There were other things, too, that she missed. Companionship. Friendship. Courtship. Another body to warm her on cold nights like this.
And kissing. The connection when eyes locked, when the same strain of realization carousing through her mind crossed wavelengths and entered his. That point where two people stood so close only two options were left, and stepping back wasn’t one of them.
Eyes shifted, hearts pulsed, and then they met, mouth to mouth, heart to heart, heat to heat, and his breaths became her breaths. His hands were suddenly the only things that could make the movement of her lips with his any better. Where they landed, how they touched, stroking through her hair, tugging at her back or skimming slightly beneath her jaw to cradle her like a seashell.
It probably sounded stupid, but there was a connection in one great kiss that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Something was shared and tapped straight into her chest, hooking her like a loose strand of thread being woven back into place, and that place was only with him.
No matter how much she missed that, Amanda had it with David now. She was the Grinch who stole more than just Saylor’s Christmas.
“No point,” she said, slipping into her blankets. “On to better things.” Like sleeping. Like dreaming of how differently things might have gone with Cole tonight.
Sure, she was distraught at Cole’s abrupt departure, but the night wasn’t a total defeat. He’d sat with her, talking to her. He’d approached her at The Cocoa Bean because he’d wanted to. Not a loss at all, not really.
Even if nothing happened with Cole, she learned one thing tonight. She was approachable. She was still young, and she still had hope.
Yes, she and David were through. But that didn’t mean she was.
Chapter Six
Christmas morning came too soon. Saylor woke with an unpleasant bulge in her chest where her heart should be and decided it was probably not a good idea to spend the day alone.
She dressed quickly and ate a small breakfast of eggs and toast before bundling up and braving the fresh snow. Scraping it from her windshield was therapeutic; the movement, the purpose. It drove away the thoughts she’d been fighting all morning long.
It wasn’t until her phone chimed with her mother’s name on the screen that she remembered they weren’t home.
“Hi, Mom,” she said.
“Merry Christmas,” her mother said brightly. “How did last night go?”
Saylor debated whether to tell her mother about Cole or not, but her dad took over the phone, wishing her well before lamenting in his usual way about the roads, about the state of the economy, and especially about Saylor’s brother, Greg. Saylor headed back inside, unable to help the swelling gratitude she wasn’t there with them now.
Greg had caused her quite a bit of grief several years ago, back in high school when she’d been dating one of Greg’s friends. She’d been suicidal for a brief period, and Greg’s inability to get his life together only added to the stress she’d felt. Saylor had decided to move here to Twin Falls. She’d begun meeting with a therapist regularly, found a job, went back to school, started to maintain some stability and pick up the pieces of her life.
It was shortly after that she’d met David at a friend’s party, and things had spiraled upward from there, from good, to amazing, to incredible bliss.
And then they’d nose-dived.
Thank goodness for Netflix. It was the one thing she hadn’t been able to let go of despite things being tight. TV gave her an escape when she was sitting by herself at night after Parker had gone to bed. It kept her company now, with an endless stream of sappy Hallmark Christmas movies. Too cheesy to be taken seriously. Maybe that was why she enjoyed them so much.
She ate a frozen ham and potatoes microwave dinner and drank the small bottle of sparkling cider from the work gift basket all the employees had gotten, determined not to let her loneliness eat at her in the meantime.
Parker didn’t call any too soon, giddy with excitement at having gone sledding with Amanda, with excitement at the delicious feast they ate for lunch, and especially from all the presents he got, including the Minecraft Lego set Saylor had sent with him. He’d been eyeing it for weeks.
“Dad got me a skateboard.” Parker beamed.
“Wow,” Saylor said, wishing he’d discussed it with her first and knowing there was no point.
“We’ll be home tomorrow,” Parker said. “But Amanda’s family said I can come back anytime I want. They said they’d even take me hunting.”
“Hunting, wow.”
“You okay, Mom? You’ve been saying ‘wow’ a lot lately.”
