Jaime nodded. “No more lies. Only the truth from now on. No acting. Deal?”
“Deal.” Liza held out her other hand. Jaime looked at it and pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss, her heart melting like a snowflake in the palm of his hand.
Liza returned Jaime’s beautiful ring. They decided that if anyone asked, their response would be that things were still up in the air. They loved each other, but they had kind of done things backwards with the whole engagement.
“I want a chance to do this the right way,” Jaime said when he took the ring and put it into his pocket. “I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few days. And I thought if I had a chance, I wouldn’t let it pass without offering you a job.”
“A job?” Liza had just given him his ring back, and he was offering her a job?
Jaime chuckled. “I know it’s not very romantic, but ulterior motives aside, I want to work with you because I think you’re brilliant. You have such a great business sense, and you’re not afraid to work hard.”
“But how does my skill set work into your business?”
“For one thing, everything that we translate could use a good copy edit, and I do have someone on staff, but we have too much work to do. I’ve been thinking about bringing in a head editor to train the staff so that we’re not only translating accurately but also providing great service to produce the best content possible. There were plenty of other things that I considered as well. Will you think about it?”
Liza grinned. “Yes. I’d love to work with you.”
“So is that a yes that you’re thinking about it, or …”
“Yes, and yes.”
“That’s the second best news I’ve heard today.”
Liza gave him a coy smile. “What was the first best news?”
Jaime pulled her close and kissed her again. “Hearing that you love me.”
30
On Tuesday Jaime had the opportunity to go and visit his son, and he invited Liza to come along, but she opted to wait. There was still a lot of healing that needed to take place between father and son. The custody battle was on hold, but when Kori’s attorney had been presented with all the evidence, he softened his stance quite a bit and advised Kori to allow equal shared custody with Alex. Christmas was shaping up to be magical, happy, and full of love.
On Christmas Eve, Liza could barely contain her joy as she waited for Jaime to arrive. He was coming at five o’clock to be there for dinner and their annual Christmas movie marathon. He hadn’t seen It’s a Wonderful Life in over a decade, and Liza insisted that he take part in their family tradition. If they had time, they’d watch A Christmas Story and Elf, too.
Liza wore a dark green sweater with oversized sleeves accented with a gold necklace and earrings. She had her hair clipped back in loose curls, and she applied her no-smear red lipstick just in case there might be more kissing.
When Jaime arrived, he was carrying an oversized shopping bag. “I brought a little Christmas gift, but you’ll have to wait until after dinner.”
Liza snapped her fingers. “We’re going to have to eat fast, then.”
Jaime kissed her cheek and set the bag by the tree. They settled in for a delicious shrimp dinner and ate as Jaime told her parents more about his background and the beauties of Costa Rica.
When everyone was leaning back in their chairs with full stomachs, Jaime looked at Liza with a knowing grin. “Are you ready to open your present?”
“I thought we were supposed to wait until tomorrow to exchange presents,” Liza replied innocently.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Jaime said. “I know you’re barely restraining yourself from jumping out of that chair and running over to the Christmas tree right now.”
Reuben chuckled. “You know her well.”
Liza pretended to pout. “I can wait until Christmas.”
Everyone laughed, and Jaime pushed back his chair and helped Liza up from the table. They walked over to the Christmas tree, and Jaime picked up the large shopping bag and pulled out a rather deflated-looking bag of Doritos.
With a giggle, Liza said, “I can see why you made me wait until after dinner now.”
“Didn’t want to spoil your meal.” He handed her the crumpled bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, complete with a red bow.
With an arched eyebrow, Liza asked, “Did you eat half of this bag already? ’Cause it looks like it’s been opened.”
Jaime shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself.”
Liza shook her head and carefully opened the bag. It was not half full of Doritos. In fact, only a few crumbs remained on the inner silver lining of the bag. There was a wrapped gift inside the bag of Doritos. Liza squinted as she pulled out the little box, which had been wrapped in candy-cane-striped paper. “Oh, I wonder if this is from the Candy Counter. It looks suspiciously like their wrapping.”
