Sweet Christmas Kisses (76 page)

I’m what? Going back to my cracker box condo and my clinging dog? Showing up at the hospital next week and acting as though nothing ever happened?

A deep sadness fell upon her shoulders like a heavy blanket of gloom. Everything she’d just pointed out about her brief relationship with Rock was true. Their closeness was idyllic while it lasted, but it wasn’t real.

Zelda didn’t seem to think so. She looked gravely disappointed as she said, “But my dear, he told you that he loved you. What more do you need? If you’re looking for my permission, I would be honored to have you as my daughter-in-law.”

“Falling in love in just four days?” Kim shook her head. “He simply got swept into the moment. We both did...”

Emotions welling inside her signaled to Kim that she needed to leave. It made no sense to dwell on “what might have been” any longer, even if Zelda did just give her wholehearted blessing.

She slipped into the satiny sleeves of her silvery pink coat and snatched her purse off the floor. “I’d better be on my way.” She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out her cell phone, checking the time. “I’m meeting a friend for dinner, but if I don’t get going, I’m going to be late.” Kim held out her hand. “I’m glad you’re back to normal and ready to be discharged. Have a safe trip to Vail. Merry Christmas, Zelda.”

Zelda clasped Kim’s hands tightly as her eyes glistened. “A very merry Christmas to you, too, my dear.”

Kim gently pulled away and walked to the door.

“Just one more thing,” Zelda called out in an urgent tone.

Kim stopped and, with a silent sigh, looked past her shoulder.

“I deeply apologize for startling you last night by making certain information public about past issues with your family, and especially your father. I had no idea that you weren’t aware of his identity.”

“That’s all right,” Kim replied softly. “I realize that you didn’t mean to hurt me. As you said, you were simply trying to protect your son.”

“Do you want the information my investigator gathered? I can have it delivered to you by tomorrow.”

Kim thought for a moment then turned toward her. “Thank you for your concern, Zelda, but I believe I need more time. I’ve spent my entire life wondering who he was, whether I resembled him at all and wishing I could meet him. You’d think I would consider it a dream come true to finally get the opportunity to contact him, but it was such a shock when you revealed the information, I wasn’t prepared. I need more time to decide on my next step and if I do obtain the investigator’s report, to prepare myself for possible rejection. After all, even if I choose to contact him, there’s no guarantee he’ll acknowledge me much less accept me with open arms. I’ve been around for thirty-four years. At any time he could have contacted me, but he never did.”

Zelda nodded. “I understand. However, if you change your mind, you only need to ask and the information is yours. You only live once. Please don’t give up on him.
Or my son
.”

Kim said goodbye and left.

As she rode the elevator down to the parking garage, Kim wondered if she’d ever meet the right man—a man she could trust. A man she could love without reservation.

“Well, I’m not going to sit around and wait for Prince Charming to fall out of the sky,” she said to herself, her voice echoing in the empty elevator car. “I’m going to do what Kate Middleton did when her prince left her high and dry. Going to dig out my address book and start partying!”

Wednesday, late morning, December 23

Kim sat curled up on the sofa with a mug of eggnog-flavored coffee and her first new year’s resolution, a brand new day planner that she intended to fill with activities.

Sasha lay quietly by her side, watching her.

“The first thing I’m going to do is join a fitness club,” she said to Sasha and penciled in a note to ask her friend, Candy, in 303E for referrals. Then she made an additional note to ask Candy to lunch. “That’s a great place to meet people, especially healthy ones.” She picked up her reindeer mug and stared at the empty spot where the tree used to sit. “No way am I hanging out with any guys who drink, smoke and watch reruns of Duck Dynasty. I want a guy who’s sophisticated, successful, likes to travel and understands the art of romance...”

Rock’s face suddenly flashed through her mind and her heart took a nosedive off the pier of heartbreak bay.

She cleared her throat. “Okay, back to the task at hand.” Setting down her coffee, she bent over her book.

