12 Christmas Romances To Melt Your Heart (38 page)

M
idway through the game
, Mike couldn't stop smiling. On the way to the bowling alley, he'd taken a minute to call Liz. Thankfully all was smooth sailing, and he'd been able to relax and just enjoy some fun time with Annette. Not that either of them were ready for a pro bowling tour, but, if there was a Cutest Butt Wiggle competition, Annette would be a champ. The way she scurried forward and flung the ball down the lane had been the best entertainment he'd had in so very long.

Whether it was one pin or ten, every time she actually knocked something down, they laughed, slapped high fives, hip checked, and the one time she actually got a strike, she threw her arms around him in a back-crushing squeeze. One he almost didn't let go from.

"Your turn." Annette beamed, walking past him, wiping her hands on a small bag of chalk. "We should do this with the kids. I bet they'd love it. Probably would beat me, but they'd have a blast."

Mike nodded, but his smile almost slipped. He couldn't imagine Brian handling the constant sounds and movement. His already hypersensitive nature would be on full-blast overload. Then again, so much had changed in the few weeks since Annette and Adam decided to get involved.

"What's wrong?" Annette dropped the bag on the ball return and moved in closer. "Your mouth is smiling, but your eyes aren't."

Did she know him that well already?

"Oh, my God. Of course. The noise. Brian wouldn't like the noise." Her hand flew to her mouth, and her brow crinkled in concern. "I’m so sorry," she mumbled through her fingers.

"Hey"—he closed the small gap between them—"don't feel bad. Few people understand the challenges Brian faces. At least you’re starting to get it."

"I know but—"

He placed his index finger over her lips. "No
but
. You and Adam have been wonderful for Brian. You've made a huge difference in his life." Mike hesitated a moment, not sure if the next thought that popped in his head was something he should share, but his mouth didn't seem to care what his filters thought. "And mine."

The shock and regret in her big brown eyes immediately softened. A glint of moisture glistened at him, and, for a split second, he worried he'd said something to make her cry.

"Back at you," she whispered into his finger.

Oh, Lord. Was this it? Was that the cue that every single guy looked for? The one that usually came at the end of the date and said "kiss the girl"? Could he really be seeing raw hunger in her eyes? Did he dare? But she wasn't moving. Didn't pull back.

He inched his head a little closer, hoping she wouldn't retreat, and, slipping his finger out of the way, let his mouth land softly against hers. His heart galloped in his tightening chest. Any minute he expected her to back off in abject horror at his forwardness. Instead her arms snaked around his neck, and she burrowed even closer. God, she felt so good. So right. So … perfect. How horrible would it be if he stood here just a little longer? In public.
Damn
.

Taking a half step back, he let his hands slide to her hips. "I, uh, … would give my right arm for a comfortable sofa and a little privacy."

"I was thinking the backseat of an old Chevy would work." Her forehead dropped against his shoulder. "Did I say that out loud?"

His chest rumbled with muffled laughter. "Yeah, you did. And you have no idea how sorry I am that I don't have a backseat." Sucking in a deep breath, he took two steps back. "I have to be home soon for Brian. We should probably finish the game."

Annette nodded, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Right. The game."

Those few words had come out slow and hesitant. He hoped she wasn't considering for even a second that he was blowing smoke. Reaching out and placing a finger under her chin, he lifted her face. "I really do wish this could last all night."

Annette barely nodded, his finger still tilting her head upward.

"Would you be willing to agree to a second date, or do I need to wait the appropriate few days and call?"

The sweet smile he'd grown rather fond of teased her lips into a perfect half-moon. "I think we can agree to another date."

"Free next Saturday night?"

She nodded. "Casual?"

"No." He grinned back at her. "I have something else in mind for our second date."

"
S
o how was the date
?"

From her spot on the gymnasium bleacher, Annette spun left to the direction of the voice.

