Authors: N.J. Young
Chapter Eleven
The
energy of the Christmas Eve Food-and-Wine Festival was almost enough to cheer
Linzee up. When she’d learned Ethan was planning the festival outside, she’d
thought he was crazy, but it really was brilliant.
Dazzling
lights were strewn along the evergreen trees lining the park. Tables and booths
were adorned with garland and ornaments. Holiday music was piped in on speakers
hidden in the trees, and the red-and-silver lights on the massive Christmas
tree in the center illuminated the tables and booths surrounding it.
Children
scurried by giggling on their way over to Dylan Price’s area, and Linzee
couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time she’d seen kids pass right by
plates full of cookies, but she didn’t blame them. Her frosted Santas and
Christmas trees were no match for the puppies that Dylan Price had in a large
pen.
She’d
helped Marnie at the shelter when the pups were taken in, and she’d fallen in
love with them. If only she were staying in town, Linzee actually would have
adopted one of the little pugs. She’d always wanted a dog, but her ex hated
animals.
Marnie,
who was in the pen with Dylan, caught her eye and gave her a big smile and a
wave.
Linzee
waved back, then turned to help the people that came up to the table. After
talking to some of Luke’s construction crew, who’d eaten about a dozen cookies
in ten seconds flat, chatting with Dylan’s partner and his pregnant wife, and
laughing with the new doctor in town, Linzee realized just how many friends
she’d made in the short time she’d been in Oakville. The family-like atmosphere
of the little town was something she’d never expected.
“That
smells delicious,” Tori said, and Linzee turned to see her standing over the
large cauldron of creamy vegetable-and-gnocchi soup. Tori’s eyes widened as she
took in the rest of the food. “Whoa, what’s that?”
Linzee
smiled as she handed Tori a plate of Spinach Fontina Strata.
“Why
don’t you just taste it and tell me what you think?”
After
one big bite, Tori’s eyes rolled back in her head as she groaned. “Wow, you are
a good chef if you can make spinach taste this good.”
“Are
you talking her into staying?” Ethan came up and threw an arm around his
girlfriend. A pang of regret went through Linzee. She wanted that easy
relationship with Foster, but it was too late now. She was doing the right
thing. Even if he did want her, she needed to give him the opportunity to be
with someone younger, to have a family. She cared for him too much to take that
away from him.
Her
heart skipped a beat at the thought. If her daughter had come up to her and
told her she’d fallen for a man she’d known less than two weeks, Linzee would
have thought she was crazy. But in all of her forty years, she’d never felt
this way about anyone before. She’d never felt so much potential with a man so
quickly, and the feelings scared her. The possibilities scared her. But above
everything else, she wanted Foster to be happy. There was no question in her
mind about that.
“I
haven’t tried yet,” Tori was saying to Ethan.
Then
Becca popped up behind her brother. She was practically bouncing with
excitement. “I have Linzee’s surprise. Are we ready?”
Her
brow furrowed. “Surprise?” Had they gotten her a Christmas present?
Becca
giggled. “Yes, surprise! And you’re going to love this!” Ethan and Tori both
grinned and then stepped aside.
Linzee’s
confusion was replaced with pure joy as a beautiful redhead stood grinning at
her.
“Georgia!
Omigod, Georgia! How did you get here?” She raced around the table to throw her
arms around her daughter.
The
girl laughed and hugged her back. “I took the train. I didn’t think I had
enough money for the train, but Mr. Price overnighted me tickets so I could be
here for Christmas Eve.” Georgia reached up with a gloved hand to wipe Linzee’s
cheeks. “Oh, Mom, don’t cry.” But she was tearing up too.
Linzee
hugged her daughter fiercely. “I’m just so happy to see you.” She turned to her
boss. “Ethan, I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”
But
Ethan smiled and shook his head. “I wish I could take credit, Linz. But it was
a different Mr. Price that sent the tickets.”
She
blinked a couple of times before the realization struck her. Foster. She’d
treated him poorly, but he’d still gone out of his way to make sure her
daughter was here on Christmas.
“Tori
and I are going to cover the booth while you spend time with your daughter,”
Becca said as she walked around the table and snatched up a frosted Santa
cookie.
“But…”
She didn’t know what to say. She’d only been in town a few weeks, and these
people treated her like family.
A
sense of peace filled her as she realized she couldn’t leave them. With one arm
around her daughter, she looked at Ethan and shook her head. “Ethan, I’ve made
such a horrible mistake.”
Her
boss smiled warmly, understanding immediately. “Well, thank God you came to
your senses and finally realized it. And lucky for you, this is a mistake you
can fix.”
