“You don’t know that. A deer could have run out in front of me, or some other animal. I’ve been known to brake for squirrels.” They both laughed at her joke, then dug into their meal.
After dinner, Leon suggested they watch a movie before he headed back to the camper. Since there wasn’t a working television at her place, she agreed. While he was browsing his large case of DVDs, Kenna asked, “When you come by tomorrow, why don’t you bring one of the smaller trees with you?”
He spun on his dress shoes to face her, a movie in his hands. “I told you, I don’t really have many decorations—”
“Do you have anything?” she probed. The apartments were surrounded by woods. She could manage to get outside for a short while and look around for some pine cones and other things to fix up a tree with.
“I do. From my grandmother. They’re very old and—”
“Vintage? I love it. Please?” She clasped her hands under her chin. “Seriously, I need something to do. If I have to just sit and watch television all day one more time, I’m…I’m…”
Leon’s silvery eyes widened, then he laughed. “Okay, I get it. You’re an active girl and don’t like being cooped up. Me neither. I can empathize.” He sighed and gave a nod. “Very well, but I’ll have to buy a stand, I—”
“Grab one of my spares. I have several. They’re in the front side compartment. And I also have a plastic bin tucked under my bed. It’s red. Bring that, too.” Knowing she was asking a lot, she added, “You might want to drive your car.”
He showed her the DVD cover. She nodded, never having seen it before. The title didn’t matter, really. If she wanted to see a movie, she went to the theater where the experience was more enjoyable. She liked hearing the crowd gasp and laugh, loved being part of a group.
“Just promise that you’ll take it easy,” he warned. “How has your leg felt today?”
“Much better, so long as I don’t make any sudden movements. I think it’ll heal quickly. I’m not one for letting myself get down for long.”
“I noticed that.” Leon slipped in the movie then said he was going to make popcorn for them. While he was gone, she studied the photo of him and his girlfriend propped on the side table. They looked as if they were at a ski lodge. Both were beautiful and looked so in love.
He was so lucky to have someone. She kept herself too busy with school work to think about dating. Besides, most guys liked the type of girl that Leon was dating, not girls with big round glasses and straight brown hair like her.
When he returned, he also had two sodas. What a kind host. Kenna hoped his girlfriend knew how lucky she was to have a guy like him.
Chapter Six
Leon stayed busy selling trees the next day, as word began to spread like melting ice. Light snow fell, but not enough to hinder people from getting out. The weekend was approaching and he knew people would start getting serious about their holiday decorating.
He was sure as Christmas drew closer, more would come, at least those who it put off until the last minute.
Sage and Nikolai stopped by to pick up a medium-sized tree. Sage wanted it flocked. “I love how the snow looks on the branches.” Leon had his assistant get to work on that. The high schoolers were a great help. Kenna wanted him to pay them a percentage out of the cash he made every day. The rest he took to her, not wanting to leave it laying around.
After the Prater couple left, Leon sat in one of the camp chairs beneath the shelter of the awning. If the snow started to fall harder, he’d close up early and pick up dinner from Uncle’s restaurant.
Aside from Kenna’s request to bring over a tree and her box of crafting supplies, she made no demands and didn’t seem to have any expectations. He wasn’t sure what to do with a woman who wasn’t constantly demanding that he do things for her. She was refreshing.
Another whole day had passed without him calling Marcy. But she wasn’t calling him either. And he’d not made those reservations to fly to New York, either. If he didn’t do something soon, he’d be alone for Christmas again. He’d turned down the Winters’ offer to join them for dinner, thinking he wouldn’t be in town. Uncle planned to close the restaurant for a few days and fly out to see his kids that lived in the south.
During a lull in customers, he checked the flights using his phone. With each passing day, the prices went up and available seats went down. His fingers hovered over the Make a Reservation button. One way or another, he needed to see Marcy. Needed to talk face-to-face about their futures. He had no desire to follow her around like some pet, while she smiled for the limelight. That wasn’t the kind of life he desired.
