“I’ve been thinking,” Philly began. She stirred the sprinkles on top of her ice cream until they colored the vanilla treat a pinkish-purple color. “It would make sense for Dr. Vin to be the designer. He had access to everyone’s charts when the kids were being discharged.”
“Valid point, little sis,” said Kimber. “I thought about it, but I also don’t peg Vin as the shop-class type.”
“Philip Grieco on the other hand, yes.” Philly twisted her lips to the side. “Is that why you’ve left them out of the blogs?”
“Exactly,” replied Kimber. “I don’t want anyone else popping up and trying to lay claim.”
“Mmmph,” Philly mumbled. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have so many exes.”
“Little girl, I will make you walk home,” Kimber joked. The girls laughed for a second, both knowing Kimber would never leave her behind. “Alright tell me, how’s my makeup look for the video I’m about to shoot?”
“Here, let me help.”
Most people wouldn’t let a twelve-year-old fix their makeup, but considering Philly came from a background so connected to the beauty world, what with their aunts being friends with celebrity judges, reality show socialites and connections to Ravens Cosmetics, the girl knew a thing or two.
Kimber hadn’t realized how quickly time was flying by until the bell over the door announced the latest visitor. A small girl walked in and stared at Kimber. It took Kimber a second to get over the spiral curls on her head.
“Felicity?” Kimber covered her mouth. “Oh my God. How long has it been?”
Felicity put some pep in her step and met Kimber halfway for a big hug. “Let’s see, I’ve been in remission since the beginning of this year, so at least that long.”
“Philly, this is Felicity.” Kimber introduced them. “She was the winner of the Miss Four Points General Hospital last year.”
Philly gave a wave and a quick hello.
“I’m so glad you came down here,” said Kimber. They made their way to an empty booth to sit and chat. Kimber listened to Felicity, now fifteen, talk about going back to high school after dealing with her leukemia.
“I looked up the number on the shirt you wore the day you posted from that hottie’s garage.”
“Oh goodness. Crowne’s?” Kimber’s eyes furrowed together. “You called there?”
“I tried to comment live but you stopped the feed. I’ve been waiting for you to call me back.”
“Weird. Did you speak with anyone?”
“A guy named Darren, who said he’d make sure he’d give my information to the right person.”
“I’m so sorry, Felicity. I’ll find out what happened.”
“In the meantime, do you want to see the crown?” Felicity reached down beside her into the cross-body purse over her hoodie.
If Kimber didn’t know any better, she’d swear a ray of light shone down on top of the masterpiece. The designer had known that with Felicity’s hair being thin at the time, a tiara with clips or pins would not work. So the maker had fixed it so Felicity could wear her tiara as a headband with two parts. The first part she wore like a regular headband and the second part, extending forward to wear on top of her head, was the crown with all its lovely intricate parts, costume diamonds and pearls. It was a work of art. Kimber took out her phone and filmed all angles of the tiara and Felicity wearing it. If Vin or Philip had done this, they were geniuses.
Chapter 10
Seven days. Which meant it had been seven whole nights that Kimber spent sleeping without Dario. With Dario’s family staying at the condo and the Reyes home being chicken pox–free, Kimber had slept in her own bed in her childhood home for the last week, forcing her and Dario into something of a dating ritual. The Reyeses and the Crownes had worked at the same table decorating cookies for the previous weekend’s bake sale. Sunday dinner had been celebrated at Duvernay’s. Monday evening, Dario had picked Kimber up for a date of ice skating in the park. When he’d tried to go upstairs to get her, Stephen had blocked the path. It had been a funny yet embarrassing way for her uncle to still treat her like a child.
