Christmas Choices (3 page)

As he watched her study the estimates, he noticed subtle things about her: the way her hair cascaded over her shoulders, her pouty lips, and how she scrunched her eyebrows just a little. She reached up and tucked her hair behind her left ear, exposing the delicate curve of her neck. She wore little diamonds in her ears that caught the light when she turned her head to look at the drawing. The light danced over her skin, and he found himself wanting to kiss her neck just where the light touched it.

He turned away, grabbed his beer, and downed it in a couple of swallows. Kellen didn’t know what he found so interesting about her. He raised his glass and motioned to the waiter who quickly brought another from the bar.

“What do you think so far?” he asked, trying to get his composure back.

“Everything looks wonderful. Let me fax these numbers over to my father this afternoon. I think we should be able to get started as early as next week, don’t you? As soon as we hear from Daddy, you can draw up the contract and pull the permits. I’d like to go with you to pick out the appliances.”

“Yeah, that would be fine. I’ll make some calls to Garret’s. They give me the best prices on appliances. When do you want to go?” He glanced down at his phone and opened his calendar. “I’m free tomorrow morning or Thursday afternoon. Actually, Thursday may work better. It’s about a forty-five minute drive out there.”

“Thursday afternoon would work great for me. I’m sure he’ll get back to me by tomorrow. What time do you want to pick me up?”

He raised his eyebrow. Was she warming up to him? “I can get you about two. What’s your address?” He opened the contact list on his phone, scrolled to her name, and waited.

“224 South Pecan Road. I have an apartment on the second floor. Just call me when you get there and I’ll come right down.” She sat back as the waiter placed the plate in front of her. “You didn’t tell me the burger was this big. I won’t be able to eat even half of this.” She giggled and leaned a little closer to him. “They should make a mini one for the ladies.”

Shaking his head, he laughed along with her. “It really is a man-sized beast, isn’t it?”

Rhian nodded as she took a bite. Her eyes opened wide. As soon as she swallowed, she said, “This is the best I have ever tasted."

Kellen watched as she continued to eat with enthusiasm. He couldn’t help but smile at her. “I can’t believe you’ve never been here before. How can you love burgers and not come to Danny’s? They’re the best around.”

She nodded her head, took another bite with closed eyes, and savored the sandwich. A bit of mustard hung on the corner of her mouth, and her tongue peeked out and snatched it.

Kellen’s pulse quickened again. He concentrated on his own food to keep his mind occupied. He needed to quit finding everything this woman did so damned cute. Now he cursed himself for agreeing to take her to Garret’s on Thursday
.
The more distance between them the better.

T
hursday afternoon Kellen found himself anxious as he drove to Rhian’s house. They had spoken on the phone earlier that morning. Her father had agreed to the prices, and her grandfather had agreed to the changes and the addition.

He pulled up in front of Rhian’s apartment building. It was a nice place for a rich girl to live. Old oak trees, heavy with Spanish moss, lined the cobblestone street in front of the two-story, redbrick structure. A wrought iron gate to the left of the building led to a large courtyard. Christmas lights were everywhere. Even the street lamps were decorated with holly and festive lights. He pulled his phone out and hit the call button. Rhian answered on the third ring, sounding out of breath.

“Are you here already? Just let me throw on my T-shirt and I’ll be right down. I’m so sorry.”

“No problem, take your time.” He clicked the phone off. He pictured her up there in just a bra, looking for a T-shirt. He closed his eyes, sighed, and counted to ten.
I’m so not going there.
When he opened his eyes, she was walking along the pathway toward him. She wore a pair of tight blue jeans with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Both the jeans and teal T-shirt hugged her curves just right. “Down boy,” he whispered when he felt himself harden.
Get a hold of yourself. Shit.

He leaned over and opened the door, pushing it out so she could step into the truck. From the look on her face, he could tell men routinely opened the car door and helped her into the vehicle. He glanced away as she got in, disgusted with himself to have forgotten that simple little gesture. “Hey, how are you today? Anymore news on your grandfather?” he asked as he waited for her to buckle the belt.

