Match Me by Christmas

by Armstrong, Lindzee

  Shawn tightened his hold on her and did as she asked. She held out the phone, showing him the image of the two of them together, framed by the dense tropical trees in the background. He loved the way Natalie fit perfectly against his side, her creamy skin and sandy blonde hair a sharp contrast to his own deep tan and dark buzz cut.

  “Cute,” Natalie said, sticking her phone back in her pocket. “I’m so excited to see these ruins. Is it true that they’re the most north-western site that’s been found?”

  “Yes,” Shawn said. “No one but the locals even realized they were there until the cruise bought this island about a decade ago and started clearing away the jungle.”

  Natalie bounced in her seat, craning her neck to see through the trees. “I can’t wait.”

  Shawn laughed, loving her infectious sense of adventure. Every seat in the bus was filled with cruisers eager to visit the ancient temple. The air was muggy and humid, but the late December breeze made the temperature tolerable. He couldn’t believe Christmas was only five days away.

  Or that Natalie would be leaving him in two.

  “It’s got to be close.” Natalie glanced up at him for confirmation, her eyes hidden behind her dark sunglasses.

  “Maybe another five minutes,” Shawn agreed.

  “I had no idea Perla del Mar was so big.”

  “It is pretty big, and the cruise has only built up about half of it. The natives have a village about a mile from the ruins.”

  “And the north end of the island is where the amenities are?”

  Shawn nodded. “There’s the most beautiful sandy white beach you’ve ever seen, with enough space for five thousand guests to spread out without tripping over each other. The water is crystal clear—perfect for snorkeling.”

  Natalie shuddered. “No thanks.”

  Shawn placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “You don’t have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. I’ll reserve a cabana for tomorrow afternoon and we can enjoy the ocean from the warm sand.” Their last night together. A lump lodged in his throat at the very thought.

  “Sounds perfect,” Natalie said. “But are you sure you can get away from the ship again?”

  “The Toujour group has free time then, so it’ll be fine.” At least, Shawn hoped it would be fine. He’d received another email from his real estate agent that morning, confirming the other interested party did indeed plan on putting in an offer on the storefront on Main Street. But the agent also said their offer was low, and Shawn might still have a chance if he put in a full price offer within the week.

  He fought back the pit of worry that chided him for spending time with Natalie when he should be working to make sure everything was perfect for Toujour’s couples beach volleyball tournament later that afternoon. His crew had everything well in hand. All the Toujour guests had free time right now, anyway, so all Shawn would be doing was helping set up the nets. Brooke and her matchmakers had wanted to organize the game brackets based on client profiles, whatever that entailed, so he was off the hook there.

  The bus hurtled over one last pothole, sending jolts of pain through Shawn’s leg, then burst through the trees and into a clearing. Natalie let out a gasp. The Maya temple rose majestically less than a hundred yards away, its gray stone standing out sharply against the green foliage and blue sky.

  Natalie rose from her seat, holding onto the bar above her head as she tried to get a better look. “It’s amazing.”

  Shawn laughed, tugging her back down next to him. “It’s even more amazing up close.”

  The bus pulled to a stop at the end of the clearing, and streamed onto the soft mossy grass, spreading out in every direction. Natalie turned in a slow circle, taking in the entire clearing. The boisterous laughter Shawn had come to expect from this particular group of tourists had turned to hushed whispers as they snapped pictures of the ancient edifice.

  Natalie grabbed Shawn’s hand, pulling him across the clearing. “It’s smaller than I expected it to be.”

  “I went to Tikal a few years ago, when I had a day off while the ship was in port. The temples there were a lot bigger.”

  “I need a picture.” Natalie paused, pulling her phone from the messenger bag slung over one shoulder.

  “Here.” Shawn held out a hand. “Let me take your picture.”

  “Okay.” She handed over the camera.

  Shawn waited for Natalie to walk a few paces away. She turned around, arms above her head and smile wide as she posed.

