A Touch of Passion (boxed set romance bundle)

by Uvi Poznansky

  The last thought forced her to dress faster and hurry down stairs before she could dwell on what had been lost. After dressing and making her bed, she rushed to the kitchen, but instead of finding her mom, she found her dad, with a cup of coffee and the local newspaper. He looked up from his paper only to acknowledge her presence, then went right back to reading. Charity looked around for her mom, but Judy wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

  “Morning, Dad. Where’s mom? I expected her to be down here frantically trying to finish all the last minute dishes she loves putting together for Christmas.”

  Jim peered over the corner of the paper. “She said that she was helping a friend decorate their house for Christmas today, and we’re going to have to fend for ourselves for lunch. What do you think of the half pound burgers at Walters? Your mom never lets me eat there. She says that it’s too many fat grams. I personally love fat grams.”

  Charity went over to the toaster and slipped a couple slices of bread into it. She weighed her options and realized she didn’t have any. “Sounds good to me.”

  Charity drummed on the kitchen counter and looked thoughtfully out of the kitchen window, watching the wind blow the tree branches and the last of the leaves off of them. It looked cold out there. So much for her quiet day in the house, cooking with her mom.

  “Hey, Dad. Who is this friend mom’s helping? She was fairly vague last night about it.”

  Jim didn’t even look up from his papers, but shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t have a clue. I only know that it finally gets those boxes of decorations out of our basement. I say, God bless whoever it is, and may they have a larger basement than we do.”

  Even though Judy wasn’t around the house to enjoy the day with Charity and Jim, the two of them had a great time. Jim did everything he wasn’t allowed to do when Judy was around the house. That meant eating every type of junk food known to man. After a full day of eating, he crashed on the living room sofa, and was watching Scrooge and rubbing his aching stomach.

  Needing to walk off some of the day’s food binge, Charity decided to go for a walk through the neighborhood to look at everyone’s Christmas decorations. The last time she had made this trip, David had been with her, and he had told her of his fears about Maria’s carrying the baby. It was a sad truth that he had been right to be afraid then.

  It had been a chilly day, and when the sun set, the temperatures took a deeper plunge. Charity grabbed one of her father’s old, brown work coats out of the front hall closet and slipped it on. She found a pair of old, brown work gloves in its pockets. She was almost certain she would never make the cover of Vogue with her man-around-town look, but the ugly, tattered brown coat kept the sharp wind out, and the old ragged work gloves kept her fingers from getting frost bite. There was something very refreshing about not worrying if a tabloid cameraman was waiting around every corner to snap her picture, and what if they did? She was beyond caring what the world thought of her. She had already been judged and found lacking a few times, and she had survived with only a few scars and a lot more backbone, after all was said and done.

  The first thing she did was admire the front of her parent’s house, before setting off down the Main Street admiring everyone else’s decorations. She was surprised to see the judge’s house decorated and lit. She couldn’t believe the new owners had already moved in and decorated their new house. Every room in the house seemed to have a light on. Charity paused. There was something familiar about some of the decorations in the front window, and the wreath on the front door. When Charity couldn’t decide where she had seen them before, she continued her sightseeing until she reached the center of the town square. There she found the bench she and David had sat on two Christmases before, talking about Maria and the expected baby.

  The stores were brightly decorated and had matching red lights on all of the window fronts. There weren’t many cars with all the stores now closed for the holidays. The city felt like it was deserted. Most people were probably off somewhere celebrating Christmas with their families. The scene was peaceful and serene. When Charity heard the footsteps coming down the sidewalk behind her, she didn’t bother turning. It was probably someone out looking at the Christmas decorations and lights like she was. It wasn’t until the sound of the footsteps stopped right behind her that she wondered if it was a mugger.

  When the man spoke, she almost wished it was.

  “Your dad said that you were walking down this way. Mind if I join you?”

  “Sure. The county owns this bench. I don’t.”

  David leaned on the back of the bench and flicked her ponytail. “You don’t seem very happy to see me.”

  She met his eyes and tried to read his expression. When he grinned and winked, she shrugged. “I don’t know. Why are you here?”

  David walked around and sat next to her. “Merry Christmas.”

  He was even more handsome than he had been the first day she had met him at Dallas Cowboy’s football stadium, with his cheeks all red from the cold. Here she was with her nose running, her hair windblown, and of all the things to wear out on the town, her dad’s old coat and gloves.

  He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. He stared off across toward the other side of the square. “You and I have some unfinished business between us.”

  Charity turned sideways on the bench and crossed her legs in front of her. She placed her elbows on her knees and cupped her face between her palms. It was far easier to look as if she wasn’t afraid of what he was going to say this way. “What unfinished business? I didn’t leave with a couple of your towels, did I?”

