Christmas Love Connection (Luck in Love Book 2) Read online

  “Woah, girl,” he said. “This is heavy. No wonder you quit going to our gym.” He placed the box on the table as if it were the weight of a sheet of paper.

  “I told my friend to get that gym membership,” Trisha muttered to Allison.

  “Shauna,” Ren said, noticing that my attention wasn’t one hundred percent on him. He liked to consume all of my attention.

  “Yeah,” I said, shifting my eyes back to him. His were on mine. I placed a hand on my hip. Maybe that would break his focus.

  “Tell me what you want me to do,” he said. The refrain from Tevin Campbell’s song began playing in my head.

  I had to break my mind from past memories. Those words were too similar to when he held me in his arms. And he whispered, “tell me” in my ear. It wasn’t like we were together; I was sad at those times. But his presence broke me away from my feelings because he was really nice and smelled good and felt good. Those kisses on the forehead made everything OK.

  “Um,” I said and explained the boxes. He began to help me set up my area. I kept a perimeter around me—a good space of distance in between us. No need to accidently touch him. Remember how he touched me.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Ren said in a low, quiet voice as I folded up a shirt. He had invaded my space. I stepped to the side and he replaced the distance with his body.

  “I didn’t think I’d ever see you here,” I said, gaining confidence to look directly at him.

  “I wouldn’t bet on me being here either,” Ren said. “At least not the old me.”

  “You’ve turned over a new leaf?”

  “Yeah.”

  I nodded and smiled. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “You’ve always been very caring. Thank you.” Ren went back to unpacking the last of the boxes.

  “Ten minutes,” a man said a few minutes later, notifying us that people participating in the race would begin to stop by.

  “I was going to try and run this race,” Ren said as we folded some of the last few shirts.

  “Really?” I said. “You were going to do the kiddy run? The four hundred meter race.”

  “Funny,” he said. “Actually, I was training for the 12k. Decided to run the three mile instead.”

  “I don’t even know who this Ren is,” I said.

  “Well, I wanted to do something different.”

  “Ah,” I said. “Spoke too soon. That does fit your personality. Always trying something different. Wanting a change.”

  “True. But I’ve learned over the years that some things shouldn’t change. It’s just not right. It didn’t make me feel right. And it’s funny that this realization morphed my needs and wants in life.”

  “Which is why you’re here.”

  “I was selfish. Very. Volunteering is one step, I feel, in the right direction. Let me use my abilities to put someone else first. Someone I don’t know. Someone I won’t get a benefit from.”

  “But you do get benefits,” I said. “Maybe not monetary, but it does make you feel good. Like you did something helpful for a few hours.”

  ”Right again,” Ren said and took a good look at me before returning to his folding. The look that almost melted me to the floor. Those golden brown eyes happened to catch the light and twinkle a little bit.

  My mouth involuntarily opened before I shut it and returned to a box to grab another t-shirt.

  “I wonder if we get one of these,” Ren said.

  “I doubt it,” I said. “We’re not the ones racing.”

  “But we’re part of the event. The oil that keeps the machine running.”

  “We didn’t pay anything to be here.”

  “How much do you want to bet?” Ren said.

  “I don’t bet.”

  “Come on. A friendly game. The winner gets spoiled.” He paused. I peeked over to see what he was doing. His eyes were fixed on one of the garage’s pillars. He caught me off guard when his attention flicked to me. I drew a sharp, deep breath. “Sorry Shauna. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  I shook my head as if I could shake the embarrassment off. “You didn’t.”

  “Alright. So I was saying the winner gets spoiled, or does spoiling. That could be just as fun.” He licked his lips and smiled. “You up to the challenge?”

  “No,” I said. Falling for him was a mistake I made and wanted to keep in the past. If I had listened to my brain at the time, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt. I had all of those smarts—straight A’s most of the time. Didn’t fall farther than a B, but he still wooed me and used me. Well, I did get some benefit so he didn’t completely use me.

