Stupid. That’s what she was. Why couldn’t she make up her mind? Did she want Harrison to leave her alone, or not? Her heart yearned for the closeness they’d come to share, but her head told her he was leaving soon and she needed to steel her heart before it broke in two.
Kimmy grabbed her arm and practically yanked it out of its socket. “Shh, don’t say anything, but Rob just entered the hall.”
Rob? Penny turned to look, and sure enough, Rob Curtis stood across the room. He wore a leather jacket and had a shaved head and metal piercings in his ears. When his gaze met Kimmy’s, he nodded and stuffed his fists in his jacket pockets.
Why was she involved with this loser? Penny wanted to be supportive, but she knew Rob was no good. He’d gotten into some trouble in high school and spent the rest of his senior year in a juvenile detention center. She wasn’t sure what he’d done, but she suspected it involved drugs.
Kimmy grinned like a cat with a mouse-tail hanging out of her mouth. “Isn’t he handsome?”
Oh, heavens. She had it bad. Penny sighed and shook her head. “Kimmy, do you think—”
“Hey,” Kimmy interrupted. “Cover for me, okay?” She patted Penny on the back and disappeared into the crowd. A moment later she emerged by Rob’s side. They kissed then ducked out of the building.
“She loves him, doesn’t she?” Harrison’s deep voice startled her.
Penny whipped around to face him. He had a sad sort of smile on his face, and his eyes held something she couldn’t pin down. “Yeah, I think so.”
“You don’t like him.”
She scoffed and motioned over her shoulder. “Did you see him?”
He shrugged one shoulder, staring into her eyes. “I did.”
“He’s no good for Kimmy.”
“Patrice thinks you’re no good for me.”
“That’s different.” Penny turned and started walking away, but Harrison stepped in front of her, blocking her. He put his hands on her shoulders.
“Is it? Do you love your sister?”
Penny yanked her shoulders away from Harrison’s grasp. “Of course I do.”
“Then you’ve got to let her make her own decisions. She’s an adult. If you try to break them up, you’ll just hurt your relationship with your sister.”
Penny blinked and stared at a gingerbread replica of the leaning tower of Pisa. He was right. She didn’t want to admit it, but Harrison made sense. “But he’s a criminal.”
“What did he do?”
“I don’t know. He got in trouble in high school.”
Harrison folded his arms across his chest. “That was a long time ago. You’ve got to trust your sister.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “You’re right. I just don’t trust him.”
“Maybe you need to get to know him.”
“I can’t. Kimmy wants to keep him a secret from our parents. Does that sound like a healthy relationship to you?”
Harrison sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe not. But it’s not up to you, is it?”
Man, he looked handsome, with his hair slightly disheveled and his five o-clock shadow. She had to look away. “No. It’s not.”
He placed his hand on her back and she stiffened. He removed it. “Come on. Let’s go look at the rest of the displays. We can talk about your sister later.”
Penny nodded, stuffed her conflicted feelings deep down inside, and followed Harrison along the rows of gingerbread houses.
Chapter 21
Harrison entered the jewelry store and rubbed the stubble forming on his face. They’d spent the morning baking goodies, and after lunch he’d managed to convince Penny they needed to go shopping for a few last minute Christmas gifts. They’d had a nice afternoon picking out things for Penny’s family.
He’d told Penny he needed a quick break and had left her browsing some role-playing games at the geek store. Now here he was, trying to decide if buying her a real ring was a good idea or not.
What he wanted to do was get the perfect ring, and then when they were alone together under a moonlit sky, get down on one knee and profess his love for her. What he feared he’d do would be carry around the ring in his pocket until he lost his nerve and let the woman of his dreams go.
“Can I help you?” A man behind the counter placed his hands on the glass case containing wedding rings. “Anything you’d like to look at?”
Harrison swallowed. This was a bad idea. He didn’t even have enough money to give Penny what he’d promised her. And she’d been clear. No kissing. No touching. She couldn’t even stand his cologne. What made him think buying a ring would change her mind about him? He was such an idiot.
“No. This was a mistake.” He had turned to leave when he heard the man chuckle.
“Boy, if I had a dollar for every chum who walked in and then lost his nerve.”
Harrison waited for the man to finish, but it never came. He turned to face him. “You’d be rich?”
The man laughed. “Well, I’d have a few dollars.”
Harrison couldn’t help but smile at the man.
He motioned Harrison over. “Look, either you love her, or you don’t. It’s that simple. If you do, what are you waiting for?”
If only it were that simple. He loved her, he knew that. But how would she react to hearing it? He could have sworn she felt something when they kissed. How could she not have? The chemistry between them sizzled. And the time they spent together…he’d thought it meant something.
But these last couple of days she’d been acting funny. And with her new rules, he was more confused than ever. What should he do?
He stared down at the rings. “Could I see the one on the left?”
Penny glanced over at Harrison for the tenth time that evening. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t weasel it out of him. After shopping at the mall he seemed more preoccupied than usual. He kept tugging on his shirt collar like it was choking him. No one else seemed to notice as the family sat around the living room enjoying another round of Harrison’s eggnog.