  Shawn took the picture, staring at her. The joy on her face was impossible to miss. She loved this—the adventure of seeing new places. He could see why she was drawn to travel reporting, because experiencing new things seemed to fill her soul.

  “Did you get it?” Natalie asked, arms still raised.

  Shawn nodded and dropped his arms. “Yeah. Want to go inside?”

  Natalie grabbed her phone, eyes guarded. “We can stay down here if you’d rather.”

  Shawn put a finger underneath her chin, forcing her eyes up to his. “Do you want to go inside?” he asked simply.

  Reluctantly, Natalie nodded. “But if you can’t—”

  He leaned down, silencing her with a kiss. The curves of her body fit against his like the missing pieces of a puzzle, and he ran his fingers through her hair. When they finally broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I might not be the world’s fastest climber, but I can make it to the top of that temple. Let’s go look inside.”

  A smile blossomed across her lips, and he knew seeing her excitement when they reached the top would be worth a night spent icing his swollen knee any day.

  The temple was a traditional Mayan design—a boxy pyramid, with shallow steps running up the center, leading to a door at the top. Shawn’s pace was slow and steady. Other tourists quickly passed by them, but Natalie never complained and kept up a running commentary of the information she’d learned about the ruins while researching online before the cruise. Halfway up the temple, Shawn’s leg began to ache and burn, just as he’d know it would, but the excitement on Natalie’s face kept him moving. There had to be close to three hundred steps to the top.

  They were nearly to the top when Natalie pulled him off to the side of the steps and motioned to one of the wide walls, which made a perfect bench. “Let’s take a break for a minute. I’m exhausted.”

  Shawn rolled his eyes. “Liar.”

  She tugged him down to the seat beside her and didn’t release his hand. “There’s nothing wrong with admitting you need a minute.”

  He sighed, pulling her to his side and kissing the top of her head. “Thank you. Sometimes I forget that. I don’t like appearing weak.”

  She rested a hand briefly on his cheek. “No one would ever accuse you of that, Shawn Erickson.”

  I could spend the rest of my life with this woman. The thought came out of left field and blindsided him, making his breathing rapid and uneven. He didn’t look at Natalie, hoping she’d attribute it to their climb.

  “Wow.” Natalie grabbed a water bottle from her bag and took a sip, then handed it to him. “This view is incredible.”

  Shawn took the water, staring at Natalie. The sunlight made her hair look like spun gold. He loved that floppy sun hat she seemed to wear everywhere. The sunglasses that took up half her face. “Beautiful,” he agreed. And she was leaving in a day and a half. What would he do without her? The thought of not seeing her every day made his heart physically hurt.

  He handed Natalie back her water, and she stored it in her bag. “Have you ever been up here before?”

  Shawn shook his head, finally admiring the view. Natalie was right—it was incredible. The trees rose to meet the blue sky, peppered with fluffy white clouds. Below, tourists scurried about like tiny ants. Shawn could almost see over the treetops from here. Definitely worth the climb. “I’ve always meant to, but something seems to come up every time.”

  Natalie rested her head on her hand, staring off into the distance.
“I guess living on a cruise ship probably only sounds wonderful in theory. It’s got to be exhausting to constantly be making sure everyone else is having a good vacation. But you never really get one, do you?”

  “Not very often,” he admitted. “There isn’t a lot of down time on the ship. But I go exploring in ports whenever I can.”

  Natalie sighed, stretching her legs out. “Sometimes I wonder if writing for World Traveler will be like that—nice in theory, but kind of exhausting in practice. I wouldn’t really be visiting the places I want to see. It’ll be all about what the magazine wants. And what if they send me somewhere really boring, and I hate writing about it?”

  Shawn stared at Natalie, a seed of hope growing. Was she second guessing the job with World Traveler? It certainly sounded like it. Maybe she didn’t actually want to spend every week of the year in a different country. Shawn had certainly done it long enough to confirm it wasn’t as glamorous as it sounded.

