Yours for Christmas Read online

  “You’d go with me?”

  “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

  He was being nice. Nice was much more dangerous than handsome, she thought. Nice was real. Nice could make her want more than a crush.

  Not possible, she told herself firmly. For all she knew, she was Kenny’s good deed for the season. She had to remember that she was a not the kind of woman a famous former jock, who was also wealthy and successful in his business life, would be interested in. He probably dated supermodels or actresses. Or both.

  “Should I warn you that seven-year-old girls generally adore all things princess?” she asked teasingly as they walked toward the front door.

  “I would expect no less.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  WITH TARYN OUT of town for a month, the responsibility of running the offices of Score fell to Kenny. He didn’t mind picking up the slack. While the day-to-day minutia wasn’t his favorite, he could handle it on a short-term basis. Sam’s department took care of the cash flow and payroll and the vacations were already scheduled so Kenny figured he was in for an easy time.

  He looked over the master calendar for their clients. There weren’t any big presentations due in December and all the advertising had already been scheduled. The company would be closed from the Wednesday before Thanksgiving until the Sunday after, then for couple of weekdays before Christmas and New Year’s. Easy duty, he thought, clicking on the partners’ private calendar.

  He saw Taryn was out for her honeymoon with Angel. She would miss Thanksgiving but be back before Christmas. Jack and Larissa were heading to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving, to be with Larissa’s family. He frowned as he realized Sam would also be out of town in late November. He and Dellina were going to Lake Tahoe with Dellina’s two sisters and their husbands. Which left Kenny on his own for the holiday.

  He leaned back in his chair. His own family was mostly back east. His mom worked for the State Department and was in D.C. His sisters were in New York. He could easily go to either place and be welcome, but wasn’t enthused about the idea. For Christmas they were all flying to Bali. Exotic locations were a family tradition. But for once, he was saying no. He wanted to stick around Fool’s Gold. See the snow and the festivals. Plus he had his responsibilities with the toy drive.

  His cell phone rang and he glanced at the screen. Speaking of responsibilities, he thought as Bailey’s name came up.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi. It’s Bailey. The collection bins have been delivered. I’ve confirmed all the supplies we’re going to need and wondered if you wouldn’t mind picking them up.”

  “Not at all. Where are the bins?”

  “The convention center. They have some space that isn’t being used, so I parked them there. It will be easy access for our decorating and plenty of parking. We’re at the north entrance. There are signs.” She also told him where to pick up the supplies for sprucing the bins.

  “I’m writing it down,” he told her as he typed the information into his calendar. “We’re delivering the decorated containers the Friday after Thanksgiving?”

  “That’s the plan. Oh, are you around? I didn’t think to ask if you’d be traveling.”

  “I’m not.”

  There was a pause, as if she were thinking. “Okay. Great. Because I thought you might be with family. Or, you know, a girlfriend.”

  He leaned back in his chair and grinned. A not very subtle attempt to extract information. “There’s no girlfriend. And I’m staying in town for the holiday.”

  “Good,” she said. The single word was followed by a quick intake of air. As if she was concerned he would think the “good” referred to his single state.

  “I, ah, meant I appreciate your help. With the bins and all. I don’t think I could have fit them in my car or carried them into the different stores. And with Sam and Jack both out of town, I’m not sure who I would have asked....” She paused again. “Kenny, all your friends are going to be gone. Where are you having Thanksgiving dinner?”

  The previous topic had been a whole lot more interesting to him. Was it possible he made Bailey nervous? Better and better, he thought, before turning to her question.

  “I don’t have any plans.”

  “You can’t be alone,” she told him. “You’re welcome to join Chloe and me. We’re planning to go to the parade and then have a pretty traditional dinner. Nothing fancy.”

  He wasn’t interested in fancy. It was highly overrated. He thought about the beautiful redhead and her adorable daughter and realized the invitation was something he could put on his list to be thankful for.

  “I’d like that a lot,” he told her.

  “Really? I mean good. The parade is at noon. We’ll be walking over about eleven-thirty, if you want to join us. Or after.”

  He smiled. “I’ll be there at eleven-thirty. I’ll bring pie.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I want to. I’m looking forward to the day.”

  “Me, too.”

  * * *

  THE FOOL’S GOLD convention center was an older building that lacked much in the way of architectural detail. But it served its purpose and right now that was way more important to Bailey than anything in the way of visual interest.

  She had eight Sprouts, eight collection bins, plenty in the way of paint, markers, glitter and glue, and milling adults to corral.

  The bins themselves were round, about four feet tall and wide enough to take a tricycle. The outsides were a stiff cardboard. Clean but not very holiday-like. That was going to change.

  “Big crowd,” Kenny said as he walked up to her. “I thought we’d get a few parents, but that was it. There have to be at least thirty people here.”

  “I put the word out,” she said, trying to appear both pleasant and casual without giving away how her body had gone into hyperalert. He was so tall, she thought dreamily. So handsome. So nice.

