by Conn, Claudy
“I don't know. Help me find a place. Create some kind of grant or something. Get him in and don't let her know it's from me.” Sasha would kill him if she ever found out.
“You're wanting to pay for his care?”
“Do you have to sound so shocked? I'm not the Scrooge everyone thinks I am.” Kevin curled a fist at his side.
“Whoa! Never said you were, but this is big, Kevin. That's what I'm getting at. You really like this girl that much?”
He thought of Sasha, worn out, hard at work, giving her all for her father. Then he thought about all the people in town never forgetting something her father had done. “Yeah, I like her that much.”
As Jack filled him in on other news and told him he'd do what he could about his request, Kevin wondered more about Sasha. Would she accept this? Would there be a place near here that was good enough for her father? Somewhere away from town and the people who didn't care?
Wait. He snapped his fingers. If he could find a school for her out in California and a place that would take her father...
No, California was damn expensive to begin with.
Wow, he was contemplating moving just to find a place to be near a woman he didn't know that well?
He knew her though. He knew she loved to tuck her legs beneath her as she read a book. She was feisty, especially when under pressure. She had a hell of a life and didn't complain. Sasha's eyes were full of love when it came to her father, even though he didn't recognize her anymore. That had to hurt.
Yeah, he had it bad.
Kevin moved to the room he was staying in and started looking things up on the computer, setting a plan in motion.
Forget the image fixing. He wanted the best for Sasha.
Chapter Thirteen
Sasha couldn't concentrate on work the last few nights, and it showed. She'd made mistakes on the register, zoned out on customers, and had been complained about because she kept checking her phone. She couldn't help it. Having her father home after that night made her nervous, and she expected at any time for Arlene to call or text her about something with Dad.
She couldn't get the conversation with Jack out of her head, either. To him, sending some pictures Kevin didn't know about was an easy little task. How did it not make him feel guilty? It sure as hell ate at her. Why did she agree to this plan in the first place? Would this always hang over her head?
How was it these Hollywood people had so much money to throw around that they could make these little deals with people? It wasn't about the money for her. It was getting Dad somewhere safe, but damn did it cost much more than a dollar amount. It cost Sasha her sanity.
“My total?”
She snapped back to attention, staring at the face of the woman in front of her. She wasn't happy.
“Uhh yes. $28.93.” Heat rushed to Sasha's cheeks.
The woman huffed, handed over a credit card, which she promptly slid through the slot. When the receipt printed, Sasha asked the woman to sign.
“Merry Christmas!” Sasha called after the woman snatched her card and her bag.
She got nothing in response. Yeah, don't blame ya there, lady.
The next person in line slid a gorgeous scarf across the desk. Sasha had been eying it forever, but hadn't had a chance to pick it up. The hand currently covering the scarf belonged to a male. Aww, sweet. Some guy coming in to buy his girlfriend or wife a scarf? Sasha's smile grew at the thought, and her gaze traveled up the arm towards the face.
Kevin! What was he doing here?
“Who is this for?” she blurted. To anyone else in the store, she probably sounded rude and stupid, but they didn't know she knew Kevin. Hell, it didn't even seem like anyone else knew that Kevin Wright the movie star was in this store right now.
“I've noticed this pretty lady touch this scarf lovingly every time she passed by the rack, so I thought I'd get it for her before it was gone.” Kevin's dimpled smile melted her heart. “Do you gift wrap? I can't wait to see her face when she opens it.”
Whoa. First off, he'd been watching her? Here? When did he do that? And for how long? Goose bumps crawled up and down her arm. Wait- did he really mean her?
“She's going to love it,” Sasha said softly, fingering the fringes. “I'll ring it up and wrap it right now. Do you have a preference on what color to wrap it in?”
Kevin's eyelids lowered. “Purple. It's her favorite color. It's one of the reasons she loves this scarf.”
