by Watson, Lisa
“What?” she couldn’t help saying.
He tilted his head to the side. “You know what.”
She frowned. “No, I don’t.”
“Your eyes, Yvie. You give yourself away—remember?”
“If that’s the case, what was I thinking, Mr. Darcy?”
He signed the bill, placed his card back in his wallet, and then leaned forward until he was mere inches from her face.
“You were thinking that you find me appealing…very much so.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Yvette reared back as though she had just been shocked by an electric current. This time she did gape at him. “Okay, you’re starting to freak me out with that.”
“I can’t help if you’re easy to read. In fact, I kind of like it.” He winked.
“Why, because it gives you an advantage?”
“No, because these days most people go out of their way to keep things to themselves. They hide their true feelings. You aren’t like that and I like it…a lot.”
Yvette shrugged. “I told like subterfuge. I want people to be honest with me, and I expect the same.”
Christopher stood up, and extended his hand to help Yvette to her feet. They walked hand in hand out of the restaurant and to his car. Placing the key in the ignition, Christopher was about to start the engine, but then stopped. He rotated in his seat until he faced Yvette.
“In the interest of honesty, I feel it necessary to tell you something.”
She observed his serious expression and steeled herself for bad news. Please don’t let it be a wife somewhere. She lamented to herself. She could handle anything but that.
“Sure,” she replied, slowly.
“I’ve liked you since the first day I met you.”
Yvette tried, but it was hard not to grin too much. “Me too.”
“No, not since the airport,” he clarified. “Since I met you at Duke.”
To say she was shocked was an understatement. Yvette’s eyes widened. “What? You’ve…liked me since college? Are you serious?”
He nodded.
“Why…why didn’t you say something? You know…then?”
“You were beyond in love with Michael. What was I supposed to say? Hey, I like you and want you to be my girlfriend?” He laughed. “You would have thought I was crazy.”
Yvette shook her head. “Not crazy.”
“Maybe not, but we both know I didn’t have a chance then.”
“Well you do now,” she told him.
The words hung in the air between them. Heavy with possibility. Before Christopher could stop himself, his right hand moved to caress her cheek. When she leaned into his touch, he swallowed hard.
“Yvie.”
Her name was drawn out of his lips in a tortured whisper. Christopher was not sure who moved first, but before he knew it, Yvette was in his arms. His lips captured hers in a reverent embrace.
That one kiss seemed unleash the desire that was banked carefully below the surface in both of them. Christopher deepened the kiss, and was relieved when he felt Yvette’s arms encircle his neck. A few moments later, he released her and sat back.
“I—”
“If you apologize for that kiss I’ll never speak to you again.”
He smirked. “I promise you will never, ever hear me apologize for kissing you. I was going to say is that I think we’d better stop before we get out of hand.”
“Ah,” she retorted. “I agree with you. I’ve wanted you to kiss me every since—”
“The mistletoe?” he finished for her.
“Yes,” she said with surprise. “Let me guess,” my eyes told you as much.
“I guessed. I would have loved to continue that kiss, too.”
With that, Christopher started the engine. “Let’s get you home while I’m still the perfect gentleman.”
Yvette slipped her hand into his. “You’re always that.”
As Christopher drove them home, his thoughts kept drifting to their kiss. It was incredible feeling her lips against his. To him, it just felt right. The longer he was around Yvette, the more he wanted to be. That included Lacey, too. She was a sweet little girl and he found himself looking forwarded to knowing them both better.
In Yvette’s case, that desire was much more personal.
An idea began forming in his head, and when he reached Yvette’s house, he had formulated a plan.
“Are you busy Sunday afternoon?” he asked after turning his car off.
“We have church in the morning, but we don’t have anything planned afterwards.”
“In that case, would you and Lacey like to accompany me ice skating?”
“That’s one of Lacey’s favorite things to do,” she told him. “We’d love to.”
“Great.”
Christopher escorted her to the door, and then inside.
“Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee, or tea?”
“Yes, I would, but I’m going to say no.” He rested his hands on her waist. “Thank you for tonight. It was a lot of fun.”
“I thought so, too. Thanks for dinner…and the ice skating.”
Christopher kissed her again. “We haven’t gone yet.”
“True, but I know we’ll have a good time.”
He laughed. “Goodnight, Yvie.”
Yvette hugged him. “Goodnight, Chris.”
They kissed a final time and then he stepped out into the night. He walked back to his car, but couldn’t keep himself from glancing back at the house. Yvette was still at the doorway watching him. She waved when their eyes met. He waved back, and then slid into the driver’s seat. The way Yvette had said his name made his heart beat rapidly in his chest.
“You’re pitiful,” he said aloud.
He waved a final time before he backed out of the driveway and drove off. He and Yvette were at the beginning of something great, and he could not wait to see where it led.
Just then his cell phone rang. Christopher engaged his Bluetooth device and put the call on speaker.
“Hello?”
“Hi honey.”
“Hey, mom.”
“Well…how did your date go?” Margaret probed.
