Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3)

by Mimi Barbour

  Jesse, being hounded, finally agreed to play Christmas music and the glowing tree and twinkle lights threw a wonderful radiance of holiday spirit around the room.

  Everyone was in an especially great mood—except for Belle. She worried that her heart, already sore and heavy, had yet to take one more lash of pain when Jesse broke things off between them.

  Not that they had anything serious to end. After all, they’d only been together for two nights—albeit two of the most wondrous nights of her life. But then, men didn’t feel the same about these kinds of things.

  “Jesse, dance with me.” Marilyn held out her hand and forced him to take it. Being a gentleman, he had no choice and Belle understood it on one level. On the heart level, all she wanted to do was push Marilyn aside and let her know she was messin’ with Belle’s man.

  “Sweetheart, wanna dance with your ugly old man?” Returning to the moment, Belle noticed that Jesse had picked up Yaya and had included her in his dance with Marilyn. The pain lessened and she took her dad’s hand.

  “I’d love to dance with the handsomest man in the room.”

  They both laughed when Jesse let out a roar of disapproval. “Hey, that hurts!”

  No one heard the doorbell at first. Not until the song came to an end and the bell rang continuously, annoyingly.

  “Who can that be?” Harry questioned Belle and a tiny fear grew. Maybe Jack? God no!

  Jesse went to the foyer and stopped. “Stay here until I find out who it is.”

  Belle heard a man’s loud voice overriding Jesse’s and she quickly picked up Layla and hid her face against her neck. She backed toward the bedroom and waited, not being able to leave completely until she knew that Jesse wasn’t in any danger.

  A man stomped into sight, a stranger covered in snow and looking half-frozen. She still had no idea who he was until she heard Marilyn speak up.

  “Steve? What in the world are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come for my wife, is what I’m doing here. You took off and left no address. By the time I figured you’d be with your step-father and found his name in your files, you’d left there also.”

  “Why did you follow me?” Marilyn stepped closer, her cheeks bright and her hands shaking.

  “To bring you home. I’ve changed my mind, Mari. I don’t care about kids. Without you, kids don’t matter.”

  Marilyn’s smile shone with delight. “You’re too late.”

  “Aww, Mari. Don’t say that.” Steve hesitated.

  “I’ve changed my mind too. I want to have your baby.”

  Belle looked from the two in the center of the room to the man who stood nearby, hands in his pockets and a grin on his face.

  What in the world? His heart must be breaking and he was covering it up. She couldn’t stand by and watch him lose his love a second time.

  She passed Layla to her father, nodded to the other room and waited until they left. Then she went to confront the two who seemed like players on a stage. “I don’t know why you’re here, buddy, but Marilyn has left you. She wants another man now. You have to accept that you’ve lost her and move on.”

  Marilyn’s stunned expression threw Belle for a second but didn’t deter her from her goal.

  Steve swung her way. “A… another man? What the hell are you talking about lady?”

  “I’m not a lady, I’m her sister.” Belle didn’t quite get why Jesse had a grin on his face when she turned to point at him. “He’s her real love.”

  “What?” Jesse stiffened, his yell of rage loud against the sound of Blue Christmas playing in the background.

  “Are you crazy?” Marilyn swung from Belle to Jesse and back to Steve. Then she shook her head. “Steve, I swear, he’s an old friend. Since we met, there’s never been anyone but you.”

  Steve, lost in the moment, pushed past Belle and never realized she’d move forward at the same time. His body shoved hers and she couldn’t get her footing.

  Jesse reached her in time to stop her from a bad fall and he scooped her up and moved in front of her. Then he turned to Steve. “Man, you’d better calm down before we have words.”

  “There’s nothing to say, man! I’m taking my wife home and you can’t stop me.”

  ***

  Jesse couldn’t continue to let the fellow scare everyone with his out-of-control behavior, nor could he have Marilyn think any the less of the man who obviously loved her. There weren’t that many choices and so he took the one he knew would settle the situation with the best outcome of all.

