A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

by Wilton, Patrice

  He opened the oven and peeked inside. “You must be expecting a lot of people coming through,” he said, shooting her a look. “What are they?”

  “Oatmeal Rum Raisin. And they’re even better then they smell.”

  “Not just a pretty face.” He turned and gave her a lazy smile that got her heart doing a happy dance. “But a woman who cooks.”

  “I’m a mother. Of course, I cook.” She pulled out a plastic container from the fridge. “Tyler and I made these sunflower cookies the other night, and you’re welcome to try a couple.”

  “Why, thanks.” He took two and stuffed one in his mouth.

  “Ty helped me bake these for his school. They taste exactly like peanut butter cookies, but are made from a sunflower seed spread, so they’re allergy free.”

  “You’re a great mother,” he mumbled, swallowing a mouthful. “And smart.”

  “And pretty,” she reminded him with a flirty smile.

  “More than pretty,” he said seriously. “You’re gorgeous.”

  That stopped her for a minute. Her stomach fluttered and she wondered if going after something, or somebody in this case, was really a good idea. “That’s very sweet of you to say.”

  “Truth. Thought so the minute I saw you.”

  “Before or after Tyler pulled off your beard?”

  “Before—definitely.” He wiped a cookie crumb from his lip. “But it didn’t stop me from looking after.”

  “You must have had an eyeful that day. All those young mothers.”

  “None that compared to you.”

  Their eyes met, and she put a hand on her chest to stop the thudding in her heart. “I’m not used to men flirting with me. You better be careful. I might take it seriously.”

  He winked. “I’ll try to remember, but it comes naturally.”

  “I figured it did.” She hoped her disappointment didn’t show. “So what will your girlfriend, or girlfriends think about you and I having dinner together?”

  “No girlfriends to speak of. I date occasionally, but I haven’t met anyone lately that I want to spend much time with. My dates complain and say I’m consumed by work. Cancel at the last minute, forget occasionally—that doesn’t make me good boyfriend material.”

  “No. I see their point. But if you really liked someone, wouldn’t you make that person a priority?”

  “Not sure. I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t know.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, and didn’t look quite so sure of himself as before. “Maybe I need a reality check, but for the past four to five years, I’ve thrown myself full force into this job. You know the real estate market has up and down swings. Things were flat in 2008, everything was overbuilt and construction came to a halt. Then slowly things picked up and I wanted to make some good money fast before the next market crash.”

  “Makes sense. Can’t fault you for that.”

  “Well, it became something of an obsession for me. Once I got started in this business, I discovered I was good at it and enjoyed it too. I began selling apartments, homes, even got involved with a few retail properties. Bought up some foreclosures, fixed them and sold them at a good profit.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, and looked almost ashamed. “Forget women. How could they compete with that? It was a high. I was like the king of real estate, and everything I handled made both myself and my clients extremely happy. So that’s it. Bottom line. I’m having too much fun at the moment. I don’t have time to nurture a relationship.”

  “I see.”

  “Yes, well, it’s bound to wear down sometime. When real estate falls flat again, maybe then I’ll think about finding someone to spend the rest of my life with. Time will tell.”

  Cindy felt like someone who’d just been hit in the face with a gallon of cold water. Brad might be a great guy, but he’d just laid the facts down. He was not interested…not in the market…not thinking about her and sex and all the wonderful things they could do together.

  He was only interested in selling her home, not buying the goods inside.

  Her sister was wrong. Sometimes going after what you wanted was not the best approach. Perhaps her idea of waiting for the right man to come along was the right solution after all.

  Disappointment swelled inside. She called up the stairs, striving to keep her voice even. “Tyler, come on down, honey. It’s time to go and meet Aunt Brooke.”

  “You okay?” Brad asked, watching her carefully. “Sometimes my honesty offends people.”

  “Doesn’t offend me. Why should it? You’re my realtor, and you’re going to make me very happy. Right?”

  He smiled. “Right. I always do.”