Christopher shook his head. “You’re timing is impeccable—as usual. I just left Yvette’s house. Our date was amazing, thanks for asking.”
“I knew it would be,” Margaret enthused. “Don’t worry I’m not going to ask for details.”
Christopher’s chest shook with mirth. “Great, because I wasn’t going to give you any.”
By the time he reached his condo, he had filled his parents in on only cursory facts about his date. He kept the more personal aspects to himself.
An hour later, Christopher was sitting in the living room starting at the downtown Raleigh skyline. He was restless, and sleep eluded him. He was thinking about going to bed when his cell phone chimed. He reached over and scooped it off the coffee table. When he saw the number, he smiled.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Not much.” He typed. “You?”
“The same. I can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I. You want to talk?”
“Sure. Answer your phone.”
Seconds later, Christopher’s cell phone rang. He picked up.
“I thought you would have been sleep by now.”
“It’s eluding me,” Yvette said.
“How did Lacey like her evening?”
“She loved it. She was sorry she didn’t get a chance to see you. I did tell her about ice skating on Sunday. She was very excited.”
“I wish it could be tomorrow, but I’ve got a full day at the lot.”
“Me, too.”
They chatted a few minutes more before Yvette began to yawn.
“I’m boring you, aren’t I?” Christopher joked.
“You are not. I’m sorry; I guess sleep has finally caught up to me.”
“No need to apologize, Yvie. Get some sleep. If it’s not too late, I’ll call you tom
orrow when I get off.”
“Okay. Thanks again for tonight. It was very nice.”
Christopher grinned. “I thought so, too.”
“Good night, Chris.”
“Good night, Yvie.”
They hung up, and Christopher decided to go to bed. Padding to his bedroom, he set his phone on the nightstand and climbed into bed. Closing his eyes, Christopher tried his best to put thoughts of Yvette out of his mind. Good luck. He told himself. How good she had felt in his arms and the kisses they shared would definitely be playing like a montage in his head tonight. There was no way he could deny how he felt anymore. He had been dealing with it for the entire four years of college, and another year afterwards. When he least expected it, thoughts of Yvette would drift into his mind. Knowing he had no chance of acting on his feelings caused him to push his dreams aside, but since she had come back into his life that was no longer possible. He simply couldn’t deny the truth any longer. That realization made him laugh quietly.
“Yvette Baker Stilwell,” he said in a bemused tone. “You have definitely captured my heart.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Christopher picked up Yvette and Lacey on Sunday afternoon and took them ice skating at the Raleigh Winterfest. Afterwards, they went to out to lunch.
“I didn’t think you could skate that well,” Yvette said while they were waiting for their food.
“I do okay,” Christopher replied. “Of course I can’t hold a candle to Miss Lacey here.” He glanced over at her. “You skate beautifully.”
“Thanks. My dad used to take me,” Lacey replied quietly. “He used to say I was a ballerina on ice.”
“I can see it,” Christopher responded. “I’m glad that you and your mom came with me.”
Yvette hugged her daughter. “We are, too. Thanks for inviting us, Christopher.”
“It was my pleasure.”
Lacey turned to her mother. “Mom, can we go to the bathroom?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” She stood up. “We’ll be right back,” she told Christopher.
Lacey used the bathroom, and then came out to wash her hands. While she was rubbing her soapy hands under the water, she looked at her mother’s reflection.
“I miss daddy,” she said without preamble.
Yvette knelt beside her. “I know, sweetheart. I miss your daddy, too.”
“Mr. Christopher is nice. You like him, right?”
“Yes, I do. He is a very special man, Lacey.”
She nodded and walked over to blow dry her hands, and then they returned to their table.
Halfway through the meal Lacey looked up at Christopher. “Do you like my mommy?”
Yvette sat her burger down. Her eyes flew straight to Christopher’s. He winked at her.
“Yes, I do like your mom, Lacey.” He gazed at Yvette. “A lot.”
“Do you like me, too?”
“Most definitely.” He smiled. “You and your mother are two of my favorite ladies.”
“That’s good,” Lacey said in a relieved voice.
“Why were you worried, sweety?”
“Because he makes you smile a lot. Even Aunt Addie said so. I didn’t want him to leave and you be sad again. Like when Daddy left.”
Yvette gathered her daughter in her arms, and kissed the top of her head. “Lacey, it’s not the same as before. Your daddy didn’t want to leave us, but he was in a terrible accident. You know those happen sometimes.”
Lacey nodded.
“One day at a time, right? That’s how we said we handle this, didn’t we?”
“Yes, mommy.”
“I think you both are doing a fantastic job,” Christopher told them. “And Lacey I’m not planning to go anywhere, okay? I’ll be in your life for as long as you want me. Your mom, too.”
“You see? Mr. Christopher will be here, and you can see him whenever you’d like.”
Lacey looked up at Christopher. He smiled and rubbed her arm. “I’ve got something that is guaranteed to make you feel better.”
She perked up. “You do?”
“Yep. I’ve got a few Christmas movies with me that I rented today. I’ll be one of them is your favorite.”
