A Heart for Christmas

by Watson, Lisa

  Margaret turned to Yvette and Christopher. “I’ve got an idea. Chris you should show her Storm and Fuzzball before they go.”

  Yvette arched her eyebrows. “Who?”

  “Our newest colts. They’re so adorable. We showed Lacey and Adelaide yesterday. You two go ahead. We’ll be fine.”

  Yvette glanced at the group. “If you’re sure…”

  “Go on,” Adelaide prompted. “We’ll be packed up by the time you get back.”

  “In that case I’d love to see them.”

  Christopher left the kitchen and returned moments later with their coats. He helped Yvette with her coat, and shrugged into his own.

  “We’ll be back shortly,” he replied to his mother.

  They walked toward the barn. Finally, Christopher broke the silence.

  “You smell a set up, don’t you?”

  Unable to help it, Yvette snickered. “It wasn’t the most subtle of invitations.”

  “That’s true. Have I mentioned how happy I am that you came?”

  She nudged his shoulder. “You might have said something about it.”

  “It was worth repeating.”

  After Christopher showed her the horses, they walked around the property for a while. They chatted about their lives and how each grew up. When Yvette started shivering, he announced it was time to go back to the house.

  “I’m fine,” she replied through chattering teeth.

  “CNN alert: you’re not that great a liar, Yvie.” Christopher wrapped an arm around her and eased her into his side. “And even if you were, your teeth aren’t.”

  Minutes later, they arrived back at the farmhouse. Christopher deposited Yvette on the living room couch while he started a fire. He draped a blanket around her and disappeared down the hallway. When he returned, he was holding two mugs.

  “It’s hot chocolate. I wanted to get you warmed up as fast as possible, so this is the instant and not the homemade kind,” he explained.

  Yvette took the proffered mug and held it between her hands. “It’s fine, really.” She took a few hesitant sips. “See? I’m warming up.”

  Christopher sat down next to her; a frown etched the smooth skin on his face. “You’d be more convincing if your lips still weren’t a faint blue.”

  “Where’s everyone?”

  “At the Christmas Shop. Mom left a note saying they’d be back soon.”

  Yvette digested that bit of information. Now that she had warmed up, her brain was focused less on being cold, and more on the man sitting next to her. In truth, Christopher was driving her to distraction: Yvette was acutely aware of the way his sweater stretched across his chest each time he took a breath, how her pulse raced when he said her name a certain way or how she could feel his eyes on her whenever she came into, or left a room. Whatever the connection was between them, it was strong. Yvette considered how fast it was all happening. The more time she spent around Christopher Darcy, the more she wanted to. It’s crazy.

  “Some might find it odd, but I don’t.”

  Yvette gasped. She locked gazes with Christopher. Had she spoken? How did he know what she had been thinking?

  His hand reached up to cup her face. His expression was calm, but intense. “I didn’t have to hear you, Yvie,” he clarified. “Your eyes tell me everything I need to know.”

  Just then they heard a door shut, followed by loud, “Mom?”

  The spell was broken. Yvette leaned away from him, and Christopher lowered his hand back to his side.

  Lacey called again.

  “In here, honey,” she said, loudly.

  Her daughter barreled in and hopped on the couch between them.

  “I got to feed the Reindeer,” she said, proudly.

  “You did?” Yvette responded with excitement.

  Christopher stood up. “That’s a very important job.”

  “She did very well,” Margaret replied walking into the room.

  Yvette gave her daughter a big hug. “That’s fantastic, honey.”

  “Guess what we brought back,” Lacey cried.

  Christopher glanced at Yvette, and then back to her daughter. He knelt down in front of the couch next to her. “I give up, what did you bring back?”

  “This.” Lacey grinned and help up a sprig of mistletoe. She held it over her mother’s head.

  “It’s mistletoe,” she said, proudly. “I got it from an elf. He said you have to kiss the person that’s standing under it.”

