Kissing Under the Mistletoe - By Marina Adair Page 0,54

ceiling that was just above the tree’s point.

Lucinda reached over, grabbed a handful of popcorn for herself, and studied the room. Mr. Puffins opened one eye. It went wide and then narrowed in on the moving beam. “She’s right. It’s the biggest one we made, so it should be right over the tree.”

“Oh, I like that idea.” Pricilla nodded eagerly.

“Nope,” Holly said, reaching up to stick the tape to the ceiling in the place she had deemed perfect. “The biggest one was my nana’s and it goes on top. Right, Mommy?”

“Right, angel.”

Regan dug through their Christmas box and pulled out a clump of bubble wrap and tissue paper. Carefully she unrolled it, her chest constricting when she got to the heart of the packaging and saw the first golden edge of the blown glass. This had been her mother’s favorite decoration, one of the only things Regan still had of hers.

“Would you look at that,” ChiChi said, the awe clear in her voice. “Bring that over here.”

Regan handed it to the older woman and watched, her heart in her throat, as one by one the Mrs. Clauses gingerly passed it around, inspecting it thoroughly. It was the most beautiful thing Regan owned and, silly or not, she wanted the ladies to think it beautiful too.

“Is this a family heirloom?” Lucinda asked, handing it back.

Regan took the star and ran her finger along the edges. They had gotten smoother over the years, just as the lead in the glass had weighted to the bottom, leaving irregular patterns and bubbling.

“It belonged to my grandmother. And it was one of the few things that my mother brought with her from Mexico.”

“It’s lovely, dear,” Pricilla said, wiping at the corners of her eyes. “Just lovely.”

“And Mommy always puts it on last,” Holly explained, scrambling out of Gabe’s arms the second he set her down and her feet hit the carpet. She took Regan’s hand and all but tugged her to the tree. With a serious face, she looked up at Regan and informed her, “She’s ready, Mom.”

Regan felt her eyes sting. First, placing her mom’s star on the tree always made her want to cry because it was a reminder, not only of what Regan had lost, but of what a great woman her mother had been.

Second, the minute that star went on the tree this wonderful evening would come to a close: Holly would go to bed, the Mrs. Clauses would head home, Gabe would escort them, and Regan would be left alone with the memory of the night but the knowledge that it was over.

Last, she would spend the evening staring at the makeshift decorations, the thought behind them, and wish for things that could never come true.

Holly kissed the star then Regan, who stretched to place it on the top branch. Normally it wasn’t such an ordeal, since their trees tended to be about four feet. This one was at least eight feet tall, five feet wide, and being the mac-daddy of trees, even on her tiptoes she couldn’t reach.

Gabe appeared in front of her. Without a word, he bent down, slid his arms around her butt, and smiled. After getting a good handful of her backside he pulled her to him and stood, bringing her within arm’s length of the tree’s top. She leaned over Gabe’s head and, aware that she was shoving her Prrrrrr right in his face, carefully placed the star.

“It’s perfect,” Holly screamed, almost wiggling herself right off ChiChi’s lap.

“I agree,” Gabe said to her chest.

He lowered Regan to the ground, sliding her body down his at a painstaking pace, his hands still firmly on her ass, making sure that every single one of her good parts brushed over and against every single one of his. When her feet touched the floor, she was pressed thigh to chest against Gabe, his downstairs hard against her belly.

Oh God, she was going to lose it. Right there under her mom’s star and in front of her daughter, a cat with pipe-cleaner branches, and three little old ladies, Regan was going to kiss Gabe. And the twinkle in his eyes said he was going to kiss her right back.

“It will never work,” Pricilla said, breaking the spell. And stating what they both already knew.

Regan took a step back, but not before she saw the frustration in Gabe’s eyes. He thought that they could make this thing between them work. And if Regan was capable of a short, casual fling he