“January 1st, shopping for new clothes,” she announced as she began to pencil in her resolutions. “January 2nd, go on a diet to get into those new clothes. January 3rd, join a fitness club to get a great-looking shape and meet new friends so I have new places to wear said clothes.” She tapped Sasha on the nose with the eraser end of the pencil. “Absolutely no blind dates. Candy is always trying to set me up, but I need to meet the guy first.” She stared into the fire. “Hmmm...maybe I should grow my hair long—”

Her cell phone rang. Kim picked it up and saw Rock’s name in the display. Her heart rate jumped into overdrive as she stared at the letters. Her first impulse was to let it ring, but her hand acted of its own accord and pressed the green button.

“Hello...”

“Merry Christmas, Kim,” Rock’s deep voice said in a cheerful tone. “Are you busy right now?”

Yes, I’m busy planning you out of my life...

“I’m in the middle of something. Why?”

“I’m leaving for Vail in a couple hours and I thought you’d like to have your Christmas tree back for the holidays. I won’t be back in town until Sunday night.”

She still had his elevator card so she could slip into his place and take it down by herself after he’d left, but he probably didn’t want her coming into his residence without him there.

That’s why he’s asking you to come and get it now, ditz-brain...

Though she thought it best not to see him again, she knew it would take several hours to dismantle the tree and pack up all of the ornaments, not to mention the rest of the holiday decorations she’d used to decorate his place, minus the crystal candy dish that Diona made the object of her tantrum, of course.

She sighed. “I suppose I could drop what I’m doing and come up to your place. I need to give you back the rings, anyway.”

“Great,” he said sounding a little too happy for her liking. Perhaps he was relieved to cleanse his life of all reminders of her and everything that had happened. “See you in five.”

“Ten,” she corrected. “I have to get dressed.”

He hesitated for a moment. “Ten it is. See you then.”

Kim tossed the phone on the sofa and took off for the bedroom with Sasha following on her heels. She had less than ten minutes to dress, fix her hair and put on her cosmetics. Eight minutes later, she picked up her phone and headed for the door, wearing red jeans and a white turtleneck sweater. In record time, she’d moussed her hair, applied moisturizer and makeup and adorned her ears with Christmas bells.

“You be a good girl now,” she said to Sasha as she finished her preparations with a shot of perfume on her way out the door. “No, you have to stay here, but I’m coming back in a little while with the Christmas tree. We’re going to make some hot chocolate and have a decorating party!”

She didn’t take the time to think about what she was doing until she’d stepped into Rock’s private elevator, slipped the key card in the slot and watched the doors silently close on her. The mirrors lining the car made it impossible not to notice her appearance—and make a few adjustments.

Why am I so worried about how I look? I’m just going up there to get the darn tree! No chit chat, no dinging around, just throw the stuff in boxes and get the heck out of Dodge.

Suddenly the doors whispered open. Willie Nelson’s “Frosty the Snowman” echoed through the foyer as Rock stood in the entryway holding two tankards of steaming liquid, wearing that same silly Santa hat that he’d worn the night he asked her to be his make-believe wife. He wore a pair of snug-fitting jeans and a collared red sweater that zippered up the front, left open at the neck.

“Merry Christmas, darling.” He held out a tankard. “Have some hot cider. I’m celebrating. Mother is in Vail by now at my brother’s house so I have a few hours of blessed peace before I have to join them. The best part is that she’s on his case now about getting married instead of mine.”

Kim warily accepted the mug. “Look, I’m just here to take down the tree. I-I don’t have time to party. I have to get back to Sasha. She’s all alone at my place.”

Rock smiled handsomely as he gazed into her eyes. “No problem. I’ll help you with it. Cheers.” He held up his tankard as he entwined his free hand around hers. “I’ll walk you to the living room.”

Her stomach fluttered at his touch, but she kept her cool, doing her best to keep her nervousness at bay as they walked along the hallway, sipping their cider. When they reached the living room, Kim found a fire glowing in the hearth, the flames reflecting off the ornaments on the tree like tiny scarlet and gold lights. Rock pulled off his Santa hat and tossed it under the tree. Then he took her tankard and set it on the coffee table, along with his, and pulled her close.

