Mistletoe Misses

Chapter 17

Maddox

T hankfully, with the pie baking contest coming up later this week, Nana already had plans for a practice round and sleepover with Sadie and the twins, giving Carmen free reign to experience the pub crawl. I’m picking her up, and we’re meeting my family, Jamie, Kaitlyn, and her date downtown. There’s no way we won’t make a scene at each place we bombard simply by the sheer number of us—not to mention the antics that will ensue given the attendees.

I can’t wait.

Cooper: Check in.

Aaron: 10-4

Cooper: Wrong answer.

Aaron: House.

Cooper: Where in the house? I don’t see you.

Aaron: Basement.

Me: Why are you in my room?

Aaron: You don’t want to know.

Kendall: Present.

Cooper: Wrong. How many times do we have to do this before you all just report correctly?

Aaron: Every time.

Me: At the store picking up Carmen.

Cooper: See. It’s not hard.

Aaron: That’s what she said.

Kendall: Not happily.

Me: How would you know?!

Kendall: [angel smiley face emoji]

Cooper: Hurry up. Dad’s getting impatient.

Kendall: When is he not?

Cooper: Don’t forget… Strong smells in confined spaces (like cars) make Izzie nauseous. Forgo cologne and perfume.

Kendall: I remembered.

Aaron: Gotta change.

Cooper: Unbelievable.

◆◆◆

Standing outside Carmen’s door in my red button-down shirt and jeans—the best I could do on such short notice—I’ve got the jittery nerves of a hormonal teenager. The image of her in a tight top, flowy skirt with faux fur trim, and shiny boots like in the window painting has disrupted my entire day. I made little progress on my task list, anticipating this very moment.

I raise a fist to knock at the same time the door swings open. Carmen, in the most perfect outfit for her delectable shape, leans on the doorframe and beckons me with her eyes. Her hair flows over the fur lining of the low dip of fabric across her breasts and up her shoulders. The fur on the skirt stops at mid-thigh above a teasing of fishnet hose and black high-heeled boots

“Damn.”

Young Carmen made me want to sing with her, curl up by a fire to read, and take long walks along the river. Finally being able to appreciate the woman she’s become brings a whole new list of activities to mind—most of which are unspeakable in this stage of our exploratory situationship.

“Does that mean you like what you see?” she asks, stealing the air from my lungs with a new sultry wisp in her tone.

“More than I can say.”

“You wouldn’t be breaking any rules if you did. We’re both adults.”

“Maybe later. Right now, all I want to do is kiss you.”

She smiles, knowing she has me right where she wants me. “What are you waiting for?”

Taking her face in my hands, I find her waiting lips and walk her backwards until she lies back on the couch to receive me. I catch myself before crushing her and use my position to sustain a slow, savoring pace.

“You’re so beautiful.” The words tumble out of my mouth without the eloquence she deserves. She’s always been the standard, and that will never change.

Her eyes glisten with either gratitude or sorrow, I can’t tell, and before I can study her further, she hides her face in the curve of my neck. “I could stay here in your arms all night.”

“But we have plans.”

“Exactly.”

I press my lips to her cheek then stand, lifting her off the couch. “Maybe we can come back here after we finish crawling.”

Her head tilts in amusement. “Is that a baby step or drunken date reference?”

“Doesn’t matter. Either way, I have a feeling I’ll be on my knees for you tonight.”

◆◆◆

Carmen

How am I supposed to respond to that? I’m silently begging my body to move. To drag him by the collar to my bedroom to see if he’ll follow through on that prediction stone-cold sober.

Sadly, my rational side takes charge and makes me say, “Let’s go enjoy ourselves and see where we land.”

He helps me into my long coat, and we find the others waiting for us outside the store.

“’Bout time,” Aaron fusses, adjusting the oversized belly under his traditional Santa costume. He holds up the event flier—our signal to follow him—and leads the way toward the first bar.

