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Authors: Mary Manners

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A Splash of Christmas (3 page)

BOOK: A Splash of Christmas
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“Ben, wait for the camera…” Harry's voice drifted a warning as if from continents away. Ben shook his head slightly, ignoring the request.

Forget the script and the army of equipment. They'd simply get right down to business…expedite the process. He couldn't seem to help himself. The horse had bolted…the reins were out of reach.

His mouth claimed hers and a roar suddenly washed through Ben's head. Her lips, sweet as honey, softened beneath his as a slight sigh escaped her lips. Ben sensed she was a stick of dynamite, all right, with a fuse better left unlit. For a moment, the overhead lights seemed to flicker, and Ben stood alone in the room with her as everything else—and
everyone
—dissolved away. His pulse shuddered as he fought the low moan that swam up from the depths of his belly, stealing his breath.

So this is what it feels like…

 

~*~

 

A flush of heat coursed the length of Faith's skin…from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. For a moment, she was lost in the scent of Ben Ward and the powerful feel of his hand along the nape of her neck, fisted in her hair.

So this is what it feels like…

“That's a cut.” The voice drifted as if from miles away. “Come on …you've made your point. That's a wrap, Ben.”

Ben…Ben Ward…I'm kissing Ben Ward.

The thought stormed over Faith like a wrecking ball demolishing an abandoned building. Heat turned to shivers as she pressed a palm to Ben's chest, breaking contact. She took one giant step back on the infernal heels that refused to cooperate.

“Whoa…are you OK?” Ben's hand shot out to catch her as she swooned—yes, that was the only word to describe it…a swoon.

“I'm fine. I'm…” Dazed, her chin tilted so her gaze locked head-on with his. Those sea-blue eyes and the shock of black hair that skimmed his tanned forehead made it difficult to form a complete thought.

Voices rumbled behind her. One stood out among the others. “That was amazing…incredible. You nailed it, Ben.”

Nailed it…really? Anger coursed through like a wildfire as Faith's cheeks burned. “How…” she managed as she pushed Ben's hand away from her shoulder. “How
dare
you kiss me like that?”

“How dare
I
?” Ben pressed a pair of fingers to his lips as he murmured, “Excuse me for pointing this out, but you kissed me back. And, might I add, that you seemed to enjoy kissing me. Harry…didn't she seem to enjoy it?”

The guy—Harry—that Faith pegged to be mid-forties or so, dressed in a wrinkled button-down dress shirt paired with a tie and suit jacket that had to be stifling in this summer humidity, stepped forward. “Yes, I'd say that's a wrap. I haven't seen chemistry like that in…well, in forever. These auditions are over. I'd say we've just parted with a cool ten-thousand dollars, Ben, and I'm glad to do it.”

Unable to come up with an adequate retort to
that
comment, Faith stomped one foot. The heel of her sandal snapped off to skitter across the tile floor. It came to rest at Ben's feet.

Perfect…just perfect.

“I-I…” Faith's throat swelled like a wad of cotton soaked in water.

“Go ahead, spit it out.” Ben crossed his arms as his gaze darkened to the color of the sky during the height of a spring thunderstorm. “I'm waiting…we're all waiting.”

Faith lifted her chin as her hands fisted at her side. “I don't want your money.”

“You don't want…really?” Ben eyes widened in disbelief. “Did I hear you right—you don't want the money?”

“That's right. You can keep your ten-thousand dollars—and your low-handed tactics for increasing your viewership. I don't want any part of it.”

“But you came today. You're here.”

“That's a brilliant observation. You must be a genius.”

“Hey, wait just a minute.” Ben uncrossed his arms and took a step toward her. Faith, in turn, took a giant step back and away. “What's your name, anyway?”

“I'm not surprised you'd fail to remember.” Faith slipped off the broken sandal and then followed with the other, losing several inches in height so her forehead now barely reached Ben's shoulder. She bowed up, refusing to feel intimidated. “I'm Faith O'Fallon, and I'm not here to audition, Romeo.
She
is—my friend, Avery.” She jabbed a finger in Avery's direction; her jaw had dropped to enhance a look of complete and utter shock. “She's been looking forward to this opportunity—to meeting you—for more than a month now. So, if you want to kiss someone, kiss
her
. If you want to part with your money, hand it over to
her
.”

