A Family for Christmas
Jordan Silver
Contents
Epigraph
Also by Jordan Silver
Jordan Silver Writing as Jasmine Starr
Author’s Website
Copyright
1. Bella
2. Luca
3. Bella
4. Bella
5. Bella
6. Luca
7. Bella
8. Luca
9. Bella
10. Luca
11. Luca
12. Bella
13. Luca
14. Luca
15. Bella
Epilogue
Epigraph
Luca meets Bella and have a one nightstand. In the morning she disappears and he has no memory of her or the night. Four years later he runs into her…and his twins.
December 2012
Luca:
It's morning. I'm in a strange hotel room. I vaguely remember returning last night after hitting the bar downstairs, but there's something else prickling at the recesses of my mind.
Four Years Later
I see a figure off in the distance, it sparks something in my mind I don't know what, I don't know this person; do I?
As I draw closer my breath speeds up, my skin prickles and the hairs on my arm stand on end. I grow light headed, you turn around, your eyes grow round and then you try to hide behind your golden brown hair.
"Mommy there..."
Wait you have a kid, who are you, why do you seem so familiar...the kid, why does he look...
I stop in my tracks, I know that face I see it every morning in the mirror.
"Momma..."
I turn my head to this new interruption, there's another one, a little girl...I look at you as the pieces start to fall into place.
It all comes flooding back, that night I wasn't too sure of, that night that has haunted me for nearly four years almost to the day. The dream I've been chasing. But it wasn't a dream, it was real, you are real.
"Who are you?"
Also by Jordan Silver
A Family for Christmas
Discover other titles by Jordan Silver
Bad Santa
SEAL Team Series
Connor
Logan
Zak
Tyler
Cord
THE LYON SERIES
LYON’S CREW
Lyon’s Angel
Lyon’s Way
Lyon’s Family
Passion
Passion
Rebound
The Pregnancy Series
His One Sweet Thing
The Sweetest Revenge
Sweet Redemption
THE SPITFIRE SERIES
MOUTH
Lady Boss
Beautiful Assassin
The Protectors
The Guardian
The Hit Man
Anarchist
Season One
Season Two
EDEN HIGH
SEASON ONE
Season 2
What A Girl Wants
Taken
Bred
Sex And Marriage
My Best Friend’s Daughter
Loving My Best Friend’s Daughter
THE BAD BOY SERIES
THE THUG
Bastard
The Killer
The Villain
The Champ
The Mancini Way
Catch Me if You Can
The Bad Girls Series
The Temptress
The Seductress
HIS WANTS (A PREQUEL)
Taking What He Wants
Stolen
The Brit
The Homecoming
The Soccer Mom’s Bad Boy
The Daughter In Law
Southern Heat
His Secret Child
Betrayed
Night Visits
The Soldier’s Lady
Billionaire’s Fetish
Rough Riders
Stryker
Caleb’s Blessing
The Claiming
Man of Steel
Fervor
My Little Book of Erotic Tales
Tryst
His Xmas Surprise
Tease
Brett’s Little Headaches
Strangers in The Night
My Little Farm Girl
The Bad Boys of Capitol Hill
Bad Boy
The Billionaire and The Pop Star
Gabriel’s Promise
Kicking and Screaming
His Holiday Gift
Diary of a Pissed Off Wife
The Crush
The Gambler
Sassy Curves
Dangerously In Love
The Billionaire
The Third Wife
Talon’s Heart
Naughty Neighbors
Forbidden
Deception
Texas Hellion
Illicit
Queen of My Heart
The Wives
Biker’s Baby Girl
Broken
Indiscretion
The Good Girl
The Forever Girl
Biker’s Law
Jordan Silver Writing as Jasmine Starr
The Perfect Pet Series
Pet
Training His Pet
His Submissive Pet
Breeding His Pet
Jordan Silver Writing as Tiffany Lordes
American Gangster
Double The Trouble
Author’s Website
http://jordansilver.net
Copyright
Kindle Edition, License Notes
All Rights Reserved. In accordance with the U.S Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher/author is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
First eBook edition: November 2016
1
Bella
I smiled as I heard the pitter patter of little feet rushing down the hallway to my room. I stole one last snuggle under the warm down comforter as I psyched myself up to roll out of bed and face the day.
I could almost feel the cold floorboards under my feet and that first brush of cool air that will inevitably come when I leave the comfort of my bed. A New England winter is not for the faint of heart, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else.
Couldn’t imagine giving up the tree lined streets and moose munch grass covered in snow. Frozen lakes, and ski slopes.