“He is doing wonderfully. He might come home in a few days. The doctor said he's made a remarkable recovery for a man his age. Thanks for asking about him, Kellen. He’s an important part of my life.” She turned toward him, a smile lighting up her entire face. “I’m so excited to look at the appliances. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

“No, it’s not. I think having the correct tools for any trade is really important.” They pulled away from the curb, turning left at the next road to head toward the highway. “You want to talk or listen to music?”

“We can’t do both?” she asked, cocking her head sideways to look at him. “I can listen to music and talk, can’t you?”

“I’m giving you a choice instead of assuming.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Can’t I do anything right around her?

Her eyes widened when she realized his attempt to be polite. She giggled. “Sorry, I was just trying to be funny. Sure, we can listen to music. What kind do you listen to? We could find a station with Christmas music if you want.”

“Except for Christmas music, I pretty much like anything. Old rock, blues, some country. What about you?” Kellen found he wanted to learn more about her.

“Pretty much anything but rap or jazz.” She reached for the knob and turned on the stereo. Bob Seager’s “Turn the Page” blared from the speakers. She glanced over at him, and he quickly turned the speakers down.

“Sorry. When I’m by myself, I like it a bit loud.” He actually felt the heat brush across his face.

“I do the same thing when I’m in the house. I like it loud enough to drown out my own singing. I can’t carry a tune, but I love to sing.” She glanced at him with a huge grin. “Something I will never subject even my worst enemy to.”

“I love to sing too but not in front of people either.” He relaxed a little as they sat in silence and listened to the song.

***

“S
o, where are you from?” Rhian asked when the song ended. She wanted to hear him talk, listen to the rough, deep timbre of his voice. It sent shivers through her body. He had a gruff manner that made him different from the boys she had grown up with.

“Not really from any one place. I’ve moved around quite a bit.”

“Do you have any family?” She was curious about him. She hadn’t had much experience with the blue-collar workers of Savannah. Maybe that was the attraction.

“My folks and a sister. I keep in touch with them off and on. We aren’t close by any means. My sister is about six years older than me.” He shrugged his shoulders. “We never spent any time together. I was just her kid brother and always in the way.”

“Oh, I wish I'd had a brother or sister growing up. My father always expected so much from me. When my mom died, he expected even more. He’s really strict and never gives me an inch.” She sighed and looked out the window. “I was supposed to go to Italy after the holidays. I wanted to have some time to myself to paint. It’s my passion, but Daddy sees it as a waste of time. I’ve always been in his shadow. Now that I’m an adult, I thought a little soul searching away from his reach might help. I guess that won’t happen now.” She straightened her shoulders and turned back toward him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. I’m so good at embarrassing myself.”

“Hey, it’s okay. I think sometimes it’s easier to talk to people you don’t know.” He reached over to pat the top of her hand. When he touched her, heat rushed through her and quickened her pulse. She didn’t know whether he sensed that or felt it too; he pulled his hand back quickly and put it on the steering wheel. “So, why is he so strict with you?”

“I don’t know, probably because I’m all he has left. I get that, but I was never allowed to wear makeup or date boys. He got extremely upset when I told him I wanted to get a job and my own place.” She glanced over at him. “Do you want to hear about this? My life is pretty boring.”

“Yeah. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, and I just wondered why he would be so strict.”

“I think if mom were still around, he wouldn’t be. Even Grandfather is a bit overbearing at times. Not like Daddy, but he thinks it’s his job to keep me safe. When I told them I got a job as an assistant at an art gallery, you would have thought I'd told them I was moving to the moon.”

Kellen laughed. “I guess you were sheltered as a kid, huh?”

“Looking back, I guess I was protected. It surprised me Daddy wanted me to take charge of the café project. I don’t know a thing about renovations or whatever you do. I suppose he wanted to prevent me from going to Italy. He saw it as the perfect opportunity to keep me from leaving.” She crossed her arms. “Oh, it just pisses me off!”

Shaking his head, Kellen replied, “I didn’t think you would say something like that.”

“Why? Just because he’s stodgy doesn’t mean I am. I do have friends, you know. What about you? Was your family strict?”

