A Promise For Christmas (Historical Holiday Romance)

by Lynn Landes

  “See what?” Sebastian calls as he walks in.

  Aiylin pops up behind a box, “Found it!” she shouts, startling him.

  Sebastian shouts and clutches his heart dramatically.

  Tinley laughs, pointing at him, “Daddy! You look funny!”

  Aiylin covers her mouth and ducks back down, so they don’t see her laugh. Her musical laughter has him popping over the boxes to look down at her. She’s wiping tears away and struggling to contain herself.

  “That was unexpected,” he says with a grin. “Do you need help?”

  “Yes, please,” she replies.

  Sebastian ducks around and her heart pounds when he backs her up to the boxes. “This feels familiar,” he teases. His dark eyes grow dark as her mouth parts in surprise.

  “Do you see it, Sebastian?” his Mother calls.

  “Yes,” he says, and she points to the box on the ground.

  “That one.”

  “Are you sure it isn’t this one?” he points to the stacks behind her stepping closer to her.

  Her eyes drop to his mouth, and her smile fades. “Perhaps,” she murmurs.

  Tinley chooses that moment to pop around the corner and startle them both. She giggles and points at them. “Gotcha!”

  “Tinley Becker!” Sebastian shouts clutching his heart.

  “You should know better than to scare an old man, Tinley!” Aiylin laughs ducking around him.

  “But it’s so easy,” Tinley giggles and runs from her father. Aiylin’s laughter has his eyes narrowing.

  “I would think that you would know better than to encourage such naughtiness,” Sebastian snaps.

  “It’s one of my faults,” Aiylin reaches up and touches his face gently. “I’m sorry, do you need a nap to refresh you?” He grips her waist and pulls her against his body, enjoying the gasp that escapes.

  “Don’t tease me, Aiylin. I fear I could become addicted to the taste and feel of you,” he whispers against her mouth before turning to grab the box and marching away.

  “Daddy, are you very old?” Tinley asks when she sees him.

  “Of course not! I’m only thirty-one,” he says and glares at his mother who is laughing.

  “He’s still a baby, Tinley,” Elizabeth quips and pulls open the box to reach inside for the treasure.

  Tinley grabs Aiylin’s hand and pulls her from behind the boxes. “Are you thirty, Aiylin?”

  “Absolutely not,” she frowns in feigned horror. “I’m twenty-two.”

  “Do you have a husband?” Tinley asks.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Why not?” Tinley asks.

  “Yes, why not?” Elizabeth asks. “Surely a young woman as intelligent, lovely and accomplished as you has at least one young man courting you.”

  Aiylin hesitates and looks at Sebastian. She rubs her hand absently and murmurs, “Not anyone I would wish for.”

  “What does that mean?” Sebastian takes a step towards her, and his Mother interrupts.

  “You have no prospects?” Elizabeth asks.

  “No.”

  “Why not?” Tinley asks again.

  Aiylin blushes and looks at them for help, but they seem to be waiting for her answer as well.

  “I was waiting,” she turns to sit, and Tinley follows climbing into her lap.

  “Waiting for what?” Sebastian asks gruffly.

  “For us, Daddy,” Tinley says, ignoring the gasp from Aiylin.

  Elizabeth nods and looks at the expression on her son’s face. A smile erupts, and she claps her hands, “Look, it’s the Advent calendar. Come help me find the perfect spot to hang it, Tinley.”

  “My grandmother quilted this when I was your age, darling.”

  Aiylin doesn’t move as they leave quickly.

  “Do you remember how it works, Tinley?”

  “Yes, I get surprises each day until Christmas!” They laugh as she walks out with Elizabeth.

  Sebastian moves to sit next to her and reaches out to touch her, but she jumps up to put some space between them.

  “This is getting out of hand quickly, isn’t it?” she laughs nervously.

  “Who is he?” he demands ignoring her statement.

  “What?” she turns to look at him.

  “The man you wouldn’t wish for,” he picks up her slender hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. “The one who hurt you, Aiylin.” His eyes darken at the thought of someone causing her pain.

