Chapter Eight

  It took a week before Landon’s friend, Terrell, called him back. “I need counsel, bro. The text messages didn’t help,” Landon said while he muted the baseball game and activated his recliner backward to stretch out. They needed to catch up.

  “Based on your messages, I have no advice regarding relationships.” Terrell chuckled. “Seriously, though, it sounds like Gina is someone special. There’s another attorney I met at a conference with the last name of Christmas. Wonder if they’re related...”

  “Terrell, I don’t care about who she’s related to. I need help processing what I’m feeling.”

  “Alright. Tell me how you met her. Give me the long version.”

  Landon started from the beginning, with Granny Lonna’s quest for a Black angel ornament, and ended with volunteering to be Gina’s bodyguard. “Whatever I don’t finish at my office, I bring and work on it while waiting for her. I call it our quiet time together.” Landon grinned. He had no complaints about the arrangement.

  “Wow. Hmmm.” Terrell was silent. “Are you afraid?”

  “Of what?” Landon laughed to hide his nervousness. He was not confident about how Gina controlled his thoughts with little effort. Was it her honesty or the way she looked at him? Landon didn’t know.

  “Do you think she’s playing games or something to lure you in? My counsel is to talk to God about this unfamiliar territory.”

  “Yeah. You’re right. She’s genuine and speaks her mind. Her sass is attractive.”

  For the next hour, they discussed flattering and undesirable traits from their past girlfriends and compared them to Gina. His friend’s advice caused Landon to do the mental workout. “Unless you don’t think you can bounce back from a breakup, Gina Christmas is worth your investment.”

  “First, we have to be in a relationship. Okay, Attorney Sims, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time. Don’t bill me.”

  Terrell roared with laughter. “Be cautious, man. Please keep your eyes open for blemishes in her character that aren’t easily concealed like women who use makeup. Character. Pray on this. Because I deal with facts clearly, this is a matter of heart and mind. Talk to you later.”

  Have you asked Me to lead you? God whispered. I know the plans I have for you...

  No, I haven’t. Landon knew the scripture in Jeremiah 29:11.

  In his thirty-five years, Landon never felt emotionally out of control until his eyes locked on Gina, and his heart surrendered, then recalculated. During those quiet times at her office, Landon liked to imagine what a relationship would look like.

  Landon was over the casual dating and the occasional dinners in his life. He needed a purpose that only a wife and a family could bring. Lord, if Gina isn’t part of Your plan for me, show me sooner rather than later.

  God was silent.

  This was when Landon could have used a cryptic message like “watch and pray,” but nothing.

  Gina felt like she had barely survived tax season when April 15 arrived.

  Landon walked through the door with an engaging, lopsided grin. His eyes sparkled, and a slight dimple flashed at her. It was the happiest she had ever seen him. “Congratulations. You did it. Let’s celebrate!” He presented a small white cake box in his hands.

  She eyed him before accepting the gift, then slowly opened it as if something would fly out like those surprise explosion boxes she’d seen on social media. Inside was a white-iced cake decorated with an image to resemble a U.S. Treasury refund check made payable to Gina Christmas. Priceless was written in the amount box. Congratulations on a successful tax season in the memo.

  Touched by his thoughtful gesture, Gina was choked with emotion. Her vision blurred. Landon had seen firsthand all the hard work she had done to make it a successful year without her dad.

  “Awww. Thank you.” She placed the cake on her desk and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek softly.

  His response was more intense than she anticipated. He wrapped his strong arms around her, pulled her closer, and delivered a sweet kiss.

  Pulling away, Gina panted for air. “Whoa. Sorry. That was my fault. I shouldn’t have started that.”

  “Not for me. I’ve been waiting for that kiss, and if you could take it back, I’d fight you for it.” Folding his arms, he frowned at her. “Tell me why you feel it was a mistake.”

  Gina fumbled with her fingers and looked away, stalling to answer. Her first distraction was the Christmas nook, which was bare—she would have to stock up on goodies—and then her messy desk, where the cake box lay. She sighed.

