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

by Leah Atwood

  Charity sighed, unfastened her seatbelt and climbed out of the car. The look of shock that registered on Tate’s face was priceless—possibly the last one she’d be able to cash in on before she took the big leap of faith.

  Tate scrambled to get out of the vehicle quickly. He met her halfway as she came around the back of the vehicle. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

  “You already played the guilt card. I’m obligated to,” Charity said. “There’s just one thing I want to know first. If I drop to my death, is my life insurance going to pay? Because they’re bound to think I committed suicide.”

  “I’ve had well over a hundred jumps and I’m still alive.” Tate hugged her. “And I promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Aren’t you going to be the one pushing me out of the plane?” Charity smiled to let him know she was teasing. She was scared, but an adventure might be a nice change. Heaven knows her pulse was racing, but that could be because his arms were around her.

  “If it’s any consolation, we’ll be harnessed together. So wherever you go, I do.”

  Right now she wanted to stay put right where she was.

  “Are you two love birds coming?” A man called out, startling Charity enough to make her jump.

  Did everyone have it out for her and Tate having a moment? Tucker ruined the chance for one earlier this week, and now this guy.

  “Come on, or Chase won’t give us a rest, he’ll tease us all day long.” Tate lowered his arms, but took one of her hands in his and led her to follow the guy around to the airplane hangar. There were around half a dozen people wearing brightly colored jump suits.

  Tate led her over to the shorter guy in a blue jumpsuit who’d caught them embracing moments earlier. “Charity, this is Chase. Chase, meet Charity, and be nice to her so that she’ll agree to go out with me again.”

  Chase laughed and slapped him on the back. “You got it.” He extended a hand, which Charity readily shook and they exchanged greetings. “Well, now that you’re both here we can get started. You help Charity get ready, sign the release papers and we can load up.”

  “Release papers?” Charity didn’t recall anything mentioned about this, but then again, until they pulled up out front, Tate hadn’t said anything at all about his plans.

  Chase smiled and looked at Tate. “I’ll let you explain them to her.”

  “Why don’t you just say you don’t want to be responsible if he decides to dump me on the first date?” Charity called out as he walked away laughing.

  “Looks like I won’t have to explain the release papers to you after all, since you know what they’re for.” Tate handed her a pink jumpsuit.

  Charity rewarded him with a slap on the arm. “Just remember, if you decide to drop me off the face of the earth, you’ll be the one having to direct the school play.” She gave him a smug look while pulling her jumpsuit up over her clothing.

  “Touché, you win!” Somehow Tate had donned his outfit and zipped it up before she’d even finished. Obviously he’d had more experience, given he’d done this during the summer for who knew how long exactly. “I will most definitely see to it that you return to school safely on Monday.”

  “Thank you.” Charity smiled.

  Tate went over the instructions with her, explaining about the harness, the altimeter, what would happen in the air and about the jumping process, including the chutes and how they would automatically deploy at a certain height. It was comforting to know there was a secondary parachute.

  When they were in the plane and took off, Tate reached over and held her hand. She gripped his with her other one as well, which made him smile. Jumping out of planes may have been a normal occurrence for him. For her, it was a leap of faith. He’d secured the position of the most exciting date she’d ever had, that’s for sure.

  As everyone began lining up for the jump, Charity hovered toward the end of the line. She wasn’t sure what made her heart race more. The thought of jumping, or having Tate secure their harness together. His warm breath on her neck sent goosebumps down her arms. She shivered.

  Tate rubbed her arms. “Are you cold?”

  She didn’t want to tell him no. Instead she leaned her head back against him and reveled in the heat generated from his touch. The thought of doing a tandem jump at fourteen thousand feet was less intimidating knowing she would be attached to Tate, as opposed to one of the instructors she didn’t know.

  Her family would probably say she was being reckless going through with the jump. If her husband was alive, he’d have been shocked she would have ever agreed to go. Maybe that was part of their problem. She was stringent and level-headed, always trying to overcompensate for his recklessness. Tate was adventuresome—nothing like her husband had been. Perhaps the military and his buddies had made him that way. She’d purposely waited to get pregnant, wanting him to grow up before they started a family. Reminders of the other woman showing up pregnant at his funeral still stung. But it proved she was right in waiting.

  “Are you ready?” Tate shouted so she could hear above the noise.

  She secured her goggles and gave him the thumbs up sign. When they jumped out of the plane, Charity closed her eyes. The feel of the wind against her face almost took her breath away. She forced herself to focus on everything Tate had told her and opened her eyes. He’d told her around sixty-five seconds would pass before she had to pull the rip cord. The trees and open ground below grew closer and larger as they descended.

  Tate signaled her to pull the rip cord, which felt like it pulled them back a little as the chute opened. The view of the land below and the excitement of having just jumped out of a perfectly good plane were exhilarating. Her heart raced as she guided them to the ground, landing feet first.

  After Tate unhooked their harness, she turned around and hugged him. “That was awesome!”