Tuesday and Wednesday Dario had been busy with some other project. It irritated her that he didn’t spend all his time with her, but she knew that was the inner brat in her speaking. What bothered her more was the photo on the Greater Southwood Chamber of Commerce web page inviting folks to spend time in the small town for the holidays. She’d caught a few timeline photos of Dario speaking with Lilly Stringer as well as her old middle school coach and even one of Philly’s former teachers. Dario’s reputation as a lothario was strong and it wasn’t like she in a position to gripe about exes. She had two still claiming to be the legendary tiara designer.
“I want you to show me your entire room,” Dario said over his tablet. Like her, he was in bed. It was Christmas Eve morning. The sun still hadn’t risen. Kimber was sure they’d spent the whole night talking, switching from phoning to video-chatting each other. From the angle she could tell he was on his back with his arm behind his head. The light of his bedroom caught the bulge of his biceps.
“Not a chance,” Kimber replied. Kimber sat on her queen-size bed. The bed paled in comparison to Dario’s, but it was comfy nonetheless.
The walls of the bedroom had gone through several changes over the years, from pastel ponies to Barbies to her favorite boy bands from over the years. In order to preserve every stage of her life, three of her lavender-painted walls were covered with various sized gold or black frames, all holding documents dedicated to her phases. The wall against her bed remained picture-free but it did hold shelves full of her stuffed animals. Twin black lamps lit the room as Kimber spoke with Dario.
“I could climb the trellis outside your bedroom window and you could sneak me in,” he suggested.
Kimber laughed at her screen. “Don’t forget, my uncles live here too. You may have to deal with them if they catch you.”
Dario flexed his muscles. “I think you’d be worth the risk.”
“Do you now?” Kimber teased. She sank back against her pillows and propped her tablet on her raised knees. She watched Dario lazily rub his chest and grinned.
“I see that sneaky smile you have there,” said Dario. “You’re just as bad as me.”
“Maybe I want you just as bad,” she tempted him, flicking the strap of the white camisole she’d worn for bed.
Dario sat up. “Damn girl, are you trying to get me killed?”
“Depends on what you’d do to me when you get here.” Her heart raced with wicked temptation. She wasn’t seriously about to have video-chat sex. She wondered if her battery-operated boyfriend in the nightstand would wake the house with its buzzing.
“For starters, I’m going to take that thin thing you’re wearing that you’ve been using to tease me and I’m going to rip it off your body.”
“Ouch.”
“Never fear,” Dario went on with a lopsided grin. “You just tell me where it aches.”
Kimber perked up, as did her nipples. “Aches or where I want you to kiss and make it better?”
Dario’s hand moved out of sight. “Kimber,” he whispered with half-closed eyes. “I need to see you today.”
Her cell phone, left on the nightstand by her bed, lit up as it rang.
“Don’t answer that,” Dario said.
As much as she didn’t want to, Kimber rolled her neck to stretch out the sexually charged kinks. “I’ve got to. Did you forget the pageant is today?” As she angled her body to grab her phone she caught Dario slamming his head into one pillow and covering his face with another.
The call turned out to be one of the pageant mothers worrying about the space her daughter will have in her dressing room. Kimber regretted passing out her personal number. MET still hadn’t called but Kimber held on to the hope they’d use her for New Year’s Day. That would be the tipping point
for when she should leave. Pageant prep was gearing up for contestants. Interviews were scheduled. All the things she needed to do were ticked off in her head but she didn’t feel nearly as excited as she had the previous year when the opportunity came around. A year ago she’d been ready to get the hell out of Southwood. Now, love made her want to stay. She couldn’t stand the idea of a long distance between herself and Dario.
Kimber turned the phone off and focused on the monitor. Dario’s body rose and fell with a light snore. She decided not to wake him and disconnected the call. From downstairs, the rich scent of strong coffee made its way through the vents.
Even though they’d been preparing for the Christmas Pageant for four weeks, it still felt like Kimber was running around like a chicken with its head cut off on the day of the event. Once Lexi got her cup of coffee in her the two of them headed to the hospital bright and early. They spent the day tidying up last minute details. Nate was already there, working on nailing a skirt to the stage. Sponsors who helped financially were awarded banners, which hung from the skirts on the stage.
