“How’d we lose touch?” he asked a couple of heart beats later, breaking a comfortable silence. He played with my hair.
“Not sure. We didn’t officially break up or anything, so there were no hard feelings.”
“No, just a couple of dads hell bent on climbing the military career ladder.”
“Yeah.”
“Is there a boyfriend waiting for you in Tyler?”
I shook my head.
“Good.”
“What about you? Got a steady who’ll beat the crap out of me when she finds out I rode your bike?”
Gabe shook his head.
“Good.”
“Merry Christmas, Rocky.”
“Merry Christmas, Gabe.”
We exchanged a look and a smile that slowly faded from Gabe’s face. He got very still, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow, then moved in for the kiss that I willingly gave him.
One kiss became two. Two became four. Four became six…all of them deeper, wetter, better. And then Gabe suddenly pulled back.
“Oh my freakin’ gosh,” I said with a groan. “You’ve still got it.”
“Got what?”
“Willpower.”
“Willpower has nothing to do with it, baby. If we take off our clothes and go for it here, body parts might stick to the picnic table. Remember that little kid from ‘A Christmas Story’? Not going to happen to us.”
So much for romance. We both laughed until tears froze on our faces, then got on his bike and hit the road.
“I thought you two might’ve zoomed off into the sunset or something,” said Myra Banks when we finally stepped into the foyer of their white frame house located in Richardson. I quickly took in the room, noting highly polished parquet floors, a wall of family photos I couldn’t wait to inspect, and a wide staircase with lighted garland wrapped around the hand rail.
“It’s well after midnight.” Gabe stomped snow off his boots and onto the Santa rug. “Sunset is long gone. So Dad called you, I guess.”
“He did.” She held out her arms to me. “Come here and let me hug your neck.”
I did. Just as we separated, Anna burst into the area and threw her arms around me, too. “I’m so glad to see you again! Wow. You look amazing.”
“Why, thanks. So do you.” I jealously eyed her black Ugg boots, which would’ve felt like heaven to my frozen toes.
Gabe helped me shrug out of my jacket, then took my scarf, gloves, and purse. He hung them all on a hall tree.
“How about some hot tea or cocoa to warm you up?” Myra motioned for us to follow her into the den.
“Cocoa would be perfect.” I walked past their sparkling Christmas tree, side stepping the presents heaped under it, and went right over to the fireplace, where flames crackled and popped. The heat instantly began to thaw me out.
“She likes extra marshmallows,” Gabe told his mom, a comment that surprised me.
I turned on him. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”
Anna made a choking sound, then scurried after her mom. I heard her laughing in the room next door, which I guessed was their kitchen.
“What’s up?” I asked, belatedly noticing Gabe’s flushed cheeks.
“Nothing. Anna’s just being Anna, the most annoying kid sister in the world.”
“I’m not a kid!” she yelled from the kitchen.
“Whatever.” Gabe began to rub my arms as if trying to help warm me.
“Actually, it’s my legs and feet that need the attention.”
“Hm. Can’t help you there.” He glanced toward the kitchen door and lowered his voice. “Now, anyway.”
“May I pencil you in for later?”
“Oh yeah, but we’ll have to drug Anna. You’re going to sleep with her.”
Though I kept my tone as light and teasing as he did, I had actually meant every word. That shocked me a little. No other guy ever tempted me the way Gabe did. Though he kissed as if I tempted him, too, could I really trust that? After all, he was a guy. And what guy could resist a willing girl? So what if I still had the heart necklace he won for me at the county fair so many years ago? Time inevitably changed things, which meant our so-called love might now be as tarnished as that necklace.
Please oh please oh please let it be real.
Myra sailed into the room with a colorful tray of steaming mugs and a whole bag of miniature marshmallows. She set it on the coffee table and motioned for everyone to sit, which we did—Gabe and I on the tan corduroy couch, Anna in a matching recliner.
Myra sat on the plaid loveseat opposite us and looked at her son. “Your dad called again. He’s on his way home.”
Dad. Crap! “Oh God. I was supposed to call mine hours ago. I can’t believe he hasn’t called me.” I jumped up and went after my purse. A glance at my phone reminded me why I hadn’t heard from him: dead-as-a-doornail battery. I realized Gabe was now standing beside me, looking over my shoulder.
“You can use mine.” He dug it from his back pocket.
“You don’t mind? Thanks.”
Gabe handed it over and returned to the den, probably so I’d have a little privacy. I almost wished he hadn’t as I sat on the stairs in the foyer and punched in Dad’s number.
“Hello?”
“It’s me. Sorry I’m so late getting back to you. I sort of forgot.”
“Forgot?”
“Yeah. A lot has happened.”