Chapter Twelve
After
Foster had picked up Georgia Felton at the train station and dropped her off at
the festival, he stuck around for a little while. Linzee had done a good job
with her daughter. The girl was smart and funny like her mom, and just as
beautiful.
He
was ashamed of the way he’d acted toward Linzee, and he was glad he was able to
do something for her that would make her happy. He’d never cared about someone
so much that he wanted them to be happy above all else, even if it meant not
being with him.
“There
he is!” His mother’s voice pulled Foster out of his thoughts. Sally Price wore
a green knit cap that was adorned with sparkles, and a bright red ski jacket.
He would swear his mother was aging backwards. If he didn’t know her, he’d be
shocked that she was a sixty-year-old woman with five kids.
But
his mother wasn’t alone. Next to Sally was Sarah Donovan, CEO of the Donovan
Foundation. Otherwise known as the woman who had denied Foster the Donovan
Award three years in a row.
“Mrs.
Donovan.” He reached out a hand to shake hers. “Good to see you again.”
She
laughed. “I doubt you mean that, but thank you, Foster.”
He
was a bit taken aback at her bluntness. “I was speaking with your mother and
she told me how upset you were that you didn’t receive the photography award
this year.”
Foster
loved his small studio in Oakville, but the award meant he would be taken
seriously as a photojournalist. How could he not be upset? And how could his
mother go straight to Sarah Donovan to tell her that? Not that it should
surprise him. Sally Price didn’t know the meaning of the word subtle.
“Mom,
really?” he said, but his mother just winked at him.
“Oh,
don’t blame her. Foster, I had no idea you didn’t know. This came as such a
shock to me.”
His
brow furrowed in confusion. “Know what?”
“Foster,
your photography is incredible. You are the most brilliant artist I’ve ever
seen. You had to know that we’d give you that award every year if we could.”
Now
he really was confused. “I don’t understand. I haven’t even won the award
once.”
This
time Sally was the one that spoke. “Baby, you remember what a mess I was when
your dad died.”
His
dad had died five years ago in a tragic car accident. But what did that have to
do with the Donovan Award?
“A
chunk of your dad’s money went to various charities, but at the time, I didn’t
pay much attention to which ones,” explained his mom.
“Foster,
the Donovan Foundation was struggling at that time,” Sarah said. “The donation your
father left us in his will helped us revamp the institution. It kept us
afloat.”
“Donation?”
The pieces of what she was saying were starting to fall into place.
“I
wish I could give you the Donovan Award, Foster, but with the money we received
from your family … well, it would be unethical. I’m so sorry. I thought you
knew that.”
He
was stunned. All this time, he’d felt his work was inferior, but it didn’t have
anything to do with him at all.
“I’d
give you the award every year if I could. You’re the most talented photographer
I’ve ever seen.”
His
mother smiled. “That’s what I’ve always told him.” Sally reached for his hand,
her eyes full of love.
“Well,
I doubt he needs me to tell him how talented he is,” Sarah said. “Or anyone,
for that matter. It’s not like an award measures your self-worth.”
He felt his mother’s hand squeeze his. “I
always tell him that, too. Never doubt yourself.”
Sarah
looked around, her long black hair ruffling lightly in the cool breeze. “You
have some talented children, Sally. An amazing photographer with this one, and
I can’t wait to taste Ethan’s food that everyone is raving about.”
“Oh
yes, I promised to take you to his booth.” Sally clapped her hands together. “I
heard Linzee made shortbread—my favorite!”
Foster
leaned down as his mother stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. “I’ll see you
later at Ethan’s, dear.”
The
women chattered away as they headed off in the direction of Ethan’s booth.
After
only a moment’s hesitation, he followed them. His mother was right. He had
doubted himself for too long. Not just his photography, but his self-worth in
general. He’d thought Linzee didn’t think he was worthy enough to be first in
her life. Well, maybe she was just as scared as he was. How could she trust him
when he hadn’t even trusted himself?
Everything
seemed so clear now. He wasn’t going to let the woman he loved walk away
without a fight. When he walked up to the booth, he saw Tori serving up plates
of food and Becca handing out cookies. Linzee was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter Thirteen
After
spending the rest of the evening with her daughter, Linzee pulled her car up in
front Ethan Price’s house. He’d recently purchased a large Victorian-style home
at the edge of town, and she knew how thrilled he was to host his whole family
on Christmas Eve.
He’d
invited her earlier in the week to come, but she’d turned him down. Now, here
she was. She just had to find the guts to get out of her car and go in.
“Mom,
what are you waiting for?” Georgia asked from the passenger seat.