  Her attraction had tempted him to respond with that passion. Cool it, girl! “Landon, although we’re alone, God is our chaperone, but the devil will edge us on to take it further and possibly sin. We can’t let that happen if we profess to be practicing Christians. I’m apologizing because my innocent kiss on the cheek sparked a passion that could lead to temptation.”

  He twisted his kissable lips like a schoolboy, contemplating the correct answer to avoid getting in trouble. Taking her hands in his, Landon squeezed. “I can be modest in my affection with my woman.” He lifted his brow in a challenge.

  What? “Your woman? Since when?”

  “Since the day at that Chinese performance, I have watched how certain scenes enthralled you, and I wanted to get to know you and share other experiences with you. It kept building.”

  Being with him was like a sweet fragrance that she couldn’t sniff enough. “If I’m your woman, then you agree to respecting and protecting my reputation as a Christian woman. This is important to me.”

  “And me.” He lifted her chin and inched closer as if he were going to kiss her, smiled, and then stepped back. “You have my word.”

  “Thank you.” Gina returned to her desk to file away papers and tidy her area. There was no normalcy yet. There would be a mad rush from those who needed to file extensions, but her dad would return in a week, and they could handle that.

  Landon sat, and she could feel him tracking her every mood. He said nothing to distract her, but after that brief kiss, she was flustered. Landon flirted and blew her kisses whenever she made eye contact with him.

  Blushing, Gina fussed, “Will you stop that?”

  Landon never answered her as she finished up. She liked everything about Landon—his looks, generous spirit to give back to the community, and commitment to Christ, which helped restrain him toward his woman.

  His woman, she mused. It had been a while since she had been any man’s plus one. Gina liked being someone’s lady again.

  Chapter Nine

  With some breathing room the next day at work, Gina put more effort into finding the perfect unique ornament—a Black angel—to make Landon’s grandmother happy.

  She called Melody Ransom, the administrator at the children’s home and the quality assurance gatekeeper for auction items. “I need a favor, and I know it’s early, but could the children start on their Christmas projects? I understand we usually wait until summer break, but the woman who enjoys them is battling dementia. Her grandson wants her to experience the joy of Christmas while her mind is still stable.”

  “I’ll do my best. Our little artisans are perfectionists anyway, so it might take a few weeks.”

  “Thanks.” Gina ended the call and reflected on the canvas angel Landon had purchased at the highest price Denise could get. Although his Granny Lonna liked it, she wanted an ornament.

  Denise knew their company didn’t even sell the merchandise here because of a conflict of interest. The snack bar, yes, in conjunction with the Round-Up program, but Gina left that up to the charity manager when it came to the big moneymakers. Christmas Tax Help for All Seasons only got a sneak peek at the items.

  Next, she called Leslie Littles, the foundation’s manager, to request a list of contributors over the past five years.

  If Gina could find out what the woman purchased in the past, she could ask that artisan to create a unique piece.

  As she was set to lock up the office, Landon walked in the door.

  Gina’s smile blossomed. The man’s shirts and pants were crisp. He had to own hundreds of ties. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

  “Are you complaining?” he teased, towering over her with a wiggle of his eyebrow.

  “Never.” She walked into his arms for a hug. When she stepped back, he took her hand and twirled her under his arm. Throwing her head back, Gina laughed until he stopped. “Seriously, what are you doing here? I’m not working late anymore, and it’s still light outside.”

  “Woman, you’re a hard habit to break.”

  Landon made it hard for Gina not to reward him with another hug. With every touch, her senses came alive. She had to look away to avoid carrying out more affection.

  “To answer your question, when I was thinking about you today, Granny Lonna came to mind, and—”

  “I was thinking about her too.” Gina didn’t hide her surprise.

  He patted his chest and then pointed to hers. “Our hearts are in sync. I want you to meet my grandmother.”

