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

I figured that’s what I looked like when I was with him. A fool. A fool who knew his game but decided to play anyway. Leslie was right. He never changed. He never would.

  My mind flashed to how I dismissed the other guys to be with him. I looked forward to hearing his voice, hanging with him, basking in his smile, being played. He didn’t wait too long. Or was she his girlfriend, and I was on the side?

  I made my way back to his apartment to get my car and go home.

  ---

  Ren

  I had no idea what to call the feelings Shauna gave me. Maybe it was love. But it was too early for that. I wanted her. I needed her. I had to protect her. Make sure she was okay. She was so beautiful sleeping that I didn’t bother to wake her up. I planned to get us some breakfast and be back in a little while. But Brenda showed up.

  I did my best to shoo her away, but she didn’t budge. I knew she’d follow me back home and that’s why I agreed to sit down with her for a few minutes.

  “It’s over, Brenda,” I said.

  She didn’t say anything only smiled.

  “Brenda. Don’t do this again. You need to move on. Go see a psychiatrist.”

  She remained smiling and took a few bites of her sandwich.

  I sat silent for a few minutes. “I don’t have time for this. Don’t follow me. Go home.”

  Brenda reached out to grab my arm as I slid over to get up.

  “I told you—” I said.

  “Sit down, Ren. I have something to say.”

  “Listening.”

  “Ren,” she said. “Ren I love you.”

  “Don’t do this to yourself.”

  “I’m not finished. I love you. But you never loved me. Never did. Why do I love such a horrible person? Why did it take me so long to let you go?”

  “You let me go?” I said.

  “Shhh,” she said. “Yeah, I finally did when you left. And I found a great guy. We’re getting married.”

  “That’s great.”

  “It is great. This could have been us you know.”

  “It couldn’t,” I said, realizing I should be quiet.

  “It would have. But you lost. You’re nothing. This is the last time you’ll ever see me again.”

  “I understand.”

  “Have a good life,” she said and walked off.

  I stayed seated until she was out of the door. Although the confrontation was strange—she tried to hug me like she did when we were together at the beginning—I was glad that it ended well for both of us. Brenda was one of the women I treated right. I ended the relationship when she became very possessive. Not having to worry about her meant I wouldn’t be putting Shauna in danger. Shauna. I hoped she wasn’t awake.

  “Hey,” Jackson said to me as I stood. I hadn’t realized that he was sitting behind me; I didn’t see him come in. Come to find out that Leslie had sent him to specifically pick up a cake she had made for Christmas. The bakery was putting the final touches on the icing. We chatted a little bit. I was hoping that he didn’t hear much, but he said, “ex-girl problems?”

  I nodded. “Hopefully not anymore.”

  “Shauna is a great woman.”

  “She is exceptional.”

  We chuckled and parted ways.

  Once outside the shop, I wanted to run but remembered I had a peppermint hot chocolate in my hand. I planned for her to see if that one was better than the one at the race.

  When I made it back to my apartment, the door was closed. Good. But inside, she was gone. I put the food down and ran to double check the lot for her car outside. An overwhelming feeling of worry took over and I hustled for my phone. Three calls, scattered randomly throughout the day, and she didn’t answer.

  I knew what she was thinking. I had gotten what I wanted. One night. Recalling my conversation with Allen I knew I couldn’t give up. Not on her. I had to make it right. And I would.

  ---

  Shauna

  The next 24 hours felt like two weeks. I saw Ren’s number. I was at home when he called. But I couldn’t talk to him. I wouldn’t. On Christmas Eve, I felt horrible and he was the reason for the feeling. I sniffled some more, picked up a cookie, and rewrapped my blanket around me.

  The doorbell rang. I wasn’t able to hide my sadness over the phone when I finally had answered it that day. Leslie said she was coming over along with support. I dragged myself to open the door and let Leslie, Londyn, and Casey in. They gave hugs and we took a seat on my couch.

  “How are you feeling?” Casey asked.

  “Horrible,” I said and grinned. “Y’all were right again. He hadn’t changed.”

  I expected Leslie to say something, but she was sitting there.

  “What?” I said. “What are you not telling me?”

  “You were right, actually,” Leslie said.