Saylor smiled. “Have I?” How in the world did she explain what she was really feeling to this small boy? “I’m just excited to hear everything you’re up to.”
“I’m excited too. See you tomorrow, Mom. Love you!”
“Love you too, Parks.”
IT WOULD BE SO LIKE Brooke to show up unannounced and uninvited, and Cole wasn’t ready to see her again yet. So he spent Christmas Day at his office.
The navy blue, boxy couch across from his desk really wasn’t too bad, and he kept the fridge stocked and a change of clothes stashed in one of the drawers, just in case. How pathetic was this, spending Christmas alone, hiding from his ex?
Saylor Bates floated in his mind far more frequently than he thought she would. Her pretty face, the light in her eyes, her refreshing conversation and clever attempt to placate her son’s worries. Cole found himself wondering how she was, spending her Christmas away from her little boy. Did she have family nearby? He thought of Parker too, hoping the boy’s time away was okay. He knew his nieces would be crushed spending Christmas away from their mom, Cole’s sister.
Cole crossed to the mini fridge and retrieved a bottle of orange juice, kicking the fridge door shut and wishing he could kick himself in like manner for walking out on Saylor before he’d gotten her number.
“She must have been so confused,” he said to Bubba Jones sitting on the couch’s armrest. The black cat with white paws rose at being addressed and made his way onto Cole’s lap, purring.
Cole’s interest wasn’t only to check on Saylor. She’d been great company, funny, bright, quick-witted. He wanted to get to know her, to discover the secrets in her eyes.
Too bad he was too late. The only information he had was her last name and where she worked.
Where she worked.
Cole straightened with a rush of adrenaline. Affronted at being knocked from his place, Bubba Jones leapt to the floor. Drex Corp was on Cole’s route to work—he passed it nearly every day. Excitement built in his chest. Surely, Saylor wouldn’t mind if he dropped by and explained himself.
It was the least he could do, after all.
SAYLOR WAS GRATEFUL when her alarm blared the next morning. She decided to wear her new dress and leggings to work, and she bustled in, eager for the monotony of handling other people’s problems instead of her own.
“You’re looking good this morning,” said Darcy when Saylor sank into her swivel chair in the cubicle they shared. She glanced down, realizing this might be the first time Darcy had ever seen her with makeup on. Darcy brushed aside the thick, black braids hanging over her shoulders and smiled. “Have a good Christmas?”
“Not bad,” Saylor said, not feeling like elaborating.
Darcy prattled on about her holiday with family, about the drama with her brother and his gaming obsession, about how their mother could barely pry him away from his computer long enough to open presents in the morning.
“He’s got some kind of group in that game, and they’re spread all over the U.S., but they’re all on the same team,” Darcy said. “We all just wanted to smack that game right out of his system. Never mind I only see him a few times a year and had to be back here to work the day after, and oh my goodness, is it just me, or did it get hotter in here?”
Saylor blinked for a minute, trying to keep up with her shift in topic. “What?”
; Darcy wheeled her chair out to get a better look down the long hall toward the elevator. Saylor slid out too, peering over her and nearly falling out of her chair.
Cole Osteen stood in the jacket and jeans he’d worn Christmas Eve. One hand was tucked into his pocket, and he glanced across the list of nameplates on the wall near the door.
A magnet in Saylor’s chest drew her attention to him. She didn’t know she could still feel this way. Abruptly, she was sixteen again, her face heating the minute the new kid walked into class and of all the girls in the room, his eyes landed on her.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she mumbled.
Scenarios tumbled in her brain, but on top of them all was the notion that he was here to see her. She’d told him where she worked. And that touch, the way he’d taken her hand in his. It was fresh on her mind like a crystal crisp snowflake, cold and stark and making her want to lure him near so she could get another dose.
His eyes roved across the cubicles. It was clear from the women who continued staring back, Saylor wasn’t the only one considering booking the nearest closet for the next hour just to be alone with him.
