Seaside Christmas

by Stacy Claflin

  "Yeah," Cruz said. "That's doable."

  "Isn't there paperwork?" Talia asked.

  "We filled out what we need last time we met," Sullivan said, not taking his attention away from the tablet. "The real fun begins after the deal is accepted."

  "I know all about that. My dad just bought the house we're in. Between that and the church building, I thought we'd drown in paperwork."

  Sullivan nodded, still focused on his tablet. Dakota came into the room. "What's going on?"

  "He's putting in an offer," Cruz said.

  "Bummer," Dakota said. "Well, maybe I'll just have to visit you guys here." She winked at Talia.

  "You're more than welcome anytime."

  "I like you." Dakota flipped some hair back and smiled. "And as I told all of Cruz's brothers, if you need any help planning the wedding, just say the word."

  Talia's heart fluttered. "We haven't really talked about any details."

  "When you do, I can help you guys out. Cake samples, flowers, you name it."

  "Thanks. I—"

  "The offer's in," Sullivan said, standing. "Now we just wait. Do you guys want to put in any other offers?"

  "We can just wait and see what happens here," Cruz said. He turned to Talia. "Unless you want to put another one in."

  Talia shook her head. "I'm exhausted, and more than happy to wait on this one."

  Sullivan slid his tablet into a bag. "You guys want to see if Uncle Robert and Aunt Dawn have dinner ready? I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

  Cruz pulled out his phone. "It's about that time, yo. Let's head back. I'll text them that we're on our way."

  They piled back into the BMW, with Talia and Cruz in the back, and headed toward the Hunters' house. Talia leaned her head against Cruz's shoulder. It almost didn't seem real that they'd been touring houses that they would live in together.

  But regardless of the short time since they'd expressed their feelings to each other, she knew without a doubt he was the one for her. Just as her eyes grew heavy again—it had been a long, busy weekend—they arrived at Cruz's parents' house.

  When they stepped in the door, the scents of garlic and marinara surrounded them. Talia's mouth watered. Dawn came into the entryway and ushered them all into the kitchen. "I hope you're in the mood for Italian."

  "It smells delicious," Talia said.

  Zachary and Jasmine sat at the table, staring into each other's eyes. They hardly seemed to notice anyone else in the room.

  Talia grabbed a mug and poured herself some coffee, not bothering with milk or sweeteners. As tired as she was, black was called for.

  Cruz held a chair for her and scooted her in after she sat.

  He turned to Jasmine and Zachary. "I know you guys are still planning an official reception, but I got you a wedding gift. I didn't want to wait."

  Talia glanced over him. He really was full of surprises.

  "You didn't have to," Jasmine said.

  "I kind of did. Hold on." Cruz got up and left the room, returning a minute later with a package wrapped in silver paper.

  "You want us to open it now?" Zachary asked.

  Cruz nodded. "Yeah, before we start eating."

  Working together, Jasmine and Zachary pulled off the paper. Talia leaned forward, curious what Cruz had chosen. It was a box of crystal champagne glasses with little hearts etched along the rim.

  "Open the box," Cruz said. There was a hint of something more than excitement in his tone.

  They opened the box and inside of each glass sat a different colored Care Bear.

  Zachary burst out laughing, and Cruz quickly followed suit.

  Talia arched a brow, and Jasmine gave her a curious look, obviously not in on the joke, either.

  "What's up with the bears?" Sullivan asked.

  "It's a long story," Zachary said, still laughing. "Nice one, Cruz. You really got me."

  Dawn and Robert sat, and then everyone dished up food onto their plates. Dawn asked questions about not only the house, but wedding plans. Talia glanced over at Cruz, not sure what he'd told everyone.

  "Can we wait to discuss this until after I've proposed?" he asked.

  "So it's not official?" Jasmine asked.

  Cruz and Talia exchanged a glance.

  "It's definitely official," Talia said, unable to keep the grin off her face. "It's just not…" She paused, trying to find the right word.

  "Official?" Dakota offered.

  Everyone laughed.

