What it Takes (27 page)

“Of course you are,” Kelsey muttered, before she went back into the house. “Mom’s ready to go,” she told her father as Janelle closed the door behind them.

George nodded but remained on the floor with his grandchildren for another ten minutes. Janelle sat on the couch and Kelsey leaned against a column, both watching their father with similar looks of contentment on their faces.

George caught their gazes and grinned boyishly as he slowly stood. “Well, I guess I should go. Much longer and I may be sleeping on your couch,” he joked. “Janelle, just remember, your mother loves you and she means well. She watched her mother survive with an alcoholic and can’t understand why you won’t.”

“Dad, surviving isn’t living,” Janelle said.

“I know it’s not.” He gave her a reassuring nod. “I think you’re doing the right thing. I’m always here if you need me.” Janelle rose to hug him. “The house is looking good, by the way. Can’t wait to see your tree.”

“You’ll have to come over this weekend then,” Kelsey suggested as she took her turn hugging him.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said as he walked out the door.

Janelle and Kelsey stood in the doorway and watched their parents drive away. Janelle was the first to walk back into the room and Kelsey took a few steps onto the porch. She looked up at the stars and her thoughts wandered to Patrick. He had a movie premiere that night and she wondered what he was doing at that moment to get ready. Janelle had joked about watching the coverage online while they put up the tree.

As much as that appealed to her, she was hesitant.

They had e-mailed back and forth every day since Thanksgiving and he had called her once. Their conversations were light and fun and he never pressured her for a decision about their relationship. Kelsey wished she could see his stunning smile, his perfect hair, his soft lips. She closed her eyes and remembered the kiss and the way his body felt against hers.

“Kels, you coming in?” Janelle called.

She opened her eyes and took a deep breath as she stepped backward into the room and closed the door. “Yeah, sorry,” she mumbled, then turned and looked happily at the kids.

“Can we put the tree up now?” Zach asked, running to her and wrapping his arms around her.

Kelsey put her hand on his back. “What does your mom say? Isn’t it almost bedtime?”

Zach looked at Janelle, who looked at her watch.

“Sweetie, it’s bath time now and then bedtime. You have school tomorrow,” she stated.

Zach released Kelsey’s leg and, with slumped shoulders, walked to the couch.

“Tell you what,” Kelsey started, glancing at Janelle. Janelle gave her a look that warned her not to countermand her decision. Kelsey grinned and continued, “After you go to bed, your mom and I will get the tree put up and the lights and garland on. You know,” she faked a yawn, “all the boring stuff.” He giggled as she leaned over the couch and put her head near his. “Then, when you get home tomorrow, you and Zoe can help us put the ornaments on.” Kelsey looked up at Janelle. “Will that work, Mommy?”

“Sounds perfect,” Janelle agreed. “But you have to go upstairs right now or Aunt Kelsey and I get to have all the fun.”

The kids immediately hopped up and ran up the steps. Janelle followed closely behind, laughing.

While Janelle bathed the children, Kelsey cleaned the area in front of the bay window where they would put the tree. She moved the couch and the coffee table a little then went upstairs to help Janelle get the kids into bed. After turning the kid’s lights off and coming downstairs, Janelle went to the kitchen and Kelsey opened the Christmas tree box and unpacked it.

As Kelsey was setting the base of the tree up, Janelle came in with a glass of wine for each of them. She retrieved Kelsey’s laptop from the office and hooked it up to the television, then found the premiere online and turned on the TV.

“Seriously?” Kelsey asked wryly as she continued to work on the tree.

“Sure, why not? I wanna see this man,” Janelle teased.

“You’ve seen him.” Kelsey raised an eyebrow at her sister.

“Not since he became your boyfriend.”

Kelsey shook her head and laughed quietly. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Janelle walked over to the branches for the tree, which were laid out on the floor and organized by color. “Whatever. You’ve e-mailed each other how many times? You’ve talked on the phone and he sent you flowers. You blush every time you talk about him. And tell me you weren’t thinking about him earlier.”

Kelsey blankly focused on her sister and took the bottom branches from her and arranged them around the pole. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she repeated. “We’re just friends.”

“Right,” Janelle said, handing Kelsey the next layer of branches. “Oh look, there he is.” Kelsey’s head snapped toward the television and Janelle cackled. “Ha ha, made you look. You so like him!”

“You sound like you’re in high school,” Kelsey teased. “Like, oh my god, he’s, like, so hot and you so like him,” she said shrilly and flipped her hair.

“What-
ever
,” Janelle said, mimicking Kelsey’s tone and they both laughed.

They continued to chat as Kelsey finished putting the tree up. When that was finished, they both moved on to adding lights and garland. It went slowly as their attention occasionally wandered to the premiere. They were done with the tree just in time to see the major players in the film start to arrive.

“And arriving on the red carpet now is tonight’s leading lady, Melanie
O’Neil,”
said the reporter.

Kelsey’s eyes were glued to the television.

“I thought you didn’t care,” Janelle teased.

Kelsey looked at her for a moment and carefully considered her answer before turning her attention back to the television. “I don’t,” she stated. “I’m taking notes for when I have to do it.”

Janelle mumbled something that Kelsey couldn’t understand. The reporters were commenting on Melanie’s dress and career. In the background, another limousine pulled up. Someone Kelsey didn’t recognize got out. Kelsey glanced at her watch; the premiere had been going on for about an hour and a half. Patrick should be arriving soon. She was tempted to send him a quick text to ask him when he’d be there.