  “Shauna,” he said and put a hand on my shoulder.

  “Huh?” I said and jumped back. I hadn’t realized I gazed off into the distance.

  He chuckled. “You haven’t changed much.”

  I put a hand on my hip. “I have.”

  He shook his head. “You were shy and nervous then. You practically jumped every time you saw me in the halls—in high school and in college.”

  “You were always scaring me,” I said. “Popping out from around corners. Catching me off guard. That’s why I jumped.”

  “Right,” he said. “For what it’s worth, I thought it was cute.”

  “No, you were using it to stroke your enormous ego.”

  “True,” he said. “Still strokes it now.”

  “Oh my gosh,” I said and picked up another shirt.

  He laughed. “Back to our friendly competition. What would you do if you won?”

  “I’m not playing.”

  “You mean you don’t want at least a free meal, at your favorite restaurant, Southern Kitchen?”

  “I can go there myself.”

  “Or a night in a luxury suite at the Magnificent Hotel?”

  I huffed. “Do you have to talk about this here?” I said in a hushed voice.

  “I didn’t say that I’d be with you.” He raised his eyebrows. “Unless you want me to be.”

  “That’s enough Ren.”

  He laughed. “I was joking. Just wanted to brighten your day. After all, I do appreciate our volunteers.”

  “Our?” I said.

  He smiled and opened our last box of shirts.

  “What do you mean by that?” I said.

  He didn’t answer.

  “Ren,” I said.

  “You can find out, if you play. You win, I’ll tell you.”

  “Fine,” I said. “We won’t get the shirts. You’ll be telling me in a few minutes, I hope.”

  “Good.”

  A little while later, we finished decorating the tables with shirts and were talking generally about Thanksgiving and Christmas with Allison and Trisha.

  “You have any plans for Christmas?” Trisha asked Ren then glanced over to me.

  “Not yet,” he said. “It’s one of my favorite holidays, Christmas. I visit my family, which is loads of fun, but I always have the wrong woman on my arm during the rest of the holiday. This year I was hoping to change that. So, as of now besides family, I’ll be alone.”

  “You can’t do that to yourself,” Allison said.

  “I will until I find a love.”

  “Aww,” the women said. Not me. I knew his lines were a bunch of B.S.

  “Oh, almost forgot,” Allison said. “Can one of you take a picture of us next to the booth? We like to have at least one, for the memory book.”

  “Sure,” I said and Allison handed me her phone. I took one then one on Trisha’s phone.

  “You want one too?” Allison asked. “I’ll take it.”

  “Um,” I said.

  “Of course!” Ren said and slid his phone to Allison. “I’ll text you the pic,” he said to me.

  He might have been slick, but I was slicker. My number wasn’t going to him that easy.

  “Well, if you can take one on mine too,” I said and gave Trisha my phone.

  Ren hooked me in one arm, making my arm that was blocking awkward.

  It would on
ly be a few seconds with my arm around him. I’d let go after. Right? To test my theory, I loosely slid my arm around his back and barely touched his waist on the other side. He squeezed me in tighter. My heart pounded a marching beat into my ear. Or was that his heart? My head was practically right next to it.

  “Smile,” Trisha said.

  When the snaps were over, I slid out of his grip and to my phone.

  “I’d take advantage if you haven’t already,” Trisha muttered. “He’s really into you.”

  ---

  The rest of the morning went by faster as attendees flowed into the garage, visiting our tables to grab their shirts. Occasionally, Ren’s eyes made me fluster over words as they settled on me. “Early morning?” people would ask when I froze. I agreed.

  Less than an hour later, our part was over, the race began, and I was relieved. The situation with Ren was too much. I decided to just go home. Originally, when my friends had agreed to come, part of the plan was to stay through the race and for the little party after.

  “What?” Ren said. “That doesn’t sound like you. Come on. We’ll hang out. Cheer on the runners. Visit the sponsoring tents and get those free samples or little treats.”