“Go ahead and open it,” Jaime said, smiling.
Liza pulled off the wrapping paper and gasped when she recognized the small square shape of a black ring box. She delicately held it, almost afraid to crack open the lid. She lifted her eyes to Jaime’s. “What—”
“Just open it, Liza,” her mother whispered.
“Oh, okay.” For a second, Liza had forgotten that her parents were in the room with them. She ran her hand along the ring box. It had a leather-like finish, and it opened up with a click. Liza gasped. The exquisite sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds was bright and sparkling and beautifully familiar.
Jaime knelt down in front of her. “Liza Marie Sorenson, I love you so much, and I want to spend every happy day with you. Will you marry me?”
Tears filled Liza’s eyes and she blinked, trying to focus on the blurry ring and Jaime’s handsome face. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob. Her heart overflowed with joy, because this moment was real. Jaime was in front of her, and he loved her! She felt the truth of his words in her bones, and with a cry she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yes,” she said. “I love you too. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Cheers and sighs from her parents again reminded her that she and Jaime were not alone, but she didn’t care. She kissed Jaime with all the feeling she’d held back before, because this kiss was real.
Jaime kissed her and then leaned back, his green eyes filled with emotion. “This is the best Christmas gift I could’ve imagined.”
“Oh, Christmas!” Liza said. She grinned and stepped out of Jaime’s embrace. She walked around the side of the Christmas tree and picked up a large gift wrapped in Santa Claus paper. With a barely concealed smile, Liza handed him the big box. “I think you should open this now.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to mess up your Christmas plans just because I decided to propose to you for real this time.”
“Just be quiet and open the present.” Liza kissed his cheek.
Jaime glanced at Reuben and Adina. “Go ahead,” Reuben said.
Adina gave him the thumbs-up sign as she wiped a tear from her cheek.
“Okay, okay.” Jaime pulled off the wrapping paper and opened the box. He looked inside and started laughing. Liza joined the laughter, and her parents looked inside the box with confused expressions. There were at least five jumbo bags of Doritos from Costco inside the box.
“What is it with you two and Doritos?” Adina asked.
Jaime pulled Liza close as they laughed. “Good friends always have inside jokes.”
Liza kissed him and rested her head on his chest. “I’m so happy that you’re finally my fiancé for real.”
“I feel the same way,” Jaime said, kissing her forehead, “but how long do I have to wait before we can change my title from fiancé to husband?”
Liza tipped her head back. “Hmm, I’m not sure, but that’s the last change in title I want you to make.” She put her hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. “Husband. It has a nice ring to it.”
Jaime lift
ed her left hand and touched the ring on her finger. “It certainly does. Merry Christmas, Liza.”
More Fake Fiancés!
Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoyed the second book in the Fake Fiancé for Christmas series. To keep reading these sweet mix-ups about holidays, love, engagements, and romance, click here to get the next book by Taylor Hart in the series.
Jack’s Pizza Recipe
Jack’s Shack BBQ Chicken Pizza Recipe
Prepare your favorite crust or purchase a pre-made crust. Cauliflower crust is a great option for gluten-free diets.
Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked chicken, chopped or shredded in small pieces
1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce, we like honey or Hawaiian BBQ flavor
½ lb bacon cooked and cut into small pieces
1 large can pineapple tidbits, drained
Fresh basil leaves, or use dried if that’s all you have
½ lb shredded Mozzarella cheese
½ lb smoked gouda cheese (Optional)
½ red onion, sliced
For perfect pizza crust, first brush the shaped dough lightly with olive oil. This prevents the pizza toppings from making your pizza crust soggy. Using your fingers, push dents into the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Top the dough evenly with 1/2 BBQ sauce. Toss the cooked chicken with the remaining BBQ sauce, and then arrange on pizza. Arrange chicken, bacon, red onions, and pineapple over the sauce. Cover with the smoked gouda cheese. Clip basil leaves or place them whole on the pizza.