She was frozen. Should she wave him over? What if she was wrong again, and this was just coincidental, that he wasn’t here to see her at all?
Finally, his eyes strayed to the back where Darcy and Saylor’s cubicle stood, lit up with twinkling lights and ninety-nine cent poinsettias from a door-buster Black Friday sale at Home Depot. Saylor had dragged Parker out during the early hours to nab the steal-of-a-deal vacuum, the lights and poinsettia they had on sale, and then took the tired little trooper to breakfast at IHOP once they’d returned victorious.
Cole sauntered between the line of cubicles, hands tucked into the pockets of his ski jacket. She wished she were a ski jacket right about now.
“Hi, Saylor,” he said with a wink.
Oh goodness, he did come to see her. His hair was gelled just enough to hint it was curly when wet. Speaking of wet, he licked his lips, flashing a heartbreaker smile at her.
Saylor smiled too. What else was a girl who just had a six foot two package of gorgeous hand-delivered going to do? Maybe Christmas Eve wasn’t such a fluke after all.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, the delight evident in her voice.
“We’re working on a job a block from here, so I thought I’d stop in to see you.”
The new office buildings going in on Pole Line must’ve been his project. She couldn’t think of anything else being built nearby. Naturally, as the boss, he could leave anytime he wanted to visit a girl he just met. Cue swoon.
“No Santa duty today?”
He angled his head. “You know, that actually ends when Christmas is over.”
“Pity. I liked you in that beard.”
“You saw me in the beard for a matter of minutes.”
“Best three minutes of my life,” she said, lips twitching.
Cole shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”
Saylor’s mouth dropped. Nothing like a little confidence early in the morning. The phone at her desk rang, jolting her. She held up a finger. “Give me one second.”
She dove for it. Employees were supposed to get it before the third ring, and she was closing in on five.
“Thank you for calling Drex Corp Customer Service Department, this is Saylor, how can I help you?”
She assisted the customer and hung up, only to have it ring again. Cole stared at her, bemused. He settled against the edge of their cubicle. After the fourth call, Cole raised his eyebrows.
“I see. A guy has to be on the phone to get your attention.”
Darcy snorted. “You’re not wrong,” she mumbled from her desk, her back still to him.
“I’m at work,” Saylor said, gesturing to them both.
“Is that your phone?” He stepped behind Darcy’s chair, giving Darcy a chin nod in greeting when she glanced at him. He reached for Saylor’s cell sitting beside her keyboard, brushing the air with his cologne and driving her dizzy. “How do you send texts on this thing?”
Saylor laughed, taking it from him. “You’re an android user, I take it."
“That I am.” He stared at her iPhone before giving up. “Here, use mine,” he said, taking it from his jacket. The large-screen phone barely fit in her hand. She had to hold it with two hands to type her phone number onto his messages screen.
They were doing this. They were exchanging phone numbers. Saylor ran her hands over her hair, hardly daring to believe it.
“You want me to send it?” she asked.
Reaching over, he tapped send. She got a whiff of his cologne in the process, the scent curling her toes, before he returned his phone to his pocket. “Sorry about the other night. I was in a bit of a hurry, but I’m not making the mistake of not getting your number again. We have plans later, Saylor Bates.”
Her phone gave off its subtle buzzing sound in response to his message, and her heart buzzed right along with it. “Oh, we do?”
“If that's okay with you." His lips. That smirk. She could look at that smirk all day long.
A strange sort of squeak leaked from her mouth. Even Darcy’s mouth opened.
"I—sure, I like plans." Too late, Saylor realized she should’ve asked him what he had in mind.
He smiled. “I'm glad to hear it. Unfortunately, I’ve got to get back to my crew.” He peered down the cubicles and toward the large row of windows enclosing them in, as if he could see the men working from here. "They're cold, and I told them I'd grab some lattes."
