A Winter's Kiss (A Winter's Tale Book 1)

by Tailor, Kristi

  “And you’re a way better actor than you are Editor and Chief perhaps you should use a portion of your trust fund money to jumpstart a career in Hollywood.”

  “Whether it be Editor and Chief in New York, or on the scene in Hollywood I’m sure I’d be equally successful. I pride myself in being great at all of my endeavors.”

  “Is that so?” Charlotte laughed.

  “You didn’t know? You witnessed it for yourself downstairs.”

  “Wait. Is this your weak attempt at asking if you’re a good kisser?” Charlotte snorted.

  “That would be a rhetorical question . . . of course I’m a good kisser.”

  “Don’t be so arrogant.”

  Nicholas raised an eye brow. “Stating a fact isn’t being arrogant.”

  “Shouldn’t I be the one calling facts facts since I am the one who was kissed by you? I should be the judge on whether or not you’re a good kisser.”

  “Your body language answered any questions I may have had about your thoughts on my kissing ability.”

  Sitting up Charlotte crossed her legs under her. Tucking her wild hair behind her ears she licked her lips in deep thought. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Your body answered any questions I may have had.”

  “I heard what you said . . . I don’t understand what my body language had to do with anything.”

  “Your hands were shaking under the table.”

  “They were not,” she exhaled exasperated by his cockiness.

  “Well they weren’t lying idly on your lap. Don’t be embarrassed I’ve been known to have that effect on women.”

  Charlotte laughed suddenly, the sound loud in the small room. “I-” she paused, her brows knotted together at the sound of hard knocking on her door. “Who is it?”

  “Can I come in?” asked the familiar voice.

  Todd. Charlotte looked to Nicholas who was seemingly uninterested in their visitor.

  “Come in,” Nicholas answered his cool gaze still on her.

  Todd opened the door, but remained standing in the hallway. He looked agitated, his face a twisted mask that held resolve. “I thought we could go outside for a beer,” he shrugged resting his shoulder against the door frame.

  Nicholas eyed the other man curiously, “Sure,” he said after a seconds delay. “You good with that, babe?” he asked Charlotte a small smile toying with his lips.

  “Don’t be too long,” she cooed stretching her long torso across the bed. “I can’t go to sleep without you.”

  Rising from the chair he gestured for the shorter man to lead the way winking at Charlotte before leaving the room.

  Pulling the duvet over her body once more she wondered what Todd could possibly have to say to Nicholas, but her mind drew a blank. The idea of them sitting on the front porch conversing made her brain hurt. Todd was indeed a vile excuse for a human being, but Nicholas was more than capable of handling his own affairs when it came to the other man. Closing her eyes Charlotte snuggled under the thick cover settling into the peaceful mood that Nicholas had left behind. For the first time in so long she felt content.

  ***

  “Congratulations,” Todd said handing Nicholas a cold beer before sitting on the wooden porch fence. “Charli is a good woman . . . she deserves to be happy.”

  “I concur,” Nicholas agreed taking a small sip from the dark glass bottle.

  Looking out into the empty yard Todd asked, “Has she told you about us?”

  “I know bits and pieces.”

  “I know from the outside looking in it’s easy to place judgment, but in my defense I went 7 years with no sex . . . not too many men would be able to last that long and still be faithful . . . I’m not making an excuse for what happened, but to live with a woman who was dead-set on staying a virgin until marriage, but then when asked to set a date she only made excuses . . . what was I supposed to do?” Todd rambled more to himself than to Nicholas who was watching him closely.

  “Not sleep with her sister,” Nicholas offered sarcasm strong in his tone. “Anyway, why are you telling me all of this? It’s a little weird don’t you think . . . my fiancé’s ex fiancé explaining to me why he cheated on her with her sister . . . .”

  “Is she making you wait?” Todd asked suddenly.

  “Are you serious?” Nicholas laughed. “You asked me out here to inquire about your wife’s sister’s sex life?”

  Todd glanced at Nicholas inquiringly with no desire to withdraw his question from their conversation. “Is she?” he demanded his expression hardening.

  Frowning, Nicholas narrowed his eyes at the man before taking another sip from his beer. “What is or isn’t happening in between my fiancé’s legs is none of your damn business,” he said matter- of- factly. “Let’s not cross any lines that can’t be uncrossed.”

  “She’s was with me for-”

  “And now she’s with me, and you’re with her sister . . . like I said let’s not cross any lines that can’t be uncrossed. Thanks for the beer.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The light sound of breathing stroked her senses until she was pulled completely from the world of unconsciousness. Blinking rapidly in the darkness Charlotte repositioned her body under the thick white comforter settling her smaller frame in the warmth of Nicholas’ as her eyes worked to adjust to the dark room. Closing her eyes once more she listened as he inhaled and exhaled finding peace in every breath he took. Turning over Charlotte stared at the man beside her. Hesitantly she ran her thumb along his jawline smiling at the sensations the prickly hair there had left behind. Hues of cinnamon and bronze shaded his goatee blending together with such brilliance- he was beautiful. Leaning into him Charlotte traced the outline of his thick eyebrows following the path from his button nose to his high cheekbones stopping just short of his lips. Inhaling silently she moved closer still closing her eyes once more as she allowed her lips to touch his, once, twice. Sighing, Charlotte slowly moved away from him glancing at the alarm clock as she climbed out of bed. 4:17a.m.

