He shrugged. “Once in a while, but lately I’ve been starving for something in particular.”
Curious, she tilted her head and studied him. “Really? What might that be?”
“Kisses from a fiery-headed woman who’s thoroughly enthralled me.” He grabbed her and placed slobbery kisses to her neck, making her giggle and squirm.
“Mike, behave. I’m trying to look like a respectable professional and you’re totally blowing my gig.”
He dropped his hands and stepped back, gauging if she was serious or teasing. When she winked at him, he pressed a quick kiss on her tantalizing lips then squeezed her hand. “You really do look lovely, Taylor. That dress was made for you.”
She wouldn’t tell him that the dress had been made for her, an original designed by Brock’s mother several years ago. Deep green velvet fell from a fitted bodice in a long, sleek column to her ankles. The dress belonged to a part of her life that no longer existed, but she’d kept it, along with a few other clothes that would never go out of style with their timeless simplicity.
With elegant bearing, she offered him a slight curtsy. “Thank you, kind sir. You appear quite dashing, especially with that tie matching your eyes.”
Mike grinned and fingered one of the springy curls by her temple. “I like your hair. It looks very… fancy.”
Another giggle burst out of her. “I don’t know about fancy, but I didn’t think pigtails would cut it this evening.” Taylor had spent a considerable amount of time pinning up her hair and curling several strands to fall around her face and down her neck. Gratified he noticed her extra effort, she wrapped her arms around one of his muscled biceps and squeezed. “Thank you for being here with me tonight, Mike. I appreciate your support.”
“Anything for you, my little holiday imp.” He took her hand in his again and led her toward the stage. “What can I do to help?”
Hours later, after the meal had been served and the auction drawn to a successful close, Mike helped carry out silent auction items to the cars of winning bidders.
When the last guest had gone, he returned inside. Taylor sat on the edge of the stage, exhausted.
“Hey, sugar plum, are you ready to go?” He held a hand out to her, waiting for her to take it and rise to her feet.
Instead, she shook her head. “I just need a minute.”
He sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, resting her head against his chest. The steady thump of his heart offered soothing comfort.
“What’s wrong, Taylor? The auction was a huge success. Even Levi said it far exceeded his expectations for the community center.”
“I know. I’m just a little overwhelmed by the community’s generosity. I mean, my dippy little drum tree brought in almost six hundred dollars.” Taylor glanced up at him and smiled. “And then there was the battle over Avery’s tree.”
Mike chuckled. “I thought we might have to take those two women outside and dump a bucket of water on them. It was hilarious when the third bidder got the tree while they were arguing.”
“I suppose we shouldn’t laugh, but it was rather funny. Avery’s tree was about the loveliest thing I’ve ever seen. She showed me how Greg made a wire form she filled with floral foam then she tucked in all those red flowers and fairy lights. No wonder everyone wanted it.”
He nodded in agreement. “It was pretty, but not the loveliest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“What could possibly be lovelier than that tree?” Taylor glanced up at him.
Mike cupped her chin and lifted her face to his. “You, Taylor Taggart.”
She would have blushed, but Mike didn’t give her a chance. He settled his mouth against hers in a gentle kiss that turned her heart to syrup. Her arms slid around his neck as he lifted her onto his lap and deepened the kiss into something marvelous and miraculous that she never expected to experience in her lifetime.
The intensity of it, the rightness of it, frightened her.
Abruptly, she pulled back. “I can’t do this, Mike. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“Do what?” he questioned. “Kiss me?”
She stood and moved away from him, shaking her head.
He moved behind her, wrapping his hands around her waist and pulling her against him. “Am I that bad at kissing? I’m a little out of practice, but I didn’t think I was terrible enough to send you running.”
She spun around and glared at him. “You know you’re an excellent kisser so don’t pretend otherwise, Mike Clarke. This isn’t about kissing, well, not exactly. It’s about us, this…” She joggled her finger between the two of them. “Whatever this thing is that’s going on between us has to stop because it’s never going to go anywhere.”
