She was sure her own fresher and brighter mood had nothing to do with last night. It had nothing to do with the man who painted alongside her.
Luke manned a roller, while Jordan took a brush along the edges. They made a pretty good team, if she did say so herself.
If only Ginger and her friends would wait in one of the other apartments. No, they’d set up folding chairs near the front door, away from the workers, and watched every move. Now and then they’d point and say, “You missed a spot!” and then they’d all laugh.
It was a joke that got old pretty fast, but nothing could dampen Jordan’s mood.
They were about halfway finished with the job when Ginger said, in a voice loud enough for all to hear, “Jordan Teague, are you ever going to ask us about your problem?”
She stopped mid-stroke and turned to look at the older woman. “What are you talking about?”
“Your inability to make it snow. Did you think no one knew? Here in Mystic Springs?” She made a snorting noise. “Felicity and Bria have been worried sick about it.”
“I’m sure I’ll…”
“Are you aware,” Helen interrupted, “that your powers, all of our powers, are connected to emotion? It used to be a well-known fact, but in the last few years enhancing or maintaining our powers isn’t discussed as often as it once was.”
“We should give a class,” Ramona said brightly.
It made sense, but Jordan was so embarrassed that they were talking about her, that they had obviously been talking about her, that she couldn’t come up with a quick response.
Luke did. “Y’all leave Jordan alone. She’s going to be fine. Once we finish here and Ginger tells us where the Franklin Star is, we’ll get it back in place, and Jordan will be able to make plenty of snow.”
That was the plan…
“The star has nothing to do with her inability to make snow,” Ginger said, her tone indicating that they were fools for thinking that was a possibility.
“She needs the truth,” Helen added.
Jordan turned, sat on the floor, and gave the ladies her full attention. “What truth?”
Helen grimaced. “I’m not sure. I wish I knew. These days I don’t see things the way I once did.”
“Maybe you need a class,” Ramona said.
“Bite me, Ramona,” Helen said sharply, and then all three women laughed. After the laughter died she said, “We should get out of here and leave these two to their chore.”
Ginger snorted again. “If we leave these two alone, the work will never be done. They need a chaperone.”
“Three of them?” Helen asked.
“Why not?” Ramona asked. “This is the most fun we’ve had in weeks.”
Jordan got back to work, painting around the windowsill. She needs the truth. Why did that statement cause her spine to tingle? Something within her recognized the power in those words.
She glanced at Luke and found him watching her. She smiled; he returned that smile.
“See? I told you,” Ginger said. “We can’t leave those two alone…”
The painting was done, and Ginger’s apartment looked pretty damn good, if he did say so himself. Luke was ready for the woman to share what she knew about the star; he tried to convince her, but she would not tell her secrets, not until her Christmas decorations were in place. The paint needed to be completely dry before that happened, so he and Jordan made plans to return in the morning. Decorating wouldn’t take long, then they could get the information that had set them on this path and maybe — maybe — save Christmas.
Ginger said the missing star wasn’t affecting Jordan’s abilities, but she could be wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time. Besides, they’d come this far. Might as well finish the job. One more day of work wouldn’t make or break them.
He’d looked for the right woman for a long time. Long enough that he wasn’t about to let Jordan go now that he’d found her. Maybe he should take his time, buy her a Christmas gift — though he had no idea what she might want or need — take her on a date or two or ten.
But no, Jordan was right. He didn’t need time, not for this.
“I have to put together a container of strawberry ice cream for Gabi and that adorable baby of hers,” Jordan said as they walked to the parking lot. “I promised her days ago. Come with me?”
Luke hesitated. “I can’t. I have a few things to do at the store.”
“Meet you after?” she suggested. “We do need to make a trip to the grocery store.” As if he needed to be reminded.
“Tonight,” he said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be at work. Mike and Cindy are getting pretty tired of filling in for me full time.”
“Okay, tonight. Your place or mine?”
“Mine.” Standing by the truck he kissed her. He couldn’t help himself, he wanted her so much. “My lack of neighbors is a real draw.”
“It is.”
He stopped with his hand on the truck door handle. “I forgot, I need to talk to Nana about something. Are you okay walking to your shop?”
“It’s a nice day. I have no problem walking.” She stopped then, ran her hands up and down her arms. He knew Jordan rarely felt the cold. What had changed?
He opened the truck door, reached into the back seat, and pulled out a brown and green checkered flannel shirt. It was a spare, old and worn, but it would cover her arms.
Jordan took the shirt and slipped it on, and she smiled as if that old shirt was a great comfort.
“Thanks. I might even stop by the grocery store and buy that big box of condoms.”
He kissed her again, and as his mouth moved over hers he wondered if she could tell that he was hopelessly distracted.
Jordan did stop at the grocery store and was sad to find that they only had a regular sized box of condoms. She bought three.