But, he had no idea just what kind of life he did want. In a way, he was stuck here, though he didn’t really mind. Someday, Uncle might let him move into the head chef position. Maybe he’d even leave the restaurant to him when he retired since his own kids didn’t seem interested. His cousins lived in Louisiana where it was warm and there were more job opportunities.
An incoming call blocked the screen he was on. Kenna. His heart gave an extra hard thump. He hit the answer button. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Got tired of watching the TV, so I’m spying on you.” She laughed which brought a smile to his face as he glanced toward his apartment across the street.
“I’m busted sitting down on the job, aren’t I?” he joked.
“Ha. Yep, but it’s fine. It looks dead now and the snow is getting heavier. Why don’t you go ahead and close up? There’s no reason to sit out there and freeze to death.”
He leaned back in the chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him and crossing them at the ankles. “I’m good. There’s a fire burning in the pit that’s keeping me warm and plenty of hot chocolate. I did pick out a small spruce that I like.”
“Great!” Her bored tone perked up. She had to be going stir crazy locked up in his apartment all day. She didn’t seem like the sit quiet type. “You’ll see, it’ll be fun to decorate for the holidays.”
Excitement tickled his chest and warmed his freezing body. He was actually eager to bring out Gran’s old ornaments. He missed his grandparents. They were stable and always welcoming, like Ethan’s parents.
“Is there anything else my lady needs before I leave here?”
“Actually…” she drew out the word. He knew she worried about imposing on him, but he was truly enjoying this week. Sometimes people from around town came to the restaurant, but he was usually too busy in the kitchen to stop and greet them. Here, he’d been able to catch up on news and visit with friends he’d not seen in some time.
“Just tell me, you’re not a bother,” he urged. “I keep telling you that. What else do you need?”
“My laptop. Do you have an Internet connection here? I’m supposed to keep records of my sales and I don’t want to get too far behind on that.”
“Oh sure, I noticed it on your little table. Anything else?”
“Nope. That should keep me out of trouble for another day or so.”
“Whatever keeps you still so your leg will get better.” He laughed and told her he’d be over in the next hour if nobody else stopped by. That would give him time to put up the trees that were now covered in a dusting of snow. Yeah, the flakes were growing larger and falling thicker by the minute.
Leon asked his helper if he wouldn’t mind carrying the tree over to the apartment and gave him a ten-dollar bill from his wallet for his trouble. The boy even offered to take Kenna’s laptop.
By the time Leon made it home with their dinner from the Lakeshore, Kenna already had the tree inside and drying out. She’d placed it in the corner beside the gas-lit fireplace he rarely used.
Holiday music played from the stereo and the table was already set with plates and silverware. The crackling fire made his apartment feel homey for a change.
“So much for resting. Tell me you didn’t drag that tree inside.”
“Nope, Danny did. I saw him coming. And I’ve rested enough. Dr. D
aniels called to check on me and said it was okay to start stretching it a little. I just have to keep too much weight off it. Which is what the crutches are for.” She stuck one out for emphasis. Then nearly toppled over before catching herself on the dining chair.
“Sit,” Leon ordered. “I’ll get the serving spoons. We have Parmesan Risotto with Roasted Shrimp and a chicken avocado lime soup.”
Kenna slowly sank into the chair, her pretty green eyes blinking in shock. “Wow. I was expecting something like burgers and fries. But this…just wow. And it all smells so good.”
He smiled and served the soup first. “When you’re back on your feet and I’m back working at the restaurant, I want you to come over for dinners. On me. Then you can see where I really shine. I love cooking. Especially fine foods. Marcy thinks I’m wasting my skills here. She’s been harping on me to move to New York. There are finer restaurants there, I’m sure.”
“You don’t sound keen on that idea. What’s stopping you?” She unfolded the linen napkin and set it over her lap.
He refused to buy disposable towels and plates.