Bake pizza for 12-15 minutes in a 475 degree oven.
Sneak Peek
Hope for Christmas Sneak Peek
by Rachelle J. Christensen
If you enjoyed this romance from Rachelle J. Christensen, you might like to read the other books in the Echo Ridge Romance series. Enjoy this sneak peek of Hope for Christmas.
THE SILVER BELL CHIMED AS ANIKA FLETCHER entered Kenworth’s department store. She took two steps forward then stopped when she saw a glint of metal. Crouching, she picked up the quarter next to the toe of her worn black boot. She stamped the last bit of snow from her heels and pocketed the quarter. With only fifty dollars left until the next paycheck, Anika needed every last cent.
“Whatcha got, Mommy?” Four-year-old Megan scrunched her nose and lifted up on her tiptoes.
Anika smiled at her daughter and touched the end of her little pixie nose. “Just a coin.”
“We need lots of money so we can pay Beatrice.” Megan’s voice held no trace of concern.
Anika frowned. Thank goodness her daughter was so even-tempered. The daycare manager, Beatrice, had turned them away fifteen minutes ago.
“I’m sorry dear, I really am. Megan is such a sweetheart but we can’t let her stay until you pay your bill. You still owe one-hundred and thirty dollars.” Beatrice had given her a look filled with pity before slowly closing the door.
Anika’s face heated recalling the humiliating conversation. She felt Megan’s tiny fingers wrapping around her hand, and looked down. Megan was like her anchor in the stormy seas. Anika blinked twice, rolled her shoulders back, and smiled at Megan. “It’s going to be okay.”
She adjusted her name tag and walked past the fragrance counter holding her breath, even inhaling the rich scents seemed too expensive for someone like her. This was a seasonal job, but Anika wanted to work into a full-time position.
They walked past The Candy Counter with its rows and rows of hand-dipped chocolates that made Anika’s stomach grumble. She’d skipped lunch, saving the last three slices of bread for Megan. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich she’d made for their dinner called to her from the sack inside her purse.
“Can I have a candy, Mommy?” Megan tugged on Anika’s hand.
“Not now. Mommy has to go to work.”
Two boys stood next to the display, pointing at the neat row of mint patties. “These are Mom’s favorite. Let’s get them for Christmas.”
The older brother, who looked to be about ten or eleven pointed at the prices. “Tommy, see how much it is a pound? I don’t think we have enough.” He studied a handful of coins, his lips moving as he counted. “We need seventeen more cents. We could get some of the taffies instead.”
“But Mom loves those.” Tommy stuck his finger on the glass in front of the mint patties.
Anika hesitated, watching the boys recount their money. She looked over at her daughter and remembered how last week Megan had begged to give a quarter to the Salvation Army bell ringer outside Kenworth’s. Anika had clutched tightly to the coin before giving it to Megan. When had she become so hard and tight that she couldn’t even let go of a quarter? What hurt more was watching another woman in a beautiful suede coat— likely one of the tourists everyone referred to as Ice Money— shush her child and drag him into the store, denying his same request.
She slid the quarter out of her pocket and took a step closer to the Candy Counter. “Here, this might help you boys. I bet your Mom would love those mint patties.”
Tommy looked up and grinned, then glanced at his older brother who studied Anika and the quarter in her outstretched hand. Anika nodded and moved her hand a fraction of an inch closer. The coin wasn’t enough to buy a treat for Megan, but maybe it could help the boys. The older boy took the quarter, adding it to his handful of change.
“Thank you.” He grinned and both boys turned back to the counter.
Anika smiled, and lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. She wasn’t counting on the quarter anyway, and it was cute to see how excited the boys were. Megan tugged on Anika’s other hand and she continued over to the women’s department.
