Twist of Fate (A Holiday Romance Novella) (7 page)

Ty leaned back in his chair in Kenzie’s apartment and sipped the hot chocolate, letting the rich flavor coat his tongue. She didn’t believe in using a store-bought mix like he’d grown up drinking. Instead, she made it from scratch every time, somehow making it taste like a melted Hershey bar. Sometimes she’d add caramel, sometimes peppermint, and sometimes raspberries.

“Kenzie, this is wonderful,” Ty’s mom exclaimed. “Is that a hint of mint I taste?”

“Kenzie nodded. “I melted a candy cane in it. It’s Ty’s favorite, so I was hoping you’d like it too.”

Ty’s mom sighed as she sipped some more. “You’re making me wish I didn’t live in California. Traditions like this just aren’t the same when there’s no snow outside and people are wearing shorts and flip-flops.”

Ty caught a wistfulness in her voice, a longing. He studied his mother with slightly new eyes. Every winter growing up, she’d always made a point to take them somewhere with snow and skiing and other winter festivities—at least for a week or two. Sometimes they’d visit her family in Michigan and sometimes they’d go someplace new, like Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Lake Tahoe, or Colorado. He always liked seeing new places and learning new things, but he never fully understood her reasons until now. His mom had given up something she loved to stay with his dad in California.

Ty sipped the rest of his drink. When he caught Kenzie yawning, he walked to the sink and rinsed out his mug. Then he glanced at his mom. She looked happy and… harmless.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Ty blurted, “Hey, Mom, you’re welcome to crash at my place if you want. I have an actual bed in my spare room—not just a couch.” The moment he said the words, Ty wished them back. Sure, tonight had gone okay, but would tomorrow? The next day? She was still his mother, after all. Why was he tempting fate?

But then his eyes met Kenzie’s and the smile on her face erased his doubts. In fact, he even had to bite his tongue to keep from adding, “In fact, why don’t I take work off for the rest of the week so we can spend more time together?”

Yeah, that was the effect Kenzie had on him.

“Oh, Ty, I would love that.” His mother was up in an instant. “Just let me collect my things, and I’ll walk down with you.”

Ignoring her, Ty continued to watch Kenzie, wishing he had a camera so he could snap a picture of her expression at that moment. He’d look at it every day.

She set her glass down and came to him, drawing him into a hug. “I love that you just did that.”

And I love you.
“Yeah, well, a bed will be more comfortable for her—not that I’m saying your guest room is pathetic or anything.”

Kenzie laughed and eased out of his arms, poking him lightly in the ribs. “See? I told you if you gave it one more day things would be better.”

“Yes you did.” Ty backed against the counter and folded his arms. “Come to think of it, you tell me to do a lot of things.”

She smiled. “I’m just glad you listened this time.”

Ty thought back to the fun night he’d just shared with her. Holding her arm, her hand—her. Maybe he should listen to her more often. “Yeah, me too.”

TY CLICKED THE button on his car remote
to lock the doors then trudged through the slush toward his apartment complex. Across the way, a silver Hyundai Tucson whipped into the parking lot, skidding to the side before regaining traction and pulling into a nearby slot.

Ty smiled and waited at the door for Kenzie to catch up.

“Oh, good,” she breathed as she rushed past him into the building. “You’re late, too.”

Ty followed. “Late? For what?”

“Didn’t your mom tell you? She invited me over for dinner tonight at six o’clock sharp.” Kenzie glanced at her watch before shoving her mail key into her box and flinging it open. “That was fifteen minutes ago.”

“You mean sixteen.” Ty leaned casually against the wall of mailboxes as he watched her. “But who’s counting?”

“Will you hurry and get your mail so we can go?” Kenzie said, flipping through the few letters she’d received.

“There you go again, telling me what to do.” Still, Ty opened his box and pulled out a few envelopes.

With a hand on his arm, Kenzie leaned over to get a look. “Anything from Madagascar?”

“Nope. Sorry.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure why I keep hoping to hear from him again. But I can’t imagine that a letter dated back in September would be the last one he wrote. I just”—she rested her shoulder against the wall—“really need to hear from him again, you know?”

No, Ty didn’t know. Why would she want to hear from a guy who didn’t know what a good thing he had? Why would she want to marry him? Still, the look on her face made him feel a pang of guilt for keeping the postcard from her.

Ty pocketed an invoice before throwing the rest of his mail in the trash. “I bet dinner’s getting cold,” he said, “which means my mom’s getting frustrated, which means—”

Kenzie gasped and grabbed his arm, pulling him down the hall. “I can’t believe I’m sitting here whining while your mom is waiting on us.”

“Technically, you’re not sitting.”

“You know what I meant.”

Ty smiled as he pushed open his door. He loved it when she got flustered and bit down on her lip like that.

“LouAnn, I’m so sorry. . .” The words died in Kenzie’s mouth, as did the smile on Ty’s face. His formally masculine apartment now looked like the Christmas section of a dollar store.

Twinkling, multi-colored lights outlined his window that was now covered with stick-on, chubby snowmen. Cheap, tinsel garland—the kind he’d helped Kenzie hang in her classroom—lined the back of his couch, the top of his TV, and the top of his kitchen cabinets. Some strange snowflake mobile dangled from the small chandelier above his table. A garish wreath hung on the wall above his couch, decorated with cheap-looking shiny red, blue, green, and gold balls. Matching Christmas balls now filled the apothecary jar that Kenzie had given him as a thank you gift for fixing her computer. Only yesterday it had been half-filled with his favorite candy. Where was that candy now?