“Rock, I can’t—”

Before she could finish he surrounded her with his arms, his mouth covering hers with a deep, passionate kiss. Her palms pressed against his chest at first, but the gentle strength of his embrace melded her to his body. His heartbeat pounded under her fingertips, rivaling the thundering speed of her own. She took in the scent of his spicy cologne and her resolve began to melt.

Okay, just one kiss—to say goodbye...

The rich, soothing voice of Karen Carpenter suddenly filled the room as she sang, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

“I can’t have a merry Christmas without you,” Rock murmured into her ear and began to slow dance with her around the living room. “I need you Kim. The last two nights have been miserable without you.”

“This is a bad idea,” Kim said in a shaking voice as her chin rested against his arm. “I knew I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Yeah, but I’m very glad you did,” he confessed. “This place hasn’t been the same since you left.”

“Looks the same to me,” Kim said as she leaned into his arms, moving in perfect time to the music.

“It’s too quiet and empty here without you. I’m empty without you.”

She pulled away as a familiar panic welled inside her. “I—I should go.”

Instead of grasping her hands in his, he released her. “If you want to leave, I’ll understand. My housekeeper can dismantle the tree and bring it down to you when she comes back to work next week, but I’m asking you to please...stay. You belong here with me,” he said in a husky voice. “I’m in love with you, Kim and that’s all there is to it.”

She looked up at him. “Do you realize what you’re saying? You’ve only known me as a friend for five days.”

He smiled and squeezed her fingers. “Six, but who’s counting. I’ve come to know more about you in the time we’ve been together than I learned about Diona in ten months.”

Kim laughed wryly. “Except that you’ve never had sex with me.”

“You’re right,” he said seriously, his dark-eyed gaze pinning hers. “This is the first time in my life I’ve ever fallen in love with the person first, instead of her body and you know what—I’ve come to realize that’s why all of my relationships eventually fizzle out. At the end of the day, there needs to be more.”

She shook her head. “Rock, this is crazy. What guarantee do I have that things will work out between us?”

He gently cupped her face in his hands. “You don’t. That’s life; but you’ll never have a shot at happiness if you’re not willing at least to try. Listen,” he said in earnest. “I know what’s driving your fear. You’re worried I’m going to leave you and break your heart, but love is a two-way street. What’s to prevent you from breaking mine?”

“Rock, I would never do that.”

“Well, neither would I. When Diona betrayed me, I didn’t know if I could ever trust another woman again, but I should never have trusted her in the first place.” He lifted her ring hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. “You’re different and you’ve made me realize what I’ve been missing all along.” He slid his arms around her again and looked deeply into her eyes. “Give me a chance, Kim. That’s all I’m asking.”

Her solitaire sparkled in the firelight.

“What about the rings?” She removed the jewelry and dropped it in his hand. “It’s a beautiful set, but you probably should return it now that we don’t need it any longer.”

Rock went down on one knee. “Kim, will you marry me? Not today, not tomorrow, but when the time is right. You decide. There’s no hurry. Until then, we’ll take it one day at a time.”

Tears began to pool in her eyes. “Rock, I can’t believe you’re—”

He smiled and brushed a tear from her cheek. “Hey, I’ll even throw in my Artisan mixer. What do you say?”

All she could do was laugh with happiness as she wiped her eyes.

He disconnected the set and slipped the engagement ring back on her finger then stood up again and guided her to the sofa. They sat quietly together in front of the fire, listening to Bing Crosby sing “White Christmas.”

Rock slid his arm around her and pulled her close. “How would you like to spend Christmas with my family in Vail? You and The Sausage could fly up there with me this evening.”

Kim frowned. “Isn’t this a tad late to be trying to get a plane ticket?”

Rock laughed aloud. “Baby, the way we’re going, you don’t need a ticket. I’ve chartered a private jet. When we arrive in Vail, a limousine will meet us at the airport to take us to my brother, Patrick’s place. He’s got one of those big chalets built into the side of a mountain.”

“I’d love to.”

“We’ll make it a surprise. Mother will be overjoyed to see you. And Patrick,” Rock added with a wry smile, “will be relieved that her attention has shifted to someone else.”

Wow, Kim thought in amazement and remembered what Zelda said about wanting her as a daughter-in-law. It all happened so fast—engaged to Rock, accepted into his family.