“Why?” Mike asked, pulling out a chair for her to sit in from one of the empty tables. Reluctantly, she took a seat. He sat facing her, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Even though what she said was exactly why he planned to break up with her after Christmas, he wanted to hear her reason for cutting things off with him. “Why won’t this work?”
“Because I made a promise to myself three years ago and I won’t break it.”
Confused, Mike gave her a puzzled look. “What promise? What happened three years ago? If you want me to be able to walk away from you, you better have a compelling reason why.”
Taylor took a deep breath and slowly released it. “I don’t know how much Brenna told you about my past, but I assume you know I was born here. My parents got a divorce when I was ten and we moved away.”
“Yeah, I know that much. And that Bill is your great-uncle and you used to come visit him in the summers.”
Taylor nodded. “My mom moved around a lot. All told, I went to nine different schools before I graduated. Right before my senior year, Mom enrolled me in a private school her new husband agreed to pay for. It was there I met Peter.”
“Peter?” Mike hadn’t heard anything about a guy named Peter.
“My husband.”
“Husband!” He started to stand, but Taylor placed a hand on his knee.
“Peter passed away three years ago.”
Mike sat back down and took her hands in his. “What happened?”
“Peter’s family had money. They thought I was beneath him, them, but we were in love, or so we thought. We married right out of high school. His parents withdrew their financial support, so while Peter went to college, I worked to support us both. Most of the time, I held down two jobs. I did everything from working as a party planner’s helper and bank teller to waitressing, a mechanic’s receptionist, and landscaping assistant. Whatever it took to pay our bills.” Taylor sighed. “Peter made connections in college with some of his father’s friends and got a good job in investments as soon as he graduated. When his family saw him rapidly rising up in the corporate world, they took him back into their fold, although they never accepted me. By then, I felt too old to go to college, but I had enough experience that I held down a job I enjoyed in event planning. One evening, I arrived home early from an event and found Peter in a compromising situation with his secretary, a little blonde thing with few brains and big… assets.”
“Aw, Taylor, I’m sorry.” Mike rubbed his thumbs across the backs of her hands, unsettled by the tears glistening in her eyes. He’d been so wrong about Taylor, assuming she’d never experienced anything profoundly painful. She’d endured more than many people would in a lifetime. “Did you leave him?”
“Yes, I did. I could have cleaned him out, but I didn’t. I packed my things, rented a little apartment, and went on with my life. But my heart and my trust were broken. Eight months later, Peter showed up at my door, desperate. He’d been diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer. Because no one caught it earlier, there wasn’t any hope to help him. His girlfriend dumped him and his parents said they couldn’t bear to see him suffer, so I quit my job and took care of him until he passed.”
Incredulous, Mike stared at her. “You mean to tell me y
ou gave up everything to care for the man who tossed you aside like you didn’t matter? You offered him compassion when no one else in the world would give it to him?”
Taylor shrugged. “After Peter died, I moved from place to place. Much to my surprise, he’d named me as his beneficiary, leaving me set financially. But it didn’t make the situation any more bearable. I loved Peter with my whole heart, or I thought I did, and he broke it. Shattered it in a million little pieces and tossed it in my face.” Taylor dabbed at the tears rolling down her cheeks.
She remained silent for several heartbeats then looked at Mike. “Uncle Bill was married once. Her name was Joanne and he loved her with every breath, every beat of his heart. She died in car wreck almost thirty years ago, but every Saturday, he takes fresh flowers out to the cemetery. All these years later, he still loves her, mourns her. I need to be loved like that. If I ever allow someone into my heart again, I need to know that they’ll love me with everything in them. I want to be loved as if I’m the most important person in someone’s world. It took me a while to realize I never was that person to Peter, not to anyone.”