  She started to step back, but Tate drew her closer. Cupping her face in his palm he leaned his head toward her and kissed her. Her body melted against his as she enjoyed the gentle exploration of his kiss. If the group around them hadn’t started clapping, she could have stood there for hours locked in his embrace. Who needed food or air when you had such a delicious mouth to savor? Charity realized she still had her goggles on, but Tate didn’t. She took hers off, feeling slightly embarrassed.

  Tate smiled as he looked down at her, loosening his hold. “That was exciting. We’ll have to do it again.”

  “I think kissing you was more exciting.”

  Tate laughed and pulled her closer. “The feeling is mutual.”

  Chapter Nine

  Over the next five weeks, Tate took advantage of every opportunity to spend time with Charity. They met for breakfast before school, ate lunch together three days a week so she could still have lunch with her friends a couple times a week, and they ate dinner together after play practice. The night before Thanksgiving, they headed on a four hour trip to Branson to spend the holiday with her family.

  He held her hand, gently stroking his thumb across the top of her fingers. With any luck, and her father’s approval, he’d be putting a ring on her finger.

  “What are you smiling about?” Charity asked.

  His grin grew wider, but he had no intention of telling her the real reason for it. “I’m just happy to be here with you.”

  “Good answer.” Charity smiled. “I feel bad though. Are you okay with not getting to see your nephew and sister?”

  Tate nodded. “Yes. She’s actually invited a guy from work over for dinner tomorrow.”

  “A date?”

  “Yes. Since we’ve been dating, Jen has new hope that true love exists.” Tate squeezed Charity’s hand. “You do love me, don’t you?”

  Charity laughed.

  Tate glanced at her. “That wasn’t the response I was expecting.”

  “Of course I love you,” Charity said. “But I’m not going to tell just because you want me to. It should be natural and spontaneous.”<
br />
  “Hmm.” He knew she was right, but insecurity still plagued him. If Charity turned down his proposal, or worse yet, didn’t show on their wedding day, his ego and his heart wouldn’t recover this time. While he once thought he was in love with Katie, he was young and naïve. The connection he shared with Charity made his heart swell with anticipation to see her and made him smile to even think about her. She completed him and made each day more pleasant by having her by his side.

  “Tate?”

  He shot her a brief glance. She looked at him expectantly. “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  He couldn’t help the wide grin on his face. “You’re silly, and I love you too.”

  “Remember that when you meet my family.” Charity giggled.

  “I’m sure they’re not that bad.”

  “I’m the tame one in the group.” She stared at him, her eyebrow raised. “Consider yourself warned.”

  If it weren’t for wanting to make a good impression, Tate would seriously consider asking Charity if they should set her family up for a prank. “Do you think your family would like me better if we pulled a stunt on them?”

  She looked at him and chuckled. “You’ve got to be kidding? They would never let us live it down. My brothers would give it to you with both barrels. You’d be begging for mercy.”

  “Fine,” Tate conceded. “I’ll be on my best behavior.” Being a practical joker wasn’t in his nature. He wanted his future family to accept him. If being ornery helped, he’d do whatever it took, but he was thankful he wouldn’t have to be anything but himself. Especially if he was out-gunned.

  He felt a little nervous when they pulled up outside her parents’ older, one-story brick home.

  “Pull in on the right side of the driveway. My parents parked in the garage, and if they have to get out, they’ll take Dad’s car.”

  Tate did as instructed. Her parents must have heard them pull up because they came outside to meet them before they had a chance to get out of the vehicle. A small, black Chihuahua that Charity had told him was named Rusty, followed closely by the woman’s side. Apparently her whole family, including the dog, came with a warning.

  “Make sure you get the bags, Boy,” her father instructed him, then turned and hugged Charity.

  Tate did as instructed, without commenting. Make a good impression, Tate reminded himself.

  Charity hugged her father and playfully tapped him on the shoulder. “Be nice, Daddy.”

  “Whenever have you known me not to be nice?” her father asked innocently. He turned to Tate, whose hands were full. “Aren’t you even going to shake my hand? That’s not a very nice way to greet your girlfriend’s parents.”

  Tate opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, since he really didn’t know what to say.

  Charity pointed a warning finger at her father. “I said be nice.”

  “All right, Princess.” Her father chuckled. “Follow me this way, Son.”

  “Be careful he doesn’t walk you right out the back door,” her mother said as Tate trailed after Charity’s father.

  “On a more serious note,” her father said as he led Tate to Charity’s old bedroom. “If you happen to find yourself in this room during the night while my daughter is sleeping, you’ll find her mother and I plan a very nice funeral service.” He smiled politely. “Now why don’t we go check out your room?”

  The room in question had a full sized bed and football trophies on a dresser. Charity mentioned on the way there that her brother, James played in high school, so he assumed that was whose room he was being assigned for the duration of their visit.

  Tate set his bags down on the bed and turned to address her father. “I want to assure you that I have the utmost respect for your daughter,” Tate said. “In fact, I had hoped to ask your permission to court your daughter with the intention of proposing to her in the near future.”

