Twist of Fate (A Holiday Romance Novella) (11 page)

Kenzie lay curled up on her bed, staring at the fading pink floral wallpaper. When she was twelve, pink had been her favorite color. Her mom had taken her to the store one day to pick out wallpaper for a more grown-up room, and Kenzie had spotted this one right away—a bright, pink floral that would surely make her feel like she lived in a flower garden. It was perfect.

“Are you sure you don’t want a more neutral color?” her mother had asked. “Wallpaper isn’t easy to change, so whatever you choose will have to be something you live with for awhile.”

But Kenzie was positive.

That is, until the pink floral paper surrounded her and clashed with every picture she’d hung. In less than a week, Kenzie no longer loved pink and decided that flowers belonged in the garden and not on walls. But to this day, she’d never told her mother that—which was probably why the room had never been painted or re-wallpapered.

Kenzie frowned. She should have been honest from the beginning, just like Ty should have been honest with her.

A light rap sounded on Kenzie’s door. It opened, and her mother’s voice said quietly, “Mackenzie, you awake?”

“I’m awake.” Kenzie rolled to her other side, facing her mother’s look of concern.

“I’m worried about you,” she said. “How are you holding up?”

“I’ve been better.”

Her mom sat down on the end of her bed and placed a hand on Kenzie’s knee. “It’s too late tonight, but tomorrow I’ll call and cancel everything.”

Kenzie’s eyes closed in an attempt to shut everything out. “I just want it to all go away.”

“Consider it done.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Her eyes opened, once again staring at the ugly floral wallpaper. “Can I be honest with you about something?”

“What?”

“I’ve hated that wallpaper since the day we put it up.”

“Me too.” Her mother smiled, patting her knee. “Now can I be honest about something?”

“Shoot.”

“I’m glad you’re not marrying Brad.”

“What?” Kenzie’s eyes snapped to hers. “But I thought you liked him. You never said anything before.”

“It wasn’t my opinion to have, it was yours,” said her mother. “So I kept my mouth shut.”

Kenzie suddenly thought of Ty’s mother and how she would have done the opposite. Which was better? A parent who stood back and allowed their child to make a decision they thought was a big mistake? Or a parent who actively tried to stop that mistake from happening? Kenzie didn’t know. Maybe neither.

“I wish you would have told me,” Kenzie finally said. “All this time, I thought you were thrilled.”

Her mother stood and walked to a tall, white bookcase. She fingered a framed picture of Kenzie and Brad from right before he’d left for Madagascar. “When you two started dating, I
was
thrilled. We’d been friends with Brad’s family for years, and I couldn’t imagine a better guy for you to marry or a better family for you to marry into.

“But then you got engaged, and this opportunity for him to go to Madagascar landed in his lap. It didn’t seem to bother him to have to postpone the wedding. In fact, he was downright giddy the days leading up to his departure.”

“Because he was excited,” Kenzie defended.

“Of course he was excited.” Her mom set the picture down and looked at Kenzie. “He had the chance to do some wonderful things and have some great experiences. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but think that if Brad really loved you the way I want you to be loved, it would have been a lot harder for him to leave you behind.”

Kenzie nodded, thinking back to the day when she’d waved a tearful goodbye to a fiancé who couldn’t keep the grin off his face. At the time, she’d admired him for his strength and enthusiasm, but now, looking back, maybe her mother was right. Maybe Brad never really loved her—not in the way he should.

Kenzie swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. While the realization hurt, what scared her the most was the possibility that Ty could feel the same way. Although he’d kissed her, he didn’t exactly proclaim his love for her.

She picked at a piece of lint on her comforter. “What if Ty doesn’t love me that way either?”

Silence.

Her mother sat on the bed once more, eyeing her with a surprised expression. “Do you want him to love you?”

Still picking at the lint, Kenzie could only nod. And feel miserable.

Her mom let out a breath. “So that’s why you’ve holed up in your room since you got back. I thought it was because you were heartbroken over Brad.”