From there she went to her ice cream shop, where for the first time in a long while she noticed how cold it was in the place. She needed to turn the heat up, needed to make her customers and herself more comfortable. More than once she ran a hand up and down the sleeve of the flannel shirt she wore. The shirt smelled of Luke, was warm like he was. She put together an extra-large container and delivered the promised strawberry ice cream to Gabi, who was right next door. While she was in the beauty shop, she smiled and wished Gabi, as well as the other stylist in the shop, a Merry Christmas. They both seemed a little surprised, but returned the greeting.
She even laughed at the sign hanging over Gabi’s station, a wooden plaque with the words “I’m a beautician, not a magician” in elaborate script. It was an appropriate saying for a Non-Springer in Mystic Springs, though Gabi would have no idea.
As Jordan walked from the beauty shop to Luke’s hardware store, she said hello to a couple other people she knew, customers who weren’t exactly regular, but came in often during the warmer months. He liked rocky road; mint chocolate chip was her favorite. As she passed Ivy’s bakery, she decided to stop by after she saw Luke to pick up some muffins for tomorrow’s breakfast.
Luke needed to keep his strength up. Stale crackers would not suffice for much longer.
Before she went inside the store, she spotted Mike and Cindy near the end of the street, studying the decorations on the Christmas tree, talking with their heads close together. They were a cute couple. Cindy had adapted well to life in their town, all things considered.
They seemed to be lost in their own world. Good. Maybe they’d stay there a while and she’d have Luke to herself for a few minutes.
He wasn’t at the front counter. She headed down one aisle and then another, and called his name a couple of times. No response. The store was oddly quiet. No customers. No Luke.
And then she heard it. Muted laughter. A woman’s muted laughter.
Her heart sank, seeming to settle like a brick in her stomach, but she dismissed her initial response. Luke was helping a customer, that was all. A female customer whose laugh was husky and sexy and incredibly annoying.
&n
bsp; Jordan walked toward the back of the store. There was a big storeroom in the rear, where Luke had an office as well as the storage area for seasonal supplies and new deliveries. That was where the laugh had come from, she was sure of it. As she approached the door, she heard it again. A woman’s laugh, a man’s response, then a moan and a whispered, “Get those pants off, Benedict.”
His response was a soft, “Yes, ma’am,” followed by a rustle of fabric. She thought she recognized the voice. Eve or Ivy? Sometimes it was hard to tell. Was this why he’d brushed off her invitation to come to the ice cream shop with her? Did he have a date with one of the Franklin twins?
Was this the truth Helen had insisted she needed to see?
Jordan had her hand on the door, ready to burst in and catch the two red-handed, but she stopped short. Luke owed her nothing. She’d thought there was more between them, she’d thought he might actually love her, but he was no better than Rick. Maybe all men were incapable of being faithful. Maybe it was just her.
She turned and walked back to the front of the store, leaving behind the sounds of laughter and a passion she’d thought was only for her. She dropped the grocery bag of condoms. Almost without thinking, she slipped off Luke’s flannel shirt as she walked past the front counter. The shirt was too heavy, she was too hot. Her skin was on fire. She needed the cold; she needed ice.
As she stepped onto the sidewalk, Mike and Cindy headed her way. Jordan tossed Luke’s shirt to the ground, walking away as Mike called out. “Are you okay? Where’s that useless brother of mine? He’s supposed to be watching the store.”
“He’s busy,” Jordan snapped. As she said the words, a cold wind whipped up. She stopped at Ivy’s door, glanced in, and saw the baker at the counter. Just a few more steps and she stopped again, directly in front of the window of Eve’s Cafe. That teenage girl Eve had hired a few months back was serving the two customers who were in the place at this hour, between prime lunch and dinner times.
Luke and Eve. Why hadn’t she realized? Did anyone know? Did everyone know? Everyone but her…
She stepped into the middle of the street. The cold wind blew into her face, pushing her hair back and molding her thin shirt to her skin. She was no longer warm and toasty in Luke’s flannel; she was ice. She was cold, but it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t cold enough. A tear dripped down her cheek, and the sleet fell. It pelted her, slammed against the cars parked on the street and sent shoppers running for cover.
In the distance, lightning streaked across the sky. Thunder followed.
The ladies at the EGG had been right. Her powers were tied to her emotions. When she hated, when she was in pain, they came to life. She didn’t want to feel anymore, didn’t want the pain that came with rejection, love, disappointment. Loneliness was better. Cold was all she needed.
The lightning struck closer. The sleet turned into a cold, hard rain.
Everyone else had sought cover from the storm, but not Jordan. She stood in the middle of Main Street and let herself be soaked to the skin.
Chapter 10
It had taken longer than Luke had thought it would to get rid of his grandmother’s friends. Ginger and Ramona realized something was up, and they were relentless in their efforts to be nosy. Eventually they said goodbye, but only because Luke reminded them that pie was being served in the sunroom this afternoon. Ramona did love pie.
He wanted to do this alone, if he could. Nana would spill the beans later, but for now it was just the two of them. And great, a winter storm was brewing. He heard thunder, and then rain began to pelt the windows. He hadn’t paid a bit of attention to the weather forecast in the past couple of days so he hadn’t even realized the weather might get bad.