  “Yes, well, I did some soul searching too. I baked the cookies once I realized that I do want to sell. I must sell and move on, so that Tyler and I can get on with our lives.” She bit her lip, and tilted her nose in the air. “I want someone to fall in love with this beautiful house of mine, and when they do, I’ll be in the driver’s seat. I can dictate the price and the moving time. So, yes. I want to hold out for a really good offer and move in spring. If you can make that happen, we have a deal.”

  “That’s a smart decision and I can work with that.” He spotted Tyler at the bottom of the stairs. “Hi, Tyler. You looking forward to a big day in the city? How about some ice skating at Rockefeller center? You ever been there?”

  “Nope. But I saw it on TV.” He grinned. “Is the big tree where the skating is?” he asked.

  “It sure is,” Brad replied. “I saw your hockey pictures. You like to skate?”

  Tyler bobbed his head. “Yup. I’m pretty good, aren’t I, Mom?”

  “You sure are. The best,” she told him, walking him to the door. “Put your jacket on, hon. And your gloves and hat. It’s going to get cold tonight.”

  Once they both had their winter gear on, she turned to Brad. “I’m glad we had this talk. It made everything clear.”

  He nodded. “Me too.” He dug into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. “Here’s a hundred. You’ll need to buy lunch.”

  She looked at the offered money, thinking about how much he made, and how hard it was for her to simply get buy. Lunch in the city was expensive. Shopping there would cost her likely twice what she’d spend at a local mall.

  “I can’t take that.”

  “I’ll add it on to my commission,” he said with a grin.

  She took the money out of his hands, swallowed hard, and nodded, her eyes on the ground. “Thanks. I’ll keep a receipt of how much I spend.”

  “You don’t need to do that. Have a great day.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The moment the door closed behind her, Brad scratched his head. He knew he’d done something or said something wrong. He’d seen it in her eyes. She’d been all sparkly, even flirtatious, and then she’d shut down, and he’d watched helplessly as the light in her eyes dimmed.

  He felt like a heel. A jerk. He wanted to put the lights back on, and bring the smile back into that glorious face. Damn truth. Why couldn’t he ever learn to keep his mouth shut? He’d told other women pretty much the same thing, and had had similar results. One had smacked him though. Another had started to cry.

  Hell. It wasn’t like he was immune to women. He liked them well enough. Some more than others. Like Cindy. He liked her a lot, and if the time were right, he could see his emotions getting the best of him. If his life was just a little more settled, he could imagine coming home to this beautiful woman. She would welcome him warmly, with those sweet luscious lips and that enticing body. Tyler would have his daddy too.

  Just the thought of having them to come home to warmed his cold heart.

  He knew what love felt like. There was nothing in the world as wonderful as the feeling when you were head-over-heels. It made everything brighter. The sun, the moon, the stars, even a gray, gloomy day could somehow seem magical.

  When he’d made love to Jennifer, the sexy, young woman who’d stolen his heart—he�
��d felt like the richest, luckiest man on the planet. They spent three amazing years together, and he’d known she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He left work early to buy her a ring, and had planned on asking her that very night. He entered the apartment where they lived together and heard noises coming from the bedroom. So trusting was he, that he never even wondered who she was talking to. He barged right in to find her in bed with his best buddy, Richard.

  The double-edged knife. It had sliced him through and through, and he’d never completely recovered from that deadly blow.

  But that was yesterday, and today he had another house to sell.

  Brad went outside and put a few balloons on the mailbox, and a sign at the end of the street saying Open House. Then he sat down to wait.

  * * *

  Brooke met Cindy and Tyler at the train station near Princeton and they took the train to Penn Station. From there they grabbed a cab to Macy’s at Herald Square, so Tyler could see the window decorations of the world’s largest department store, and for Cindy—it was a practical place to shop.