  “It doesn’t matter, Sebastian. My father and Patrick took care of it. I’ll be going home as soon as the snow melts. You need to talk to Tinley,” she pleads.

  “I need to thank my cousin,” he murmurs and walks over to a chair. “Come sit down.”

  Aiylin walks towards him, and her heart starts to betray her again. No man has ever affected her like this. Why is her body betraying her now? She nods no.

  “I think I’ll stand.” She paces and begins to talk. “Tinley was talking to me about a magic lantern. Is that a bedtime story or books she’s been reading?”

  Sebastian stands up and walks over to her. “There’s no way to say this without sounding crazy, so I’m just going to say it. Tinley thinks you are the answer to her Christmas wish.”

  Aiylin stares at him and her luscious lips part in surprise, before breaking into a huge smile, revealing a dimple in one cheek. Sebastian is smiling back at her before he can help himself.

  “You’re joking,” she says.

  “No. I’m not. Mother and I believe that she wished for a new Mother for Christmas, and then you showed up,” he explains slowly.

  Aiylin glances at the door, calculating how quickly she can get away from him. “I see,” she turns as if to think about it, and starts to hurry from the room instead.

  Sebastian makes it to the doorway and blocks her. “I can explain.”

  “I bet you can,” she backs away from him looking for something heavy to swing if needed. “I came here as a favor to Mena, now I’ve done my part. I’ve delivered the message. If you wish to get rid of me, there are other ways to do that. You didn’t have to play with my heart and emotions, Sebastian.”

  Aiylin pushes past him, leaving him speechless. “Her heart?” he grins and covers his pounding heart with a hand.

  Elizabeth returns and finds him staring after Aiylin. “That is the exact way I looked when I met your father.” She smiles at him.

  “What am I going to do?” he asks.

  “We’ve got some work to do. The snow won’t last forever, Sebastian. In the meantime, be yourself, and she won’t be able to resist you.”

  He laughs, and pulls his mother into a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you, Mother.”

  Chapter 15

  Aiylin does what she always does when she’s upset or needs to think. She grabs her guitar and her journal and then goes in search of a secluded spot to play. Her heart leads her up the stairs to the third floor, where she passed a small nook big enough for one person.

  Tucking in she closes her eyes and prays for guidance before opening her journal to the last song she’s been working on. The first strum has her closing her eyes as her fingers find the melody.

  The skill comes from practice, but the melody comes from her heart.

  Sebastian stops around the corner after following her. He’s never heard anything so beautiful. How do you win the heart of such an artist, and does he even have the right to claim it?

  Tinley reaches up, clutches his hand surprising him. Glancing down he’s stunned to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Sebastian picks her up, and she tucks her head in his neck while Aiylin plays. He turns and walks back to Tinley’s room.

  “Why are you crying, my heart?” he murmurs and rubs her back.

  She lifts her head and stares into his eyes. “Because, Daddy, she’s so lonely. Can’t you hear it?”

  He walks back towards the door holding Tinley, and together they listen. “I was so in awe of the talent that I missed the message.” His heart bre
aks at the emotion he now feels. Each note is like a slice to his heart.

  “She needs us too, Daddy,” Tinley says.

  Sebastian lowers her to the ground and lets her go.

  Aiylin writes in her journal the new stanza and sits back with her head against the wood-paneled wall.

  “Are you very sad, Miss Aiylin and missing your family?” Tinley asks softly.

  Her eyes fly open wide, and she wipes away her own stray tear.

  “A little bit,” she turns and lets Tinley tuck in beside her. The child touches the guitar reverently.

  “I feel that way too. Sometimes, I miss my Mama so bad my heart feels like it has a hole in it. How can you miss someone you’ve never met?” Tinley asks as Sebastian listens from the top of the stairs around the corner. Aiylin sets her guitar against the wall and pulls the child into her arms.

  “That’s the flaw of a human heart, Tinley. Our hearts aren’t meant to be hoarded like a dragon’s treasure. They’re meant to be given and shared. Your Mama shared you with the world, and now she’s protected in God’s arms. It’s okay to miss her Tinley.”