  "Official, but not official," Talia said. She put a hand on Cruz's arm. "You couldn't keep me from marrying this man if you tried."

  Dawn smiled, tears shining in her eyes. "I'm so happy. All my boys are back in town, and either married or engaged to such wonderful women. I never thought I could be happy again after… Sophia." A tear slid down her face and Robert held her hand. "But I am, and although I'll never stop missing my baby girl, I know she's happy, too. She'd want all of us to move on and find joy. Somehow, we've managed, and we're back together."

  Talia felt choked up despite having never met the youngest Hunter sibling.

  Dakota sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "I'm so happy for you guys, too. Sophia was such a sweet girl, I know she'd be glad you're all enjoying life now."

  Cruz wiped his eyes. Talia turned to him, wishing she could take his pain away. She hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

  Even though Talia had never met Sophia, and everyone was having a moment of reflection, she didn't feel out of place. She thought of her mom, imagining that she, too, was happy for her family. Her husband finally had the position he'd wanted for so long—head pastor—even if so far the flock only consisted of Talia, Cruz, and some visitors. And she knew her mom would be thrilled Talia had found someone who treated her so well. How many times had her mom warned her never to settle when it came to relationships?

  Talia sniffed. "I can just imagine my mom with Sophia now. They're probably looking down, glad that we've all made the best of horrible situations."

  Everyone nodded, wiping their eyes and sniffling.

  "Sorry to bring everyone down," Dawn said.

  "Nonsense," Dakota said. "It's good to talk about her. It'd be worse to pretend everything's the same as it ever was."

  Cruz kissed the top of Talia's head. "I like the thought of your mom with Sophia. Thanks for saying that."

  Talia nodded. "I like it, too."

  Robert got up and turned on some Christmas music. "Sophia and Talia's mom wouldn't want us moping, especially this time of year."

  Everyone agreed, and soon began eating again.

  Thirty One

  Cruz held the ring in his hand, his heart thundering in his chest. He knew it would fit. That was one benefit from her overhearing the conversation with Allen. He'd been able to ask her size, and he also didn't have to worry about her saying no when he proposed. But for some reason, that didn't calm his nerves.

  "Are you ready to sign the paperwork?"

  Cruz's head spun. His hand was still cramped from the mountain of papers he and Talia had signed the day before for the house. They were supposed to meet with Sullivan to pick up the keys, and once they were inside their new home, Cruz was going to pop the question. Then they would always have the location of their proposal, every day.

  "Sir?" asked the jeweler.

  "Sorry." Cruz shook his head. "Guess I'm just a little nervous."

  The jeweler chuckled. "I see that a lot."

  "I'll bet." Cruz could imagine how much higher the stress would be if he didn't know what Talia's response would be. He still hoped to surprise her with the timing. And hopefully he wouldn't fumble over his words. He'd practiced in front of a mirror several times, but felt too stupid to do any more.

  He picked up the pen and signed his name on all the highlighted lines. At least it wasn't nearly as complicated as buying a house.

  In a matter of minutes, he climbed on his bike and headed for the house. He should make it there just on time.
With any luck, Sullivan would need to head back home, and Cruz could assuage his nerves by finally proposing.

  When Cruz pulled up, Talia was already there. He got off the bike and hurried over to her, wrapping her in a hug.

  He stared into her eyes and traced her jawline with his fingertips. Her skin was so smooth, and she smelled like flowers as usual. He breathed in deeply and kissed her. "I missed you."

  "Me, too. Happy Christmas Eve." She kissed him back.

  Yes, this was the perfect time to propose. Cruz stuck his hand into his jacket pocket and felt the jewelry box.

  Sullivan's BMW pulled up and he hurried out. "Oh, good, you guys are already here." He pulled out a set of keys, handing them each one. "Normally, I'd do a walk-through with you guys, but I need to get out of here. My parents want all of us home for dinner and presents tonight. Shale and Freya are already there from across the country, making me look bad. I'm barely going to make it before the meal. You guys don't mind?"

  "It's okay," Talia said. "You've already gone beyond the call of duty by coming back down here for this."

