Kristin grabbed her purse, and giggled as she followed Jeremy out the door. She tucked an arm through his. “I’ll take her a bear claw, too. She’ll forgive us both if she gets one of those.”
Jeremy chuckled. “If only every woman was so easy to please.”
“I think most of us are,” Kristin said, thoughtfully. “Fried chicken always works for me.”
“True,” Jeremy said, his eyes sparkling at her understated praise for his unexpected arrival at her place the other night.
“So, what’s so important that you need to drag me away from work?”
“Nothing much,” Jeremy said, then paused. “Well, actually, Mom and Clarice have both asked for sweaters for Christmas, and well, you know how terrible I am at picking out clothes. I need your advice.”
“I knew it would be something like that.” Kristin giggled. “You would never survive without me.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” Jeremy admitted. “I’ll have to kidnap you and make you my wife, so nobody else can steal my personal shopper from me,” he said, attempting to make his tone jokey and light, but his voice was strained.
“Well, Clarice will want something trendy. Your mom will want something warm and cozy. So, we need to go to Sophie’s Boutique on Fourth, and Shillington’s on Main Street. Do you want to go there first?” Kristin said, getting the conversation back on more comfortable ground.
“Sounds great. Let’s go.” Jeremy smiled tightly and glanced at her briefly as they walked.
It took only a few minutes to get to the department store. When they walked by the big windows in the front, Kristin smiled. “Isn’t the display perfect this year? The frosted glass makes it look all frosty and snowy. And the sleigh is spectacular!”
“It does look good this year. It’s the best one I remember in a while.”
“Come on. I can’t lolly-gag around. Martha will starve, and I do have a ton of work to do.”
They wandered through the sweaters for the perfect one. “Here’s a lovely cashmere pull over. I love this periwinkle blue one.”
“It is her favorite color,” he said, looking overwhelmed at all the choices.
“I think it’s perfect for her. It’s classic and simple. It’ll be warm, too. Want to get it or do you need to look a little more?”
“If you think she’ll like it, then I’m good with it.” Jeremy sighed. “Where do I pay?”
“Over there. See the counter?”
He nodded and headed that way with the sweater and half of his shopping burden lightened.
Kristin’s mind wandered again as she waited on Jeremy to come back. This little outing had taken her mind off of things she shouldn’t be thinking of. She was suddenly thankful for his friendship. Somehow, he managed to offer a diversion when she needed it.
She wished she could feel something deeper for him, but she didn’t. One day he’d find his perfect match and she’d be very happy for him. Until then, she would enjoy his friendship as much as she could.
6
Cole fingered the shirts on the rack, wondering which one his Dad might like best, when he heard familiar voices. He looked up and saw Kristin and Jeremy marching towards him, arm-in-arm. They were giggling and Jeremy was clutching a Shillington’s bag.
“Hey, how are you guys?” he asked as they got closer. Kristin smiled, and Cole’s heart almost stopped.
“Hey,” she said softly.
Jeremy scowled. “Just what are you doing back in town?” he asked rudely.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but my sister is getting married in a few days, my family all live here, and it is my home,” Cole replied defensively. He regretted the words as soon as he had said them. Just one look at Kristin’s face, her smile disappearing with each word he uttered made him wish he could have found a way to be civil to Jeremy. But, he was such a grouch, and had been antagonistic without any provocation.
“I think most of the town had hoped you wouldn’t ever show your face again,” Jeremy said spitefully. “Haven’t you hurt enough people around here?”
Cole bristled. He and Jeremy hadn’t exactly been friends in high school, but he was pretty sure that he hadn’t done anything to deserve such venom. “I don’t know what your problem with me is, Jeremy, but, whatever it is, I’d like to see if we can move past it. If I owe you an apology for anything, I’m happy to give it. Sincerely. Whatever happened in the past, can’t be changed. I think it’s time to forgive and forget.”
“It isn’t a real apology if you don’t have a clue what it is you’re saying sorry for,” Jeremy sneered. “And, I would never accept it anyway. I don’t know how you can be so polite, Kris,” he added, turning to where Kristin stood, looking as though she wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
“Well, I think, that for Kristin’s sake, it would be best if you guys head on to where you were going. I’ll do my best to stay out of your way for the rest of my R and R,” Cole said, keeping his tone conciliatory and calm.
He didn’t want to fight with Jeremy. If there was anything in life that he could do that would guarantee Kris’s displeasure it would be hurting her oldest friend. The guy seemed determined to pick a fight with someone double his size, but Cole wouldn’t take the bait.
“Why should I have to keep out of your way?” Jeremy said, as Kristin grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away. “This is my home. Kris has been my friend since I was a kid.”
“Jeremy, stop this,” Kristin cried, looking as though she might cry at any moment. Her eyes were filmed with tears and she was holding her lips tightly, in that way she always did when she was trying to be brave. Cole had that look imprinted in his brain—it was the look she had pinned to her face on the day she had told him it was over.
“Excuse me,” Cole said. “If you won’t go, then I will. I don’t want to fight with you Jeremy, though it seems as though you really want to goad me into one. Do you hope Kris will take your side if I knock you out? Do you really think she won’t see that you talked your way into it? Don’t pick fights you can’t win, Jeremy.”
Cole moved away, turning briefly to Kristin to give her an apologetic look. She smiled tightly, and continued to try and pull Jeremy away in the other direction. Finally, he gave in and followed her lead.
