Mistletoe Kisses & Christmas Wishes: A Christmas Romance Boxed Set Book Bundle Collection

by Leah Atwood

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  May the desire to be more like our Savior guide us in each moment this Christmas,

  Sincerely,

  Lynnette Bonner

  Beyond the Waves

  Sample Chapter

  PACIFIC SHORES, Book 1 ~ Contemporary Christian Romance

  Taysia blinked away tears as she keyed in the digits to the security panel at the front door of Mom’s Gym. Her bag, slung over one shoulder, whispered against the slick nylon of her sweat suit as she hurried down the back hallway toward her office. The last thing she needed right now was to bump into Marie.

  Pushing open her office door, she paused to absorb the peace of her little domain. The scent of new carpet and fresh paint assailed her. She liked the effect of her remodel. The dark green pile and mint-colored paint gave the room a cool, soothing feel that was heightened by the Thomas Kincade prints. She closed her eyes and inhaled the quiet, then forced the tension in her shoulders to ease on a long exhale of air.

  Her fingers filtered across the top of the maidenhair fern on the stand to her right. This was where she lived and breathed. Well, here and the amazing beach at the edge of town, which was where she headed whenever she got the chance. There weren’t many places more beautiful than the Oregon coast. But when she had to be inside, she needed the soothing coolness of this room to escape from her hectic schedule.

  She stepped farther into the office and pushed the door shut behind her as her shoulders drooped a little. Today the living and breathing would come with more pain than usual.

  She squeezed the base of her neck and rolled her head from side to side, trying to ease the low throb of a headache that had been threatening since the night before. Daddy hadn’t shown up for their Friday dinner date last night, and when she’d gone to his house to make sure he was fine, it became obvious he’d forgotten all about it—not unusual these days.

  With another sigh she set her bag down. She hated to admit it, but the signs of his decreasing mental faculties could no longer be ignored. She would have to make a decision soon.

  Lord, I can’t stand to see Daddy go downhill like this. Please just bring him back. Only a few months ago, he was just fine. This has all happened so quickly. I don’t know what to do for him, Lord. Help me—

  The buzz of the intercom interrupted her prayer. She stripped off her sweat-suit jacket as she moved toward the desk.

  She punched the intercom button. “Yes?”

  “Taysia? Is that you?”

  Taysia rolled her eyes. No, Marie, it’s Billy Blanks, Tae Bo instructor extraordinaire. Really, Marie could be denser than coastal fog sometimes.

  “Yes, Marie, it’s me. What?” She fired the words with the speed of a bullet, determined to end this conversation quickly. She loved Marie, but right now she didn’t feel like talking to anybody, much less Queen Featherbrain. She angled her eyes toward the ceiling. Forgive me?

  “He’s here!”

  Taysia pinched the bridge of her nose. With her seventeen-year-old receptionist, he could be any one of half a dozen men… Ever since Reece Cahill had broken up with the girl, she’d been on a bit of a boy binge, trying to soothe her hurting heart. Reece was a very nice guy, and Taysia doubted he knew just how badly he’d hurt Marie. But, sad to say, Taysia hadn’t been surprised when she’d heard he’d broken things off. He’d always been more mature than Marie. Truth be told, he was more spiritually on track too. But Taysia was working with Marie on that, and she’d come a long ways from the broken, rebellious teen who’d walked in looking for work a year ago after her father, and only remaining parent in the home, had been sentenced to ten years for a B&E with intent to harm.

  Yes, Marie had come a long way. Now, if only they could get her past this boy-crazy stage.

  The box boy at the local supermarket had been Marie’s love interest last week.

  This week Marie had been on the new-cop-in-town-pulled-me-over-just-for-running-a-stop-sign kick…

  The conversation she’d had with Marie just yesterday rang through Taysia’s head. Marie had giggled and chomped a large wad of bubble gum as she proclaimed, “After all, cops in Marinville just don’t pull people over like that, especially not for running stop signs, so he must have wanted to meet me, right? You should have seen him, Taysia. He’s so gorgeous!”