“Wow.” Kenzie regained her voice first. “This looks so festive, LouAnn. You must have been working all day.”

His mother smiled. “Thank you, sweetie. I know it’s not quite what you’re used to at home, Ty, but Christmas decorations are pretty expensive these days, so I did the best I could. I hope you like it.”

“Like isn’t exactly the word I’d use,” said Ty.

“Well, I think it’s great,” Kenzie said, walking toward the table. “Ty never gets into this kind of stuff, so it’s refreshing to see some holiday spirit in here.”

Ty clamped his mouth shut and frowned. Maybe he’d relocate his newly found holiday spirit to her apartment and then see what she had to say.

“Well, I’m glad I could help,” said his mother. “It just didn’t feel like Christmas without decorations.”

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him.” Kenzie grinned at Ty, obviously enjoying this way too much. “And dinner smells wonderful, by the way,” she added. “Can I help you with anything?”

“Oh, heavens no. I’ve got it all ready.” His mother bustled into the kitchen. “Go ahead and get settled, and I’ll bring it right over.”

They sat down, and Kenzie looked around with a satisfied smile on her face. “You know what’s missing in here?”

“A big, inflatable Santa Claus?” Ty muttered under his breath.

Kenzie’s lips twitched. “No. A Christmas tree.”

His mother joined in with, “I was thinking the same thing,” and Ty swallowed a groan.

“We should go tomorrow,” said Kenzie. “There’s a tree farm not far from here where we can chop them down ourselves. We can get one for both of our apartments.”

“What a great idea!” said his mother.

Ty started to argue until he realized something. With the exception of Chinese takeout and his holiday party, last week ended up being a total bust where Kenzie was concerned. But ever since his mom had shown up, Kenzie was the one doing the inviting and planning. She’d even gone ice skating, held his hand, and hugged him. And now she wanted to cut down Christmas trees with him.

Huh. Maybe having his mom here wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

“Ty,” said his mother, “as I was cooking, I noticed that you keep your dishes on the right side of the sink.”

“So?”

“So it doesn’t make sense. They should go above your dishwasher where they can be easily unloaded. I went ahead and moved them for you.”

That’s what Ty got for having a charitable thought about his mother and for offering to let her stay with him. He rolled his eyes and shot Kenzie a see-what-I’m-talking-about look.

She grinned. “Just think of all those extra steps it will save you.”

“Right.”

KENZIE BLINKED AT Ty as he leaned
against the doorjamb of her apartment, probably waiting for her to do something besides blink. But she didn’t know what else to do.

He’d just informed her that his mom was sick—food poisoning from lunch. Which meant it would be only her and Ty trudging through the snow beneath the romantic moonlight, searching for romantic Christmas trees in a romantic forest.

Kenzie shouldn’t go. She should make up an excuse and stay right here in her apartment where she wouldn’t feel, think, or do something she’d regret.

“You’re going to want your coat,” Ty said, nodding toward her coat closet. “Gloves. A scarf. Boots. Possibly even a hat. It’s cold out tonight.”

Kenzie’s lower lip started to hurt because she’d bit down on it too hard. She let it free. “Maybe we should go tomorrow night instead. Your mom was really looking forward to this. I’d hate for her miss out.” There. She hadn’t given into temptation. She’d stayed strong.

“She wants us to go without her.” Ty pushed away from the doorjamb and opened Kenzie’s coat closet, pulling her puffy white coat free from the hanger and holding it up. “Come on. I’ve been waiting all day to chop down two innocent trees who’ve done nothing to deserve the ugly, plastic ornaments and gobs of tinsel my mom plans to put on them tomorrow.”

Kenzie laughed. “Speak for your own tree. Mine will love the decorations I have for it.”

“Just promise not to tell my tree that. No need to make it feel even worse than it already will.”

Kenzie laughed again, debating her options. Stay home alone and try not to think about Ty, or go with him, laugh all night long, and bring home a beautiful pine-smelling Christmas tree. She took the coat from him.

Weak, weak, weak—that’s what she was.

Kenzie followed him out to his 4-Runner, and less than an hour later, they trudged through knee-high snow, fogging up the night air with their breaths. Ty pointed to the first four-foot tree they came across. “This one looks good to me.”

“Yeah?” Kenzie studied the tree. “I guess if you like your trees uniform and balanced, it works.” She lifted the lower branches while he hacked away at the trunk. Before long, a snapping noise filled the silence as the tree came falling down.

Ty rubbed his hands together and grinned. “Did you know that’s the first Christmas tree I’ve ever cut down?”

Kenzie smiled back. “I’m just glad you’re having fun. We are doing something Christmas-y, you know.”

Ty’s expression became less playful as he searched her face. “Yeah, well, lately I’ve been finding that I don’t mind Christmas as much as I used to.”

Kenzie’s heart skipped a beat—something it shouldn’t doing, at least not with Ty. “I’m glad,” she said quickly, crouching to lift the top of the tree. “Ready to take it back?”

Ty hefted the trunk, and together they carried it back to the lot where they left it near the register. Then back through the snow they went in search of Kenzie’s tree. Ty pointed out one after another, but she shook her head every time. Kenzie wasn’t looking for just any tree. She wanted one with character. A story. Why was one branch bent? Why there a hole right there? Why did the pine needles in that spot look as though they’d seen better days?

“Since you didn’t like any of the others, what about this one?” Ty joked, pointing to a small, lopsided tree with a gap on one side. “We’d probably put it out of its misery if we take it. Come to think of it, I could put this one in my apartment instead of the other one. It looks too worn out to care what decorations my mom wants to throw on it.”