Sapphire Falls: Going Toe to Mistletoe (A Christmas Romance) (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Rachelle Ayala

  Troy packed a snowball and added it to the stack. He was spending the afternoon with his best buddy, Max Wolff, and his two children, Mattie and Sara.

  “Uncle Troy, another snowball.” Mattie, a four-year-old boy, grabbed the one he made and smashed it on his almost two-year-old sister’s parka.

  Sara laughed and giggled, then dropped a snowball on Mattie’s boots.

  Their father, Max, brushed the snow off his kids and said, “We’re supposed to stack them up for the war against the zombies.”

  “Snow, snowball,” Sara babbled, clearly having no clue why she should prepare for the zombie invasion—or in this case, a horde of preschoolers on a play date.

  “Who wants to stick a carrot on Frosty’s face?” Troy went for distraction. He scattered a few carrots he had in his pocket around the yard.

  “Me, me!” The two kids squealed predictably.

  “Okay, find the carrots,” Max said. “And some sticks for hands.”

  The two kids ran around the fenced yard, looking for carrots and sticks. They were joined by two large wolfhounds.

  “Good distraction,” Max said as he piled more snowballs into a fort. “How’s it going with Honey’s sister?”

  Troy groaned and shook his head. He should have kept the kids around smashing snowballs.

  “She’s distant, that’s for sure.” He brushed snow off his jacket and clambered onto the porch. “I don’t know what to make of her.”

  Problem was, ever since he found out Candi was Honey’s sister, he’d had to back off from the sexual overtures—a game plan he wasn’t used to—at all.

  Troy wasn’t arrogant, but he well knew the effect he had on women—especially the women who he didn’t grow up with. He wasn’t the typical tall, dark, and handsome man. Because of his psychology degree, he was also brooding and a little mysterious.

  That combination drew women like flies to honey.

  “You’re losing your touch,” Max said. “Maybe I can clue you in on what’s going on.”

  “It’s not fair, but I’m all ears.” Troy leaned over the rails of the porch and watched the children and dogs. His buddy had everything he’d ever wanted. A loyal woman, healthy children, and a real home.

  Of course, Max and Honey had had their problems when they’d lived in San Francisco, and no one had clued Honey in on Max’s erratic behavior. However, once she’d understood it, she’d been standing by him ever since.

  Max handed him a can of beer. “I can’t tell you why Candi’s acting the way she is, but I can tell you what Honey’s up to. She’s got this list of things Candi’s supposed to collect for her—some kind of bride’s bounty. Weird stuff, like blue panties soaked in Peppermint Booze, German chocolate cake frosting from Mrs. Bennett’s refrigerator, key from a skeleton, stuff like that.”

  “Like the mistletoe at the Come Again,” Troy said, taking a swig of beer. “She told me it was a dare, and then she snuck into the haunted house. I thought she was trying to prank our Christmas festival, but the last couple of days she hasn’t done anything.”

  “That’s because you’ve been stuck to her like glue, trying to be her friend.” Max made air quotes around the word “friend.” “You got to get out of the friend-zone, dude. Women don’t want guys who are available all the time.”

  “You don’t say.” Troy quirked a smirk at his buddy, who used to be a workaholic. “You carried it to an extreme.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s a balance. Are you listening to me or not?” Max narrowed his eyes. “You’re not getting anywhere with Candi, and she’s going home after Christmas. She is the one for you, isn’t she?”

  “Yeah.” Troy’s shoulder’s hunched. “I haven’t hooked up with any of my usual ladies, and they’re starting to get concerned. There’s something different about Candi. She’s strong and motivated, but also fun to be with. You know she teaches ballroom dancing?”

  “Yeah, she’s very active in the community back home,” Max agreed. “What I’m saying to you is to step back. Leave her alone for a few days. Right now, you’re a ‘sure thing’ and she’s not interested.”

  “Play hard-to-get, in other words.” Troy could see the wisdom in that. After all, it was what he told the women who wrote to him or asked him for advice at the Come Again. In fact, if he went through his “Dear Santa” mail, ninety percent of it was from women asking how to get a guy to call back, commit, and propose. It must work the same the other way around. What was good for the goose was good for the gander, as his mother always said.

