A Christmas Collection: Four Sweet Holiday Romances

by Victorine E. Lieske

  “I have eyeballs.”

  He rubbed his temple. “I can’t do anything about it. She thinks I’m too old. And what would I say to her anyway?”

  Dorothy walked over to his desk and held out her hand. “Let me see your phone for a second.”

  He handed it to her. She swiped at the screen a few times. He leaned over to see what she was doing, but she turned away. A second later, she handed it back. “There.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I texted her.”

  “You what?” He stood up and his chair shot backwards. He looked at the screen. His phone had sent a message to Charley.

  Hey. How are you?

  Alexander wanted to yell at Dorothy, but he was too mesmerized by the tiny dots blinking, indicating that Charley was texting him back. She had read his message and was responding. He stared at the phone, waiting for her response to come through.

  I’m fine. How are you?

  She hadn’t said anything spectacular, but still, his heart beat wildly in his chest. Dorothy leaned over to look at the message. “Well. I’ll let you chat with her. I just wanted to say your lunch is ready.”

  “Okay, thanks.” He sat back down in his chair, not caring about lunch. Charley wanted to know how he was doing.

  He hesitated, not sure what he should say. Finally, he typed out, Missing you, but then deleted it before sending it. Too strong. He didn’t want to scare her away. He’d really messed up when he’d blurted out that he loved her. He had to be cool.

  Fine. Dorothy had Paul over the other evening.

  He figured she might be interested to know what was going on with them.

  Really? OMG! Are they a couple now?

  He smiled as he texted back. Yes, they’ve been dating now for a few months.

  That’s fantastic.

  How’s Milly doing?

  No answer came, and he thought maybe she was busy. He shoved his phone in his pocket and walked into the dining hall. Just as he sat down, his phone chimed. He pulled it out and smiled at the photo of a black cat curled up on a blanket.

  She’s fine. Growing like a weed.

  Dorothy came in and set down his bowl of soup. He showed her the photo.

  “Is that Milly? She looks so big now.”

  “I know.”

  He texted back while Dorothy left to get the sandwiches. She looks like she’s doubled in size.

  Definitely. I think she misses you, though.

  The words stabbed at his chest and he sat there, staring at them for a full thirty seconds before he responded. She does?

  His heart thumped as he waited for her response.

  Yes. She seems sad.

  Maybe you should bring her back for a visit. He stared at the words he had typed, his finger hovering over the send button. Was that too much? Should he delete that? He was about to backspace over it when Dorothy came in and startled him. When he looked down, he’d sent the message.

  Crud. He hadn’t meant to do that. He waited for her to respond. The dots appeared, and then her message came.

  Maybe I will.

  He stilled. What did that mean? Was she actually saying she might come back for a visit? Or was she just playing with him? He wasn’t sure what to text back, so he set the phone down while he took a bite of his turkey sandwich.

  Maybe I will. He read the words over and over. As he chewed, he realized if he didn’t say anything back, she might get the wrong idea. He picked up the phone and typed a response.

  I’d like that.

  Charley sat at her kitchen table, answering emails. The more she scrolled, the more depressed she got. The one and only job she’d gotten had been for Alexander. And it wasn’t even an appraisal job at all. She’d been home for four months and no one wanted to hire her. Last night, in desperation, she’d applied at the local diner to wait tables. She had to do something to pay the bills.

  Milly jumped on her lap and purred. She petted the cat then set her back down on the floor. “Go play with your toy mouse.”

  The kitten just looked at her. “Fine. Don’t do as I say,” she said, waving her away. Then guilt made her stomach churn. It wasn’t the cat’s fault she felt out of sorts. She was grumpy about having to stoop and get a job any high schooler could get. That, and she had hoped to hear from Alexander, but she’d only gotten silence.

  Not that he had any reason to email her. Or call her. It was really dumb for her to be upset that he hadn’t. Her job with him was done, and that was it. She should be focusing on getting her career going instead of sitting around, wondering what Alexander was doing.

  Her phone chimed and she picked it up. Her heart jumped into her throat. It couldn’t be. She blinked and tried to focus.

  Hey. How are you?

  Four simple words, but they sent her pulse racing and made it difficult to breathe. Alexander was texting her. She couldn’t believe it. She answered back.

  I’m fine. How are you?

  They chatted back and forth a little, and then he asked about Milly. She ran to find the kitten to snap a picture of her. After he commented on how much she’d grown, Charley typed in that she thought Milly missed him and hit send before she thought about it.

  She does?

  Charley held her breath as she responded. Yes. She seems sad.

  As soon as she hit send, she regretted it. What was she doing? The cat was fine. She was the one who missed him. She was the one who had spent the last four months in a funk, not wanting to go out with her friends. Stupid.

  Her phone chimed and she looked at the screen.

  Maybe you should bring her back for a visit.

  Charley almost swallowed her tongue. Was he inviting her to visit him? Was he saying something more in his message than just a simple conversation? Or was she hoping for something that wasn’t there?

  She held her breath and sent a message back. Maybe I will.