  “Does the hole get bigger if you don’t share?” Tinley sniffs.

  “Yes, so big that it can swallow you up in the loneliness,” Aiylin replies and the ache in her voice cuts him to the core.

  “But I’ll tell you a secret, our Lord Jesus died on the cross for us so that we would know everlasting love. The kind of love that never fails us, never deserts us, and never leaves us. I gave my heart to Jesus to protect until the right man came along, and I trust that he is watching over yours too.”

  Tinley hugs her, “I will pray and ask my Mama to help both of us.”

  “Thank you, sweetie. Now, I need to put my guitar away, and I think I would like to bake some cookies. Do you want to help me?” she asks. Sebastian leaves quickly.

  “I think I’m gonna play in my room for a little while.” Tinley skips away leaving Aiylin staring after her.

  Slowly, she walks down to the second floor and into her bedroom to put the guitar away. She tucks the journal inside the case, and the guitar follows before she closes it tightly. The sound of him clearing his throat has her turning quickly.

  Before she can speak, Sebastian strides over to her and presses a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you,” he says hoarsely.

  “For what?” she gasps.

  “For talking to Tinley about her mother. May I sit for a moment?”

  Aiylin glances into his eyes and nods. Sebastian walks over to sit on a chair near the window seat, and Aiylin follows.

  “My marriage to my wife, Ann, was a business arrangement. She was so young, and I thought she’d come around to the idea. I tried everything to romance her, flowers, shopping, traveling. It didn’t take long for her to learn to love my money.” He glances away from her bitterly. Needing something to do, he jumps up and walks over to her fireplace adding a log while he talks.

  “I realized too late that you can’t make someone love you. The first time she disappeared was for three months. I told everyone she was overseas.” He stands and paces while she sits quietly.

  “She came home different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. The next few months were better. I told myself that maybe she just needed a break. It wasn’t until she ran out of her special drops that I realized she had a serious problem.”

  “What are drops?” Aiylin asks.

  “Opium.”

  Aiylin’s heart breaks for him. “What did you do?” she asks.

  “I took her to our country house and locked her in the room. I hired security to keep her from escaping, and I brought her parents to the house.” He glances up when she gasps.

  “Shocked? Why? I was fighting for her life. The doctor’s told me it was the only way. They were right. I spent every day with her, even when she screamed and shouted how she hated me, had never loved me, and had only used me for my money.”

  Aiylin closes her eyes against his pain. “After two weeks, she was a different person. We cleaned her up, and she seemed to be recovering. Her parents decided to give us some time alone. They went home, and things were better. I began spending more time with her. When I found out she was pregnant, I can’t tell you…” his voice breaks. “I was so happy.”

  She doesn’t try to fight the tears this time. Just lets them flow.

  “Ann was thrilled. She was a completely different person. It was amazing. We went home, and she threw herself into preparing for the baby. Designing a nursery, shopping, and I spent as much time at home with her as I could.” His voice fades away as he remembers.

  “What happened?” she asks.

  “Three months after Tinley was born, she left. She ran to New York with another man.”

  Aiylin wipes her eyes and shakes her head at the injustice of it.

  “I followed and tried to bring her home, but she refused. She said that I had what I wanted from her, and she deserved her freedom. The divorce papers were a shock, but she said if I fought her, she would take Tinley with her the next time.”

  “What did you do?” she asks softly.

  “What could I do? Lock her up forever? I thought about it, but the truth was I was afraid she would hurt Tinley, so I let her go. She died of an overdose six months later.”

  Aiylin reaches out and takes his hands.

  “I’m sorry, Bastian,” she murmurs.

  “Thank you.” He squeezes her hands and stands up, rubbing his neck. “I didn’t mean to tell you so much, but you are a good listener.”

  She smiles at him. “Tinley is amazing. You are doing a wonderful job.”

  “Am I? She longs for her mother, and I didn’t know how badly until she told a stranger.”