Her father set his glass down on the end table. “So how long are you two going to wait to give me a grandson?”
Penny nearly spat out a mouthful of eggnog. “Daddy!”
Harrison suddenly had something caught in his throat and had to leave the room.
Kimmy whacked their father. “You embarrassed him.”
Her father laughed. “It’s a legitimate question.”
A question for which Penny had no answer. Well, the truth was they’d never give him a grandson, but she couldn’t say that. She just shifted uncomfortably until Harrison came back and sat next to her on the loveseat.
“So what’s your favorite Christmas memory?” Harrison looked around the room.
Penny’s warm cheeks grew even hotter. He was trying to change the subject. Save her some embarrassment, but he didn’t realize the can of worms he was opening.
Her father grinned, and she knew what was coming. “It would have to be the time Penny fell asleep at the Christmas play.”
The whole family busted up laughing, and Harrison’s eyebrows knit together. “Why is that funny?”
Her father leaned forward. “Because she was in the play.”
Clay joined in. “She was a shepherd. She almost fell off the stage!”
“You were too little to even remember it.” Kimmy frowned.
“That doesn’t make it any less funny.” Clay went back to playing with his phone.
Harrison cleared his throat. “Well, I was thinking more along the lines—”
“Have you heard about the blind date incident?” Her father wasn’t going to stop. Penny sank into the chair.
Harrison shook his head.
“Penny spent all day getting ready for a blind date. When the doorbell rang, she greeted the man, and even though he was older than she’d thought he’d be, she politely took his arm and started to lead him down to his car. Turned out, he was a door-to-door salesman trying to ped
dle household cleaner.”
Penny covered her face with her hands as everyone laughed. Yep. Penny’s big mess-ups. Her family’s favorite pastime was reliving all the embarrassing things she’d ever done. At least they didn’t know the biggest one yet. She waited through a couple more stories before she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Excuse me,” she said, and headed to the bathroom.
Her vision blurred as she tried to get a hold of her emotions. So what if she was the family screw-up. Who cared if Harrison was going to hear all about her stupid mistakes? She’d already told him plenty on her own.
She splashed water on her face and patted it dry with the hand towel. It was dumb to hide out in the bathroom. She took a deep breath and opened the door. As she walked down the hall, Harrison’s voice carried.
“You know these stories hurt her, right?”
She froze.
Harrison continued. “Penny is a bright, compassionate woman with many strengths.”
Penny’s heart expanded and she took a step back.
Her father spoke. “She knows we’re just kidding around.”
“I know you don’t mean anything by it,” Harrison said. “But you have no idea the lengths she’s gone through over the last two weeks to prove to you guys she’s not just a screw-up. Bringing up all her past mistakes is only going to make her feel terrible.”
“William’s right,” her mother said. “We could be hurting Penny’s feelings.”
Penny blinked back more tears. No one had ever defended her like that before. Harrison might possibly be the most considerate man she’d ever met. Most of the time her dates would join right in, laughing along with everyone else.
She waited in the shadow of the hallway until the conversation changed to talk about Christmas Eve. As she walked toward the living room, Harrison rounded the corner and she ran into the solid wall of his chest. “Oh!”
He grabbed her arms. “Sorry. I was coming to check on you. Are you okay?”
Her hands splayed on his chest, and the smell of his laundry detergent mixed with his own scent made her dizzy. She nodded. “I’m fine.”
His heart beat under her fingers and she couldn’t breathe. He gazed down at her and time slowed.
“Hey, look!” Kimmy’s voice broke the trance she was in and she jumped back from Harrison. Kimmy grinned at them. “You guys are under the mistletoe.”
Penny looked up, and sure enough, someone had hung a sprig of mistletoe in the hallway.
Kimmy winked at her. “Guess there’s only one thing for you to do.”
Harrison’s eyes widened as if he’d rather kiss a bull. Penny’s heart stopped for a moment and she sent her sister a silent plea. Kimmy put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Come on, William. Kiss her.”
Harrison leaned over and gave her a tiny peck on the cheek.
Kimmy snorted. “That’s not a kiss. Give her a real one.”
The apology in Harrison’s eyes was evident, even as he took his finger and lifted her chin. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as his lips came closer.
“Sorry,” He whispered, his breath tickling her skin.
“It’s okay,” she whispered back, breathless.
His lips captured hers. The kiss started slow and soft, but she soon found herself on her tiptoes to get closer. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him. She’d been wrong to demand he back off. This kiss was like nothing she’d ever experienced before, and her nerve endings became aware of every sensation. She entwined her fingers in his hair.
She suddenly never wanted to stop kissing him. But she knew if she didn’t stop soon, it would become awkward with Kimmy standing there gawking at them. She pulled back. Harrison stared at her, his eyes holding a silent question.
Kimmy fanned her face. “Wow, you two know how to kiss.”
Her mother came around the corner. “What are you guys doing in the hallway?”
Kimmy pointed up, and her mother grinned. “Ah, so that’s where you hung it. Don’t let me interrupt the fun. I’m just heading to bed.”
“Me too.” Kimmy followed their mother, giving Penny a wide grin before turning the corner. They were alone again.