To Saylor’s left, Shelly’s door opened. She stepped out in her usual striped business suit and bobbed haircut. After giving the room one of her investigative sweeps, she directed a glare toward Cole. Her lips tweaked in a way Saylor knew all too well.
“You’d better get out of here before I get in trouble,” Saylor said under her breath, smiling over his shoulder at her, hoping Shelly read her mind: It’s okay. He's leaving now.
Cole’s brows drew together at her distraction. He followed the line of her gaze and waved at her boss. Shelly's scowl faded to something like curiosity.
“You said I could visit,” he said discreetly, leaning in closer.
“I never said anything of the sort,” Saylor argued, fighting another smile.
He’d only assumed as much. And boy, was she glad he did.
“She doesn’t have to know that,” he said.
Shelly gestured at Saylor, widely, for the whole floor to see. Several others peered over their cubicles in their direction. An embarrassed flush trailed up Saylor’s spine.
“I hate to say it, but your few minutes are up,” Saylor told him, making sure to twist her mouth into a smile so he knew she was teasing.
Inconspicuously, he tapped in another message on his phone. Hers buzzed in response, making her jump.
“Check your messages,” he said, pocketing his phone. He motioned as if to step closer, but with another glance toward Shelly, thought better of it. “Thanks for letting me drop by.”
“Bye,” Darcy said, as though she had some sway in their conversation.
Cole waved to her, then again to Shelly, before turning the full force of his backside on her, which only got better as he walked toward the front of the room. Her heart pounded so hard she had runner’s lungs by the time he reached the door.
Cole had come to see her. He could have looked up Drex Corp and called, but he came. She wondered what drew him away the other night. Maybe he hadn’t been sure she was interested. And by the time she’d made it clear that she was, he’d had to leave.
The minute he was out of sight, Darcy swiveled her chair over. “Girl, he wants you to call him. Is that guy butter or what? Where did you pick him up?”
“At the mall,” Saylor said. The heat in her chest had to be turning her every shade of red.
In a Santa suit.
Chapter Seven
Grinning from temple to temple, Saylor swiped a finger across the screen to open
Cole’s text. Her heart thudded like a rabbit’s hind leg, making her both eager and nervous all at once. She had no idea what Cole would be texting about.
Do you like Christmas lights?
A small squeak escaped. She clasped the phone to her chest.
Who doesn’t? she replied, blindly making her way back to her seat.
She sat in front of her computer, her toes tapping a percussive nuisance against the thin plastic mat. She envisioned all kinds of scenarios he could be alluding to involving Christmas lights now that Christmas was over. Driving past random houses to view people’s displays? Maybe he was helping his mom get rid of her surplus and wanted to know if Saylor wanted any? Not very romantic, but it was the best she could come up with.
Another string of customers called. Someone couldn’t get her automated emails to send; another didn’t like the layout of his website. Saylor helped the woman easily enough but had to put the man on hold and contact another rep to find out how to tell him to handle that one.
After twenty painstaking minutes and the man’s increasingly agitated tone of voice, she resorted to helping him fix it herself.
By the time she was able to glance at her phone again, her little text icon displayed the number six. Six new messages. Happiness rippled through her, burning in her low belly in a way she hadn’t felt in years.
It quickly faded. It turned out only two of them were from Cole. One was from her mother, one from her landlord, and the remaining two were a needle in her balloon, popping what was left of her elation in an instant.
Will have Parker home a day late. Amanda’s parents really like him and want to take him to Rock Creek Canyon for snowmobiling.
“What?” Saylor said in disbelief.
Darcy peered over, but Saylor didn’t answer her questioning glance. A sinking dread sent her insides plummeting, and she clenched her elbows to her sides. She couldn’t believe David was doing this. She didn’t have a clue who these people were, and he thought he could pawn off their child to them? Lots of people took likings to small children. They were called kidnappers.
All I Want For Christmas: Holiday Romance Page 4
