"I think we need to teach Elliot how to paint some cookies," Lynn said as she brushed his arm again, truly grateful for his uplifting spirit to make her daughter feel better.
"Oh, don't tease me with cookies. I get some too, right?" Gregory said as he walked into the living room with Gabby by his side.
Lynn glanced over at them, surprised she didn't hear the front door open. "Only if you help make them."
"Count me in. I've never painted a cookie before. You'll show me, little one?" Gregory asked Laura with a friendly smile.
"That's my dad Gregory, Laura. And standing next to him is…is his girlfriend, Gabby. He'll need a lot of help learning. He's a messy painter," Elliot said with a chuckle as a giggle escaped from Laura.
Lynn stood up and clapped her hands. "Let me get the dough ready. Everyone wash their hands."
Gabby followed Lynn to the kitchen, and with her help, they were quickly ready to start painting the cookies.
"Am I doing it right?" Elliot asked with a grin as he lightly brushed a bright red color onto his sugar cookie while Laura supervised.
Lynn stood for a moment by the counter just appreciating the view. Could he get any sweeter?
"They look awesome, but you gotta be gentle. You'll smoosh the cookies," Laura said, taking a sip of her hot chocolate.
"Cookie's still taste good smooshed, but watch me do it the right way, Elliot," Gregory said with a wink to Laura, who giggled at his silliness.
"Everyone's doing a wonderful job," Gabby said from behind Gregory. "That hot chocolate looks delicious, Laura."
"Elliot could probably make you some." Laura smiled at her sweetly.
A flash of pain passed through his eyes, so brief, that Lynn was probably the only one to see it before he said, "I can whip up another batch."
"When you're done. No rush, Elliot," Gabby said, then walked over by Lynn. "Your daughter is so sweet. Will your parents be coming for Christmas?"
Lynn's hand stalled on the rolling pin.
"What did I say wrong?"
"I haven't spoken to my parents in over eight years. They were always very strict, very judgmental. It hurts when Laura asks about them. Although, she doesn't ask anymore."
Gabby placed a comforting hand on Lynn's shoulder. "She probably senses that it upsets you. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I had no idea."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I have thick skin."
Lynn glanced over at Elliot again, who was laughing with Laura as she said something funny. She didn't need her parents. She had everything she needed right here in this room. Elliot interacted with her daughter beautifully, almost like a father figure. And Gregory, such a delightful man, treated her like a granddaughter. What would happen if her and Elliot didn't work out?
Elliot laughed again as Laura made a silly face at Gregory and then he joined in on the silly faces. Suddenly, it didn't seem like she had to worry.
"Do you have children?" Lynn asked, turning back to Gabby.
"Two boys and a girl. I lost my dear Phillip and my one son James in a plane crash. Phillip was an excellent flyer, but that day something just went wrong. My other son, Warren, he lives in South Dakota with his family. My daughter, Stacy, she lives in Texas with her family. I wasn't sure which one I planned to see for the holidays, but then Gregory asked me to join him this year."
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Gabby." Lynn wiped her hands on her apron, grabbing a hug from Gabby before she could object.
"What are you two beautiful ladies doing over there? My pan is almost done. I need a refill soon." Gregory laughed as he lifted his pan of cookies.
Gabby pulled away and smiled brightly at Gregory. "Lynn's almost done. Finish that last cookie and I'll give you another pan." He winked at her, making her blush.
Lynn smiled at the interaction, catching Elliot's eye. He had a half-smile, but still a small lingering pain in his eyes as he had watched it as well. She blew him a tiny kiss, which made his eyes sparkle with desire. Just like that, she took his pain away.
Lynn turned back toward the counter and added two more cutouts to the pan and handed it to Gabby. She swapped pans with Gregory and tossed the one pan into the oven. Lynn excused herself to use the bathroom as Gabby started to roll more dough.
