him, maybe he could convince her to take a store credit. "Wait a minute. Let's go back in and see if we can work something out with the manager."
"What good with that do? I still can't afford it." She sighed and his heart broke in two. It was such a simple thing, buying this damned dollhouse, yet she acted like she'd be giving up her first born child by accepting his gift. It was so ironic, he thought. Lauren was so unlike any of the women he’d known who were always too eager for him to pull out his checkbook for them.
"Maybe not in one lump sum, but spread out over time, you-"
"I can't, Kyle." He sensed her embarrassment as her gaze dipped to the ground and she shoved her hands deep into her coat pocket. "The store is not going to give me credit on my salary. It's no use even trying. Even if they did, I doubt I'd be able to make the payments."
Kyle looked back at the dollhouse in the window. There had to be a way without Lauren feeling that she was compromising her ideals.
Suddenly, this dollhouse held all the magic of Christmas. It wasn't just a toy, it was a symbol, a home. He envisioned his house and the fantasy he'd created earlier of Lauren and Kristen living there with him. As he peered back at her, he saw a sheen of moisture in her eyes. "Then I'll give you credit," he said, determination spurring him on.
She sucked in a deep breath, her jaw set, and started to protest, but he put up his hand and cut her off at the pass. There was no way he was going to lose this battle.
"Hear me out, lady, this is not charity. This is a loan." He sucked in a frosty breath and waited for her next move.
She tilted an eyebrow and he thought he saw a spark of hope settling in her eyes. Good. It was just what he needed to bring the deal home.
"It will be strictly business. A little like some of the wheeling and dealing I use to buy property. It's called creative financing."
"Oh, I see." She rolled her eyes. "And what kind of creative financing are you going to give me? Non-existent payment plan? No thank you."
The skepticism in her tone did nothing to deplete his resolve. He found the energy and spunk that made him what he was today come back to him tenfold with her stubbornness. She was a challenge, indeed, but no tougher than any of the other challenges he'd faced in his life.
"We can figure out a workable payment plan. Whatever you decide you can afford comfortably." He could almost hear the wheels in her head spinning, contemplating, and then deciding.
"With interest, right? I won't take-"
"I know, I know, you won't take charity." He puffed his cheeks. "No interest."
She raised her eyebrows and stuck out her chin.
"Instead of interest," he bargained, placing his index finger to his cheek, "you spend the holidays with me and my family." There. He'd just used his trump card. How could she pass up a family Christmas?
Her face softened, the wildcat fire in her ebbed away and was replaced by pain. "Christmas is a time for family."
"And friends. There'll be lots of people at my parents' Christmas Eve. You and Kristen can stay in the spare room at their house."
"You can't just invite me into your parents' home, you know," Lauren argued.
Does this woman back down to anything?
"They already invited you for Christmas Eve. I told them you'd be coming for Christmas, too." It was a lie; he hadn't told them any such thing. But he had her on the run and he wasn't about to let her slip through his fingers now by telling her so. Besides, he knew his parents wouldn't mind her staying the night. The more the merrier as the saying goes.
The tension in her face eased and she gazed up at him, searching his expression. "Why do you keep doing this?"
Because I can't think of anything I want more than being with you on Christmas morning, Lauren Alexander. He thought about saying the words, but in doing so, he knew she'd just make up some excuse
"What good with that do? I still can't afford it." She sighed and his heart broke in two. It was such a simple thing, buying this damned dollhouse, yet she acted like she'd be giving up her first born child by accepting his gift. It was so ironic, he thought. Lauren was so unlike any of the women he’d known who were always too eager for him to pull out his checkbook for them.
"Maybe not in one lump sum, but spread out over time, you-"
"I can't, Kyle." He sensed her embarrassment as her gaze dipped to the ground and she shoved her hands deep into her coat pocket. "The store is not going to give me credit on my salary. It's no use even trying. Even if they did, I doubt I'd be able to make the payments."
Kyle looked back at the dollhouse in the window. There had to be a way without Lauren feeling that she was compromising her ideals.
Suddenly, this dollhouse held all the magic of Christmas. It wasn't just a toy, it was a symbol, a home. He envisioned his house and the fantasy he'd created earlier of Lauren and Kristen living there with him. As he peered back at her, he saw a sheen of moisture in her eyes. "Then I'll give you credit," he said, determination spurring him on.
She sucked in a deep breath, her jaw set, and started to protest, but he put up his hand and cut her off at the pass. There was no way he was going to lose this battle.
"Hear me out, lady, this is not charity. This is a loan." He sucked in a frosty breath and waited for her next move.
She tilted an eyebrow and he thought he saw a spark of hope settling in her eyes. Good. It was just what he needed to bring the deal home.
"It will be strictly business. A little like some of the wheeling and dealing I use to buy property. It's called creative financing."
"Oh, I see." She rolled her eyes. "And what kind of creative financing are you going to give me? Non-existent payment plan? No thank you."
The skepticism in her tone did nothing to deplete his resolve. He found the energy and spunk that made him what he was today come back to him tenfold with her stubbornness. She was a challenge, indeed, but no tougher than any of the other challenges he'd faced in his life.
"We can figure out a workable payment plan. Whatever you decide you can afford comfortably." He could almost hear the wheels in her head spinning, contemplating, and then deciding.
"With interest, right? I won't take-"
"I know, I know, you won't take charity." He puffed his cheeks. "No interest."
She raised her eyebrows and stuck out her chin.
"Instead of interest," he bargained, placing his index finger to his cheek, "you spend the holidays with me and my family." There. He'd just used his trump card. How could she pass up a family Christmas?
Her face softened, the wildcat fire in her ebbed away and was replaced by pain. "Christmas is a time for family."
"And friends. There'll be lots of people at my parents' Christmas Eve. You and Kristen can stay in the spare room at their house."
"You can't just invite me into your parents' home, you know," Lauren argued.
Does this woman back down to anything?
"They already invited you for Christmas Eve. I told them you'd be coming for Christmas, too." It was a lie; he hadn't told them any such thing. But he had her on the run and he wasn't about to let her slip through his fingers now by telling her so. Besides, he knew his parents wouldn't mind her staying the night. The more the merrier as the saying goes.
The tension in her face eased and she gazed up at him, searching his expression. "Why do you keep doing this?"
Because I can't think of anything I want more than being with you on Christmas morning, Lauren Alexander. He thought about saying the words, but in doing so, he knew she'd just make up some excuse
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