  David turned around so he was facing her. He leaned forward to be as close as possible without actually touching. He took her face into his gloved hands and pulled it to his. He then burned his lips into hers. The night was still, and their breaths sounded ragged in the crisp, cold air of the night. When he finally pulled away it was only a fraction of an inch. His eyes sought out hers for only a moment before pulling her back, into a deeper kiss. Their mouths met in desperation, and their hands sought out the warm comfort of each other’s coats.

  After several moments, lost in David’s embrace, Charity finally pulled away and struggled to regain some sense of where they were.

  Charity’s heart was thumping wildly and it was hard to breathe. The cold air was burning her lungs. She stood up and then looked at David. The crazy man was grinning. It was too much to comprehend. He made a move to stand, but she motioned for him to stay where he was at. “I think you had better stay right there until you tell me why you are here.”

  David dug his hands into his coat pockets, and he crossed his legs as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He looked years younger. Charity couldn’t understand how, in just a few days, he had changed so much. He was still grinning foolishly as he spoke. “Okay, if I have to. I would rather stand over there by you, and tell you why I’m here.”

  Charity put a couple of feet between them so she could think. “No. You better stay there and start talking. More explaining like you just did, and we’ll both be spending a night in the county jail for lewd conduct.”

  That made David’s grin grow broader. His tone turned into a teasing one. “Lewd conduct? I’ve never been arrested for that before. Sounds interesting.”

  When Charity took another step backwards, he motioned for her to stop. He stood and nodded towards Main Street. “Why don’t we walk and talk? I have something I want you to show you.”

  When she was close enough, he grabbed her scarf and tugged her up against his chest. He slowly bent his face toward hers, but just when she thought he was going to kiss her again, he placed a quick peck on her forehead. He backed away and took hold of her shoulder.

  “Okay. Let’s start walking before the lewd conduct starts. Besides, it’s too cold out here, and I have something I want you to see. It’s important, and besides, I think you’re going to really like what I’m about to show you.”

  Charity sat on the
bench and crossed her arms. “I’m not moving an inch until you tell me what is going on.”

  David just shook his head and sat next to her. “Why do you want to go and get stubborn on me now? It won’t take but a few minutes to get there, and you will understand it all then.”

  Charity leaned back. “Call me all the names that you want to. I’m not moving an inch.”

  David leaned back and copied her posture. “Why? Can’t you trust me long enough to get where we are going?”

  Charity turned to face him. Her expression revealing just how earnest she was. “Let me explain something to you. You are a jerk!”

  David grinned. “Wow! You’re calling me names, so it must be serious.”

  “Don’t you understand why I left California? You show up here, and you kiss me like you mean it, but you know as well as I do that sooner or later you’re going to back away from what you feel. I can’t do this. You’re hot one minute and then cold the next. I came home to rebuild my life. I can’t do that with you coming here to mess with my head and my heart. I just can’t do it, David. What do you want?”

  David leaned over and pressed his forehead against hers, but just when she thought he was going to kiss her again, he just kissed the top of her head. He then pulled her to him, and sat with his arm around her shoulders. Her head came just to the top of his shoulder so he leaned his head on the top of her head as he spoke. “When Suzette and I watched your plane take off, I think both of our hearts broke. I know why you left, and I know it’s my fault. I’m just asking you to believe and trust in me long enough to walk down Main Street. Okay? It will only take five minutes. I promise.”

  His breath was hot on the top of her head, and the spot where his lips had kissed the top of her head still burned. She might as well see what he wanted her to see. With him sitting so close to her, it was impossible to think straight, so she was better off getting up and moving. She would go and see what he wanted to see, and then he had to go. Did he think her heart couldn’t be broken just like his?

  Charity stood and shoved her hands deep into her dad’s coat pockets. “Okay. Show me whatever it is you think is so important, but then you have to go.”

  David gave a lazy smile and it made her heart jumped. She wondered why he suddenly looked so happy.

  He then insulted her outfit. “Nice coat and gloves. Is this your disguise, so all of your adoring fans don’t recognize you?”

  If possible, Charity’s hands went deeper in the coat pockets. “Shut up. I wasn’t exactly expecting company. My plan was to just give all the decorations a quick look before I settled in for the night. I thought most people would be at home, where it’s warm. There always seems to be an exception to the rule though.”

  David casually slung his arm around her shoulders again. “You’re so right. I have always been the exception to the rule.”

  They left the square and headed back down Main Street, back towards Charity’s house. They walked in silence for a few seconds before Charity’s curiosity got the better of her, and she asked, “Where are we going?”

  David teased her, “Didn’t your mom ever tell you that patience is a virtue?”

  “Of course, but I’m certain my mom told me a lot of things I didn’t pay any attention to. So what are we going to see?”

  “Just wait.”

  She stopped and grinned. “Are we going to Suzette? I really miss her.”

  He playfully tweaked the end of her nose. “You’ll find out in a minute.” He kissed her and grinned. “Did you miss me, too?”

  She huffed. “You’ll find out in a minute.”