  “That’s true,” Christopher replied slowly standing. He looked up at Yvette with a mischievous gleam in his eye. “It is tradition.”

  “Yes, it is,” she agreed.

  He held out his hand to help her up, and then turned to Lacey. Miss Stilwell, would you be so kind?”

  Lacey handed him the mistletoe which he promptly dangled over Yvette’s head.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Did you pay her?”

  Christopher’s eyes grew wide. “Me? I had nothing to do with this ingenious idea.”

  Before she could reply, Christopher leaned down and quickly kissed Yvette on her lips. He pulled away just as fast.

  Two things came to mind for Yvette when the kiss ended. The first was that Christopher Darcy was an excellent kisser. The second, and more serious, was the fact that she enjoyed it…immensely. Her lips still tingled from the brief touch. Yvette tried her best to appear nonchalant, but the truth was that the quick peck only succeeded in making her want more.

  She watched Christopher, Lacey, and his mother head back to the kitchen. They were discussing what cookies to put in a container for Lacey to take home. She remained rooted to her spot. Oh yeah, you’re heart is in trouble. Her conscience warned. Deep, deep trouble.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Deciding that it was too late for Yvette and Lacey to come to her house for a visit, Adelaide insisted that they head back to Raleigh to avoid Sunday traffic. Christopher took their overnight bag to the car while Margaret packed leftovers for everyone to take home.

  She handed Yvette and Adelaide each a shopping bag full of goodies. “This way neither of you has to worry about cooking when you get home.” She gave Lacey a decorative tin. “This is for you. It’s got lots of the goodies we made.”

  Lacey hugged her tightly. “Thank you, Ms. Margaret.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetheart. You all come back any time.”

  Yvette hugged her, and then Anthony. “We will. Thanks for having us.”

  “It was delightful,” Adelaide told everyone. Waving goodbye again, she got into her car and headed home.

  Christopher walked Yvette and Lacey to the car. Climbing in back, Lacey shut the door leaving the two of them alone.

  “I’m going to stay the night here. Call me on my cell and let me know you ladies made it home safely.”

  “We will,” Yvette promised.

  He hugged her. “I’ll probably be working most nights this week, but how about dinner on Friday night?”

  Yvette frowned. “Mmm…can I check my schedule and get back to you?”

  “Sure,” he said quickly.

  “I’m kidding,” she laughed.

  Christopher visibly relaxed.

  “I’ll check with Lacey’s babysitter to see if she’s free on Friday. If she is, we’re all set.”

  “Sounds good,” he said opening the door for her. He shut it behind her. “Don’t forget to call me when you get in.”

  “I will.”

  He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “See you later.”

  Yvette said goodbye, and then started the car. Once she put her seatbelt on, and double checked to make sure Lacey was strapped in, she drove away. Her eyes went to her rearview mirror. Christopher was still standing there. He waved a final time before walking back to the house.

  “Well, that was a fun time wasn’t it?” she asked her daughter.

  “It totally was,” Lacey agreed. “He likes you, mommy.”

  A grin suffused Yvette’s face. “I think Mr
. Darcy is a very nice man.”

  “And you like him, too,” her daughter pressed.

  She glanced in the mirror again. “Yes, baby. Mommy likes him, too. In fact, Mr. Christopher asked me on a date this Friday. How do you feel about that?”

  Yvette watched Lacey’s expression carefully. If her daughter wasn’t comfortable with the idea of her going out with Christopher, there would be no date. Her heart constricted painfully as she awaited Lacey’s answer.

  “I like Mr. Christopher. His mommy and daddy are nice, too.”

  A look of relief passed over Yvette’s face. “Me too, sweety. Me too.”

  The week went by in a blur for Yvette. Luckily, she was swamped at work which kept her mind off her impending date with Christopher; at least most of the time.

  When it didn’t, it was all she could do to stay focused. It was like her brain and completely left her body at times. He didn’t help matter, either. Every time she spoke with him on the telephone, just hearing his voice made her miss him more.