  Taysia hadn’t bothered to mention that in the small burg of Marinville, no one but Marie probably ever drove over the speed limit, much less ran a stop sign. The poor guy had most likely been bored out of his gourd and looking for any excuse to do his job.

  Although, if he had gotten a look at Marie, he might have pulled her over just to meet her. To say Marie was beautiful would be an understatement. She was a petite brunette with big blue eyes that could swallow a man whole, and she knew how to use them to her best advantage. Taysia had seen her weasel her way out of more than one sticky situation by coquettishly angling her baby blues in the direction of an unsuspecting male. The new officer in town must have a heart of stone if he could look Marie in the eye and still hand her a ticket.

  Yes, Marie was definitely beautiful; she was just missing a few boxes in the attic.

  Oh, Taysia! Stop it! All she needs to do is grow up a little. Marie is a wonderful woman. She is a wonderful receptionist. When she’s not—okay, enough!

  Taysia pressed the intercom, wondering which male on planet Earth Marie was referring to this time. “Who, Marie?”

  “Him! The new cop I was telling you about.” She lowered her voice so Taysia barely heard what she said next. “And he’s even more gorgeous than I first thought!”

  “That’s nice. Did you tell him this gym is geared toward pregnant women and new mothers with post-pregnancy flab on their bellies and thighs? Unless his name is Arnold and he’s just delivered Junior, he should probably try Goddfry’s down on Second.”

  A giggle crackled from the speaker. “He’s not here to work out, silly. Wait…who’s Arnold?”

  Great. Now her love of obscure movies was showing. “Never mind.”

  “Whatever…anyway, he’s here to see you.”

  The headache that had begun last night after her conversation with Daddy flared to life with a painful vengeance. She reached into her top drawer and snatched up the bottle of painkillers. Sophia Clinesmith. This had to be about her.

  “Fine,” she said into the speaker, “send him on back.” Pouring three of the white pills into her palm, she tossed them to the back of her throat, swallowing them down with a swig from the ever-present water bottle on her desk.

  Sophia Clinesmith.

  The pain in her head sank its claws into her frontal lobe and clenched its fists. She rubbed at her brow and hoped those little pills would kick in sometime soon.

  This visit was undoubtedly about the lawsuit. Taysia had known Sophia since elementary school. All her life Sophia had been gorgeous, willowy, blonde, and bratty. Sadly for Mom’s Gym, she was also a model and had twisted her ankle on a pop can someone left in the gym’s parking lot.

  The injury wasn’t severe, but Sophia had missed a fashion show because of it and had informed Taysia in no uncertain terms that she would be taking her case before a judge.

  Some people never change.

  Not long after, a mousy lawyer had shown up with some official-looking papers and told her an investigator would stop by in a couple of days to ask her some questions.

  This must be her lucky day. He’s working on a Saturday?

  Taysia bent down, unzipped the cuffs of her powder-blue sweatpants, and slipped them off over her Nikes. She glanced at her watch. This cop could have five minutes of her time and not a minute more, or he would make her late for class. She smoothed her navy shorts and straightened her socks so she would be ready to go t
he minute she was able. Rummaging in her sports bag, she found a scrunchie and pulled her sun-bleached blonde hair back into a ponytail just as she heard the knock on her door.

  She sat down behind her desk and picked up her water bottle. “Come in,” she called as she took a sip. I hope those painkillers will kick in sometime this year! Maybe more water would help. She tipped the bottle up for a long swig, eyeing the door as she did so.

  The officer pushed open the door and stepped into the room.

  Taysia’s eyes widened and she gave a startled grunt, spewing water everywhere. She clapped a hand to her mouth, attempting to stop the leak in the dam. It didn’t work. The water trickled through her fingers and dribbled down the front of her dark green T-shirt, leaving ugly wet splotches. Still choking from shock, Taysia tried to swallow the measly few drops that remained in her mouth and regain some of her composure. Unfortunately, she drew in what was meant to be a calming breath at the exact moment she swallowed, which sent her into a gale of hacking coughs that would have done justice to an elephant with pneumonia.

