Mistletoe Magic (10 page)

“And I’ll continue to work there until I find a better position in my profession!” she exclaimed, distraught at her own rising tone.

Rafe stared as though he didn’t understand. What did he want? she wondered. Was she supposed to be at his beck and call? Before giving him the chance to say something else that was offensive, she decided to change the subject back to the topic that mattered to
her
. “By the way, what do you plan to do for Christmas?”

“Christmas?”

“This coming Wednesday.”

“I don’t know. I usually plan Christmas around the kids, but they’ll be out of town. Louise is spending the day with her boyfriend and his family. I didn’t make plans.”

“Okay. Never mind.” With a sinking feeling, Melissa realized Rafe hadn’t planned anything for Christmas with her at all. It looked like she was going to spend the holiday alone, after all. Hiding her disappointment and anger, she stared down at the table.

“Melissa,” Rafe said, lifting her chin and making her look at him. “Are you upset? I hardly know if I’m making sense. I’m so tired, my brains feel like mush.” He delicately kissed the tip of her nose. “I didn’t make any
specific
plans, but I assumed we’d spend the holiday together.”

She smiled at the tickling sensation and at the relief she felt at his words. Letting the tension drain from her, she asked, “How about an invitation from
me
? Could you help me pick out a tree on Monday morning?”

“Of course I can. But how about doing it sooner? Like tomorrow night, after you get home from work?”

“And will you decorate it with me on Christmas Eve?”

“Whatever you want.”

Melissa knew what she wanted all right—Rafe. Sharing Christmas with him would make the holiday doubly wonderful. As they kissed she relished the delicious sensation of his warm lips and pressed herself against him.

Rafe paused to catch his breath when he reached the fifth-floor landing. Looking up, he expected to see Melissa at the top of the stairs waiting for him and was surprised when she wasn’t there. She’d had enough time to come out of her apartment since he’d buzzed her five flights ago. Maybe she’d grown impatient and gone back inside.

God, he hated all these stairs. They were one of the reasons he didn’t come here often. And then there was the fact that he felt uncomfortable in her odd little apartment; it was difficult to feel at home when he had a hard time finding a solid place to sit.

As soon as he felt more rested, Rafe climbed the last flight. Luckily, his headache was better now. He must have taken a half-dozen aspirin already. All the problems with his kids this morning combined with the anxiety of parting with them had made him doubly jittery.

“Rafe!” Melissa opened the door suddenly, her blue eyes glowing. She was a vision in gold and white, wearing a cream-colored, full-skirted dress with a gold metallic belt and a gold necklace made of strands of tiny bells.

“Ready to go pick out your tree?” He took her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

Her pink lips parted enticingly. “Your change in schedule worked to my advantage. The couple of extra hours gave me time to make some refreshments.” He reluctantly released her so she could show him a tray of star- and tree-shaped cookies. “Christmas cookies!” she announced with childlike excitement. “We can have a snack before we leave. Would you like tea or coffee?”

“Coffee, thanks.”

“I’ll make some.” She gave him an inquiring look. “Is everything all right? Did Gretta and Hank make their flight?”

“Yeah. We had a difficult time with them, though. They were fighting all the way to the airport. Tension, I suppose. Louise and I both had to threaten them before they’d settle down. Then Gretta started to cry and carry on before she got on the plane because I wasn’t going with her.”

“I’m sure she recovered once the plane left the ground.”

“I hope so, or else the flight attendants were driven crazy. Nicole didn’t bother to tell me how the trip was. And I waited so long for her call telling me they’d arrived safely, I forgot to ask.”

“Couldn’t you call her?”

“I did, but no one was home. They must have had a long lunch before they got back to her apartment. Who knows? She knew I was waiting, but…” He shrugged. He could always count on Nicole to do something irresponsible, but why not get his mind off her and his kids for now? It wasn’t fair to burden Melissa with complaints. “Want me to help you make the coffee?” Encircling her waist with an arm, he blew a kiss into her soft cloud of hair.