“Really?” Lacey cried excitedly. “Which ones?”
Christopher rattled off the list and wasn’t surprised when one caught Lacey’s attention.
“Home Alone,” she blurted out. “That’s one of my favorites. “The Year Without a Santa Claus, too.”
“Then I’ll let you borrow them when I drop you home, okay?”
“That’s very generous,” Yvette replied. “What do you say, Lacey?”
Lacey bounded out of her chair and threw herself in Christopher’s arms. He held her close, and hugged her tight.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“You’re welcome, kiddo.” Christopher felt his heart expanding in his chest. Lacey Stilwell didn’t know it, but she now officially had him wrapped around her little finger.
When he drove them home, Yvette insisted that he stay and watch one of the movies he let Lacey borrow. She picked the animated one since the Heat and Cold Miser were two of her favorite Christmas characters. Yvette made popcorn, while Lacey assisted Christopher in building a fire in the family room.
The three of them sat on the couch with Lacey in the middle. Christopher’s arm rested on the back of the couch while they watched the movie. Occasionally, his fingers would come in contact with Yvette’s hair. Once she glanced back and their eyes met. They both smiled before returning their attention back to Lacey’s commentary of the show.
By the time the movie was over, Lacey was sound asleep. Christopher picked her up and carried her upstairs to bed. He went back to wait for Yvette while she got Lacey into her pajamas and tucked her into bed. By the time she made it back to the family room, the television was off and her radio was on. Christopher stood up when she entered the room.
“Smooth Jazz? I like it,” she told him.
“Me, too. Dance with me?”
Yvette’s eyes widened. “Here? Now? I look like a mess,” she lamented.
“Yes here, and right now—you look beautiful, too, by the way.”
She stared at her jeans, turtle neck and sweater. “Now I don’t.”
Christopher held his hand out. Sighing, Yvette moved forward and clasped his hand. He brought it up to his lips and kissed it before pulling her into his arms.
“Quit fishing for compliments,” he whispered against her ear. “You know I’d find whatever you were wearing amazing.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Is that so?”
He took her hand and twirled her around. “Absolutely.”
They swayed in time to the music in companionable silence. Each lost in their own thoughts. When the song ended they sat down on the couch.
“Today was so much fun, Chris. You have a friend for life,” Yvette told him. “Lacey thinks you’re the best.”
“I’m glad. I’d do anything to put a smile on her face,” he vowed. He lifted his hand up and twirled a piece of Yvette’s hair between his fingers. “Her mother’s, too.”
Yvette leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Christopher used the hand resting in Yvette’s hair to pull her closer.
“You taste like nacho cheese,” he teased.
She burst out laughing. “That’s the popcorn seasoning and you know it.”
His eyes darkened. “It’s sexy.”
“I’ll bet,” she countered.
The sat in companionable silence for a while looking at the fire flickering in the fireplace. Yvette’s arms were wrapped around Christopher’s middle, and his arm was draped casually around her arm.
“Yvie.”
“Hmm?” she said in a relaxed voice.
“This may seem fast to you, but…I want you to know that I don’t want to date anyone else. You’re all I need.”
She raised her head off his chest. A lump formed in her throat. “Me, too.”
Christopher stro
ked her cheek with his thumb before he bent down and kissed her.
“Thank you for what you said to Lacey earlier. I’m not sure why she was feeling so melancholy all of the sudden, but it helped her to know that you were here. You know…in case she needed you.”
“I was serious Yvie. Your daughter means a lot to me. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her—or you.”
“I know,” Yvette said quietly. “I can feel your sincerity.”
“It’s much more than that,” he said softly. “I want you to be my girlfriend.”
She sat up. “Chris—are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure,” he said matter-of-factly.
Yvette wanted to shout her elation, and fear at the same time. She wanted to be Christopher’s girlfriend, but she was also scared about it. It was a huge step, in such a short amount of time. Were they even compatible? There was also Lacey to consider. If they got close and it didn’t work out, Lacey would be devastated. She would be, too.
“Christopher, I—”
“Hey, I know there’s a lot to mull over, Yvette. Just take some time to think about it, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
With a nod, he got up and helped her to her feet.
“I think it’s time for me to go.” He lightly kissed the bridge of her nose. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Yvette watched him slip on his coat. She followed him to the front door. With each step she became more uneasy. It was hard watching him leave after their conversation. They kissed again.
“Good night, Yvie.”
“Good night, Chris,” she replied. “Drive safely.”
He grinned. “Always.”
Yvette watched him walk down the steps toward his car.
“Chris,” she called out.
Before she knew what she had done, Yvette bolted out the door and ran after him. Christopher turned around in time to see her vault into his arms.
“Yes,” she said in a rush.
“Yes, what?”
“I want to be your girlfriend,” she clarified.
He buried his face in her neck and hugged her tight. When he released her, his eyes searched hers. “Yeah?”
“Would I be out here in the freezing cold otherwise?” She tried to laugh, but her teeth were chattering.