“Looking good, Nate,” said Lexi as they entered the theater.
Kimber crossed her arms over her chest, nodding in agreement. “I’m impressed.”
“I’m honored to have your approval,” Nate said, reaching to rumple the top of Kimber’s head.
If she were sixteen, sure. But now? Kimber stepped out of the way. “The hair,” she warned him. “Don’t mess up the hair.”
“What’s that style called?” Nate asked. He closed his tool box.
“A messy bun,” Kimber replied.
Nate wagged his finger at her. “You’re cute. I have to run into town. Do you want to ride with your old uncle?”
“I do need to get my dress from the condo.”
“Oh no, I thought you brought it to the house,” Lexi said. “I thought we’d all get ready there and take pictures. I was able to get your photographer to come over and take pictures of the family since we’re all going to be there.”
Nate looked between the two of them. “Isn’t your photographer that poor fellow you dumped after high school?”
“Philip,” Kimber provided.
“That’s interesting. C’mon and take a ride into town with me.” Nate waved Kimber on after they both promised to return to the house as soon as possible. “We can chitchat about your Philip friend.”
“There’s not much to tell,” said Kimber as they walked out of the hospital to Nate’s dark blue Dodge. A heavy metal toolbox rattled in the bed of the truck. “I’m assuming you heard the news about the tiaras?” she asked him, sliding into the passenger seat. Like their home when Nate first took it over, the cab of the truck was a mess. Fast-food wrappers cluttered the seats.
“Just push all that down.”
The engine came to life. “I don’t understand how Amelia allows you to be such a slob,” she said.
“Amelia doesn’t get into this thing. We’re always taking her car when she’s in town.”
His words resonated in Kimber’s ears. “Uncle Nate.”
Nate was quite for a moment. The same silent treatment she was always given when she didn’t address him in Spanish. “Tío,” she said with a huff.
“What’s that, sweetie?”
“Amelia’s been working with MET Studios for a while now, right?” Kimber traced a smiley face on the dashboard with her index finger.
“Yeah, when she’s not running things at The Scoop,” he answered. “Why, do you want to work at an ice cream parlor?”
“Cute,” Kimber said with a reluctant laugh. “I’m asking because she goes off on assignment a lot.”
“Nothing new with that,” Nate commented. “What’s going on?”
“I’m just thinking about my future, if I get this job.”
“Did you ask Amelia to hook you up with one?” Nate asked, turning on the road leading toward town.
Kimber frowned. “Heck no, I don’t want her help, not that I don’t love her for trying. I mean she has given me insight that MET is looking for a field journalist in the Atlanta area.”
The cooler weather had thinned the pine trees to the point where Kimber could see into the new development. If memory served her correctly, this was the same area where, a year ago, she and Dario stopped the Christmas sleigh to enjoy the candy cane sky.
“You want the job?”
“Sure.”
“And you’d give up your glamorous life traveling?” Laughing, Nate elbowed Kimber’s arm.
“Maybe.”
“And it’s Dario that has you thinking you want to stay closer.”
Kimber’s eyes cut over at her uncle. “How do you and Amelia deal with long distance?”
“Well, for starters,” he began, “we’re married, not dating. Did Dario say something about settling down?”
For a split second Kimber thought her heart would burst through her chest. “We’re seeing each other, officially.”
“I saw y’all at the picnic in the park, but I mean is he ready to give up his partying ways and you yours?”
“I never partied,” Kimber lied, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m just giving myself options.”
“From my understanding, you have several options. Marvin, who is a doctor, Philip, a coach, photographer, and from my understanding, the shop instructor, and then there’s Dario.”
“You don’t have to say his name like that, like with dread,” Kimber noted. “And the other two are not options, just guys who both claim to be the ones who made the tiaras that popped up last year.”
