Authors: Alyson Raynes

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Holidays, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Sports, #One Hour (33-43 Pages)

A Wintertime Love (5 page)

BOOK: A Wintertime Love

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I helped her with her
faux
fur coat and guided her to the limo. The driver held the door open for us as we entered. I gave him the directions to our destination.

“It’s gonna be a little chilly where we’re going next, but I promise it will be worth it,” I said, holding her hand.

“I’m not worried, Tristan. I know you’ll keep me warm.” She smiled.

“You look beautiful tonight, A. J.!” I kissed the back of her hand.

“You look beautiful too,” she said, placing a kiss on my lips.

I laughed. “Is it even possible for me to look beautiful, A. J.? I’m a guy, for cryin’ out loud!”

“Yes, you are,” she said in a sexy tone. “And yes, you are beautiful, Tristan, both inside and out!”

The car came to a stop, indicating that we had reached our destination. As we stepped outside, there was a white horse-drawn carriage waiting for us. The air was cold, with snow gently falling all around us, but there was enough clearing in the black sky where you could still see the stars. It was a beautiful night; one I hoped she might never forget.

I helped her into the carriage and covered her with a wool blanket, then climbed in next to her. I pulled her close, cuddling her as the carriage began to move, taking us to the ball at the Prescott Mansion. We didn’t say a word—just took in the scenery around us and held each other as tightly as we could.

Everyone was awaiting our arrival at the mansion. As the carriage pulled up, Dylan and Christina came to greet us. “Wow! You look beautiful, A. J.,” Christina said.

“So do you, Christina.” She gave her friend a hug.

“You two look really happy,” Christina said, pointing at us.

I smiled, nodding my head. “We are very happy!”

“You guys want to go inside? It’s freezing out here!” I pointed inside the mansion.

Dylan laughed, “Dude, for somebody who comes from one of the coldest places on Earth, you sure bitch an awful lot about the cold!”

“Fuck off! Maybe I secretly hate the cold and should re-think where my next move should be.” I smacked him on the back.

“Point well made, my friend.”

Mrs. Prescott was in the dining room waiting for us and was overjoyed to see me with a girl. She took my hand and pulled me aside. “I see that you brought a date. Do you like this girl, Tristan?” she asked.

“Well, I haven’t known her long, but so far, yes ma’am, I do.”

“She certainly is beautiful.”

“Oh Tristan,” she assured me, “if this is real, and you truly like her and she truly likes you, you’ll both find a way to make it work. Relationships are hard, whether you’re in the same state or not.” She hugged me and added, “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate that.”

“Oh, and Tristan . . . You can stop calling me ma’am. It makes me feel old as dirt. Call me . . . Momma Prescott, or something like that. We’ve known each other far too long to be this damn formal.” As she said this, she grabbed a drink from a tray as a waiter walked by.

I laughed, “Okay, Momma Prescott it is!”

“That’s better. Now you go back to that girl, before she thinks I’m trying to steal you.”

I walked over to where I had left A. J., but couldn’t find her. I asked Christina if she’d seen where she’d gone and was pointed in the right direction.

She was on her phone. I could see the panic and then sadness in her eyes as she hung up.

“What is it?” I asked. “Is everything okay?”

Tears fell down her face. “No. That was the agency. Alyson Raynes needs me in New York . . . on Sunday!”

“Well, that’s no surprise, sweetheart. You already knew that.” I wiped her tears.

“No, Tristan. You don’t understand. Not next Sunday, this Sunday!” She used her fingers to wipe under her eyes.

“Oh. Well, I guess you have to go sooner than you planned then.” I was trying to figure out what to say next.

“I don’t want to leave you, Tristan, not when we’ve just met. But I can’t miss out on this opportunity, either.” The tears started flowing down her cheeks once again.

“Listen, A. J., I have an idea. But let’s get through tonight first, and then I’ll tell you my plan. I think you’ll like it, and it’ll work great for both of us.” I kissed her cheek as I wiped her tears. “Now, let me see you smile.” She did and she was beautiful, even though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. At that moment I’d take whatever I could get.

“Flight 287, Denver to New York, will be boarding in fifteen minutes,” the airline stewardess called out over the intercom. “Please make sure you have your boarding pass and photo id with you as you board the plane.” We sat waiting to board the plane that would take us to New York. A. J. had insisted on stopping in the little bookstore on the concourse to ensure she had enough reading material for our flight. I laughed when she purchased three books, thinking she could read them all on this one flight. She was adamant about one of the three in particular because Christina had apparently read it and loved the story. It told the story of a rich man who was broken, and the heroine who saved him from his life. She also explained that he was young and ‘super hot.’

I laughed, pointing out to her that guys like that didn’t really exist in real life. Her response to me: “A girl can dream, can’t she?”

“I guess she can,” I admitted, rubbing her cheek, “but in the end, it just sets women up for disappointment when they realize their man is never going to be like that.”

Our flight was called, and we boarded the plane bound for New York. I had upgraded our seats to First Class, so we could sit together during the flight. It was clear that we wouldn’t be spending Christmas in Colorado, but we’d be spending Christmas together, and that was all that mattered.

As the plane prepared for takeoff, I leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

“I’m glad that you invited me to come along, A. J.! I’m looking forward to hanging out with you in New York. I’ve never been to Times Square, but I hear it’s a blast ringing in the New Year there.”

She cupped my face in her hands and kissed me.

“Thank you for coming with me and making this one of the best Christmases ever, Tristan!”

BOOKS BY ALYSON RAYNES

Deception (Book 1) The Fixer Series

Promiscuous (Book 2) The Fixer Series

Redemption (Book 3) The Fixer Series

Triztan (Book 1) The Russian Roulette Series

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alyson Raynes lives in the beautiful state of Colorado. She has been happily married for twenty-three years and is the proud mother of two adult children, a Labrador puppy and a little gray kitty. Alyson has been writing and publishing since she was a little girl and had her earliest works displayed in her elementary school library. Once a corporate accountant, she turned in her abacus to pursue her love of writing full-time and couldn’t been happier.

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