Tempting Fate

by Lisa Mondello

  "I'm sorry," Kyle said in sympathy. The guy was a louse. But then again, he'd known just that type of louse when he was a kid. The only difference between Kristen and him was that Kristen had never known her father's rejections. Kyle had been old enough to stand in the courtroom and hear his own father denounce him as his son.

  He pushed the horrid memory aside. Too many years had passed since that painful moment in his life. Too many good things had come into his life and taken its place. He hadn't always seen things that way, but thank God he'd wised up enough to finally see the light.

  "Don't be sorry. I'm not. Kristen and I do just fine by ourselves," Lauren indicated, that same wildcat determination he'd seen earlier coming back to life in her expression.

  Kyle figured it was true, but not by way of an easy road. What he wouldn't do to make things just a little bit easier for her.

  "I see." Kyle felt a strange distance forced between them. The purr of both car engines seemed to grow with intensity as each second passed. "About tomorrow night, how about it?"

  "No, I don't think so. I have to do...something." She tossed her hand in the air, giving it a fleeting second of thought, then added, "I have to wash my hair, do my taxes...something."

  "Taxes?" he questioned under his breath, his eyebrows raised.

  "Okay, I know it's not the greatest excuse," she admitted, fixing him with a stare, "but it's the best I can do. You seem like a nice person and you've been very kind, but I don't want to get involved with anyone. I'm just not interested in-"

  "We're talking hot chocolate and a Twinkie. Maybe a few Christmas songs, if you can keep a tune. Even if you can't, we don't discriminate. We're not talking marriage." He couldn't keep the smile from creeping into his expression.

  "Are you trying to tell me you weren't just coming on to me?" she asked, cocking her head to one side. The tears were gone now and a hint of a smile adorned her face.

  Kyle found himself with a mixed sense of protectiveness for her vulnerability and attraction because her lips suddenly looked so kissable. He hadn't intended the invitation to be a come on, but giving it a second thought, maybe it was. Put on another track, he decided he wouldn't mind it if she thought he'd made the pass. He'd like it even better if she'd accept.

  "Yes," he lied. "I mean, I asked because I thought it might be a fun mother/daughter thing, a way for you to spend some fun time together during the holidays. Everyone has a good time."

  She blinked and appeared uncertain, maybe even a little disheartened. "Good," she said, turning her gaze from his face.

  "Would that be such a bad thing?" he asked, hoping to get some insight into that flicker of disappointment he saw flash across her face.

  She pulled at the car door gently as a hint for him to move aside. "It's cold and I really do have to get Kristen home. Thank you again, Kyle."

  "My pleasure."

  He watched her drive away, the red tail lights of her late model car blurring into a cloud of falling snow. She's just another woman, he told himself. A beautiful woman with eyes like the full moon and full lips made for stealing a sweet kiss. It had been a long time since he'd thought along those lines. Pulling his fingers through his ice laden hair, he decided it had been way too long.

  * * *

  Kyle walked through the crowd of chatting locals gathered for the annual tree lighting ceremony, no doubt gossiping about their own neighbors or whoever was up for selectman at the next election. Bringing the town together brought out the good and bad in everyone. Kyle liked to think that it was mostly the best. He groaned inwardly remembering the mischief that came out of him in his youth when everyone was congregated here for the Christmas festivities.

  Well, that was then, he mused. It had been a long time since he acted so irresponsibly. Coming of age had a way of bringing you to your senses. Facing a jail sentence had a way of doing it, too. He was lucky it never got to that point, thanks to his parents and some hard lessons learned. He only wished he had been the only one to pay for those lessons learned.

  He drew in a frosty breath that chilled his lungs. Deep down he knew that everything he did was somehow connected to Chas and that fateful night. It had been a turning point for both of them. Unfortunately for Chas, Kyle had been the one to get the better end of the deal. If only they'd stayed put twelve years ago, Chas wouldn't have paid for his mistake.