She
turned to look at her daughter. “Just trying to gather my nerve.” But her
nerves were getting the better of her. She leaned her head against the steering
wheel. “What if he laughs at me, Georgia? What if this is all in my head, and
he doesn’t really have feelings for me?”
“Seriously,
Mom?” Linzee could almost hear her daughter roll her eyes. “I rode back to the
festival with him from the train station,” Georgia said. “I heard the way he
talked about you. Trust me, he has feelings. I’d give anything if a man’s eyes
lit up that way when he talked about me.”
She
turned to study her daughter. Georgia was probably around the same age as the
blonde she’d heard talking about Foster at the coffee shop the other day. What
if he just didn’t want Linzee because she was too old? How could she compete
with girls her daughter’s age?
“I
know exactly what you’re thinking. You’re only forty, Mom. That’s young!”
Linzee
practically snorted. She thought of her daughter’s teenage years when Georgia
had once referred to her as old and out of touch.
“I’m
serious. And if people think differently, who cares? Didn’t you always teach me
to stand up for myself and not care what anyone else thinks of me?” Georgia
sighed. “I love Dad, but I’m not stupid. He never treated you well, Mom. You
spent way too long in an unhappy marriage. You finally have a chance to be
happy, and if you don’t take it, I’ll … I’ll…” Georgia fisted her hands. “Well,
maybe I’ll take
you
over
my
knee.”
Linzee
laughed despite herself. “When did you get to be so smart, little girl?” She
reached over to pull her daughter in for a hug.
“I’ve
always been smart,” Georgia said. “I’m just like you.”
Chapter Fourteen
The laughter and chatter of his family swirled
around him as Foster sat on Ethan’s couch and nursed a cup of eggnog. He’d
looked all over the festival for Linzee, but she wasn’t there. He’d thought
about tracking her down, but she needed to spend time with her Georgia.
Tomorrow,
he’d find her. He couldn’t wait any longer to tell her how he felt about her. He
just had to control his urge to jump up and go in search of her this very
second.
“Who’s
going first?” Becca asked. She held her gift on her lap, vibrating with
excitement like a little kid.
He
grinned as Dylan laughed. “You ask that every year, Bec. You know damn well we
go from oldest to youngest.”
“Oh
yeah?” Becca huffed. “Well, screw you guys. I think it’s time to change that
rule. I say youngest goes first.” When she started to rip the wrapping paper,
Dylan snatched the gift out of her hand.
“Hey!
Gimme!” Becca leaped at her brother.
Foster
was about to jump into the fray when the doorbell rang. “Who on earth could
that be?” He looked at Ethan, who shrugged, making no move to get up from his
big club chair.
Foster
rolled his eyes. “Gee, don’t bother to get up or anything. I’ll get it.” His
family was all here. He didn’t know anyone else who would be at the door after
eleven on Christmas Eve.
“Maybe
you’ll get lucky, Foster.” Becca’s eyes glimmered. “Maybe it’s Santa.”
He
chuckled as he got up to answer the door. His breath stilled when he opened it
to see Linzee standing there with her daughter.
“Linz,”
he breathed. She looked so beautiful. Her cheeks were pink, and her green eyes sparkled
as she looked at him. What ever made him think he could let her go?
“You
made it!” Ethan boomed from behind him. He nudged Foster aside to take Linzee’s
hand and lead her into the room.
“Oh,
yay,” Becca squealed. She ran over to grab Georgia’s hand and led her over to the
couch. “I hope you like eggnog. Ethan’s is the best.”
Tori
appeared from the kitchen and handed a glass to Georgia before she came over to
wind her arm around Ethan’s waist. “I’m so glad you guys made it, Linzee.”
Foster
still couldn’t take his eyes off of Linzee. That pink tongue snaked out to
swipe over her lips, and he immediately felt himself harden.
“Me
too,” she said, looking at him. “Uh, Foster,” she said nervously as she tucked
a flyaway curl behind her ear. “Can I talk to you, um, privately?”
She
looked down, but he wanted her eyes on him. He reached down and put a finger
underneath her chin, tilting her face up. Even though she was nervous, she
looked much more relaxed than she had last time he’d seen her. Open. Was it
just having her daughter here, or had she started to let those walls down?
“Absolutely,”
he said. He took her hand, entwining his fingers with hers, and was more
pleased than he could imagine when she didn’t try to pull away. “We’ll be
back,” he said to no one in general, but grinned wider as his mom smiled and
winked at him.
He
led Linzee to Ethan’s master bedroom at the end of the hall. He knew the door
had a lock on it, and he wanted to talk to her without threat of his siblings
walking in.