“There’s room for only one cook in this tiny kitchen.”

“Even if one of the cooks is tiny?”

She gave him a sweet smile. “Why don’t you go in the living room? I’ll bring the coffee in a minute. Here.” Placing the cookies on an antique china plate, she handed it to him. “Don’t eat them all before I get there.”

Rafe walked through the two small rooms that led to the larger one. Lighted candles burned tonight instead of lamps, and in the semidarkness he stumbled and almost fell onto her futon mattress lying on the floor. Several cookies slid off the plate and Rafe cursed as he stooped to pick them up. Melissa ought to invest in some normal furniture one of these days.

He picked his way to the card table, where he put down the plate. Feeling around for the switch of an overhead Japanese lantern, he managed to turn the light on and then sat down in the wooden rocker and looked around. To one side was a fragile-looking rattan love seat. Although it was painted nicely and covered with flowery cushions, Rafe was sure he could lift the thing with one hand and had doubts about it being able to support his weight. On the other side of the table was a director’s chair with a sagging canvas seat that looked like it would rip if anyone sat in it.

Shaking his head, Rafe leaned over the rickety table to take a couple of cookies. The Sunday paper was spread out on top of the table, open to the employment ads. He noticed a few were circled, and as he examined them his eyebrows rose.

“What’s this? ‘Waitress wanted for roller-skating restaurant. Part-time. Must be able to work evenings and weekends,’” he read aloud. “And this one? ‘Volunteer for psychological experiments at university. Paid by the hour.’”

Humming, Melissa carried a tray with the coffee and cups into the room. To add a holiday touch she’d placed a couple of Christmas decorations on the tray as well, one of them a tiny, haloed angel. She thought Rafe was talking to himself until she caught the gist of his words.

“Are you really considering being a costumed representative of the Hot-Cha-Cha Popcorn Company?” he asked incredulously. “And passing out samples in supermarkets?”

Melissa colored as she set down the coffee. “I was just looking. I need another job, you know. The Santa’s helper position will be over this Tuesday.”

“Some of these jobs are for weekends or evenings.”

“Well, I have to take what I can get, seeing as I need to work it around my library hours.” Was he going to start criticizing her work situation again? Melissa wondered. Wanting to fully celebrate the season, she’d like to forget her problems at the moment. Grim reality would set in soon enough when she’d start needing money by this time next week. “Let’s put the paper away.” She tried to fold it up.

“Just a minute.” He pointed to another circled ad. “What about this one? ‘Environmentalist wanted. Get paid for demonstrating against toxic waste.’”

“I marked jobs I thought looked interesting. I planned to eliminate some of them when I read them more closely.” Her face grew warmer with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to share her frustrating job search with Rafe.

“You could eliminate all of these. They certainly won’t pay much. These aren’t jobs for an adult.”

How could he start a fight now? Melissa wondered angrily, stubbornly setting her jaw. “Are you insinuating I’m not mature?”

“I didn’t say that. But look at all this.” He gestured at the room. “You could afford real furniture if you got a fulltime job. You have to admit you’re not living like a person should at your age.”

“According to whose standards?”

“Melissa.” Rafe’s voice was placating as he rose from the rocker to approach her, but she stiffened and stepped away. “Be realistic. If you can’t find a full-time teaching job, do what you can with your education. There are other fields. Sometimes we have to compromise. Can you type?”

“No. Can you?” Hurt and insulted, struggling to hold back tears, Melissa headed for the kitchen. Lately she’d had a hard time feeling successful anyway. He didn’t have to make her feel worse.

Rafe followed her, but when he tried to touch her, she whirled on him.

“I’m doing the best I can, Rafe. I’ve told you that before. And I happen to love my library job.”

“Are you sure you don’t love the freedom you have…from responsibility?”

“I am responsible!” she cried. “I’d be happy to have a full-time position.”

“Are you sure you don’t enjoy taking these goofy jobs? Never knowing what surprises might come up next?”