“It was awful, Mom,” Kenzie blurted, needing to tell someone. “I blathered on about how I couldn’t marry Brad anymore because I had feelings for Ty. He kissed me and then told me that the only reason he didn’t give me the postcard was because he didn’t want it to ruin my holiday.” Kenzie searched her mom’s face. “What does that even mean? Was the kiss real—because it definitely felt real—or was it a pity kiss? Things have changed between us during the past couple of weeks and I thought it was because he cared. But what if he only acted that way because he felt sorry for me? I’m so messed up, I don’t know what to think anymore.”

Her mom’s lips twitched.

“Oh, that’s just great,” grumbled Kenzie, returning to the lint with renewed force. “I’m a miserable wreck and you’re laughing.”

A snicker sounded, making Kenzie pick up her pillow and throw it at her mom.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” her mom said, catching the pillow and tucking it behind her back. “But you’re not thinking rationally right now which is so unlike you it’s funny.”

Kenzie stared at her mother, not quite sure if she should be insulted or hopeful. “Did you just call me irrational?”

“And foolish.” Her mother nodded. “That is, if you honestly believe Ty would kiss you out of pity.”

Kenzie glared at the wallpaper. This conversation was so not going the way she thought it should. Where were the hugs? The words of comfort? The kind, understanding expressions?

“Honey, I’ve only met Ty a handful of times, but it’s obvious he’s head over heels for you. The way he looks at you, the way he treats you, the way he comes running whenever you need anything. If you really think he does all of that out of pity or because he’s a nice guy, then you’re—” This time, her mom cut herself off.

Kenzie rolled her eyes. “Foolish and irrational. Yeah, I got it.”

The corners of her mom’s mouth lifted. “You said it this time, not me.”

Feeling her own lips twitch, Kenzie shook her head in wonder. “I’m not sure why, but strangely enough, that did make me feel better.”

“Good.” Her mom patted her knee once more. “Now get some sleep.”

TY STOMPED HIS feet and shivered as he rang the doorbell. A drive that usually took three hours had taken him six. His eyes burned, his head pounded, and his fingers ached from clenching the steering wheel too hard.

He rang the doorbell again.

It didn’t matter that all the lights in the house were off. All that mattered was that Kenzie was somewhere on the other side of that door and he wasn’t leaving until he talked to her. Plus, he had nowhere else to go, and the weather didn’t leave many other options.

After what seemed like hours, the front porch light flickered to life. The door unlatched and swung open, revealing Dan and Sue Tyler, Kenzie’s parents. Behind them, the three faces of Kenzie’s younger sisters peeked out at him.

Ty shuffled his feet, suddenly uncomfortable. “I, uh, know it’s late, but—“

“Oh good, you’re acting foolish and irrational, too,” Sue said, ushering him inside. “Come on in. It’s freezing out there.”

Dan turned to the three girls, waving them back to their rooms. “Okay, you’ve seen who it is, now off to bed. You can catch up with Ty tomorrow”—he shot Ty a glare—“or I should say
today
.” He shooed the girls down the hall, trailing behind them. Only Sue remained.

“Listen,” Ty said. “I know this is crazy—me showing up here in the middle of the night—but I really need to talk to Kenzie.”

A hint of a smile appeared on her face. “You must be exhausted.” She gestured toward the couch. “Take a seat. I’ll get Kenzie then make up a bed for you in the guest room.”

“I can just crash on the couch,” said Ty, not wanting to put her out anymore than he already had. “I have to head back tomorrow morning anyway for work.”

She smiled. “Like I said, I’ll go get Kenzie and make up the guest bed for you.”

“Thank you,” Ty said, too tired to argue. He watched her go before sinking down on the couch, suddenly feeling anxious. What if Kenzie wouldn’t talk to him? What if he’d come all this way and woke up everyone for nothing?