  As they made their way slowly from window to window, the magic of Christmas unfolded in a dream-like splendor, half artistry, half technology—an interactive performance for the very young, and those young at heart. Tyler was captivated by the imaginative scenes, as he’d been too young to remember being here with his daddy, the year before his death. David had taken him out of the stroller and hoisted him up on his big shoulders to let him experience the adventure. Cindy remembered that day as though it were yesterday.

  After they’d seen the windows, the three of them had visited the top of the Empire State building. The lines had been long, the day chilly, but Tyler had behaved like a trooper. Their final destination had been Rockefeller Center to see the tree.

  He’d forgotten the magic of that one day, when the memory of their last Christmas together as a family had to last her a lifetime.

  “Isn’t this like a fairy-tale wonderland?” she asked her son. “The snowflakes look so real—like you can grab them in your hand, and the reindeers and small animals are so sweet and cute, I’d like to take them home as pets.”

  “Can we, Mom? Can we?”

  She laughed softly. “No honey, and we know they aren’t real. This is like watching a Disney movie, only better.”

  He glanced around behind him. “Where did Aunt Brooke go?”

  “She got too cold, and went inside. We’re going to meet her at the bridal department. She’s getting a head start to look around.”

  “I don’t want to buy a suit, Mommy. I had to wear one for Daddy’s funeral, and I didn’t like it. It was scratchy.”

  She was surprised he remembered that. Perhaps he remembered more than she gave him credit for. “We’ll make sure the suit is made from a soft material and that it won’t itch.”

  He pouted. “Can’t I just stay here and look at the windows?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. I might lose you amongst all these people.”

  “Or someone might grab me, and take me away. Right, Mommy?”

  “Sometimes bad things do happen, dear, but not to you. I won’t let anyone take you away from me, ever.”

  “What if I’m old, like you? Will you still keep me around then?”

  She laughed. “As long as you want to stay with me, that’s fine by me. Even if you’re eighty.”

  “Eighty?” He giggled. “I’d have whiskers.”

  “Yes, you would. And I’d have gray hair. Perhaps a few whiskers too.”

  “Girls don’t have whiskers.”

  “No, cats have whiskers. And look at that cute puppy-dog in the window. He has whiskers too.”

  It took them a good hour to make their way around the building and Cindy knew that Brooke would be getting impatient. She grabbed his hand. “Come, sweetie. Let’s go find my sister.”

  “I’m starving,” he whined.

  “I thought you might be, so I brought a Granola bar for you to snack on. Want it now?” She took it out of her purse, and broke it in half. “Eat this before we go inside the store. Don’t want you making a mess on their clean floors.”

  Tyler wolfed it down, and then they made their way to the bridal department. Cindy saw Brooke pacing.

  “I’ve looked thoroughly, Cindy,” she said, “and I didn’t see anything that would be right for you. Everything was either too frumpy or too frilly. I say we get out of here.”

  Cindy licked her bottom lip. She didn’t want to bring up her cash situation, but with Brooke she knew she had no choice. “I was hoping to find something on sale. You said I didn’t need a “bridesmaid” dress, per se, since it’s a small wedding, and I’m the only one standing up for you. So, why don’t we take a look in the dress department? I’m sure I’ll find something simple and elegant that won’t cost me a fortune. Macy’s always has great sales.”

  “I am not letting you buy this, Cindy!” She looked shocked by the suggestion. “I know how tight things are, and I’d never expect you to pay for this or Ty’s suit. I’m having a small wedding, so it’s not like I’m buying three or four bridesmaid dresses. Just one. Yours.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I fully intended to buy my own.”

  “Nope. It’s on me. Period.” She smiled down at her favorite, and only, nephew. “How about if we go see that big old tree at Rockefeller Center and shop at Saks. It’s right across the street.”

  “I’m hungry,” he said. “Can we go to McDonald’s for lunch?”

  “I think I know a place that’s better than McDonald’s. It’s right here on the 6th floor. Stella 34 has a great menu, including pizza and yummy gelato. And a beautiful view.” She glanced at Cindy. “How does that sound? We’ll feed him first and then get our shopping taken care of.”