  He lifted the smaller-built guy by the front of his shirt so his feet weren’t quite touching the floor and he started to walk him to the door.

  In a really low voice he said, “Steve. Punch me.”

  “Are you crazy?” Steve whispered.

  “You want your wife back; you fight for her and make it look convincing.”

  Steve struggled and Jesse let him go so there would be enough room for the other to take a swing. Still, the man seemed undecided. “Look, I e-mailed you the address. She needs to believe you’re for real and that you want her so much you’ll do anything. Dammit, hit me.”

  Who knew the smaller man had such a punch. Jesse saw stars while he massaged his jaw. Then he saw the beloved face of his woman as she raced to his side and cradled him in her arms.

  “Hey darlin’, its okay. I’m fine”

  Belle knelt beside him with her arms tightly wrapped around his neck, squeezing his sore face but Jesse knew he’d never said anything more truthful in his life.

  Chapter Forty-five

  After Jesse had taken the blow, and went down like a man with a glass jaw, all hell had broken loose. It seemed like forever before he had the place to himself and Belle.

  Once they’d finally settled the misunderstanding, Steve had grabbed at the offer Jesse made for them to use the other apartment and have it to themselves. Seemed appropriate enough, since they had fences to mend and Jesse had a doghouse to get out of.

  Before they left, Steve managed sufficient time alone with Jesse to say what had to be said. “Thanks, man. You don’t know how much I appreciate your help.”

  Actually he did. Not being the time for explanations, he just held out his hand and decided when the other shook it firmly that he liked the man.

  Throughout the chaos, one fact struck him that he wouldn’t dispute—best he keep Belle close by so she didn’t shut down again. If forced to, he’d override any objections she made.

  Once she realized his ploy for getting the other two lovebirds alone, she became less difficult. Indeed, she got right into it by being a wonderful hostess and clearing her and Layla’s things out so they wouldn’t be disturbed in the morning.

  Now Jesse’s world didn’t seem near as gloomy. After Belle rushed to his side to defend him, he stayed close… even while she whizzed around making everyone as comfortable as possible.

  Thinking back to Mari who had thrown herself into her husband’s arms and wouldn’t let go, mistakenly afraid that he might continue to attack him, Jesse grinned. Hell, it took until the poor guy looked over Mari’s shoulder and caught Jesse’s wink that he started to get with the program. Then he couldn’t get Mari alone fast enough, probably to start working on the baby they both now decided was the biggest thing they had to accomplish in the New Year.

  Jesse continued his musings while Belle helped Layla and her ‘Gwampa’ set up a tent in the Kim’s bedroom by her big window. The delightful imp wanted to watch for Santa. Ten minutes after both babies, canine and human, had crawled onto the makeshift mattress, they’d drifted off to dreamland. Harry was more than happy to take up residence on the nearby bed to stand guard with Snowball and Puff for sleeping partners.

  That left Jesse’s bedroom free. His goal to woo the woman he loved and talk her into sharing his bed was now in operation.

  First he had something he had to do. He sauntered over to the larger branch on the Christmas tree where he’d left a parcel wrapped all in gold and re
trieved it. The present’s significance had driven him crazy with doubts since he’d bought the darn thing.

  He hoped she’d be happy… no, he prayed she’d be happy to see what he’d bought for her to wear.

  Chapter Forty-six

  Belle still didn’t understand what had happened earlier. One minute, she was accosting a threatening stranger and the next he’d turned into a bewildered relative.

  That he’d punched Jesse and managed to knock him down still didn’t register. Jesse was a big man, lean and strong, with muscles everywhere on his body.

  Steve, in contrast, looked to have a runner’s build, slim, compact and six inches shorter. Something didn’t compute. She couldn’t stand it another minute.

  “How did Steve come to hit you?”