  “Take this vacation, for instance,” Natalie continued. “I must’ve stared at my computer for three hours yesterday, and I barely wrote a paragraph. I just can’t make this story come together in my mind.”

  “You mean like writer’s block?”

  She lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “I guess. But I’d better figure it out soon, because I promised I’d have the story turned in before Christmas Eve. I was really hoping to finish it tomorrow so I could enjoy Wyatt’s massive kitchen when I got back to port.”

  “You’ll figure it out.” Shawn rose, his leg protesting loudly at the movement. He ignored it and held out a hand to Natalie. “Race you to the top.”

  She laughed, allowing him to pull her up. “Maybe we should just take things slow.”

  The break had given Shawn’s leg enough of a rest that he was able to push his way up the last thirty or so steps to the top. Natalie held his hand the entire time, encouraging him without words to keep going. Somehow, she didn’t make him feel weak, or like a burden. Instead, he felt like they were partners who could conquer this obstacle together.

  Natalie leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they gazed out at their bird’s eye view of the island. From here, they could see over the treetops to the sand white beaches at the north end of the island. He could even make out a few of the shops the cruise line had built—the ones that weren’t hidden by the trees, at least.

  “Thank you for climbing to the top with me,” Natalie said, turning in his arms. “It’s even better than I imagined.”

  “I’m glad we did it together,” Shawn said, tightening his hold on her waist. His leg burned from the effort, but Natalie made it all worth it. She made him want to push his boundaries and see what he could accomplish.

  “Me too.”

  Her warm eyes tugged at his soul, teasing him to envision a future he’d never considered. Never having a permanent address—never having roots—might not be so bad with Natalie by his side. Shawn leaned down, touching his lips softly to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her body fitting perfectly against his. Soft fingers brushed along his shoulders as his fingers tangled in her hair, deepening the kiss.

  Natalie was unlike anyone he’d ever met. And the thought of letting her go tore his soul into shreds.

  He rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. “Natalie,” he whispered. “I think… I think maybe…”

  Her eyes grew wide and panicked. She rested a soft finger against his lips, shaking her head back and forth. “Don’t say it.”

  His chest heaved as his heart twisted. “Say what?”

  “You know what. Once the words are out, you can’t take them back.”

  He pulled her closer, groaning. “Maybe I don’t want to take them back.”

  She dropped her hand back to his shoulder, and he could see the fear in her eyes. “It’s only been six days.”

  Shawn pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “Sometimes that’s all it takes.”

  “I can’t…” Her chest heaved, and she pushed him gently away. “Let’s just enjoy our last two days together. We’d better get back to the bus. The volleyball tournament starts in two hours.”

  Shawn nodded, letting the subject drop. But as they climbed back down the ancient ruins, he knew that he didn’t want two days with Natalie. He wanted months and years and decades to explore every facet of her personality.

  Now he just had to convince Natalie to give them a chance.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Natalie stretched out underneath the cabana, smiling at Shawn as he handed her a glass with a frozen drink. He looked beyond handsome today in board shorts and a cotton gray T-shirt, with sunglasses obscuring his gunmetal blue eyes. Her chest tightened as she thought about saying goodbye to him in less than twenty-four hours. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked quickly, focusing on taking a drink of her fruity beverage.

  “Thank you,” Natalie said, setting the glass on the small table between them.

  “You’re welcome.” Shawn sank into his chair, careful to keep his leg stretched out straight. His knee was swollen today, almost twice it’s normal size. Natalie had been horrified when she saw it, but Shawn had assured her it was fine and just needed a day or two to recover from their hike up the Mayan temple yesterday.

  That hadn’t stopped her from feeling guilty. Her adventurous attitude had cost him more than she’d realized in the heat of the moment.

  “How did the article come along today?” Shawn asked. They’d spent most of the day apart as he focused on Toujour and she focused on writing.