  A yawn pushed my prepared answer aside.

  “You’re not the type to let a little lack of sleep get in your way,” Ren said. “Especially when you are doing a good deed. Let’s go celebrate.”

  “Good morning!” a super excited man’s voice sang. I turned to see one of the volunteer coordinators who definitely had his coffee and sugar fix that day. He was on another level, complete with hand gestures. “Thank you all so much for getting up so early and coming out! This morning was a success! I invite you to come on out of this garage and over to the race or up to the after party area. Get some drinks! Get some food! This year is different. Although the food is snack sized. We had an outpouring of restaurants, happy to come. So there’s breakfast slash brunch and wait for it. A DJ! I don’t want you all to miss it.”

  “Thank you,” we all replied.

  “No problem!” the man sang. “Oh, almost forgot,” the man said before he skated away. “I need you all to do one more thing. Go through the rest of the shirts and check for your size. Then take that shirt home with you. Don’t worry about cleaning the rest of the shirts.” Another volunteer coordinator showed up by his side in a golf cart. “Stacy here will get the few shirts we have left.”

  We thanked them again and shuffled through the scattered shirts on the table.

  “Seems to me that I won,” Ren said in a low voice, next to my ear. “We got a souvenir.”

  “I recall not completely agreeing to the bet.” I glanced over to see the joy in his eyes.

  “I’ll let you off the hook, and I’ll treat you.”

  “No.”

  “One dinner.”

  “No.”

  “One movie.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll go shopping with you when your friends won’t go.”

  He’s funny. I bit down on my lip and crossed my arms. “No.”

  “Accompany you to an exciting time trying samples on the street out there.”

  I did want to see what they had to offer after the coordinator made a big deal and all. But I’d stay for ten minutes and ten minutes only.

  “It’ll save you time from your aunt, Geraldine, asking why you haven’t given me your number yet.”

  I sighed and chuckled. “You remembered.”

  “Like it was yesterday. I still have good teeth. I’d be willing to give you a call during Thanksgiving dinner for you to dodge that bullet again. You know it’s coming.”

  “It’s what I dread,” I said. “One simple answer doesn’t get rid of her. She keeps plowing and plowing. Then my mother and their sisters join in. By the end of the dinner everyone has a date set up for me. Did you know one Aunt Geraldine had in mind for me was married?”

  Ren laughed. Note to self. Don’t make him laugh again. He’d pull me in so fast and I wouldn’t be able to get back out. I’d be lost in his charms forever.

  “How did you know?” Ren said.

  “She pulled him aside, literally, and introduced me to him. Turns out he was my cousin’s husband. Had four kids and everything.”

  “That’s too funny.”

  “And it’s bound to happen again.”

  “So accept my offer.” Ren pulled out his phone again—one of the newest, nicest, fresh into the market phones. My eyes glowed. I loved technology. “Nice huh? I’m a little surprised you don’t have one already.” He dangled it in his hand. “Want one?”

  “No,” I said. “I’m not into spending that much on a phone.”

  “It’s not a phone but a mini computer. Really nice.”

  “I’ll pass.”

  “That’s fine, but I’ll let you type in your number. You’ll change your mind.” He handed the phone to me and immediately, I returned it. There was no way I’d add myself to his list of women to conquer. I had grown up since high school. No longer desiring for that to happen. I think.

  “I’m not giving you my number, Ren,” I said.

  He nodded. “I’ll work for it. Prove my worth.”

  I didn’t say much more but retrieved my shirt from the pile. As he searched for his size, Trisha and Allison pulled me over.

  “Sorry for listening in,” Trisha said.

  “She’s not sorry,” Allison said.

  “But he’s one catch I don’t think you’d want to miss,” Trisha said.

  “Believe me,” I said. “I know him. He runs through women.”

  “People change,” Trisha said. “And if not… You’re a strong woman. Personally, I would keep him in mind. For rainy days.”