  “Just a lucky punch, I guess.” Jesse wouldn’t look Belle in the eye and she had a feeling there was a cover-up going on. With his back to her, he walked over to the tree and was searching for something. It gave her a moment to filter through the evening.

  One thing she knew for sure, not only did Marilyn love her husband, but they would be staying together to start a family. And it was because of her and Yaya that Marilyn had overcome her fears about motherhood.

  Secretly, it made her swell with pride to think that they’d made such a good impression. Every woman tries her hardest to be a good mom, but many times it wasn’t noticed by outsiders. When it is, and commented on, darn but it felt great.

  The acknowledgement probably shouldn’t matter if one knows they’re doing their best, but it did. The lightness floating inside Belle certainly made her happy.

  If she was being entirely truthful, it could be that the happiness existed more from realizing that Jesse and Marilyn were not back together. That maybe, she’d mistaken what she saw the other night—a sweet interlude between old friends, rather than an intimate moment involving lovers.

  Jesse, holding the small golden gift in his hand, the same one he and Yaya bought the other day, approached slowly. Watching his advance cranked up her pulse to where she felt quite dizzy.

  The dryness in her mouth forced her to lick her lips and she found quick swallows of the cooled Hot Chocolate helped. Though, it didn’t do anything for the shakes that developed deep inside her stomach. They quickly travelled through her entire system until she thought she’d pass out. She managed a few deep breaths before Jesse sat close to her on the sofa, his fragrant after-shave a reminder of other intimate moments.

  The enticing magic of the sexual tension, interwoven with her overwhelming love for the man, drove her half-crazy with need.

  Shy, scared he’d see the hunger in her eyes, she gazed away from him to where the atmosphere of Christmas surrounded them in its enchantment. From the multi-colored lights and ornaments decorating the tree, which was now loaded with presents underneath, to all of Kim’s other holiday treasures, it screamed of the season to be jolly.

  Jesse got her attention when he put his arm behind her on the back of the couch and whispered her name.

  “Belle. I know there have been difficulties between us these last few days. As a mere man, I can’t begin to understand what’s going through your mind.” He put the gift in her hands and very gently cradled her cheek. “Is it enough that I desperately want to try and understand? Can you tell me what’s been worrying you? I’d like everything settled between us before I ask you to open my present.”

  “Oh, Jesse, I think I’ve been very foolish. The truth is, when you first saw Marilyn and reacted the way you did, I’ll admit to being jealous. And it took me a while to come to my senses. Eventually, after I figured that it might have been shock that made you react the way you did, I came back to get you. That was around ten last night.”

  His hand dropped and he stiffened. “At ten? You came here to the apartment?” Jesse’s frown said it all.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh honey, I’m so sorry. If you’d spoken, you would have realized I… it looked bad, didn’t it?”

  “Oh yeah! Real bad.”

  He nodded and swept his hand through his hair. Then he rubbed his thigh and cleared his throat. She could see when he came to the obvious conclusion. “That’s why you changed. Look, I can explain.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “Honey, don’t be mad. Please trust me—”

  “I do.”

  “You do?” He stared at her as if she had just morphed into an angel.

  She couldn’t stop a tender smile from appearing. He was an endearing man and she was nuts about him. “I do trust you, Jesse. It didn’t come easy. I had to have a good talk with myself. But I came to realize that most probably it was a tender moment between old friends. I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “She was very unhappy.”

  “I don’t need to know the intimate details.”

  “I really would like to tell you, Belle, but it’s Marilyn’s story, not mine.”

  “I kinda figured that by the way you were holding her. At first the shock made what I actually saw unclear. I was hurt and angry. Then you gave me that look in the snow and I wondered if I’d made a mistake. Upon re-visiting the scene, I came to understand that there must have been more to the incident than I’d picked up at first glance.”

  “What look? You mean the one I’m using now?”

  She swayed toward him. Her bones weakened. Every nerve ending on her body woke up and became sensitized. “That’s the one.” The sweet agony of knowing how much she meant to him floated between them soft and gentle. How incredible it was that he wanted her so desperately.