  “Perfect.” After standing out in the cold, it was nice to relax and enjoy a good lunch. They also got lucky finding a table that faced the Empire State building. Tyler was enthralled by the size, and decided to count all the windows.

  Less than an hour later, they grabbed a cab and headed towards Saks Fifth Ave. “See right across the street?” Cindy pointed. “That’s Rockefeller Center, where we’re going later. We can see the tree and then Brad is going to join us for ice skating. Won’t that be fun?”

  “Can’t we do that now? I don’t want to look at silly dresses. I hate shopping. It’s for girls.”

  “How do you know that? Some men like shopping too. Look around. See all the men entering the store? Can’t be a bad thing, right?”

  He twisted in his seat, watching as several men entered. “Okay. Let’s go. Maybe I can find my new daddy inside.”

  Brooke gasped. “Your what? What have you been telling this boy?”

  “Nothing. This is his idea, believe me.”

  “Santa said he couldn’t bring me a new daddy for Christmas, but he didn’t say I couldn’t find one myself. You can shop, and I’ll shop too.” He pointed his finger. “How about that one right there?”

  Cindy turned her head. “It looks like he has a family, honey. He’s with that lady and boy around your age.”

  Tears sprang into his eyes. “What about Brad? He’s nice. I like him.”

  “He’s our real estate agent, hon. And a friend. Can’t we keep him as a friend? I don’t think he wants a family right now. He’s working real hard and doesn’t have time.”

  Brooke glanced at her. “He said that?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Jerk.”

  Cindy shrugged. “Maybe I’ll do a little window shopping myself.”

  “Good idea. Go Cindy,” Brooke said with a pleased grin.

  “Why don’t you take Tyler to the children’s department and find him a suitable suit. One on sale,” she said firmly. “He’ll outgrow it in no time. And then meet me in the ladies department in an hour or so. I’ll find something suitable. I promise.”

  “Okay. Sounds like a plan.” She grabbed Tyler’s hand. “Come on, big man. Let’s buy y
ou a proper suit.”

  “Not an itchy one. Mom promised.”

  “Definitely not. It’ll be soft as a kitten’s fur.”

  He grinned. “A black and white one?”

  “I’m sure we can find something just like that.”

  “Thanks, Brooke. Look for me among the regular clothes. I believe it’s the fifth floor.”

  Brooke rolled her eyes. “Live a little. It’s my money.”

  “Exactly. But I don’t have anywhere special to wear a beautiful gown, so why go to all that expense for nothing?”

  “Maybe you’ll meet one of Adam’s friends at the wedding and you’ll both fall madly in love. He might suggest taking you on a premier cruise line for a two week Mediterranean honeymoon, and then you’ll regret not having that one very special dress.”

  Cindy laughed. “In that case, I’ll buy my own. Several, in fact.”

  She was still chuckling when she took the elevator to the fifth floor, to search for the perfect dress to witness her dear sister’s fairytale wedding.

  One of them deserved to have all their dreams come true—and it was Brooke’s turn.

  Cindy could wait for a second chance at love, after all, she’d had it once. They had a beautiful marriage, a perfect, healthy son, and a loving home. She still felt David’s loss deeply, and ached for all the years that had been stolen from them. And yet, she trusted that some day she’d find that happiness again.

  When you had love in your heart—how could you not?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Brad entered the Plaza from Fifth Street. He weaved his way through the people along the promenade, in a sudden rush to see Cindy, and of course, Tyler. They had spoken briefly twenty minutes ago, and he knew she would be waiting by the railing overlooking the ice rink.

  Must have been a hundred or so people all gathered around, but even at a distance of fifty feet, he found her in the crowd. Cindy stood next to a tall, attractive redhead, who must be her sister, but who—in his eyes—paled in comparison. They were huddled together, probably for warmth, while Tyler hopped up and down, trying to see the rink.