by Ellie Hall
I inhale the heavenly scent of cologne as his hands move to my hips.
His eyes fix on mine. “I want to date you again. Maybe put a ring on your finger one day. Have babies that will get poop on my shirt and make me barf.”
I blurt out a laugh. “I want that too.”
Kai lowers his head, grazes over my mouth with his heated breath, then presses a long, lingering kiss to my lips. I can’t help but return it with an eagerness of my own.
“I love you, Nikki,” he says against my mouth.
“I love you too.”
I’m not sure how long we kiss here, hidden in the no parking zone, but suddenly we hear Colt over the extended intercom set—the speakers that play loud and proud over the parking lot and every inch of the school grounds.
“The countdown is on. In just ninety seconds, we’ll tear open the gates, one at a time, and see just which contestants—if any—will join us here at Tucson High’s happening stadium tonight. Count down with me, crowd. And you at home in join too!”
Colt begins counting backward from ninety. A faint echo of the crowd comes through as well.
“Should I go to my side, and you go to yours?” I ask.
But Kai only shakes his head. “I’ve got a better idea.”
10
Day-liverance
It’s my third case of déjà vu in just two weeks: the lights, the crowd, the excitement in the stadium beyond the double gates where we wait. There’s even a paper banner at the base of the entrance, just like the time Kai carried me onto the field and asked me to the dance.
Best of all, I’m cradled in Kai’s muscular arms as the countdown continues.
We opted to come in on his side, mainly because we didn’t make it to mine in time for the countdown to end. We were, however, close enough to hear the collective moan when I failed to appear on cue.
Colt Findley eased the tension with one of his stupid jokes. “No worry, folks. Nikki probably caught wind of a sale on one of those floral jumpsuits. Let’s just hope she didn’t get picked up by the wind while wearing the thing. Then again, if she did, she may just float up and over the crowd and right onto the field whether she wills it or not. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, shall we?”
A random memory pops into my mind as Kai and I wait. “Hey, why were you being so cold when you came to help me carry my suitcase?” I ask over the commotion.
Kai’s face scrunches. “What do you mean?”
“On the final day when we had to put our cases by the front door,” I remind.
“Oh.” He nods. “Colt said no communicating. The contract said if I break the rules, I’d jeopardize your compensation as well as mine. But it was yours I was worried about.” He winks.
Of course, Kai read the contract; he’s a law student. “So you weren’t upset or changing your mind?” I ask.
He shakes his head and chuckles. “No. Just trying to keep my hands off you. Something that’s easier to do when I keep my eyes off you too.”
A spot of warmth flutters in my chest.
“But I don’t have to keep my eyes or hands off you now.” Kai buries his face in my hair, then slides the tip of his nose along my earlobe. “You look beautiful, by the way,” he adds, his hot breath raising goosebumps on my skin. “I can’t wait to have you back in my life.” He presses a trail of kisses along the side of my neck, making me want to abandon the appearance altogether and kiss Kai until morning comes.
The countdown carries on, nearing the end now. “Ten. Nine. Eight.”
I move my lips to Kai’s ear. “I can’t wait to have you back in my life too.”
I pull back in time to see a broad smile on his face.
“Two! One!”
The gate bursts open.
“Ready?” Kai asks.
I tighten my grip around his neck and curl into him. “Yes.”
I can’t help but grin as Kai pulls me even closer against him and jogs down the entrance, tearing through the painted banner at the base.
A thunderous cheer breaks over the crowd.
The marching band drums out a victory cheer as the trumpets blast in celebration. People are on their feet at once, waving, cheering, and clapping to the beat.
Warmth pools around my heart as I soak up the excitement. It’s the perfect display of the celebration happening inside of me. Kai is back in my life. Sure, we’ll have to spend the first few months of that life apart, but what are a few months compared to a lifetime? A lifetime, I remind myself as the crowd cheers, spent with Kai Kingsley.
Epilogue
Day 1 for the new guys
“I kind of like this idea,” Kai says as we wait for the camera crew to give us our cue.
I give him a playful nudge. “You would.” At least one of us likes the idea of going on TV yet again. This time, to greet Time Warp’s newest contestants.
Kai wraps his arm behind me and nuzzles his nose into my neck. “Come on, admit it. You like this too.”
Marsha Langston, who’s “present” via a face time call with the on-site director, gives us a holler. “I have an engagement gift for you two.”
Yes, engagement is right. Kai popped the big question over Christmas break while our families were there to witness. Since then, I touch my engagement ring a dozen times per waking hour to remind myself that it’s real.
The on-site director—here for just the first episode—holds out his arm. A gift bag dangles from his fingertips.
I take hold of the bag and look inside.
“Before you open it,” Marsha says, “let me give you a heads-up about our next contestants. The couple arriving does not know which of their exes is going to show up. They claim to hate each other now. In fact, one even gave me what I might legally call a threat if it ends up being the certain someone I have in store for them.”
A smile crosses the shrewd woman’s face as she smooths her hair behind one ear. “I think it’s just a front. Okay, open your gift.”
It takes only a moment after removing the paper to recognize the wooden box. The one filled with his and hers prompts.