Avery stood statue-still with her mouth agape, completely speechless at exactly the time Faith needed her most to speak up. She jabbed Avery in the ribs, willing her to find her voice.

“No. You're the one, Miss O'Fallon.” Harry stepped up to join them. “Like I said, no further auditions will be necessary today or any other day. Those ladies in the hall, as well as your friend Avery here, can be dismissed. That's a wrap. When you find perfection there's no point in trying to…well…refine it further. Don't you all agree?”

Faith cringed as she became fully aware of those who surrounded her. The trio of men with dark hair and eyes that mirrored one another—obviously brothers—gaped at her while a smartly-dressed woman in her mid-fifties or so, who she recognized as their mother Valerie from the Poolside Oasis reality show, looked on. The guy named Harry, well…she'd never seen him before, and it would be just fine with her if she never laid eyes on him again. He reminded Faith of a garden snake she might find lurking in the tall grass.

And then there was poor Avery, with her mouth a crimson-lined fly-catcher and chocolate-kiss eyes wide as a pair of bay windows while she struggled to make sense of what had just transpired.

There was no making sense of it though, Faith determined as she pressed a finger to her tingling lips…none at all.

 

 

 

 

3

 

“Avery, talk to me.” Faith struggled to keep up with her friend as they crossed the parking lot toward the entrance of Mountain Light Children's Home. “Are you furious over what just happened?”

“Furious?” Avery swung around to face her, eyes wide and sparkling against the clear cerulean sky. “Of course I'm not furious, Faith. I'm not even a glimmer of mad. How could I possibly be mad at you?”

“I blew your audition.” Faith tiptoed over the concrete walk, sidestepping shards of gravel. She knew once she got into her office she'd find the pair of flip flops tucked away in the closet from the last time she'd played water games on the lawn with the kids. The pink rubber cut-outs wouldn't exactly make a fashion statement, but they'd protect her feet from cuts and scrapes until she returned home following what remained of her work day. “I didn't mean for...” She pressed an index finger to lips that still buzzed from Ben Ward's unexpected kiss. “Well, for
that
to happen.”

“Of course you didn't.” Avery placed a hand on her shoulder. “And there was no denying that kiss. Ben's sunk for sure…you, too.”

“I am not.”

“I saw it with my own eyes, Faith, and it's burned into the film for all to see.”

“Oh, my…” Faith paused at the curb. “No…they can't. You have to do something, Avery. This just can't happen. I didn't sign a release. I'd have to sign a release of some sort first, right? They can't just plaster that film all over creation. They wouldn't…would they?”

“Hold up. Good grief, Faith, take a breath.”

“I can't…my heart…” Faith pressed a palm to her chest. “I think I'm going to be sick.”

“No, you won't.” Avery planted a hand on each of Faith's shoulders and shook her soundly. “Stop that. You're fine.”

“Why aren't you mad? What aren't you the worse sort of furious, Ave? This audition was for you. You had your heart set on a little time with Ben Ward.”

“Look, we've been close as sisters since the fifth grade. Do you really think I'd let a tall, handsome hunk of a male specimen come between us?”

Laughter bubbled up as Faith shielded her eyes from the sun. Temporary insanity…surely she suffered from it now. That was the only explanation for the swirl of emotions that danced through her belly. “Tall…handsome…?”

“Don't tell me you didn't notice?”

“I…um…let's just say looks are the only thing Ben Ward has going for him.” Faith drew a deep, cleansing breath, chasing away the effects of insanity. “I'd never trust him as an acquaintance and even less as a friend.”

“That's a shame.”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“This whole experience…you, Ben…the kiss…it's fortuitous, Faith.”

“Fortuitous?”

“Yes, totally unexpected but in a very good way—at least for you and the kids at Mountain Light that you love so much.” Avery dropped her hands to her side and offered a wisp of a smile. “I'm no religious expert—I've even failed to attend church the past two Sundays. But I think maybe God is somehow at work here.”

