An Unexpected Holiday Gift

by Martha Kennerson

  “Really?” Mia could feel the warmth growing inside her.

  “Really. Keylan has set his eyes on you and Colby. You’re as good as got and I think it’s great, too.”

  “What if I don’t want to be got?” Mia could hardly get those words past her lips. The bitter aftertaste made her nose crinkle.

  Kristen laughed. “Girl, he’s already got you. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

  “I’m ready,” said a clean-faced Colby, running up to Mia.

  Keylan came and stood by them both. He ran his left hand through Colby’s hair while taking Mia’s hand with his right. “Ready, baby?”

  Mia’s eyes cut to Kristen, who offered her an encouraging nod. “I’m ready.”

  “We’ll take your vehicle since I don’t have a booster seat yet, but I’ll drive.”

  Yet?

  The short drive from Keylan’s apartment to the upscale Galleria mall was filled with laughter and pleasant conversation between Keylan and Colby. Mia was astonished by the level of genuine interest Keylan showed Colby, even when he would ask the simplest of questions.

  Keylan held both their hands as they entered the mall from the underground level where he had parked. They were met by a tall, brown-skinned man wearing an expensive suit.

  “There you are,” he said in greeting.

  Keylan introduced him. “Mia, Colby, this is my agent, Roger.”

  “Hi,” Mia replied and Colby waved.

  Roger nodded. “Nice to meet you both.”

  “Everything ready?” Keylan asked as he silenced his ringing phone.

  “Yep, and there’s more press than we initially expected. Speaking of unexpected...”

  “What?” Keylan glared at Roger.

  “You know how we planned for five hundred people to showcase the shoes to?” Roger looked nervous.

  “Yes.” Keylan’s eyes narrowed.

  “Well, there’s a thousand or so people in the space and a few more thousand waiting outside the shop to see you,” Roger explained.

  Keylan’s face went blank. “I figured as much. Did you bring them?”

  “Yes, but I’m not sure why you need them.” Roger placed a small package in his hand.

  Mia’s heart sped up as she looked at her son. “Keylan, I think we should—”

  “No, I want you both with me.”

  He knelt and looked into Colby’s eyes. “Little man, when you go inside, there’s going to be a lot of people and lots of noise. I want you to wear these and stay close to me and your mom.” He placed a pair of earplugs in Colby’s ears. “Is that okay?”

  Colby smiled and said, “It’s okay.” His voice rose an octave.

  Keylan stood and turned back to Mia. “Ready?”

  “Absolutely.” Mia was overflowing with joy by Keylan’s kind and thoughtful gesture. Not to mention all the other emotions he had provoked. Now all she had to do was figure out what she wanted to do about them.

  Chapter 17

  Mia spent the next hour sitting at a small table that had been set up for her and Colby. She watched over her son, who was happily playing games on a tablet Keylan had commandeered for his use. Mia still couldn’t believe all the special arrangements Keylan had made to ensure Colby would be comfortable. Even though he was busy signing shoes and taking pictures, she often caught him looking over at them as though he was making sure they were still there. His smile sent her heart racing.

  “Excuse me, I’m Ryan from the Houston Sentinel. I couldn’t help but notice the way KJ keeps eyeing you and the boy. Are you two together? Wasn’t that you that KJ was with at the clinic yesterday? Why were you there?” He shot questions at her like she was a dartboard before he raised his camera and started taking her picture.

  “Please leave us alone,” she replied, rising from her chair and stepping slightly away from the table, blocking his view of her son.

  “You, KJ and the kid, what’s the deal?” He took another picture; only he aimed his camera at Colby.

  “Please stop taking pictures of us,” she demanded, turning her back to him.

  “Hold up,” he ordered, grabbing her arm.

  Before Mia could respond, Keylan appeared, capturing the man by the neck. “Let go of my girl’s arm before I snap your damn neck.”

  “Keylan,” Mia murmured, pushing back her fear and keeping an eye on her son.

  The room was still for about ten seconds before lights began flashing in their faces and questions were being shouted out at them. Roger and another large man appeared and stepped between Keylan and the reporter.

  “Keylan, let the man go,” Roger insisted, pulling at his hand. “You don’t want to do this here.”

  “Like hell,” he replied. Rage had transformed Keylan’s face and it was on full display.

  “We got this, sir,” the larger man reassured Keylan, tapping him on the shoulder.

  Keylan dropped his hands and fisted them at his sides.

  “Clear this place and close the doors,” Roger ordered the curious sales team.

  Keylan turn to Mia and asked, “Are you okay, baby?”

  Mia nodded and stepped into his outspread arms. “I am now.”

  “Sorry about that,” he whispered. Keylan glanced over at the small table where Colby had been sitting just as his cell phone rang. It was a familiar ring that he knew he had to answer. “Where’s Colby?”

  Mia turned in Keylan’s arms and stared at the spot where her son had just been. The earbuds were sitting on the table next to the tablet. Mia’s heart sank and she began trembling all over. She was so gripped by fear that she couldn’t make out a word Keylan had just said. He turned her toward him and repeated, “Colby’s fine.”

