A Christmas Kiss

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  Carmen looked around again and then slowly nodded. Getting some air was exactly what she needed to do to clear her head. “Yeah, good idea,” she said, grabbing the shopping list from the refrigerator. Just then the bell on the front counter rang. They both turned.

  “I’ll get that,” Marion said.

  “No, I’ll take care of whoever it is on the way out.” She grabbed her jacket and purse and headed to the foyer. Marion followed.

  As soon as Carmen got there, she saw Thomas Ford, head of the town council, standing at the foyer table and smiling. She groaned inwardly. She knew he was probably there to complain that the blurb was late. “Hello, Mr. Ford,” she said.

  “Good evening, Carmen,” Thomas said, overly giddy.

  “Hello, Tom,” Marion said, walking up.

  Thomas walked over and kissed Marion’s cheek. “Hello, Marion. Wow, ladies, this place looks amazing. We should hold the holiday festival right here in the foyer,” he added excitedly, then laughed at his attempt at humor. “And this winter white flower display is first rate, very lovely indeed.”

  Carmen looked at her mother. Marion smiled. “Why, thank you, Tom. We’re very proud of our holiday decorations this year. Our guests are really enjoying them.”

  “Good. Good. So . . .”

  “Thomas, the blurb isn’t quite ready yet,” Carmen said. “It’s my fault. I’ll have it for you as soon as I . . .”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. I know you’re busy with everything going on for the holidays,” he said, looking around and into the conservatory. “Just get it to me by Wednesday morning. That should be fine.”

  “Sure,” Carmen said, surprised by his relaxed demeanor.

  “So”—he slapped his hands together happily—“I just heard the good news, our guest of honor has arrived.” He looked around smiling. “Where is he?”

  “Yes, Dean is here. I believe he’s upstairs in his suite,” Marion said.

  “Excellent. Excellent. Well, I think I’ll just run up and check on him to make sure everything’s going well so far. Gotta take exceptional care of our special guest. I assume he’s in the grand suite as usual,” he said happily.

  “Yes, but . . .”

  “Hello, Mr. Ford.”

  They all turned and saw Dean walking down the last few steps. Thomas Ford rushed over immediately. “Ah, here he is now. Dean, our favorite Hayden resident, has returned. I’m so glad to see you. Welcome home, son.” He grabbed Dean in a massive awkward hug and handshake, shocking everyone. “Good to see you made it home safely. How was your trip? Oh, and how’s the business? I hear there’s some exciting news on the horizon. I can’t tell you how pleased we are you could take time out of your very busy schedule to participate in this year’s holiday program. One of many, we’re hoping.” He laughed again.

  Marion looked at her daughter. Carmen frowned. The obvious reversal of opinion had nearly given her whiplash. Thomas Ford was the one who’d really disliked Dean years ago and treated him like dirt. Now he was gushing all over him like he was the king of the world.

  “No problem. It’s good to be home. I have some business here I need to take care of, so it was perfect timing,” Dean said, then he saw Carmen putting on her jacket. He walked over to help. “Are you going out?” he asked.

  “Yes, I need to make a quick run,” she said.

  “How about some company?” he offered.

  Carmen was just about to decline when Thomas spoke up.

  “Um, actually, Dean, son, I wanted a quick chat with you. I thought we could iron out a few scheduling details for the next few days. And there are a few people who are looking forward to meeting you. I asked them to stop by. I hope you don’t mind,” Thomas said quickly.

  Dean nodded reluctantly. “No problem.”

  “Well, why don’t you two talk in the conservatory? It’s quieter and I don’t believe anyone’s in there right now. I’ll bring in some hot tea and Christmas cookies,” Marion said.

  Thomas nodded happily. “That would be wonderful, Marion. Thank you.” He turned to Dean. “After you, son.”

  Carmen smiled as she left. She knew the beginning of their conversation was going to be awkward for Thomas. As Dean’s biggest critic years ago, he had blamed Dean for just about everything that had gone wrong in the town. He had always been so sure Dean was trouble. And now that Dean was a respected businessman with enough money to buy the entire town, he had to make amends.

  Carmen got into her car and pulled out just as several more members of the town council and a few other prominent Hayden residents arrived. She presumed they were the ones here to meet Dean. She shook her head. She knew Thomas’s quick chat would probably last most of the evening and she had no intention of being around for it. She quickly drove off.

  Chapter 5

  Fifteen minutes later Carmen arrived at the gym. It was packed. Choosing to forgo her usual yoga and Pilates workout, Carmen elected instead to take an extreme-power aerobic workout and a spin class. Both were designed to de-stress and were exactly what she needed after the last few crazy, nerve-wracking days.

  An hour and a half later, she walked out of the gym weak and exhausted. Heading to her car, she stopped, hearing her name called. She turned and saw a friendly face. “Hey,” she said, smiling weakly.

  “Hey, yourself. What’s up with you? You look like crap.”

  “Thanks.”

  Jessie Singleton, a five-foot-ten-inch ex-model turned artist and recently returned resident like herself, owned a small art gallery in town. They had gone to high school together and lost touch over the years, but then, as they both moved and settled back into Hayden, they’d grown close.