  My mouth dropped open. Then I laughed with the girls.

  “This is why I don’t take her anywhere,” Allison said. “It was nice to meet you Shauna.”

  The girls said their goodbyes to Ren as well.

  “What was all of that about?” Ren asked as we walked over to the party section.

  “You didn’t hear?” I asked.

  “No. Just saw y’all laughing hysterically.”

  “She still likes you.”

  “She has great taste in men.”

  Ren and I made it out of the garage to see that daylight had come. The sun was warming up the chilly weather a few degrees. We also saw that the celebration was big. Several vendors lined the streets. The smell of breakfast and turkey filled the air.

  “They have turkey?” I asked.

  “Seems so,” Ren said, spinning around, searching for the tent, I figured. “There!” he said and put a hand on my back.

  I didn’t think I could get any chiller. Tingles and warmth grew, flushing my skin. Was glad my face never turned red in those situations. All of a sudden I was unzipping my coat, inviting the cold to put my feelings back in check. A daydream flashed me a scene of someone unzipping pants. I gasped.

  Ren chuckled. “I did wonder what you were doing, opening up your jacket. This cold isn’t playing.” His fingers accidently brushed against mine. Electricity.

  “You know what?” I said. “I think I’m going to go.”

  “What?” Ren said. It was the first time I had seen a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “You can’t go now. Look at all of these treats we have to try.”

  “I’m starting to feel a little under the weather. And I don’t have my gloves. It’s much colder out here.”

  “Is there anything I can do? Fix you some chicken noodle soup? Buy your some gloves?”

  “No thanks. I think it’s just the cold air.”

  “Alright, but at least get some food to go. We didn’t have all of these people come for nothing.”

  “We?” I said and stopped walking. “That’s the second time you said this.”

  “I’m on part of the planning committee for this race,” Ren said.

  “You?” I said.

  “Yes, I admit that I do like contributing to these types of even
ts.”

  “Liar.”

  “No. I got into it. It’s all positive, for the good of the people. I get to use my marketing, negotiating, and planning skills as well.” He put his hands in his pockets. “Give back to the community.”

  I smiled. “You were the last person to give back in school.”

  “Correction,” he said. “I did give back. And forth. Sideways—”

  “Okay!” I held my hand up. “I’ve heard enough.”

  “That was positive too. Everyone was very satisfied.”

  “Alright. I’m sure they were.”

  “You know they were. You heard the stories.” He laughed.

  “If you say one more thing—”

  “Alas,” he said.

  “What? And wait a minute. You cheated. You knew we were getting shirts.”

  “Over there. They came.”

  To my right was a station passing out plates and foil paper. That was all they had. No food. No drinks. Just plates of two large shapes—circular and rectangle, foil paper, and a few utensils. The sign next to their tent advertised their products, speaking of how strong they were.

  “This is funny,” I said. “Take out at the race? Complete with foil paper? You approved this?”

  “We all did. Makes it easier to carry.”

  Ren and I headed to the tent and got our supplies for a take home plate. Then we went tent to tent, picking up our samples and cards from the vendors. I put my plate down at a table tall enough for standing, and pulled a packet of hand sanitizing wipes out of my pocket. I wanted to go home but couldn’t. The smell was to inviting not to try it. And I needed notes of which one was better. As far as the wipes, I wasn’t about to touch the food without cleansing my hands.

  Ren raised his eyebrows. “Looks like you’re prepared as always.”

  “You have to be. Want one?”

  “I’ll eat later.”

  “K.” I tasted a little bit of each sample and make notes on the back of the business cards we collected.

  “That’s the idea,” Ren said.

  “Making fun of me again?” I asked.

  “Observing.”

  When I was finished, Ren walked me to my car.

  “Thank you for walking me and it was nice to see you again,” I said then proceeded to get in as quickly as possible. Ren took my plate from me when I fumbled my keys. I reached back for my food, once I was inside and he bent over to say goodbye.