A few moments later, a creak sounded, followed by soft footsteps. Ty’s head shot up. Across the darkened room, dressed in a T-shirt and green cotton pants, with her curly auburn hair splayed around her face, stood Kenzie, looking more beautiful than ever.

She blinked sleepy eyes at him. “What are you doing here?”

Not exactly the warm welcome he’d fantasized about, but at least she was talking to him.

“Acting foolish and irrational, according to your mother.”

Kenzie smiled at that. “Join the club.”

Ty stood and took a tentative step toward her. He’d give anything to take her in his arms and kiss that sleepy look from her face. Instead he stood there, feeling more foolish than ever. Where did he begin? Blurt out that he loved her? That she shouldn’t cancel any wedding plans because he wanted to be the one to marry her instead? Or would that be too much, too soon?

He took another step and paused. “You ran away before I had a chance to really explain, and I need you to understand something.”

Kenzie lowered herself to the armrest of the couch and watched him expectantly.

Ty fidgeted. “Do you remember the first time our mailman mixed up our mail? It was right after I moved in. I got a package that I thought was mine, so I ripped into it and about died when I found a bra.”

Kenzie laughed. “How could I forget? I’d just gotten home and there you were, standing in the middle of the foyer dangling my bra in front of your confused, bright red face.”

Ty stopped fidgeting and searched her face. “And do you remember what you said to me?”

Kenzie’s eyebrows drew together for a moment before she shook her head.

“You told me that it was yours, but if I wanted to order one in my size, you’d be happy to give me the name of the website.”

Kenzie laughed. “That’s right. I did say that didn’t I? How funny you remember.”

“I remember everything.” Ty moved forward, reaching for her hand and pulling her up. He fingered her left ring finger, noting the absence of her engagement ring. “Most people would have yelled at me or ripped the bra from my hands and accused me of opening their package. But not you.” He laced his fingers through hers. “From that moment, I knew I’d met someone special. Someone different. Someone I wanted to get to know more than anything. It was fate, I tell you. I mean, seriously, what are the odds that Mackenzie Tyler and Tyler McKenzie would end up in the same apartment complex?”

Kenzie trembled as moisture appeared in her eyes.

Encouraged, Ty pulled her nearer. “When that postcard arrived in my box, the main reason I kept it from you was because I didn’t want it to ruin your Christmas, but there was another reason, too. A selfish reason. I wanted to know that if given the choice, you would have chosen me over Brad. I’m so sorry I did that—it was wrong. But sometimes love makes you so crazy that you do stupid things. And I am in love with you, Kenzie Tyler. I have been since the day I met you. You make me stronger, better. You’re so much more to me than my best friend. You’re everything.”

The tears came freely now, drizzling down her face. Ty swallowed, wondering what she was thinking. Were they happy tears? Or sad?

“Please say something,” Ty pleaded. “Anything.”

Kenzie laughed through her tears, then stood and pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around his waist. She tilted her head up, looking into his eyes. “I do choose you. Hands down I choose you.” She sniffed. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”

The words went straight to Ty’s heart, filling voids and cracks, healing old hurts and breaks. He suddenly knew how the Grinch felt, when his tiny little heart grew three times the size. That’s what it felt like now, holding Kenzie and hearing her say what he’d wanted to hear for so long.

Ty ran his finger along her jaw, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

Kenzie fingered his shirt, running her hands across his chest. “Now that we’ve got that all cleared up, are you going to kiss me or do I have to go find some mistletoe?”

Ty dipped his head toward her, stopping when his lips brushed lightly against hers. “There you go again, telling me what to do,” he murmured before covering her mouth in a kiss that seemed to bring everything full circle. There was something amazing about kissing Kenzie without Brad in the way. It was like finally getting the code right on a computer program, when everything clicked and worked exactly the way it should.

He suddenly felt like a kid again, walking downstairs Christmas morning and finding exactly what he wanted under the Christmas tree. Only then it was a bike, a cool sniper Nerf gun, or a new guitar. Today, it was Kenzie—the best present of all.