  Quietly she tiptoed down the short hallway that led to the narrow wooden steps hoping to not wake anyone along the way. She needed some fresh air- to gather her thoughts. Too much was happening and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. The anger she had whole- heartedly felt for her parents was dissipating though she wasn’t quite ready to forgive them, and unrequited feelings for her best friend were starting to plague her thoughts despite the fact that she had worked so hard to keep those feelings at bay. It’s this house! She thought. That’s all it is . . . it’s being back at this house with all the madness, and all of my family buzzing around me . . . their confusing me . . . being here is confusing me. Avoiding the areas of the floor that she knew would creak with even the lightest of touches Charlotte inched across the living room making her way to the kitchen. The light was on. Quickly stopping in her tracks she peeked around the long white wall that separated the two rooms. What is he doing up so early? She wondered staring at the back of her father’s head. Ugh! There are so many people in this house . . . so much for clearing my mind.

  “Are you going to stand there staring at the back of my head, or are you going to come in and have a seat?” Manuel asked without turning around.

  Charlotte jumped. “How did you know I was behind you?”

  “I didn’t serve twenty years in the military, survive wars, and put up with your mother for all of these years to not know when I’m being spied on. I could feel your eyes on the back of my neck,” he smiled.

  “What does mom have to do with any of it?” Charlotte mused aloud.

  Manuel laughed. “Your mother is more dangerous than any war I’ve experienced.”

  “And more worrisome, too, I imagine.”

  “Oh, well, her heart is in the right place. It doesn’t do any good to be so hard on her,” Manuel defended his wife as he gestured for his daughter to sit in the empty seat across from him. “Why are you up so early?” he asked.

  “I
could ask you the same thing,” she shrugged ignoring his reprimanding words.

  A slight grin touched Manuel’s small lips as he raised his navy blue coffee mug in the air before bringing it to his mouth for a taste of the lukewarm bitter substance that tinted the inside. “It’s nothing like fresh coffee before sunrise.”

  “Would you mind pouring me a cup?” she asked grabbing a mug from the sink strainer before taking a seat across from him.

  “Of all the things I do mind, that isn’t one of them,” Manuel laughed. “So . . . .”

  “So . . . .”

  “You’re engaged . . . .”

  “So it would seem.”

  “Are you happy?”

  “What’s happy?” she asked gliding her pinky finger along the edge of the cup.

  Manuel frowned. Deep lines etched above his brow showing his age through his weary expression. “What’s happy?” he asked narrowing his golden eyes at his oldest daughter.

  “I’m asking, what’s happy? What does it mean to be happy?” Raising the hot cup to her lips Charlotte took a small sip as she gazed at her father over the brim of her mug, her wide eyes gazing quizzically into his.

  “Charlotte you’ve had many happy moments over the years. I’m sure that you know what it means to be happy.”

  “Do I?” she laughed sadly. “I don’t believe that I do. I know what contentment feels like. I know what achievement feels like. I know what joy feels like, but happiness? I don’t know if I honestly know what that emotion feels like,” she shrugged. “Do you? Do you know what it feels like to be happy?”

  Manuel sighed. “If Nicholas doesn’t make you happy, why in the world did you agree to marry him?”

  “This isn’t about Nicholas. This is about me, Charlotte, asking her father if he knows what it feels like to be happy.”

  “Yes, I know what happiness feels like. Every morning that I wake up to your mother, I am happy. Every night that I close my eyes knowing that my children were safe throughout the day, I am happy. Knowing that God’s grace and mercy has kept me even when I didn’t deserve it, I am happy. It’s the little things that make me happy. The things that may not feel like much to other people means the world to me. Like seeing you walk through that front door the other day that brought me much happiness.”

  Placing her mug back on the breakfast bar Charlotte asked, “Why?”

  “Why?” he repeated. “Because I love you . . . I love all of you.”

  “Love is a wasted emotion.”

  Manuel laughed then- the sound lightening the sullen mood instantly. “You don’t mean that,” he smiled.

  “I don’t?” Charlotte challenged raising an arched brow at her father.

  “I’m not blind. I see the way you steal glances at Nick. Your eyes light up whenever he is close to you. And the way he looks at you . . . for two people who have promised themselves to one another you have a strange way of showing affection, it’s awkward, and hard to explain, but there is much love there.”

  Charlotte remained silent. Taking another sip of her coffee she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

  “There’s much love there, and much happiness,” he continued.

  Silence.

  “Todd cheated on your sister, and got the other woman pregnant. Marguerite is due a few weeks before his mistress.”

  Charlotte gasped. “What?” she demanded surprised by her father’s words.

  “Some woman he works with apparently . . . the affair was going on for some time. Your sister asked him to resign and find employment elsewhere- insecure of the fact that he worked so closely to the woman he was sleeping around with, but he refused.”