  “You’ve got it bad, and you two haven’t even gone out on your date, yet,” Adelaide mentioned during a phone conversation one day.

  “I do not,” Yvette denied.

  “Honey, I know you…well. I could see it when we were at the farm. You two are smitten with each other. Personally, I think it’s high time you were interested in a man. You’re too young to be up on the shelf.”

  “Aunt Addie—” Yvette began.

  “Don’t bother denying it because I’m not listening. Now, go out and get yourself a new dress and get your hair done. Treat yourself…you deserve it, honey.”

  By the time she had ended her call with Adelaide, Yvette had decided that her aunt was right. She should get something new to wear on her date with Christopher. It wasn’t that often that she went on a date, much less with someone that she really liked. Yvette decided that instead of going to lunch tomorrow, she would go to Crabtree Valley Mall to Macy’s and shop for a dress. She retrieved her cell phone off the kitchen counter and dialed up her hairstylist for an appointment.

  Moments later she ended the call. Yvette took a deep breath. Everything was all set. Now if she could just stop being nervous, she would be fine.

  Easier said than done. Her inner voice replied.

  Christopher maneuvered into Yvette’s driveway and parked. He cut the engine of his car and gazed at the clock. It was six ‘o clock. He was right on time. He opened the car door and got out. Readjusting his overcoat, he shut the door and walked up the driveway to the front door. You’re not nervous. He told himself.

  “Of course not,” he said aloud. Seconds later, he had to chuckle. If he wasn’t nervous, why was he talking to himself?

  He pressed the doorbell and waited. When Yvette opened the door, he was rendered speechless. She wore a deep red dress with a V-neck and black pumps. Her hair was swept up exposing a long neck accentuated by wisps of hair and a gold necklace with a single garnet. He shook his head. “Yvie, you look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” She beamed up at him. “Come in, I’ll just get my coat.”

  Christopher stepped into the foyer. “You have a lovely home,” he replied as he helped her into her coat.

  “Thank you.”

  “Where’s the munchkin?”

  “At the babysitters. She lives a few blocks away.”

  Yvette grabbed her purse off the hall table. Christopher held the door and then closed it behind her.

  As they were walking to his car, she stared at the black, Cadillac CTS and asked, “Where’s the truck?”

  “That’s for work,” he replied.

  He helped her inside. When he got into the driver’s seat, he glanced at her. “And this is absolutely not work related.” With a grin, Christopher secured his seat belt, started the car and drove off.

  “So where are we going?” Yvette asked a few minutes later.

  “Capital City Chophouse,” he announced. “Have you been?”

  “Yes, and I love it. The food is superb.”

  “I think so, too. Though I was hoping to surprise you with some place you’ve never been before.”

  “Next time,” she said automatically.

  Those two words suddenly hung in the air with heavy purpose.

  Yvette peeked over at Christopher to gauge his reaction to her brazen declaration. She was just assuming that there would be a next time. He did not look any different. In fact, she noted that he had a rather pleased look on his face. Good. She sighed with relief. She did not want to say or do anything that would make their date awkward.

  Speaking of awkward, her conscience reminded her that she almost embarrassed herself by gawking when he arrived. Yvette closed her eyes. She was mortified that she had almost lost her composure, but there was no way to prepare for the totally-gorgeous-decked-out Christopher that appeared on her doorstep. Yvette had been attracted to him from the moment she met him, and thus far had only seen him in jeans, sweatshirts and sweaters. Now he wore a long black overcoat, black slacks and shoes, dark gray blazer, and black shirt. That took the ‘wow factor’ to a whole new level. His tasted in clothes was impeccable, and it had him looking all kinds of gorgeous. Of course, it did nothing to calm Yvette’s nerves. In fact, it merely kicked her attraction to him into overdrive.

  “So what have you been up to this week?” Christopher asked while waiting at a red light.

  Yvette practically jumped out of her skin at hearing his voice.

  “Oh… it’s been a pretty hectic week for Lacey and I with work, school and then the memoriam.”