  The latter was the most dangerous. Because while his physical appeal was exciting, that kind of a crush wouldn’t last. If he’d been a jerk or arrogant or the least bit annoying, she could have dismissed his blue eyes or easy smile. But the niceness was the real problem. The more she got to know Kenny, the more she liked him. He’d been incredibly helpful during the inspection and now he was here to help the Sprouts with their bins. If the man rescued a kitten from a tree, she was going to be a goner.

  “People just showed up?” he asked.

  “You sound surprised. You’re here.”

  He gave her that slow smile of his. “I had no choice. Mayor Marsha terrifies me.”

  “I doubt that.” She glanced at her watch. “Time to get serious. You want to take charge or should I?”

  The smile widened. “I like a woman in charge. Go for it.”

  Bailey told herself not to read too much into his teasing comment as she walked to the front of the large conference room she’d chosen for the decorating.

  “Good morning,” she said loudly.

  The conversation stilled as everyone turned toward her.

  “Thanks so much for coming. Our goal this morning is to decorate our collection bins for the toy drive. There’s one bin for each Sprout. We’d like the bins to reflect the individual Sprout’s personality and family traditions for the holidays.”

  She went on to explain about the supplies and then broke everyone into groups. There was a mad rush for paint, glue and glitter. Gideon, a local late night DJ, strolled in with a portable music system.

  “Mind if I set up?” he asked.

  “I’d love it,” she told him.

  Kenny walked up to her. “So what am I supposed to do?” he asked. “I don’t know anything about decorating a collection bin.”

  “It’s okay. We’re just here to supervise. Make sure no one goes wild with the glue sticks. Or you can help Chloe.”

  She pointed to the small group around her daughter. Madeline, who worked at the town’s bridal boutique, had offered to be Chloe’s substitute mom for the day. Baile
y had been concerned that if she was supposed to be running the event, she wouldn’t be able to help Chloe very much. She’d gratefully accepted the offer of help.

  Kenny looked around the large open space, then nodded toward Chloe. “I’ll be over there.”

  “Hiding out?” she asked, her voice teasing.

  “You know it.”

  She watched him go. He was a good guy, she thought wistfully. Before she could allow her thoughts to drift to more places they shouldn’t, music filled the room. Gideon had brought a collection of upbeat holiday carols that soon had everyone singing while they worked.

  Bailey walked to each of the Sprouts. Allison and her family and friends had come prepared with beautiful printouts of Russian nesting dolls.

  “We’re going to decorate the background, then glue on the pictures of the dolls,” Allison told her. “We’ll put clear varnish over the top.”

  “I like it,” Bailey said.

  She noticed Allison’s mom had on a pretty beaded bracelet. For a second she thought it was an adult version of the bracelets the Sprouts wore—one with beads they earned for various projects.

  Allison’s mom saw her studying the piece and held out her wrist. “Isn’t it wonderful? The beads represent all the colors of cancer awareness.” She smiled at her husband. “It was a gift for my birthday.”

  The man in question smiled back. “You’d been hinting you wanted it for weeks. Don’t give me too much credit.”

  They laughed together.

  Bailey nodded and moved to the next group. But before she got there, she glanced back at the couple who had paused for a quick hug.

  Their intimacy, their obvious love for each other, gave her a funny feeling in her stomach. Longing, she decided. She wanted what they had. She wanted to fall in love and stay in love for the rest of her life.

  If any of her friends knew that was what she secretly longed for, they would be surprised. After all, she’d been married. Happily—or so it had appeared on the outside. But not in her heart, she thought. Will had been a terrific guy...just not for her.

  Theirs hadn’t been a bad marriage. Just not special. Maybe they’d married too young. Maybe they’d grown apart because of his frequent deployments. There could be a thousand reasons. Her only hope was that he’d never figured out that she wasn’t happy.

  * * *

  THANKSGIVING MORNING DAWNED clear and cold. Bailey was up early—in part to prepare the turkey and stuffing, but mostly because she couldn’t sleep.

  She was going to spend the entire day with Kenny. The realization made her feel like she was sixteen again and had a mad crush on... She stopped applying her mascara so she could laugh without poking herself in the eye. Because the cliché that had come to mind was a mad crush on the football captain. And she would bet that Kenny had been just that. He was the kind of guy who would take charge of the team and lead them to the championship.

  Not that she would have been there to see it, she reminded herself as she leaned into the mirror and continued applying her makeup. She would have been working as many hours as she could manage. There hadn’t been time for things like football games.

  It wasn’t going to be like that for Chloe, she told herself. Chloe was growing up in a community where she connected with people. Bailey wanted her daughter to feel safe and strong. Like she could do anything.

  Bailey’s grandmother had been willing to take in her only granddaughter when her own daughter had skipped town. The older woman had been loving but firm. The message was clear. Bailey was expected to take care of herself starting the day she turned eighteen. To that end, Bailey had put aside her dreams of a college education and had instead focused on after-school jobs and learned to be an adult as early as possible. It wasn’t until years later that she’d saved enough to go to community college.

  She supposed the lessons had served her well. While she’d had to adjust when Will died, she’d known that even if she didn’t always feel capable, she had the skill set to survive.

