A Christmas Affair: A Seaside Cove Romance (Seaside Cove Romance Series Book 1) (9 page)

It was the first Saturday of December, and finally the official first day of Dickens Village. Molly's store was alive with the sounds of Nat King Cole's Christmas music and the scents of hot apple cider. She smiled peeking out the front window of her shop. The street was filled with period characters that the other Main Street owners and employees turned into this time of year. Happy families filled the sidewalks meeting Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, the three ghosts of Christmas, as well as the many other characters invented by Dickens.

It was time to get ready for Santa's workshop, and she had a nervous excitement filling her at the thought of seeing Jack. Molly had not seen him since she tried to kiss him the other night, and she did not know if she was avoiding him, or if he was avoiding her. But, she had fulfilled her promise to Jack, and she had broken up with Jeremy the next morning. Mostly broke up with him.

They met in a small coffee house in Jeremy's part of town after he refused to come to Main Street to talk with her. He seemed to know what she was going to say before she even said it.

"Come on Mols, it's Christmas," Jeremy said as they sat down in a quiet corner booth. "You can't break up with someone over Christmas."

"It's not Christmas, we've barely passed Thanksgiving." Molly poured a tiny creamer into her coffee and stirred the liquid around until it changed color. "And even if it was, you know we've been holding onto this too long. We've been done, haven't you felt it?"

"You're right, I’ve been done since I moved to the city," Jeremy said and though Molly had suspected it, it still hurt.

"Then why pretend? Why string me along?" She asked.

"For my mom." Jeremy leaned back in his chair and placed his hands on the back of his head looking into the ceiling light. "She's sick again. It's bad this time babe."

Molly put her hand on Jeremy's knee. His mother had fallen ill over a year ago, and had bounced back to health a few times. But everyone knew at some point, she would no longer bounce. "I'm so sorry Jer, she is a wonderful woman."

Jeremy sat up and put his hand on the back of Molly's, stroking her skin gently. "She loves you Mols, and I didn't want her to think I fucked up by letting you go. Just pretend with me, just until after the family Christmas dinner. Then we’ll break up."

Molly stared blankly at Jeremy. Jeremy was pulling on her heartstrings. She loved his mom as though she were her own mother, and did not want to cause her any unnecessary stress while she was sick. But when she looked at Jeremy, all she could see was the fear she had felt the other day when he attacked her in the shop. His big family Christmas dinner was just two weeks away, she could pretend for a few weeks, couldn't she? For Lucinda.

"Please, knowing we broke up would break her heart. Just pretend in public." Jeremy smiled his sad smile that created that dimple in his cheek. Oh lord, how she had loved that smile. That was one of the reasons she fell for him years ago. Luckily, his black eye and cut bottom lip detracted from that smile and reminded her of the stark reality.

"I don't know Jeremy; it seems so deceiving." Molly pushed back the tears. Jeremy's mom was a sweet woman, overworked, over stressed by her boys and all the trouble they constantly got into. "If there is anything else I can do for her?"

"You
could
not break up with her little boy," Jeremy said wrapping his fingers around her hand. Molly let him hold on, just for a moment. "Just till after the dinner. Then I go back to the city, and we never have to see each other again. She doesn't have much time left."

Molly looked out the window at the falling snow and pulled her thoughts together. "You were right the other day; I haven't made the effort either this year. I should have tried to come to the city to see you," Molly said feeling guilty about the realization. Part of the reason their relationship failed was her unwillingness to leave Seaside Cove.

"Very big of you to say that Mols." Jeremy took her hand to his mouth to kiss it and she pulled it back. Nothing like that could happen if they were just pretending. He shrugged his shoulders.

"But you still terrified me the other day Jer. I've never seen you like that," she said her voice cracking. He had shown a violence towards her she did not know he was capable of. "I can't be with someone who treats me like that. Even if we pretend just for your family, you can't touch me again. Not like that. I think you need to talk to someone."