Yeah, he was definitely talking about her. Playing along, Sasha felt the heat rush to her cheeks. How much was she blushing? She rang up the scarf, told Kevin the total, then carefully wrapped the scarf before putting it in a gift bag.
Their hands connected when he handed her his credit card, and her fingers tingled. He kept his hand on hers longer than needed. Sasha's heart thudded against her ribcage, and Kevin's eyes sparkled with amusement. She handed him the card back with her other hand.
“Thank you.” His eyes bore into hers. “If I were to wait around for the last half hour of your shift, would you want to get a bite to eat with me? I have a little present for you.”
She needed to get home, but if she sent a quick message to Arlene-
“I already asked Arlene if she'd be okay if I took you to a late dinner.”Damn, he was quick. And perfect. Amazing. What the hell did he want with someone like her? Sasha fought away the shock and nodded. “I'd love that.”
“Great. See you later.” He waved and took off.
As she wrapped up the next half hour of work, Sasha sighed in relief when the last customer was gone. Now to sneak out of here before her boss said anything more about her lack of attention.
Too late. Grim faced, Lynn approached her. “We need to talk.”
*****
Kevin waited for Sasha right outside the store. She'd gone in the back room with a woman and hadn't come out after twenty minutes. What was going on? He hoped he didn't cause trouble because he'd come in there and took a little longer with her at the register.
He spotted Sasha heading toward him, her eyes filled with tears. Kevin shot to his feet and pulled her in his arms. “What happened?”
“My lack of concentration got me fired, that's what happened!” She muttered against him.
“Is it because I made you take too long?”
Sasha reeled back. “No, it had nothing to do with you coming in. I haven't been able to focus the last few days. I kept worrying about Dad and Arlene. Now I don't know what I'm going to do!”
“Let's get away from the mall and figure this out.” Kevin took her hand, but Sasha stayed in place.
“We?”
Did he say we? Damn, he sure did. “Yeah. We. I care, Sasha. I want to help, so you heard me right. I'll find you a job before you even have a chance to be replaced at Sphere.” Kevin scowled at the woman who'd fired her as she exited the store. He felt like flipping her off, but recognition filled her eyes as she widened them. Kevin pulled Sasha closer to him and kissed her face. He shot a smug look at the woman's retreating back when she huffed and walked away quickly.
“Did you do what I think you just did?” She pulled away.
“What do you think I did?” He laughed at her baffled expression.
“Kissed me in front of my boss...err, ex-boss, and made sure she saw it?”
“I did.”
Sasha threw her arms around him. “Hilarious! She's a huge fan.”
“You aren't mad?”
“Hell no! That's funny.”
He drew her close, kissed her again for real this time, then led her out of the mall. The large Christmas tree across the way was lit up, and the colorful lights twinkled with a glow in the night. He tried to think of a solution for Sasha. Maybe he could get her a gig on one of the movie sets in the wardrobe department. But that would still only be temporary, and who knows what would be available? It also wouldn't help the solution with her dad, unless they found him a place.
She paused by her car. “Maybe it's best I go home. I'v
e got to figure this out.” Running a hand through her blonde locks, Sasha's frazzled nerves only added to Kevin's.
“If you could go anywhere, where would it be? I mean to live?” Kevin blurted.
She stared at him, mouth agape. “I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Why?”
“This is your chance. You're free of this town. If you have to find somewhere for your dad, then you should make your life what you want it to be.”
“The problem is finding a place for Dad. And then I can't go that far away, because I'd be abandoning him otherwise. That's not fair.” She shook her head. “At any minute, I'm going to break down. When it really hits that I have nothing. No job. No way to get the help my dad needs. What the hell am I going to do? Some freaking Christmas.”
Kevin hated the defeat in her voice. He rushed over and drew her toward him again. “I'll help you. I'll find you a place to stay, I'll find something for your dad. I've got connections.”
“I can't take your-”
Exactly what he thought she'd say. Kevin kissed her lips, breaking Sasha's thoughts. Her rigid body loosened up as she kissed him back.
