A Christmas Kiss

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  “True.” Vaughn nodded. “But you said you wanted Terry and Zora to forgive Aliyah.”

  Benjamin clenched his fist on the table. “Why should she have a normal Thanksgiving while I’m here with you? No offense intended.”

  “None taken.” Zachariah sipped his coffee. “It’s a fair question. You’ve lost everything: your family, career, home. All because of her.”

  “I understand Ben’s not being able to forgive Aliyah.” Vaughn switched his attention from Zachariah to Benjamin. “But don’t use your kids as a weapon.”

  “I won’t.” Benjamin rubbed his face with both hands. “But where they spend Thanksgiving is their choice. If they decide to stay in Columbus, I won’t try to change their minds.”

  “Fair enough.” Zachariah inclined his head.

  Vaughn arched a brow. “As long as we bring them back to Trinity Falls to spend the holiday with us.”

  “Agreed.” Benjamin relaxed back onto his seat. Confiding in his brothers helped him feel marginally better.

  “So what are we doing for Thanksgiving?” Zachariah interrupted the heavy silence.

  “Benita and I want to host it at our house.” Vaughn offered a smile. “We’d like the two of you and Ms. Helen to join us.”

  “I’m in,” Zachariah responded quickly.

  “Thanks, V. And thank Benita for us.” Benjamin was grateful for his brother’s generous invitation even as he regretted the unexpected turn his life had taken.

  “Does Doreen still host her Thanksgiving open house?” Zachariah looked in the direction of the café counter, where a display of Doreen’s fresh pastries stood.

  “Yes, she does, every Thanksgiving evening.” Vaughn’s confirmation brought happy childhood memories.

  “It’s good to be home.” Zachariah grabbed his empty coffee mug and started to rise from his seat. “Anyone want a refill?”

  “Excuse me.” A female voice interrupted their conversation.

  Benjamin looked over his shoulder to find a tall, beautiful woman standing beside their table. Her small, slim hands gripped a bakery bag. He rose, noting in his peripheral vision that his brothers had stood as well.

  A soft pink blush accented her high cheekbones. “Vaughn, I’m sorry to interrupt. I saw you sitting here and just wanted to say hello.”

  “It’s good to see you, Olivia. Let me introduce you to my brothers.” Vaughn gestured between the two men. “Ben and Zach, this is Dr. Olivia Stark. She’s one of our biology professors at TFU.”

  Even in casual dress—a thin tan sweater and brown slacks under a calf-length, blue fall coat—the biology professor looked neat and professional. Her straight brown hair was cut in an attractive bob that framed her delicate face.

  Olivia offered Benjamin a shy smile and her hand. It was small and delicate in his. “I understand you’ve both recently returned to Trinity Falls.”

  “That’s right.” Benjamin released her hand.

  “Welcome home.” Olivia turned to Zachariah.

  “Thank you.” Zachariah held on to Olivia’s hand.

  “You’re the university’s new vice president of marketing, aren’t you?” Olivia pinned Zachariah with her dark eyes.

  “Yes, I started Monday.” He finally released her hand.

  “Welcome to TFU.” Olivia managed to pull her attention from Zachariah and glanced again at Benjamin. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.”

  Olivia inclined her head, then took her leave.

  Zachariah watched her walk away. “I think she undressed me with her eyes.”

  Vaughn snorted. “Give it a rest, Zach.”

  “I’m not saying that I mind.” Zachariah turned back to them. “More coffee?”

  “I’ll take a refill.” Vaughn passed Zachariah his empty mug and resumed his seat.

  Benjamin stilled when June emerged from behind the comic book stands. Her petite figure was clothed in a pale green sweater and dark gray denim. Even from here, he could see she’d pinned one of her festive brochures to her shoulder. His smile faded when Nessa left her table to intercept June.

  “I’m fine. Excuse me.” Benjamin left his brothers to cross the café. What was Nessa up to now?