“God?”

“Yes…the Big Man Upstairs. He's got a sense of humor, you know…you said so yourself.”

“Sure, but I didn't mean—”


He
knew what you meant.” Avery nodded firmly as she crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “I think you should do the show.”

“No. I—”

“Hear me out for a sec.” Avery uncrossed her arms and lifted a palm in traffic-cop style. “I know you, Faith. You wouldn't spend so much as a cent of that money the Wards are offering for this deal on yourself. But just think of all you could manage for the kids with ten-thousand dollars.”

“I…” Faith drew a single, deep breath as the scent of lilacs drifted along with the voices of children who continued to play on the side lawn. Ten-thousand dollars…that was more than she could manage to procure for the Christmas party in a month's worth of phone solicitations. It could buy gifts for every child, a magical party complete with their favorite meal, perhaps even an extra surprise or two. She glanced at the list tacked to her bulletin board. So many requests by the children…so much need. The idea of participating in the show filled the need perfectly, and yet… “I don't know, Avery. It's Ben Ward.”

“Yes, it is.” Avery nibbled the tip of a manicured nail. “And it's only one episode, nothing more. You said so yourself. Surely you can manage a few hours in a studio or sitting poolside. It's not that hard, Faith.”

“That's true, but even so…”

“If God
does
have a hand in this, who knows what might happen, where it all might lead?”

“God is busy with things that are much more important than an episode of Poolside Oasis.”

“This is important, too. He opened this door for you, however uncomfortable it might be to walk through. Remember what you once told me…that faith doesn't make things easy, it simply makes them possible.”

“Right…Luke 1:37.” Butterflies danced through Faith's belly. There was no backing out of this…Avery, as usual, had a solid point.

“And that kiss—”

“Forget the kiss.” The butterfly dance morphed to a kickboxing match. Faith pressed a hand to her mid-section. “Nothing's going to happen.”

“I'll forget said kiss if you do, but my guess is it's going to linger for a while…a long while—and not just with you.” Avery winked playfully. “At least read over the papers Harry handed you and then talk to him…to Ben. What can it hurt to uncover all the details and get your ducks in a neat little row?”

“Nothing, I suppose.” Faith slipped a hand into her purse, fingering the sheaf of papers Harry had insisted she take as she fled from the audition room. “You know what, Ave? Though it pains me greatly to admit it, you're right.”

“No surprise there. I'm always right.” Avery tossed an arm across Faith's shoulders as they turned to continue up the sidewalk. “And it's a good thing, too, because here comes the man of the hour.”

“The man of the hour?”

“Yes…the Poolside Oasis reality show hour. It's Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome himself—Ben Ward.”

 

~*~

 

“So this is where you spend the bulk of your days?” Ben leaned in the doorway of Faith's office, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke. The scent of pine drifted as a ceramic snowman stood watch from the corner of a cluttered polished-wood desktop. Apparently, it was Christmas in…September? “Nice.”

“It's modest but it's mine…so long as I stay off probation.”

“You're on probation?” The words came up on a cough. “Please tell me it's the job kind and not the I'm-in-trouble-with-the-law kind.”

“I'd prefer it wasn't either kind, but choice A fits well.”

“Why's that? What happened to put you in the hot seat?”

“You should know, since your lack of follow-through played an integral part in my job-related woes.”

“My lack…what on earth is that supposed to mean?”

“The Spring event that was scheduled here last March…the fundraiser where you were slated as the star keynote speaker, except the whole shebang failed miserably because you backed out just a day or so before the event was scheduled to begin, and I had a tough time finding a replacement popular enough to fill those big shoes of yours. Very few people showed up, and the silent auction portion of the evening—the part of the event that garners the bulk of revenue—tanked as a result of the poor attendance. We're still struggling to make up lost ground.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember.” Ben raked a hand through his hair as memories from that evening came rushing back. “Man, I'm really sorry about that.”

BOOK: A Splash of Christmas
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