  Kyle grabbed a piece of fried dough from the concession stand and spied a St. Bernard leashed to a barrel marked "Non-perishable Food Donation." Immediately he thought of his dog, Max, lounging at home in front of the wood stove. At least, he hoped the dog was still lounging in front of the stove. After the Thanksgiving fiasco, both he and Max would be in the dog house if he wasn't. He didn't feel comfortable taking his dog to such a public affair. But giving it another thought, he wasn't sure leaving all one hundred and fifteen pounds of dog home alone with unprotected upholstery was a better alternative.

  He patted the dog on the head and tossed a piece of fried dough, which the dog swallowed with one gulp.

  The weather had been kinder tonight, rising a full ten degrees above what it had been hovering at for the last week. The sun had been out all day giving way to a beautiful star filled sky as a backdrop for the lighting of the sixty foot high Norwegian Pine tree in the center of the town common. He walked around. Looking. Searching.

  He groaned inwardly. The Lauren Alexander thing was a dead issue. He'd thought about her all day and hoped she would come. He'd been through this crowd at least twice and still hadn't caught a glimpse of her and Kristen when he finally decided to head back to the concession stand for a cup of hot chocolate.

  What was wrong with him? So she'd decided not to come, he fumed, jamming his free hand in his jacket pocket. It's not like she said she would. In fact, she flat out said she wouldn't. Still, he'd found himself hoping that she would change her mind.

  * * *

  Lauren walked the slippery sidewalk clutching Kristen's small mittened hand in hers. Her apartment was only a few short blocks from the town common.

  Although the day had been warm and sunny, the temperature had dipped just below freezing after sunset creating a slick sheet of ice on the walkway. "Careful, Krissy," Lauren cautioned when she saw Kristen's feet slipping.

  "I'm okay, Mommy," Kristen replied, looking up at her with a wide grin.

  Kristen had heard about the tree lighting ceremony from the teacher at school today. When Lauren had picked her up from Mrs. Hopkins apartment, Kristen talked endlessly about going. After the dinner dishes were finally cleared, washed and put away, she continued to express her desire to come and see Santa just one more time. In her heart, Lauren knew the reason. She wanted to ask Santa for a daddy again. In the end she conceded, bundling the two of them up for a cold winters walk.

  She really didn't want to go to this damned ceremony, Lauren kept trying to convince herself all day at work. She'd probably run into Kyle here and that was the last thing she needed. Images of Kyle Preston kept creeping back to her during the lull of phone calls that usually occupied her work day. The twinkle of glee in his eye as he stood beneath the lamppost and smiled at her, the well-defined Nordic features of his face haunted her. This was not a good sign, she surmised. Yes, Kyle Preston was the last thing she needed in her life right now.

  Why had she told him she was married? She recalled the conversation they'd had the previous evening when he helped her with her car and knew the reason. For the past seven years since Kristen's father left her alone and pregnant, she kept every prospective male suitor at arm’s length. Not that there were many, but her convenient declaration pretty much killed any and all prospective chances for romance.

  Being married had been an excuse she used on numerous occasions while she was waitressing and encountered an overzealous, slightly intoxicated patron. Even some of the kitchen help that had asked her out for coffee after her shift were not immune to this excuse.

  Yet with its convenience, it was still a lie. And Kyle had
seen right through it where other men had simply accepted it as truth. But the truth was she was never married to Kristen's father. Her one and only sexual encounter that resulted in a teenage pregnancy, shattering her hopes and dreams for a promising future, had also shattered her first and only romantic relationship. Once Kristen was born, she kept her mind focused on raising the daughter she'd fought so hard to keep and pushed any notion of romantic entanglement aside. It had been easy for the past seven years. There really hadn't been anyone who'd turned her head and made her think of giving them half a chance. Until now.

  "Hold my hand, honey," Lauren advised as they scurried across the busy intersection that led to the town common.

  Although they had lived in town for the past six years, this was the first year they were coming out for the big festivities. Lauren had always worked nights as a waitress, choosing to spend her days at home with Kristen when she was a preschooler. Now that she had arrived and saw all the Christmas decorations and heard the carolers singing, she was just as excited as Kristen to be here.