  “Wh-what?”

  “That was my security team calling—they have him. He wandered off during all the commotion. He’s two doors down.”

  “Thank God. Wait, what?” She scowled. “You have a security team?”

  “This way.” They left the store and walked the two doors down to find Colby standing in front of a boutique with a small Christmas tree sitting just inside the entrance. The tree was Colby’s height and looked like it had been on a severe diet. The colorful lights wrapped around the tree were blinking to the tune of “Jingle Bells.”

  “Colby,” Mia called out. She was drowning in relief at the sight of him.

  “Look, Mommy,” he said, pointing to the tree while he swayed and sang along with the song. The look of pure joy on her son’s face allowed her to push past the lump in her throat.

  “Wow, that tree is something else,” Keylan commented with a confused look on his face.

  Mia giggled and then said, “It’s a Charlie Brown tree.”

  “Oh...okay.”

  “Excuse me, KJ...can I talk to you for a minute?” Roger asked.

  “Sure, but you can talk in front of Mia,” Keylan instructed.

  “That little outburst back there is all over the net. It’ll for sure be on the news tonight, too.”

  “What?” Mia’s face went blank.

  “It’ll be fine. It’s not that big of a deal.” Keylan gave a nonchalant shrug.

  “It most certainly is, Keylan. I don’t want our names and faces—” she looked over at her son “—splattered all over the news.”

  “Keylan, tree,” Colby yelled.

  “I see, little man. You like that tree.”

  “Yes, tree sings.” Colby gifted them with a toothy smile.

  Keylan looked down at Mia. “Everything’s going be fine.” He turned to Colby and said, “Since you were such a brave boy today, and if it’s okay with your mom, how would you like to have that tree?”

  Colby nodded. “Can I have the tree?”

  “You most certainly can,” he pro
mised.

  “Keylan, you just can’t promise him that tree. It may not even be for sale,” Mia scolded.

  “It’s a department store. Everything’s for sale. Besides, didn’t you tell me he didn’t really like trees? Well, he obviously likes this one, so he should have it.”

  “I said he didn’t like things that moved,” she corrected, placing her hand on her hip.

  “Well, this tree certainly doesn’t move.”

  Mia watched as Keylan walked into the store and spoke to the salesperson for several minutes. He glanced at the little tree and around the store before handing her a wad of cash along with what looked like a business card. Keylan exited the store, squatted in front of Colby and said, “All right, buddy, I bought you the tree and I’m having it delivered to your house.”

  “Yeah...”

  “What do you say, son?” Mia prompted.

  “Thank you, Keylan.” Colby hugged his neck and Mia felt a strong sense of family at the sight. It scared the hell out of her.

  Keylan stood and took Colby’s hand in his. “How about we get out of here?” he asked Mia, using his free hand to bring hers to his mouth, where he kissed her palm.

  The feel of his lips and tongue on her hand sent waves of desire throughout her body. “Okay,” she whispered.

  Keylan’s phone beeped twice; he dropped Mia’s hand and pulled out his phone. He read the message and sighed. “I’m sorry. My mother has called an emergency family meeting. How about I meet you at your place later? I can even bring dinner.”

  Mia fought back her disappointment. “Sure, but I’ll cook. Do you need me to drop you off somewhere?”

  “No, my security will take me to my car,” he explained.

  “About that security—”

  “We’ll talk about it, and anything else you like, this evening. The tree, along with a few other things I’ve ordered, will be delivered in a couple of hours.”

  “A few other things...what things?” Mia frowned.

  Keylan ignored her question, picked up Colby and spun him around twice before holding him in his arms. “I have to leave for a while but I’ll be back later. I promise.”

  “Okay.” Colby giggled as Keylan tickled and kissed him on the cheek before placing him back on his feet.

  Mia noticed how natural it seemed for Keylan to make promises and show affection toward her son, which only made the feelings she’d been trying to fight all that more difficult to ignore.

  He turned to Mia. “Your turn.”

  “Are you going to spin me around, too?” She smiled up at him.

  “Later.” Keylan pulled her into his arms and gave her a sweet but not so quick kiss. He released her and whispered, “I have something much better planned for us later.”

  A sweet sensation made its way through her body, like a cure for something she’d been missing for far too long. It was difficult for her to step away from him. Mia couldn’t believe it when she whispered, “Promise.”

  Keylan held her gaze and gave her another kiss before saying, “I promise, baby.”

  Keylan waved over Roger, who had been standing by, quietly watching. “I need you to make sure Mia and Colby get back to the car safely, understand?” He spoke in a commanding tone Mia never heard before and, by the look on Roger’s face, neither had he.

  “Yes, sir,” Roger assured him.

  As she watched Keylan walk away with his security team, the realization of just how much she didn’t know about him hit her. She also realized that she wanted to know every single thing, too.

  Mia arrived at her house to find Sandra walking up to her door. She pulled into her garage. They exited the vehicle and went to stare at the portable basketball hoop that was now placed in front of the left side of her driveway. Colby was so excited he could hardly contain himself. Mia wasn’t sure if it was because there was a basketball hoop now in their driveway or because it had Keylan’s picture on it.

