Read Online Christmas Kisses (Romance on the Ranch Series #5) by Verna Clay - Free Book Online Page B

birthfather—and then realize said father had never attempted
contact.
    Cecelia spread a napkin on her lap and then cut
her pizza into bite size pieces with a knife and fork. Mac almost grinned at
her politeness. When Sean stuffed a bite of pizza in his mouth, she glanced at Mac
and then back at Sean. She said, "Sean, I'm actually new to the community
myself. I've only been here a few months, but something I've learned is that
the residents of this lovely town are friendly and," she smiled and Mac's
heart thumped, "quirky."
    Sean said, "So?"
    Cecelia continued, ignoring his rude remark.
"Anyway, my coffee shop is closed on Sundays and there's a whole gang of
wonderful folks coming this Sunday to help decorate for Christmas. There's
going to be some teenagers and I thought you might like to meet them."
    Sean took another bite of pizza and said with a
full mouth. "I'll pass."
    Mac's arm hurt like hell and his musing suddenly
darkened. Staring at his rebellious son, he decided to step out on a limb,
believing the boy wasn't quite as creepy as the persona he was trying to
portray. He said, "I guess since we've finally met and you obviously don't
want to be here, I can call the airlines tomorrow and book you a flight back
home."
    Both Cecelia and Sean gave him a surprised look.
A flicker of an expression crossed the boy's features that broke Mac's heart.
The kid's facade was a bunch of crap, just as he'd guessed. He was a boy
wanting to know the father who had rejected him. Softly, Mac said, "You
might actually find a friend in this hick town. I finally found one in Cecelia."
    The boy swallowed the lump of pizza he'd been
chewing. He didn't look at his father, but responded, "Fine. But I'm not
decorating some Christmas tree."
    Mac glanced at Cecelia and recognized the hint
of a smile in her eyes. She said seriously, "I promise I won't ask you to
decorate a tree."
    Just as Mac was feeling pretty good about a
minor victory, the kid looked from him to Cecelia and asked, "So, are you
two, like, you know, boyfriend/girlfriend, sleeping together."

Chapter 16: Deck the Coffee Shop
    Cecelia unlocked the door to her coffee shop,
walked to the back and disarmed the alarm, and then returned to Sean who had
slumped into a rebellious heap in a chair. She pulled another chair out from the
table and joined him. "What do you think of my coffee shop?"
    He barely glanced around. "It's okay."
    She decided to do some teasing. "Just okay?
Hey, this place is fabulous. After I bought it I was so scared that I'd made
the biggest mistake of my life, but now…" She made an expressive movement
encompassing the room. "I consider it the best move of my life.
Sometimes you have to take chances." She waited a second and added,
"Like you did with your dad."
    Sean frowned. "Are you about to give me a
pep talk?"
    "Do you need one?"
    He glanced away. "No."
    Cecelia saw him reading the menu posted on the
wall above the cash register. He almost grinned.
    "Do you like the names of our drinks and
pastries?"
    He said aloud, "Fluffy-Puffy," and
then he did grin, which transformed his face so drastically that Cecelia
inhaled sharply. In that moment he looked like a happy-go-lucky young man whose
greatest worry was how to impress the girls.
    Cecelia said, "I'm always open to new
names. If you think of any, please run them by me."
    "You mean something like, Happy Zappy or
Groovin' Grinds or Mornin' Mocha?"
    Cecelia laughed loudly, "You're good…really
good! I may have to hire you."
    The sound of the door bell tinkling distracted
them.
    One of the Tanner twins held the door for his
mother and two others, Tessa Branigan and his identical twin brother. Cecelia
could never tell the boys apart.
    *
    Sean watched several people enter the coffee
shop. As soon as the first group arrived, they were followed by another and
then another. The teenagers stared at him and he figured introductions would
soon begin.
    Cecelia jumped up and started welcoming
everyone. She'd turned out to