  "Did we miss Santa?" Kristen asked as she tugged on Lauren's arm, pulling her toward the decorated gazebo where Santa was expected to be seated.

  Lauren took a quick look around. The tall pine tree had already been trimmed with a zillion lights waiting to be set ablaze. The long roped area off the front of the gazebo leading down toward the center of the tree lined common was already filled with parents and children waiting in line to tell Santa their Christmas wishes.

  "We didn't miss anything, yet," Lauren confirmed. "Look, the tree is still dark. They wouldn't dare light the tree without Santa."

  Kristen gave an excited squeal and wrenched at her mother's arm with impatience. "Come on, Mommy."

  "Not yet, sweetie. Let me get a hot cup of something to drink first. It looks like they have some fried dough. Want some?" Lauren asked. It was the holiday season. The sugar coated dough was probably not the best thing for Kristen's teeth, but it was Christmastime. It was nothing an extra-long brushing couldn't fix before climbing into bed.

  "Yeah!" Kristen declared and began pulling her mother toward the concession stand.

  That's when she saw Kyle talking to the woman behind the concession stand as he patted a gigantic dog tied to a barrel. Her first thought was to change directions and head toward the gazebo. Maybe she could get lost in the crowd. But she was too late. He swung around and saw her walking toward him, making no attempt to hide his surprise or pleasure at their arrival.

  He stood up straight just staring at her with his cool as ice eyes, pushing the strands of hair the wind had blown in his face back with one brush of his hand. Even from the distance they were at she could tell he was a good ten inches taller than her five foot six frame. She noticed for the first time what she couldn't last night, he was exceedingly handsome. His hair was long, touching his shoulder blades in the back, with blonde tips and rich brown roots that gave it an almost frosted appearance. It was something she hadn't noticed last night when his hair was wet from the snow. His facial features were strong and hard, reminiscent of a Viking.

  When he'd come out of nowhere last night and offered her aid, she'd feared him. She knew she had need. She tried to tell herself it was because she was alone and he was a stranger. And now she feared him again, but it had nothing to do with her and Kristen's safety. It had everything to do with a need that lay dormant inside her for far too long.

  "I'm glad you made it," he said when they reached the concession stand. Lauren remained at a good ten foot distance, fearing the behemoth dog might leap on Kristen. "Oh, don't be frightened. They're big, but these dogs are pretty much harmless," Kyle assured them. "That is as long as you don't have any fried dough."

  "Or a perfected basted and stuffed turkey," the woman that Kyle had been conversing with spouted from behind the counter.

  Up close, Lauren guessed that she was no more than ten or fifteen years older than Kyle. She was petite in size and her short brown hair curled around her ear muffs. What she noticed more was the way her cocoa colored eyes gleamed with affection at Kyle, making Lauren wonder about the nature of their relationship.

  "A word of warning, my dear. Make sure you keep your hands and food held high."

  Kyle laughed, but appeared slightly abashed. "Are you still sore about Thanksgiving, Ma?"

  "What do you think?" the woman returned, rolling her eyes at Kyle.

  "I think I'd better quit while I'm still ahead," he answered.

  "Good thinking."

  Kyle brushed his arm across Lauren's back and she immediate felt a pulse of warmth beneath her heavy coat from his touch. "Ma, this is Lauren Alexander and the little one hiding behind her here is Kristen."

  Kristen shyly pulled into her mother in an attempt to hide herself. It was a typical reaction for Kristen when meeting new people. Of course, Kristen had no idea that she'd already met Kyle the previous evening and still felt intimidated.

  "This is my mother, Judy Preston," he told Lauren.

  "Nice to meet you Mrs. Preston," Lauren returned cordially. She held her eyes on Judy, noting her youthful appearance, then glanced back at Kyle as if to make the link. But she couldn't figure out what didn't seem right about the connection.

  "Please call me Judy. Did you have any trouble finding a parking space? It gets so crowded and with all the snow, parking is scarce."

  "We live just a few blocks from here so we walked," Lauren told her. "I had no idea this was such a big deal. We've never been."