  “Exactomundo,” Max said. “You lay low, and when she’s about to steal another item on her list, I’ll text you the when and where, then you can charge in there and stop her. It’ll confuse her about how you feel about her, so she’ll be nicer to you.”

  “This feels so unfair.” Troy put his phone away. “I want to win her the old-fashioned way, by wooing her, not by stalking.”

  “Hey, your way isn’t working.” Max punched his shoulder lightly. “Think of this as a little assistance. You can either help her with her list, or pretend you’re stopping her. Your choice. End result, you’ll get Candi for Christmas.”

  Troy punched Max back. “With a little help from my friends.”

  Chapter Seven

  Candi’s pen hovered over her checklist for Troy. She was about to check off “good listener,” except he’d suddenly gone dark. No phone calls. No text messages. No chance meetings in the town square.

  Maybe Honey was right. She’d played her aloof card too much. A gentleman like Troy wouldn’t stalk her or continue to butt himself into her presence if she gave him zero encouragement.

  She put a question mark next to “good listener.” Too bad she’d never find out if he was good in bed, or even a good kisser. Or if he was family oriented and loyal, or all the wonderful qualities she was sure he had.

  Sighing, she browsed to the relationships forum and typed a note to Dr. T.

  Dear Dr. T,

  It’s me, Dumpy. I’ve been following your advice with that man I told you about, and it was working until a few days ago. We’ve been meeting around town, talking about ourselves and getting to know each other. But suddenly, he’s not calling or texting me, and I can’t figure out what I did wrong. It’s true that he tries to kiss me at every chance, but I’ve been able to deflect it. I don’t want to admit this to anyone, but I really like this guy.

  Do you think I went too far in backing off? It feels like I got dumped again, and this time, I only got to be his friend.

  Yours truly, Dumped while Friends

  Her sister, Honey, padded through her kitchen to the refrigerator. “What are you doing up so early?”

  Candi yawned. “I couldn’t sleep. It looks like you’re not going to get that something new from me after all. Troy stopped calling and coming around.”

  “I’ve noticed.” Honey poured milk into two sippy cups for her children. “Maybe he’s busy with work. You know, it’s getting close to Christmas and many people are depressed, especially if they have to stay at the hospital over the holidays.”

  Candi’s shoulders slumped. “You were right about me carrying the hard-to-get too far.”

  “Maybe, but to take your mind off of him, you should finish the scavenger hunt. My wedding’s coming up and I think I’d like a pair of blue balls from the community center Christmas tree.”

  “Is this your something blue?” Candi made a mark on her checklist. “What happens if I get caught for stealing?”

  “Nothing to worry about. We have permission from Hailey Bennett.” Honey patted her shoulder. “This scavenger hunt is an experiment for the town’s newest Christmas tradition. Besides, everyone wants my maid of honor to be happy on my wedding day, and there’s nothing more fun than pulling off a heist.”

  “How am I going to be happy when Troy is the best man and I have to face the fact that he dumped me, even as friends? All because I didn’t give him any benefits. Maybe you should ask Ginger to be the maid of honor.”<
br />
  Ginger was their youngest sister, who wouldn’t arrive until a few days before Christmas since it was finals week at her university.

  “You’ll be okay, except you shouldn’t listen to that Dr. T. After all, he might not be a real doctor. For all you know, Dr. T could be a retired schoolteacher or an eighteen-year-old punk.” Honey exited the kitchen with the milk.

  Candi checked her phone and sure enough, there was a reply from Dr. T.

  Dear Dumped,

  I’m sorry to hear that the man who was so promising has turned out to be a flake. He’s obviously decided you are not the one for him. But take heart, you don’t want a man who isn’t committed to you, one who would lead you on and then disappear on you.

  Trust me on this. If a man really wants a woman, he’ll be persistent. He won’t give up just because she won’t be his booty call. He cares for her as a person, and if he is truly attracted to her, he won’t be able to get her out of his mind.