Melissa glared at him furiously. “My ‘goofy jobs’ are none of your damn business!”

He scowled. “They ought to be somebody’s business. I realize your family’s not here to—”

“My family?” she sputtered. “What are you trying to do—play daddy? I have one father, Rafe Damon. I certainly don’t need a second one.”

“Your father?” He reddened and his dark eyes snapped. “Now
that
was a childish statement. I’m only trying to give you good advice!”

“Well, I don’t appreciate your advice!” she cried as they stood glowering at each other.

“Fine. Maybe you don’t appreciate
me
, either. Maybe I should leave.”

“Why don’t you?”

Before he could say anything else, she took his coat from the nearby counter and shoved it at him. Turning on his heel, he slammed out the door, making its wooden panels reverberate behind him.

Melissa jumped when the loose rod of the police lock crashed to the floor, barely missing her foot. Cursing as she put the lock back together, she managed to choke out, “And Merry Christmas to you, too, Rafe Damon!”

Chapter Six

“Santa, you better be good tonight. None of that foolin’ around like you used to do before the pink sugarplum fairy here straightened you out,” Arlene said, jerking a thumb in Melissa’s direction. “You got some serious work to do after midnight.”

“Your admonishment strikes me to the quick, Arlene. I’m a reformed man, remember? Now if
you’re
good, you might get what you want for Christmas. Ho-ho-ho!”

Arlene smacked Clarence’s pillowed paunch affectionately before heading for the women’s dressing room. “I’m always good! Ask my boyfriend, Bill,” she saucily added. “He’ll make sure I get what I want! Merry Christmas, now.”

“Merry Christmas!” When Clarence turned to Melissa, his expression sobered. “I’m sorry to say I can’t think of a thing that will help make your Christmas wishes come true, my girl. Finding a full-time teaching job can be a problem, but I did so hope the thing with Rafe would fulfill one of your requests.”

Melissa remembered making the wishes for romance and financial stability which Clarence jokingly had granted her after she’d helped save his job.

“But Terry’s told me that hardheaded photographer still hasn’t called and begged your forgiveness,” he grumbled.

Wishing Terry hadn’t said anything to Clarence about her disagreement with Rafe, Melissa smiled bravely while trying to block a pair of dark bedroom eyes from her memory. “Oh, it’ll all work out for the best.”

When Clarence frowned down at her, she knew she hadn’t fooled him. “Nevertheless, I happen to have a small thank-you tucked away in my pocket.” He pulled out a tiny package. “Something to remind you of your naughty Santa.”

“Oh, Clarence, I’d never forget you!” Melissa opened the green and red wrapping and revealed a miniature pink fairy on a gold cord. “Oh!”

“An ornament for your tree.”

“It’s beautiful. Thank you.” Melissa hugged the older man and quickly released him. “I’ve got to change.”

“Of course. Merry Christmas, Melissa.”

“You, too, Clarence.”

She couldn’t make herself say the words “Merry Christmas” any more than she could admit she had no tree on which to hang the beautiful little ornament. She couldn’t say Rafe had promised to help her pick one out and get it up to her apartment Sunday evening, nor that they’d planned to decorate it on Christmas Eve, tonight, but they’d fought instead and now Melissa didn’t have the heart to buy a tree, let alone trim it by herself.

Trying to swallow the lump that had been lodged in her throat since Sunday night, Melissa entered the dressing room and changed into her street clothes while trying to ignore the growing air of festivity around her. Christmas was here, impossible to ignore no matter how hard she tried. Christmas carols were piped throughout the store, and cheerful holiday greetings echoed off the metal lockers.

“You’d better hurry, girl. There’s hardly more than an hour left to finish your Christmas shopping!”

Arlene’s excited words cut through her thoughts and Melissa realized she’d been staring blindly at her sparkling pink costume. “Oh, you’re right,” she said, not wanting to admit that she had nothing to purchase. “I was just thinking about how much I was going to miss everyone. Especially you.”