With a tilt of her head, she released a chuckle, “You know, I’ve been out of the game for a few years, but seriously, that’s probably the best pick up line I’ve ever heard.”
“Ma’am, I swear,” he held his hand up, “that wasn’t a line. I meant every word of it.”
His face creased into an off kilter smile causing a swirly feeling in her stomach. It had been a long time since anyone had made her heart race like this. She pushed the thought aside. Since when did she become so needy that hearing a compliment from the opposite sex sent her into a tailspin? It was obvious he was a playboy. And judging from his demeanor and wide smile, she figured wherever he came from, the women were plentiful and his for the taking.
“So what exactly are you looking for?” she changed the subject.
“Well, something Christmasy.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Really?” she snickered.
“I was trying to make you laugh. Okay, I can see you don’t appreciate my humor so I’ll quit while I’m ahead. But honestly…what I said before…I meant every word of it. And I will keep coming back in here until you get used to me and you’ll say yes to a date with me. We can start small,” he offered. “You know…like a cup of coffee? So what do you say?”
CHAPTER THREE
When Mallory heard the bells tingle again, her anxiety heightened figuring Don Juan had returned, but when she heard Dina’s voice, relief washed over her and she released a breath.
“Miriam and I are here, Mal,” Dina said, rushing up to her like an excited schoolgirl ready to hear about the new kid in class. “So how was it?”
“Listen you two,” Mallory shook her finger at them, “Stop with this voodoo crap.”
Miriam arched her brow. “This my dear, is not crap. Those Tarot cards are on the money, Mal,” Miriam gloated. “You didn’t believe me then, but I’ll bet you do now.”
“Oh stop! For crying out loud, I believe no such thing.”
“But he is here to stay, isn’t he?” Dina said, as she jumped up and down, her hands clutched together in prayer mode.
Mallory huffed. “Maybe. So what?” She shook her head. “Lots of people come and go through Chester. It’s a wonderful place to live, so why wouldn’t he want to stay.”
Miriam fanned her fingers over her forehead and rubbed them back and forth. Her eyes shut tightly as though in deep thought. “Tell me, Mal, does his name begin with an ‘A’? I’m seeing two letters.”
“What? You’re a psychic now too?”
“Does his name begin with an A?” she repeated.
“Yes!”
Miriam dropped her hands, opened her eyes and turned to Dina, her head bobbing up and down. Dina was jumping up and down with her hands still in prayer mode clapping them in short succinct pats and grinning the broadest grin.
“He’s definitely the one, Dina,” Miriam said.
Mallory groaned and glanced toward the door when she heard the chimes play again. Throwing her arms up in despair she walked away, grateful for the reprieve. She stopped short when she saw him standing there again smiling at her.
“Hi, Mallory,” he waved. “I’m back. I’ve decided to buy two more of those candles. If I know my aunt, she’s going to want a pair. And I have no doubt her friend will want one too. So if you’d put those two in a gift box with a big bow, I’ll give this one to my aunt and the other to her friend.”
Surprised that he’d called her by name, she tried to recap their meeting. Had she told him her name? It was highly unlikely. This whole thing was way too surreal. Was there really something to Miriam’s predictions, readings, whatever she was calling them?
“Aren’t you curious about how I knew your name was Mallory?” She pretended not to care. Of course she did, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “I asked Josie two doors down from here.” With a toss of his head, he grinned. “Yeah, she’s quite a talker.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet,” she said with disgust and headed back toward the storage room for two more candles without saying another word. She should have realized it was Josie who was known for being the town gossip. She had no doubt the old busy body had given him an ear full. Born and raised in Chester, Josie made it her lot in life to know everyone’s business. And what she didn’t know, she made up to make the story more interesting.
After pulling the two boxes off the shelf, Mallory walked back out to the showroom. He was following her with his eyes. “Are you always this serious?” he asked.
“I suppose. Now what color paper did you want on this package?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you choose it for me?”
Mallory pulled the holiday paper decorated with wreaths and large red ribbons out the length of the large box, made a crease and slid the paper cutter across the seam. Removing the candlesticks from their individual boxes, she placed them inside the box and added tissue paper to hold them in place and another piece over top, then covered the box with the lid. She could feel his ardent stare that was making her nervous and shaky. Fumbling for the roll of ribbon, her fast movements made the roll and the premade bow slip off the counter and fall to the floor. Before stooping down to pick them up, she noticed the playful expression on his face.
“Do I make you nervous?”
“Of course not,” she denied. “I’m clumsy.”
“I’m dying for a cup of coffee. Will you do me the honor of joining me?” He stood with an expectant stare “What do you say?”
“Thanks, but no thanks. It’s our busiest time. I can’t leave my sister here alone to handle the customers.” She rolled her eyes. “She’s liable to give the store away.”
“Yeah, but there’s no one in here.”
“For now, that is,” she offered.
“Well, I think I’ve already decided. I’m not going anywhere. Like I told you before, I really think we have a connection and I’d be a fool not to pursue the possibility.” He threw up his hands. “I’ll always wonder if I don’t attempt to find out.”