  And all the while Kylen Sumner stood in the doorway with a smug smile, eyeing her as though she were a freak sideshow at the circus, hands resting on slim hips, one black eyebrow cocked. “Hello, Taysia. Glad to see me back home, I see.”

  Taysia set down her water bottle with a thunk and looked around the room for a means of escape. With two strides she was at the door to her private bathroom, snatching up her gym bag on the way in. She needed to find a towel—and her composure. “I’ll be right back,” she tossed over her shoulder. “Have a seat.”

  She heard him mutter, “Kylen! How long have you been home? It’s so nice to see you again!”

  Hah! Fat chance! If that was the greeting he’d expected to receive, he had certainly gotten the surprise of his life, hadn’t he?

  The thought cheered her a little, but she still shut the door with a little too much oomph. The vibration shook the walls and sent her toothbrush holder clattering into the sink with a loud commotion. She snatched it up quickly to stop the noise and eyed the door for a moment, half-expecting Kylen to burst in to see if she was alright. Setting the ceramic holder back into place, she leaned her fists into the counter and stared at her face in the mirror.

  Her cheeks could rival a stoplight for color, and her heart was thundering like a dryer full of tumbling tennis shoes.

  Who would have thought that the mere sight of one man could rattle her so? But then again, this wasn’t just any man. This was Kylen Sumner. Helga’s high heels! The memories he brought back. And like the man, these weren’t just any memories. These were Kylen Sumner memories—not happy-go-lucky-summer-day memories, although there were those, but unpopular, Fatty-Four-Eyes, nerd-of-the-decade memories. Memories she’d just as soon forget.

  She blinked and focused on her image in the mirror. She would not let him back into her life.

  Not again.

  Not ever!

  Kylen bolted upright in his chair as Taysia burst out of the bathroom. She had changed into a light-blue T-shirt that brought out the blue gray of her eyes.

  She met his gaze only briefly. “Wish I could stay and chat about old times, but I’m late for a class as it is.” She brushed by him and headed for the door, her athletic gait sure and smooth. Slender, tan legs—

  He swallowed and forced his attention to the floor, staring at a white speck of fuzz on the green carpet.

  “Taysia, someone else is going to have to cover your class. I’m here about Sophia.” His tone was all business, but he eyed her speculatively, knowing that the history between the three of them was not making this situation any easier.

  “Fine. Yes, I know. She’s suing me over a pop can in the parking lot. Really, you’ll have to catch me another time.” She opened the door and gestured for him to leave.

  “She’s not suing you anymore—maybe. I talked her into trying to settle through mediation.”

  She gave him a disbelieving glare. “You’re serious?”

  “As a heart attack.” He stood. “But we have some things to talk over, so, please, you need to cancel your class.”

  Taysia sighed and moved to her desk. “There’s such a thing as an appointment, you know. You couldn’t have called ahead and found a time when I was free?”

  “And missed the look on your face when I walked into your office?”

  The glare she slanted his way would have melted plastic.

  Realizing he probably shouldn’t have brought that up, Kylen held up both hands. “She said she would like to settle in mediation and hopes you’ll agree. Otherwise she’s going to follow through all the way to court.”

  Taysia sighed and reached a hand to the muscles at the base of her neck. “Who does she want to mediate this?”

  Kylen shoved his hands deep into his pockets and cocked one eyebrow, giving what he hoped was an “I’m innocent” shrug.

  “You?”

  He nodded.

  Taysia sank mechanically into her desk chair. “Fine. I’ll cancel the class.” He watched as she placed her index finger in her mouth and nibbled on the outside cuticle, her thumb resting under her chin. She only did that when she was nervous or overwhelmed. She made no move to call her receptionist.

  Coming around to her side, he asked, “Your receptionist, what’s her name?”

  “You gave her a ticket.”

  His brow knitted in a frown. Where had that comment come from? He thought back. Yes, he had given the girl a ticket last week for…something. Her name escaped him. “What’s her name?”