  When he didn’t answer right away, she thought maybe she was being too forward. Reading too much into his text. But then her phone vibrated and his answer came back. I’d like that.

  Hope swelled in her. Maybe he did have feelings for her. But then, why didn’t he contact her in four months? Why didn’t he come out and say he missed her? Why was he skirting around the subject?

  And then she realized it didn’t matter. He was still just the man who had tricked her into cleaning out his garage. No matter how much she missed him, she couldn’t think of him in any other way. She would forever be a silly young girl to him. And she would never measure up.

  Chapter 24

  Alexander stepped out of the airport, the humid air of Florida hitting him. He gripped his suitcase as he walked toward the rental car station. He tried not to think about what he was about to do. He was not one to grovel, but the past month of texting back and forth with Charley was getting them nowhere. And what he needed to say couldn’t be said over the phone.

  Her messages had been more aloof lately. Like she was pulling back from him. He clenched his jaw as he thought about what that might mean. He didn’t like the answer.

  He secured a rental car and drove to the address Charley had given him. By the time he arrived at the apartment complex, the sun had almost set. He wasn’t sure if she was home or not, but he had to talk to her now, so he parked the car and took a chance. He jaunted up the walkway and knocked on the door marked 4D.

  No one answered. He knocked again. The third time he knocked, a blonde woman passed by him. She turned and her gaze traveled over him. “You looking for Charley?” she said, her voice sultry.

  “Yes.”

  “She’s at work. You won’t catch her until she gets off.”

  “When will that be?”

  “I don’t know. Late.” She gave him a smile. “You could wait for her in my apartment.”

  “No,” he said abruptly. Then added, “Thank you. Where does she work?”

  “At the diner on the corner of sixteenth and Pine.” She pointed and he thanked her once again before cl
imbing back into his rental car. He didn’t want to sit around and wait for her. What he had to say couldn’t wait.

  He drove several blocks down to the corner and parked his car. The diner was an old mom and pop place with seventies decorating. He walked in and the hostess greeted him. “Table for one?”

  Why did that always make him grumpy? “Yes,” he said, his voice gruff. Then he decided to add, “Can you seat me in Charley’s section?”

  The hostess smiled at him. “Can do.”

  She led him to a booth and he slid onto the seat. She gave him a menu. “Your server will be here soon.” She winked at him and then left.

  He suddenly grew nervous. What would Charley say when she saw him? Would she be angry he came? Or could it be possible she’d be happy?

  He gripped his menu and glanced around the restaurant. Charley wasn’t in sight. His heart pounded as he waited for her to appear. He didn’t have to wait long. She walked out of the kitchen holding two plates. She wore a uniform with black slacks, which didn’t suit her at all. She passed right by him without notice. After she dropped the plates off at another table, she came around to his booth. She fished her notepad out of her pocket before glancing at him. As soon as her gaze connected with his, she froze. “Alexander? What are you doing here?”

  He wasn’t sure what to say. Seeing her again was a surreal experience. All of his emotions came rushing back to him. He cleared his throat. “I think we need to talk.”

  She raised her eyebrows, but a smile formed on her lips. “Okay. Let me talk to Shelly. I’m due for a break anyway. Do you want something to drink?”

  “A Coke.”

  “I’ll get it for you and be with you in a second.”

  Her manner was professional. What was he to expect? That she would give him a hug right there in the diner? She was working. Of course she wouldn’t. He waited for her to come back to the table, his nerves making him wonder if this even was a good idea.

  When Charley finally came back, she set a Coke down in front of him and then slid into the booth. She smiled at him. “It’s good to see you again.”

  He was so anxious about how she was going to react to what he had to say, he simply nodded and took his soda in his hands.

  She looked at him apprehensively. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “I need Christmas back in my life,” he blurted. Then he shook his head. That wasn’t what he meant to say at all.

  Charley looked at him, her eyebrows pulled together. “What?”

  “What I mean, is…” He swallowed. “I miss the spirit that you brought into the house.”

  She smiled at him, although it seemed reserved. “It will come back. Next December.”

  “No,” he said quickly. He was messing this all up. The words weren’t coming out right. “You brought that spirit in. It wasn’t Christmas. It was you.”

  Charley stared at him. Then she slowly shook her head. “It wasn’t me.” She reached across the table and took his hands in hers. “You had shut out everything from your life. You had shut out the joy, the giving and the love of Christmas. I just showed you how to let it back in.”

  Was she trying to let him down easy? Did she not feel the same way about him? Or was he just blowing it big time? “I miss you,” he said, unable to stop himself. Man, he was pathetic.

  “I miss you too.” She smiled at him, but it was not the smile he remembered. None of the spark was left in her eyes.

  He swallowed the lump in his throat. She didn’t love him. Her emotions were carefully in check. And he needed to get out of there. He stood and pulled out his wallet. “I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have come.”

  Charley’s eyes widened. “I didn’t mean…”

  “No, this is not your fault.” He tossed a few bills on the table and left while he still had some pride.