"Oh, don't look so surprised." Emily took a seat beside her. "Maggie and Adam came by the shop yesterday when I was there. They wanted to see the new uniforms. Maggie may have mentioned something about being home with Adam and Bethany on Friday night, while you went out with Brian's dad."

"What are you doing here?"

"Nice dodge. I thought I'd come watch practice. Doug really is great with kids, don't ya think?"

"Mmm. He is." Annette was thrilled to shift attention away from her.

"So when's the next date?" Emily kept her eyes on the group of kids on the court.

"Who said there was a first date?"

Emily turned, dipping her chin, and glared at Annette with a look that most likely made her students cringe.

"Okay. I give. I had a great time."

"Good. Where'd you go?" Emily returned her attention to the practice below.

"Bowling."

Emily's head snapped around again. "Bowling?"

The memory had Annette grinning from ear to ear. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Maggie was the only one to call her on it. So far. "Yeah. We had a lot of fun."

Considering the response for a little bit, Emily finally nodded. "I bet you did. And now?"

"We're going out again Saturday." Every day their telephone conversations grew longer. And when Mike had to cut things off for work or Brian, Mike would call back later—often after Brian had gone to bed—and they'd talk even more. She still didn't understand how they hadn't run out of topics for conversation. The interesting thing for her was how she'd always thought, if she ever met someone new, she wouldn't be able to talk about Tom. That any mention of the first love of her life would somehow be a threat to another man. But not Mike. He understood what it was like to lose a mate. And rather than feel threatened, he asked about Tom. How they'd met. How long they’d dated. What the wedding was like. When the kids were born. He especially seemed fascinated by the early years, when they were building the business. It had been cathartic for her to share how she'd felt so alone and isolated in ICU while some crazed drug lord gunned for her husband's business and maybe even her children.

"More bowling?" Emily asked.

"I don't know what he has planned this time either."

"Ooh. A man with surprises." Emily's gaze remained riveted on her fiancé.

"Do you recognize the tall kid behind Doug?"

Eyes wide, Emily looked to the boy then back to Annette. "Do you really think having the bully on the team is a smart idea?"

"Mike and I were chatting, and we agreed. Learning true teamwork could be a good thing for him."

"I won't argue with you about the positive effects of sports on children, but the bully …" Emily returned her gaze to the court. "How did you talk him into it?"

"Like Adam, he's not good enough for the school team but enjoys the sport. At first he made a fuss about playing with rejects. But I could tell he really did want to participate, so it wasn't a hard push for him to sign up. Eddie's father liked the idea too."

"His father's involved in this?"

Annette nodded. "Mike gave him a call. He didn't like the idea of the two boys on the same team if there wasn't full parental support behind it."

"Makes sense. What did the father say?"

"Both he and his wife had been looking for a way to get Eddie more involved in extracurricular activities, but Eddie hadn't shown any interest until this. They're almost as excited about it as we are."

"Huh." Emily shrugged. "Well, I'm no expert, but, from up here, things seem to be going pretty well."

"Yeah, I think so too,” Annette said. “Doug came to school every afternoon for a few minutes to talk with the kids as a team. Prepare them for what's going to happen at practice. Show them around the gym. Get the special needs kids used to him, before he starts working with them. I'm so impressed with how he seems to instinctively know what each child needs. You've got a great guy there."

"I do." Emily's face brightened. "And so do you."

Annette really did. Every day whatever it was growing between her and Mike felt stronger and more important. She never would have thought she could care so much after only a few weeks. And yet she did care. A lot. Knowing that, in a little more than twenty-four hours, she would be on her second real date made her want to sing. Loudly. And she couldn't carry a tune. Tomorrow night was not coming fast enough.

