by Susan Hatler
“Would you mind cutting the broccoli?” he asked.
“Sure.” I turned away, not sure that I could handle watching him cook another moment. How could he prepare food with such a mess all around him? Grabbing the broccoli off the counter, I rummaged around in the cabinet until I found a small cutting board. I washed the broccoli and then divided the florets into manageable bites.
“Here,” Gabriel said, handing me a pan with a steamer.
His hand brushed mine as I took the pan, sending a rush of tingles up my arm, and my belly warmed. That was so not an appropriate response. What was wrong with me? Okay, the guy was insanely handsome. But, still. He was also the opposing counsel in my case. And messy.
Taking a deep breath, I filled the pan with about an inch of water, and plunked it onto the stovetop. Then I sensed Gabriel come up behind me—I could feel his looming presence without even turning around—and I made a point of casually stepping away.
He put the chicken in the oven, and I surveyed the debris from his cooking adventure. Unable to take the mess any longer, I grabbed a sponge from the sink and began washing the counters with a ferocious intensity.
“You know, Riley is just going to break Noelle’s heart,” I said, not sure why I felt the need to bring this up at the moment. But it had been building up inside, which was driving me crazy.
“Time will tell.” He pressed his lips together, like he was trying not to smile. “Why are you cleaning the counters as if you were going to perform surgery on them?”
I gave him a confused look. “How can you stand to leave this awful mess all over the kitchen? Haven’t you ever heard of bacteria?”
The corner of his mouth hitched up. “I can tell that you really care about things. Cleaning, for example. And your clients.”
“I do care about my clients,” I said, glancing over at him as I scrubbed. “I try to help them get the best possible outcome from a bad situation. Don’t you?”
“Yes.” He leaned against the counter, picking up two duck figurines wearing Santa hats. “What if the best outcome means giving their spouse a second chance?”
“Not likely.” I set the sponge on the back of the sink. “Second chances are only an opportunity to get hurt again. When a person thinks their partner is actually going to change, then the fall is even worse the second time.”
Turning away from him, I leaned against the sink, and took a deep breath. My heart pounded and I hadn’t realized how worked up I’d gotten about this. I gazed out the window. The snow was still falling, making the night brighter and softer. I wanted to be swallowed by the peacefulness of the scene, because the turmoil rolling around inside of me was making me feel sick to my stomach. I sensed Gabriel come up beside me.
“Is that what happened to you?” he asked, softly. “Someone broke your heart?”
I turned toward him, and our eyes met. Heat infused my belly, making me want to run outside to cool off in the snow. Instead, I took another calming breath. “I’m trying to represent my client to the best of my ability,” I said, firmly.
He shook his head. “I don’t buy that excuse.”
My eyes burned suddenly, and I crossed my arms. “This conversation is pointless. You don’t understand and obviously aren’t going to.”
“I understand that getting hurt isn’t the worst thing that can happen in a relationship.” He tilted his head, giving me a side-glance. “The worst thing that can happen is that you give up on it before it’s truly over. Then you’ll always regret that it might’ve worked out. Once you’ve given it all you’ve got, then . . . if it’s truly over, you can leave without your heart being shattered. Bruised, maybe. But then it’s a lot easier to move on with your lives.”
“Is that what happened to you?” I asked, my voice unusually shaky. I felt entirely too vulnerable asking the question, so I raised my chin. “Someone didn’t give you a second chance?”
“Yes,” he answered, making my breath catch in my throat. He set the ducks back down on the counter with their beaks pointing toward each other, as if they were kissing. Then he hung the sprig of mistletoe from a wooden spoon in the nearby utensil holder. “I’m going to get more wood for the fire,” he said, quietly, and then he turned away from me.
As I watched him walk toward the back door, I felt myself thawing toward him, and not just because of the heat that sizzled in my belly when he looked at me. He’d opened up to me just now, which somehow poked a hole through my usual defenses. I wanted to know more about him now, which worried me way too much.
