Jayda’s Christmas Wish Read online

  I can’t stop smiling. Everything feels better now.

  Max is wearing his too-small Christmas pajamas and standing on a chair to hang an ornament up high on the tree. “Mommy,” he says, turning around. “My new dog can sleep in my room, right?”

  “What new dog?” Mom says, putting a hand on her hip. She knows about the dog we adopted since I told her privately last night, but she’s still putting on the charade that she has no idea what Santa has in store this year.

  “The dog that Santa is bringing me!” Max says. “He’s bringing me a dog and I want him to sleep in my room, Mama. Is that okay?”

  “I don’t know about that,” Mom says, winking at me as she reaches for more ornaments. “Santa probably can’t bring you a dog this year. That’s a bit much to ask, don’t you think?”

  Max shakes his head. “No. I’ve been really good. Santa even told me so.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Mom says, playfully ruffling his hair.

  When the tree is decorated and the cookies are iced and half eaten, we set out a plate for Santa and then Mom tucks Max into bed. I’m so happy that she’s back to her normal self again. She’s not sad anymore, and those lines in her forehead have lessened since she got the news about her job. After she goes to shower, I sneak my present for her under the tree. I used the eighty dollars I earned at the Christmas tree farm last weekend and bought her a new handbag that can replace the beat up ugly one she has now. That way she’ll feel confident when she goes to her new job.

  It’s just after midnight when I do another check to make sure Max and my mom are asleep. Then I tiptoe to the front door and pull it open slowly.

  Connor is there, a sly grin on his gorgeous lips. “Ready?” he whispers, holding up two large black trash bags.

  “Ready,” I whisper. “Come on in.”

  I expect him to follow me inside, but he doesn’t. I turn around and see him standing there, his cargo dropped on the ground. “What is it?” I whisper.

  “Come here,” he says, nodding his head.

  I step out onto the cold porch. Connor’s hands touch my waist, and his forehead presses to mine. “I don’t want to wait any longer,” he says, his breath minty like a candy cane. “It’s after midnight, so that means it’s Christmas.”

  My breath catches in my throat. Before I can say anything, Connor kisses me. His lips are warm and soft and taste like candy. My heart pounds and my toes go numb, but I don’t think it’s from the cold. My hands find their way around his neck and I pull him close, feeling my chest beating against his. His kiss is soft and sweet, and his lips move against mine, but they don’t push for more. They don’t ask for anything I’m not ready to give.

  We break apart a few seconds later, and I find myself gasping for breath. The cool air sends a shiver down my spine and Connor’s adorable smile warms me back up again. “Will you be my girlfriend, Jayda?” he whispers, his lips just inches from mine.

  My need to kiss him again overwhelms my ability to do anything else. I nod quickly, answering his question as fast as possible. And then I lift up on my toes and kiss him again.

  Just because I can.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I barely sleep at all. But unlike the past few weeks of misery and worrying, this time I can’t sleep because I’m too excited. Connor had gone home just a few minutes after he helped me set everything up, and then he texted me goodnight just after one in the morning.

  I think I drift off around four a.m., and then I’m up right at seven, eagerly waiting for my brother and mom to wake up. I put on a pot of coffee and play some Christmas music through my borrowed Bluetooth speaker to encourage them. Soon, my brother’s bedroom door opens and he shuffles out, all sleepily, until he sees me.

  “Jayda!” he squeals as if he’s suddenly remembered what day it is. “It’s Christmas! Did Santa come?”

  I nod toward the Christmas tree. “Why don’t you find out?”

  My little brother’s eyes get big as he gazes at the tree in the living room. Last night there wasn’t a single gift under the tree. Now, with the help of the donations from Mrs. Harris’ Christmas fund, there’s ten gifts under there, all with Max’s name on it. The eleventh present is to my mom.

  It turns out that Mom had agreed to let Connor use some of the Christmas present money on Max, so long as she makes a donation herself next year when she has money from her new job. Together, Connor and I had put the money to good use this past week. We bought presents for every kid on the under privileged list, and got some for Max, too.

  Max’s little hands pump the air and he jumps up and down. “Santa came! He came! Which one is my dog?” he says, looking at the presents but not touching them.

  “Go get Mom,” I tell him. He rushes into her room, calling her name. Soon she emerges, looking a little hesitant. The moment she sees the Christmas tree, her expression is better than I could have imagined. Her mouth falls open and she stops in her tracks, then looks at me. “What is all this?”

  I give a coy shrug. “I guess Santa came.”

  Mom knew there would be some gifts, but not this many. She gives me a hug and then tells Max he can open them. My phone buzzes with a text from Connor, and I text him back quickly and discretely.

  Max runs to the first present, the biggest one, and rips it open. He gasps and then squeals. “It’s dog food!” The fifty pound bag of dog food was really hard to wrap last night because of how big it is and how weirdly shaped it is. But we somehow managed to get it done without waking up my family.

  Max turns around and grins at Mom and me. “Santa brought me dog food!”

  “Well, open up the rest of them!” Mom says.

  Max dives into the presents, revealing a dog food bowl, water bowl, and some toys. There’s a collar, a leash, and a dog bed. His excitement wanes a little bit when he opens the final present and sees that it’s another dog toy, but not a dog.

  He frowns and squeezes the toy, making it squeak.