  “Don’t mention it.” Jessie smirked. “So what are you doing here? There’s no yoga class scheduled this late.”

  “I took an extreme-power aerobic workout and a spin class.”

  “You took both classes, back to back?” Jessie asked, chuckling.

  Carmen nodded. “I figured it’s like riding a bike. How bad could it be?”

  “Famous last words,” Jessie said. “It must have been one of those days.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “You okay?”

  Carmen nodded slowly. “Barely,” she rasped.

  “Why in the world would you . . . ? Oh, that’s right. I heard. Dean Everett is back in town. I assume he’s staying at the B and B,” she said.

  Carmen nodded. “Yeah, for the next three days.”

  “Well, you know everyone’s already talking about the two of you together under the same roof again.”

  “What? He just got here.”

  “This is Hayden, remember?”

  Carmen shook her head. Years ago, there had always been talk about her and Dean. Everyone assumed they’d be married and have a dozen kids by now. “Well, they can stop talking. Nothing’s changed. He’s just passing through just like before.”

  “If you say so. All right, I need details. How is he?”

  “The same—smart, funny, drop-dead gorgeous, and sexy as hell,” she said, quoting her mother again.

  “Sounds nice.”

  “No, not nice.”

  “Well, at least you two can finally finish this.”

  “Finish what?” Carmen asked.

  “The slow dance you’ve been doing since we were in high school. I was there too, remember. Shakespeare would have loved you two.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh please, I could write a book about you two. Star-crossed lovers featuring Carmen and Dean—he’s a poor teenager dumped here to live with his grandparents who just happen to work for your wealthy father. Then he leaves to make his fortune and comes back years later to win back his true love. And then . . .” she said, looking at Carmen to finish.

  “And nothing. Like I said, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you don’t.” Jessie chuckled as she veered off to go to her car. “We still on for
tomorrow afternoon?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  “Okay, see you later. Oh, and by the way, try the kick-boxing class next time—works better, way more aggression.”

  Carmen smiled and nodded. “Thanks. I will. See you.”

  After leaving the gym, Carmen stopped at a market and a specialty food store and picked up a few more breakfast essentials. Driving back almost three hours later, she felt like herself again—strong, confident. She was back in control. She pulled into the driveway and saw that Tom Ford’s car was thankfully gone, but a car she didn’t recognize was there. Late-model, obviously expensive—she assumed it was Dean’s.

  She took a deep breath before getting out of the car. “Okay, I can do this,” she affirmed confidently. She was ready to face Dean, Thomas, the blurb, and any other craziness coming her way. She grabbed the grocery bags and headed up the steps to the front door. It wasn’t too late, but she knew her mother was already in bed since she got up extra early to prepare breakfast.

  As soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, she saw the night clerk sitting at the desk smiling. They greeted each other and chatted for a few minutes, and then Carmen stopped in the conservatory to talk to a few guests still up socializing.

  Carmen greeted them and casually looked around, noticing that Dean was nowhere in sight. She considered that maybe he’d gone into town with Thomas. The guests told her about their day and she suggested a few other places nearby they might want to visit. Afterwards, she continued to the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the island counter working on the laptop. “Hey, I’m back. What are you doing still up?” Carmen asked, placing the bags on the counter.

  Marion looked up and frowned. “You look worse than you did when you left here.”

  Carmen sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know, but I feel much better.”

  “Good, I guess that’s something. And I just finished the blurb for Tom,” Marion said, pressing the enter key. “Send and done.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “We’re all prepped for tomorrow’s breakfast, and I was just about to check the attic roof and go to bed.”

  “No, don’t worry about the roof. I’ll check it.”

  “Okay, so what do you have there?” Marion asked.

  “I stopped and picked up a few things from the market while I was out.” She pulled out containers of strawberries and blueberries and a jar of lemon curd.

  Marion stood and walked over. “Oh, that’s perfect. I was just thinking about making homemade strawberry jam and blueberry scones. They’ll go perfectly with the French toast casserole I’m making for tomorrow’s breakfast.”

  “Mmm, that sounds delicious,” Carmen said as she continued pulling groceries from the bags and putting them away in the refrigerator and pantry. “So, how was your dinner with Dean this evening?” she asked casually, trying not to sound too curious.

  Marion chuckled. “Oh, it was wonderful. We talked and laughed about old times. He’s still the same, funny and charming and very insightful when it comes to my daughter. He was disappointed when you didn’t come back and join us for dinner.”

  Carmen looked at her mother and sat down. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” Marion said, sitting down beside her.

  “I didn’t see him when I came in. Is he still here?”

  “Of course. Where else would he be?”

  “In town, maybe.”

  “No, I don’t think he went out. He’s probably in his suite working. He mentioned he had a few things to take care of this evening,” Marion said. Carmen nodded. “Honey, you know you’re gonna have to talk with him eventually. He is a guest and a friend.”

  “I know he’s a guest.”

