Her Christmas Prince (Love in the Keys)

by Godin, Caroline A.

  The night's events had been captured by Jimmy the paparazzo, who went back to his hotel to check out the footage and to figure out his strategy. It seemed Prince Henry had a girlfriend. And it looked serious.

  CHAPTER TEN

  December 24th, Christmas Eve

  Jimmy had been up all night, checking out the shots he had of Prince Henry and the girl. This was a first for him. He'd been waiting his whole career as a photographer for an exclusive sale. And as far as he could tell, he was the only person who was on to this story.

  He had literally hundreds of shots. Prince Henry and the girl in her car. In his car. At a local church. Having lemonade on the church lawn. Talking to people who he thought might be her parents. And the minister. Spending the day at the beach. And having dinner on a boat. It would make an amazing pictorial.

  But his gut told him if he waited a few more days, got some more shots, and did a little digging, he could really score. So that's what he was doing. He had everything catalogued and ready to go when the time was right, and had had his assistant come down from Miami with his good cameras and lenses.

  This morning, he was going to go and check out the coffee shop in Sunnyside Key. It seemed like there was a tie in there.

  Callie and Erin were having a great morning at the Beach Buzz. All their locals were coming in. They had told everyone if they brought a food donation to the food pantry at the church, the coffee was free on Christmas Eve. And their customers had supported their efforts. Instead of bringing one item, many had brought sack of groceries. It did Callie's heart good; her neighbours were amazing people. If you asked for help, they gave it.

  Between customers, Callie filled Erin in on her day yesterday. And Erin was thrilled.

  “Callie, I hate to say I told you so, but ...”

  Callie cut her off. “Don't say anything. We're just hanging out. Nothing more. I expect he'll be gone shortly after Christmas.”

  “Did he say so? “

  “Not in so many words, no, but he must have to be back home by January. He has work.” The thought made Callie sad. Even though she'd only known Henry for a few days, it felt like longer. She'd never felt such an instant click and such a sense of compatibility. She knew intellectually they weren't really going out, but sometimes, it felt like they were. She was going to miss him.

  In the flurry of last minute customers, neither Callie nor Erin paid much attention to a visitor. He came in, bought coffee, and a muffin. He sat in at the cafe, which was unusual. The majority of their business was take out. They girls continued their conversation, almost forgetting he was there, ‘til he got ready to go.

  “Thanks very much, girls. Can I just say that's the best muffin I've ever had. Where do you get them?” Jimmy asked, innocently.

  “We make them here, that's why they're good. They're fresh and made with love by Callie, here.”

  “Callie. Well, you're a great asset to this place. I hope your boss here knows that.” Both girls laughed.

  “Actually, Callie is the boss. This is her cafe. I'm the flunkie. I'm just louder, so people think I am. Happens all the time.” Erin smiled at Jimmy. “I don't remember seeing you before. Just passing through for the holidays?”

  “Something like that, yes. Do you happen to have a business card, Callie? I'd like to recommend you to a friend of mine down island.”

  Callie reached under the counter and pulled out a card and gave it to the man. “Here you go. I appreciate any recommendations, thanks.”

  “No problem at all. It was a real pleasure to meet you. Have a nice Christmas, ladies.” With that, he exited the cafe. Not too shabby. For the price of a coffee and a muffin, he had a name and some info. Enough to get his assistant working on more. This might turn out to be the best Christmas ever.

  Callie and Erin worked hard to clean up the cafe after Jimmy left. They got everything ready as much as they could for when the re-opened. They planned to stay closed for a few days, until the 31st, to give themselves a break. They were both looking forward to it.

  At 1 p.m., they exited the Beach Buzz, and hugged.

  “Merry Christmas, my friend. Have a great time with your family. And please drive safely.” Erin was headed for her grandmother's place in northern Florida and had a long solo drive ahead of her. Callie always worried when she made this trip.

  “You, too. You'd better call me and let me know how Christmas with Mr. Wonderful goes and if you get caught out or not. Are you worried?”

  Callie thought for a minute before answering. “I'm not worried about getting caught out, Henry and I get along great and I don't think anyone will suspect anything, if that's what you mean. But I am feeling guilty about lying to everyone, even though my mom has been almost nice to me the last few days.”

  “I'm only a phone call away if you need me.”

  “Ditto!”

  The girls waved goodbye and headed to their cars, Erin's already full of luggage and presents. Erin headed north on A1A and Callie made the short drive home.She had Christmas preparations to make before she met up with Henry later.