"I know Mols, I'm so sorry. I've been so stressed at work. I was just so excited to see you, I could barely contain myself." He winked at her, but she stared at him. She did not buy it. "I'll let my parents know after the holidays, just pretend until after the Christmas dinner. For my mom."

"For your mom." Molly nodded.

Molly pulled herself back into the present. She knew Jack was probably waiting to hear from her about breaking up with Jeremy. Rumors spread so fast in this town, the fact that there was not one about her and Jeremy breaking up was probably why she had not heard from Jack. Her stomach was in knots hoping he would show up today at the Workshop.

"Rachel." Molly walked over to the front desk. "I'm going upstairs to change into the Mrs. Claus dress."

"Oh, did they dry clean it?" Rachel asked, eyebrows raised hopefully for her friend.

"Better, they bought me a new one," Molly said feeling relief at that small favor.

"Oh cool! Does it look like the old one?"

"Probably, Doug just dropped it off last night and I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. It can't be any worse though can it?" Molly laughed.

Once upstairs, Molly tossed the package on her bed, and quickly pulled off her sweater and jeans. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She poked out her little pooch that appeared during Christmas season, shortly after all the chocolates and candies started showing up from her crafters. At least it would be camouflaged in the big Mrs. Claus dress.

She lifted the lid off the costume's box, grateful that no smell came out like had with the last dress. She noticed a note laying on top of the dress.

Here's to new traditions, and the new Mr. And Mrs. Claus.

Love, Bridget

PS you'll do great.

Molly smiled as she placed the note to the side and lifted the tissue paper out of the box. Doug said Bridget picked it out, maybe it would be more fashionable than the last. Molly lifted the dress from the box, and her jaw dropped. She had spoken too soon.

###

"Nice jacket," Rachel laughed. "But let’s see the dress!"

Molly stood in front of Rachel in the main room of the shop. She was hiding in a long red coat with white fur trim that hung to her ankles. There were more customers inside the store than Molly had seen in months, not surprising, as that was what happened during Dickens Village season. But she desired privacy to show her friend the dress.

"Shhh, quiet, look what Bridget did." Molly looked around to make sure the customers weren't paying attention to them, then pulled the front of her coat open for Rachel to see her dress. Rachel stared slack jawed for a second, then began to laugh. Molly quickly pulled her jacket shut again as customers began to look at the two women. "Stop it."

"I'm sorry but-" Rachel bent over laughing holding her stomach with a single finger raised in the
just a second
position.

"What am I going to do? I'm going to have to find Mrs. Boughman's Mrs. Claus dress!" Molly said feeling panicked. "I can't stand in front of children looking like this!"

"No." Rachel stopped laughing and shook her head. "I won't let you do that to yourself. That thing smelled like... I don't know what, but it was bad. You just have to suck it up, and go out like that."

"I can't do that," Molly whined. "What will people think?"

"That you're a super sexy modern Mrs. Claus." Rachel pulled out her cell phone and started typing. "Look."

She turned her phone so Molly could see Rachel had pulled up hundreds of images of Mrs. Claus costumes. "What the hell did you type in there?"

"Department store Mrs. Claus," Rachel said sticking her phone back in her pocket. "There are some on there, much much worse. I think you are just the modern Mrs. Claus."

The door opened and both women turned to look as Jack walked in dressed as Santa Claus. He was wearing the traditional suit and beard Molly noticed.
No one made him update his look.
He looked over to Molly and winked. "Ho, ho, ho. Are you ready to go Mrs. Claus?"

"Ho, ho, ho is right," Rachel muttered and Molly elbowed her.

Jack bent down to a couple small children who were staring at him, absolutely star struck. "Have you been good this year?"

Both children nodded furiously and looked at their mom for approval. Jack handed them each a candy cane and tousled their hair. "If you have time this morning, Santa's Workshop opens shortly a few storefronts down," he told the children's mother, winking at her, and even the woman seemed a little struck by Jack.

Those damn green eyes.