At the back of the group, Maddox threads his fingers with mine, and I lean into him to whisper, “I was too busy seducing you to tell you how gorgeous you look in all your sexy Santa-ness.”

He grins, and I swear my toes tingle from that one small tip of his lips. “That’s okay. I’d much prefer a seduction over a compliment any day.”

With a quick kiss on my forehead, he holds the door open for me to enter after the others.

It takes only a few minutes to secure a table to seat the group, and we order dinner and drinks. Some of us even sign up for karaoke, while others claim they’d never touch a microphone.

We learn that Aaron is one of the former since he’s the first in our group to be called to the stage. Instead of a Christmas song like everyone before him had chosen, the music to “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake starts, and the full restaurant erupts. With each added dance move and butchered lyric, energy rumbles through the room again. Most everyone here knows to expect this from him, but he has a handful of tourists on their feet, cheering for more. It’s impossible not to cringe at the scene he’s making but also appreciate the free-spirited way he puts himself out there. He’s Maddox’s opposite in every way.

“Are you sure you two are related?” I ask him, earning a chuckle.

“He’s an anomaly, for sure.”

I smile at a long-time waitress here as she walks by our table, and she bends down to talk to us over the noise. “I’m rooting for you two.”

My eyes dart to a dumbfounded Maddox. He watches her scurry off but says nothing. Several minutes later, I’m given the you’re up next signal from the DJ right before one of our high school classmates tiptoes to the table.

“I knew this day would come. I’m so happy for you,” she says.

Although Maddox sits next to me, he’s kept me at a distance physically—his attempt to subdue the rumor mill in a public setting. But he doesn’t realize he lost control the second we stepped inside together.

As he spins in his seat to face me, giving his back to the others, I survey the surrounding tables. Too many eyes are watching us for his comfort, and it shows in the new lines bracketing his eyes.

“What’s happening right now?”

“Everyone knows our secret.”

“How?”

“Oh, honey.” I don’t dare touch him in case he’s thinking about retreating. “If the window painting wasn’t blaring enough, the kiss you planted on me in front of it certainly said it all.”

“That was yesterday.”

“You’re not in Boston anymore. News travels faster here.” Surveying his thoughtful expression, I ask, “What do you want to do?”

He’s silent for a beat, then the best words I’ve heard in a long while flow from his lips with resolve. “Sing our song to me.”

“Maddox … I … Are you sure?”

“Ready for your special treat?” The crowd’s deafening applause in response to the DJ prevents Maddox from answering. I watch for any hesitation or concern from him as the DJ continues. “Put your hands together for Ember Falls’ country music sweetheart, Carmen Delilah.” The use of my stage name instead of the one I wrote on the form causes a flash of pain to darken Maddox’s eyes, but he quickly recovers.

“Go.”

I only half believe that he understands what he’s asking for, but at this point, I have no choice but to accept every inch he offers and trust him. He’s in for a little surprise, though. He doesn’t know I rewrote some of the lyrics.

The night he waltzed back into my life and flipped it upside down, I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was the one thing that used to bring me the most peace. I wrote a song. The drive to write left me when I escaped Ember Falls, but that night, nearly ten years later, the words flowed again—all because my muse was back.

The audience quiets as I speak with the DJ to change my song and step to mic stand. With a microphone in hand, I’m rarely nervous, especially with Maddox watching, but the spotlight is shining on more than just me this time. It’s on us.

Supercharged butterflies take off in my belly as the guitar strums the first notes, sending the first time I ever played that chord flowing through my mind. I had been sitting on the floor of my childhood bedroom for hours, seeking the right combination of notes and words to tell the boy I loved how much he meant to me.

And here I am again, singing my heart to the man I love.

“This one’s for you, babe.”

The audience’s collective gaze follows mine to Maddox. Despite everyone witnessing our heated exchange, his eyes never leave my face. There’s no mistaking how he feels about what’s happening between us. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for since we talked on the street curb that first Sunday. Now that it’s finally happening, those electric flutters surge again, and I doubt they’ll ever stop.

