All I Want for Christmas is You

by Lisa Mondello

  "No jumping, Krissy! You know the rules," she snapped. Kristen stopped bouncing and stared at Lauren and she immediately regretted her harsh words. It wasn't Kristen's fault she'd made a mess of her relationship with her parents.

  She felt like a heel, yelling at Kristen the way she did. Was it just her own guilt or did every parent feel this way? Just once, she'd love to be able to sit down with her mother and confide in her, talk the way they used to do before she'd made her life such a mess.

  "Sorry, honey." Lauren shut the door before sitting down on the sofa. Kristen climbed into her lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. "What do you say we skip the laundry and play Barbies for a while?"

  Kristen's eyes flew open. "Yeah!"

  * * *

  Lauren heard a knock on the door just as she finished making some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. She licked the grape jelly smeared on her fingers as she shuffled her way to the door. "Coming!" she called out when the knock sounded again.

  She swung the door open, still sucking on her index finger. The cold air coming up from the hall blew into her face before she met Kyle's ice blue gaze.

  He glanced behind her to Kristen, who was sitting on the floor with her dolls, then back to Lauren again. One corner of his mouth turned up as he whispered, in a voice much too sexy for Lauren's peace of mind, "Mind if I do that sometime?"

  She quickly pulled her finger out of her mouth. Damn. All he had to do was show up and he had her second guessing herself. She stepped back with wild thoughts of Kyle's mouth on her fingers...and more. "What do I owe this visit to?" Fluttering her moist fingers by her side, she tried her best to act as nonchalant as her reeling body would allow.

  "I missed you. Did you miss me?" He smiled and cocked his head to one side, a lock of blond hair falling over his forehead.

  She wished he wouldn't do that.

  Instead of answering him, she shot him a sardonic look. Apparently everything she'd said last weekend had fallen on deaf ears.

  He shrugged. "I called, but no one answered."

  A pain stabbed at her heart. It wasn't her parents who'd phoned after all. Pointing to the unfolded clothes in the laundry basket still sitting by the sofa, she said, "I was doing the laundry."

  He gave a quick nod. "I thought Kristen might like to go sledding with the kids this afternoon."

  Kristen, who'd been totally engrossed in picking out a new outfit for her latest Barbie doll, shot her head up with the mention of her name. Within a matter of seconds, she was on her feet, tugging on Lauren's sleeve and begging, "Pleeeeeeaze."

  Lauren let out a sigh in defeat and knotted her arms across her chest. "She hasn't eaten lunch yet."

  "That's okay. Mom made a picnic lunch for the kids," Kyle said.

  "Yeah, Mommy, can I go play with Julie?"

  Lauren looked down at Kristen's puppy dog eyes and rumpled her blond curls. "I thought we would get a Christmas tree today, hon."

  Kristen's expression drooped, along with it, Lauren's heart. There was no way Kristen would enjoy finding the perfect Christmas tree if she was thinking about the fun she was missing with her friend.

  Staring back at Kyle, she jutted out her chin. "How are you going to have a picnic? It's ten degrees outside," she argued.

  "It's at least twenty-five and they're having the picnic inside my house. They'll be sledding out back." He smiled at Kristen and then at Lauren. Damn, he knew she wasn't going to win this one, she fumed inwardly. And he was enjoying it!

  Puffing her cheeks, she threw her hands up in resignation. "Go get your snow pants on, Krissy."

  It didn't take more than a heartbeat for Kristen to scoot to her room. Within seconds, Lauren heard the sound of drawers opening and closing. No doubt half Kristen's wardrobe would be piled high on her bed before she was done dressing.

  She met Kyle's gaze head on. "You play dirty."

  He laughed and said in a low voice, “I play to win."

  Does that include me? No, she didn't want to know the answer to that one.

  She glanced down at her navy sweatpants and sweat shirt. "If we're going sledding, I guess I should change, too."

  "That's a good idea, but we're not going sledding," he informed her. "Just the kids. My parents are downstairs in the van. They'll be taking them out."

  "Oh. I thought we'd be going with them." The thought of being alone in the apartment felt strange to Lauren. She couldn't remember ever being here without Kristen and she wasn't sure she'd welcome the feeling.

  "I was hoping we could spend some time alone."

  Of course. Deaf ears. Were all men this way? Or just the ones that she had an incredible magnet to attract? "I don't think that's a good idea," she said.

  "Didn't you say you still had a lot of shopping to do for Christmas?"

  "Yes, but-"

  "It would be the perfect time to get it done. You've got a free baby-sitter for the day. And Kristen is going to have a great time with-"

  "Okay, okay. I hear you." She held up her hand as a sign of truce.

  His eyes smiled his pleasure. "Anyway, I'd hardly call shopping a date."

  Despite her protest and words to the contrary to him last weekend, she did welcome the idea of being with Kyle. Only problem was, it also scared her to death. He'd come dangerously close to kissing her last weekend. Part of her was beginning to wish he had and that was not a good sign. She didn't know if she had the strength to ward off another advance.