After
he heard the satisfying click of the lock, he turned to look at her. She slid
her coat off and draped it over a chair in the corner. Her red sweater hugged
her full breasts, and he ached to touch her, to cup those breasts in his hands.
He remembered vividly the satisfying weight of them, and how sensitive they
were when he kissed and nibbled them.
He
shoved his hands in his pockets, hoping Linzee wouldn’t notice his massive
erection.
“Foster,”
she said, looking at her hands that were clasped in front of her. “I wanted you
to hear this from me first.”
He
jerked his eyes to her face, expecting the worst. But then she looked up at him
and smiled.
“I’ve
decided to keep my job with Ethan. I’m staying in Oakville.”
His
heart leapt with joy. “You’re staying?”
She
nodded and continued. “I realized that if I left I would be running away, and I,
uh … I don’t want to run away from you, Foster.” She took a shaky breath. “I
want to be with you. I realize I have no right to say that after the way I
treated you, but I … I…” She closed her eyes as if summoning strength from some
unforeseen force. “I’m falling in love with you.”
He
felt like his heart was going to pound out of his chest. She loved him. This
beautiful, incredible woman loved him. “Linzee,” he breathed in wonder.
“You
don’t have to say anything,” she said in a rush. “I just wanted to—needed to—tell
you that. I can go now.”
When
she tried to walk around him to get to the door, he grasped her upper arms and
hauled her close, his mouth descending on hers.
She
hesitated for only a moment before her arms wound around his neck, opening her lips
on a light moan. His tongue surged forward to explore her mouth. She tasted
sweet, like cookies and frosting. As long as he lived, he’d never be able to
get enough of her.
“I
love you, Linzee,” he whispered against her mouth. “Don’t you ever leave me
again, do you hear me?”
“You
love me? Really?” Her eyes shone as if she couldn’t believe what he was saying.
“Even though I’m older than you? Even though I—”
“Shhh.”
He stopped her. “You’re perfect. You’re perfect for me, little firecracker. And
I am not going to make the ridiculous mistake of letting you go again.”
She
leaned into him and hugged him tight. “I love you, Foster.”
When
she shifted against him, the friction of her against the hard line of his cock was
nearly enough to bring him to his knees.
Standing
back to look at him, Linzee asked, “Now how are you going to go out in front of
your mom and your brothers and sister when you have a raging hard-on?
He
couldn’t help but laugh. “Linz, I’m pretty sure I’ve been hard since the moment
I laid eyes on you.”
Her
fingers threaded through the back of his hair and tugged gently, bringing his
mouth back to hers. This time when he kissed her, it wasn’t sweet, but it was
hungry. Damn, he was starving for her.
“I
need you, Linz. I don’t care if my family is out there. I need you right now.”
When
she pulled away, he almost expected her to protest. But instead, she smiled at
him and kicked off her boots. Foster’s mouth watered as he watched her strip
off her sweater and unbutton her jeans. She stood in front of him in red, lacy
panties and a matching bra.
As
long as he lived, he would never forget how beautiful she looked at this very
moment. “You’re so fucking incredible.”
She
smiled and stood up straighter as if his words gave her courage. When she took
a step toward him, he expected her to pull him in for another kiss. Instead,
she sank to her knees.
Her
hands went to the button of his jeans. The tongue that darted out across her
lips was going to be his undoing.
“Linz,
you don’t have to do this.” But he made no move to stop her. The thought of her
mouth around him made his cock throb.
When
she slid his jeans and briefs down his legs, Foster enjoyed the way her eyes
widened as his cock bobbed in front of her face. He was aching to thrust
himself between her lips, but he took a deep breath, forcing himself not to
rush. He wanted to savor this moment.
Linzee
leaned in to swirl her tongue around the large head of his dick, tasting the
pearl of arousal that already seeped from the tip. Her eyes looked up to him as
if searching for approval. When he opened his mouth to speak, all that came out
was a groan. His hands found her hair, needing to touch her.
He
watched as she opened her mouth and slowly took him in. When she pulled away,
her cheeks hollowing as she sucked, he had to grit his teeth and clench his
entire body to avoid shooting off in her mouth. He wanted nothing more than to wind
a hand in her hair and fuck her mouth until he felt the back of her throat.
No
woman had ever had the effect on him that Linzee did. He watched the movement
of her head and her lips as he felt her tongue circling and rolling over his
cock. She would pull him all the way out and let her tongue play along the slit
before sucking him back in hungrily. After only a few thrusts, he could feel himself
against her soft throat and it felt better than he’d imagined.
“Linz,
stop.” His voice shook. “Sugar, you have to stop.” His hand gripped her hair to
pull her way, and she let him go with a pop.