  “No,” I said. “I saw him with her. Through my own eyes. She was smiling. He wasn’t trying to get away. So what are you saying? That’s his sister? One he doesn’t have? Did he drag you into this too?”

  I sniffled.

  “Shauna,” Leslie said. “That was his ex. The one who stalked him for some time.”

  “It couldn’t be,” I said.

  “It was,” Leslie said.

  “You believed his lies?” I said.

  “Jackson happened to be in the shop that morning,” Leslie said. “He was picking up my cake and heard part of the conversation. She was saying goodbye to Ren. She was getting married and moving on from him.”

  “Why did she have her arms around him?” I said.

  “I don’t know,” Leslie said.

  “Probably to annoy him,” Casey said. “Did that to a guy once.”

  “This is true?” I said.

  “Yes,” Leslie said.

  “But I can’t,” I said.

  “You love him, Shauna,” Londyn said. “Talk about him all of the time. He did change. Give him a chance.”

  I shook my head.

  “You deserve to be happy,” Londyn said. “If I hadn’t given my relationship with Keene a second chance, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

  “Think about it okay,” Casey said and patted my leg. “Or do you want to speak to him?”

  “You didn’t,” I said. “This is a trap. He’s right outside my door isn’t he?”

  “No,” Casey said and tilted her head back and forth. “But, he’s downstairs.”

  “You guys!” I said.

  “The poor guy came pouring his heart out to us about how he shouldn’t have gone to get you breakfast,” Casey said. “That was his mistake, getting breakfast. And you don’t want us to help. This helps you too you know.”

  “I…” said and sighed. “Fine. He can come up here.”

  The girls smiled.

  “Great!” Leslie said and got on her phone, walkie-talkie style, to Jackson.

  “Y’all had a whole covert operation,” I said and cracked a smile.

  “Come on now,” Casey said. “You know you want to show that radiant smile because you found out he did nothing wrong.”

  “I’m still sad,” I said.

  “Maybe if we leave you two the room…” Casey said.

  “Casey,” Londyn said as Leslie opened the door.

  “Time to go,” Leslie said and herded the crew back out of my apartment.

  Ren shuffled in. A little bit of guilt gnawed at me. Ren seemed to have been in the same state I was. The shine was no longer in his eyes.

  “Can I sit down?” he asked.

  “Yeah,” I said.

  He took a breath then said, “I’m sorry about what happened.”

  “It’s not your fault,” I said.

  “But you were hurt. And I don’t want to be the cause of your pain. My job is to protect you. I should have told you about Brenda.”

  “You did.”

  “But I didn’t describe her so you’d be aware. I should have waited until you got up; you wouldn’t have felt as though I left you.”

  “It’s alrigh
t.”

  “It’s not,” he said. “You were crying. Upset. I might have lost you... I was crying.”

  I bit my lip to suppress a smile. “You weren’t.”

  “I was.” He smiled. “I feel horrible. I missed you. Can we continue past this?”

  I glanced at the floor then back to him. “On one condition.”

  “Which is…”

  “You’ll answer the phone tomorrow. You’ll be receiving a call from Aunt Geraldine.”

  “Answer the call? I was invited.”

  “She was just kidding.”

  “Personally,” he said as he stood to come cuddle me. “I was invited personally by her. I think she’d be disappointed if I didn’t show; she wouldn’t get to see all of this magnificance.”

  “Magnificance isn’t a word.”

  “Or get my present.”

  “You mean the roasted chitterlings?”

  “Broasted honey; broasted.”

  “They’re honey broasted now?”

  “Possibly.”

  “Which reminds me,” I said, tilting my head to the side to get a peek at him. “I have to get your present. You loved those gingerbread pancakes at Valerie’s.”

  “Don’t bother,” Ren said and squeezed me. “I got my present today already. And she’s all I wanted for Christmas.”

  “Yeah, I suppose you did. The blessing to sing about your roasted chitterlings.”

  “Broasted.”

  We laughed. I was in his arms. We were right where we needed to be.

  THE END

  We hope you liked Shauna and Ren’s story. Would you please consider leaving a review? They help a great deal! Thanks!

  For another story about their friends, Londyn and Keene, check out the first book in the series, Vegas Baby!

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  Laney loves to read, keep up with shows, and try to create/play music when she’s not writing. She lives deep in the heart of Texas, okay well, it’s not that deep, with her family.