6. Home For The Holidays
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
K ayn
“That was the last bed and breakfast in town. We’ll have to go to the car to sleep for the night and figure something out,” I explained thirty minutes later after we had visited three B&Bs.
“But it’s cold, Kayn. We can’t sleep in the car.”
Her eyes widened at my suggestion, and for the first time, that beautiful smile that always lit her face slipped. I wanted to do everything in my power to return that smile onto her full, heart-shaped lips and see that amber-colored, diamond-shaped face light up with happiness again.
I had no idea what was wrong with me. She was my executive administrative assistant, my employee. I had no right to think about li’l mama the way that I was.
“We don’t really have a lot of alternatives, Kandi.
The bed and breakfast places are all booked for the holidays.
It’s a tourist town. There’s no way that a vacancy will come open soon, especially not with the weather as bad as it is.
I’ve got a blanket in my luggage. You can use that and my coat to keep warm.
We’ll keep the heater on throughout the night.
Then, in the morning, we’ll figure something else out. ”
“Can we please stop at this diner and grab something to eat?” she asked.
I glanced at the sign a few feet away. Rhodes Diner was now The Mistletoe Diner. I guess they changed that with the growth of tourism. I wondered if the Rhodes family still owned it.
“Sure.”
Her eyes lit up again, and she tugged her laptop bag up her shoulder. I shifted my laptop bag to my other shoulder and grabbed the two rolling bags before I followed her.
We were seated and had ordered within ten minutes. Kandi ordered the loaded baked potato soup, a salad, and hot cocoa. I ordered a pork chop, mashed potatoes, green beans, and iced tea. We ate in silence as I pondered our situation, and I was sure that Kandi was doing the same thing.
When the waitress returned with the check, Kandi grabbed her attention. “Excuse me, ma’am.”
“Yes? Is there something else that I can do for you?”
“Uhm, we were stranded on the main road. Our car won’t make it through the snow.”
“Yeah, we’ve had quite a few visitors to the town with the same issue. It sucks,” the waitress stated and shook her head.
“All the bed and breakfasts are booked up, and I checked online and you all don’t have any Airbnbs here.”
“No reason to. Two hotels on the edge of town about a couple of miles out serve the tourists, but they’re always booked five months in advance for the Christmas season.
Most folks here own their homes and have been here forever.
They ain’t going anywhere,” she explained with a smirk and looked at me.
I thought by how she had stared at me since our arrival that she recognized me, but she didn’t say anything. Angela Rhodes was the Rhodes’ youngest daughter. She had been in middle school when I last left this place.
“Well, do you think anyone would be interested in renting out a room to us?”
“Kandi, it’s not that type of town,” I gritted out.
I didn’t want her begging anyone for shit, especially not here. We weren’t some charity case. I was a multi-millionaire, and there was no way this should have been happening to me.
“Kayn, please.” Kandi turned her attention back to the waitress, who remarked on our names.
“Kandi and Kayn. Isn’t that just the cutest?”
I glared at her.
“Actually, sweetie, there is the Robley place. They would love to have you two visit them. They’re the nicest people in town, and they’ve lived here their entire lives. I’m sure they would welcome you because they have more than enough room,” Angela Rhodes declared with a smirk in my direction.
I narrowed my eyes and cleared my throat. “I’m sure they’re nice and all, but I’m not interested in putting anyone out.”
“Oh, trust me. They would welcome a visit from you. You wouldn’t be a burden at all,” Angela stated.
Kandi glanced happily at me.
“Perfect. Can you tell us where it is?”
Angela looked at me, licked her lips, and stated, “Sure, sweetie. It’s two blocks down and one block over. Here, let me grab something to write their address down on.”
“No need. If you tell me the street address, I’m sure I can remember it,” I stated.
“Oh, Kayn is from here,” Kandi chirped happily.
Angela smiled sweetly at Kandi before glaring at me. “Then I’m sure he knows where the old Robley house is. Everyone knows that place.”