  Chapter 25

  Charley hung her apron in her closet, her fingers still shaking. What had that been about? Why had Alexander come all this way? To talk about Christmas? She was confused, and shaken up. It had been difficult, seeing him again. She had no idea why he’d come to the diner, and it was odd for him to talk about missing Christmas.

  She went into the kitchen and pulled out a frozen dinner. Yeah, she lived a glamorous life. Just as she punched in the time on the microwave, a knock came at her door. The first thought that entered her head was that maybe Alexander had come. But she shoved it aside. He had said coming was a mistake. He’d left. It couldn’t be him.

  She opened the door and her heart stuttered. It was Alex. And he looked amazing, as always. She couldn’t begin to hope as to what this meant. “Hello,” she said tentatively.

  Before she could invite him in, he took a step toward her, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. Kissing Alexander had always been amazing, but this kiss was sudden, impulsive, and heated. He kissed her with a hunger she hadn’t experienced before. Her senses came alive. She gripped his collar and pulled him closer, unable to stop herself from getting wrapped up in the kiss.

  When he finally pulled away, she gulped in a breath of air. He stared at her, his brown eyes intense. “I’m not good with words. I thought this would be a better way to say what I came here to say.”

  She couldn’t speak. He had muddled her brain and made it impossible to think.

  “I love you,” he said. “I think I fell in love with you that first day, when you showed up in those ridiculous socks. You showed me I was living an empty life. You helped me see I was drowning in my own self-pity. And since you’ve been gone, I haven’t been the same.”

  Her vision blurred as her eyes filled with tears. Alexander loved her? And suddenly she knew. She loved him too. She loved the way his lips twitched when he didn’t want to smile but couldn’t hold it in any longer. She loved that he would save a tiny kitten from the cold. And how he put his trust in her.

  He exhaled. “Please, say something.”

  She threw her arms around him and giggled. “Don’t stress. This time away from you has been terrible. I think somewhere in there I fell in love with you too.”

  He smiled and pulled her into another embrace. “The age difference doesn’t bother you too much to consider being with me?”

  “I spent a couple of hours when I got home looking up famous couples with age differences. Turns out eight years isn’t such a big deal as I originally thought.” She grinned at him.

  “I’m glad. Because I wasn’t going to leave here without you.” He pressed his lips to hers once more.

  Milly meowed behind her and Alexander chuckled and pulled back. “I think someone else wants to say hello.”

  He reached down and picked up the kitten. She licked his nose, and he laughed. “Yeah, I missed you too.”

  Charley couldn’t help but laugh.

  Alexander sobered and turned back to her. “I do have one concern, though.”

  Her nerves shot through her. “What?”

  “You stopped wearing your fun socks. Do you no longer like them?”

  She grinned and pulled up the slacks the diner makes her wear to work. Bright pink and purple flowers showed.

  He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “I should have known.”

  Epilogue

  Christmas, two years later.

  Charley hung the large wreath on the front door, the cold breeze blowing through her sweater. She quickly secured it and hurried back inside. Alexander walked into the entryway and took in the green trim and white lights she’d wrapped around the staircase railing. “Looks nice.”

  She walked up to him. “Thanks, sweetie.”

  He leaned down and kissed her then patted her round belly. “You feeling okay?”

  “You’re such a worry wart. I’m fine. I’ve been fine every day for the last eight months.”

  He frowned. “I’m not a worry wart. I just care about you.”

  She smiled, warmth spreading through her. He really did care about her. “That’s why I love you,” she said, g
iving him another kiss.

  “Come on, let’s go see what Dorothy is fixing for lunch.”

  Charley shot him a strange look. “Why? She’s fixing what she always fixes. Soup and sandwiches. I think you’d have a fit if she fixed anything else.”

  He rolled his eyes at her. “Just come into the kitchen.”

  Something was definitely up. When Charley entered, Thomas was leaning against the counter peeking at the pot of soup. Dorothy was trying to shoo him away. When she turned and saw Alexander and Charley, she frowned. “Okay. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.” Alexander put on an innocent face.

  Before Dorothy could respond, the back doorbell rang. She squinted at Alexander before heading out to the mud room to answer the door. Everyone followed her.

  Dorothy opened the door and Paul stood there in his UPS uniform, a small package with Amazon’s logo on it in his hand. Dorothy smiled. “Hi, Paul. What are you doing here? I haven’t ordered anything.”

  He leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Are you sure? I was positive this one was for you.” He handed her the box.

  She shook it. “It’s light. Not a book. What is this?” She turned back to the group of people behind her and Alex just shrugged.

  “Open it,” Thomas said.

  Dorothy pulled at the tape. “All right, all right. No need to get bossy.”

  Paul chuckled as she tugged at the flaps, his smile widening. When she had trouble with one side, he pulled out a small pocket knife and helped her slice through the packing tape. Dorothy pulled back the flaps and looked inside. Her cheeks colored as she pulled out a ring box. “Paul…” she said, a gasp escaping.

  He got down on one knee, and Charley blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. “Dorothy, these past two years have been amazing. You are my heart and soul, and I would be lost without you. I love your smile, and yes, even your sass. I am sad when we’re not together. I don’t want to be apart anymore. Will you marry me?”