“Are you okay?”
“Better than. I’m at Richard Banks’ house. Remember him from Ft. Sill?”
“Rich and I actually had lunch a few weeks ago.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Ran into him and Myra at the VFW in Wichita Falls. We were all there for a presentation. Why are you at his house?”
“Long story.”
“Waiting to hear it.”
“Someone stole my car at the mall.” I held the phone away from my head so Dad’s blast wouldn’t burst my eardrum. But it never came. “Dad?”
“Still here. Did you call the police?”
“Sgt. Banks did. He’s with mall security. I’m sure they’ll do what they can. Meanwhile, I’m staying with his family tonight. As for tomorrow… I’ll be without wheels, so I’m not sure I’ll make it in.”
“Ask Gabe to bring you.”
“You remember Gabe?”
“Not really, but Myra had pictures. Said he was going to UT Dallas; criminology major. Rich wanted your phone number for him. Apparently the kid never got over you.”
I could’ve sworn I heard a soft chuckle, which rattled me as much as the knowledge that Gabe could’ve called, but never bothered. Clearly he had gotten over me, and the kisses we just shared were nothing more than a snow sport. “Tomorrow’s Christmas, Dad. I can’t ask him to do that.”
“So take a bus or something.”
“Do they even run on holidays?”
“Why are you giving up so easily? Don’t you want to see your old man?”
His voice sounded so different that I blinked in surprise.
“I’ve really missed you. And I had a big surprise planned.”
“Mel, Josie, Sara and Steph?”
“Now what kind of surprise would they be?” His tone actually teased. Too much eggnog, I wondered?
“I’ve gotta go, Dad. This is a borrowed phone.”
“But what about tomorrow?”
“Maybe I’ll rent a car or something. I don’t know yet.”
“Call me when you do know, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
I’m sure tension radiated from me like heat from the fireplace by the time I walked back to the double doors of the den. All eyes turned my way. I crooked a finger at Gabe.
“Uh-oh,” said Anna, in sing-song adding, “You must be in trou-ble.”
“Shut up.” Gabe joined me in the foyer.
I handed him his cell, then grabbed his wrist and wordlessly dragged him into a side room that t
urned out to be an office. Neither of us bothered to turn on the light since more than enough spilled in from the foyer.
He stuck his fingertips into the front pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. “What?”
“You’ve had my number for weeks. You had it, but never called. Why?”
“I couldn’t get up the nerve.”
“You needed nerve? Why?”
“You’re out of my league, Rocky. Always have been. I was afraid you might’ve figured it out by now.”
“Oh my God.” I shook my head in disbelief. “For all intents and purposes, we’re still going out. I mean, we never broke up.”
Gabe gave me a half smile. “True.”
“You. Should. Have. Called.” A light punch to his taut midriff punctuated every word.
He caught my fist in his, opened it, and kissed my palm. “And what would you have said if I had?”
“Gabriel Banks, come on down!”
That earned me a full-fledged grin. “You’re right. I should’ve called. Forgive me?”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“I bought you a Christmas present. That proves I was going to call someday.”
“Bribes do not work for me.”
“But it’s under the tree right now, just waiting to be opened.”
I couldn’t resist glancing in that direction, a move that earned me a smirk. I ignored it. “Can’t do it. I don’t have anything for you.”
“Say you forgive me for being such a chicken shit, and we’ll call it even.”
“You know I do.”
“Yeah?”
“Big yeah.” I kissed him to prove it. “Now I have a question, and I want you to be totally honest.”
“So ask already.”
“How come you know how much a room at that casino hotel costs?”
Gabe couldn’t answer for laughing.
His dad caught us sitting on the stairs and making out like crazy when he stepped into the house a while later. He just shook his head and headed into the den. I wanted to die, of course, but Gabe didn’t give me time before dragging me in there, too. I learned that everyone got to open one present before bed, which explained why they were still up. The rest would be opened tomorrow—or actually today, according to the anniversary clock on the mantle. I couldn’t believe it was 1:30 already. No wonder my eyelids drooped.
I loved watching everyone open a gift, and blushed like crazy when Gabe handed over mine and sat down next to me on the couch. Up until then, I’d only half believed he really had one. Cherishing the look in his eye, I untied the red satin ribbon and lifted the lid from a little black box that undoubtedly held jewelry. Inside I found a heart necklace just like the one he’d given me so many years ago. Only this one was fashioned in white gold that would never tarnish.
I did exactly what any bone-weary, stressed-out, crazy-in-love girl up way past her bedtime would do—burst into boo-hoos.
“You don’t like it?” Gabe said in obvious dismay.
I couldn’t begin to answer.
“She loves it, bro,” said Anna, slapping him on the back.