When he reached Molly he put his arm out for her to put her hand in his elbow. She took a deep breath. "Let’s go do this."

"I thought you'd be more excited," Jack whispered to her as they walked towards the front door. "After all, Christmas seems to be your thing."

Molly blushed as Jack wrapped his arm around her waist when they stepped outside onto the busy street. Children were waving and running up to them, and Jack kept giving them all directions to the Workshop. He was better at this whole Santa thing than she thought he would be.

The first day was almost unbearably long to Jack. While he thought he enjoyed talking to all children, he discovered he preferred talking to his nephews about fishing rather than strangers about what they wanted for Christmas. Most of the kids were sweet, kind, and excited to see Santa. But then there were the kids he could tell were from the other part of town. The part of town with the bigger houses and the fancier cars. The kids from Jeremy's side of town.

"Want, want, want, want," the word rotated through Jack's head all day, and he kept wondering what he had gotten himself into. But every time he felt his frustration rise, and he wanted to call "break!" a child would come along that would change his mind.

"Do you want to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want for Christmas?" Molly asked. Jack scanned her appearance for what felt like the hundredth time that day. It was so warm in the room, why was she wearing such a long heavy coat? The little boy Molly was speaking to shook his head.

"I'm too big to sit on Santa's lap," he said defiantly with his arms crossed.

"If you're too big for Santa's lap, doesn't that mean you're too old to ask him for a present?" Molly teased and Jack had to hold a laugh in when the little boy suddenly looked panicked.

"It's alright Mrs. Claus, I grant wishes to boys and girls of all ages, whether they are too big to sit on Santa's lap or not." Jack winked at Molly and was pleased to see her blush.

"I want a baby sister for Christmas," the boy said. Jack raised his eyebrow and looked at the boy's mother. She rolled her eyes.

"You don't want a race car, or a new dart gun?" Jack asked.

"No. My mom said when she got married I could have a baby sister, and instead she got a stinky baby brother, and he keeps hiding all my trucks." The little boy stomped his foot. "Bobby Michaelson said you are friends with God, and that if I asked you maybe we could trade."

Jack resisted the urge to laugh at the boy's request, he sounded so serious. Instead he told the boy, "You know, I have a sister too, and when she got older she used to have makeup and stinky girls all over our house. But I bet when your brother is older, you guys will be best friends."

"Girls are stinky too?" the little boy asked. "But my mom smells pretty."

"They are, more than you know," Jack replied suppressing a chuckle.

The boy's mother mouthed the words "thank you" and led her son away by the hand. Molly smiled and rested her hand on Jack's shoulder. "Girls are stinky?"

"Most of them," Jack said then smiled at the next child in line.

The next few hours went in spurts of flying by and dragging on depending on the family next in line. When the last of the children had left Santa's workshop Jack locked the front door. He watched as Molly picked up a spray bottle and a roll of paper towels.

"What are you doing?" He asked, afraid of the answer.

"We have to clean up," she said brightly.

"What? We had to do all that, now we have to clean?" Jack took the paper towels from her though and started wiping the arms of his chair down.

"We didn't
have
to do anything, that is why it was called volunteer work." Molly stuck her tongue out at him, and he melted at her joyful attitude.

"How you can still be in a good mood after a day like that, I'll never know." Jack and Molly worked in silence for the next few minutes straightening up the room. It occurred to Jack this was the first time he had been alone with Molly since a week ago when they had almost kissed. He would never admit it to her, but he waited for her to come by each day to tell him she had broken up with Jeremy. He gently prodded Rachel for information about Molly and Jeremy, until Rachel asked loudly in front of the bar why Jack did not just go over and talk to Molly himself.

Ask her about Jeremy.
Instead when he opened his mouth, he asked about something else that had been on his mind. "What is with the giant Mrs. Claus coat? It is freakin' hot in here."

"You're probably just sweaty because you've had children crawling all over you all day," she said, tightening the collar on her giant coat.