  Her father stood there, arms crossed, and stared at him. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to spring this on him. Tate had hoped it would put her father’s mind at ease, that he truly cared about Charity and wanted to spend his life with her.

  Her father’s arms dropped to his sides. “No, but thanks for asking.” He turned and left the room, leaving Tate speechless again.

  Maybe it was too soon? Obviously he didn’t like Tate, but then again, he didn’t know Tate. Had her father formulated a bad opinion of him that quickly? He slumped down on the bed.

  Charity came into the room a few moments later. “Hey, silly, aren’t you going to come out and talk with my parents?”

  Tate looked up at her. “Did you say anything negative about me to your parents?”

  She shook her head. “No, why?”

  “Your father obviously doesn’t like me.”

  Charity laughed. “Daddy’s just giving you a hard time.” She came closer, grabbed his arm and pulled. He relented and stood. “You have to remember, my husband turned out to be a jerk. He doesn’t want to see me get hurt again.”

  That made sense. Tate nodded, then kissed her cheek and put his arm around her. He had a weekend to prove that he was worth giving a chance, or he’d never have her father’s blessing.

  The rest of the evening, Tate was polite and cordial. He even let her father win at a game of chess. Nothing he did seemed to matter. He felt like her father was silently laughing at him.

  Sleep that night was restless. At least he’d stopped seeing ghosts in his dreams, but her father’s response haunted him. In the morning, he and Charity left early to go jogging.

  “You’ve been quiet,” she said. “Didn’t you sleep well?”

  “Not really.” He didn’t want to tell her why. It would only make matters worse if he stirred up conflict. Then her father would never like him. “I’ll be better once I’m back home in my own bed.”

  “Maybe we should take a catnap on the couch before my brothers come over for lunch?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  Napping, or anything that involved her, put a smile on his face. Her father’s threat from last night quickly extinguished his excitement though. They showered when they got back to her parents’ house. Tate offered to set the kitchen table since Charity was getting ready.

  “That’s sweet of you, dear.” Her mother, who insisted he call her Melissa, pointed to the silverware drawer. “You’ll find glasses and plates in the cabinet above them.”

  He’d just finished setting the table when Charity came in and kissed her mother on the cheek. “Tate and I are going to take a nap in the family room, Momma.”

  “Well, since he was kind enough to help, I think that’s doable. Your father is watching TV in the living room.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want us to stay and help?” Tate felt guilty leaving Charity’s mother to do all the work.

  She waved them off. “You two go get some cuddle time. Heaven knows you won’t get any rest after your brothers get here.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Charity took Tate’s hand and winked at him as she led him into the family room.

  No matter how her father felt about him, Tate couldn’t walk away. He’d find a way to convince her father that they belonged together, especially after they settled down on the couch together. The feel of her head against his chest felt right, her body close to his. The sound of Charity’s steady breathing after she drifted off to sleep lulled Tate to sleep.

  His nose itched. He wrinkled it a couple times, but it still tickled. Enough so that he sneezed, bring his hand up to cover his face, only to be greeted with cold, creamy moisture and the sound of laughter. Tate shot up to a sitting position, knocking Charity off the couch.

  She screamed as she thudded on the floor.

  “Oh, God. Sorry.” He grabbed for her, smearing the white substance on her as well. “What the—”

  Tate glared at the two cackling guys as they stared at the mess their prank had left. He had the sneaking suspicion it was whipped cream. Probably meant for the pies after dinner.

  “I�
��m going to kill you two,” Charity professed.

  “I suggest you wash up and eat first,” her mother said when she came into the family room. “The least you can do is let them have their last meal. Then I might be tempted to help you.” She glared at her sons. “Really? You can’t be good for one day?”

  “Why don’t you wash up in the bathroom in the hall and I’ll run downstairs and clean up in that bathroom?” Charity winked at him. She shot an angry look at both of her brothers and disappeared downstairs.

  “Wow, she’s pretty mad,” the younger guy said.

  By the time Tate made his way to the kitchen, a woman, presumably her older brother’s girlfriend, was sitting at the table with everyone else but Charity. “Maybe I should go check on her.” Tate looked toward the doorway, feeling slightly awkward.

  “She’s probably blowing off some steam. By the way, I’m James. This is my girlfriend, Amy.”

  She said hello.

  James nodded to the younger guy on the other side of her. “This is John.”

  “Nothing personal, Tate. Kind of an ongoing family feud.” John grinned, revealing pearly white teeth. No doubt he was more of a piranha waiting to chomp on his next unsuspecting victim.

  Tate smiled. One way or another, he’d get even with them. Just give him some time to put a plan into motion.

  Charity came into the room sounding slightly out of breath. She must have run up the stairs. When she came over to the table, she kissed his cheek before taking a seat. “I see you’ve met the trouble makers.”

  “Yes, and they’ve already apologized,” Tate informed her. “In fact, John let me know it was not personal.”

  “It never is.” She smirked, obviously still irritated with her brothers.

  “Your brothers aren’t the only practically jokers,” her father said. “Your young man can keep a straight face with the best of them. He ought to take up playing poker.” Her father chuckled.