  June had timed her trip to Books & Bakery to miss the Saturday afternoon crush. She adjusted her hold on her bag of recently purchased contemporary romances and retrieved her wallet from her purse. She was going to buy a Trinity Falls Fudge Walnut Brownie, then go home to curl up with it and one of her new purchases. Heaven.

  “I see you’re moving forward with your fund-raiser.” Nessa’s snide tone dimmed June’s bright glow of anticipation.

  She braced herself before looking up from her wallet. “Good afternoon, Nessa. How are you today?”

  Nessa’s dark eyes narrowed. “I don’t make empty threats. You should know that.”

  “And you should know that you can’t threaten us.” Benjamin’s tone was inflexible.

  Startled, June turned to find him beside her. When had he arrived? His large hand was warm on the small of her back. All of her senses had now converged onto that one spot.

  Nessa switched her glare to him. “Why don’t you walk away, Ben? This doesn’t concern you.”

  Benjamin’s tension communicated itself through the hand on June’s back. “June is my concern, as are all of the people who work for me.”

  June’s eyes widened. Was Benjamin defending her? Again? In her entire life, no one had ever defended her. Now he’d done so twice in the span of a week. It was an incredible feeling not to have to fight her battles alone.

  Still, a part of her shrunk inside as she noticed the attention they were drawing. She looked up at her knight-in-sweater-and-khakis.

  “Ben, it’s all right.” She melted in the fire in his eyes. That fiercely protective expression was for her. June couldn’t look away.

  “No, it’s not.” He returned his attention to Nessa. “I won’t allow you to bully anyone on my staff.”

  “It looks like you’re letting your attraction to June Cale cloud your judgment, Ben.” Nessa smirked.

  “What’s clouding your judgment, Nessa?” Benjamin lowered his voice.

  June shivered at his dangerous tone. She didn’t want to be the afternoon’s performance. She cringed inwardly, certain this encounter would be repeated in a variety of tales across town.

  “You’re worried about one woman.” Nessa gestured toward June. “I’m concerned about the moral fabric of an entire town.”

  Zachariah added his voice to the scene. “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t cast stones, Nessa.”

  June looked around to find the Brooks brothers now flanked her. The situation had taken on a life of its own. “Gentlemen, I—”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Nessa’s voice rose to a near shriek.

  Vaughn responded. “Your Christian charity has been missing for a long time now. What does the Bible say about treating others as you would be treated?”

  Nessa stabbed a finger toward the music professor. “My behavior is beyond reproach.”

  “I disagree.” From out of nowhere, Megan appeared. “Nessa, I won’t tolerate hostility in my place of business. Either return to your table or leave.”

  Doreen carried a small pastry bag. “As mayor, I’ll ask you again not to interfere in Guiding Light’s fund-raising efforts. You know as well as I do how critical the center’s services are to this community.”

  June was shaking. Was it relief, shock, gratitude? It was all too overwhelming, having so many people rally around her. Benjamin’s arm slipped around her waist, pulling her close against his side. She felt his gaze burning through the top of her head. She didn’t have the emotional stamina to face him. But she was grateful for his support. Without it, she would have collapsed like a boneless mass to the floor.

  Nessa sniffed. “I’m well aware of that, which is the reason I believe they should be entrusted to someone with greater moral fiber.”

 
Doreen arched a brow. She lowered her voice. “Should we put your moral fiber to a vote?”

  Nessa’s gaze wavered under Doreen’s direct stare. She turned to give June a silent glare, then flounced from the store.

  June looked at the people surrounding her: Megan, Doreen, Benjamin, Zachariah, and Vaughn. “I don’t know what to say.” Her voice was a whisper.

  “Say good-bye. I’m taking you home.” Benjamin pulled currency from his wallet, then gestured toward the small paper bag in Doreen’s hand. “Is that for June?”

  “It’s a brownie.” Doreen gave the bag to Benjamin but declined his money. “That’s not necessary.”

  Does anyone notice me standing here? If it wasn’t for Benjamin’s arm around her waist, June would have thought she’d become invisible.