  Gina squeezed her lips in trepidation. “But I don’t have a Black angel for her yet.”

  “It’s not about the ornament. It’s about you and me.”

  “O–Okay.” Gina grabbed her purse, set the alarm, turned off the light, and stepped outside the door with Landon.

  She hoped his grandmother liked her.

  This was different from the Saturday Landon had planned. A few days after he invited Gina to meet Granny Lonna, Bradley stood on his doorstep with a grin that made Landon brace for his neighbor’s shenanigans.

  “I got a B-minus in pre-calculus. This cute girl, Nikki, tutored me after school.”

  They exchanged a high-five, and then Landon dropped his hands when Bradley suggested a double date. That’s where Landon drew the line.

  “Okay, okay.” Bradley’s grin widened. “I won two tickets for this Saturday from a contest off of social media, so I’m treating you this time.”

  How could Landon tell the young man he had mentored that he had a date that superseded everything else? He couldn’t. Landon had worked hard to get Bradley to open up and trust him. Bradley’s love of soccer was the key to earning higher grades. That meant missing out on time with Gina and his grandmother. Before he met Gina, nothing stood in the way of his mentorship...until now.

  She was understanding when he told Gina that his plans were thwarted because of another soccer game.

  “I don’t know if City SC is one of Denise’s clients, but I’m sure she can get some free tickets.”

  “No, we’re good.” He then explained how Bradley won them. Landon wanted to ask her to come to the game with them, but this was Bradley’s escape from reality. When his mother gave him up, his grandmother took him in, and the teenager’s future mattered to Landon.

  On the day of the game, Landon put his personal life on hold and concentrated on Bradley’s individual development.

  The tickets gave them free admission to the stadium, but Landon treated Bradley to food and a pair of red-and-black sunglasses with the team’s emblem. The pair settled in their seats and waited for the players to take the field.

  “Are you still seeing the Christmas lady?” Bradley’s unexpected question hung in the air.

  “I am.” Landon stared ahead. He didn’t want to encourage more conversation about his personal life.

  It worked. Bradley became animated with his play-by-play. Landon’s entertainment was distracted when Gina texted him.

  Miss you. Denise is boring compared to you. :) Enjoy your time with Bradley.

  Landon chuckled, then grinned. He was glad she was thinking of him while they were apart.

  “Must be the Christmas lady.” Bradley shoved him. “You should have brought her.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Landon bit his bottom lip as he texted her back. Miss you more.

  Chapter Ten

  “You know I’m not going to live forever,” Granny Lonna said while Landon prepared coffee, toast, and scrambled eggs for them in her small but modestly decorated mint green kitchen with black accents.

  Granny Lonna was a petite woman with cinnamon-colored skin and had no deep-set wrinkles. Her skin was always soft and warm, as was her smile. This morning, her smile was absent, replaced by concern.

  The previous night, he had dreamed she said those words can’t live forever. Those haunting words woke him, and he couldn’t force himself back to sleep.

  So here he was, early on a Saturday morning, his heart heavy with worry, at his grandmother’s place to convince himself that everything was alright. It had only been a meaningless dream.

  After last week’s soccer game with Bradley, Landon had hoped to pamper Gina with a show-and-tell Saturday to convey how much his feelings had progressed in a short period. He had planned to treat her to a mid-morning spa, lunch, and dinner and tell Gina he loved her.

  Already, his plans had changed.

  Thinking about Gina took Landon’s mind off Granny Lonna, but her condition and request couldn’t be ignored, especially when his grandmother was direct like this.

  Granny Lonna was speaking to him, and he had zoned out.

  “I don’t want to talk about it all the time,” Landon said, adding a slight trace of sugar to the coffee, which was more cream, and then placing the cup in front of her.

  “I have a bucket list.” She grinned before taking a sip.

  At eighty-two, what hadn’t his grandmother accomplished that she was still clinging to her last breath to fulfill?

  “I want to see another generation of great-grands. You and Janay need to ask the Lord to help you find love. I want to see you both happy.”