“Yeah, I’m sure I do,” I stated and stood from my seat. I pulled out my wallet and tossed a hundred-dollar bill onto the table. “Come on, Kandi.”
She hurriedly got out of her seat and followed me as I rushed out of the diner. Of all the gahdamn places for the car to break down in, it would happen in my hometown. This was the shit that you saw in movies, not in real life.
We walked a few more blocks, and just as we arrived on the front porch, I stopped and grabbed Kandi’s arm.
“Wait.”
“It’s cold, Kayn. I really would like to go inside and get warm. The temperatures are dropping.”
I sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. If I had known we’d go through a tenth of the things we’ve experienced, I would have left you behind.”
Smiling sweetly up at me, Kandi replied, “It’s okay.”
“Listen. I gotta be honest with you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The Robleys are my family, and I haven’t seen them in years.”
“Did that waitress, Angela, know that?”
I bobbed my head. “Yeah.” I tugged at my beard with my gloved fingers.
“What’s wrong, Kayn? If this is home and you’ve got family here, why didn’t you suggest we come here first?”
“Like I said, I haven’t been back in years.
My family has no idea about the wealth I’ve generated or what my life is like anymore.
I went through a lot in my past. Things that I don’t care to get into now.
But because of my choices, they always told me that I would never know any level of happiness, and I would never find love. ”
“No wonder you’re such a cynic. With people like that around you, who needs enemies?” Kandi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
I chuckled. “No, they’re not bad people, Kandi. But I wasn’t the greatest kid.”
“But you were a kid.”
“I was. But they were also right. I’ve spent a lifetime chasing after money and making a name for myself that I never slowed up to cultivate a personal life. I’ve never allowed anyone in. I haven’t been back home since I left because I hate to prove them right.”
“You haven’t talked to your family in how long?”
“No, don’t get me wrong. I’ve talked to them and even had video chats with them, but I haven’t visited. I don’t let them get too close because I don’t want them to know that they are right. It’s been eighteen years since I was here last.”
“I’m so sorry, Kayn.”
“It’s okay. It’s like they expected me to be a failure in life. I might have proved them wrong in one part of my life, but not the other. And I hate proving them right.”
Kandi stared at the house thoughtfully for a few seconds and then back at me.
“We don’t have to.”
I glanced down as she removed her gloves and stuffed them in her pocket.
“What are you doing?” I asked as she removed a topaz and diamond ring from her right finger onto her left finger. I’d seen that ring on numerous occasions, and I knew that she cherished it. It was beautiful.
“I’ll be your fake wife for the night.”
“What?”
“I’ll pretend to be your wife to keep your parents off your back. We can pretend that you found all the love and happiness that they thought you would never find.”
“I can’t ask that of you, Kandi. That’s too much. Besides, it’s my aunt and uncle, not my parents.”
“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you’re not asking. I’m offering. Trust me, it’ll be okay.”
This woman was unbelievable. She had come in and turned my work life completely around and made my days bearable, my goals attainable, and my schedule doable. Now, she was stepping in to manage my personal life as well. They didn’t make them like her anymore.
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll accept under one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“That you accept the ten-thousand-dollar bonus I’m giving you to compensate you for your time and playing the role.”
“Mr. Kayn, we have a deal,” she agreed with a bright smile.
Just as she stuck out her hand to shake mine, the front door opened, and I threw my arm around her shoulders and pulled her against my side.
Her body felt perfect against mine. Our heights complemented each other, even in her heels. Her warm, amber scent wafted up to my nose and made me want to remove her coat and take a deeper inhale of her fragrance.
“Emmanuel!” Aunt Frances greeted me as Uncle Johnny came to stand beside her.
They both wore warm, ecstatic smiles, and their eyes were lit with happiness.
Guilt tugged at my insides when I looked down at Kandi’s beautiful face, and a similar light shone from her almond-shaped russet-brown eyes. What in the hell was I doing?