He’s ready for me.

◆◆◆

Maddox

My brain struggles to comprehend what my ears are hearing. For one, I can’t get past how stunning she looks with the lights on her. Everything about her—her ocean-blue eyes, angelic voice, unwavering conviction—as she pours her love into the lyrics takes my breath away.

Now for a thousand miles

And for all of our years

We’ll never have to question

We have all we need here

I hear Mom gasp behind me and feel Kendall’s hand on my arm, but I can’t look away from my world singing to me like she used to. Except this time, it hits me harder and square in the chest. We may have drifted apart over the years, but true love never diminishes. In our case, the time apart seems to have made it indestructible.

I wish I had seen it sooner

But glad I see it now

From this day ’til forever

We’ll make every second count

Every word fills me with a shot of liquid courage, and as she belts out the final note, I rocket to my feet and make my way to the front of the stage. She opens her eyes and finds me standing there, accepting the love she poured into the song, and jumps into my arms.

The applause is louder this time, cheering on an ideal more than us—the romantic belief that love can survive through adversity and destructive life choices. Love is the foundation of hope. Without it, all is lost. If I’ve learned anything since returning to Ember Falls, it’s that I’m misplaced without love in my life. The love and support of my family, the people who give me a place to call home, and the woman who makes me whole.

With Carmen using her entire body to hold me, I can see that now. I’d been wasting away, a wandering, and numb fraction of the man I want to be, for far too long. It feels incredible to be me again.

“I guess it’s official,” she says as she unravels her legs and finds the floor again. “I’m your girlfriend in public and private.”

“And I’m your boyfriend.”

“Want to seal that with a kiss?”

To answer, I dip her back as I did outside the window painting and kick it up a level, more than lust fueling the gesture this time. I know we have an audience and that they’re hanging onto every movement we make, but if they’re going to butt into our moment, we might as well give them a show.

◆◆◆

“That was quite the scene you made in there,” Cooper says on the way to our next destination. Carmen had been intercepted by Kaitlyn as soon as we exited the bar, who is surely phishing for the same information Cooper will be in this conversation.

I size him up, not surprised that he didn’t wear a stitch of Christmas-themed clothing. At least I made an effort.

“Gotta give her credit, though,” he adds before I can respond. “I thought it would take longer.”

For what he’s implying, all he’ll get from me is a scowl.

He ignores me and shrugs. “Maybe you’ve embellished your feelings on the matter over the years.”

“I don’t embellish.”

“No. You’ve always been a straight shooter unless it involves her. Then, you tuck tail and run.”

“Not anymore.”

“Thank goodness. Now Mom can stop praying for your dumb ass to come out of hiding.”

An audible exhale forces its way out of my body. It would be nice if people would stop bringing up my poor choices. I was a dejected recluse. I get it. Can we move on now? “I wasn’t hiding.”

“The hell you weren’t. Welcome back to the real world, dumbass.” He slaps my back and jogs forward to catch up with Izzie.

“Hell yeah,” Aaron yells, and I stretch to my toes to see what he’s so excited about.

The sign outside our pub crawl destination number two advertises their featured activity: beer pong.

“Ever played?” Kendall asks after the hostess guides us to an open table and sets down a stack of red and white-striped plastic cups.

“More times than I can count. I’m scared to ask you.”

“I’m not a child anymore, Maddox.”

“No, but still underage.”

“College parties don’t care about your age.”

“I don’t need to hear that but hope you’re talking about drinking.”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal. It’s a mountain of a deal when it comes to her. “That and other things. I’m not a virgin, you know.”

“Holy shit, Kendall.” I chug the cup of spiced beer that appeared in my hand during this groundbreaking conversation, hoping to rinse that knowledge from my brain. “Does Mom know?”

“Drove me to my birth control appointment with the gynecologist herself.”

“When?”

“Senior year. Right before Jamie popped my cherry.”

Beer spews out of my mouth and floats to the floor like a rain shower. “Jamie?”