Mike nodded in agreement. “I understand, Taylor. I really do. I never wanted to settle down, never fell in love. I was the guy always looking for a good time, then I met Julia. She was bubbly and outgoing, with red hair and big brown eyes. Not long after we started dating, I decided to start my own business. She was supportive and encouraging and I fell more in love with her every day. We both liked the same things, including sports. I took her to see a big basketball game and had it all worked out to pop the question at halftime. Somehow, the camera crew found out about my proposal and they turned the cameras on us the moment I took the ring from my pocket. Unfortunately, her former boyfriend was sitting a few rows in front of us. They broke up when he moved to Seattle a year or two before I met her. He just happened to be in town for the game. When he saw her on the screen, he stood up and called her name. Suddenly, I became invisible to her. She raced to him and they kissed like there was no tomorrow then they left together. There I sat, in front of thousands of basketball fans, holding a diamond engagement ring. It was the single most horrible, mortifying moment of my life. I knew it was a stupid risk to propose in a public place like that, but I never dreamed someone would film every agonizing moment.”
“Oh, Mike, I’m so sorry.” Taylor sniffled and settled her hand over his.
“In retrospect, I’m glad I found out sooner rather than later that she didn’t really love me, but it cured me from making a similar mistake. I don’t need that kind of pain or embarrassment. Like you said, I want someone to love me beyond reason, beyond explanation, with their whole heart. Honestly, I’m not convinced that person exists. From my experience, I doubt any human is capable of loving me that way.”
Taylor studied him. “So you never had any intention of things going anywhere with me?”
“No, honey, I didn’t.” Mike turned his hand over and squeezed hers. “I’ve enjoyed your company, and I do care about you, but I’m not looking for a relationship or a commitment.”
Drawing in a shaky breath, she stood. “Then I guess we should stop wasting each other’s time before anyone gets hurt.”
He rose and expelled a sigh. “I didn’t want to hurt you, Taylor. That’s the last thing I intended. I planned to have this talk with you after the holidays, but it’s probably for the best to end things now.”
Numb and aching, she nodded. Silently, they turned off the lights, locked the door and headed out to his truck. Neither spoke as he drove her home. Although he did jog around the pickup and help her out, she stopped him at the edge of the walk.
“Thank you for everything, Mike. I’ll never forget how kind you’ve been.” She kissed his cheek then dashed inside the house and closed the door.
Gratified Bill was nowhere in sight, Taylor rushed to her bedroom and collapsed on the bed in tears. She might have put on a brave, unaffected front for Mike, but she’d done the thing she vowed she wouldn’t do.
She’d fallen in love with him and now her heart would pay the price.
Chapter Ten
“Just talk to her,” Brock said, following Mike as he walked out to his pickup. He’d gone over to Brock and Brenna’s house for lunch after church on Sunday. Although he hadn’t said anything, they’d both picked up on his surly mood and the conspicuous absence of Taylor as their lunch guest. She’d called that morning, claiming to be too ill to join them. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out something had happened.
The last hour, Mike sat at their table, annoyed by their endless questions as he assured them he hadn’t lost his mind.
“Mike, you’re closer to me than a brother, but I’m telling you, man, if you don’t fix this thing with Taylor it will eat you alive. Officially, you’ll be classified as the dumbest man on the planet. You never cared about Julia the way you care about her. I can see it on your face and hear it in your voice. You light up around her like one of those stupid Christmas trees we’ll spend all day tomorrow delivering. Quit acting like an idiot, pretending she doesn’t matter. You’re in love with her. Admit it and get on with your happy ever after.”
Mike growled at Brock as he opened his pickup door and slid inside. “If you weren’t my best friend, I’d pop you in the nose. Just because you succumbed to the charms of that sweet little wench in the house and settled into domestic bliss doesn’t mean everyone is destined to live a white picket fence life.”