  He glanced over. “Memoriam?”

  “Yes it’s…” Yvette stopped, uncertain if she should go into details. “It’s just something Lacey and I do each year in memory of her father.”

  “Oh,” he replied.

  “I…look I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” she said quickly.

  “You didn’t.”

  The light turned green, so Christopher turned his concentration back to the road.

  “I think celebrating what Michael meant to the both of you is a great thing to do, Yvie. And I’m not threatened in the least, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “No…yes…I just didn’t want you thinking that I was still pining for him. I’m not—but it’s still hard. Lacey doesn’t have her father in her life anymore. That’s a loss she’ll feel for the rest of her life. My heart aches for her.”

  He reached out and squeezed her hand. “What about you?”

  She gazed at him. “I’m coping, but this is hardly the conversation I expected to have on our first date.”

  “It’s fine if you want to talk about it.”

  “I don’t….but thanks for asking. So how was your week?”

  “My week was crazy busy. Mom and Dad are doing well at the farm, too. I went back there twice this week. Do you know she’s still talking about your visit? You all made quite an impression.”

  “They did, too,” she admitted.

  “Hey, I’ve got Satellite radio. How about some Christmas tunes?”

  “I’d love it.”

  He released her hand and hit one of the preset buttons on his console. They sung classic Christmas carols and talked for the remainder of the drive.

  By the time they reached the restaurant, they were sung out.

  “I don’t know how I’m going to eat,” Yvette lamented after they had been seated. “My stomach hurts from all the laughing and singing.”

  Christopher chuckled. “I bet you’ll change your mind when you start looking over the menu.”

  A few minutes later, they were sharing a crab dip appetizer.

  “Tell me some things that you like,” he said suddenly.

  Yvette’s eyebrows crinkled in concentration. “Let’s see…I love the smell of fresh flowers when I walk past a garden. Or curling up on the couch with my favorite quilt watching old movies, with a big bowl of popcorn that’s been doused in pepper an
d parmesan cheese.” She smiled at the memory. “I enjoy being in nature: the sea, the mountains, fields of wildflowers, seeing animals in their environments—it all makes me feel calm and appreciative of life. I also love the look Lacey gets on her face when I do something that surprises her, or how she still curls up in the fetal position when she sleeps.”

  “You’re beaming right now,” Christopher noted.

  “I can’t help it.” She tapped his hand. “Now it’s your turn. What are some things you like?”

  “Hmm…I’m very competitive, so I love sports. Soccer, football, lacrosse, basketball, you name it I’ve either played it, or I watch it. Not surprising, but I really do enjoy Christmas. It’s a time for me to reflect on the true meaning of the day. Don’t get me wrong, I love the whole buildup with trees, lights, decorating for the holidays.”

  “You’re truly a romantic,” she noted.

  “Ha. I love the water and nature, too.”

  “So you love natural beauty, too.”

  Christopher ran a thumb over the back of her hand. “I find beauty in a lot of things,” he said pointedly.

  Yvette was still for a moment. Their eyes eventually connected and when they did, she found it difficult to look away. It wasn’t until their server lowered their plates on the table that the air of desire winding around them dissipated.

  “What else?” She prompted after taking a bite of food.

  “Well, I think this is an amazing planet we’ve been blessed to live on, and that we need to do our part to ensure that we take care of the Earth like she takes care of us. I like pitching in where I can to help. I also like taking long drives; whether in a car, by boat, ATV, or riding a horse. I use the time to clear my head or think over something important.”

  She nodded. “I can see that.”

  Twenty minutes later, they were done eating and pondering ordering dessert.

  “There’s no way,” Yvette lamented. “I’m way too full to risk it. You go ahead.”

  “I’m fine,” he laughed.

  Yes, you are. She said to herself.

  As if she had spoken aloud, he stared at her with a huge grin.

  Yvette stared in disbelief. It was the second time Christopher had looked at her as if he could sense her thoughts.