“Momma…mommy.” My twin son and daughter came flying into the room and on to the bed for their morning hugs and kisses. I soon forgot all about the cold and misery that I would soon face as I enjoyed the innocent love of the two little beings that owned my heart.
No matter what else the day may bring, there was no better way to get it started. I inhaled their scent and stole a few more hugs before the tickle monster attacked amidst fits of glee.
I fought my way out of the tangle of arms and legs and caught my breath.
“Okay kiddos, mommy has to get ready for work.” I dragged out of bed and found my ratty old house slippers and slipped my feet into them as I had a child hanging off of each leg. Their wild giggles and chortling helped to ease the strain of worry I’ve been burdening under for the p
ast month or so.
“Cereal time munchkins.” I helped them into their booster seats making sure to strap them in safely before hitting the button on the coffee carafe and grabbing their little bowls, Ninja Turtles for Luca and Hello Kitty for Luna.
I kept everything within arm’s reach of each other because I’m not a morning person on the best of days, and winter makes it worst. I checked the thermostat and turned it up one degree all the while hoping the heat wouldn’t be cut off before I could get my overdue payment in.
I poured the kids their cereal and turned the radio on to drown out the noise of my own thoughts. The sweet melody of holiday music filled the air and my babies clapped their hands in approval. One day when they’re old enough to understand, like maybe when they’re twenty-five, I’ll tell them why they were so in love with the season, the day.
I smiled wanly at the memory that I try hard everyday to forget, which is next to impossible since all I have to do is look two feet away at one or the other of them to be reminded.
How could I ever regret something that had given me these two? Sure life could’ve been easier had I known…but now was not the time to dwell on such things. It’s Christmas, or close to it anyway. Time to put on a happy face for the kiddies. No sense in spoiling their fun.
“Jingle bells, jingle bells…” my three-year old daughter started singing her favorite Christmas carol along with the radio as her brother grinned at her indulgently. He’s such a gentle boy, so calm, at least when it comes to his sister. I sometimes wonder where he’d got that calm demeanor. It certainly wasn’t from me. And I didn’t know enough about his dad to know if it was he who had passed that on to his son.
I sipped my coffee as we had our usual morning conversation that included lots of repetition, but I didn’t care, I loved this time with them. They were growing so fast I knew any day now it would be time to send them out the door to the school bus. I felt just a little sadness leave me at the thought. I better soak up all these moments now then I guess, because I didn’t see any more babies in my future. Shake it off Bella.
I checked the clock and saw I had a little less than an hour to get out the door for work. My mom should be pulling in the driveway any minute now. “Come on kiddies mommy has to have her morning shower.”
“I want TV.” My little princess fought with the restraints on the seat with no luck and I knew if I didn’t get over there in the next second and release her there would be hell to pay.
Unlike her brother, she was not the most patient sort and she wasn’t shy about letting her displeasure be known. “Not right now Luna you know the rules.” I never let them out of my sight not even for a minute. When I’m in the shower, I leave them on the bathroom floor mat playing with their toys, that way I can see and hear them through the curtain.
They were soon going to be too old for that, but for now it was the best I could do. I flicked off the water ten minutes later feeling at least half alive as I headed back to my room to get dressed. The little ones followed behind having one of their conversations that no one else could ever understand, making me smile from the heart.
This time of year was always a little harder for me. While everyone else was rushing around with their shopping and party planning, I was barely going through the motions. If not for my babies I would hide myself away from the rest of the world and rejoin the living sometime in February.
It was ironic that the best things in my life came from this season, and yet it was so bittersweet, because there was something missing, someone. I let my mind drift only for the barest of seconds. I had found with time that it wasn’t wise to let my thoughts linger too long on him and what where or who. It was getting harder as time went by though. And this year seemed to be harder than the last two combined.
Each new thing the twins did would set the memories raging, but nothing got them going quite like this season. I heard mom pulling up outside and snapped out of my reverie. I hurried into my boots grabbing my purse as I rushed out of the room. I’d gotten so lost in thought I hadn’t realized how much time had passed.
I knew that wasn’t the end of it that the memories would plague me until this blasted season was over and done with, and there was nothing I could do about it. “Hi mom.” I kissed her cheek as I made my way to the door while she greeted the kids.
“Hi sweetie, and how are my little darlings this morning? Did you miss grandma?” She knelt to hug each kid in an arm and not for the first time I gave thanks that she was here for me.
