Conklin's Foundation (Conklin's Trilogy) (16 page)

“Hurdles like?”  Heather egged on.

I bit my lip.  I didn’t want to go into detail of why we were apart.  It hurt me too much to think about it.  “I’m meeting his family tomorrow.”

“Was that a hurdle?”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Are you nervous?  I could barely walk through Ray’s parent’s front door the first time I went to meet them.”

“A little.  I know most of them. The only one I haven’t met is his mother.”

“Mary Conklin?  I hear she is eccentric.  I bet she is n
ice.  I wouldn’t worry about it,” Heather said, putting another chip in her mouth. 

“It’s time for a picture!  Everyone in
front of the Christmas tree!” my mother shouted, grabbing her camera and shooing the boys to join us in the living room.  Ray grabbed Josie who was rummaging through the presents.  I was impressed she was just looking and not touching. 

Tyler came over to me, holding his hand out to help me up.  He grinned when he saw my plate was
empty then kissed my forehead.

My mother started arranging people while Roger played with the camera, trying to find the best angle and lighting.  Tyler stood off to the side, figuring he would be left out of the picture, but my mother grabbed him and
pushed him next to me with a no-nonsense attitude.

Once we had our big group picture, my mother insisted on doing smaller family pictures.  Some with Ray, Heather
, and Josie and some with her and my father.  Michael even posed for his individual photo.  My mother pushed Tyler and me in front of the Christmas tree last.

“
Alright you two, cuddle up close.  This is your first Christmas together!” my mother encouraged.  A rush of embarrassment ran through me as Heather snickered at my mother’s comment.  Tyler didn’t look phased by my mother’s inappropriate comment.  Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him.

My mother let out a small squeal and started to snap pictures.  She loved to see a hot shot like Tyler
ogling over her daughter.  For the first time, I didn’t care, because I loved that he was doing it too.

Heather waddled over to us as my mother snapped pictures, holding something in her hand. 

“Alright, it’s time for mistletoe shots!” she laughed mischievously, holding her hand with the mistletoe over our heads.  Tyler laughed along with the rest of my family while I stared down at my feet.

I could feel his grin as he looked down at me, his hands gripping around my waist tighter, trying to get me to look up at him.

“Come on, Becca, give him a kiss,” Ray teased.  Heather started making kissing noises.  I rolled my eyes and turned my head to her, giving her an, ‘are you kidding me?’ look.  When I turned my head back I found Tyler, his eyes soft and coaxing, trapping my gaze.  His Conklin grin was spread across his face.  He leaned down farther to kiss me, but I turned my head, blushing.  He caught my cheek, and I could feel his smirk along with his kiss.

“
Oh Becca, kiss him!  You two have to kiss with mistletoe hanging over your heads! It’s bad luck if you don’t,” my mother chided, holding the camera with one hand and her other hand on her hip.  My father was sitting down shaking his head at everyone trying to get us to kiss but was clearly amused.

I turned my blushing face to
Tyler, knowing they wouldn’t drop it until I gave in and kissed him.

He leaned down, grinning from ear to ear, giving me the sweetest kiss, holding his lips to mine.  My mother rapidly snapped pictures.

“Where’s the tongue?” Michael whistled.  I started to laugh into Tyler’s lips when I heard Michael hoot and holler. 

“I think that’s enough mistletoe for now,” my father coughed, reaching for my mother’s camera.  My mom pouted at him, causing my father to soften and snake his arm around her waist.  I squeezed Tyler tighter, resting my head on his chest when I sa
w them.  I wanted what they had so badly.  I wanted it with Tyler more than anything.

Heather ran over to my parents with the mistletoe, waving it over their heads while Michael took the camera from my mom. 
I sighed.  The attention was no longer on Tyler and me, making cuddling him more comfortable.

“What about me?”  Josie whined, tugging on
Ray's pant leg.  He scooped her up and the attention was shifted to Josie. Heather waddled over to Josie and Ray with the mistletoe.  Now my mother was capturing all kinds of mistletoe pictures.  What could I say, my family was odd.

~

“Congratulations, you have survived your f
irst Stine family holiday event” I exhaled, patting Tyler’s knee on the way home from my parent’s house.

“I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  Thank you for inviting me.”  He rested his hand on top of mine.  I smiled down at the sight then looked out the window.  The snow was falling down, pretty and
elegant.  It would be a beautiful Christmas with the trees covered in a thick dusting of powdery snow.  “I must warn you, tomorrow… with my family…” He began to speak, but didn’t finish his sentence.  I furrowed my brows at him.

“What?”

He let out a loud sigh.  “It won’t be the same as your family.  We don’t all hang out in one room. Dinner conversation is light and sometimes crude.  I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

I gripped his hand and gave him a soft smile.  “I have met most of your family.  I know how they operate, Tyler.”

Tyler looked nervously out the window, taking his hand from mine and gripping the steering wheel.  “I just want our first Christmas to be perfect, and I’m worried my family will spoil your mood.”

“Even if they do, I’m sure you will make it up to me afterwards at your condo in Chicago,” I murmured, feeling my cheeks heat. 

He glanced over at me, the side of his mouth lifting.  “I promise to make this Christmas one to remember.”

I bit down on my lip, trying to contain my smile.  Tyler’s face turned serious again.  “But seriously, Becca.  My family isn’t like yours.  I can assure you they didn’t attend a church service tonight, and the food will be catered and the help won’t sit down and eat with us.”

I shrugged my shoulders, remembering something that had happened at church.

“Not t
o change the subject, but does Detective Anderson come around the Conklin building a lot?”  I asked.

Tyler looked confused for a moment.  “I’m not sure, why?”