“Nope, my folks couldn’t care less. If I wasn’t home, it was one less mouth to feed. It wasn’t very pleasant around my place, a lot of fighting and drinking.” Shrugging his shoulders, he glanced at her. “Do you mind if we change the subject? I don’t really like talking about my childhood.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up any unpleasant memories. Is that why you don’t like Christmas?”

“Yeah, but hey, no problem. It’s funny to hear you have problems, too. I always figured kids with money had nothing to worry about,” he said. “We’re almost there.”

Rhian opened her mouth to respond but changed her mind. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. She thought she had seen something in his gaze, something he tried hard to hide. Her pulse receded; she couldn’t let herself fall for this man. She wanted some time on her own to figure things out. Time away from the control and expectations of her father and grandfather. Neither her father nor grandfather would approve of an attachment to this man.
Would it be worth the confrontation? Oh, who am I kidding? I’ve tried to avoid their anger all my life.

Nope, she would just oversee things and not allow herself to be drawn in by this man. Besides, anyone she had ever been attracted to always came up lacking in her father’s eyes.

When they turned off at the exit, the truck hit a bump, jogging her from her doomed thoughts. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Oh, I can’t wait! I’ve never gone shopping for appliances before.” She glanced over at him and laughed. “I know, that sounds really lame.”

“No, it doesn’t. I know a lot of people who have never actually shopped for appliances. They usually leave that part to me.”

A
s soon as he parked the truck, Kellen jumped out and ran around to Rhian’s door to help her down. He liked the way she smiled at him for the simple gesture. “Garrett said to have the clerk call him as soon as we arrived.” He led the way into the large warehouse.

Rhian looked everywhere at once. “I feel like a kid in a toy store.”

He chuckled. “This way, Rhian.” They walked over to the counter. “Hey, Garrett is expecting us. My name is Kellen Slade and this is Rhian St. Claire.”

“Yes, sir. He told me you would be here this afternoon. I’ll let him know you’ve arrived. Would either of you like something to drink?”

“No thanks. Rhian?”

“No. I’m fine. They certainly have a lot of appliances here.” She turned around to peer down one of the aisles.

“Yes ma’am, we sure do. Oh, here comes Garrett. Please excuse me.” He walked behind the counter to answer the phone.

“Kellen. How the hell are you?” They shook hands and he slapped Kellen on the shoulder. “You must be Rhian. I hear you’re looking for some commercial grade appliances for your café?” he asked, shaking her hand.

“Yes, I think it’s time for an update.” She moved a little closer to Kellen. The man stood well over six-feet and was covered with tattoos. From the look on her face, Kellen doubted she had ever seen anyone like him before except on TV.

Garrett raised his eyebrow and glanced at Kellen. “A little skittish?”

“Well, look at you. You’d scare me if I didn’t know you were nothing but a big... uh, teddy bear.” He caught himself just in time. He presumed she was one of those women who would find the “P” word offensive.

Rhian put a hand on her hip and pointed at the men. “Just because I haven’t been around tattoos and piercings before, doesn’t mean I’m frightened or judgmental. It just took me by surprise, that’s all.”

Garrett burst out laughing and shook his head. “Come on. Let’s get started, shall we?”

After they had picked out the stove, grill, sink, freezer, and refrigerator, Rhian seemed more relaxed. “Would you mind if I stepped away to use the ladies’ room?”

“Not at all. I can take care of the rest of this with Garrett. It’s down that hallway to the left.”

As the two men watched her walk away, Garrett turned to him. “Censoring what you say now? Is she someone special?”

“No, just the boss’s daughter. I don’t want to fuck up before I get the job started. Rhian’s a rich girl who has led a sheltered life. I don’t think she would have appreciated hearing me call you a pussy.”

“I’ve never known you to give a shit about what you said in front of a woman. Hell, I’ve never known you to give a shit about a woman before. You slipping, man?” He punched Kellen and ducked away, laughing.

“Give me a break, asshole. This job will make me money and I have to ‘work closely’ with her, according to the old man’s wishes.” He made air quotes and rolled his eyes. “You see the appliances he lets his little princess choose? They have money. This job is going to be a good payoff and hopefully a great reference.”