Lynn took her time using the bathroom. The warm water flowed nicely, soothing her aches for a brief moment. She never wanted to see her baby girl in pain ever again. She leaned closer to the mirror. A hint of dark circles had developed under her eyes. Amazing what a small shock to the system could produce. She looked like she went to hell and back. And she did.
A light knock sounded on the door. She jumped, splashing a small amount of water on her clothes. From behind the door, a soothing voice asked, "You okay, sweetheart?"
Her heart flipped over at Elliot's voice and the tender way he called her sweetheart. Something new he recently started to do. Something she didn't want him to stop doing.
She shut the water off, grabbed the towel from the towel rack, and patted her clothes dry. "You can come in."
Elliot slowly opened the door, the concern written in his entire posture. "Everybody seems to be enjoying themselves in the kitchen, but it worried me when you didn't come back." He closed the door and pulled her into his arms. "Is something bothering you?"
She brushed a strand of his hair back that fell onto his forehead. "I was just taking my time. Thank you for everything you've done today. I'm glad you didn't mind the cookie suggestion when I blurted it out. I heard a bit of what Laura said to you. I don't want my baby being brave for me. I'm supposed to be the brave one."
"It was a great idea. Everyone's having fun. She's a tough one. She gets it all from you." He kissed her lips, then wrapped his arms tighter around her. "What I wouldn't do for another sleepover?"
She rested her head against his chest. His warmth and comfort soaked her to the bones. "Me too. I'm not sure I'm ready to go that level in front of Laura yet."
"I respect any decision you make concerning your daughter. Gabby's almost done rolling out the rest of the dough. Want to help me finish coloring my cookies?"
"I'd love to. For one more kiss." She lifted her head. His eyes twinkled with desire, yet still held concern.
"I think I can handle that."
He dipped his head, claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss. His tongue dove in, tasting, commanding her to tango with him. And she did. Nothing could stop her from keeping pace with him. He caressed his hands down her back, cupping her butt as he pushed her into his hard bulge.
She moaned into his mouth, sinking into his frame as she let the heat swirl around them. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling on the ends as he pressed her against his erection one more time. The craving to make love to him in the bathroom became so strong that she heaved herself away from his mouth, breathing heavily.
"We should stop, Elliot, before you have me naked against the wall."
He twirled her around, walking her to the wall as he claimed another fiery kiss. "I like you naked against the wall."
She chuckled against his mouth as he tried kissing her yet again. "You make me so happy. I seriously don't understand how I got so lucky to meet you."
Her words had him backing away a step, yet still holding her lightly against the wall. His brows dipped with worry as the light in his eyes dimmed a little. What did she say to make him frown like that?
"There's nothing to understand. I'm the lucky one. Let's finish those cookies before I start undressing you." He grabbed her hand and led her back to the kitchen.
***
Hours later, after finishing the cookies, having a light supper, and watching a Christmas movie that they let Laura pick out, Elliot walked back inside the house from waving goodbye to Lynn and Laura.
He joined his dad in the living room, taking a seat next to him on the couch. "Sorry about acting the way I did concerning Gabby."
Gregory glanced at him, happiness reflecting in his eyes. "She's not replacing your mother. Nobody ca
n replace her. Just like I can't replace her late husband, Phillip. Next year, she wants to try and get her family to come home for Christmas. She has three kids, but one passed away with her husband in a plane crash. She'll be joining us this year. That's okay with you, right?"
"That's fine. Lynn really likes her. I had no idea she lost a child and her husband at the same time. That must've been hard."
"I imagine it was, but she's strong. Like your Lynn. And that Laura, she's a hoot. I held my tongue and didn't call her my granddaughter…yet."
Elliot laughed. "Thanks for holding it in." He frowned, rubbing his hands lightly on his thighs. "I think I should tell Lynn that I have her present. That it didn't go to a family in need like it should've. I'm just afraid how she'll react."
"What's the big deal? It brought you together and that's what matters."
"Dad, she's a proud woman. She works hard every day and she probably put a dent in her pocket throwing a twenty in that gift. She still argues with me about paying for her car. I don't think she'd be very happy knowing that I have it and I'm not telling her."