“You’re a persistent guy. I’ll give you that. But seriously, at what point do you give up?”
“When you tell me you feel nothing.” He cocked his head to the side. “You must be feeling something.”
“I can tell you right now if that’s what it takes,” she said trying to discourage him.
“Seriously, AJ, what makes you think I want to find out?”
“Because you’ve got to be a little curious.”
She chuckled. “No…not really. I have two demanding daughters who require my full attention. I’m sure you’re a very nice man, but I’m not looking for any connections. Once you start meeting the single women in town, you’ll have so many others to choose from, you’ll have a hard time trying to decide which one you want to date. They’re on display every Wednesday night at The Redman Bar up on route twenty-four.”
AJ paid for the gifts and picked the shopping bag up by its handles. “I’m not interested in meeting other women, least of all in a bar. I’m interested in you.” He gave a slight shrug, “All right, I guess I’ll have to keep coming back. I’ll see you soon,” he said throwing her a kiss as he exited the store.
Stunned, Mallory stood and watched. When she eased her way around the counter and back into the showroom, she noticed Miriam and Dina watching her every move. Disgusted, she shook her head and walked into the second showroom secretly admitting AJ gave her a warm glow inside.
CHAPTER FOUR
AJ pulled into the parking lot at Deep Well Apple Orchards to find a Christmas tree for his aunt. Exiting the car, the sound of Christmas carols echoed from the overhead speakers and the smell of apple wood burning in the field filled the air. It brought back happy memories of his childhood. An image of his dad cutting down the damaged apple trees from a nearby orchard warmed his heart and had him missing his family. He remembered being the official log stacker in the family. Hell, his prissy sisters weren’t going to get their hands dirty, and by the time he was done, he’d have big bliste
rs all over his. But it was that unforgettable smell of apple wood that made it all worth it. He inhaled deeply enjoying the flashback in time and lingered a little longer before checking out the Christmas trees.
It seemed odd that he hadn’t thought about how much he’d missed those years in a long time. Despite his sisters being afraid to dirty their hands, he fondly remembered baking cookies with them every year in his mother’s huge kitchen. The wind kicked up and whipped around him, the sting of cold burning his cheeks and causing him to pull his collar up over his nose. He blew his hot breath inside his collar to warm his face.
AJ jerked back instinctively when two young boys almost charged right into him while chasing after one another. He smiled remembering his sisters chasing after him. And then, a deep sadness pulled him from his jovial mood and reminded him of the day they’d parted ways. His mother had made him executor of her estate and had left him enough money to live his life out in luxury. His sisters contested the assignment and the fact that he’d been given more than them. They filed a lawsuit claiming he coerced his mother into changing her will. Despite the trust attorney’s assurance that the will had not been changed they still contested it. In court, the judge dismissed the case and told them to stop whining.
AJ took in a frigid breath of air and blew it out, the smoke from his hot breath spiraling upward like a smoldering fire. Opulence and greed did bad things to people who had so much. All six of them had already been living in the lap of luxury—he wasn’t. It was right after the dismissal that he’d left for Barbados where he’d started a business on the beach giving surfing lessons and selling boards. It had been almost ten years since. He never thought they’d hold on to that bitter anger so long.
Becoming aware of the numbness in his hands, he realized he wasn’t wearing gloves again. He groaned, but blew his hot breath through each fisted hand trying to warm them before pulling on his gloves. Unaccustomed to this climate, he found he continually neglected to admit it was colder outside than he thought. By the time he remembered to put on his gloves, his hands and ears were already freezing. Stopping to listen to the carolers now walking up and down the aisles, he hoped the Christmas songs would stop his sudden melancholy. This was a time for joy he told himself, not a time for sadness.
A few families passed by dragging their Christmas trees. The excitement from the little kids made him smile. He envied their enthusiasm and wondered if he’d ever have a family to start building traditions that would follow them throughout life.
Releasing a sigh, he trudged his way through the crowded aisles stopping to smell the pine scent emanating from the trees. His aunt hadn’t celebrated Christmas since his uncle had passed away two years ago, but this year, it was going to be different and he wanted to help her regain the excitement of the holidays. She’d be surprised when she came home from work and saw the decorated tree in her living room. He had the surprise all planned out. He’d decorate the tree and maybe hire a chef for the day to bake and prepare a yummy meal for Christmas. His excitement mounted as he made a mental list of everything he had to do.
He hadn’t decorated a tree in years—not since he was a young boy. It had him wondering if it would look like a little boy’s rendition. He shrugged. Either way, his aunt would be delighted. A sudden thought occurred to him. Why not hire Mallory to decorate the tree? Allowing her to pick out the perfect ornaments from her store to decorate the tree would be like a constant reminder of her. Pleased with his idea, he couldn’t wait to put it into motion. He snickered because as his employee, this would be one time she couldn’t run away.
Mallory’s voice filtered through the trees close by. Anxious to see her, he stepped out from behind a tree, but heard her voice laced with anger at her girls who were in the throes of a fight. She pointed toward the parking lot demanding they wait in the car. To avoid embarrassing her, he ducked behind another tree with enough foliage to cover him, but he could still see and hear what was being said. The girls begrudgingly marched away.