  There’s nothing you can do now but go on with your life. Go out with friends. Do something interesting. I know you really liked this guy, but you did the right thing in holding out.

  Chalk it up to experience and take heart. There’s a man out there just right for you.

  Yours, Dr. T

  Candi felt like throwing her phone. Right. His advice had screwed her up, and now he was glibly telling her there was someone out there for her—except it had been Troy and now he was not.

  Just like it had been Boris, and before him, Zach, and Winston, and Theo, and Miguel, and Sanjay, and Victor, and …

  Candi turned off her phone. Why did she get attached so easily? This time she couldn’t even chalk it up to sex hormones. She hadn’t even gotten to first base.

  Troy had been so sweet and romantic—attentive, a gentleman, not to mention hot and broody—a small town Heathcliff. He would have been perfect.

  She allowed herself a one-minute pity party, then pulled herself together. Moping around wasn’t going to cure her blues. She might as well get dressed, put on makeup and head to the community center.

  * * *

  Troy got the text from Max. Target approaching community center Christmas tree. Looking for a pair of blue balls.

  He snickered and texted back. So funny. Not!

  Less than ten minutes later, he opened up the community center. He had a key, because he ran a Dancing Your Blues Away activity for the seniors. He hadn’t told Candi, but he’d taken ballroom dancing lessons since he was a kid.

  It was early Saturday morning, and Troy was the only person in the building, besides the mice and the resident cat.

  The Christmas tree was located in the multi-purpose room where they held wedding receptions, dances, parties, and indoor athletics, like badminton and volleyball in the winter.

  The tree was trimmed with bright blue and silver ornaments, a blue garland, and a crystal star. Even though Troy knew Max was setting him up with Candi, he, as town Santa, could not allow her to desecrate the Sapphire Fantasy Christmas tree.

  Mistletoe sprigs were taped to the ceiling every few feet, and if Candi was determined to pull them all down, it would take a while—enough time for him to trap her with a kiss.

  A partition bisected the room to allow it to become two smaller rooms, so he pulled part of it in place and hid behind it, waiting for his prey.

  His phone chimed and he glanced at the brief message from Dumped.

  Dear Dr. T,

  I’m going on with my life. That man didn’t deserve such a wonderful, vibrant, full of life, exciting, loving, exuberant, sexy, nurturing, beautiful, kind, and caring woman as me.

  Thanks, Dumped no More

  Her note brought a smile to his face, and he answered her.

  Dear Vibrant,

  I’m so happy to hear that and so proud of you. Now that you’ve arrived at the point of self-acceptance, you won’t have to follow my rules anymore, because you’ll instinctively cast off the losers and not allow anyone to make you feel second best.

  I’m interested in what happens next, so let me know if you find your true love. It makes me happy like the victory screen of a video game, knowing that I have helped you not only to love yourself, but to be united with a partner who is worthy of you.

  Yours, Dr. T

  He thought he heard a phone chime, but it wasn’t his, so he tucked it in his pocket and waited for Candi.

  A stealthy footstep and the fragrance of vanilla and cherries put his body on full alert. His Candi was here in the building. Not contacting her had been torture, but even he had to admit, he’d been too forward with pursuing her. He hadn’t given her a chance to miss him until now.

  Candi snuck around the open double doors and glanced around, then headed for the tree. She opened her purse and reached out to nab one of the sapphire blue ornaments.

  “Hold it right there.” He charged toward her. “I can’t believe it’s you again.”

  “Troy!” she gasped, her hand dropping to her side. Caught. Guilty. Her face flushed, and her eyes dilated, showing her clear and present attraction.

  Ignoring her had worked.

  “Caught red-handed. What’s your excuse this time?” He invaded her personal space, and it was all he could do not to wrap his fingers in her hair and pull her body against his.

  “I need something blue for my sister’s wedding, and I thought I’d borrow a pair of blue balls.” The breathless quality of her voice made his balls ache.

  “Sorry, but you can’t take the ones from the tree.”