  “Wha-”

  “So you see my dear you giving up on love, and walking around with a chip on your shoulder doesn’t make things better for you, nor does it change the fact that the person you hoped to end up with just wasn’t the one God had picked for you. We think we know what’s good for us, but we later find out that we were wrong all along . . . we don’t know much about anything.”

  “Marguerite must be devastated.”

  Manuel yawned as he rose from the wooden stool. “The weather broke in New York early this morning. All things eventually come to an end. That’s just the way nature intended. It was nice seeing you, Charli.”

  “You too, dad,” she whispered.

  Chapter Twenty

  Unlocking her apartment door Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. She was home. Finally out of the lion’s den, and she couldn’t of felt more relieved. Quickly she made her way through the small foyer pulling off her boots as she walked down the narrow hallway that led to her kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?” she asked Nicholas who had been carrying her luggage into the living room.

  “I’m fine,” he answered. “I didn’t want to say anything on the road because I know how anxious you were to leave, but now that you’re home do you think that maybe you should call your parents and tell them that we left?”

  “I’m sure they figured it out by now.”

  “Still- it’s your parents . . . at least send them a text message.”

  “I left a note near the coffee pot. I’m sure they’ve already seen it and their fine. Right now my mom is probably smashing yeast onto a floured counter space, and annoying my dad with her Christmas classics which are more than likely playing in the same rotation,” she giggled.

  “Call them,” Nicholas insisted. Unhooking Charlotte’s purse from her suitcase he carried it into the kitchen handing it to her with a look of resolve in his eyes. “It’s Christmas Eve.”

  Charlotte sighed. “Fine,” she breathed indignantly. Snatching her purse from his loose grip she opened the large bag in search of her phone. Frowning she glanced up at Nicholas before pulling out an envelope with her name written across the front. “Do you know anything about this?” she asked holding the envelope up in front of him.

  Shaking his head Nicholas denied the charge. “Open it,” he urged leaning against the kitchen door frame he rested his weight along the wooden panel.

  Charlotte,

  If you’re reading this it means that you’ve gone back home- if I should even call that place your home. Maybe for the mere sake of wanting to get away from me, from your family you have convinced yourself that New York is the place for you . . . honestly I don’t know. I can’t say that I know much about anything these days.

  I’m writing this letter to apologize for worrying you- as you know by now your father isn’t sick. I shouldn’t have lied, but in the past two years I have called you and left message after message just for you to ignore me as if I never had the titled of being called your mother. And so, I told a little white lie to get you to come home for the holidays. If you knew how much I’ve missed you, how much your father and sisters have missed you . . . I’m sure your heart would be sore just as ours has been these last couple of years.

  Charlotte last year I was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis. Apparently, I’ve had it for some time . . . I wanted to tell you face to face, but I couldn’t. There seemed to be other pressing matters on your mind, and I didn’t want to be a burden. I know you partially blame your father and I for what happened with Marguerite and Todd. The fact that we knew about the affair, yet let you continue on with him as if nothing was going on behind your back seems like the worst thing parents could have done to their child, to their daughter, but Charlotte, my beautiful most precious one- you have to understand the position we were placed in. Devastation and destruction were the inevitable in such a situation, but that wasn’t what kept us from telling you such a despicable truth, it’s not why we hoped such a hideous secret would stay in the dark. The thought of losing you . . . I couldn’t imagine . . . the thought of not being able to see you every day broke my heart more than you could ever possibly fathom. And I knew that if you had found out about the affair . . . that if you knew the truth- it would only be a matter of time before you left me. You would leave me; you would le
ave your mother who knows you better than anyone else on this earth all for the means of wanting to escape. And what a selfish woman I am that I didn’t want you to go. I would have rather that you lived a lie if it meant that I would get to have you close to me. I’m a monstrous woman. A self- serving woman. A terrible woman. But I am a woman who loves you more than I love any other creature that has ever been blessed to walk God’s Earth, and for you I believe that is a blessing and a curse. Charlotte, of all my loved ones- you are my most beloved and I couldn’t stand to be without you. Of all I have done to keep you with me . . . in doing so I have pushed you further away. I am sorry. Those three words are echoed in my brain every day I open my eyes, and every night before I close them. Forgive us.

  One day you’ll understand the angst of having a child that you love even more than the truth.

  Mom

  Charlotte closed her eyes fighting to hold back the tears that were seconds away from falling from her glossy eyes. Exhaling she silently folded the letter and put it back into the envelope hoping that the pain she felt wasn’t deeply etched in her expression.

  “Who’s it from?” Nicholas asked after a moment.

  “My mom.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah- it’s fine. I could use some air . . . let’s go out for a drink or something?” she said inching past him. Her apartment suddenly felt too small- constricted. She needed to be outside where the bitterness of the winter air would aid in numbing her thoughts. “Are you coming?” Charlotte asked when Nicholas didn’t move.

  “When are you going to stop running?” he answered her ignoring her impatient demeanor.

  “What? Running? Who’s running?” Charlotte mumbled as she hurriedly pulled at the collar of her coat. Her levels of frustration was quickly rising as was her need to be out in the open.