  "Really? You must be new to town. Brimfield has been putting on this celebration for years." Judy seemed nice and friendly, Lauren decided.

  "We've lived here a few years. We just haven't had the opportunity to come."

  "We're a rowdy crowd but we have a good time," Kyle said, giving her a mischievous grin.

  Without warning, he placed his arm loosely around her shoulder. The gesture felt so natural that Lauren didn't think to pull away until it seemed it would become too obvious to everyone around them. Although the wave of heat his touch generated filled her with a stirring deep beneath the pit of her belly, she found herself enjoying the fire kindling inside her. It had been way too long since any man spawned such desires.

  "So, Kyle tells me you're coming for dinner on Sunday," Judy said as if it were a confirmation of something already discussed.

  "I beg your pardon?" Bewildered, Lauren looked, first at Judy, then at Kyle.

  Kyle blew out a breath and gave her a crooked grin. "Ma, would you let me get around to asking her first?"

  "What are you wasting time for? Just ask the girl for cripes sake," Judy chortled.

  "Well, I, uh-" Lauren stammered.

  "Are we going somewhere, Mommy?" Kristen asked curiously, looking up at Lauren with widened eyes.

  "Here, have a cup of hot chocolate to warm you." Judy extended a Styrofoam cup filled with hot chocolate and piece of fried dough lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Lauren automatically accepted, keeping the hot chocolate for herself and handing the pastry to Kristen.

  Kyle quickly whisked her away from the concession stand. "Sorry about that."

  "It's okay. She's just..." Lauren turned to look back at the concession stand, still reeling from the strange conversation.

  "What is it?" he asked, answering her befuddled expression.

  "I'm sorry. It was rude of me to stare. It's just that your mother..."

  "I know. She spoke a little soon. But the invitation still stands. I mentioned to her this afternoon that I wanted to invite you and Kristen to dinner on Sunday. I hope you'll be able to make it," he said, squeezing Lauren's hand.

  "No."

  He stopped walking and jerked his body around to look at her. "You won't come for dinner?"

  "No, that's not what I mean. It's just..." She didn't quite know how to verbalize her thoughts, especially since it was a cause of concern over being so young herself when Kristen was born. "Your mother seems so young." Heat filled her cheeks. It was a stupid th
ing to say, but honest none-the-less.

  Kyle laughed. "She'd probably kiss you if she heard you say that."

  "She seems too young to have a son your age is what I'm trying to say," she added.

  "Most people pick up the fact that I tower over my parents or that they both have brown eyes and mine are blue."

  Feeling embarrassed for such an inconsequential observation, Lauren crouched down to fiddle with Kristen's mittens that were now covered with powdered sugar from the fried dough.

  As if sensing her discomfiture, he offered, "Mom and Dad knew early on they weren't going to have kids of their own. They adopted me."

  "It's none of my business," Lauren blurted out, trying to brush off a flood of seven-year-old memories the word adoption evoked.

  "It's okay. It doesn't bother me. It shouldn't bother you," Kyle returned as they made their way to the long line of people still waiting for Santa Claus to show.

  "It doesn't," she stopped and turned to face him, trying her best to appear unfazed. The last thing she wanted was for him to misread her hang-ups over adoption as being a negative reflection on him. The truth was, Lauren had never quite given up the guilt over almost giving Kristen up for adoption all those years ago.

  "Really? Why do I get the feeling there is something more?" It was frightening, the way Kyle's eyes seared through her as if he was penetrating her soul, reading her deepest fear. No one had ever come close to doing that before.

  She darted a quick glance at Kristen, then back to Kyle. A prickly heat scorched beneath her scarf and began to feel like a noose around her neck. His eyes softened and his expression fell as they took their place in the long line.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the crowd as Santa Claus arrived on the back of a bright red fire engine. The truck drove around the common with lights flashing as Christmas carols blared on the loud speaker and scattered people lost in the crowd sang along to Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Lauren breathed a heavy sigh of relief for the distraction. She hadn't spoken a word of her guilt to anyone since the day she left the hospital with Kristen all those years ago. She'd be damned if she started now.