Usually Anika parked around back and entered near the offices and employee lounge, but she hadn’t figured out what to do about Megan yet. She led her daughter to the checkout station in the women’s department, happy that no one had noticed their arrival. Anika stowed the oversized bag full of Megan’s toys under the counter and pulled out a few dolls. She cleared a space in the cabinet under the cash register for Megan to play. It was breaking the rules to bring a child to work, but Anika hoped that she could keep Megan quiet and entertained for the next four hours. She was only scheduled to work part-time for the holidays, mostly covering a half-shift. She tried not to think about what she would do next week when she was scheduled for six-hour shifts.
Thankfully Kenworth’s wasn’t overly busy for a Tuesday, even if it was December first and the Christmas countdown was officially on. The mad rush yesterday on Santa’s first day had spiked the store’s attendance, but things were slowing down a bit and the man in the red suit had left his throne for a break. Anika shushed Megan each time a customer approached and did her best to keep up with her duties in the women’s department.
Megan munched on her peanut butter sandwich, looked at books, and played with her toys, but by eight o’clock she was tired and Anika had run out of ideas.
“I want gummies!” Megan stamped her foot and cried.
“Shh, Meg. We have to be very quiet so we don’t scare the shoppers,” Anika infused a soothing tone into her voice, but it wasn’t very convincing. Her own stomach tightened, grumbling with the gnawing hunger that she’d grown accustomed to. A pack of gummies, or any food right at the moment would be welcome. Anika picked Megan up and rocked her back and forth, humming along to the tune of Silent Night playing over the sound system.
Anika saw her boss round the corner and wished she could climb under one of the racks of designer clothes she’d just arranged. The woman had steel gray hair, a temper that matched it, and eyebrows that were perpetually arched in a slant of disgust with everyone and everything she came in contact with.
Cecilia Grange, acting CEO of Kenworth’s Department store walked toward Anika and pointed her long finger at Megan. “I take it this is your daughter?”
“Yes, I apologize,” Anika’s voice was just above a whisper. “I didn’t have another option tonight.”
“Was she the one I just heard cryi
ng? We don’t want to annoy our patrons.” Cecilia’s strident tone made it clear who was annoyed.
“I’m really sorry. I’ve got her settled down now.” Anika turned so that Cecilia could see Megan’s angelic face. Her daughter smiled at Cecilia just as Anika had hoped. She saw her boss soften a fraction.
Cecilia’s eyebrow lowered a millimeter. “Well, as long as she’s quiet, I guess we can make an exception.”
Anika didn’t promise that it would never happen again because she still hadn’t figured out what to do with Megan tomorrow during her shift. “Thank you. She’s really a good little girl and won’t cause any trouble.”
Cecilia pursed her lips. “I came to talk to you about the overtime you signed up for. Are you still capable of filling it?”
“Yes, I’d be glad to help however I can.” Anika tried to tone down the desperate eagerness she heard in her voice.
“We’re setting up a giving tree,” Cecilia said. “It’s one of Keira’s projects.” She rolled her eyes and huffed as though Keira’s ideas were only meant to torture her. “I’m going along with it because I have to humor some people. After the store closes tonight I need you to set up the tree.”
Anika swallowed hard and nodded. “I can certainly do that.”
“Then you’ll need to decorate it and help with the handmade cards we’re creating to hang on the tree. We have an association that will be supplying names of those in need this holiday season.” Cecilia pointed at a long box on the other side of the counter. “The tree is in there. We want it completed by tomorrow night.”
“I can do that.” Anika shifted Megan in her arms. Thankfully, her daughter remained quiet, probably scared silent by Cecilia’s eyebrows.
Cecilia glanced at Megan and back at Anika. “Good.”
After the tapping of her heels faded, Anika looked at the box holding the Christmas tree and groaned. Anika’s stomach grumbled, protesting the lack of food. It was going to be a long night.
Her Guy Next Door Fake Fiancé Page 15