  The only sounds in the cold night air were the wind blowing and the sound of their shoes on the cold pavement. It was easy to become mesmerized by the sound of his voice. He spoke in low tones and his voice was serene, with just the hint of sadness in it. “For weeks, I saw love in your eyes and all I wanted was to be that man you thought I was.” There was a gentle pause before he continued, “Every moment we were together, my life felt complete. The moment you left, Suzette and I began to feel your absence so deeply, and the beach house no longer feels like a home.”

  Charity opened her mouth to speak, but found no words would come out. She wanted to sit down for a moment. All of her blood seemed to have left her head and rushed to her heart.

  David continued pulling her down the sidewalk, to some unknown goal. He suddenly seemed strong enough for the two of them. He finally stopped and turned to face her. He then dropped to one knee onto the cold, wet sidewalk and smiled. “With all of my heart, I love you. Would you stay with me forever, as my wife and Suzette’s mother?”

  Charity watched the scene play out in front of her in disbelief. She held her breath and waited for Christopher to call “cut”. It all had to be a part of some production, because it didn’t feel real. Even though the seconds drug on, David didn’t move. His eyes never wavered from hers. He was really proposing.

  She cradled his face between her hands, and leaned down close to his face. Their noses almost touched. “Why now? You could have stopped me any time before I left. All you ever had to do was ask me to stay and I would have. Why are you here now?”

  David stood and wrapped his arms around her. His next words were spoken into her hair. “I wanted to. So many times I wanted to. It took you getting on the plane for me to wake up to the fact that I really was going to lose you.” He cupped her face in his hands. That action forced her to look at him. “I should have begged you not to leave, but when you said you were coming home to finish your degree, I knew you were right to come back here, and I want to start over with you. That’s why I have to show you something.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. They finally stopped in front of Judge Ash’s house. The three story, red brick home appeared to be waiting for them.

  Charity looked around trying to see what David wanted her to see. “Okay. What am I looking at?”

  “Our home. The place where I want you to spend the rest of our life. The place where I want to raise an entire house full of children, with you. The place where I want to spend long, wintry nights, having hot, steamy sex, with you.”

  David drew her to him under the wide, white columns of the front porch. He touched her face so softly and intimately that Charity almost cried from its sweetness. His breath was warm on her face. “This is the house I bought for us to start our life in. Tell me you want to be here with me. I want to spend the rest of my life here with you. I promise to never give you another reason to ever doubt how deep my love for you runs.”

  In spite of her doing everything not to cry, a single tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

  David’s voice could barely be heard over the wind that was blowing in from the north. “Will you marry me? Here in this house, tomorrow. Judge Ash said he would be happy to perform the ceremony.”

  Charity collapsed on one of the front porch steps and closed her eyes against the harsh sting of the north wind, and against the threatening tears. She rested her head on her knees and considered David’s heartfelt proposal. She could sense his presence hovering close by, and after a couple of moments, he finally sat next to her. His knee touched hers, and the feeling of security that contact created was what finally brought everything into focus. Even before David had declared his love, she had felt it, and since there was no way she could love anyone but him, she had no doubt what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

  Charity finally lifted her head, and asked. “Just how many kids is a whole house full?”

  David let out a loud victory cry before jumping up. Before Charity could move, he grabbed and twirled them both around in a circle. They were locked in a deep kiss when the front door opened.

  When they finally emerged, they saw Judy standing in the doorway with Suzette in her arms. “Does that mean she said yes?”

  Charity punched David in the shoulder. “You told my mom before me?”

  David grinned, but didn’t loosen his hold on her.
“Sure. Days ago. That’s how I knew you wanted this house. Judy helped me with the decorations.”

  “Did she also tell you I would say yes?”

  “No, but she did say, if I broke your heart, she would tell Jim to shoot me.”

  David leaned in closer and whispered, “She certainly does have a mean streak in her, but don’t tell her that I said that.”

  Charity kissed the end of his nose before yelling, “Mom! David said you had a mean streak.”

  David swatted her butt, then carried her over to the front porch, and lowered her feet to the floor. The moment he did, Suzette squealed, leaned forward, and held her little arms out.

  Charity grabbed her before she toppled out of her mom’s arms. She planted kisses all over her face and cherished the sound of her giggles. “I love you, baby mine, let’s get you back in your new house before you catch a cold.”

  David jumped onto the porch and pulled the three of them into a hug, before ushering everyone into the almost empty living room. The only things in the huge room were a large Christmas tree in the middle of the floor, with brightly wrapped presents, carefully arranged underneath.

  Charity glanced around at the starkness. “Looks like we could use some furniture.”

  David wrapped his arms around Charity and Suzette before leaning in to whisper, “From where I’m standing this house has the only two things I’m ever going to need.”

  Epilogue

  Charity looked around the crowded airport. It was hard to believe it hadn’t changed since that fated flight, four years earlier. How was it possible for it to stay so unchanged while she had become so different, from the once very naïve girl, heading out for her first acting job?