  Yesterday at church, she'd figured out what to give him for Christmas. A new Bible. It wasn't technically cheating because she wasn't going to buy one, she had an extra one on her shelf. But she was going to make a nice cover for it that had room for a pen and a notebook. She'd looked through her crafting box and found a fabric scrap that should be just big enough. It was a lovely striped pattern in multiple shades that was eye catching yet manly at the same time. She also planned to embroider the cover with his initial. It was the only thing that had come to her as a gift option and she hoped that he would like it. No one should be without a Bible, especially at Christmas.

  Callie got to work measuring and cutting and sewing and in just over an hour, her monogrammed Bible cover was wrapping up a Bible, a leather-bound notebook and a pen. She was pleased with her handiwork, and wrapped it carefully in a festive back with lots of tissue. She'd also tucked in a tin of her magic bars, just in case. She knew for sure Henry loved desserts. Her last task to complete his present was to make a card. On the front, she drew a cartoon Henry holding a fish, standing on a festively decorated boat in the marina. Inside, she simply wrote:

  Henry,

  This Christmas would not have been

  the same without you. May the new

  year bring you every blessing.

  xo Callie

  There was so much more she wanted to say but couldn't put into words. She also was unsure of his feelings and couldn't bear the thought of another rejection. Though, surprisingly, in the few days Henry had been on the scene, Callie felt much better about things. She was realizing that Brian was actually not that nice a person, and didn't seem to want the same things she did. So he'd really done her a favour. Because she'd never have experienced the camaraderie she felt with Henry if Brian hadn't dumped her. It taught her what love should feel like.

  Callie sat down abruptly. She loved Henry. It seemed ridiculous after a few days, but it there it was. Her heart knew what it wanted. It frightened and amazed her at the same time. Because Henry was going home after Christmas.

  She moved to the kitchen and began making the pies that were her contribution to her family's holiday dinner. Most people had apple or pumpkin, but for the Meyers, it wasn't Christmas without pecan and key lime. Because of the number of people expected, and the likelihood there would be second helpings, Callie was making four large pies of each kind.

  As she worked, she continued to reflect on her situation with Henry. It was a horrible thing to realize you loved someone and they were gone to be nothing but a distant memory in days. But what could she do? He'd made it clear he had to go home and he hadn't said anything about staying in touch.

  When the pies were ready, she put the pecan ones on her dining table and the key lime ones in the refrigerator, ready to go in the morning.

  She checked her watch and realized she had less than an hour to be ready before Henry picked h
er up for their Key West outing; she'd best hurry. She decided on jeans, sandals and a light cotton sweater. It could get breezy down island and she didn't want to catch cold before the holiday. As she gave herself a spray of perfume as the finishing touch, her buzzer rang. Henry was here. Callie rushed downstairs, exited to see him.

  “Good evening, pretty lady.”

  Henry was standing beside the SUV, waiting to open her door for her as she exited the condo lobby. He smiled at her and waited for her to be seated comfortably before closing the door. He ran around to his side of the vehicle and got in quickly. Before buckling up, he leaned over and gave Callie a quick hug. She hugged back.

  “Hello, yourself. How was your day?” Callie had been a little disappointed that he hadn't stopped by the Beach Buzz, and wondered what he'd been up to.

  “Good. I picked up the champagne for Christmas for your mom. And finished up your dad's gift. Oh, and I had lunch with Tom and Mrs. D.” Henry gave her a sly look, and seemed quite proud of himself.

  “Wow, very productive. So, what is my dad's gift?” Callie's curiosity was brimming.

  “I can't tell you that! You'll just have to be surprised and see on Christmas morning.” Callie harrumphed, and Henry laughed. She was cute when she was annoyed.

  They continued the short drive down A1A to Key West, with Callie pointing out different things as they drove. When they got right into Key West, she directed him to stay on A1A until the end. They arrived at the Southernmost Point monument, which celebrated that Key West was the most southerly place in all of the United States. The actual southernmost point was actually on the base and not accessible by the public, but the monument had been erected so people could take pictures with it and it was a popular photo op at any time of the day.

  They got out of the SUV and politely waited their turn for photos, chatting with some of the other visitors. When they got to the front of the line, Henry again mugged for the camera and Callie laughed. The lady behind them offered to take one of them together and Henry quickly agreed and handed Callie's camera to her. He pulled Callie close and they took several pictures together. He thanked the lady profusely and they went back to the car.

  What nobody had noticed was Jimmy, hiding behind the hedge of a house across the street, also taking pictures with his telephoto lens.

