Sleigh
Bells on Fourth Avenue
LK Hunsaker
©LK
Hunsaker. All Rights Reserved.
Smashwords Edition 2010
This is a free read short story. Please share the link to the story instead of forwarding to friends. Readers may print one copy for their own use and may lend that one copy. All copyright information must be included. For other uses, please contact the author through http://www.ElucidatePublishing.net
This is a work of fiction. Any similarities between characters and events and real life is coincidental or are used fictitiously.
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With a quick swipe at the dampness under her eye – only one, as that was all she would allow – Misty knuckled the television switch to stop its noise. It wasn’t noise, really. She adored his voice, even with the squawking of that brunette Barbie doll actress butting in. So it was her job. So she got paid too many big bucks to prance around looking Hollywood perfect in front of millions of viewers. So she was the one who got him his dream job after all the inept floundering Misty had done for him. So what? It was easy for her. She was in the business. She had connections. Did it matter more than the years Misty had done her best?
She supposed it did. Trying didn’t mean much if you failed, she supposed.
She was happy for him. He deserved to be there. But she couldn’t watch him. It angered her far too much. There was no choice but to walk away.
Pulling at the waist of her old gray sweatpants that slipped down again as she released them, Misty decided she should eat since it was nearly two and she hadn’t yet bothered. There was something to be said for sulking. She rarely ate. It was great for her shrinking waistline. Of course, the treadmill she used to vent anger didn’t hurt.
Maybe she would shower first. She hadn’t yet bothered with that, either.
Allowing herself to tromp up the stairs as loudly as she could, delighting in the rare time with no one else in the house, she could imagine his pretty little awards beneath her feet. She helped you get that one, and that one, and that one…. Hearing herself giggle out loud brought her to a stunned stop. She wouldn’t really do it. Misty would never hurt him that way, regardless of how he’d turned on her.
Okay, so he didn’t really. He only accepted help from someone who could truly help him. What choice did he have?
Still. He didn’t have to do it the way he had. He didn’t have to hide it from her. She had been trying.
A deep, shaky breath shoved her farther up the stairs and into her bathroom. Barely under the hot water, the phone interrupted. She decided to ignore it. Probably a salesman, anyway.
She would have to quit watching television. There was no way to know when his commercial would air, the commercial making him too many big bucks. Miss Hollywood got that for him, too, in all likelihood.
It wasn’t like he couldn’t afford to call. Or visit. He hadn’t visited once since he left. Four years ago. Four years exactly. A few hesitant phone calls came, and then they stopped.
It also wasn’t like she couldn’t afford to visit him. Seth told her she should. He said he could make arrangements for someone to stay with the kids for a few days, or they could all go and see the sights. But she didn’t want her kids there. David picked up the acting bug when his parents took him to Hollywood for a visit. She wouldn’t risk doing that to her children. Why would she want that? So they could also turn on her in favor of some girl who could do more for them?
No. She didn’t want her kids there. And she didn’t want her Seth there, hanging out with those always perfect women. Misty sure didn’t need the real-life comparison. On television was bad enough.
The phone’s incessant ring made her fume and she didn’t bother drying before going to answer it. Maybe she would give the salesman the image of her rather flabby body naked and dripping water all over the carpet. It would serve him right.
“Hey, I was getting worried.”
“Seth. You’re supposed to be…”
“Everything okay?”
“Yes. Where are the kids?”
“Right here. They loved the movie but want to come back and pick you up and take you to the park with us.”
“The park? It’s full of snow.”
“Wear your boots, those really sexy ones that lace up the front.”
“Sexy. Right. They’re clunkers.”
“They’re sexy on you.”
She couldn’t help a grin. “You’re crazy, and I just got out of the shower.”
“Did you?” His voice lowered. “What are you wearing?”
“Nothing but water that’s getting the carpet all wet. And a few goose bumps because it’s cold being wet and naked in the winter.”
“Ohhh, maybe I should dump the kids at my brother’s then and come home alone.”
“Your brother’s out of town. And I’m getting dressed. It’s cold.”
“Ah well, dress warm. We’ll be there soon.”
With the click of the phone, Misty made a face and returned to the master bath, eyeing herself in the mirror while grabbing a towel. Her former trim and toned shape was less shapely after having two kids, but it was working its way back.
To the park. In the winter. She hadn’t done that since … since she’d gotten mad at David and walked away from him while they were ice skating together, since he told her he was moving.
No wonder he didn’t call.
It was also the day she met Seth. Furious, stalking through the snow in … in her clunky lace up boots and old faded red out-of-style coat. She’d slipped on ice, right in the middle of a group of well-dressed elegant-looking college kids. Her face had to have matched her coat when a strong ungloved hand reached out to help her up. He had the sweetest strongly masculine face she’d ever seen.
He
walked her to her car, letting her hold his arm, and asked her to
walk across the street for coffee. All those who’d accused her of
being a cold prude would have been surprised to know she let him kiss
her good night, a nice, long, masculine-sweet kiss.
~~~~
“I have a surprise for you.”