He ran a hand over his face as he blew out a heavy breath. "She keeps saying she can't believe how lucky she is to have met me. Damn it, Dad, it wasn't luck, it was you."
Gregory frowned. "Well, a little bit, but not how you think."
"You set this all up."
Gregory sat up, leaning toward Elliot. "It was all an accident. I stopped at Father Preston's church in Mason to pick up a load of presents for Father Benson. He asked me to drop them off at the firehouse here. You know how the children love seeing the fire truck delivering all the gifts."
"What are you getting at, Dad? Where does Lynn's present come in?"
"I stopped at home, pulled the box of presents out of my car, and dropped the box. Presents went everywhere on the porch. I must've accidentally set that one on the table before I walked inside the house. I didn't stop at the firehouse right away like I planned and I didn't know if leaving the presents out in the cold would be good for them. I didn't want to ruin anything."
Elliot's frown deepened.
"When you came in the house, already having opened the damn present, I just wanted you to feel a little Christmas spirit. I stuck with not knowing where it came from because it made me mad you wanted to give it back. That you couldn't even appreciate a simple gift given to you."
"But it wasn't given to me!"
"Don't holler at me, Elliot." Gregory let out a sigh. "I hate that you don’t enjoy the holidays. I thought trying to give it back, you would find the Christmas spirit again. I called Father Preston with a heads up that you'd be there asking questions. You didn't make it to the position of chief of police because you were dumb. He said he'd handle it."
A joyful smile emerged on Gregory's face. "I don't think either of us knew that you and Lynn would fall for each other so deeply. I'm glad I didn't tell you the truth about the present because you've been happier than I've seen you in a long time. You're enjoying the holidays for once because of one woman and her beautiful daughter."
Elliot could do nothing but stare at his dad. Just a bunch of dumb luck landed Lynn in his life. As much as he wanted to be mad at his dad for interfering and keeping secrets, he couldn't. Because Lynn did make him happy.
"Do you really need to tell her? Maybe it was luck and a little faith that had me forgetting it on the porch. Just let it go."
"I can't, Dad. Regardless of how it happened, I need to tell her. I can't have her thinking it was just random luck that I stopped into that diner. It was because a Priest was in cahoots with you. If I'm going to have a relationship that could lead to marriage, I don't want any secrets between us."
"Why do you worry so much?"
Elliot sighed and glanced away.
Gregory snuggled back into his spot, laughing lightly. "You really do worry too much, Elliot. You make it sound like you're holding this intense secret inside of you. I even replaced the gift with a new one, so it's not like a family will be short a gift. Just let it go."
"I'm going to tell her. I have to."
"No matter how you tell her, it'll work out. She loves you."
"I hope so. Because I love her so much it hurts to breathe sometimes."
Chapter 13
Lynn rushed around the house picking things off the floor, wiping the counters, cleaning the bathroom, and made her bed. Elliot had been to her house the last two days, it's not like he hadn't seen her place a bit messy before. She had no idea how it managed to get so disastrous from the time he left last night to this afternoon. Well, okay, it wasn’t that messy. Perhaps she was exaggerating how untidy the house really was. Maybe it was the nerves.
Definitely the nerves. How would Elliot react when she handed over five hundred dollars for her car? She had no idea the total amount it cost to fix her car, since he wouldn't tell her. So she planned to give him what she thought it cost. It was a lot of money. Money that burned a hole in her pocket, and not just because she had so much of it.
No. It was how she managed to get it in the first place.
Would he ask her where she got the money? The bigger question was could she tell him? Thinking about it even now was making her heart race. What did she do?
Don't think, just clean.
Really, she was panicking for no reason. Elliot, Gregory, and even Gabby, wouldn't care what her house looked like. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. She had invited everyone to her house for supper, then they all planned to join her and Laura at the church where they would sing carols, like they did every year.