“Yeah.” Nate tsked. “I heard about that. Have you checked the security cameras?”
Blinking, Kimber shook her head. “I asked one of the security officers. He said they’ve had a new system now for about year and they loop over the tape or whatever every week.”
“‘For about a year’ makes me wonder.” Nate scratched the hairs of his goatee. “I did some work on the children’s wing last year. I can check and see if they kept any of their old tapes. That will settle things once and for all.”
“I am hoping when the person shows up without a tiara, we’ll find out who is the true designer and who is the liar,” Kimber replied.
“I’ve liked the interviews you’ve posted, though. Great feel-good stories.”
“Thanks,” Kimber said. Her voice trailed off as they passed the spot in the road where it happened. The spot where her parents took their last breath.
Nate reached over to give Kimber’s shoulder a squeeze. “You know they’d be proud of you.”
“Maybe,” Kimber said. Would they have stopped fighting long enough to notice? Who knew? Kimber thought about her relationship with Dario. Yes, she was irritated with him that he’d been busy this week, but not to the point where she felt the need to end things with him. She wondered at what point her parents stopped looking past these little irritations and started arguing. She and Dario argued, but made up. Would they ever stop making up? Was she ready to stay in town for love and find out? Kimber sighed and looked out the window.
Nate filled the rest of the ride into town with his missed lyrics of Christmas songs. Occasionally Kimber laughed. He dropped her off at her building and promised to pick her up once he grabbed his tools but Kimber finished before he did. Armed with her garment bag, Kimber started to head back to the shop but the business across the street caught her eye. The doors to Crowne’s Garage were lifted and the red car Dario drove her to the hospital in was in the bay. Her heart raced with excitement at the possibility of seeing Dario, even if it was just for a minute. Quickly, she crossed the street, waving to the people she knew.
Kimber stepped over the threshold. Drills sounded from under the floor. Dominic Crowne, the oldest of the siblings, stepped out from the back office, wiping his hands on a red towel. “Kimber Reyes,” he said, as
if he hadn’t seen her in forever. His smile made her feel welcome, like family. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Everyone in town is talking about your pageant.”
“Lexi’s pageant,” Kimber corrected with a smile. “Are we going to see you?”
“If I can get this bookkeeping situated I will. What brings you here today? Dario’s out at the ranch house.”
She felt her smile falter, and she quickly tried to come up with an excuse. “Oh yeah, of course. I was stopping by because the last time I was here, I dropped my necklace in your closet in the back.”
Dominic raised a brow.
Heat touched her cheeks as she realized what she’d been doing when she lost her necklace. “It’s um, big and kinda gaudy, but it’s going to look great with this dress.” Kimber patted the garment bag, hoping it would distract him from asking any embarrassing questions.
“Hang on, I’ll go check.”
Across the street, Kimber spotted her uncle getting back to the truck. She needed to get back too. Nate wanted to get going. She could tell because he climbed back out of the truck. Not wanting him to go to her apartment, Kimber stepped out of the garage. “Uncle Nate! Uncle Nate!”
Her uncle saw her flagging him down. Quickly, he hopped back into his truck and carefully made a U-turn right into the driveway of the garage.
“Oh, I thought you’d left for a moment,” Dominic said, coming up behind Kimber. “Hey, Nate.”
Nate opened the door to greet Dominic. The men shook hands then gave each other a half hug. “What’s up? Y’all got time for a tune-up today?”
“On Christmas Eve?” Dominic laughed. Just then, the garage echoed with the sound of a tool hitting the cement floor.
“You sound open to me,” Nate retorted. “How about I come by next week?”
“I can’t make any promises,” joked Dominic. “Speaking of promises, I can say that I did give it my best shot looking for your necklace but I found nothing that fit the description. I did, however, find this thing with your name on it. Knowing the scribbly writing, it’s from Dario.”
Christmas with the Billionaire ; A Tiara for Christmas Page 30