Read Online All I Want for Christmas Is You by Lisa Mondello - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lisa Mondello
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tale."
"Give them a chance. Tell them you want to see them," Kyle urged.
She sighed as she walked over to the table and picked up her coat. "It must be time for dinner," she said, moving toward the door.
"You need to try again. You owe it to yourself and-"
She cut him off before he could finish. "We'd better get back to the house. Kristen will wonder where I am."
* * *
Kyle pushed his plate away and stared at Lauren sitting across from him at the antique table. Although she smiled pleasantly and engaged in small talk with his family, he knew it was just a front. All during dinner, he watched as she picked at her food and twisted her fork without so much as taking a bite.
"Did you see my new earring, Kyle? This makes ten," Zoey said, pulling at her gold clad earlobe.
Groaning, Kyle inspected the stud his sister had added to her collection. "At least it goes with all the colors of your hair, Zoe."
She waved him off and huffed. "I should have known you'd have no taste in fashion. You like it Lauren, don't you?"
"Uh, sure. Very nice," Lauren complimented. She looked at Kyle and shrugged.
Turning her attention to Judy, Zoey added with excitement, "Bruce says he's gonna get me one for my nose and my belly button for Christmas."
Kyle darted a glance over at his father, who sat at the head of the mahogany table with his arms knotted across his chest and his eyebrows raised as high as his skin could stretch. Patience and tolerance were Will Preston's strong suits, but Kyle could tell his father was just about ready to blow his gourd.
"How, ah, nice, Bruce," Judy replied with forced graciousness. "Very...thoughtful."
Zoey smiled at Kyle, then leaned into her boyfriend, who had yet to crack a smile or say one word during dinner, and snaked her arm around his waist.
It made Bruce blush.
It made Kyle nauseous.
"How wonderful. And this you do...why?" Kyle finally asked because no one else dared.
"Oh, I can't talk to you, Kyle." Zoey stood up and started to clear the dirty dishes from the table. "Mom, is it okay if me and Bruce skip dessert? We're gonna catch an early movie."
"Sure, just be home by nine."
"How about eleven," Zoey bargained. "The movie gets out at nine and we thought we'd get a pizza or something-"
"You've got school tomorrow," Will said firmly. "Be home by nine-thirty."
"Awe, Dad. Ten-thirty."
"You're sixteen years old, young lady. The curfew still stands."
"Me and Max will hunt you down," Kyle cut in teasingly. Although he smiled, he kept his eyes fixed on Bruce. What his sister ever saw in this guy, or the portfolio of tattoos he displayed, was beyond him. The best thing he could say about them dating was that their hair colors matched.
"Stay out of this, Kyle," Zoey shot back.
Being the peacemaker of the family, Judy clapped her hands together and cut in with her usual flair, before WW3 erupted.
"I have a cheesecake for dessert. I hope everyone left room for some," she said. Lauren stood up and started helping, but Judy held up her hand. "No, no. You just sit here and relax. I can take care of it. Zoey, will you help me with the coffee before you leave?"
The little ones excused themselves and scooted into the family room to watch a video.
Bruce bounded from the table and exited the room with Zoey. Both Kyle and Will dropped their heads forward in disgust.
"I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with that one." Will rubbed his face with both his hands and looked up at the ceiling. "Please, Lord, tell me she'll outgrow him."
Zoey swung through the doorway, her Army coat draped over one hand, a tray with plates topped with cheesecake in the other. She deposited the tray on the center of the table and rushed to kiss Will on the cheek. "See you, Dad."
"Remember what I said. Nine-thirty on the nose." She rushed out of the dining room and he added under his breath,
"Give them a chance. Tell them you want to see them," Kyle urged.
She sighed as she walked over to the table and picked up her coat. "It must be time for dinner," she said, moving toward the door.
"You need to try again. You owe it to yourself and-"
She cut him off before he could finish. "We'd better get back to the house. Kristen will wonder where I am."
* * *
Kyle pushed his plate away and stared at Lauren sitting across from him at the antique table. Although she smiled pleasantly and engaged in small talk with his family, he knew it was just a front. All during dinner, he watched as she picked at her food and twisted her fork without so much as taking a bite.
"Did you see my new earring, Kyle? This makes ten," Zoey said, pulling at her gold clad earlobe.
Groaning, Kyle inspected the stud his sister had added to her collection. "At least it goes with all the colors of your hair, Zoe."
She waved him off and huffed. "I should have known you'd have no taste in fashion. You like it Lauren, don't you?"
"Uh, sure. Very nice," Lauren complimented. She looked at Kyle and shrugged.
Turning her attention to Judy, Zoey added with excitement, "Bruce says he's gonna get me one for my nose and my belly button for Christmas."
Kyle darted a glance over at his father, who sat at the head of the mahogany table with his arms knotted across his chest and his eyebrows raised as high as his skin could stretch. Patience and tolerance were Will Preston's strong suits, but Kyle could tell his father was just about ready to blow his gourd.
"How, ah, nice, Bruce," Judy replied with forced graciousness. "Very...thoughtful."
Zoey smiled at Kyle, then leaned into her boyfriend, who had yet to crack a smile or say one word during dinner, and snaked her arm around his waist.
It made Bruce blush.
It made Kyle nauseous.
"How wonderful. And this you do...why?" Kyle finally asked because no one else dared.
"Oh, I can't talk to you, Kyle." Zoey stood up and started to clear the dirty dishes from the table. "Mom, is it okay if me and Bruce skip dessert? We're gonna catch an early movie."
"Sure, just be home by nine."
"How about eleven," Zoey bargained. "The movie gets out at nine and we thought we'd get a pizza or something-"
"You've got school tomorrow," Will said firmly. "Be home by nine-thirty."
"Awe, Dad. Ten-thirty."
"You're sixteen years old, young lady. The curfew still stands."
"Me and Max will hunt you down," Kyle cut in teasingly. Although he smiled, he kept his eyes fixed on Bruce. What his sister ever saw in this guy, or the portfolio of tattoos he displayed, was beyond him. The best thing he could say about them dating was that their hair colors matched.
"Stay out of this, Kyle," Zoey shot back.
Being the peacemaker of the family, Judy clapped her hands together and cut in with her usual flair, before WW3 erupted.
"I have a cheesecake for dessert. I hope everyone left room for some," she said. Lauren stood up and started helping, but Judy held up her hand. "No, no. You just sit here and relax. I can take care of it. Zoey, will you help me with the coffee before you leave?"
The little ones excused themselves and scooted into the family room to watch a video.
Bruce bounded from the table and exited the room with Zoey. Both Kyle and Will dropped their heads forward in disgust.
"I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with that one." Will rubbed his face with both his hands and looked up at the ceiling. "Please, Lord, tell me she'll outgrow him."
Zoey swung through the doorway, her Army coat draped over one hand, a tray with plates topped with cheesecake in the other. She deposited the tray on the center of the table and rushed to kiss Will on the cheek. "See you, Dad."
"Remember what I said. Nine-thirty on the nose." She rushed out of the dining room and he added under his breath,
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