  Marion shrugged and looked around. “Well, I’m going to call it a night. Five o’clock comes earlier and earlier these days, and I do need my beauty sleep.” She stood and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Get some rest, sleep well. Good night.”

  “Good night, Mom.”

  Marion left and Carmen got up and made a cup of tea. She sat at the counter and opened the laptop her mother had been using. Curiously, she typed in Dean’s name. His company information came up along with his bio and well over two million other sites connected to him.

  The first was of course about the merger of his computer software company. Then how it developed, what it was, and its net worth. She was stunned. She’d had no idea. She’d known he was wealthy, but she hadn’t known he was this wealthy. She sipped her tea and continued reading through the many websites as one led to another and another. An hour later, totally distracted, she was still reading.

  “Hey.”

  Startled, she jumped and spun around seeing Dean standing in the open doorway. “Hi,” she said awkwardly, then quickly closed the laptop.

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  “Guests don’t usually come into the kitchen.”

  “I’m not just a guest here,” he said.

  She nodded. “Yeah, sure, come on in.”

  He walked over to the counter and stood beside her. “I didn’t know you were down here. I just came to grab something to drink.”

  She stood instantly. “Sure. What can I get you?”

  “Carmen, relax. You don’t have to wait on me. This isn’t my first time being here. I know where everything is.”

  “I know, but . . .” she began, then watched as he added water to the teakettle, grabbed a mug, spoon, and teabag from the cabinet and drawer. “I guess you have been here a couple of times.”

  He smiled. “I’d say more than just a couple.”

  She nodded. “So, are you enjoying your stay here so far?”

  “No, not really. The bed is too hard, the pillow too soft, there’s a broken window, the fireplace is spewing black smoke into the room, the shower only jets out cold water, and there’s a giant puddle in the middle of the floor.”

  “What?” she said quickly, stunned by his outrageous account. This was the last thing she needed to hear today. Standing, she quickly grabbed her cell phone from her purse to call the handyman. Then she stopped and turned to him realizing this couldn’t all be true.

  Dean was smiling and chuckling. She glared at him. “That wasn’t funny,” she said, sitting back down.

  “Sure, it was,” he said.

  “No, it wasn’t,” she stressed, refusing to smile. But as much as she didn’t want to, she did. “Really, not after the day I had today.”

  “What happened today?” he asked, making his cup of tea and refilling hers. They sat side by side at the counter, and she told him about her day and then the last few days. He shook his head, feeling her frustration. “And, to top it off, I show up.”

  “Yes, to top it off, you show up.” She looked at him and remembered the kiss. Epic was an understatement. She licked her lips. “It’s late. I need to go to bed.”

  “Mind if I join you?” he joked. Her jaw dropped; then she saw him smile. “You don’t have to leave on my account.”

  “Actually, I was just on my way to check the attic when you came in.” She quickly placed the laptop in the cabinet drawer and grabbed her mug.

  “Carmen. Stop.”

  “I need to go. Like I said, it’s late.”

  “Please, don’t run again. I was hoping we could talk.”

  She stopped and nodded, knowing this was coming at some point. “Yes, you’re right. We do need to talk.” She sighed heavily and sat back down. “Uh, about what happened earlier, the kiss. I’m very sorry. It was unprofessional. I was wrong and I never should have . . .”

  “Correction,” he interrupted. “The kiss was perfect. You running away, not so perfect.”

  “This isn’t funny, Dean. I messed up.”

  “What happened to the fun-loving Carmen I knew?”

  She looked at him then shook her head. “She’s gone. She grew up and learned she had responsibilities.”

  “That’s a shame.”

  “Is that all you wanted to talk abo
ut?” she asked.

  “You’re not socially active.”

  “What?”

  “Online,” he clarified. “You don’t have any social network footprints.”

  “Is that a question or a statement?”

  He thought for a second, then answered. “Question.”

  “The Stiles Bed and Breakfast has a website and a social media page on most of the main sites.”

  “Yes, but not you personally.”

  “No, I’m way too busy to play on the computer.”

  “Come on, nobody’s that busy. You need to relax and let your hair down. Have some fun, at least for the holidays.”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I have a real business to run.”

  “Are you implying that I don’t?” he asked.

  She frowned instantly. “No, no, that’s not what I meant,” she explained quickly. “Of course your business is real. Everybody knows it’s very real. I just meant I don’t have a lot of extra time on my hands.”

  He chuckled. “Carmen, relax, I’m just messing with you,” he said, then watched her calm down. “Pity, you should try my games. You’d enjoy them.”

  “No time and, like I said, I have a business to run.”

  “Your mother has time,” he said.

  She turned to him, shocked. “What?” she said. He nodded. “No, the game system is connected to the television in the game room. She doesn’t go in there, let alone play the games.”

  “I sent her a laptop and specially designed computer software. She’s beta testing a new product for me. She’s on my team. Actually, she’s pretty good at slaying zombies and aliens.”

  Carmen had had no idea her mother played his computer games. She smiled and chuckled at the thought of her mother battling monsters and aliens.

  “Now that’s what I wanted to hear, your laugh. It’s been a long time and it’s still music to my ears.”