  I send another text to Connor.

  The doorbell rings.

  “Well, I wonder what that is,” Mom says, giving me a knowing smile.

  “Maybe Max should check it out?” I say.

  Max opens the door, and there’s our new dog. He’s wearing a big blue bow around his neck and a Santa hat. I have no idea how Connor managed to pull that off, but the dog looks happy to be all dressed up.

  My brother screams in excitement and throws his arms around the dog, who wags his tail and licks Max’s face. I glance out the front door and see Connor standing a little ways down the sidewalk. He waves at me and then heads back to his truck. “Thank you!” I call out before closing the door.

  This entire morning went exactly as we’d planned it.

  Max is so happy he bursts into tears, and the dog licks them off his face.

  “What are you going to name him?” Mom asks.

  “Buddy,” he says. “Like Buddy the Elf from that movie we watched.”

  “That’s a good name,” Mom says. I sit next to her on the couch and hand her the present I bought her. Before she opens it she says, “So … what’s going on with you and Connor?”

  My cheeks blush. “We can talk about that later.”

  “Aww,” Mom says with a grin. “I want to talk about it now. He’s cute!”

  “Please don’t say that when he comes over tonight!”

  Mom gives me a smile that is absolutely evil. “I’ll try not to.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Connor

  I try on three different shirts until I finally decide on what to wear to Jayda’s house tonight. I’ve never had this problem in my entire life. Clothes are clothes and I’ve never cared much about them. But suddenly it matters. Everything matters. I try to fix my hair and I brush my teeth twice just to make sure my breath smells good. This is Christmas dinner with my new girlfriend and her family.

  This is my first Christmas without my mom. It needs to matter. It needs to be perfect.

  I’m so
nervous on the drive to her apartment that I actually miss my turn and have to circle around. Guilt tugs at my heartstrings because on one hand I am so happy to have Jayda in my life. She was my dream girl for so many years and now she’s my girlfriend. I am beyond happy. But at the very same time, I’m also sad, missing my mom, and wishing she could be here. I guess it’s possible to be both happy and sad at the same time. Deep down I know my mom would want me to have a good time.

  So I put on a smile and I hold my famous deep dish pizza in one hand and Jayda’s Christmas present in the other hand as I walk up to her front door. This is scary but amazing. Awkward and nerve-wracking but the greatest feeling ever, all at the same time.

  I have a girlfriend, and she is the best.

  Jayda answers the door wearing a dark green sweater that makes her eyes sparkle. “Hey,” she says, her cheeks pink.

  “Hey,” I say, wondering if I can kiss her when her family might be looking. I decide for a quick peck on the top of her head before she lets me inside.

  The dog runs up to me, happy as always.

  “Hi,” Jayda’s brother says to me. “I’m Max and this is Buddy. He’s my dog.”

  “Very cool,” I say, petting Buddy on the head. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Nice to see you again,” Jayda’s mom says. She gives me a quick hug. “Thank you for bringing dinner. It smells amazing.”

  All of my nerves fade away after a few minutes. We sit down to eat and everyone loves my pizza. I think about telling them that my mom taught me how to make it, but then I decide to save that story for another time. These people feel like family now, even though it’s only been a few hours. Something tells me I’ll have plenty of time to share all my stories with them.

  After dinner, Jayda’s mom and brother take Buddy for a walk, and I give her the present I picked out for her a few days ago. My heart pounds in my chest as Jayda pulls off the wrapping paper. I hope she likes it. I hope it’s the best gift she’s ever gotten.

  I hope I’m better than any boyfriend she’s ever had.

  “Oh, Connor,” she says, her finger sliding across the silver pendant. It’s an opal necklace that was handmade by a local artist. It sparkles from the glow of the Christmas tree lights. “This is beautiful.”

  “Do you like it?” I ask.

  She nods eagerly and then throws her arms around me. “I love it.”

  When she pulls back, she leans up on her toes and kisses me. I hold her close and breathe in the smell of her vanilla shampoo, feel the softness of her hair against my skin. All the pain in my heart from missing my mom seems to fade to a manageable amount when I’m with Jayda. I’m no longer bitter and annoyed at the world. I’m finding more reasons to be grateful with each passing second.

  I slide my fingers across her cheek and lift her chin up, then kiss her softly. “Merry Christmas, Jayda.”

  I can feel her smile in the way she kisses me. “Merry Christmas,” she whispers. I know in this moment, that although life will never be the same as it used to be, it will still be okay.

  Thank you for reading Jayda’s Christmas Wish! If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It doesn’t even have to be long; just one sentence helps out a lot!

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  About the Author

  Amy Sparling is the bestselling author of books for teens and the teens at heart. She lives on the coast of Texas with her family, her spoiled rotten pets, and a huge pile of books. She graduated with a degree in English and has worked at a bookstore, coffee shop, and a fashion boutique. Her fashion skills aren't the best, but luckily she turned her love of coffee and books into a writing career that means she can work in her pajamas. Her favorite things are coffee, book boyfriends, and Netflix binges.

  She's always loved reading books from R. L. Stine's Fear Street series, to The Baby Sitter's Club series by Ann, Martin, and of course, Twilight. She started writing her own books in 2010 and now publishes several books a year. Amy loves getting messages from her readers and responds to every single one! Connect with her on one of the links below.

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