Forsaking All Others. Linda Hudson-Smith

brightly in the fireplace and the sounds of joyous laughter created a wonderful holiday setting. A wondrous winter scene of mountains, snow and large evergreen trees through the large picture window delighted the senses. The draperies had been pulled completely back, making it look as if the scene had been painted onto the glass pane.

      Gaily colored rolls of foil wrapping paper, with every kind of decoration on them, from reindeer to Santa Clauses, were laid out on the table, along with bunches of ribbons in bright colors of green, red, gold, silver and white. There were also bows made up of more than one hue. White gift boxes waiting to be filled with presents and then wrapped in the paper were stacked high in one corner of the dining room.

      Weston quickly snapped out of his reverie when he heard the others howling. He couldn’t help but join in the laughter even though a sudden rush of empathy for Jessica had just hit him. It looked to him as if she had gotten herself all tangled up in the tinsel she was working with. The bewildered look on her face was comical but so endearing.

      Jessica didn’t like the glittery stuff, anyway, so it didn’t bother her that it might be ruined. The tinsel had been Sandra’s bright idea. The Harringtons had never used it on one of their family Christmas trees, although its use was traditional in many a household. Now that the tinsel could no longer be used, Jessica grabbed up the tray of delicate gold-and silver-edged angel and snowflake ornaments to hang on the tree’s sweeping branches.

      The delicious aromas of food, hot apple cider and freshly popped popcorn filled the air, mixing with the heady pine scent of the Douglas fir. Jennifer and Samuel had just finished popping the corn and warming the cider and putting out all the reheated foods Sahara and Roman had prepared earlier. The smell of the baked hot wings and grilled chicken tenders eventually ruled over the other scents. Swedish meatballs and beef cocktail wieners simmered in a light but very flavorful teriyaki sauce. Three kinds of pasta had also been made: spaghetti, penne and an angel-hair/vegetable salad.

      The group hadn’t finished trimming the tree, but they decided to stop long enough to enjoy the evening meal together. The ladies quickly began to hustle around the room to tackle several chores. Jessica laid out the plates while Sandra took care of the silverware. Sahara busied herself filling the drinking glasses with snowball-shaped ice cubes. She had seen the cute trays on one of the aisles inside a convenience store in town and she hadn’t been able to resist purchasing a few of the cleverly designed items.

      Roman requested that Weston ask for the blessing on the food and all the hands that had prepared it. Jacque and Sandra had prepared the sinful desserts. Apple cobbler was their son’s favorite and the triple-layer devil’s food cake was the one dessert Jacque loved most. Sandra and Jacque had also baked sweet-potato pies, an absolute favorite of all the Harringtons, including Jennifer and Samuel. Once the simultaneous “amens” rang out, the group wasted no time at all digging right in.

      The tree duties had resumed right after the two families had polished off their dessert. The group worked well together and had worked rather quickly to complete the fun tasks. Everyone had been designated a job and each person had taken it seriously. The families finally stood back to view the end results of their handiwork.

      It was now time for the colorful and brilliant show of light. Roman was to do the honors. Jacque scurried around the place, turning off all other lights.

      “Lights, action,” Roman breathed excitedly. One flick of his finger on the switch caused the tree to come to life with hundreds of dazzling miniature white lights.

      The magical moment had taken everyone’s breath away. All hands were linked together as the oohs and aahs continued to ebb and flow. There was not one pair of eyes without tears of holiday sentiment. Then the laughter broke out, loudly and freely.

      “Oh, we forgot one thing,” Weston said. He ran over to the kitchen counter and picked up the mistletoe, holding it up for everyone to see. “Who wants the honors?” Weston looked directly at Jessica, hoping she might step forward. He would like nothing better than to kiss her breathless beneath the fresh sprig of mistletoe.

      “I’ll hang it,” Jennifer sang out, moving toward Weston. As soon as she reached for the mistletoe, she saw the disappointment in Weston’s eyes. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what was wrong with him.

      After Jennifer took possession of the mistletoe, she walked over to Jessica and handed it to her. “You should be the one to do the honors. Does everyone agree?”

      Enthusiastic hand-clapping thundered in the room.

      Jessica knew what everyone hoped for; she would hang the mistletoe and Weston would kiss her while she stood under it. She had no desire to disappoint anyone, especially herself. Jessica took the offered mistletoe from Jennifer and quickly stepped up to the plate, her heart beating rapidly. The thought of Weston kissing her had her heart rate going berserk. She couldn’t wait to feel his mouth on hers.

      “Get the camera,” Sahara told Roman. “This is a special holiday moment.” Although the video camera had been running throughout their time in Aspen, its adapter plugged into the electrical wall outlet, Sahara also wanted still photographs.

      Jessica ended up having to get a stool to stand on because the space at the top of the kitchen entry was too high for her to reach without one. Weston rushed over to help her up on the stool, holding it firmly in place as she tacked up the small green and white sprig. Once the mistletoe was set in place, Weston reached up and brought Jessica down and into his arms. Without allowing her feet ever to touch the ground, he tenderly kissed her mouth, doing his best to stave off his desire to use his tongue to deepen the kiss.

      In the next second Weston lost himself in the sweetness of Jessica’s lips. She had also slipped away into paradise. The arms that held her so securely made her feel safe and protected. So this was what it felt like to be in Weston’s arms. She had waited a long time to find out, believing she would never experience such an enchanting moment.

      Jessica could only imagine the expression on her face once Weston set her down on her feet and released his hold on her. If hers was anything like the bewildered look on his face, he more than likely had also experienced what she had. A brief kiss could be every bit as sensual as a long, passionate one. His kiss had just proven that. It had also left her trembling inside and desperately wanting more of the same from him.

      Jessica was relieved that no one had resorted to catcalling, whistling or clapping. Hiding her embarrassment was hard enough without all that. However, Weston didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. After all, he had initiated the kiss between them.

      The other three couples went back to chatting with each other, taking their focus off Jessica and Weston purposefullly. Jessica was happy about that. She had never liked to be the center of attention.

      Jessica wanted to gently touch her lips with her fingers, hoping she might still feel Weston’s kiss there. Her mind was somewhat befuddled, making her feel as if she were in a daze. She wanted him to kiss her again and again, but she wasn’t so sure it would ever recur. At any rate, Jessica knew she shouldn’t be having these types of thoughts.

      Although Weston’s kiss had been soft as a whisper, the impact on Jessica’s senses was profound. Weston had her rocking and reeling and wishing they were off somewhere alone. As far as she was concerned, his kiss had impacted her way more than her first kiss had. Logan Langston had been the first male to deliver the first kiss to her “sweet sixteen” lips. She had been kissed many times since, but she hadn’t ever felt anything akin to what she now felt. The floating sensation she experienced was rather surreal.

      Weston was very pleased with the ardent response his mouth had received from Jessica’s. His body was still tingling all over from their brief but very impressionable encounter. He had already begun to crave the sweet taste of her full lips. Weston knew he was addicted and he couldn’t help wondering when his next fix might come, hoping he never had to go into withdrawal. No doubt that would be painful. He thought perhaps he should say something to Jessica, but he just didn’t know what to talk about when his mind was only on one thing. Making love to her until she begged him never to stop.

      Weston was positive