  “Oh, well, then I’ll let myself out.” She backed away from him, looking so beautiful she took his breath away.

  “Wait!” He reached for her hand. “Dance with me.”

  “Here?” Her eyebrow quirked, and she looked around the empty room.

  “Why not?” He pressed a button on the remote and switched on a playlist of Christmas music. The first song was a foxtrot version of “White Christmas.” Bowing to her, he said, “May I have this dance?”

  “You know how to dance?” Her eyes widened with interest.

  “Been doing it since I was knee high.” He held his hands up in the foxtrot position. She put her purse down and was immediately in his arms.

  They stepped smoothly around the multipurpose room, pressed against each other in perfect harmony. He spun her and she always ended in his arms. Whether face to face, or with her back to his front, they floated gracefully around the floor, always attuned to each other.

  He turned her around and dipped her then brought her up. In and out, back and forth, they stepped fast, fast, slow, slow, across the floor, and at the end, he spun her around and drew her tight against him—finishing face to face and pressed against each other, catching their breaths.

  He tilted his head and leaned in. She met him halfway, and he captured her lips with his, kissing her firmly. She didn’t shy away, no, and when she turned her head and kissed him back, he let his tongue slide across the seam of her mouth.

  She tasted sweeter than he’d fantasized, and she wasn’t shy about kissing him, either. She rocked in his arms, gripping him tight. They kissed and slowly spun around to the music which had segued to a waltzy “Silver Bells.”

  She followed his lead as they waltzed around the floor, dipping, slipping and sliding, until the music changed into a lively cha cha version of “Here Comes Santa Claus.”

  A smile creased over Candi’s pretty face as she wiggled her hips, her arms and hands moving flirtatiously. He joined her, stepping proudly with her as they moved their hips and arms to the light and happy beat.

  Troy couldn’t help grinning, and he didn’t want this moment to end. This was the way it should be for them—no game playing, no pretending, just being true to each other, and for once in his life, he was grateful to his parents for dragging him to ballroom dance classes.

  Minutes later, it was back to the foxtrot, with “Blue Christmas.” She was back in his arms, face to face, so in tune with him, never missing a step. She follo
wed wherever he led, and life couldn’t be better, especially since she ended the dance with another soul-scorching kiss.

  Who knew going toe to toe with her would end up so well? This was the end of the line for him. The last stop. Candi was the woman for him—the last stop. Whether she went back to California or stayed in town, she would always be his forever-woman.

  Chapter Eight

  Candi’s head swirled with a heady mix of passion and excitement. Troy was an awesome kisser, so attentive and not the least bit sloppy. His lips were firm with the right amount of tenderness, and the way he held onto her, caressing her shoulders and back made her want to rub her naked self against every inch of his naked self.

  But …

  What would Dr. T say? She hadn’t come so far to blow it now by being “easy.”

  Allowing herself one more nip, she broke the kiss and gazed into his eyes. “Wow. Where had that come from?”

  “Mistletoe?” He eyed the array of mistletoe branches hanging from the ceiling above them.

  She glanced up and laughed. “You Sapphire Falls folks don’t leave anything to chance, do you?”

  “We’re always prepared.” He still held her in his arms, and his eyes sparkled with mischief. “Tell me what you’re up to.”

  “Blue balls.” Her voice came out breathless and soft. “I need a pair of blue balls for Honey’s wedding.”

  His face twisted with amusement. “I’m the one with the blue balls. I can’t see how it would help your sister’s wedding.”

  “Oh …” Her jaw dropped, and heat crept up her cheeks, as she realized the double meaning. “It’s a silly game to keep me busy.”

  “So you thought you’d steal the ones from the tree?” He was trying to keep from chuckling.

  “They looked obvious. I’ll pay for everything, of course.” She knew she sounded lame.

  “Are you planning on stealing Christmas items from the entire town?” His gaze lowered to her lips, lingered there and went back to her eyes. “Every piece of candy cane, every silver bell, every sprig of mistletoe, every garland, tinsel, light, and star.”