Hopefully the joyous Christmas music would fill her heart back up, diminishing the pain she couldn't seem to clean away.
Or Elliot. She'd let him take the pain away. He could do it. She had faith he would.
Forget the pain. Scrub the tub. Forget the nerves.
Lots of nerves.
She had even been nervous when she invited Elliot over for Christmas Eve. She had no idea why. Their relationship went from simple and new to complicated and comfortable.
Really, the only complication she could think of was—when would they be able to spend the night together again? Each night Elliot left, she saw the hope and the longing in his eyes to stay with her. But true to his word about respecting her decisions, he left with a smile on his face and a kiss to last her until the next day when she would see him again.
She wanted him to spend the night. She really, really did. She wanted to dive into a full-blown relationship where they talked about moving in together and what the future held. Future, as in, marriage.
But that was crazy even to contemplate. They had known each other almost two weeks. That wasn't very long to know that he was the one.
Would he even want her after she gave him the money? Damn, two complications. So much worse than just having one.
He would understand. If she could manage to tell him the truth, that is. When he finally knew, he would take the pain away and fill it with his love. He had to, or she would fall apart.
Every time he smiled at her with tenderness in his eyes, she swore she saw the love. Every time he helped Laura with her homework, or played a silly game Laura insisted on playing, she saw it again. Just a simple thought of him always made her heart beat rapidly, then plummet to the floor. That's what love felt like to her. Like stepping on a ride that starts to spin her round and round and round, and by the time she'd step off, she'd want to do it all over again because she just couldn't get enough of it.
How could she not love a man that continuously stopped at the diner, grabbing a cup of coffee that he still insisted was delicious, stole a quick kiss from her, and left a tip that shouldn't have been left. A small tip. Small enough where she wouldn't argue with him.
When news spread, and it spread like wildfire, that Lynn Carpenter was dating a man, the diner suddenly had more people than she could keep up with. Everyone in town wanted to know everything about this Elliot they heard about. She smiled politely, gave small non-descript
answers to keep them satisfied, and tried not to panic.
She couldn't be mad at anyone for their nosiness because they all left decent tips. Tips she used to buy her remaining presents with. Laura's presents were complete. All bought, wrapped, and tucked away in the closet. She even had enough money to buy Elliot, Gregory, and Gabby a gift.
Of course, she didn't get all that money from tips. Nope. Part of that money came from the deep heartache she created for herself.
A tear slid down. She swiped it away and finished cleaning the bathroom before she let the sadness consume her.
Elliot would be here soon. Her excitement grew just by that thought. Elliot would be coming over tonight, as usual, but the one difference—Laura was having another sleepover at Ashley's house. While Ashley's mother, Tiffany, still felt horrible for what happened on her watch, Lynn had assured her everything would fine. That she wasn't mad at her. This sleepover, unlike the first one, had been planned for a while. Laura, Ashley, and three other girls in their class had a night of festivities planned.
That was part of the reason Laura had asked to participate in the secret Santa gift exchange last week. Lynn hadn't realized they would be exchanging at the sleepover, but now that she did, she felt better for giving Laura permission to join in on the secret Santa. And they would have fun. Last day of school, and starting out winter break with a sleepover, definitely sounded like fun.
She knew her sleepover would be fun.
Now, all she had to do was finish vacuuming and figure out what to make for supper before Elliot arrived. Tiffany would be picking the girls up from school, so Lynn didn't even need to worry about that. She had already worked her shift at the diner, only a half day, at the insistence of Tara that she should go home. Take a break from all the hard work she had been doing lately was the last thing Tara said before she made her go home.
Or maybe Tara could see the anticipation on Lynn's face to have Elliot all to herself. She didn't argue once. With the extra time off from work, she even stopped at Wacky Wowza's. She had braved the sex aisle all by herself, purchasing a few items that she thought Elliot would enjoy. She could already see his expression, which instantly sent her body tingling with flames of desire. She needed him here. Now.
Merry Me Page 13