  “Thanks.” Benjamin returned his wallet to his pocket as he escorted June to the front doors. Outside, he paused on the sidewalk and extended his free hand. “May I have your car keys? I think I should drive.”

  She looked around the parking lot. “What about your car?”

  “Vaughn drove.” His expression was determined.

  June hesitated. “I owe you money for the brownie.”

  “No, you don’t. Doreen didn’t charge us. Now let me take you home.”

  June shook her head. “I can drive myself home.”

  “You could. But I think we’d both feel more comfortable if you didn’t.”

  Benjamin had a point. As much as she may want to deny it, she wasn’t feeling completely steady. She was used to taking care of herself. This afternoon, for the first time, she didn’t have to. June fumbled in her purse, then handed her keys to Benjamin before taking him to her orange Toyota Corolla.

  Benjamin handed her onto the passenger seat. He gave her the pastry bag to hold with her newly purchased books before closing her car door. He then circled the trunk to the driver’s side. June watched him fold himself awkwardly onto the driver’s seat as he adjusted the chair for his longer legs. She would have found the sight amusing if she weren’t still disquieted by the scene in the café.

  After Nessa’s tirade, what would people think and say about her? She hadn’t realized she’d still be defending her moral fiber nineteen years later. And to drag Benjamin into this . . .

  June gripped the Books & Bakery pastry bag. “Thank you for driving me home.”

  Benjamin glanced at her as he adjusted her mirrors. “You’re welcome. I don’t think you should be alone right now.”

  “You’ll want to take a right out of the parking lot.” June’s eyes traced Benjamin’s profile: high forehead, long nose, and square chin. He really was a very handsome man. She could look at his face all day.

  Benjamin turned over the engine and reversed out of the parking space, guiding her car to the Trinity Falls Town Center’s parking lot exit. He checked the traffic on Main Street before merging into the near lane. “I felt you trembling. The confrontation with Nessa affected you more than you thought it would.”

  He was right. June sat back and looked out her side window. It was unusually sunny for autumn in Ohio. The sky was a brilliant cerulean blue that made the autumn colors appear even more brilliant. “I don’t like to make a scene. Turn left on Town.”

  “You weren’t making a scene. Nessa was.” Benjamin stopped at a stop sign, then eased through the intersection. They were still several blocks from Town Street.

  “I didn’t want any part of that.” She was getting agitated again. June took a deep breath to calm herself.

  “Just because you don’t want something doesn’t mean it won’t find you anyway.”

  What was behind the wealth of bitterness in Benjamin’s voice? Did it have anything to do with his divorce? June studied his profile. His eyes seemed harder. His mouth had thinned.

  “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.” She posed the question tentatively.

  “I am.” Benjamin didn’t offer anything more and June didn’t push.

  With the exception of her directions, they finished the drive in silence. She didn’t mind. It allowed her to settle her nerves and to wonder. “How are you getting home?”

  Chapter 6

  “I was hoping you’d take me home after you’d had a chance to relax.” Benjamin pulled her car onto her driveway.

  He studied her two-story, red-brick-and-cement colonial home through the windshield. It suited her. It was attractive, charming, and dependable. He’d had an attractive home in Chicago. Now he lived in an ugly townhouse.

  “Of course.” June unbuckled her belt.

  Benjamin climbed out of the Toyota, intending to open the passenger door for June. He smiled, shaking his head, when he saw her already mounting the stairs to her front door.

  He hurried to catch up with her. “Do you need your keys?”

  “That would help.” June met his eyes over her shoulder. Her smile seemed unsteady. “Would you like some tea?”

  “That would be great.” Not really. However, if tea would make her feel better, he’d drink a cup with her.

  Benjamin followed June into her home. It had the same cinnamon-and-apples fragrance he smelled every time he walked into her office. The white-and-silver tile in the entry gave way to thick emerald carpeting that led him across the living room. Her furnishings created a home. A fluffy cream-and-silver matching loveseat and sofa dominated the family room. Tall, thin sterling silver lamps topped the two Maplewood corner tables on either side of the sofa. A centerpiece rested on an emerald green doily on the Maplewood coffee table. Benjamin lingered in front of the glass-and-sterling-silver entertainment center with its large, black flat-screen television. He used to have one like it.