“I’m not much on big cities. Too crowded.”
Kenna didn’t respond, except to offer an understanding nod. She sampled the soup and declared that it was delicious. “You’d get along well with my mom. She loves cooking, too. The kitchen has a whole corner full of recipe books. She makes us try something new at least once a week.” She stirred the contents of the bowl for a long moment. “Or she does when I’m home. Which isn’t often nowadays since I’m still in college.”
He took a few sips of the soup, then decided he’d rather move on to the meal and began dishing it out. It was nice having company to dine with. And Kenna was so easy to talk to. He was about to coax her into telling him more about her college when his phone gave off a familiar ring. Marcy’s ring.
He set his napkin down beside his plate and stood. “Will you excuse me while I take this call?” Heading toward his bedroom he slowly pulled his phone from his pocket and hit the answer button. “Hello love, finally found a spare moment to call?”
“Leon Jovino, don’t act all innocent with me. What is this I heard about you taking a week off from the restaurant? And you’re working at a tree lot? What in the world, Mister?”
Oh boy, he had some explaining to do.
* * * *
Leon was gone so long, his food had to be cold. Kenna had finished off the delicious soup and was working through the roasted shrimp. The flavors! Every bite was pure delight. If she ever found someone like Leon to marry, she’d probably be done for.
“So good.” She broke off a piece of the warm wheat bread that was included with the meal.
When Leon finally returned, he looked a little put out. His temperament was so even-keeled, she wasn’t sure how to take his present scowl. Whatever happened with the call, when he saw that she’d nearly cleaned her plate, all the wrinkles between his brow smoothed. A slow smile turned up the edges of his full lips. “You liked the shrimp?”
“Loved it. It’s a good thing I’m only here temporarily. I’d be as wide as that spruce if I hung around you for too long. Especially if you cook like this all the time.”
His smile wavered a moment, fading in and out before he said, “Ah, well, I cook like this at the restaurant. If it’s just me, I normally order take-out. As you’ve seen, I don’t stock too much food here.”
“You have the necessities. Popcorn and sodas.”
His smile returned, brighter and wider than before. Score.
* * * *
After dinner, Leon dragged out the box of old decorations. There wasn’t much, but enough for Kenna to get a good start.
Leon shook his head. “There’s no theme. None of them match.”
He was right, but that didn’t matter to Kenna. She stared down in amazement at the box of old-fashioned glass ornaments that were probably worth some money. Her older sister, Diana, was into collecting vintage ornaments and didn’t mind paying good money for them. But her husband was a lawyer and they could afford it.
“Your theme is country vintage.” She held one ornament by the string and let it turn in a slow circle. “These wooden figures are delightful.”
“The paint is chipped,” Leon tone was full of disdain. He pulled out a cardboard circle with a little green handprint in the center. “I can’t believe she kept this.” He rolled his eyes.
“Aw, is that your hand?” She took that from him, too. “How sweet.”
“She loved handmade ornaments most.” He took it back and placed his larger hand over the smaller one. “I must have been five or six when we made this. I should toss it.”
“No!” Kenna snatched it back. “Bring me my box. There’s nothing wrong with any of these ornaments, you’ll see. They just need a little loving care. Why don’t you work on stringing the lights first?”
“Yes, my lady. As you wish.” He bowed and took the boxes of white lights that still hadn’t been opened.
Why was he so anti-decorating? At some point, he’d bought a few things: tinsel, garland, and lights. All never opened or used.
Interesting.
Kenna lifted the lid on what she called her box of magic. With the items inside, she could make just about anything into something special. First, she added gold paint to the chipped soldier. The paint sparkled when the light hit it and she was able to make it look like trim that had belonged on him all along. With a bit of silvery twine, dried red berries, and bits of glittery stars, she had him looking brand new.