  She inched closer and Jesse put his arms around her as if he couldn’t stand not being physically linked. Her eyes sought his and the look of pure adoration lifted her heart right out of her chest where it met his and connected.

  What woman, who knew herself so cherished, wouldn’t yield? He scooped her into his arms and she nestled on his knees. His hungry lips dove in to claim hers and the world faded.

  The kiss promised so much.

  A man she’d treasure every day while they built a life together.

  A wonderful father for Yaya to love and any other children they might have.

  And his love that would keep her safe forever.

  The sound of the gift dropping onto the floor caught Jesse’s attention and he pulled away just enough to retrieve it.

  “I need you to open this now and say you’ll wear it for me.” The throaty way Jesse spoke made her realize that for him this moment was precious.

  Trembling, full of joy blended with anxiety, Belle took the parcel and unwrapped the fancy bow. Inside, she found a small red velvet box.

  Before opening it, she looked up and caught his eye. Scared that he’d gone a bit faster than she’d expected, she hesitated. Was she ready? Another searing glance and her heart settled into the rhythm of commitment.

  She opened it. There on the white satin lay a stunning heart of diamonds with the silver chain threaded through.

  “It’s so beautiful.” She whispered the words because her emotions had overwhelmed her ability to talk out loud.

  “I hope you’ll agree to wear it, honey. I don’t want to sound corny but it represents my heart that I want to give to you, to keep safe.”

  “Oh, Jesse. I love it. Help me put it on.” She lifted her hair while he gently set it around her neck. “I’ll treasure it forever.”

  He kissed the heart where it lay against her neck, sending shockwaves over her vulnerable skin. “When you’re ready, we’ll add a diamond ring to match. I didn’t want to rush you, but there’s an intense need in me to make you mine.” He kissed her very softly there again and then worked his way back to her lips.

  Needing to clear away the tiny niggling unease that she couldn’t shake off no matter how many times she told herself not to worry, Belle pulled back a bit and watched his expression. “Kim did tell me that you’d loved Marilyn for many years. That… that she’d broken your heart. Jesse, you have to be sure.”

&
nbsp; “Of course I’m sure, Belle.”

  “But how can you be so positive? She’s everything a man could want.”

  “But she’s not you.”

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Belle gazed at the splendor of her wedding finery in the mirror and forced the expected tears back. Since the doctor had given her the wonderful news of her pregnancy, everything made her cry. Silly as it sounded; the happier she was the more emotional she’d become.

  When Marilyn accepted her request to be her maid of honor, she bawled like a baby. And when Kim agreed to be the bridesmaid, her tears fell in a continuous stream until her neighbor made a joke and got her laughing.

  She couldn’t seem to find the turn-off valve. And in the meantime, poor Jesse tried his best to get used to this idiosyncrasy. His wanting to please her, so she’d be herself again, just made her weep more because of his good nature. Once she assured him that she’d been exactly the same way for the first three months of Layla’s pregnancy, he'd relaxed. After that, he’d play it cool, give her a hug and skedaddle out of her way.

  Hugging herself, thanking the Lord for her good fortune in finding such a wonderful partner, she gazed raptly at her reflection. Taking their duties seriously, Marilyn and Kim had shopped with her to help find the perfect dress. Never would she have picked such a design, but urged by the other two, she conceded that their choice had been the right one.

  Elaborate, the beaded lace bodice enhanced her body and even the thin lace, off the shoulder sleeves that ended as a panel of lace in the back, added to the over-all effect of stunning glamor. That the dress hugged her stomach midway and then began a gentle flare meant she’d be comfortable throughout the long evening of festivities. And the tiny human nestled in her tummy wouldn’t be constricted in any way.

  The door opened and both Marilyn and Kim returned, Kimmy carrying a box of tissues. “I knew you’d need these if we left you alone for five minutes.”