  Aiylin jerks, realizing the truth of the words. She stiffens and looks at him. “If I’ve overstepped, I’m sorry,” but Sebastian cuts her off with a laugh.

  “No. I’m trying to say thank you, Aiylin. I’ve been with a woman who didn’t want me, and it almost killed me. I don’t play games, and I would never lead you on. I won’t pressure you. I too know my worth, Miss Miller. It took me a little while to figure that out.” He stands to go.

  “We will be in the living room decorating for Christmas. It may take the rest of the day, but Mother is determined to give Tinley a Christmas to remember. Please don’t feel like you have to help.”

  With each word, she can feel him backing away from her, and her heart is screaming at her to do something, say something! He reaches the door, and she shoves back her fear and calls after him.

  “Sebastian, who said I didn’t want you?”

  His hand drops from the door, and he turns to look at her. The vulnerability in his gaze sends her heart crashing to the floor. She steps towards him and smiles.

  “Was it when I kissed you? Did I do it wrong?” He groans and walks to meet her halfway. He pulls her against his body and jerks when she says, “I’ve not had much practice, Sebastian. I don’t let many men get close to me.”

  “Why not?” he asks hoarsely and presses a kiss to her forehead, over her closed eyes, and down her neck.

  Aiylin reaches up and takes his face in her hands so she can see his response to her next words. “Because I was waiting, Sebastian.”

  “For what?”

  “For you…”

  He smiles softly, and she can see the joy in his eyes. His kiss is deep and passionate, leaving her doubts and fears in the past. How can it be that no woman has ever fought for this man? She will fight with everything in her to keep his heart if he gives it to her.

  “You’ll be waiting no longer,” he promises between kisses and Aiylin laughs as the hole in her heart begins to fill.

  “I want to court you, Aiylin,” he says.

  “Yes, please, but how? You live in a different city?” she asks.

  “We’ll figure it out. Just say, yes.”

  “Yes,” she whispers against his mouth again. When their kisses grow more heated, he sets her away from him and laughs when she
tries to grab him.

  “I’m trying to do the right thing here, Aiylin, you’re making it very difficult.” He groans at her look of disappointment and embarrassment.

  “Forgive me, but you seem to have awoken something in me, Sebastian,” she straightens her dress and nods at him. “I shall do my best not to accost you.”

  Sebastian laughs loudly, “You're a puzzle, Aiylin.”

  Her crestfallen look has him jerking her back into his arms. “That was a compliment. I love puzzles. I would gladly spend the rest of my life trying to figure you out.”

  “You haven’t yet earned that right, Mr. Becker,” she teases and pulls away to walk to the door. “Though I do hope you earn it quickly.”

  Langdon curses the snow. By the next morning, he was completely snowed in. The blizzard hit, giving him time to plot and plan how to get to her. Patience is a virtue, they say. She will pay for making him suffer.

  The last young woman to reject him paid dearly, and so did her family. He grins thinking of the payments he still receives to stay away from her. Perhaps he should give her a visit after he teaches Aiylin what happens when you disappoint him. He laughs as he remembers and plans.

  Chapter 16

  Aiylin spends the next week helping keep Tinley busy. They bake cookies, play games and while Sebastian works, she writes new songs. It's incredible how the break from home has inspired her music.

  She slides the third sheet of cookies into the oven and smiles. Ms. Stella, the cook decides the mess is well worth the scents filling the kitchen. Tinley is hard at work shaping her own cookie. When Sebastian enters the kitchen, she lets out a startled scream.

  “No, Daddy!”

  Aiylin quickly covers her treat with a towel and smiles at his confusion.

  “You can’t make something that smells this delicious and not expect company,” he teases.

  Aiylin laughs as Tinley pushes him from the kitchen. “NO, these are a surprise! You have to wait.”

  “Not even a taste? Please, I’m starving…” he wilts against the door frame and Tinley giggles. “Will no one feed a dying man? Ms. Stella help…” Sebastian drops to his knees, holding onto the wood and groans while Aiylin laughs at his antics.