Admiring the millions of little white lights strung around every tree in the park, Misty squeezed her husband’s fingers and warned her children not to touch the metal railing with any bare skin. She doubted they heard through their chatter.
“You aren’t intrigued enough to ask?” His voiced teased.
“You’ll tell me, anyway.”
Seth planted a light kiss aside her head. “You know me too well.”
“You’ve never been hard to read. My favorite trait of yours.”
“Your favorite? Hm, I’m not doing something right, then.”
Daring to pull her attention from the little ones for a moment, she met his eyes, stopping him. “I have a lot of favorites, starting with the first time you offered your hand, helping me instead of laughing. Not something I was used to.” Misty inched closer. “I’ve loved you from that moment. Have I ever told you that?”
“No.” He brushed cool fingers against her cheek. “I’m glad to know.”
“What about you? When did you fall for me? And why? I’ve never been able to figure out why you did.”
A soft grin lit his eyes. “The moment your anger and embarrassment turned into that beautiful laugh. I knew then how strong you were, how gentle, how much you needed someone not to laugh, except with you.”
Misty slipped her arms around his back, listening to him tell their children to stay where they were.
“Want your surprise yet?”
“Yes.” She found his face.
“Are you sure?”
“If it’s from you, yes.”
“It’s not exactly. I’m an accomplice.”
She couldn’t help laughing. Seth as an accomplice to anything was too funny a thought not to laugh.
“David’s getting married.”
Her laughter stopped as she stared.
“He wanted you to know before it hits the papers.”
“I don’t know why. He hasn’t spoken to me in four years.” She started walking away, toward her kids, and turned back. “How do you know?”
“He called at work.”
“You? He called you instead of me?”
“He wasn’t sure you would talk to him.”
“He could have tried.”
“Honey, you walked away.”
“Because…”
“I know, but it was a long time ago.” Seth stroked her face again. “It’s Christmas Eve. He’s here. And she came with him. She even gave up spending Christmas with her family so he could spend it with you. If you’ll allow.”
“Here?” Misty wouldn’t allow tears. She wouldn’t.
Seth turned his head and nodded toward the little Victorian-style bridge. In the dusk, she could make out two figures, her hand gripping his arm.
“Tell me it’s not the brunette Barbie doll.” She felt a cringe through her stomach.
“She’s not an actress. She’s a secretary.”
Her jaw dropped, until she saw David look over at her kids yelling at her and Seth to come see their snow angels. He met her face. And he started walking, the girl still on his arm.
With Seth’s nudge, Misty moved toward him. She had no idea what to say. Should she tell him off again? He kept glancing at her kids he’d never met. It fueled her anger and she stopped several steps away, throwing a look to tell him he might as well stop where he was.
He greeted Seth and gave Misty a cautious smile. But he addressed the girl. “Gloria, this is my cousin Misty. If not for her, I never would have made it to Hollywood. I would have given up long ago.”
Tears crept into Misty’s eyes as Gloria smiled and told her how wonderful it was to finally meet her and how much David talked about her.
“Does he?”
“Oh yes, and with such respect. I’ve told him he’s an idiot for brushing you off the way he did. He’s grown up, though, and...”
David shrugged and interrupted. “And I’m sorry. I always give you half the credit for where I am.”
“Never to me, you didn’t.”
“I know. What can I say, Mist? I was nineteen and too one-tracked. I felt stuck. I wanted a clean start. And then when I did grow up enough to realize what I’d done, I was so embarrassed, I didn’t know how to talk to you.”
“You could have tried hello, how are you?”
He nodded, dropping his eyes. “Yes.” He raised them again. “So how are you? These belong to you, I’m guessing.”
Seth jumped in when Misty refused to answer and introduced their children.
David squatted down to their level and talked to each, winning them over much too quickly. He was always much too personable for his own good. Things were too easy for him. Except not everything. She supposed it wasn’t his fault he hadn’t had to struggle the same way she had just to fit in. It wasn’t his fault that when he did finally hit a brick wall, he got stuck since he wasn’t used to climbing over them.
“Hey.” He stood up again and took a step closer. “Remember how we planned to take a long sleigh ride around the city together on Christmas Eve as soon as we both found ‘the right one’?”
She could only nod.
“I have it arranged. If you’re still interested.” He tilted his head toward Fourth Avenue where a horse and carriage jingling a bunch of large sleigh bells came closer. She hadn’t even bothered to hear them, or pay attention.
Fighting the moisture under her eyes that caught the cold winter breeze, Misty nodded again. “But only if you’ll spend Christmas with us, since you’re here and all.”
He smiled, that beautiful smile that always captured hearts. “We would love to.”
Between the smile and the sparkling holiday lights and her children clamoring at her legs and Seth’s patient, understanding arms helping to warm her, Misty couldn’t possibly retain the anger she’d guarded so well for the past several years. She rushed to close the distance and threw her arms over his shoulders, laughing when he swirled her around as he had when they were young.
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LK
Hunsaker
~Literary Romance with an Artsy Twist~
http://www.lkhunsaker.com
http://www.elucidatepublishing.net
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