S
tanding
at the massive entryway of Annette's house, Mike sucked in a calming breath and rang the bell. He'd been as nervous about tonight as he'd been about last week. For their first date, concerned how Brian would do with the sitter for longer than three hours or so, Mike had intentionally kept their evening short. Tonight he hoped to enjoy the night without those constraints of time. His stomach did another flip, and a part of him wondered if he would ever get over this nervous anticipation every time he thought of being with Annette. And that was simply occupying the same room. He didn't dare let his mind wander to being with her in an intimate encounter. Remembering the kiss last week was enough to send his hormone levels soaring and bring the head below his belt to full attention. He most definitely could not go there. Not yet.

"Hi." Annette opened the door, her face immediately softening when she noticed the gift. "You're going to spoil me."

"I saw it at the grocery store and couldn't resist." Holding out the small teddy bear in a basketball uniform, he wasn't going to mention he'd been to two toy stores and one gift shop before he stumbled onto the bear at the supermarket. "He needed a good home."

Annette scooped the stuffed animal against her chest, and Mike wished he could change places with the bear.

"I'll have to find a special place for him." She waved Mike into the house and gestured for him to take a seat in the living room. "I'll settle him in my room and be right back."

The mere mention of her bedroom had his libido at full attention. He was really glad for the open patio doors, refreshing breezes, and the chance to settle back down. The last thing he needed tonight was to come off as a horny teenager with a one-track mind. Even if his mind wasn't too far from just that.

"Okay. I'm all set. Where are we going?"

"I found a restaurant across town with a little piano bar, and tonight's musical highlights are the crooners." She'd mentioned in passing about discovering Tony Bennett's duet CDs after watching a PBS special with Lady Gaga singing on one of his recordings. Annette had bought that CD, fallen in love with the great remakes of the old favorites with popular singers, and bought all the others as well. He took a gamble that she'd like that era of music even without the pop stars.

"That sounds fabulous, but I'd better warn you I won't be able to resist singing along."

The momentary knot that had formed in his chest when she'd said the word
but
now loosened with the rest of her sentence, and a smile teased his lips. "We can sing together."

"Ha. You say that now. Wait till you discover I can't carry a tune to save my life."

She sauntered off to the car, and Mike's gaze shot straight to the gentle sway of her hips. He doubted seriously there was one imperfect bone—or note—in that woman's body.

A
nnette couldn't remember a more
magical night. The tiny continental restaurant was heaven, the food spectacular, and the piano player had an array of tunes from Frank Sinatra to Michael Bublé. Every time the urge to sing along crept up, she shoved another forkful of food into her mouth.

"Sorry that took so long." Mike slid back into his seat. Liz was sitting again with Brian and Mike had taken a few moments to step outside and call. He and Annette had stopped for before-dinner cocktails on the beach and had already passed the three-hour time frame he'd been gone from Brian last week.

"Is something wrong? Should we head home?"

"No, no. Everything is fine." He took a sip of his drink, set down the glass, and smiled at her. "I can tell from the way your foot keeps tapping that you're enjoying the music."

"Totally."

"Who's your favorite?"

"Well, of the songs he's played so far, I'd have to say, 'They Can't Take That Away from Me,' but 'I Get a Kick out of You' is a close second. What about you?"

"Wrong era. I'm more of a U2 sort of guy."

"In that case it was especially nice of you to bring me here."

"I had ulterior motives."

"Such as?" She loved it when his eyes sparkled with mischief.

Mike pushed back his seat and, standing, extended his hand across the small table. "Dance with me?"

The quaint restaurant sported a small patch of wooden floor beside the piano. An older couple, who moved as though they'd been dancing together their entire lives, glided along the floor to a peppier rendition of "The Shadow of Your Smile." By the time Annette and Mike reached the small space, the pianist began to sing Frank's popular hit "All the Way."

With every note played, she curled closer into his arms, feeling lost and safe at the same time. As the soothing male voice crooned throughout the room, "if you let me love you," Mike's hold on her tightened. They swayed across the floor in a single fluid movement as though they too had been dancing together for all their lives. She wanted to stay like this, dancing in his arms.