“Why do you do that?” she uttered after he ended the kiss.
“To keep you quiet.” He quirked up a brow. “I know what you were going to say. You can't accept my charity.”
“It's true.” Sasha's jaw slacked as her stance changed. She was going to argue.
“What about help? What about someone who cares? I can find a place for your dad anywhere you want. I can try to get you a few jobs on movie sets in wardrobe. You and I can see what happens with us, because I'd sure as hell like to keep you in my life. I wish I'd talked to you in high school to know what I know now.” He slid a finger beneath her chin, gently forcing her to look at him. “I want you, Sasha. In my heart, in my bed. In my life.”
You'd do that for me?” She squeaked out.
I'd do that for you, and so much more. Take a chance,” he pleaded. “Let me buy you dinner, we'll talk, and then I'll bring you back to your car so you can go home.” He'd been looking online all day and had some ideas, but hadn't expected the need to show her these things right away. “Besides, I have a present that I bought for you. The cashier was sweet, but the store...Well, I'm not too fond of their practices, but the cashier was totally flirting with me.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Maybe I could get the training and be Dad's full time caregiver. They pay people to stay home and do that,” Sasha said two days later, still not able to find a job. She told Kevin she needed a few days to try and find something on her own before giving in and seeing what he could do. Not that she didn't appreciate his efforts, but she had to do something on her own first.
If he needed regular care, maybe,” Kevin pointed out. “But this is beyond what a regular caregiver can do, and getting the training you'll need will take a lot longer. It'll end up costing a lot, too.”
She sighed. “I'm stuck!” Letting her head fall back, it thunked against the couch.
Arlene was also looking at options for her, but nothing came close to what really needed to happen.
Jack hadn't called or emailed in a few days either, so Sasha had no idea what was going on with that. With Kevin being so wonderful, she really should tell him about it. Every time she opened her mouth to do so, nothing came out.
There wasn't time for fits. Sasha immediately sat up and stared at the ornaments on the Christmas tree. Last night, Arlene and Dad decorated. He'd kept trying to go find the Christmas stuff, so to appease him, Arlene grabbed them and set up the tree. It had been a tradition between Sasha and her father for years, and even though she understood why Arlene did it, a pang of sadness still hit her. She'd missed out. A stray tear fell.
“You wouldn't be stuck if you weren't so stubborn.” Kevin kissed her cheek, then wiped the tear away. “Don't cry. We'll get you something. It'll work out.”
“That's not even why I'm crying at the moment.” Sasha let out a deep sigh. She pointed at the tree. “They decorated without me.” Ugh, now she sounded like a child. “I mean, it was a special tradition between me and Dad. Ever since Mom died, we always made Christmas and every holiday special. We tried to make all quality time special. I'm not making any sense at all, because I'm emotional.”
Something that reflected wistfulness filled his eyes. “I never realized until my adult life how much I wanted those kind of things,” he said, his voice low. “I wish my father would look at me with something other than disappointment. He doesn't mind getting hired help to do things like that.” He moved away quick. “I have an idea. Trust me?”
“Umm... Sure.” Sasha put her hand in his, and he aided her to her feet.
“How long until your dad comes back from the day center?” He checked his watch.
“He's there until four.” Sasha stared at him curiously.
A smile grew. “Good. Come on.” Kevin grabbed her purse and handed it to her, suddenly eager to go somewhere. She followed him with her curiosity piqued.
*****
“Umm...why are we at a tree lot?” Sasha asked when Kevin finally stopped the car.
“Because silly, we're picking out a tree.” He gestured at the door. “Come on!”
Laughing at his giddiness, Sasha followed suit. Kevin was already on her side of the car and reached for her hand. “Kevin, what exactly are we doing?”
He stopped, faced her, then kissed her lips. “We're going to pick out a tree, put it up, and decorate it.”
“Where exactly are we putting it?”
He shrugged. “The guest cottage on my parents’ property. It's empty. Now let's go pick our tree. Time's a-wasting!”