Brock stood in the door, keeping Mike from slamming it closed. “If I thought it would do any good, I’d hit you upside the head to knock some sense into your thick skull. The reason I can mete out advice on relationships is because I found the love of my life with Brenna. You have the same look in your eye for Taylor that I own for my coffee girl. And don’t let her hear you call her a wench or you’ll have bigger problems than me harassing you about your love life.”
A slight grin lifted the corners of Mike’s mouth. “Go inside, bro, and spend the day with your wife and son.”
Brock stepped back. “What are you going to do about Taylor?”
Mike shrugged. “I don’t know. Honestly, Brock, I really don’t know.”
“Give what I said some thought. Just because you’re older than me doesn’t mean you’re wiser.” Brock took another step toward his sidewalk. “Don’t let what happened with Julia keep you from following your heart and experiencing real love.”
“Goodbye, dude.” Mike shut the door and left with a wave. He didn’t want to go back to his empty house. Neither did he want to see anyone. He ended up going for a long drive into the mountains.
Snow-covered trees and a pale sky frosted with wintery clouds didn’t improve his mood.
By the time he returned home that evening, one thing was perfectly clear — as hard as he’d worked to keep from falling for Taylor, it was too late to rescue his heart.
****
Taylor spent the entire day Sunday in bed. Uncle Bill left her alone, sensing her need for time to herself.
Ginger and Fred tried to keep her company. The tears she couldn’t keep from falling upset them both so much, Uncle Bill finally shut her door and refused to let them back in.
Early Monday morning, Taylor hugged her pillow after a sleepless night of tossing and turning, uncertain how she’d face the day.
A light tap on her door forced her to sniffle and wipe her face on her tear-soaked sheet. “Come in,” she croaked, turning on the light by her bed.
Uncle Bill walked into the room with a steaming cup of tea in his hand. “Thought you might like this, punkin.”
She sat up and took the tea from him, breathing in the cinnamon and honey-infused steam. “Apple cinnamon tea, my favorite. Thank you.”
He sat down at the foot of her bed and patted her quilt-covered leg. “I let you have a day to wallow in a pity party for whatever happened between you and Mike.”
When she started to protest, he held up a hand to silence her. “I’ve known you
all your life. And I knew when you married Peter you were making a mistake, but it wasn’t my place to say anything. I should have anyway, but I didn’t. So I’m speaking up now. You love that Clarke boy in a way you never loved Peter. I don’t care if you’ve known Mike for a day or a decade, you never once had that special light twinkling in your eye for Peter that you do for him. That’s pure, undeniable love, Taylor.”
She sniffled again.
Her uncle gave her a withering glare. “Don’t you try to tell me you think you’re coming down with a cold. I let that flimsy excuse fly yesterday, but that’s enough. You can’t cure heartsickness by hiding in your room. Get up and get dressed then go find Mike. You belong together and there isn’t a thing in this world you can say or do to convince me otherwise. I expect to see you at the breakfast table in thirty minutes.”
Bill rose and left the room, shutting the door behind him with a firm click.
Taylor stared at it for several moments, sipping her tea and wondering when her uncle had gotten so wise and why he hadn’t imparted some of that wisdom years ago.
Part of her, some part down in the depths of her soul, knew she was making a mistake when she married Peter, but she’d done it anyway. Young and caught up in the excitement of romance, she’d never stopped to consider if what she felt for Peter was love or an infatuation. She figured it out, though, not long into their seven-year marriage.
Was Uncle Bill right? Would her mistake this time be in letting Mike go? He’d never said he loved her, never admitted he wanted her, other than in teasing comments.
Did he care for her as much as she loved him?
Taylor scooted out of bed and jumped in the shower. She took a seat at the kitchen table twenty minutes later as her uncle set a plate of burnt toast and a box of cold cereal on the table.
He grinned at her. “I never said I was cooking breakfast, just that I expected you to be here.”
She took a piece of the toast, liberally coating it with butter and jam. “That you did.”
Untangling Christmas (Silverton Sweethearts Book 3) Page 9