Every word of the song seemed to be directed straight at her, addressing any doubts or fears that might have been tickling the back of her mind, as each day passed and she found herself more and more entranced with Michael Becker. But here and now, she was sure of at least one thing. Wherever this new road led them, there was no turning back. She was in deep with both feet, for as far and long as he'd have her.

G
ladly Mike would have danced
with Annette in his arms all night. All year. Every word sung seemed to be directed straight at him, addressing the few doubts and fears that might have been kicking at the back of his mind as he found himself more and more entranced with Annette Deluca. Whether she knew it or not, he was completely hers. Now all he had to do was bide his time and hopefully worm his way into her heart as deeply as she'd made herself at home in his.

The pianist played another tune before taking his break. Mike considered for a brief moment if the few patrons would notice if he and Annette kept dancing to their own music. He wondered if it was as hard for her to pull apart as it had been for him. "They have a wonderful dessert menu," he said easing farther away. Willing his hands to let go of her.

Annette seemed to struggle to find her smile. "I don't think I could eat another bite."

Without dessert there was no excuse to stay. To wait for another set. To hold her in his arms again. To feel her warmth nestled against him.

"But I wouldn't mind a cup of tea," she added.

Hallelujah. He wasn't ready to end this date yet. Holding out her seat for her, he took advantage and let his fingers brush slightly against her back, before returning to his own seat. Unwilling to leave the table again, he quickly shot off a text to the sitter to check on Brian:
HOW'S IT GOING?
The response was immediate:
FINE. STOP CHECKING ON US AND ENJOY YOUR DATE.

"Something funny?" Annette asked.

"I've been scolded by Liz and told to stop checking up on them." Determined to do as advised, he slipped the phone into his pocket.

"Seems like sound advice." She continued to smile up at him, as he ordered two cups of tea, but he could see a whirlpool of emotions hiding behind those soft chestnut-colored eyes. And that worried him.

An awkward silence fell over the table, and Mike wondered if he'd gone too far. If maybe she'd not been ready for this much attention from him. With every passing day he felt as though he'd known Annette for years. When Karen passed, he never really believed there'd be another woman in his life who made him feel so much at home. But everything was comfortable with Annette. Not even mentioning Karen's name was a problem. After all, no woman wants to play second fiddle to a dead wife, but Annette wasn't like that.

With her, they could talk about their late spouses with love and affection, and understand that, like multiple children, it in no way diminished how much love Mike had for Annette. And, yes. He loved her. The real kind Sinatra and the piano player crooned about. The kind that went together like a horse and carriage. And wasn't that a problem? There was so much more to consider than just how he felt about her.

The waiter reappeared with two small teapots of water and their choice of teas. Annette thanked the server and quickly began dipping the tea bag in her cup of water. Just as Mike was about to ask any inane question to break the tension, she laid her wrists on the edge of the table and lifted her chin high. "What are we doing?"

He had to think a minute. Too unsure of what she meant, he had no choice. "Excuse me?"

"I know I should keep my mouth shut, play the game, see where this goes. If it goes anywhere at all. But I can't do that. It's not my style."

"No." He smiled. "I don't imagine waiting for anything is your style."

Shaking her head, she returned his easy grin, though hers was considerably more unsteady. "Why are you doing all this?" She waved from the table to the pianist. "What do you want from me? Because, quite frankly, I don't remember a roll in the hay requiring this much attention."

Her words stunned him momentarily. "You're right. As much as I would love to have my hands all over you, this is not about sex. All I'd need to find
a roll in the hay
, as you put it, is a short while at a local bar and a little free-flowing booze. I'm not after that. Never have been."

He'd hoped she would say something. All she did was continue to stare at him with laserlike precision that had him wondering if she could read his mind, but, if not, she was most certainly determining the veracity of his words. Honesty was the best policy. "I don't want to say the wrong thing."

That clearly caught her by surprise. She eased forward slightly. "I don't understand."