The next morning, I woke up to snow falling softly outside the window. I put on my slippers, peeled back the curtain, and peered out at the winter wonderland. My chest filled with warmth and I smiled. To my surprise, my car was buried under about a foot of snow. How could something that peaceful and pretty accumulate so quickly?
I knew all that snow meant I was stuck in the cabin all day with Gabriel, and that thought alone was enough to make me feel twitchy. Kara still hadn’t returned my calls, but I didn’t want Gabriel to leave anymore, anyway. That thought was entirely too alarming.
Pulling on jeans and a sweater, I pulled my hair back into a low knot, feeling eager to get outside. Blue Moon Bay didn’t get cold like this, not like my days growing up in Seattle. As I left my room, the smell of coffee and bacon met me at the top of the stairs, and my stomach growled in anticipation.
When I rounded the corner into the living room, I stopped short, unprepared for what the sight of Gabriel stretched out on the sofa in jeans and a button-down flannel shirt would do to my insides. He held a cup of coffee in one hand, while reading from the tablet in his other hand.
His gaze caught mine and he gave me a slow, lazy smile. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” he said, setting the tablet down on the coffee table. “There’s scrambled eggs and bacon in the oven staying warm for you, and the coffee in the pot is fresh. Eat up, because we’re going to get our Christmas tree.”
“Our Christmas tree?” I asked, unintelligently. My brain was apparently still waking up, because I could do nothing but stare at Gabriel as he stood and stretched, revealing a thin strip of skin on his flat stomach.
“Yep.” He moved forward to add a log to the fire. “We’re going to chop one down outside and the sooner the better, since the weather’s scheduled to get worse later in the day.”
“Sounds like you’ve got everything planned out,” I said, forcing my feet to move toward the kitchen, while my brain kept repeating the word “our” that he’d used. One of my favorite things to do was pick out a Christmas tree, and it unnerved me that Gabriel seemed so excited about that, too. “Are you sure it’s not snowing too hard to chop our own tree down?”
He chuckled. “That’ll be part of the fun.”
“Oh, really?” I smiled, walking into the kitchen. Gabriel was full of surprises. Plus, he had made me breakfast, which was so sweet. My head in a daze, I opened the oven and stuck my hand inside to grab the plate. The hot plate burned my fingers and I yelped, dropping it. The plate clattered to the floor, sending eggs and bacon flying.
“What happened?” Gabriel rushed into the room just as I was shoving my hand under a spray of cold water in the sink. He came up beside me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said, feeling a flush creeping up my neck. How could I have forgotten to grab a potholder? “Just feeling lame for touching the hot plate and ruining the breakfast.”
“I’ll make you something else after I clean this up,” he said, opening a small closet and getting a dustpan and broom.
“Leave that for me.” I wanted to clean up my mess right now, but I couldn’t take my hand out of the cold water quite yet. “Don’t go to any trouble. Maybe I can just have a piece of toast?”
I didn’t want him waiting on me. Even though he was being incredibly sweet, I needed to get my guard back up again. As much as I wanted to decorate the place for Christmas with him, I reminded myself that we were just two people sharing a cabin by mista
ke. Nothing more.
“You can’t go out in the elements, hunting for the perfect tree without a proper breakfast in your stomach.” He looked up from where he crouched on the floor.
“Does your family cut down a tree every year for Christmas? Or is this something new?” I asked, unable to quell my curiosity. I caught the sad look that crossed his face before he turned back to sweeping up egg remnants and broken bits of plate.
“We always cut down our Christmas tree until my dad passed away, nearly five years ago,” he said, his tone somber. “I haven’t done it since.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your dad.” My heart clenched in my chest. So this would be the first time in five years he’d cut down a Christmas tree. There was no way I could say no to that. “I’ll just get some coffee and one of those bananas on the counter. Then we’ll head out,” I said, infusing my voice with a cheerfulness that I hoped would lighten the mood.
He turned toward me again, a ghost of a smile on his face. “I told you that I can’t let you go out without a proper meal.”