If not for her, the last four years would’ve been hell. She’d really stepped up, helped me to see that it wasn’t the end of the world to be forced to give up your dreams. Now when I look at my kids, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Well maybe that’s not entirely true, but there was no point in wishing for things that could never be.
“Don’t forget Bella, tonight is Santa at the mall night.”
“I know ma, you’re dropping them off around five. I gotta go, call me.” I rushed to my old car and barely missed landing on my ass when I slipped and slid on the icy ground.
I slammed the door and wished for a better car. I hated having to drive my kids around in this death trap. The heat only worked when it felt like, and the mechanic’s price was too high. Either four hundred dollars or my body for the foreseeable future. No thanks. At least it was clean.
The thought of the night ahead was depressing but I knew the kids would get a kick out of it, like they have the past two years. As much as I wasn’t looking forward to the hustle and bustle of battling other parents and their kids to get in line to see the jolly old fella, the glee on their faces would be worth it.
I pulled into the parking lot of the office building where I was currently employed as a paralegal with three minutes to spare. “Huh.” I sighed hard as I got out and prepared to face Mr. Grabby hands. If I didn’t need the job I would’ve kneed him in the balls a long time ago, but my babies needed to eat.
There was Christmas music coming from the storefronts of the other businesses in the complex and someone had a seven-foot tall Santa blowup that was blowing back and forth in the wind. Every window, every pole within sight was decorated in one way or another.
“Good morning Isabella, don’t you look…fresh this morning.” I mumbled a good morning and slipped past him hoping he didn’t put his grimy hands on me. You’d think with all the news about sexual harassment in the workplace he’d know better, or at least hesitate to be such a douche.
But I guess since his daddy was a big man around town he thought he could get away with it. Plus the fact that he was a lawyer, he was sure to know his way around any kind of lawsuit. I think it was more that he knew I was desperate and not willing to make waves. Bastard!
I sat behind my desk and got right to work, not giving myself time to think about anything but getting through this day and the next. I ignored the decorations and bows of holly and ivy, was even able to block out the low hum of Christmas carols that were piping through the speakers.
I can’t wait for this holiday to be over so I can go back to my crappy life without the added distraction of fixating on a man who probably forgot me the minute he woke up the morning after.
2
Luca
The ringing of the phone intruded on my dreams and tore me out of a deep sleep. “Dammit.” My eyes popped open and for the first few seconds I was still caught in the dream. I’d been so close this time. I felt the loss like a live thing as I rolled over to pick up the phone.
“Aren’t you on the road yet? You know we’re expecting snow tonight.”
“Hello to you too ma.” I laid back and rubbed the last dredges of sleep from my eyes. Shit, I wasn’t looking forward to this conversation. For the past three years, she’s been begging me to come home for the holidays. I’ve been able to avoid it thus far but I got the feeling this time she wouldn’t be taking no for an answer.
“Look ma, I was thinking…”
“Oh no you don’t son.
You’re not going to lie to me one more time. Four years, that’s how long it’s been since I saw you in person and this year that computer screen just isn’t gonna do it. Besides, I’ve already told everyone you’re coming.” I could hear in her voice that she was fighting back tears and it tore at my gut.
She was right. I’ve been skating by with excuses for a long time now. In fact I’m surprised she’d let me get away with it this long. I hated like hell to disappoint her but she knew…
“Son I know-I know they say time will heal all wounds but that’s just horse pucky. But you need us you need family, especially this time of year. We’re hurting too you know. We loved them Luca. It’s breaking my heart that I lost you when we lost them, please come home to your family.”
She knows just how to get under my skin. It’s never been easy for me to deny her anything. But was I ready to face them-To be in a room filled with my past? I never wanted to step foot in my hometown again, never want to walk in old places that held so many memories. It was easier this way. At least it used to be. For some reason this year seemed harder than all the others. Even the dreams were more vivid and with each one I came closer to remembering.
“Won’t you do this for me son? Just give it a try. If you don’t like it I won’t ask again.” I felt bile start a slow burn in my gut and gritted my teeth against the now familiar feeling. I waited for the nausea to pass before giving her an answer.
“I’ll be there ma.” I didn’t stay on much longer after getting an update on everyone and their lives. I still had that between sleep and wake feeling and though I knew there was no way I would go back to sleep. The dream felt better than the cold hard world. Why not hold onto it a little longer?
I wasn’t surprised that my morning wood was a little harder than usual. It’s been that way for a week. I got that quick flash of memory again and waited to see if there would be more this time. Every year it was the same thing. As soon as the holiday cheer started floating through the air, the flashes would start. Taunting, tormenting because after almost four years I still didn’t know what they meant.