I lift it from the bag to see that they have, in fact, now personalized those tabs to read Kai and Nikki. There’s a small plaque on the front too.
Kai reads it aloud. “Your days here are numbered, so make them count.”
It’s the quote that helped me abandon my foolish rules in the house and make the most of my time there. It’s also the very notion that urged me to chase after Kai and admit that he was right and I was wrong.
“Thank you,” Kai and I say in unison.
Kai leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Make each day count,” he mumbles. “I plan on it.”
“I’m getting word that our couple is very close now,” Marsha says. “They’ll arrive in five, one after the other.”
“The ones who hate each other,” Kai confirms.
“Loathe,” Marsha corrects with a dark laugh.
I shoot a half-horrified, half-entertained look at Kai. I can hardly believe we agreed to host their first greeting live.
“This is going to be good,” he says. “Hopefully, they can get past their differences and get a happily ever after like me and Nikki.”
I grin, grateful that Kai is finally home for good. He passed the bar exam, moved back to Arizona, and already secured a job and an apartment. One I’ll move into once we take our vows.
Oh, and I secured Millie as a partner after all. She reached out saying she loved the show, and she’s partnering with me whether her business manager agrees or not.
“I hope they do too,” I say, putting my mind back on the couple soon to arrive. “But I do have one correction. What we’ve found,” I say, pressing onto tiptoes to peck Kai on the lips. “Isn’t an ending at all. It’s just the beginning.”
“True, true,” Marsha says. “Oh, it sounds like the first contestant is just around the corner. Is everyone ready?”
A burst of adrenaline shoots through me. “Ready.”
/> Kai puffs his chest. “I was born ready.”
“Okay,” Marsha says. “Let the love game begin.”
Let the game begin, indeed. Just who are the contestants expecting to see? Do they have unresolved feelings for other exes in their past?
What a risk it is to come on the show. Of course, it’d been a risk for me too, putting my heart on the line a second time.
A nervous shiver rocks through me.
Kai’s fingers slip through mine. He squeezes my hand, assuring me that I’m not in this alone. Kai’s by my side now and forever, and that—that beautiful truth—makes it all worth the risk.
Connect with Kimberly Krey
Award-winning author Kimberly Krey is known as the Queen of Steamy Clean Romance. She's a fervent lover of God, family, and cheese platters, as well as the ultimate hater of laundry. Her readers count on faith-filled romance novels that stay clean without losing the steam.
Find her on Facebook
Smitten with Candy Canes
Ellen Jacobson
Okay, so I kissed Max once. The kiss was great. But Max? A total jerk. Now I’m stuck with him in Santa’s Village for work. He wants to pretend we’re a couple. All I want to do is clobber him with a giant candy cane. Then kiss him again. Maybe.
1
Unlucky Number Thirteen
As I board the plane, I remind myself that I’m not a superstitious kind of girl.
Well, except when it comes to hedgehogs. Why anyone thinks they’re adorable is beyond me. The creatures have spines, people, spines. If that’s not a dead giveaway that they’re bad news, I don’t know what is.
Need more convincing about hedgehogs? Ask me about the time a certain photographer thought it would be funny if . . .
Actually, let’s not talk about that. The last thing I need to be reminded of is how Max Guerrero made me look like an idiot.
Stop thinking about that jerk, Zoe. Focus on getting to your seat without spilling your peppermint mocha.
Taking a deep breath, I tighten my grip on my coffee cup. As I inch down the aisle, I scan the row numbers, looking for my seat. When I reach row thirteen, my stomach twists into knots. I can’t figure out what’s going on. Thirteen is just a number. I don’t buy into that mumbo-jumbo that the number thirteen is unlucky. So why am I so anxious? Why do I have this feeling that something horrible is about to happen?
“Lady, are you gonna take your seat?”
I smile apologetically at the man behind me, then squeeze into the aisle seat. Balancing my cup in one hand, I set my purse on the seat next to me. Once I’m settled, I take a cautious sip of my mocha and end up burning the tip of my tongue. Removing the lid to cool it down, I smile at the sight of crushed up candy cane pieces nestled on top of whipped cream. You can keep your gingerbread and eggnog lattes. Nothing says Christmas like peppermint to me.
Of course, what really says Christmas is my mom’s candy cane cheesecake, but I won’t be getting any this year. My family is back in California, while I’m heading to Finland to write a travel article on Santa’s Village. My mom and sister were understanding. This is a great assignment, but still, Christmas won’t be the same without them.
A young boy, maybe five or six years old, pops his head over the seat in front of me, distracting me from my thoughts of working over Christmas. He bounces up and down on his mother’s lap, clutching a small toy truck in one hand. Then he giggles and flings the toy in my direction.
Guess where it lands. Yep, in my mocha. I wipe whipped cream out of my eyes, then groan when I look down at my coat. What used to be a cute pink puffer jacket is now a brown splotchy mess.
“Gimme my truck,” the boy says.
“Say ‘please,’ Christopher,” his mother prompts automatically, unaware of what damage her son’s truck has done.
The boy holds out his hand. “Gimme my truck, please.”