“Shhh. Mom doesn’t know it was him, and he’s right there.” Her eyes widen with a tilt of her head in his direction a few feet away. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. He didn’t seduce me or anything, and I was eighteen.”

“Not helping.”

“I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, and I figured he knew what he was doing.”

“Kendall!”

“He didn’t want to do it if that makes you feel better. But he’d rather it be him than some irresponsible boy at school who couldn’t find his way around a girl’s—”

“Stop. For the love of God, please stop.” My head is pounding from resisting the urge to kill Jamie and fighting back unwanted mental images of him with my little sister. I’m also reviewing our previous conversations to determine if he lied to me.

“I’ll withhold further details if you promise not to go all protective big brother on him. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“If you didn’t want me to do anything with this information, why say it?” This conversation rivals the confusion and irritation I felt talking to Sadie my first day back, only quadrupled.

“I don’t know. I guess I wanted you to see me as a woman, not the little girl I was when you left.”

“I see you. Proof isn’t necessary.”

“Isn’t it, though? You freak out over everything that doesn’t paint me as an innocent child.”

I empty my beer and reach for one of the beer pong game’s full cups to Aaron’s exaggerated complaining. Ignoring him, I drain half of that cup, too, hoping it will help me get through the conversation that just won’t end, no matter how much I beg it to.

“Why did you have to pick my best friend?” I finally ask. As much as I don’t want to talk about them together, I have to know.

“I trust him.”

“So did I.”

“Do. He’s done nothing to discredit himself.”

“You sound like his defense lawyer.”

She smirks. “You’ve already tried and convicted him in your mind. Apparently, he needs one.”

“What about all the arguing? I thought you hated each other.”

“Hate is a strong word, Maddox. We butt heads a lot and challenge each other, but I don’t hate him. He’s a good man and a standard my potential dates must live up to, or I don’t waste my time.” Her hand raises to the arm crossed over my roiling stomach. This conversation is brutal. “You and Dad are top of that list, too. If my man doesn’t love me as hard as you loved Carmen and Dad loves Mom, I don’t want it.”

“I don’t know what to say, Ken.” My arm moves to her shoulders, and hers lock around my middle.

“I do. Thank you for showing me how a real man treats a woman.” Her eyes twinkle in a playful warning signal. “Just so you can stop planning his funeral, Jamie is as real as they come, too.”

“I know, and I’m glad you understand what you deserve.” I kiss the top of her head. “And you deserve the world, Ken. Don’t ever settle for anything less.”

◆◆◆

“That was intense,” Carmen says after I shut down Aaron’s boasting in a one-sided beer pong match.

“For him, maybe. He’s a six-pack in, and we just started.”

She laughs. “I was talking about you and Kendall. For a while there, you looked like you were about to claw through a wall.”

“Very observant.”

“Not really. You’ve usually been easy to read.”

“Another one of my curses.”

Stepping in front of me, she tucks her hands into the back pockets of my jeans. Delight bubbles in all the right places inside me at the sudden turn of events. “I think it’s sexy.”

“Guess it’s a good thing since I can’t stop it.” Holding her against me, I bend to plant a quick kiss on her lips.

“Anything to worry about with Kendall?”

“No. I think she was trying to tell me she admires me. She just took a long and excruciating route to get there.”

“Oh really? What did she—”

Excitement at the table erupts, and we shift in time to see Mom and Dad position themselves to face off.

Turns out, Mom’s terrible at aiming a ping pong ball but has an unnatural beer guzzling talent. When did my perfect mother learn to down room-temperature beer like a frat boy?

“I taught her that,” Aaron brags to the stranger-to-me beside him, squashing my curiosity.

“Should have known.”

I snuggle up to Carmen and enjoy the crazy that is my family until it’s time for our next destination. Aaron’s keeping us on a tight schedule. He doesn’t want to miss any of the pub activities tonight. Although, I wonder how much longer he’ll be in charge. Things are bound to go askew whenever the text on the brochure starts to blur through his drunken eyes.