To the handprint ornament, she hot glued a strand of green garland around the edge and added berries and the head of a Santa that had broken off something else. There was a plastic box full of oddities like stars, angel wings, snowmen and hats, all things she’d collected over the years. After adding a bit of golden twine to the top for hanging, she set it beside the soldier.
The glass ornaments only needed wiping off with a damp cloth, which revealed the creator’s emblem. Oh yeah, they were worth a nice sum if she remembered correctly.
The wooden figures were dressed up with a bit of glue, glitter, and paint.
Leon crouched beside the coffee table where Kenna worked. “It’s my turn to gape and say, ‘Wow!’” He held up his handprint. “You’re quite talented, Kenna Allender.”
“Why thank you, Leon Jovino. I believe that nothing is wasted. Everything can be re-purposed into something better.”
He started hanging the refurbished ornaments, carefully spacing them apart at an even distance. He was a little fussy and said he liked to keep things simple.
“Be careful with these glass ones. They’re quite valuable.”
“Really?” He looked at them with new respect.
She smiled up at him. “Yes, really.”
For a moment their gazes held. Kenna’s heart started to race. She was sure her face had to be turning red, so she quickly looked away. Too bad she wasn’t Leon’s type of girl, she could like him a lot. Which she couldn’t allow herself to do. Not only was she not his type, at all, but she wasn’t staying here.
Besides, he was taken. Of course, he was. Who wouldn’t want a quiet and gentle guy like Leon Jovino? Handsome, kind, and talented.
Stop it!
Kenna ordered her thoughts to take another direction. She needed a better distraction than taking care of the ornaments. “Say, why don’t you put in another movie? Do you have any holiday ones?”
He hung the soldier, his finger running over the gold paint and glitter. “Yes, I’m sure I have something you’ll like.” He moved toward his shelf of movies and scanned the titles. Removing It’s a Wonderful Life, he held it up for her approval.
Kenna swallowed hard. She was doomed!
Chapter Seven
Kenna sat in the bright sun, trying to soak in as much warmth as possible for the middle of winter. The sky was clear, but snow lay in small piles at the edges of the road and covered most of the tourist park where only a couple of RVs remained parke
d.
She was glad to be back in her own little camper. Though Leon had given her a key to his place, telling her to feel free to use his shower, to come in out of the cold. Whatever she needed.
Beside her fold-out chair sat a pile of greenery. Pine boughs, bits of holly and mistletoe she’d collected in the woods once she was out of the brace. Dr. Daniels had given her the clear to return to her tree lot, but she needed to take it easy and keep her knee wrapped.
Leon was making sure she did just that.
Lord, what am I going to do about him? Don’t let me fall for someone who is completely out of…well, I’m not his type. I know that. Unfortunately, my heart isn’t listening.
Kenna had sent up the same prayer many times over. She should have given his apartment key back, but his shower was nice and warm. Otherwise, she’d have to shower at the park’s public showers and sometimes the floor was slick with ice from it being so cold. Not that she didn’t know how to rough it, but still…. The plush towels and fuzzy carpets were too much of a temptation.
That morning, she’s studied her reflection while brushing her hair. Through the foggy mirror, she could see the large picture of Leon’s girlfriend hanging on his bedroom wall over the oak dresser. She lay on a bed of feathers, wearing a white, silky outfit that covered little of her body. At least she was covering the goods, Kenna thought.
Heavy make-up made her lips bright and glossy and her eyes sultry. Kenna glanced back at her reflection again, no make-up. She wasn’t a fan of it and usually only wore a bit of powder, blush, and mascara if going somewhere nice.
She looked down at her faded jeans and baggy sweater with a red-nosed reindeer on the front. So she liked to be festive, people seemed to like her bright, cheery attire. Sometimes she also wore her blinking antlers with this sweater.
Her gaze traveled to the reflection over her shoulder. Other pictures of Marcy showed that she only wore form-fitting outfits that must cost her a bundle.
A Thousand Wishes: A Romance Christmas Story (Madison Creek Town Series Novella Book 4) Page 5