I fish the toy out of my cup, then wipe it off with a napkin. Christopher grins when I hand it to him, even remembering to say thank you. After shoving the cup into the seat back pocket, I try to remove the mocha stains from my coat. This is no job for a couple of crumpled up napkins. It’s hopeless. What I need to do is wash it out with water, but people are still boarding. There’s no way I’ll be able to get to the bathroom.
As I take off my jacket, I glance up at my row number. Maybe it is unlucky after all. My jacket is probably ruined. Oh, well, if that’s the extent of my bad luck, it isn’t the end of the world.
I look over at the empty seat next to me, pull my phone out of my purse, and call my manager, Nicole.
“Hey, Zoe,” she says. “I thought you’d be in the air by now.”
“Yeah, me too. But I guess it’s a good thing that the flight’s been delayed because Alyssa hasn’t turned up yet. She never showed in the boarding area.”
“Didn’t you get my email?” Nicole asks.
“No. What’s up?”
“Um, there’s been a little change of plans,” Nicole says. “Alyssa broke her ankle.”
“Oh, no, that’s terrible,” I say. “How did she do that?”
“Skydiving.”
I furrow my brow. “It’s December. Who goes skydiving in the winter?”
“She was taking photographs for an article on extreme sports in France,” Nicole says. “She’s bummed because she was supposed to go ice climbing after Christmas, but that’s not going to happen now.”
“She probably would have been bored on this trip,” I say. “The most adventurous thing on the itinerary is dog sledding.”
“She’s a professional, like you.” Nicole says. “Boredom doesn’t factor into it. You write travel articles about places you would never dream of visiting on your own, right?”
I chuckle. “That’s true. You’d never catch me flying to Santa’s Village without pay.”
“Santa’s Village could surprise you,” Nicole says. “I can’t imagine a more magical place to spend Christmas.”
“Well, if you say so . . . ouch!” I pause to retrieve Christopher’s truck from the top of my head. I give the little boy a warning look, then press the phone back to my ear. “Since we don’t have a photographer, what do you want to do about pictures? I guess I can always take some on my phone.”
“Yeah, that’s not a good idea,” she says. “I’ve seen your Instagram account. What is with your thumbs? They’re in every single picture.”
“They’re little ego-maniacs, trying to steal the limelight. Seriously, what do you want to do about pictures?”
“Well, I have arranged for another photographer.” Nicole clears her throat. “I’m not sure how to tell you this, but—”
“Hang on a sec,” I tell her as a commotion at the front of the plane distracts me. Leaning into the aisle, I see a man help an older woman place her suitcase into the overhead bin. His back is turned to me, but there’s something familiar about his tall athletic frame, his broad shoulders, and his dark curly hair. When he turns, I gasp.
Actually, maybe it was less of a gasp and more of a subdued shriek. I’m sitting in the middle of a crowded plane, so it’s not like I’d yell at the top of my lungs. But a subdued shriek? Well, that seems appropriate given who I just saw. Turns out the number thirteen really is unlucky.
“Is everything okay, Zoe?” Nicole asks.
“No, not really,” I say, enunciating each word. “Want to tell me why Max Guerrero is on my flight?”
“You need a photographer and Max was available.” Nicole laughs nervously. “It’s better than thumbs in all the pictures.”
I scowl. “I’d rather cuddle up with a hedgehog than work with that man.”
“But hedgehogs freak you out,” she says.
“Exactly.”
“Hmm, fear of hedgehogs. I think that’s called skatzochoirophobia.”
“Did your friend, Ginny, tell you that?” I ask.
“Uh-huh. You know how I’ve been trying to get her to come work for the magazine. But her fear of flying makes things m
ore complicated.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would be a problem.” I take a sip of my mocha, then add, “I’m glad I’m only afraid of hedgehogs.”
“That’s not entirely true. You’re afraid of Max.”
“Afraid of Max? Me? You’re joking.”
“Sorry, I stand corrected. You’re scared of your feelings for Max. I heard what happened between the two of you in Germany.”
“It was one kiss,” I say. “One, horrible, awful kiss. Thankfully, we haven’t worked together since.”
I suspect the tone of my voice was a bit shrill. I might have even let out another one of those subdued shrieks because it seems like everyone on the plane is looking at me.
Everyone, that is, except Max. He’s too busy standing in the aisle flirting with a flight attendant. She’s twirling a curl of hair around one of her fingers while he whispers something in her ear.
I grin as a voice over the speakers interrupts their little romantic moment.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I apologize for the delay. Please take your seats at this time for departure. Flying time from London to Finland is three hours and thirty-six minutes. If we’re lucky, we might spot Santa Claus taking his reindeer out for a test flight before the big day.”
All the kids on board, plus some of the adults, start cheering at the mention of Santa. I get how spending Christmas in Santa’s Village would be the perfect family vacation, but for someone like me, in their twenties without children, I just didn’t get it.
“Zoe Randolph, what a pleasant surprise.” I look up and see Max towering over me, a cocky grin on his face. “Nicole didn’t tell me we’d be working together.”
“Oh, come off it,” I tell him. “You knew about this.”
“Okay, I did.” He shrugs, then points at the window seat. “Can I have the aisle seat? I have long legs.”