  "Give me a minute to change."

  An hour later, they walked along Main Street in Sturbridge, perusing the displays in the specialty shop windows.

  Kyle pointed to a small Cape Cod-style house tucked behind some craft stores along the main road. "I bought that house ten years ago. That's the one that started it all for me," he said. "I was still at UMass then."

  "Business major, right?"

  "Yep. How'd you know?"

  "Lucky guess. How did you do it?"

  He laughed. "I almost flunked."

  "No, I mean buying the house."

  "Luck really," he said modestly. "I read about the property in the paper. It was owned by the bank and in need of repair. I pitched the idea to my father over dinner one night and he thought it showed promise. He backed me on the venture with the bank." He shook his head. "I still can't believe he did it, but he did."

  Lauren smiled. "He believed in you."

  "Yeah, well, I had given him plenty of reason not to, but it all worked out in the end. I couldn't have done it without him." Kyle pointed to a large post and beam building on the other side of the road. "There is a great antique toy shop next to the Outlets."

  He took her hand and guided her across the street toward the newer Outlet shops. All the buildings shared a style that mirrored the old time charm that made the area famous.

  Lauren couldn't help but wonder how her life would have turned out if her father had given her the same kind of support. Maybe she would have gone to college and become the architect she'd dreamed of becoming.

  A gust of wind whipped in her face, chilling her to the bone. As they walked along the brick path, Lauren realized that the little house Kyle spoke of wasn't the little Cape Cod-style home she'd thought it was when he first pointed it out. The front porch boasted a bright red sign announcing a 25% off sale of hand crafted furniture.

  "You bought a furniture store?" Lauren asked.

  "No, it was a residential home at the time. None of these newer buildings were here when I bought it. The carpenter I sold this building to had been working out of his basement for years, selling his pieces at the Brimfield Outdoor Antique Show. Have you ever been?" he asked.

  "Yes, we went last fall. I've never seen so many antiques in my life," Lauren said, remembering the acres upon acres of outdoor booths where antiques and collectibles of every kind were bartered tri-annually.

  Pointing to the furniture store, he commented, "We built a workshop out back for him before the sale and now he works and sells his furniture
right here. It needed some work, but being right across the street from Old Sturbridge Village, I knew it would be worth the risk. A year later, they broke ground for the newer stores. That's when I sold it for twice what I paid. The profit helped me buy the next property and things just snowballed from there on in."

  In the distance, Lauren heard the faint sound of voices singing Jingle Bells. The voices grew louder as they walked, until she saw a small crowd of people walking up the brick lane.

  An announcement came over the loudspeaker that the Sturbridge High School Choir was performing the finale of its Christmas pageant in the courtyard.

  "I thought I heard music." Kyle tugged her by the arm and laughed. "You're on."

  Lauren gasped. "What are you talking about?"

  "Come on. You sang so good last week at the tree lighting ceremony, I'm sure they wouldn't mind one more person."

  She ground her feet in, but he was too strong and practically dragged her along. "Kyle Preston, don't you dare!"

  He gave a hardy laugh. He was enjoying this!

  Kyle stopped a student passing out lyric sheets and handed it to Lauren.

  "I have no intention of singing, Kyle."

  "Then I'll sing."

  "Now I'm really going to be embarrassed," she teased as she laughed nervously.

  In the courtyard was a stage decorated with evergreen garland and gold bows. In front of the stage were several rows of folding chairs arranged in rows. They stood in the back as most of the seats were already taken.

  "For our final number," the conductor said, addressing the crowd, "we'd like to solicit your help. Please join in with the words, if you know them, or hum the tune. It's a song I'm sure you're all familiar with." Turning back to the choir, he lifted his baton and the song began.

  The crowd sang along to Deck the Hall. After the first round of fa-la-la-la-la's the choir stepped down from the stage and began walking along the brick lane, two by two. A small group of people from the crowd joined behind the choir as they passed.

  Kyle gripped Lauren's hand. "Come on."

  "No, I can't," Lauren said, giggling. Something about the day, the moment, seemed enchanting. Being with Kyle, she felt light as a winged dove soaring to the clouds.

  "Why not?"

  The afternoon sun danced in his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. "Because you're crazy."

  He gave her a lopsided grin. "Just crazy for you." He squeezed her hand.

  An elderly couple who'd been seated in front of them gestured for them to join in. "Tis the season," the gentleman sang, then said, "Come on."

  They moved shoulder to shoulder down the brick lane with the crowd of carolers, singing and laughing as they went. Lauren couldn't help but steal a quick glance at Kyle as they walked in formation. His face radiated a smile so bright, it was as though he were intoxicated by the moment. A feeling Lauren couldn't deny had consumed her as well. Their eyes met and held for a lingering moment and his expression changed. What she saw was the etchings of raw human emotion nakedly revealed on the lines of Kyle's face. It should have frightened her, but to her surprise it only added to the mounting desire welling up inside her.