  Landon smiled. “Look at me, Granny Lonna. I am happy.”

  She peered through her glasses and studied him, then grunted. “Prove it.”

  The doorbell rang, then a key turned the lock. Seconds later, his only sibling stood in the doorway with carryout. She visited every other weekend since she lived in Kansas City.

  “Hey.” Janay’s eyes were bright with shock. “What are you doing here on a Saturday?”

  Did she have a dream that caused her to come early, too? Landon wasn’t about to ask a question that might confirm his dream wasn’t random. “I came to check on my sweet grandmother.”

  Janay leaned over and placed a loud, juicy kiss on her cheek.

  Granny Lonna beamed, then pushed the breakfast he’d prepared to the side and reached for Janay’s bag.

  He feigned insult and frowned. “Hey, you told me what you had a taste for, and that’s what I cooked.” He didn’t have an appetite until his sister strolled in with a bag of biscuits dusted with powdered sugar on the top. “Did you bring enough for your big brother?”

  “I guess I can spare one,” she teased, then placed the bag on the table and kissed Landon.

  Since Granny Lonna’s release from the hospital earlier in the year, his parents usually checked on her during the week between nurse visits. Janay visited on Saturdays, and Landon stopped by after church on Sundays.

  Janay joined them at the table and blessed her food. After a few bites, Granny Lonna repeated her desire for great-grands.

  “You should talk to your grandson. He’s the one dating.”

  “O-ooh.” His grandmother eyed him. “Why haven’t I met her?”

  “You will today.” Landon stood and walked into the other room to make a private phone call. His plans for the day with Gina had to be tweaked. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be disappointed.

  Gina woke to Landon’s ringtone. She smiled. “Morning.”

  “Good morning to you, too. I hope it’s not too early.”

  Grinning, Gina stretched and eyed the time. “I’ll never refuse your wake-up call.”

  “Thanks. Neither will I. Is today good for you to meet Granny Lonna?”

  His voice was urgent, putting her on alert. “Sure. Is everything okay?”

  Landon was quiet, and that scared her.

  “Landon?” She scooted up in bed.

  “Her condition worries me.”

  Awww. She wished she could hug him. “Will she fuss at me because the items she wants haven’t come in yet? I’ve opened every box that’s been delivered, whether from the children’s home or individuals, in hopes it would be the one ornament your grandmother wants.” She gnawed on her lips, which needed moisturizer.

  “I know, baby.”

  “These creative minds are still in school. If they keep their grades up and stay out of trouble, they can work in the makeshift studio at the children’s home once their homework is done. That’s why we get a lot in the summer and early September...”

  Wait. Gina’s brain rewound. She sucked in her breath in hopes of ingesting the bliss that came from the endearment. “Landon?” Her heart pounded.

  “Yes?”

  “Did you call me baby?” Gina’s heart swayed to a slow beat. “Was that intentional, or a slip of the tongue?”

  He released a low chuckle, and his voice deepened. “Make no mistake about it. I said what I said, and I’m not taking it back.”

  Closing her eyes, Gina recorded the sound of his voice and his declaration in her head. This man liked to push her buttons with his challenges, so she didn’t have time to respond without overthinking things.

  “And I hope you’re feeling some kind of way toward me, too.”

  “I am.” But to say it meant surrendering her heart, but in a month was too soon for her.

  “Well, I’ll give you time to process what I said. I’ll be at your house in a few hours to spend the day with Granny Lonna.”

  “I’ll be ready.” Gina ended the call and immediately phoned her sister.

  Denise answered, “Wherever you want to drag me to, forget it and call Landon. I’m trying to sleep my Saturday away.”

  Gina laughed. “Thanks to you, Landon will take me wherever I want to go.”

  “So why are you waking me up?” Denise yawned.

  “Because Landon called me baby.” Gina gritted her teeth and contained her scream of delight as she kicked her legs under the covers. “And today, I’m going to meet his grandmother.”