"Where did that monstrosity even come from?" He laughed removing his beard and hat. Ahhh, cool air on his face.

"It's my Christmas coat," Molly said wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

"You don't have one that isn't so... thick?" Jack asked.

"This dress Bridget bought, the new Mrs. Claus dress, it's terrible," Molly said and Jack noticed her cheeks redden.

"Is it
that
bad?" he asked and was met with a dead stare from Molly. He laughed. Something about spending the day with Molly without any expectations had put him in a better mood than he had been in a long time. "I have to see it."

"No, uh uh, no way," she shook her head and backed away from him. But he saw a sparkle in her eye, and he could not help but to follow her as she backed up.

"Please, let me see, I won't laugh. Scouts honor." He raised his fingers in the salute stepping closer still to her. She backed up into the wall and laughed. That laugh. That was his favorite sound in the world.

He reached out and loosened the belt at her waist, then moved his hands up to the button at her collar and pushed it through the hole in the horrid red fabric. Jack paused, waiting for Molly to tell him to stop, but she stood still and watched him with quiet interest. He slowly worked his way down the buttons, surprised that all he found under the coat was skin. "There is a dress under here somewhere isn't there?"

"Somewhere," she shrugged.

He had freed four buttons now. He paused as the realization that his hands were at her breasts hit him. Instead of opening another button, he took her chin and tilted her face up so that she faced him. Her blue eyes were shining with mischief, and it took all he had not to kiss her, but to instead continue playing this game they had started.

It had taken all of his strength to walk away from her offer of a kiss the other night. Even with the pressure of ten years of anger at himself, he still wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone in his life. Even though he kept telling himself to stay away from her.

No matter how confused he was about everything, the only thing he was certain of was he would not be someone's side piece, especially not someone like Molly. He wanted all of her, not just one night. He wanted all of her, for all of his life. If only he could ever forgive himself.

Jack's fingers shook as he slowly undid the button over her breasts. He told himself to stop, at least until Molly told her that she was done with Jeremy. But, at the moment he was being led by something other than his head. Not to mention, he was afraid of the answer he might get if he asked if she broke up with Jeremy.

The button was released and his fingers trailed over her bare cleavage as Molly's breath jerked in. He released the next button, and finally found something besides skin. White fur trim around a shimmery red fabric.

“So there is something under here,” he said, but his voice sounded strangled to his own ears. Knowing she was not naked, he worked his fingers the buttons faster now to release all the buttons, then pushed the jacket off her shoulders and onto the ground. "Whoa."

Molly stood in front of him in a short red and white dress that barely fell below her round butt. It left her bare shouldered and partially bare backed as it hugged the curves of her chest and waist. It flared around her hips, and he felt like if she spun, he would be given the gift of seeing all of Molly. She dug a red heel into the ground, turning her leg right and left. She was no longer looking at him, but had her eyes on the ground.

"Don't look away from me." He took her chin in between his thumb and forefinger and raised her face up. "There is that woman again, the insecure one. Where did this come from?"

"This is just me. Just the way I am," she said trying to pull her chin out of his grasp. He did not hold on tightly though, and if she used a little more force she would be free.

"No, it's not." He pressed his body against her and leaned down so his mouth was next to her ear. He whispered, gently nibbling on the edge of her earlobe. "You are a strong confident woman. I never see you back down from anything. You stand up for the village, for this town, for your store. When it comes to you though..." He began to kiss her neck, enjoying the way her breath was quickening as he worked his way from the base of her ear down to her collar bone. "You are the best part of the package. You are amazing. You are a goddess." He pulled his head back so he could see her face, but did not pull his body away. He looked into her eyes. "You have no idea what just the presence of you does to me."

"If it's anything like what you do to me, I know," she whispered, and Jack could not take it anymore. He put his hands below Molly's dress and placed both hands over her plump ass. She was covered slightly by the bottom portion of the dress. He lifted her into the air, careful not to touch too much.