  What she saw did not frighten her. What she wanted in return did.

  # # #

  Chapter Six

  A smoldering fire burned in the depths of Kyle's ice blue eyes and suddenly, Lauren wondered just what it would be like to be engulfed by that flame. Hearing her heart beat like a timpani in her ear, she sucked in a breath and held it, before emitting a cloud of mist.

  Deck the hall...

  His lips didn't move. He was no longer paying attention to the music coming over the loudspeaker or the people singing. He focused on her and her alone. She wasn't sure when it happened, but they stopped moving and the carolers drifted pass them down the lane. She forced a chilled breath deep into her lungs and trembled with anticipation.

  He bent his head and his mouth came over hers like a gentle summer breeze caressing her skin. Hot, moist and oh, so inviting. Kyle placed his hand on the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss, seeking what she never thought she had to give. His scent filled her head and sent her senses reeling. He was warm and hard against her softness and she heard herself moan with delight. Or was that him? She didn't know...and didn't care. All she knew was that she'd been swallowed by an all-consuming passion that now threatened to dissolve her. And she didn't care if it did.

  She heard his sharp intake of breath amid the music blaring over the speakers as he pulled away. His breathing was ragged, as was her own, she realized. With his hand still at the back of her head, he gently caressed her neck and combed his fingers through her hair before dropping his hand.

  He held her gaze and she wondered what he saw written in her expression. A gust of wind lifted her hair and broke the trance between them.

  "We'd better get going." She turned away and looked into the faces of people who were filing away from the courtyard. For a moment she'd forgotten where and who she was or the presence of people around her. Suddenly, she felt as if she was an item on display, although she was sure none of the strangers were paying any real attention to them.

  Shaking her hair, she tried to regain her composure. "I don't want to get back too late." She spun around and walked toward the stores.

  "We have all the time in the world, Lauren," Kyle said to her back. She knew he wasn't talking about hours in the day. Within seconds, his hand was clasped around hers in a tight hold. It was clear he had no intentions of letting her take flight from him after their kiss. The thing that she couldn't figure out was why she didn't want to.

  As they walked down the brick path, they passed a store window displaying an assortment of gift-wrapped packages under a silver-limbed Christmas tree. Although the red and green ornaments were festive and shimmered under the display lights, it held little charm.

  "That's the saddest tree I've ever seen," Kyle said, staring at the display. "I like cranberries and popcorn, myself."

  She looked up at him in awe that he was thinking the same thoughts as her own. "And gingerbread cookies with gold ribbon," she added.

  He smiled. "Scotty made a star out of aluminum foil in pre-school a few years back. You should see his face when Mom puts it on the tree."

  "Hey, that's a good idea. We don't have a tree topper. I'll have to remember that when we put up our tree. Oh, look!" Lauren dropped Kyle's hand and raced to the toy store display window a few yards away.

  Behind the glass was a magical winter wonderland. A pair of moving Santa and Mrs. Claus figurines stood in the center of the display surrounded by miniature elves buried in a sea of fake snow. A toy train, set on tracks suspended from the ceiling, disappeared into a tunnel before coming back to the display for the outdoor viewing.

  But the thing that caught Lauren's attention was the magnificent antique dollhouse. It was every little girl's dream come true, from the Farmers porch with swing, to the miniature furniture and people all set up inside. The house opened on hinges, giving ample space for a child of any age to sit and re-arrange the pieces. She could just envision her and Kristen sitting on the floor of her bedroom, playing with it for hours.

  "Krissy would just love that." Lauren kept her eyes on the dollhouse and felt Kyle's hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

  "I've got the feeling you would, too," he said softly. "Let's go inside and take a look." Kyle led her to the double doors, opened one, and waited for her to proceed inside.

  Pulling the scarf from her neck, Lauren groaned and trudged to the display. There was no sense falling in love with this dollhouse, she thought with a sigh. Without even looking at the price tag, she knew that it was far beyond her reach.

  "Beautiful detail," Kyle said in admiration as he bent down and pulled the white tag, holding it out for her to inspect the price.

  Lauren’s shoulders sagged when she read the numbers. Just as she expected, it was well beyond her financial reach. She would never be able to afford
spending an entire month's rent no matter how perfect a gift it would make.

  As if reading her mind, Kyle offered, "What do you say I pick it up as a gift for Kristen?"

  She glared at him, angrier with herself for not having the means to enjoy giving such a luxury than at his attempt at charity. Piqued, she knotted her scarf around her neck. "We've already been through this, Kyle. I won't take your money."

  She spun on her heels and pushed through the store door with force tantamount to her anger. When she reached the sidewalk, he caught her arm and twisted her around to meet his gaze head on.

  "Hey, this is no big deal. Why won't you let me do something for you?" he huffed. His drawn expression told her he was hurt by her rejection, not angry.