“And here he is now! Patrick Lyons is arriving on the red carpet,”
said the reporter.

Kelsey sat up on the couch, resting her elbows on her knees and sipping her wine.

“That’s right, and people may care what the women are wearing, but they’re
just as interested to know who’s on Patrick’s arm tonight,”
a second reporter added.

Kelsey’s heart stopped for a moment and she felt light headed until she remembered to fill her lungs. Did he really bring someone with him? She watched as he got out of the limousine, smiling and waving to the crowd. A beautiful blonde woman stepped out and slipped her arm through his.

Kelsey’s stomach fell to the floor.

The woman was absolutely stunning in a long black and sapphire blue dress, which wrapped around her tall, slender figure. She was about the same height as Patrick and stayed by his side as he approached the crowd. Her beaming expression was beautiful. She was so gorgeous that Kelsey felt sure she should hate her, but was almost too crushed to care.

Kelsey’s heart stopped when she thought she spied a slight swell in the woman’s stomach. A baby bump? She’d known it was too good to be true. He’d probably been pretending to care when all he’d really wanted was to get her into bed. She felt stupid, naïve. Why had she expected his relationship with her to be any different than all of the others?

“Wow, this is a surprise,”
reporter one stated.
“It appears his date is his sister.”

Wait . . . what?

His sister? Kelsey’s sigh of relief was audible; the vise around her chest relaxed. Her cheeks flushed and she was suddenly embarrassed for doubting him, he’d earned better. He’d brought his sister and maybe that meant he did still care for her. Maybe she was different after all.

And like the Cheshire cat, she couldn’t keep a straight face no matter how hard she tried.

Patrick posed for some pictures and signed some autographs, his sister by his side.

“He brought his sister?”

“I see that,” Kelsey replied, not taking her eyes off of him. He was wearing a black suit and a rich purple dress shirt that was buttoned to the top and finished off with a black tie. He turned to the camera and flashed one of his brilliant smiles, and Kelsey melted.

“He’s coming this way, let’s see if we can ask him a question or two,”
said the second reporter.

“Patrick, can we ask you a few questions?”
reporter one opened.

“Sure,”
he replied in his silky voice. Kelsey’s heart skipped at the sound.

“Oh my god,” Janelle muttered. Kelsey barely heard her.

“Is there a reason you brought your sister tonight?”
asked the reporter.

“I needed a date,”
Patrick responded casually.

The reporter wasn’t fazed.
“So there’s no one special in your life right now?”

Patrick looked at the reporter for a moment.
“I don’t believe I said that. Thanks.”
He shook his head, signaling he was done, and walked away.

Kelsey couldn’t believe it. Had he just hinted at their possible relationship?

“Kelsey.”

What if it wasn’t their relationship he was talking about?

“Kelsey.”

But he’d brought his sister. Who else could he be talking about?

“Kelsey!” Janelle hit her on the arm.

“Ow! What?” Kelsey asked loudly, and Janelle shushed her, pointing upstairs, reminding her of the sleeping children.

Kelsey glanced at her sister for just a second, then back at the television. The camera was following Patrick down the carpet. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it to her side as she sent Patrick a message: “I love purple!”

“Did you hear a thing I just said?”

“You called my name,” Kelsey replied, not taking her eyes off of the screen. As Patrick entered the theater, he put his hand in his pocket as he disappeared. Only then did Kelsey turn to Janelle, and found her smirking at her. “What?”

“Do you want to change the color scheme on the tree?” she asked innocently. Kelsey glanced at the white lights and garland already on the tree and wondered why she was asking that question at this stage. With a shake of her head, she faced Janelle again. “Maybe to purple and black. It could work.”

Kelsey swallowed hard and her cheeks burned. “No,” she said softly. “We’ll stick to what we’ve got.”

“You’re probably right. I don’t think the tree could pull it off as well.” She laughed and Kelsey tossed a pillow at her. “He looked good.”

“Of course he did,” Kelsey said with a shrug.

“No, I mean damn good. Baby sister, how’d you get so lucky?”

Kelsey shook her head. “What do you mean?”

“Were you listening? Or did your ears shut down because your eyes were on overload?” Janelle asked as she rolled her eyes.

“Of course I heard him.” Her phone vibrated in her hand and she glanced at it.

“Why do you think I picked it?”

Kelsey tried not to smile.

“That wasn’t what I asked.” Janelle looked at her and tilted her head slightly. “What’re you doing?” She leaned over Kelsey’s lap and saw her phone. She paused, inches away from Kelsey’s face, a huge grin on her lips. “Did he just text you?” She grabbed the phone.

“Give that back,” Kelsey said, reaching across Janelle.

“Oh.” Janelle looked up, mouth hanging open. “You started it.”

Kelsey reluctantly, but happily, nodded.

“You sneaky girl. You’re flirting with him, aren’t you?”

“J, come on.” Kelsey held her hand out.

She returned the phone. “I think I was wrong,” Janelle sang as she stood and went into the kitchen, taking the wine glasses with her.

Kelsey sat patiently, waiting for her sister to elaborate. When she didn’t, she sighed and followed her. “What were you wrong about?” she asked as she leaned over the island.

“I think he might be falling for you,” Janelle said as she washed the glasses. With a wet, soapy glass in her hand, she turned around. “And I think you’re falling for him too.”

“I think you’re right,” Kelsey said quietly.

Sixteen