Brushing aside the teacup, he stretched his hand out to fold it over hers. "I'm a one-woman man. For years I thought that woman was Karen. Thought it would always be Karen. Thought I'd never find anyone else who … fit. Until you."

Her eyes widened, and he could feel the tremble of her fingers beneath his.

In for a penny, in for a pound. "I don't think I could handle losing you too."

She closed her eyes, and his already hammering heart stuttered to a halt. When she lifted her lids, he saw a clarity that had been missing since they'd sat down again. "I don't want to lose you either. So what do we do about it?"

A
nnette was sure
, if life got any better, her face would split in two from smiling so much. Just a few short weeks ago she almost dreaded another holiday without Tom, and now she could hardly wait for Christmas. And every holiday after that. Not that every holiday was guaranteed. Over tea she and Mike had agreed to take things one day at a time. They weren't kids anymore, and both clearly recognized when something was just right. But, in light of Brian's challenges, they'd agreed
slow
was the only way to proceed. Especially if they wanted this budding relationship to last, and she wanted that very much.

Mike pulled into the drive. She could tell from the way his eyes darted from the dashboard clock to her front door that he was itching to check up on his son again.

"Do you want to call about Brian and then come in for some dessert? Or maybe it would be best if you got back to him."

"No." Mike's eyes twinkled with a hint of humor. "I've got to learn not to be so overprotective. If Liz needs me, she'll call. I would love to come in, if it's not too late."

"Not at all. I think there's cheesecake in the fridge. Assuming the kids didn't eat it all in one sitting." Shoving open the front door, Annette listened for the sound of her family. A selfish little part of her had hoped they'd be in bed, and she could be alone with Mike. "Follow me. I think I hear the TV in the other room."

Off the kitchen, the kids sat in the family room, sprawled on the sofa, watching some movie with a loud car-chase scene. Most likely Adam's choice. Maggie was installed in the recliner across the way, working on a crossword puzzle—though Annette had no idea how Maggie could think straight with the surround sound on.

"Mom." Bethany looked up and waved.

For a split second, Annette thought she saw disappointment cross her face, but now her daughter was all smiles. Adam was another story. The boy looked from Annette to Mike, Adam’s icy gaze enough to chill the room.

"Hi, honey." She moved farther into the room, expecting the usual hug and kiss, only to have Adam push to his feet and leave without a word. "What the hell?"

"Maybe I shouldn't have come in after all." Mike stared down the hall after Adam.

"Nonsense." But she didn't get it. There hadn't been a single sign of discomfort or disapproval from either of her children. And now they'd spent all night worrying about how their date would affect Brian, but the one to pitch a silent fit was her son.

"I'm afraid that might be my fault." Maggie set aside her paper and stood. "I was talking with the kids earlier. I said something about how nice it was that you'd found someone who made you as happy as their dad did, and Adam didn't react well."

"I see." Annette's gaze turned to the empty hall.

"You can't really blame him," Bethany said from her space on the sofa.

Maggie sighed. "Mike, can I get you something to drink? We've got everything, including scotch and bourbon."

"Actually"—Annette turned to her house manager and friend—"I promised him cheesecake."

"Good choice." Maggie spun about toward the kitchen. "Cheesecake coming up."

Mike glanced at Annette, and she clearly read the question in his eyes. "I'm sure. Why don’t you help Maggie cut five slices? We'll all join you in a minute."

Bless the man, he didn't argue or make a fuss, just offered her a reassuring smile and fell in line behind Maggie.

"Want to tell me what's going on?" Annette sat beside her daughter.

"Nothing really. But you can't blame Adam for being upset."

"I'll talk to Adam about Adam. I want to know what's going on with you."

Bethany grabbed at a nearby cushion, then, sighing, tossed it aside again. "I know in my head that Dad wouldn't want you to be alone the rest of your life. I get it. I'm not stupid."