“Penny, I—”
“No, let me.” Penny took a breath. If she didn’t get it out now, she’d never have the nerve to say it. “I’m sorry I said those things the other night. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
He squinted his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure what she meant, so she pressed forward. “I didn’t mean for you to be afraid to get near me.” She forced a laugh. “I mean, we are supposed to be in love.”
He nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“It would be ridiculous for us to…” She looked down at her hands now gripping his biceps. “Not even touch.”
He stood silent for a moment, studying her, his arms still around her. “Of course.”
She made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Even in the dim hallway, the icy blue depths drew her in, and made her knees go weak. She turned away. “We’d better go upstairs.”
“Yes. It’s late.” He stepped back and she instantly missed the feel of his arms around her.
Chapter 22
Harrison patted his pocket for the umpteenth time that day making sure the ring box was still there, and hadn’t burned a hole in his trousers. Why was he doing this to himself? For heaven’s sake, he met Penny a couple of weeks ago. There’s no way she would agree to stay married to him. They barely knew each other. This was insane.
“Would you like more ham?” Marci looked at him expectantly. “You haven’t eaten much.”
Harrison shook his head. “No, thank you. It was delicious, but I can’t take another bite.” That was an understatement. His stomach churned and he regretted all the other bites he’d forced down throughout the day.
They’d gotten family photos taken that morning. Turned out the photographer was a family friend who had a studio set up in his basement. He took photos of the entire family, then singled out Harrison and Penny for a few newlywed photos. Harrison was sure they would have turned out better had he not been fretting the entire time.
Today was Christmas Eve. Just one more day, and they’d be back in California with Patrice. He’d have to confess to Penny he had his trust fund, and it was depleted. He ran his hand over the lump in his pocket, unsure of what to do.
Everyone stood to clean the table. Harrison picked up several glasses and took them to the dishwasher. Marci laid a hand on his. “Thank you, William. You’re so considerate.” Her eyes misted over. “We’re lucky to have you as a part of this family. Thank you for making my daughter happy.”
A pain stabbed at his chest. He hadn’t expected to feel this guilty deceiving Penny’s family. They didn’t even know his real name. “That’s kind of you to say.”
Marci finished filling the dishwasher and everyone congregated in the living room. Harrison wasn’t sure if he should put his arm around Penny or not. He finally settled on resting it on the back of the loveseat.
“It’s our tradition to open family gifts on Christmas Eve. Then Santa comes while we sleep.” The way Marci beamed made Harrison smile. “Clay, will you pass out the gifts?”
There weren’t an extraordinary number of presents under the tree, and the wrapping paper didn’t look expensive, but for some reason Harrison felt an anticipation he hadn’t felt in years. Maybe it was the joy on everyone’s faces as they chatted and passed around the goodies he and Penny had made. Or perhaps it was the family atmosphere.
They took turns opening gifts―small inexpensive items, but everyone expressed their warm thanks, and the tone was so different from what he was used to. When it was Harrison’s turn to open his gift from Penny, he was surprised to find an herb garden kit. He’d always wanted to try growing his own herbs, but had never told anyone. He turned to Penny. “How did you know?”
She laughed and poked him in the side. “All foodies want to grow their own herbs.”
“Thank you.” The thoughtfulness
of the gift touched him, and he leaned over and gave her a kiss before he could think about it. Surprise showed on her face for a quick second before she masked it.
A knock sounded on the door and Marci stood. When she opened the door, Kimmy sucked in a breath. Her boyfriend stood on the steps.
“Good evening, ma’am. I’m Rob Curtis and I’ve been dating your daughter.”
Kimmy ran to the door. “What are you doing?”
Arthur got up from his chair. “What’s going on?”
Marci put her hand to her heart and backed away from the door. Kimmy shut the front door in Rob’s face, turned and pressed her back against it. She stretched out her arms, as if that would block everyone from what had just happened.
“Kimmy?” Arthur’s voice boomed. “What is the meaning of this? Surely you’re not dating that hooligan.”
“Arthur!” Marci scolded.
Visible guilt dripped from Kimmy like oil. Her gaze bounced all around the room. “Um…”
Another knock came from the door.
“Well don’t make him stand outside in the snow.” Clay crossed the room and shoved Kimmy out of the way. He opened the door. “Come on in.”
Rob hesitantly stepped inside. He ran his hand over his shaved head. “I’m sorry to interrupt your evening. I just have one thing that needs to be said, and then I’ll leave.”
Kimmy stood silent.
Rob pressed on, turning toward Arthur. “I love your daughter. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve spent the last ten years making them right. I might not ever be good enough for Kim, but if she’ll have me, I’ve come to ask her hand in marriage.”
He swiveled to Kimmy, sank to one knee and pulled out a ring from his leather jacket. Kimmy’s eyes grew until Harrison worried they’d pop out of her head.
“Will you marry me?”
She threw her arms around his neck. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
The room erupted in commotion, everyone talking at once. Marci shouted at Arthur, and Arthur looked like he was going to blow a gasket, while Clay seemed to be enjoying the show. Penny’s face drained of color.
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 46