I twiddled my thumbs.  “He was weird when I ran into him in the elevator.  I don’t know, maybe it was just me.”

Tyler was pulling off the highway, waiting at the light.  He turned his body so he was looking at me.  “What did he say?”

“He asked me if I knew you, the Conklins, well.  He asked if I thought you were ethical like my father.  I said I hoped so, but that I didn’t work directly with any of the Conklins.”

Tyler studied me then turned back to the light noticing it was green and continued driving.

“I told him I didn’t know you well, because I honestly didn’t know how you would react.”

“Bec
ca, you’re not a secret anymore. I want the world to know we are together.  You don’t have to be nervous about telling people about us.”  He sounded annoyed, almost angry.

“I’m sorry, t
he question just threw me off,” I whispered.

Tyler reached for
my hand, pulling it to his lips. “I know, and that’s my fault.  No more secrets, okay?”

I gave him a half smile, feeling goose
bumps travel down my arm.  I was wearing a wool pea coat and a sweater dress with the heat in the Lexus blowing, but the shivers he gave me with just one kiss on my hand was unreal.

“The weird part was, when I
told him I didn’t know you very well, he asked why I was driving your car.”

Tyler’s lips stilled on my hand, his scowl becoming announced on his face as though he
was in deep thought.  “That is weird.”

We pulled into Union Square, walking to the elevator in silence.

Once the elevator doors closed, I broke our silence.

“Would RJ get the company involved in something that the police would worr
y about?”  I asked, fidgeting next to him.

Tyler’s face smoothed, a smile spread
ing across his mouth.  “Of course not.  Don’t worry about it.  We are still fairly new as a business in Grand Rapids, and we are financially successful.  I’m sure it raises red flags.  The detective is just watching us.  It’s nothing unusual.”

Tyler pulled me in his arms, kissing away the
worry wrinkle in between my eyebrows.  My nerves calmed to his touch as the elevator door dinged. 

Just as Tyler was about to open his
condo door, I stopped him.

“Wait!  I have a surprise for you!”  I exclaimed.

Tyler dropped his hand and gave me a lopsided smirk.  “Is it the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room?  Because it was kind of hard to miss yesterday.  I know we stayed in bed all of today, but I noticed as we were running out the door, too.”

My smile faded.  “Still close your eyes, I want you to see it all lit up.”

Tyler chuckled and obeyed.  My smile returned as I pulled him into the condo, stopping him at the door to unbutton his jacket. His grin grew bigger. His eyes were still closed as I helped him pull off his jacket and hung it along with mine on the coat hanger.  I guided him past the kitchen and down the few stairs that led to the living room.  Stopping him in front of the tree, I quickly turned the fireplace on and plugged in the lights.  The tree looked beautiful, reflecting off the glass windows and the glow from the lights filling the room.  I walked over to Tyler, taking both of his hands.

“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” I
beamed, barely able to hold in my excitement.

He slowly peeked passed me, his eyes lighting up like a little boy.  “This is great, baby.  I have n
ever had a Christmas tree here.”

“It is missing one thing though.” I said, going behind
the tree to grab the final decoration.  “I wanted you to be the one to put the star on top.”

Tyler’s eyes sparkled as he took the star from my hands and proceeded to reach up and place it on top of the tree.  “I don’t think you would have been able to reach anyway,” he teased.

I nudged him in the side acting wounded by his comment of my shortness.  Tyler laughed.  So what if I was only 5’ 2”.

“
You wrapped all of the presents too?” he asked still laughing while rubbing his side.

The small tree had an
overabundance of gifts piled all around it.  “Yeah, I hope you don’t mind.  Do you really like it?”

He wrapped his arms around me, giving me the biggest boyish grin.  “I love it.
I really like the Michigan M’s too.  I assume there aren’t any Cubs emblems?”

I put my head on his chest, smiling
and shaking my head.  He knew I wouldn’t buy that crap, even if it weren’t in my own living room.  I did buy him something Cubs related for Christmas, but he would have to wait for that until tomorrow night, if I got up the nerve to give it to him.

“Next year we can put it up together,” I whispered. 

The second the words came out, I regretted saying them.  I stiffened in his arms, worried about what he would say.  Who was to say he was thinking long term like I was?

His grip around me tightened as he nuzzled my ear.  “Definitely.”

I relaxed into his arms again then decided it was time to bring up what I had been putting off.  But before I could start, he let go of me, wandering over to his stereo, plugging in his phone.

“We are missing one thing
.” Tyler went to fuss with the screen.  Once he was satisfied he walked back to me, biting his lip.  Warm Christmas music started to fill the air and a deep voice intertwined lyrics with the music.

“Michael Buble’?”  I
asked, feeling a little surprised he would have Michael Buble’ on his playlist.

“Yes,” he
scowled.  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

I shrugged my shoulders trying not to laugh.

He tried to look annoyed, but I could tell he was amused.  “One of his songs reminds me of you,” he murmured, snaking one arm around my waist, pulling me so our bodies were touching.  He took my hand and held it, beginning to rock side to side.

“Which song?  And I thought you didn’t dance?”

His grin was mischievous, “I’m not going to tell you yet.  Slow dancing is easy. It’s that club music beat that throws me off.”

I pouted my lips, hoping he would give in and tell me
which song he was talking about.

“M
aybe I will make you a playlist,” he laughed. 

I smiled up at him.
“I would like that.”

We danced quietly for a song.  I rested my head on his chest, feeling content and at ease in his arms.  For a
while it felt like we were barely moving, but simply standing in front of the Christmas tree.

“You know…
you never did tell me what you and Gage talked about,” he murmured, leaning back and raising a brow.