The Billionaire and the Cleaner(24)
Author: Sam Crescent

Everyone was in the living room camped out on the sofa. Derek was sitting by the tree. The older man rubbed his hands together as he started dishing presents out to the kids. Once they were finished and left to unwrap more presents, Derek started handing out gifts to the adults.

Lana found herself growing more excited as the event went on. When Derek handed her several packets she was speechless.

“Happy Christmas, dear,” Penny said.

She slowly unwrapped each gift marvelling at what lay before her. Penny had bought her a dress along with a new handbag and shoes. Sophie had bought her a collection of cookbooks, and others gifts ranged from clothes to books to equipment for her apartment. She smiled when she saw a gift voucher for a huge television. Lana turned to Kent.

“Nothing to do with me. My family buy whatever the hell they like.”

When a small box was handed to her, Lana’s heart jumped inside her chest. She opened the box, and there lay the ruby entwined with a serpent. The same necklace she’d admired in the jewellers.

“I saw how much you wanted it. You deserve it.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she said. The others faded into the background as she looked at him.

“No words are necessary. Put it on.”

He helped her place the necklace on. She stared down at the ruby. “This is perfect. Thank you so much.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. The sound of Derek clearing his throat interrupted them. Her gifts to Kent consisted of a pen she’d had embossed with his name, a briefcase, and a picture of his whole family in a picture frame for his desk at work.

“This is amazing, Lana,” he said, staring down at his family.

“I noticed you didn’t have many family photos. I thought this would be nice on your hard days. You’ll see them and know what you’re working toward.”

Tears were in his eyes as he gathered her up in his arms.

She gasped at the strength inside him. “You’ve got to let me go. I can’t breathe.”

Kent released her. “You’re such a special person.”

“Thank you.”

Lana didn’t say anything and waited for the rest of the adults to finish. Once all the gifts were unwrapped they went into the kitchen to eat breakfast. Lana settled on cereal while Kent had a full cooked breakfast from Penny.

She’d never experienced a Christmas so full of joy. Lana didn’t want it to end and wished she could call them her family.

After breakfast she excused herself to go and get dressed. She sat on the bed with the cell phone she’d been given as well. All of their personal numbers were inside the memory. She stared at the phone as tears filled her eyes. The loving family reminded her of everything she didn’t have in her life.

A knock sounded at her door, and Tonya stuck her head around the door.

“Is this a bad time?” the other woman asked.

“No.” Lana wiped the tears from her eyes and stood. “I’m fine. Come on in.”

Tonya leaned against the door staring at her. “He’s in love with you,” Tonya said.

Lana looked behind her. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, you do.”

Lana stood and went to the drawer where her clothes were stored. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Kent’s in love with you.”

Lana froze at the words. Her hands hovered over a pink sweater. “Don’t start. We both know who Kent’s in love with, and it’s not me.”

“No, he was never in love with me. He thought he was, but when he looks at you I see who he loves.”

Lana turned toward her. “Why are you doing this? It’s Christmas morning.”

“Because I know you don’t see the truth. Kent looks at you the same way Seth looks at me. The earth moves for him, Lana.”

“Even if I was to believe you, which I don’t, why are you telling me?” Lana asked. There was no way Kent was in love with her. They were friends, nothing more.

“I’ve hurt him in the past, and it has taken him to find you to finally get over it. We’ve all been waiting for him to bring a woman home. He never has. He’s forty-five years old, Lana, and besides me, you’re the first woman he’s brought home, and I don’t count.”

“Why don’t you count?” Lana asked. Her throat felt tight at Tonya’s words. Lana had been in love with him since the first moment she saw him. That love had grown as she grew to know him. Biting her lip, she looked down at the floor. She kept her feelings locked up because she knew he’d be disgusted by her past. She was nothing like the Andersons and never would be. Her mother had taken care of that.

“I was his friend long before I was his girlfriend. I love Seth. I’ve always loved Seth, and I hurt Kent because of it. I don’t want him to be hurt again.”

Lana understood what she was saying, but she didn’t know what she could do to prevent heartache. Kent was better off without her. She didn’t have this kind of life, and there was no happy ever after in her future.

****

Kent spent one of the best Christmases with Lana. She stayed by his side throughout it all. Her smile and the way she shone around his family cemented in his heart where she was supposed to be. His family adored her as much as he did. She was where she was supposed to be.

He sat with her at the dinner table that was laden with two turkeys and so much food none of them were going to go hungry in the next couple of weeks. Kent rested his arm along the back of her chair, playing with a few strands of her brown hair. She wore her glasses, which he’d started to see as cute. The contacts she usually wore hurt her eyes whereas the glasses she wore for comfort.

They said grace, and then the conversation started. He smiled as everyone began talking at once. Lana handed him the potatoes. “How do you keep up?” she asked.

“Years of practice.”

He knew she loved his family. She tried so hard to keep up with everyone. His nieces and nephews loved her as well. Kent had warned his family not to talk about her past. He’d seen how uncomfortable she got around questions of her past. Tonya smiled between the two of them. He wondered what she knew that he clearly didn’t.

After dinner Lana helped his mom clean away the dishes as he followed his father out to the snow. They were all watching the kids. His brothers were stood with him.

“You’re in love with Lana,” Seth said. “Tonya told me last night. She’s convinced Lana feels the same way.”