  “So, where are we headed exactly?” Henry asked as he started the car.

  “I've been thinking on that. I think maybe Mallory Square might be the best spot to take it in.” Henry nodded and followed Callie's directions. They got lucky and found a parking spot on the street near the entrance to the square when another car pulled out. That was liking winning the lottery in Key West, which was notorious for having a lack of parking. And very zealous parking enforcement officers.

  When Henry helped her out of the car, Callie took his hand and eased onto the pavement. He kept hold of her hand as they walked and found a spot in Mallory Square to watch the flotilla of boats, all decorated with lights in various themes, go by. It was a fun tradition in Key West and several of the Keys. Boats would compete for the best decorations and everyone enjoyed the artistry and creativity that went into the process. As they watched the boats, they traded comments and tried to guess which boat would be named the winner. When the last of the boats had passed, they made their way out of the Square.

  “I don't know about you, but I'm a bit hungry. Do you feel like something to eat?”

  Callie nodded yes. “I was so busy this afternoon, I forgot to have lunch. So yes, I'd love some dinner. What are you in the mood for?”

  “I had Cuban food with Tom and Mrs. D at lunch, so maybe something simple. Fish? Seems the way to go here. Any recommendations?”

  “Well, Sunset Pier is nice and quiet. And it has a beautiful view out on the water. How about there?” Callie liked it because it was romantic, but she would let Henry find that out for himself.

  “Sounds great. Lead on, milady.”

  He followed Callie's lead and they walked a short distance over to Duval Street and to the Ocean Pier Hotel, where the restaurant was located. It had a wonderful reputation and was popular with locals and tourists alike, and Callie hoped they wouldn't have trouble getting a table.

  The maitre 'd greeted them warmly and seated them at a nice table. The cool breeze and the twinkling of the lights on the water, combined with the gentle candle light, created a beautiful ambience.

  They quickly ordered, Henry settled on Key West shrimp and a salad and Callie favouring the catch of the day with rice and beans. Henry tried a local beer and Callie had a glass of pinot grigio.

  “A toast. To new friends, wonderful memories, and a happy Christmas.” Callie smiled and clinked her wine glass with his beer stein. Was that how he thought of her, as a friend.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” Henry was watching her intently.

  “Nothing really, just enjoying the place and the company.” He didn't look like he believed her, but he decided not to press.

  “So, what's the plan for tomorrow?”

  “Well, we're expected at my mom's for 9 a.m. We have breakfast and open gifts, then we all go to church for 12:30 p.m. service. After church, we go back to mom's and dinner is around 4 p.m. We usually watch a family movie or play games or something like that in between.”

  “And how many people will be there?”

  “If everyone comes, about 25. My parents, aunts, uncles and cousins.”

  “Anything I need to know?”

  “No, not really. The guys might want to play football. So dress appropriately if you want to participate.” It just occurred to her that Henry might not know football rules since he was European. “Do you know how to play?”

  “Oh yes, I learned in Afghanistan. Tom taught me. Sounds like fun.”

  “I really appreciate you coming. It's taken a lot of pressure off me. My mom's actually been kind of pleasant since we saw her at the Clam. I've been praying it continues. It's nice.” Henry smiled.

  Their meals arrived and Henry and Callie both settled in to eating since they were both starved. Both enjoyed their food and the ambiance. When the waiter asked if they wanted dessert, Callie answered yes. Henry deferred to her judgement and they both had Cuban style flan. It was homemade at the resort and quite delicious.

  As they were finishing dessert and coffee, Callie paused. Just for a second, she thought she heard Brian's voice. She shook it off, it was completely unlikely. But then she heard it again. She must have looked alarmed, because Henry noticed.

  “What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

  “Not seen one, heard one. Brian's here.”

  “Brian? The Brian? Here. Well well well. This could be fun.” Callie realized that because of their location on the pier, they'd have to pass right by him on their way out. Henry signalled for the bill and paid in cash.

  “Are you ready?” Callie nodded.

  “Please don't do anything. Or say anything. If we're lucky, he won't even notice we and we can just slip out.” Henry listened to her and despite a desire to do otherwise, he tipped his head in agreement. He rose, stood behind her, and helped her out of her chair. He gave her a quick but strong kiss, then took her arm and led her out along the pier.

  Callie just kept thinking please don't let him see me as they approached Brian's table, where he was sitting with a beautiful woman. They had just passed them when Brian's companion got up and touched Henry's arm.