  "Thank you." Sullivan gave them both a quick hug and ran back into his car. "Merry Christmas!"

  "You, too. Tell everyone hi for me," Cruz said.

  "Merry Christmas," Talia called.

  "You want to see our house?" Cruz asked, his palms turning clammy.

  Her eyes lit up. "Yes, let's."

  Cruz slid one of the keys off the chain and handed it to her. "You can do the honors." He slid the other key onto his chain, next to his banged-up Swiss Army Knife.

  She bounced up the stairs, and he followed her. It was nice to open the door without the realtor's lock box. Talia stuck the key into the top lock and then the bottom. She pushed open the door and turned around. "Welcome home."

  He ran up to her and held her tightly. "You, too."

  They walked through the house, hand in hand. When they got back to the front entrance, Talia asked, "You want to head over to the church? The candle light service is going to start soon. I need to see if Dad needs anything."

  Cruz's pulse raced. "Can we check out the deck by the kitchen first? There's something I want to see."

  "Okay, but let's hurry."

  He took a deep breath and led her back to the kitchen, opening the sliding glass door. Stepping onto the deck, he went to the far corner where part of the ocean was visible. "Look at that sunset."

  Talia leaned against him. "It's gorgeous."

  Cruz turned to her. "But it pales in comparison to you."

  She looked away, obviously embarrassed. "Oh, stop."

  He reached into his jacket and managed to pull out the ring from the box and wrapped it in his fist. Cruz lowered himself to one knee. Talia turned to him, and her eyes widened.

  "I couldn't be happier about starting my life with you in this house. I promise to always take care of you and put your needs above my own." He held out the ring. "Will you marry me?"

  Tears shone in her eyes. "Yes. Of course. And I promise to always put you before me."

  His hand shook as he slid on the ring. It was a perfect fit. He rose, cupped his palms under her face, and pressed his mouth on hers. She responded, making it the most passionate, yet sweet kiss he'd ever experienced.

  "I hate to break up this moment," she said, "but we really should get going."

  Cruz gave her a quick kiss. "I know. I'm just glad we're engaged."

  "Me, too. I can't wait to tell everyone." She beamed. "Want to ride with me?"

  "I don't care how we get there. I just want to be with you."

  She took his hand, and they headed outside. Talia locked the door while Cruz went to check on his bike. He stopped cold. The bike was on its side, half on the sidewalk and half on the road.

  Heart thundering, he went up to it. The tires were slashed into threads and deep scratches lined the body. Fury tore through him.

  Talia gasped, appearing at his side. "What happened?"

  "Julian."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Without a doubt."

  "But he's been helping Dad with the service."

  So, he had an alibi. Of course. He was a jerk, but he wasn't stupid. The church was only a few minutes away. It would have been easy enough for him to sneak away unnoticed to do this. Or have a friend do it, but Julian probably enjoyed it too much to let anyone else ruin Cruz's much-loved bike.

  "Cruz?"

  "Hold on." He pulled out his phone and snapped pictures from every angle. "I'm going to need these for insurance."

  "And a police report."

  He nodded. "Let's go."

  While Talia drove, Cruz called the cops and reported the incident. Due to the holiday, the officer said someone would be out the day after Christmas, but he assured Cruz the incident would be filed. He uploaded pictures and sent them the email address the officer had given him.

  "Are you going to be okay?" Talia asked as she parked down the street from the church. The entire road was packed. Her Christmas lights lit up the whole area as they walked. "Cruz?"

  "I'll be fine. It's a bike and can be fixed. It's not like you're hurt." He wrapped his arm around her. It was time to celebrate his engagement, not to cast a single thought toward Julian. He'd deal with him later. Or let the police, if he could prove his guilt.

  They walked up to the church. Cruz took in the lights. They were really impressive in the dark.

  "You really did a wonderful job with the display."

  She leaned her head against him. "Except for nearly killing myself."

  "I'm sure next time you'll ask for help."

  "If I can find a strong man." She reached up and squeezed his arm.