He did not have weather on his mind. Luke gathered his courage and said, “You always said if I ever wanted to use your engagement ring…”
“I thought you’d never ask!” His grandmother reached into the pocket of her red dress — the one with the reindeer stitched across the front — and pulled out a dark blue velvet box. “I always knew it would be you. Travis will probably never get married, and Mike ran out and bought Cindy a new engagement ring. As if I would’ve allowed this ring to grace a Non-Springer finger.”
So much for gathering his nerve. “How long have you been carrying that around?” he asked.
“Three weeks.” She looked displeased by that fact. “My timing is sometimes off.” Then she grinned. “But I did tell you that you needed a woman, I saw that a month ago, but I wasn’t sure how to tell you.”
He did need a woman; he needed Jordan more than he’d imagined possible. “I’m not sure she’ll have me,” he confessed, “but I’m going to try. I should wait before asking her to marry me. It’s too soon, but…” He didn’t want to wait, not another day, not another hour.
“But when it’s right it’s right,” she finished for him.
His time alone with his grandmother didn’t last long. The door to her apartment opened. He slipped the ring box into his pocket as Ginger and Ramona came into the room.
As if there was any chance Helen wouldn’t tell them everything as soon as he left.
What had brought them back so quickly? The ladies hadn’t even had time to get to the elevator, walking at their normal pace.
“Luke Benedict, what are you going to do about this storm?” Ginger snapped.
He stood and faced his grandmother’s cohorts. “What am I supposed to do about the weather? It’ll pass.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Ramona grumbled.
“It’s Jordan,” Ginger clarified, when Luke didn’t immediately make the connection. “You’d better stop her before she blows half the town away.”
Jordan saw the green truck heading her way, moving slowly but steadily toward her. Luke’s green pickup. No one else was on the street, not a moving vehicle, not a person, not even one of Silas’s stray dogs.
After an initial flash of anger, common sense intruded. Luke was coming from the wrong direction. He’d just been behind her, in the back room of his hardware store, making love to Eve the way he’d made love to her last night.
Maybe someone else was driving his truck, someone else was behind the wheel. That was the only explanation.
The lightning moved closer. The cold rain got harder.
The truck came to a stop in the middle of the road, almost two blocks ahead. It rocked in the strong wind, in danger of being blown away along with whoever was driving.
The driver’s side door opened, and Luke stepped out. Jordan held her breath. How had he gotten around her? There had to be an explanation. More time had passed than she realized, and somehow he’d worked his way around her.
Instead of running for cover, as the sane Springers had done, he walked toward her. The wind was with him, until she instinctively shifted it in an attempt to push him back. She couldn’t face him, not now, not ever. He almost fell over, almost fell back, but he righted himself and kept coming. No matter what he’d done, she didn’t want to hurt him. She didn’t want him to be struck by lightning like Rick. She hadn’t intended to kill her husband, and she didn’t want to kill Luke, but at the moment she had very little control.
When he was close enough to hear over the storm she yelled. “Go away! Get back!” Lightning struck the roof of the grocery store and sparks flew. Someone somewhere screamed.
“What happened?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
As if he didn’t know. “I know where you were. I know what you were doing!”
He looked confused. “Is it that bad?”
The rain fell so hard it was a sheet. They were both soaked. That bad? He had no idea.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small square box. “If it scares you this much, all you have to do is say no.”
Luke dropped down to one knee. He knelt in the street, paying no mind to the sleet and slush and rainwater. “Say no, if you have to, but you’re not going to scare me away. Marry me.”
The rain slowed, bu
t did not stop. There was no more lightning.
“You were… I heard…” Her breath hitched.
Luke looked past her, to the end of the street. Jordan turned, to see what had caught his eye.
Both of his brothers stood in front of the hardware store, Mike with an arm around Cindy, Eve standing close to Travis.
Travis Benedict. Mike’s useless brother.
The rain stopped suddenly. Jordan stood there, soaking wet, hair plastered to her face and neck. She should be cold, but she was not.
She was truly broken, but not in the way she’d been worried about in the past few months. The damage was deep, and personal, and had nothing to do with whether or not she could make it snow on Christmas Eve.
Trust was impossible for her, and if she couldn’t trust she’d never be capable of a real relationship, of true love. She’d heard Travis and assumed it was Luke in the back room with Eve. She’d been so sure he was cheating on her, the way her husband had.
“I could’ve killed you,” she whispered.
Luke stood and took a step toward her. “I don’t know what happened…”
Jordan turned and looked Luke in the eye. People were watching. His brothers, Eve, Ivy, a dozen others who had stepped outside as soon as the storm had eased. She didn’t care who was watching.
“I can’t marry you,” she whispered.
Luke slipped the ring box back into his pocket. “It’s too fast.”
“I can never marry you, or anyone else. I don’t trust anyone, I can’t…”
Broken. She was hopelessly broken.
Her heart felt like a block of ice in her chest. The hem of her shirt and the tips of her wet hair began to freeze. And the snow fell.
Santa and the Snow Witch Page 6