Kevin left her completely flabbergasted. He was so...Kevin! Sarcastic, sexy, sweet, lovable, and so much more. The fact that he was honest and sincere tugged on her heart. She had him figured out all wrong back then. Becoming an actor hadn't changed him, either.
People were staring. Big time. Some whispered to each other, and some pointed. One woman even started walking toward them, then changed her mind.
“I think you're being noticed today,” Sasha whispered to Kevin.
“Or maybe it's you. It's not often I have a gorgeous girl on my arm.” He winked and kissed her cheek. He was being very touchy feely today. Sasha would almost think it was for show, but Kevin did it privately as well.
They fit. The two meshed so well. Two misfits in a world of confusion and change. Her future was uncertain, while Kevin's only went up as time went on. Could they make something work? Sasha's feelings for him grew stronger, especially with his genuine concern over her life.
“What do you think of this one?” He pointed to a tree which barely had any limbs on the bottom. It was tiny, maybe about four feet. The tree reminded her of herself, someone who never bloomed.
“Are you messing with me again?” Sasha asked.
“This tree needs a home. Look at it. He's lonely. The droopy limbs here? It's because the tree is hunched over in sadness. No one wants to take it home.” Kevin actually ran his hand along one of the limbs in a petting motion.
This man was damn convincing. Kevin's words tore at her, making her care about the stupid tree as if it were alive. Well, trees did live, but... Damn him. She was a sap!
“I see it in your eyes. You're contemplating.” Kevin moved behind the tree. “Take me home, Sasha. Love me! Love me!” Then he gently shook the longest limbs, trying to reach out for her. “Hug me! Decorate me!”
“Oh my God! Stop! We'll take it!” She laughed, clutching her stomach.
Kevin peered from behind the tree, flashing that gorgeous smile again. “Aren't I a stinker?”
“Yes!” She hugged him. “A kind hearted, annoying, and funny one!”
“I'm glad you said kind hearted first.” He tousled her hair, holding her close. “Now let's go take our new tree home and spiffy it up.”
*****
A half hour later, they were in the guest cottage. Kevin found a tree sta
nd and skirt, then set up the tree. He'd started a fire, and it was now crackling. The soothing roar against the backdrop of falling snow outside made for the perfect Christmas decorating moment.
Any time spent with Sasha was perfect, and he wanted to do it more and more.
“I'm surprised your family didn't say anything about this.” Sasha sifted through the boxes he had out.
“They don't care. I'm just here for show,” he muttered. His sister had winked at him, as if she was saying 'Good job getting lucky'. Dad wasn't home, and Mom was paying attention to Marly Jean's wedding talk. “Do you want a little music? What do you like to do while decorating?” He wanted this to be the best experience for her, something to cheer her up. “Show this novice how things work.”
She laughed. The sound rolled over his skin in waves. Kevin could take pointers from Sasha. She longed to keep her fractured family together, and he longed for a family to even care. “For starters, you've got the tree in there wrong.”
“Oh, do I now? Then by all means, show me.” He swatted her ass playfully as she walked by him.
Sasha whirled around, stuck her tongue out at him, then proceeded to make her ass sway as she moved. Purposely swinging her hips a little more, she was a walking tease.
Damn her. Kevin's dick surged to life. “Sasha,” he uttered.
“Hmm?” She fluttered her eyelashes at him as she fixed the tree.
“You're driving me crazy. Stop shaking your ass like that!”
“Like this?” Sasha demonstrated. Slowly. Painfully. Beautifully.
In a flash, Kevin snaked his arms around her and pinned her up against the wall by the tree. He nipped at her earlobe playfully, then trailed kisses all along her face until he arrived at her jaw. Her lips were parted, waiting and ready for him. Kevin decided to move away, going up the other side of her face.
His plan worked. Sasha didn't like the idea of her lips being ignored, and she grabbed his face to kiss him. Her tongue slipped in his mouth, teasing and toying with him.