  “Since when have you been into basketball like this? Oh, wait, let me guess,” Sandra teased, elbowing her friend in the side. “Since you became KJ’s woman.”

  “What?” She turned and frowned at a grinning Sandra.

  “Basketball hoop...” Keylan pointed at the backboard. “It’s Keylan, Mommy.”

  “Yes, I see, son.”

  Mia turned back to Sandra. “What did you just call me?”

  “Keylan’s woman,” she repeated.

  “Let’s get inside.” Mia opened the door and Colby ran past her and down the hall to his bedroom. She dropped her purse and keys on the side table and walked into the living room, where she plopped down on the sofa. “Why did you call me that?”

  “Seriously? KJ’s proclamation is all over the net. Not to mention his barbaric yet heroic handling of that reporter.” Sandra walked into the kitchen. “What smells so good? There’s nothing on the stove and the oven isn’t on.”

  Mia laid her head back on the sofa and closed her eyes. “There’s a pot roast in the Crock-Pot.”

  Sandra walked over to the pot and raised the lid. “Mmm...that smells good.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  Colby ran back into the living room. “Mommy, I wanna go play basketball,” he said, holding his ball under his arm.

  Mia sat up in her seat. She could see the excitement radiating from her son’s face. Before she could offer up an answer she knew would disappoint him, her doorbell rang.

  “Hold that thought, little man,” she said, rising from the sofa. She opened the door and smiled. “Roger, what are you doing here? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine. KJ wanted me to be here when his delivery arrived.”

  Mia smirked. “You’re a little late. The basketball hoop was here when I got home.”

  “Not that delivery. This one.” Roger stepped aside and Mia saw the reason Keylan had known his delivery would need an escort.

  Chapter 18

  Keylan walked into his mother’s house, past her extravagantly decorated formal living and dining areas and a two-sided marble staircase, into a large family room adorned with blue and white contemporary furnishings. He found Travis walking through a side door that led from the casual dining and kitchen area, and his eldest brother, Alexander, standing in the middle of the living room.

  “It’s about time, little brother,” Alexander, COO of Kingsley Oil and Gas, said, walking up to Keylan with his hand extended.

  Keylan shook his brother’s hand. “You sound like Mother. Where is she, anyway?”

  “She’ll be down in a bit. She had a few calls to return. How’s the rehab going?”

  “Good. I should be getting my release anytime now.”

  “When do you think you’ll be getting back on the hardwood?”

  “I’m waiting to hear from my agent. They’re trying to get the commissioner to work out a deal about the suspension,” Keylan explained.

  “That was a bogus deal anyway,” Travis remarked.

  “Hopefully, I’ll get in a few games before the year is out.” Keylan felt encouraged.

  “Cool,” Alexander proclaimed.

  “We figured you’d need one of these.” Travis held three bottles of beer. He handed one to each brother before going to stand across the room from Keylan.

  “Thanks.” Keylan twisted off the top and took a long pull from his bottle.

  Alexander checked and silenced his buzzing phone. “Before Mother joins us and starts in on the business update—”

  “Wait, where is everyone else?” His brows drew together. Keylan was expecting his other brothers, as well as Kristen, although he’d had his fill of her today.

  “Kristen is working on a special project for Mother, Morgan’s out on one of the rigs and Brice is dealing with a personal issue,” Alexander revealed. />
  “A personal issue? What kind of personal issue?” Keylan asked, frowning.

  “The kind that he should’ve taken care of a long time ago, as far as I’m concerned, and that requires an attorney,” Travis answered, taking a seat on the blue sofa.

  “Oh...too bad,” he remarked as Mia’s face popped into his mind.

  “Back to you.” Alexander placed his beer on the coffee table.

  Keylan sat on the white sofa, facing his cousin, while Alexander sat on the edge of one of two blue-and-white wingback chairs placed between the sofas, looking like a judge about to pass down a stiff sentence. “What about me?”

  “You want to tell me about what happened today?” Alexander asked.

  “Sounds like you already know,” Keylan replied.

  “Then tell me why it happened.”

  “That reporter crossed the line. He put his hands on Mia,” Keylan informed him before taking another pull from his beer.

  “I see...” Alexander picked up his beer and took a drink.

  “Told you,” Travis added.

  Alexander nodded. “You were right.”

  “Right about what?” Keylan’s eyes darted between his brother and his cousin.

  “You’re in love with Mia,” Alexander pronounced matter-of-factly.

  Keylan couldn’t deny it, but he wasn’t ready to admit it, either. Not out loud, anyway, and certainly not to these two. “I... I don’t actually know what I am. I do know that I don’t want to be without her, without them.”

  “Well, that’s good to hear, because she’s a package deal,” Travis reminded him, his eyebrows standing at attention.

  “I know, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Keylan leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m not just attracted to Mia. I care about her and her son. It kind of snuck up on me.”

  “I don’t know why. You’ve always had a special place in your heart for special-needs kids. Not to mention beautiful women,” Travis offered.

  “Well, I’m happy for you. Now how about you let your security handle the takedowns from now on?” Alexander recommended.