“My breakfast usually consists of three to four cups of coffee. A banana is an improvement, trust me. Let’s just go get the tree, and I’ll eat a full meal when we get back.”
“If you say so.” He stood and dumped the trash into the garbage can as I turned off the water. My fingers tingled as the coldness of the water wore off, but the rest of me tingled from the way he was looking at me. The corner of his mouth curved upward. “Let’s get going then.”
After I ate a banana and drained a cup of coffee, I followed Gabriel to the entryway where we pulled on our coats, hats, boots, and gloves.
“Are those the only boots you brought?” he asked.
I glanced down at my swede boots. “Well, yeah. I didn’t know I’d be hiking through the snow to chop down my own Christmas tree. I usually purchase one at a lot.”
“We should probably get to a lot, because those aren’t going to keep your feet warm,” he said, his brow crinkling.
“They’re fine,” I said, stubbornly jutting out my chin. “I was told I get to chop down my own tree, so that’s what I want to do.”
His frown turned to a smile as he reached into a bag he had sitting beside the door, and tossed me a pair of balled up socks. “Put those on at least. They’ll keep your feet warmer.”
“Thanks,” I said. Pulling on his socks felt weirdly intimate, and my belly warmed. I hadn’t felt like this in a long time. My initial reaction was to shut these feelings down, but now I wanted to tromp out into the woods with him and find the perfect tree like he used to do growing up. “Do you even know where we are going?” I asked, as we stepped outside into the chilly day, snowflakes swirling around us and dancing in an icy wind.
“Of course.” He pulled the earflaps on his hat down lower, but a small tuft of his sandy-brown hair peeked out in front. He looked like a very hot lumberjack. Wowzers. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a piece of paper, and waved it in the air. “I got a permit to cut down a tree on some neighboring land that Evan told me about.”
“Lead the way.” I followed him around the back of the cabin where he seemed to know which path to take. He stopped by a woodpile, and grabbed an ax. There was something startlingly sexy about him slinging the ax over his shoulder as he disappeared into the trees.
I plodded along in my cute boots, wishing Kara had mentioned the extensive hiking trails that were at the back of the property. I definitely would’ve packed more appropriately if I’d known. Walking through the snow in my suede boots was tougher than I expected since there had to be at least half a foot of snow on the ground, probably more. But I wasn’t going to let Gabriel know that I was struggling. I would chop down this tree with him, even if my feet turned blue. Although, you know, I was kind of hoping they’d stay warm until we returned.
By the time we emerged from the woods, the wind had picked up, and the snow was coming down with a fierce determination. In front of us was a sloping valley dotted with pine trees, which was incredibly beautiful.
Gabriel gestured at the valley. “Isn’t this beautiful?”
“Yes,” I agreed, amazed that he’d practically read my mind.
“Let’s head that way,” he called over the wind. Even in the blur of snow and cold, I could see the grin splitting his face, and found myself loving the way he was plunging into this adventure despite his pain from losing his father.
I followed him without comment, burrowing my face deeper into the soft lining of my coat. Even though I was freezing and the cold was seeping through my boots, Gabriel’s enthusiasm was contagious. I wanted to keep up with him, so he could enjoy his lovely Christmas tradition once again. Together, we wove in and out of the trees until Gabriel stopped.
He gestured to a short, but full tree. “What do you think?”
“Looks like a winner,” I said, even though the first thought that came to mind was that it would be more appropriate for a hobbit’s house. But the way Gabriel was beaming at it, I couldn’t burst his bubble. Besides, it wasn’t like the cabin was all that big anyway.
He lifted the ax and got right to work chopping down the tree. By the time it fell, I was hopping from one foot to the other to keep warm. I hadn’t helped with the chopping, so I figured I could at least carry the tree back. I reached down to pick it up at the same time that Gabriel did.
“I’ll carry it,” I said, even as he gave the tree a tug with a shake of his head. Pursing my lips, I frowned at him. “You chopped it down, so I’ll carry it back.”