He’d been in her store every day since he’d arrived a week ago, and she still hadn’t budged on that coffee date with him. Maybe the tree decorating would work to his advantage. They’d be alone without distractions and she’d really get to know him. He couldn’t help but imagine her very kissable lips and wondered how long it would take before he could convince her to take a chance on him. He didn’t know what her story was, but he hoped she would share it with him. It had been a long time since he’d felt the love sting, but when he looked into her hazel eyes, he saw far beyond her nervousness of being around him. Despite her aloofness, he knew she must have felt something too. She’d damned near knocked his socks off, and until he tried everything possible to convince her, his mind wouldn’t rest. Whatever her hang up was with men, he was going to break through that closely guarded barricade of her’s and show her a life filled with love.
Leaning in closer he listened. Holding his breath he caught the tail end of her conversation.
“…this tree,” she said. “Can you hold it for me for a few days? I’ll come back with a larger vehicle to pick it up.”
He grinned. This was another window of opportunity to be around her. His heart skipped a beat as he watched her leave and he remained there until she was out of sight. He made his way over to the attendant. “Hi, my friend Mallory Gardner, the woman who had you tag this tree,” he pointed.
“Yes, that was Mrs. Gardner.”
“Oh, you know her?”
“For a long time.”
AJ smiled, figuring the young boy couldn’t have been any older than twelve. “I called out to her before she left, but she didn’t hear me.”
“Yeah, she was pretty mad. Jenny and Lacey were fighting again.”
“I guess that’s a pretty regular occurrence then?”
“Yeah. It is. I tried talking to Jenny, but she said they do it to get their mom’s goat.” He covered his mouth with his hand. “I probably shouldn’t have said that to you. You’re not gonna tell on me, are you?”
“No, your secret is safe with me. No offense to you, but teenagers can be a little insensitive at times. Anyway, the reason I called out to her was to tell her I have enough room on the roof of my car to deliver her tree. Is she still in the same place?” he asked hoping the boy would give him the address.
“Yeah. I don’t think they’ll ever move from there. As long as I’ve known Jenny, they’ve lived at 24 Hillside Road—third house on the left. I’m in Jenny’s history class,” he boasted with a prideful expression on his face.
“And you have a huge crush on that pretty little thing, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do. But she doesn’t know it.”
“And I won’t tell her. Must run in the family,” he mumbled without giving it any thought. He quickly changed the subject before the boy could ask, “Jenny’s thirteen, right?”
“Yes,” he said, “we both turned thirteen last month.”
“Glad to hear my memory hasn’t failed me yet. So if you’ll get the tree ready for transport while I pick out my tree, I’ll pay for and deliver them both.”
“Yes sir.” The boy picked up the tree and carried it over to the tree bailer. AJ watched him pull it through the funnel to encase the tree in a sturdy plastic mesh. He continued his search and stopped in front of a tall tree. He turned the tree around to get a look at the backside. Except for a few uneven branches this was the perfect tree. He’d shove it in the corner of the living room and no one would notice the sparse spots.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Shut up, little puke girl,” Jenny shouted at her sister.
Mallory bolted into the living room where Jenny had her sister up against the wall.
“Jenny, that’s it! I’ve had enough of your crap tonight.” She pointed her finger. “You’d better move that fanny of yours into bed this very minute.”
“But it’s too early to go to bed!”
“Tough! You should have thought of that before you started bullying your sist
er.” Mallory pursed her lips. “I just don’t understand how you can be so mean to your sister. You’re supposed to love one another.” Heat burned in her stomach and she wondered if she had an ulcer. It would be a miracle if she survived this insanity until the time Jenny was old enough to go off to college.
Jenny stomped off to her room and stopped by her bedroom door. “This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t killed my father,” sailed out of her mouth in a hateful voice before slamming the door so hard the mirror on the wall shifted slightly from the impact.
Mallory sucked in her breath and blew it out. Jenny’s comments had a way of stabbing her in the heart every time she mentioned her father. It was meant to remind Mallory she and Mitch had had an argument when he raced out of the driveway on his motorcycle. What Jenny refused to believe was that Mallory had forbidden him to ride the bike with his young single friends who were smoking weed and doing jumps over all sorts of things. But Mitch refused to grow up and brushed her off deciding smoking pot and jumping with those single guys was more important than being a responsible adult. Anger swelled inside her chest as she remembered the call from Mitch’s girlfriend saying he’d lost control during a jump and the bike fell over top of him crushing his chest on impact. The police had called shortly after. She remembered seeing Mitch laid out on the coroner’s table. She’d felt so much anger, she didn’t know whether to cry or spit in his face. Regardless, Jenny had convinced herself Mitch would never have lost control of his bike if it hadn’t been for Mallory’s nagging.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Lacey asked sitting down on the edge of the sofa. She touched her mother’s arm and watched her. Lacey’s kindness brought tears to Mallory’s eyes, but she held back so her daughter wouldn’t notice. But it was too late; Lacey had noticed and immediately leaned in to hug her. “Just ignore her, Mom. She’s a jerk!”
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