  He silently trailed June through her dining room and into her kitchen.

  She carried the kettle to the sink to fill it with water. “Have a seat.” June gestured toward the honey wood circular kitchen table. “Would you like chai, lemon, or green tea?”

  The choices confused him. He wasn’t much of a tea drinker. “I’ll have what you’re having.”

  “Then we’re having chai.” She returned the kettle to the stove, then turned up the burner under it. “Would you like to split the brownie?”

  “No, thank you. I just finished brunch.”

  “I’m not hungry, either.” She put the brownie in a sandwich bag, then stored it in the refrigerator.

  A comfortable quiet settled over the kitchen as Benjamin watched June prepare their tea. It was like watching a modern dance performance. Benjamin enjoyed the silence and the show. Her movements were graceful as she glided from cupboards to drawers collecting tea bags, sweeteners, mugs, and teaspoons.

  June ended the silence. Had it made her uncomfortable? They talked about the weather until the water boiled. She arranged the mugs of tea, a bowl of sugar, and the teaspoons on a tray and carried it to the table.

  “Thank you.” Benjamin searched her delicate features. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m not used to people standing up for me.” June settled onto the chair to Benjamin’s left.

  “If you don’t stop Nessa, she’ll continue to attack you.” Benjamin added sugar to his tea. “That’s what bullies do.”

  “My experience has been that bullies will be bullies regardless of whether you fight back.” She stirred sweetener into her tea. “I had a feeling this would happen, but I’d hoped it wouldn’t.”

  “I’m glad you’re here. Don’t get me wrong. But, if you knew people in Trinity Falls would give you a hard time, why did you move here?” Benjamin sipped his chai tea. It must be an acquired taste.

  “I needed a job.”

  “You have an impressive resume. You could’ve found another job in Sequoia.”

  “Once my son left for college, I was going to be alone. I didn’t want that.” June seemed mesmerized by the steam rising from her mug. “You’re never alone in Trinity Falls, even if you want to be. That’s something I noticed the few times I’ve visited.”

  “But y
ou knew there’d be people who wouldn’t want you here.”

  “And I knew some people would welcome me. Those were the ones I wanted to be with.” June leaned back on her seat, bringing her mug of tea with her. “Darius and his friends have made me feel like a part of a really big family.”

  Exactly what was Darius’s relationship with June?

  “But Darius’s parents are the two people who are most vocal against your being here.” Benjamin tried more tea. It still had a bitter taste. He added another half teaspoon of sugar.

  “I understand their feelings. I remind them of their failed marriage.” June rose from the table and took a lemon from the refrigerator. She placed it on a small blue plate and cut it into four wedges before carrying the slices back with her. “Squeeze one into your tea.”

  Benjamin tried that. It couldn’t hurt. “Simon’s the reminder of their failed marriage. He’s the one who cheated on his wife.”

  “But I’m the one he cheated with.” June resumed her seat. She squeezed one of the wedges into her tea and stirred it in.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  June sipped her tea. “You want to know how I got involved with Simon.”

  “I’m curious.” Benjamin tried more tea. The lemon had made a big difference.

  “We met on campus in the student center when I was a junior at TFU.”

  “What was he doing there?”

  “He used to be a postal carrier before he retired, remember?” June shrugged. “I think the university was on his route.”

  “What did you see in him? He’s a lot older than you.” If Benjamin’s calculations were correct, Simon Knight was old enough to be June’s father.

  “Simon was handsome and charming, and I thought we’d made a connection. I also thought he was single.” June made a face. “He never talked about a wife and he didn’t wear a ring.”

  Benjamin nodded. “That would all add up to make you think he was single.”

  “I didn’t learn the truth until I told him I was pregnant.”

  “That’s when he told you about Ethel?”