“But—”
“Told ya so.”
A booming “Ho, ho, ho!” woke me the next morning.
I knew that voice, and it didn’t belong to this house.
“Dad?” Throwing back the covers of Anna’s spare twin bed, I ran out of the room and down the hall. I peered over the Banks’ festive banister into the foyer below. “Dad!”
He met me on the stairs and gave me the biggest hug of my life.
“What are you doing here?”
“If Raquel won’t come to Christmas, then Christmas goes to Raquel.”
“Wow.” Beyond him I saw Myra and Rich, as well as a pretty woman with highlighted blond hair and big brown eyes. A relative of Gabe, I guessed, noting all their bright smiles.
“I want you to meet someone,” said Dad.
I glanced down at my borrowed sleep pants and tee. “Can I dress first?”
“No, she’s waited long enough.” Dad motioned for the woman I didn’t know to step closer, which she did. “Raquel, this is Lizzie Malcolm. We’re sort of dating.”
My first thought? Sort of? My second? It’s about dang time.
“Hi, Lizzie. I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I am that you’ve taken on Sam McKnight.”
She laughed and winked at me. “Why, thanks. Your dad talks about you all the time, you know.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, I don’t mind.”
I felt someone behind me and looked back to see a sleepy-eyed Anna in her PJs and Gabe, fully dressed in jeans and a Nickelback T-shirt.
“Hey,” he said to me with that dimpled smile.
My heart instantly back-flipped into my stomach. “Hey.”
In front of Dad and everyone, Gabe stooped to give me a quick kiss.
I turned my head at the last minute. “Morning breath.”
“Your point?” He planted a big juicy one right on my mouth.
Dad cleared his throat.
I caught his eye. “We really need to talk.”
“Finally we agree on something!”
Hours later, Gabe and I escaped to his room and stretched out on the bed. He slipped his arm under my neck. I snuggled up to him.
Snowflakes drifted to the ground outside his bay window. While we watched them, I played with the necklace he’d given me, loving how it caught the light and reflected it onto the wall.
I scanned the area and saw trophies, books, CDs, and DVDs. I also saw photos, three of which had thirteen-year-old me in them. The peace of the holiday settled over us.
“Did I ever tell you about the jingle bell jinx?”
“What’s that?”
“According to my mother, it’s our yearly bad luck that started the Christmas I was born. That’s when Dad had a blow-out on his way home from work and totaled the car.”
“Wow.”
“When I was two, Mom dropped the turkey on the way to the table.”
“Go on.”
“My third Christmas, I fell down the front steps and broke my arm.”
“Ouch.”
“My fourth, Aunt Josie tried to give me a perm and fried my hair.”
Gabe tugged one of my curls.
“My fifth, I broke a tooth on a Willie Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper. This—” I tapped the one in question “—is an expensive fake.”
The bed shook with Gabe’s laughter.
“My sixth had to do with a Barbie that lost an arm to my cousins’ stupid dog. My seventh involved a dog of my own, Buster, who got hit by the neighbor’s truck.”
“Damn, Rocky.”
I told him about all the others, including last year’s iPod mishap.
“And this year your car got stolen.”
“Yeah, but you know what…?”
“What?”
“Two good things happened right after, which canceled that. So I’m thinking that my jingle bell jinx will be jingle bell joy from now on.”
“Two good things?”
“You and Lizzie.”
Gabe didn’t speak for a minute, then said, “Thanks, Rocky.”
“For…?”
“Thinking I’m a good thing.”
“You’re more than good. You’re the best.”
“So how do you feel about my switching to UT Tyler next semester?”
“You’d do that?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Then Gabriel Banks, come on down.”
The End
*
About the Author
Linda Varner Palmer is a diehard romantic and has been writing for as long as she can remember. In 1989, she sold her first romance to Silhouette Books. Under the name Linda Varner, she wrote twenty more adult genre romances over the next ten years, all of which have been translated and sold worldwide. Linda is a member of Romance Writers of America and was a Rita finalist in 1993 and 1996. She is also a member
of The Paranormal Romance Guild and The Electronically Published Internet Connection (EPIC).
After taking a break, Linda began writing again in 2006, and is very excited to be focusing on young adult romance this time around, most with a paranormal twist. She is fascinated by ghosts, psychics, shapeshifters, and all other things weird and amazing.
Linda is married to her junior high school sweetheart. They have been together for thirty-eight years and have a son and daughter, a son-and daughter-in-law, three-and one-half grandchildren, four granddogs, and a grandcat.
Visit Linda’s website at www.lvpalmer.com. Write to her at [email protected].
Uncial Press brings you extraordinary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Put a world of reading in your pocket.
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