  He flexed. "I'm sure we can find one somewhere."

  They went inside and the entire entryway was lit with tiny candles. They lined every shelf, casting a soft light. Wreaths lined the walls, giving the room a sweet pine scent. Soft instrumental music played from speakers in the corner. Cruz found himself relaxing.

  Conversation came from the sanctuary. He led Talia toward the doors. Just as they stepped inside, two guys from the other church handed them each a skinny, lit candle with round paper at the bottom to catch the melting wax. They walked down the aisle, greeting friends and family along the way. Most every seat was taken.

  Allen waved them over to the front row. "I was beginning to wonder if you two were going to show," he teased.

  Talia held up her ring.

  He wrapped them both in a big hug, squeezing them tightly.

  Cruz held his candle with care, not wanting the flame to brush against either of them.

  "Congratulations, you two." Allen grinned. "I couldn't have asked for a better addition to our family."

  The doors to the sanctuary closed with a loud thud.

  "That's my cue," Allen said. He hugged them again before going up to the podium.

  Cruz wrapped his arm around Talia, and then they sat. Allen spoke about the virgin birth and then the congregation sang some hymns. The service was short and sweet—over before Cruz had expected.

  Allen came over and put a hand on Cruz's shoulder. "Want to come over for a bit, son?" He smiled. "We have a tradition of opening one present the night before, and there are a few under the tree with your name on them."

  Cruz returned the smile, but then noticed Julian across the room. "I appreciate the offer, but maybe next year?"

  "How are you going to get home?" Talia asked. "Your bike—"

  "Is at our new place. I'll catch a ride with one of my brothers." He gave Allen a hug and kissed Talia, letting it linger just a bit. "I'll stop by in the morning."

  Talia squeezed his hand. "I can't wait."

  Cruz held her gaze for a moment and then turned around. He went around the pews and people, keeping his focus on Julian.

  Thirty Two

  Cruz pushed the round paper from his candle against Julian's hand as he walked by.

  "Hey." Julian glared at Cruz.

  "Oh, sorry, man. Did
I scratch you?" Cruz's eyebrows came together.

  Julian flinched, but then his typical smug expression returned. "Do you have something to say to me?"

  "Yeah. Meet me next door."

  He snorted. "At your hole in the wall?"

  Cruz flicked a nod and hurried out of the church, blowing out the candle and handing it to the usher on the way out. His pulse was on fire. He needed to put a stop to Julian once and for all. The creep wasn't going to give up until he had no other choice.

  He went down the alley behind his building and paced. His mind swam as he considered his options. Julian hadn't listened to reason, so the only thing left was to rough him up. The trick would be to do it without leaving a mark. He'd run to his uncle, the judge, in a heartbeat. It had to be his word against Cruz's. Nothing more.

  Snow crunched under footsteps. "Too afraid to show your face?" Julian called.

  "You wish. Over here." Cruz stepped out beside the building.

  Julian strutted over. "What's your problem?"

  "My bike. My woman."

  "Your woman? What? Is she your property now?"

  "Fiancée."

  "What kind of witchcraft did you use to get her to agree?"

  "I just told her it was you or me. The choice was easy. She threw herself at me."

  "You haven't changed a bit."

  "At least I haven't become like you." Cruz stepped so close he could smell mint on Julian's breath. "You need to back off. Leave me and Talia alone. In fact, stay away from Allen, too."

  "Or what?" Julian narrowed his eyes. He moved forward, bumping Cruz's nose.

  "You'll find out how Gabe Dice felt after I was done with him."

  "Ah, but I'll press charges." Julian shoved Cruz.

  Cruz grabbed his collar and forced him against the building. "Not if you can't talk."

  Julian flung his head back, banging it on the wall. It thumped like a melon landing on the ground.

  "What are you doing?" Cruz backed up.

  "This." Julian turned around and smacked his face against the concrete surface. Then he did it again. He turned and faced Julian, the side of his face already starting to turn purple. Blood dripped from a scratch.

  "What the…?" Fury tore through Cruz as he realized Julian was trying to frame him for assault.