Page 6 of The CEO's Christmas Wife

“No memories from childhood.”

The way that he said that warned me not to poke the bear.

“Well, we have plenty of memories and traditions in our family. That’s what my mother was calling about.”

“Like what?”

“We wear matching pajamas on Christmas Eve. We spend the entire day cooking our Christmas dinner and snacks for the evening, and we order pizza for dinner. We sit around the living room close to the tree and watch all the Christmas movies thatwere popular when we were kids. We laugh, sing, and then when we’re done, we empty our stockings, and we’re allowed to open one gift. It’s the same things that we did when we were kids, but we keep that going as adults. When my sister and brother, Holly and Nicky, marry and have kids, they will keep the traditions going.”

There was another special celebration that we held, but I didn’t discuss that. It was too personal.

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Will you carry the traditions with your husband and children?”

My face grew warm at the personal question, but I didn’t mind answering.

“I will . . . whenever I find someone. Holly and Nicky are already with someone. I haven’t found that special someone yet. We watch the tree lighting and decorating in the square the week before Christmas. We attend the Christmas play at our local church, and then we serve those who are less fortunate. Our family has so many traditions that we do in the week leading up to Christmas.”

“This week?”

“Yes.”

“Is your family in Cherokee Springs?”

“Yes.”

Mr. Kayn waved his hand and shook his head. “All that stuff is superficial.”

I smiled at him and replied. “You’ll feel different when you fall in love and have a family. You’ll want to give them everything that makes them happy. You’ll look back on this time and see how wrong you were.”

He shook his head. “Don’t hold your breath, Miss Jolly. I’d hate to see you pass out.”

“Is there a reason that you’re so cynical about the holidays?”

“I just don’t buy into the hype, that’s all. People go overboard, making something out of nothing. I’ve watched too many people go into debt trying to buy gifts and memorialize one day when they still have to make it through the rest. Or they place expectations on other people who will undoubtedly let them down. Little kids idolize people that will break their hearts when they learn the truth.”

His words saddened me. Someone or somebodies had let him down through the years, and somehow, I doubted it was the belief that Santa Claus was real. No, people close to Mr. Kayn had disillusioned him.

He was so fine and handsome. He would meet some lucky woman one day, and everything that he believed in that moment would change. He would let his guard down, give her his heart, and let her inside of those brick walls. Despite the gruff exterior that he held and the fact that he might always have it toward the outside world, I knew deep inside, he was a teddy bear. I knew that he would be protective and loving to his woman, whoever she would be. A slight pang of jealousy threaded its way through my heart.

4

BAH-HUMBUG

Kayn

“We’re here,” I announced as the car pulled up to the tarmac at the private airport. We planned to fly into Atlanta today for a business meeting tomorrow. Then, we would leave the next day and fly into New York, where we would spend the next few days before returning to Cherokee Springs.

“I’ve never flown on a private plane before,” Kandi announced as she stared eagerly out the window with her face pressed against it like a little child. She had insisted on the ride up that I stop calling her Miss Jolly.

There was something about her that bothered me greatly. I was uncertain why, other than maybe because she was always so damn cheerful. There wasn’t that much to be happy about all the damn time.

A part of me felt bad for taking her away from her family. I’d overheard her conversation with her mother. I was certain her mother wasn’t happy about her last-minute trip. I didn’t give a damn. If she wanted a job, she’d do what she was required to do. I planned to have her back in town by Christmas Eve.

On the other hand, I would be working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I didn’t have any specific plans. I never did. Butthat was okay by me. I was more productive on those two days than any other day, because everyone else was consumed with the superficial holiday.

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