She wrapped her arms around him. Molly nuzzled her face into his neck, and he felt goosebumps as her hot breath reached his skin. He carried her over to the small set of stairs that led up to the chair he had spent most of the day in, and laid her down on the soft red velvet carpet.

He laid over her keeping most of his weight on his own hands and off of her. Jack started with the dip in her collar bone and began to work his way up towards her mouth kissing her skin, inch by inch. His hands found a life of their own as one wrapped around her waist, and the other found her left breast. It was faster than he planned on moving with her, but Molly made no sounds of protest, only moans of pleasure. As he began to run his thumb in a circle over the cloth, he felt her nipple harden.

He used his thumb and middle finger to pinch it slightly through the fabric and Molly raised her chest upwards. Jack could not believe he was here with her. He had imagined this moment for so many years. She ran her nails through his hair, and he grew hard at her use of roughness as she dragged her nails down his neck and to his back. His mouth finally passed her chin and reached her beautiful wine red lips.

Just as his own lips parted and his mouth grazed hers, there was a loud burst of Christmas music coming from the back of the room. Jack jerked to a halt.

"It's just my phone," Molly whispered and raised her mouth to touch his. Jack used his hands to push her back to the ground, and get some distance between them. The outside world was calling. It was not just Jack and Molly, there were other people. Other realities. Other responsibilities.

Reality sunk into Jack with this interruption. "You never came and saw me this week."

"I've been so busy with the Dickens Council. I've barely had a moment," she whispered her eyes silted. "I'm seeing you now."

"Did you break up with him?" he asked and her eyes shot open in surprise.

"Do we have to talk about this right now?" Her hands drew his face to her, but he pulled away.

"Answer me," he commanded her and he felt an ache stir within his bones. It physically hurt him to be this close to her, and not kiss her. He should just kiss her. Forget about the real world. But he could not, not until he heard her answer. “Is Jeremy out of the picture?”

"It's slightly complicated." As the words left her mouth he retracted, feeling as though he had been punched in the gut. He pulled his hands away from her, and sat up. Jack rested his face on his knee, trying to push away the sting of the words. He felt Molly sit up, and wrap her arms around him. "Jack, please listen to me. We are basically broken up."

Jack shrugged Molly's arms off of him and pulled himself to his feet. "What does that even mean, basically broken up? You are either with him or you aren't Molly."

"We aren't together, but we have to pretend like we are, just for a few more weeks," she pleaded, trying to stand up but tripping over her own shoe. "Publicly."

Jack walked over to his Santa jacket he dropped just a few minutes before, grabbed it along with his hat and beard and walked towards the front door.

"Jack! Please listen to me," she said, tears running down her face as she chased after him. "I tried to break up with him, but Jeremy said-"

"That is exactly what I'm talking about Molly!" The boom in Jack's voice surprised even him as he spun around to face Molly. She stopped mid-step, scared by his temper he was sure. He already wanted to apologize, protect her from harm. Even if the harm came from Jack. He forced himself to lower his voice.

"For whatever reason, you've decided you aren't worth anything. You're with that jackass Jeremy, who, if you haven't realized, is like every bad boyfriend from an 80s movie rolled into one. I would actually treat you like you should be Molly, instead of... instead of..."

He wanted to tell Molly what Jeremy had said about her in the bar that evening. But she was so wrapped around Jeremy's finger, would it even make a difference? "You're as toxic for me as I am for you. That's why I'm selling my business in the spring and getting the hell out of this town."

"What?" Molly pulled her jacket over her shoulders. "You're leaving? When were you going to tell anyone? Where are you going?"

"Anyone that matters knows already," he said hating himself for using those words. But if he hurt her deep enough, maybe she'd leave him alone.  "I've got a chance to get in on a brewery with an old friend of mine. There is nothing keeping me back here. Especially now that you've let me know there is no chance in having a normal healthy relationship with you..." Jack trailed off. He did not know what made him madder at Molly. The fact that she was still with Jeremy, or that she was drawn to Jack even after she knew what he was capable of.