  “Marie.”

  He pressed the intercom. “Marie?”

  “Yes. Who’s this?”

  “This is Officer Sumner. Listen, something’s come up. Layne—uh, Miss Green—isn’t going to be able to make it to her class. She would like you to cancel it, all right?” Kylen let up on the button.

  Marie’s cheery voice buzzed over the speakers. “You got it!” Too cheery. Her words vibrated with the triumphant timbre of a gossip who’d just overheard the juiciest tidbit of the decade. Kylen suppressed a groan. Great. The last thing he wanted was to start rumors about Layne, again.

  Turning to face Taysia, Kylen relaxed back onto the desk, stretching his legs out. “So…you want to head down to Joe’s Ice Cream Truck for old times’ sake?”

  She glared daggers at him and jabbed the intercom. “Marie?”

  He knew her irate frown originated in the past.

  “Yes?” Marie’s voice crackled.

  Taysia glanced down at the intercom, her face suddenly drooping wearily. “Could you lead First Trimester Fitness today? All the gals in there know the routine fairly well. Just make sure not to push them too hard. And don’t forget to open the class in prayer and read Psalm 139. I’ll be done here in half an hour, so I’ll be able to lead Second Trimester Stretches.”

  “Sure, I can do that.” The girl sounded a trifle unsure, but he gave her props for willingness to help Taysia out.

  Kylen sighed. The past was the past, but how he wished he’d handled things differently. He crossed his arms to keep himself from reaching out to touch the softness of her cheek. She looked tired. Really tired. “I’m sorry, Layne. You’re right. I should have called and found out when you were free.” He didn’t add that he’d been afraid she would tell him to take a long midnight hike on a short cliff-side trail.

  “Yes, you should—” She waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it.” Her face softened a little.

  He needed to lighten the mood. “Just be glad I am free today, and that she agreed to allow me to mediate.” He gave a magnanimous grin. “I could be here to arrest you, drag you down to the jail, and lock you up for life without parole! You low-down, parking-lot-full-of-pop-cans piece of scum, you.”

  She rolled her eyes and buried her face in her hands, but not before he saw the corner of her mouth quirk in response. Shoulders slumping, she asked, “So? What does she want?”

  “She’s claiming you cost her a mult
imillion-dollar contract.”

  “What!?” Her head snapped up.

  He shrugged. “Apparently there was some bigwig scout-type guy at the show she missed because of her ankle. He signed on one of the other models to work for him, and Sophia is claiming you cost her that job.” He paused, then grinned. “That’s what she’s claiming, but I don’t think she really believes it.”

  Taysia sighed. “Why are you here, Kylen?”

  His heart kicked into double-time rhythm. Standing, he sauntered over to look out her office window. A light breeze danced through the leaves of a tree just outside. Past a couple buildings, he caught a glimpse of the azure-blue ocean. Finally he made himself speak around the lump in his throat. “You know why I’m here, I just told you. Sophia—”

  “Not here here. Home here.”

  He turned, studying her face intently. Did he dare tell her? Would she believe him if he told her she hadn’t been far from his thoughts for the past five years? That he’d been as shallow as they came during high school, and he hoped one day she’d be able to forgive him? That he thought he just might be in love with her?

  Now’s as good a time as any.

  “I came home because…I got a job offer.” Wimp!

  She huffed and waved a hand in his direction. “Fine. Whatever. It’s a free country.” She worked her lower lip with her teeth. “I just…I can’t believe you’re here. When did you move back home?”

  Kylen winced inwardly at her stark misery, but was careful to keep his face bland. He had invaded her safe haven. Brought back all the painful memories. God, help me to make up for the past. Help her to see I’m changed. Trustworthy.

  “I just got here the middle of last week. I’m living next door to you, in my parents’ basement apartment. They are on a long vacation in Australia, so it worked out great for me to stay there while they’re away.”

  Her face blanched. “Please, just…” She motioned toward the door. “Go. I can’t…I can’t do this right now.”