  She put away her makeup and tidied the small bathroom. It was the only one in the apartment and they were going to have company. She paused to take in the pink-and-gold plastic shower curtain, the princess-printed towels Chloe loved and the turkey-shaped liquid soap dispenser on the small vanity. Probably not anything a man like Kenny was used to.

  She walked into her bedroom and dressed. While the thought of getting all fancy and sexy for their visitor was fun, it simply wasn’t going to happen. For one thing, she wasn’t the sexy type. For another, she didn’t actually own anything that fit that category. She was a single mom who worked for the mayor. Her clothes were either casual or for business. There wasn’t room for much else in her life. She didn’t date, so there was no LBD in the back of her closet.

  She did have on a nice pair of dark wash jeans and a deep brown sweater with flecks of gold and green in the weave. The cotton blend was just thick enough to be warm but not so heavy as to add bulk. She thought maybe the colors were good for her complexion and brought out the green in her eyes. Of course while she was cooking she would be wearing an apron with a turkey on it. Not exactly a pattern designed to bring a man to his knees.

  Bailey stepped in front of her dresser and started to take out the hot rollers. She was determined to have pretty waves in her hair. It was the best she could do. Not that Kenny would notice anything more than the fact that they were friends and he liked her kid. She was clear on that. Any crushes went strictly one way. But that was fine because her giddiness was enough for two.

  The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Chloe got up and ate her breakfast while Bailey got the stuffing together. The scent of sautéing onions and celery filled the small kitchen. The turkey was already out of the refrigerator and in the roasting pan.

  She’d made the sweet potato casserole the night before. It only had to be reheated, which would happen after the turkey had come out of the oven and was resting. The potatoes were peeled and sitting in water. She’d prepared the broccoli for the steamer. All that was left was for her to make her famous cheese biscuits and she would do that after the parade. They only took twenty minutes, which meant they would share space with the sweet potato casserole.

  She would make gravy while Kenny carved and, with luck, they would sit down to a perfect dinner. Or just a good one, she thought happily. Because perfect was seriously overrated.

  She’d already set the table, as well. The centerpiece was a sterling silver bowl with a candle in it. While they weren’t going to decorate for Christmas until after the move, she’d put her favorite gingerbread-men cookie jar on the old sideboard she’d picked up at a garage sale when they’d first moved to town.

  “I don’t remember the parade from last year,” Chloe told her as she carried her cereal bowl to the sink.

  “We went.”

  Although they hadn’t stayed long. Chloe had said she wasn’t feeling well and Bailey had brought her home. She’d known that what was bothering her daughter had little to do with a virus and everything to do with the loss of her father.

  Chloe had come a long way, Bailey thought gratefully. She would always miss her dad, but she’d remembered how to be happy again. She had friends, she loved school and she was thriving. No mother could ask for more.

  “I’m really excited to see it again,” Chloe told her. “We’re going to meet up with my friends, right? I told you where that was?”

  Bailey smiled. “Yes, you did. About fourteen times. I know the exact corner where we’re all watching the parade.”

  Because the Sprouts were going to view the festivities together. Bailey had a feeling there were going to be several speculative glances when the other mothers caught sight of Kenny.

  Their guest arrived right on time. Bailey did her best to quell the butterflies practicing a two-step in her tummy. She drew in a breath for strength and maybe courage while Chloe raced across the carpet, yelling, “I’ll get it! I’ll get it!”

  Her seven-year-old flung
open the front door and beamed at Kenny. “You came! We’re going to the parade and the turkey’s in the oven and it’s going to be delicious. You get to carve, which means you’re going to make the slices for us.”

  Kenny stepped into the living room. He was tall and broad and the living room seemed smaller than usual with him in it. Bailey had the sense of being all thumbs and feet as she tried to smile and greet him.

  “Right on time,” she said with a smile.

  “I heard there’s a parade.”

  “At noon,” Chloe said.

  He wore a leather jacket and a scarf around his neck. In one hand he had a bottle of white wine and in the other, the promised pie. Only she didn’t recognize the color of the box. She’d assumed he would go to Ambrosia Bakery, but their boxes were white with silver stripes.

  He held up the wine. “This should go in the refrigerator.”

  “Sure.” She motioned to the kitchen.

  He walked in that direction and she followed. Once there she took the wine from him and fit it into her small refrigerator. He set the pie on the counter.

  “Where did you get that?” she asked. “Is there somewhere new in town?”

  He raised both eyebrows. “I’m wounded. You’re assuming I bought it.”

  He shrugged out of his coat as he spoke. Underneath he wore a blue sweater the same color as his eyes. A white shirt peeked out from underneath. He had on jeans and boots. He was big and masculine and being this close to him made her thighs a little trembly.

  She forced her attention back to his words. “You baked a pie?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Not possible.”

  “It is. I’ll have you know I’m an expert pie-maker.”

  Kenny? Ruggedly handsome, football star Kenny? “When did you learn?”

  “When I was a kid. We were in Sweden and had a housekeeper who made the best pies. Her crust was a family recipe.” He shrugged. “I was her favorite and for my ninth birthday she taught me how to make it. Once you have that down, the rest of the pie is easy.”

  Chloe scooted close to him and grinned. “I can earn a cooking bead when I’m a Sapling. Can you teach me?”