The Mistletoe Affair

“Very funny. I stopped at the nursery and bought poinsettias for the fireplace.'

“Hmmm,” she said doubtfully.

He moved to face her. “Katherine, I want you to stay away from that man.'

“You do?” she asked, annoyed at him for trying to change the subject from his own behavior. She swiped a wet rag across the table none too gently.

“Yes, I do. I checked him out in town. He has a very bad reputation as a womanizer.'

She paused, looking him up and down. “Takes one to know one.'

He nodded vehemently. “That's right. I used to be exactly like Jared Randall. Stay away from him. He's no good, Katherine.'

She tilted her head to the side and considered him in silence.

After a moment, he raked a hand through his hair. “Babe, he's way out of your league. He'll have you flat on your back before you can count to three.'

Her breathing became short and rapid. Paul had spoken to her like this only once before, but it was not a warning. It was an attack. And even two years later, his hateful, vile words still screamed inside her mind: “I had you flat on your back before I could count to three, Mrs. Cahill.” Afterwards, he'd walked out with the other woman.

The sound of her palm connecting with his face sounded like thunder.

Chapter Eight

Katherine couldn't believe Paul had come over to see Matt so early the next morning. Her mother seemed to derive enjoyment from Paul's arrogant mood at the breakfast table. Looking at him over a forkful of pancakes, Katherine frowned. She would like to do what her mother had suggested the minute he showed up-toss him out the backdoor-headfirst.

“What do you mean Mr. Randall's taking you to buy Christmas presents?” Paul asked Matt. Without waiting for a reply, he turned to her, his voice rising in volume. “You want to explain?'

She opened her mouth then closed it around the delicious pancakes. Withdrawing the fork, she took her time savoring the rich maple taste. “I'm sorry,” she murmured with a bright smile, “were you yelling something at me?” She sipped her coffee.

His steel-gray eyes showed irritation, but he lowered his voice to a reasonable decibel level. “Would you please tell me why Matt is going Christmas shopping with Jared Randall?'

Putting her cup down, she glanced at Matt, who shoved the last bite of ham into his mouth. She smiled at him. “Why don't you brush your teeth, while your dad and I discuss a few things? I laid clothes on the bed for you to wear. I'll be up soon to help with the buttons.'

Wearing what could have passed for a smirk on her lips, her mother forked another pancake from the stack while Matt left the table and trotted up the stairs.

Paul's gaze followed Matt and grimaced. “I should have waited until he was out of earshot.'

Katherine nodded. “Matt wants to go with Jared.'

Paul viciously sliced his ham with his knife, grating the metal against the china plate. “The boy's six-years-old, for Pete's sake. Stop babying him. He needs to learn he can't have what he wants all the time.” Pushing and slicing again, his knife sailed and landed beside her plate.

She shoved her shoulder blades back and took a deep breath. “Matt's five. He'll be six January eleventh. And I think you've already taught him he can't have what he wants every time you cancelled visits.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Jared's taking Matt to the nearby mall to buy a few gifts, including a present for you.'

His jaw tightened and the angles of his cheekbones sharpened. He tossed his fork and napkin onto the plate, reached into his pocket and withdrew his money clip. “For Matt,” he said, taking a deep breath and throwing a fifty-dollar bill in front of her.

Picking up the money, she moved it back over to Paul's place mat. “That won't be necessary.'

His lips compressed into a thin line. “Is this another one of those lessons you're trying to teach me, like the pendant?'

“No,” she said, and glanced to the side.

Her mother's ears seemed to grow two inches.

Katherine coughed. “You can use your money to take Matt shopping another day-just the two of you. A father and son outing. Today, Matt will be spending money he's earned, and Jared wants to make up any difference.'

Paul snarled. “I bet he does. He's using Matt to get to you. We both know what he really wants.'

“And what's wrong with another man wanting my daughter?'

Their heads snapped in the direction of her mother. Katherine glanced back at Paul. He sat inert, apparently stunned into silence.

“Bound to happen sooner or later to a beautiful, highly successful, divorced woman like Katherine.” Devil lights flashed in her mother's eyes. “Guess she has two men chasing her now. And plenty of time to decide if she wants one. Or none.'

Katherine passed Paul's stunned state and now entered her own catatonic state. Inside, though, her mind was anything but quiescent. Images of two men raced by, one a GQ photo-shoot perfect male with steel-gray eyes and jet-black hair, and another a rugged Fabio look-alike, muscular male with lush, dark blond hair and baby-blues deep enough to dive straight into and drown.

“Katherine, I'm talking to you. Are you listening? Earth to Katherine.'

Her attention focused on GQ-she shook her head-Paul.

He took a sip of his coffee, keeping his focus on her. “Your mother's right. It's unreasonable of me not to expect someone else to want you. You're beautiful, successful, desirable-and a wonderful mother to Matt.'

Who, me?

“Don't forget divorced,” her mother added.

Paul plunked his cup down. The saucer clanged. “I'm jealous. Plain, old-fashioned jealous. I'll go shopping by myself for a few items. I don't want to be here when he picks up Matt.” Paul pushed his chair back and stood. “I really am trying, but you aren't cutting me any slack, Katherine. Not one bit.'

He stomped across the room. She jumped when the front door slammed.

Her mother reached and patted her hand. “Well, I think that went very well, even if I do say so.” Katherine stared. “Now tell me about what you did last night, this pendant thing.'

* * * *

Jared laughed at the size of Matt's eyes when he saw the front of the Houston Galleria. He knew Matt would enjoy the enormous Texas-size shopping mall a lot better than the small local one he had intended to take him to. Katherine had agreed with Jared's change of plans when he picked Matt up, and she told them to have a good time.

“It's so big!'

“Yeah. There are two hotels, business offices, shops and restaurants galore.'

They walked through the entrance. Thousands of shoppers scurried within the dome like mice frantically spinning on wheels. Jared and Matt held hands and joined the crowds hurrying from one store to another store.

“What's that?” Matt pointed to a group of couples swirling around in a big open area in the middle of the mall. “They got boots on, and there's a humongous Christmas tree.'

Jared knelt beside him. “It's an ice skating rink.'

Matt's face set in determination. “I wanna learn to do that.'

“We'll talk to your mom.” Jared stood. “Maybe the three of us could come and try it sometime.'

Matt clapped his hands, his gaze swinging from right to left. Christmas music echoed throughout the mall. Every store was decked with snow scenes, Christmas lights and sale signs, which served like a feeding frenzy to the