “His agency sold me this house. His father, to be exact. If I had known, we wouldn’t have invited him.”

  “Did it end badly?” Virginia asked.

  “He told her he wasn’t sure he loved her enough to marry her a few weeks before their wedding and now he wants her back. He’s going to try to convince her to leave me tonight.”

  “I hope she tells him to go to hell.”

  “I hope she does, too.”

  Carlos shook his head. “You’re going to let some other man try to take your woman?”

  “He can try all he wants. I have to trust that Hallie will do what she needs to do if she wants to be with me.” He said the words with conviction, but that didn’t stop the little niggle of doubt inside him.

  Chapter 18

  “You look beautiful, Nanny.” Hallie studied her grandmother as she approached her. Nanny wore a silver gown, her hair swept up in a simple but elegant way that made her look regal and classic. She didn’t look anywhere near her eighty-two years and Hallie hoped that she looked a quarter as good as her grandmother did when she got to be her age.

  “Thank you, my dear.” She handed her a glass of champagne and touched her cheek. “You’ve been crying.”

  “Can you tell?”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing. They were happy tears. Asa surprised me with a wonderful gift.”

  “An engagement ring?” Nanny’s eyes lit with joy.

  “No,” Hallie said, surprised that she found herself disappointed. She had seen the black velvet box and for a moment she’d thought... But they were earrings, beautiful earrings. “He gave me these.” She motioned to them. “And this. It’s a charm bracelet. A charm for all the things that we have done together since we have met.”

  “How thoughtful.”

  “It was. Incredibly so.”

  “What would you have said if he had asked to marry you? I know it’s soon and that you weren’t prepared to be in a serious relationship again...”

  “I would have said yes.” There was no doubt in her mind. If he had asked, she would have said yes without a second thought.

  “Said yes to what?” Her mother approached them then. She was wearing an emerald green gown that hugged her body in all the right places. Hallie had forgotten that her mother was a stunner. She could still turn heads and had a lot of years left ahead of her. Hallie didn’t want her mother to spend the rest of her life alone.

  “To Asa,” she answered, distracted. “You look incredible, Mom.”

  “Really?” She nervously patted her hair. “It’s not too much?”

  “Too much what?”

  “You know.” Clara ran her hands down her hips. “Too much everything.”

  “You’re a knockout,” said Nanny. “I think you should start dating again.”

  “What?” She looked startled. “That came out of nowhere. And anyway, I couldn’t.”

  “Yes, you can, daughter. It has been over a year. You married a man much older than you and while he gave you great happiness, he shouldn’t be your only happiness. Hallie can’t be the only thing good in your life. You need more. You need to let the girl do what she wants without your interference.”

  “But, Mother....” Clara seemed completely knocked off guard.

  “I love you, Clara.” Nanny pecked her cheek. “I’m going to find a gentleman to dance with. I’ll see you two later.”

  She walked away, leaving Clara and Hallie alone for the first time since they’d had their argument.

  “I guess we should talk,” Clara said to Hallie in a soft voice.

  “I guess we should. Let’s go out to the beach where it’s a little quieter.”

  It was a warm, breezy night and they both slipped off their heels and pulled up their gowns as they walked onto the cool sand. They were quiet for a while, listening as the waves gently crashed against the shore.

  “I guess I should start by saying I’m sorry,” Clara spoke first.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I do because I am. I didn’t think. I just wanted you to be happy. I didn’t know you were seeing someone else.”

  “I wasn’t happy with him and if I wasn’t seeing someone else, that didn’t mean I wanted to get back with Brent.”

  “I lost you and your father so close together. I was being selfish. I thought if you got back together you would stay here and start a family. I just don’t know what to do with myself since your father passed away.”

  “Date. Go out dancing. Take a trip to the beach with a hunky man.”

  “Is that what you’ve been doing with Asa this week?”

  “We’ve been having a very nice time here,” she said sighing. “It makes me not want to leave the island again.”

  “But you will because of him.”

  “Yes. He puts me first. He’s my rock and every time I look at him I get a little breathless. Life is just kind of gray without him.”

  Clara made a soft noise. “I feel that way about your father. My life is just gray now.”

  “I don’t want that for you, Mom.”

  “I don’t want that for me, either. I’m glad you found Asa. He’s a good man. Will you really be happy in New York? I know how much you love it here.”

  “I do,” she said looking out at the moonlit ocean. “There’s no place like it.”

  “Hallie, I want to say something to you and I don’t want you to get upset. I just want you to listen.”

  Hallie was apprehensive, but she nodded, waiting for her mother to speak her mind.

  “I know a big bone of contention between you and Brent was that he wanted to move to Miami and you wanted to stay here. You felt like you had given everything up for him already. Aren’t you doing the same thing with Asa?”

  “I’m not moving to New York for Asa. I was already there.”

  “But you are staying in a place that eight weeks ago you were sure you were going to leave. I know Asa is dear to you, but are you sure you want to compromise so much for a man you have known for such a short time?”

  Her mother was right. Logically it all made sense even though she didn’t want it to. She was so sure of her feelings for Asa, but that tiny bit of doubt in the back of her mind never really went away “If it doesn’t work out I can alw
ays come home again. This place isn’t going anywhere.”

  “No, of course not. But I don’t want you running home to nurse another broken heart. I want you home because you want to spend your life here.”

  “The last thing I want is another broken heart. But I...”

  “No,” a man’s voice said from behind her. “I guess I’ve already taken care of that.”

  She turned to see Brent standing there. Even she had to admit he looked beautiful that evening—sleek, expensive, probably a thousand women’s dreams. But he wasn’t her dream anymore and when she looked at him she didn’t feel hurt, or angry, or sad. She felt nothing. That was the nicest feeling. There was nothing left there.

  Realizing how much she loved Asa made all the other stuff that was lingering in the background disappear. “I should be getting back to Asa now. He’s probably wondering where I am.” She turned to leave but Brent grabbed her wrist.

  “I just want to talk to you. Give me a chance. Give me five minutes.”

  Hallie looked at her mother, just to have somewhere else to look other than at Brent. “Mom, can you give us a minute?”

  “Yes, I’ll be inside. At the candy buffet, gnawing on a chocolate Santa.” Clara squeezed Hallie’s arm before she went.

  Brent stood there awkwardly for a while, just staring at her. “You look very beautiful tonight, Hallie. I even like your hair short. It makes your eyes stand out.”

  She nodded. “Thanks.”

  “Let’s walk. We’ve walked on this beach once before, remember? When my father first secured this listing.”

  “Let’s walk back toward the house. You asked for five minutes. That’s all I have left to give you.”

  “You used to be so agreeable before. You’re a little more strong-willed now. I like that.”

  She started walking away, forcing him to keep up with her, not wanting to hear any more of his platitudes. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “I want another shot with you. I know I’ve hurt you, but I got scared. I just needed time to think things over before we walked down the aisle, but eight months without you nearly killed me. I could barely function.”