  Natalie sighed, grabbing one of the chocolate covered strawberries from the tray on the table. “It’s done. I’m not sure how good it is, though.” The words hadn’t come any easier while watching the sandcastle building contest than they had while sitting by the pool on the lido deck of the ship, and she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was off about the article. She’d mentioned the sites in Mexico, the amenities on the ship, and the specific activities Toujour added to the experience. She’d included quotes from the couples she’d interviewed, including one from Skye, who seemed to have gotten over Declan since the belly flop contest.

  “I’m sure it’s great.” Shawn’s voice was soft and soothing, his southern drawl wrapping around her like a warm blanket. She’d miss hearing that drawl every day.

  “I hope so.” She watched the waves lap gently at the white sands, only a few yards from their cabana. The beach was littered with the semi-permanent structures. The rough hewn wood floor was partially covered by sand, and the white canvas sides had been tied back to allow the breeze to filter through. At the far end of the beach, she could see the dock for the tender boats, and off in the distance the ship anchored at sea. The dock was mostly empty right now, though. The ship wouldn’t depart until seven o’clock, and twelve hours later they’d be back in California.

  “I’d love to read your article,” Shawn said. “I’d love to read anything you’ve written.”

  Natalie sent him a teasing smile. “Buy a copy of World Traveler Magazine and you will.”

  He laughed, setting his full lips on the rim of his glass and taking a long sip. She looked away, focusing on her own drink. Part of her wanted to throw herself at Shawn and spend the last few hours together wrapped in each other’s embrace. But another part of her wanted to pull back and put some distance between them to lessen the hurt she knew was coming.

  “Maybe I will,” Shawn said. He gasped, pointing out to sea. “Did you just see that dolphin jump into the air?”

  Natalie leaned forward in her chair, adjusting her sunglasses as she followed the direction of Shawn’s finger. A moment later, she saw it—a dolphin breaching the water for just a moment before disappearing once more beneath the surf.

  “It’s so beautiful,” Natalie breathed. She slid her feet off the edge of the wood deck and plunged them into the warm sand with a sigh. The sun hung nearly directly overhead, glittering brilliantly with each sway of the ocean. “I’m goi
ng to miss this.”

  Shawn reached across the space separating them and wrapped her hand in his own. “I’m going to miss you.”

  Natalie blinked quickly, a lump rising in her throat. “Don’t,” she choked out.

  Shawn scooted his chair closer, so that their knees nearly touched. She glanced again at his swollen one. Shawn was thirty-three. He’d done the drifter-with-no-place-to-call-home thing for a decade now. He was ready to settle down in a small town and start a family. And she was ready to … what? Travel the world alone?

  “Don’t what?” Shawn asked quietly, running his thumb across her knuckles and sending shivers up her spine.

  A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it away. “Don’t start saying goodbye. I’ll start blubbering like an idiot. I just want to enjoy our last sixteen hours together.”

  “Natalie.” He took off his sunglasses, setting them on the table, and took both her hands in his. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked into those expressive blue eyes. They reached out and grabbed her by the heart, refusing to let go.

  “What?” she whispered.

  “I don’t want to say goodbye.”

  She pulled her hands away with a shaky sigh. “You live on a ship. I want to travel the world. All good things must come to an end.” The thought of leaving him made her heart split in two, but what was the alternative? They barely knew each other.

  Shawn scooted forward on his chair, eyes suddenly earnest. “But what if it doesn’t have to end?”

  “It does,” Natalie said forcefully.

  “No. It doesn’t. I’m falling in love with you, Natalie.” His voice sounded strangled, and her heart was beating erratically in her chest. “I want to see if we can be more than a Christmas vacation fling. I think we can work out in reality, where we have to cook our own meals and battle rush hour traffic and go grocery shopping.”

  Natalie rose, shaking her head. The ocean breeze, which moments before have felt so soft and soothing, suddenly stung like a whip. “That’s not what this is supposed to be.”