“I don’t mind,” he replied.
“Neither do I,” I said, feeling a surge of annoyance that was tempered by the fact that I knew he was being chivalrous. But, hello? I worked out at the gym and could definitely handle a short, chunky tree like this one.
I moved fast to give the tree another tug, just as he came forward, and we suddenly collided. The next thing I knew, I’d tumbled into the snow, landing directly on top of Gabriel, my face buried into his shoulder.
“Oof!” I glanced to one side, noting the tree had fallen beside us, and a small twig from it was still in my gloved-hand. Ice-cold snow seeped into my jeans, but I lifted my head to stare down at him with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry. . . Not my finest moment,” I mumbled.
He started chuckling as his arms wrapped around my waist. “I’m not complaining.”
I lifted my head, and gazed down at him. “I’m not complaining either.”
His smile immediately faded and he gazed at me with an intense expression that made shivers dance up and down my spine. I licked my bottom lip slowly, noting how close my mouth was to his. Before I knew what was happening, he brushed my jawline with his knuckles, and then pushed himself up onto his elbows.
“You look like an angel,” he whispered.
“Maybe I had this all planned,” I joked, threading my fingers underneath his hat, and into his soft hair. I knew from the glint in his eye that he was probably going to kiss me, but I found that I couldn’t wait for him to make the move. So, I lowered my lips to his.
He returned my kiss right away, pressing his mouth firmly to mine, and I melted into him. He parted my lips with his tongue, and we tasted each other slowly. My belly danced and I inhaled sharply, breathing in the scent of pine trees that would forever remind me of this kiss with Gabriel, right here, that I never wanted to end.
Somewhere in the distance a bird squawked, pulling me from my heavenly fog. That’s when I realized how cold I was, but I couldn’t bring myself to break the kiss. Suddenly, Gabriel pulled away.
“You’re shivering.” He cupped my cheek for a moment, then pulled me up to my feet in one swift movement with his strong arms. He brushed the snow off my jeans, then off the back of my jacket. He peered down at me. “I’m pulling the tree. No arguments.”
“Okay.” I nodded, clasping my hands together, as my teeth started to chatter. The heat coming off of us must have steamed up the whole valley because I noticed that a fog had started to roll
in. “Do you know which way we go back to the cabin?” I asked, realizing that the fog was a lot thicker than it had initially seemed. How had I missed that? Thinking about the fog gave me something to focus on, since my emotions were going haywire from our kisses.
“We go that way,” he said, gesturing over my shoulder. Then he hoisted the tree up and led the way. Rubbing my hands together, I followed, hoping he knew that we were going in the right direction—in these trees, and with us in general.
Chapter Four
True to his word, Gabriel had known the way back to the cabin. I’d fallen in the snow on several occasions, and by the end of the trek I was shivering and soaked. When we got inside, Gabriel went to work building a fire, and suggested that I go take a hot shower to warm up, while he dealt with the tree. I gladly took him up on his suggestion.
When I got out of the shower, I heard my cell phone ringing in my bedroom. Maybe that was Kara finally returning my call! I wrapped a towel around myself, poked my head out into the hall to make sure that Gabriel wasn’t around, and then I scurried down the hall to my room.
My cell phone sat on my nightstand next to the small pine twig I’d saved from our Christmas tree adventure. I snatched up my phone and put it to my ear.
“Hello?” I answered, breathlessly.
“Harper? Are you all right?” Aunt Lucy’s voice was laced with concern.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “Just hurried to the phone.”
“Oh, I see. Are you enjoying the cabin in Tahoe?”
“It’s nice,” I said, tucking the towel around me more tightly, and holding the phone between my ear and shoulder, while I rummaged through the dresser for some clothes.
“Something’s up, though. I can hear it in your voice,” she said.
“Well . . .” I paused, wondering how to explain all that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. “There was a small mix-up with the cabin so I’m sharing it. With my opposing counsel from that case I mentioned yesterday, actually.”