Cole took a couple of deep breaths. He didn’t know what Jeremy had hoped to gain from such a confrontation, or why he was holding such a grudge in the first place, but it was clear that his hatred ran deep. Cole could only assume that Jeremy still smarted over the fact that Kristin had chosen him, and not Jeremy. It was probably worse that even with Cole gone, Jeremy still hadn’t managed to win her heart. Jealousy could do terrible things to a man. Cole knew all about that. It had ravaged his thoughts every night, wondering if Kris had found someone new to love, someone to replace him.
Deciding to take a rain-check on his Christmas shopping, Cole trudged outside and got into the car. He turned the key in the ignition, then slammed his hands down hard on the wheel. He hadn’t wanted to hit anyone so much in a long time.
His time in the military had definitely taught him to channel his anger and frustrations more constructively. His job required violence and he was used to charged up situations. This wasn’t the same, though. The confrontation with Jeremy had made him feel like a hick kid again, all bluster and rage. Cole hated that feeling. He didn’t like not being in control of his emotions and his reactions.
7
Kristin fretted all afternoon, and much of the next day, about the encounter in Shillington’s. She had never seen Jeremy like that, or Cole, either, for that matter. In the past, Cole wouldn’t have hesitated to put someone in his place if they had spoken to him that way. Kristin couldn’t help but be impressed by the restraint her once somewhat volatile boyfriend had shown, considering the provocation.
Cole had never been mean, but he had been swift to mark his dominance as a boy. It was clear that the man knew who he was and had no need to defend his place. This new confidence and
control was peculiarly attractive, but that wasn’t something she could let herself think about.
She wished she knew why Jeremy was so angry about anything to do with Cole. He had always seemed to be far angrier about the way Kristin and Cole had parted ways than she was. Whenever she asked him about it, he clammed up and wouldn’t tell her.
Cole had done nothing to deserve Jeremy’s outburst, and Kristin couldn’t help feeling guilty about it on his behalf. Pulling on her coat, she impulsively decided that she had to go and see Cole, to clear the air. She didn’t want this hanging over Evie’s wedding.
She almost ran along the street, hurrying up the pathway to the Wright’s house and banging on the door loudly. She hopped anxiously from foot to foot as she waited for him to open it, wringing her hands, and pulling her coat more tightly around her body. It seemed to take forever for anyone to answer, but she knew someone must be home, because there were lights on, and music blaring loudly. Finally, the handle turned and the door creaked open.
“Hey,” Cole said, looking surprised to see her. He was wearing his Mom’s frilly apron. She looked at him quizzically.
“I’m making lasagna,” he said with a grin. “This is about as manly as it gets in this house if you want to protect your clothing from rogue tomato sauce splatters.”
“I see,” Kristin said smiling up at him. She wished she didn’t feel so easy around him still. It almost felt like nothing had changed. He still made her heart pound, her stomach flutter, and he knew just how to make her laugh, too.
“What can I do for you? You have that look in your eyes that says you’re here on a mission. Evie’s not in. Well, nobody is, except for me.”
“It’s okay. I came to see you. How do you always know that?”
“Know what?” he said, his eyebrows dipping in a look of confused consternation.
“Know that I’m here for a reason?”
“I’ve always known. You do that, rather adorable, hands clasped across your belly tightly thing, mouth set in a tight little line, eyes focused and determined.”
Kristin smiled. “You know me too well, even now,” she said sadly. “But, you’re right. I did come by for a reason. I want to apologize for Jeremy yesterday. He was so, I don’t know…”
“Rude?” Cole suggested.
“Yeah, rude,” Kristin said. She took a deep breath. “And obnoxious, and angry for no reason.”
“Come in, Kris,” Cole said, opening the door wider. “My sauce will burn if we do this out on the doorstep.”
“We can’t have that,” she quipped nervously, as she followed him inside. She couldn’t help but feel awkward. It had been a long time since she had been alone with Cole, and she had already acknowledged to herself that he still held a powerful hold over her. She had to remind herself that things had ended for a reason. She couldn’t trust him, and though she felt she had to set things right, that was all she was here for. It was nothing more than common courtesy.
“You don’t need to apologize for Jeremy, you know,” Cole said. “He’s a big boy now, responsible for his own weird actions.”
“I know, but I wanted to. I felt I should explain. He has always been so angry with you, on my behalf I suppose. I don’t know why he picked a fight with you, or why he did his best to escalate it like that, but I don’t want things to be difficult between us because of it. Evie’s wedding celebrations begin, and I want to be there for her, but not if it’ll be too difficult for us all. If there’s any kind of ill will between us, it’s bound to cause problems.”
“Evie will be delighted to know that my appearance hasn’t put you off coming. I know it’s been worrying her,” Cole said quietly, expertly stirring a white sauce on the stove that looked impossibly smooth and rich.
“I just want us to forget the past and move forward.”
“I must confess, I’m a little surprised by this, but I’m more than happy to let the past stay in the past,” Cole said, turning to grin at her. He put down the spoon carefully, and smoothed his hands down the apron.
He held out his arms, as if he expected her to walk into them. “Friends?” he asked, his eyes pleading with hers. Kristin hesitated, but eventually stepped forward.
“Friends,” she said, as she felt him embrace her. She let her hands snake around his muscular back, her fingers momentarily tracing over his shirt.
Just being this close to him, the scent of him filling her senses, the warmth of his body and the gentle caress of his breath was exquisite torture. She looked up at him, feeling as though she were in some kind of dream, her brain was fuzzy even as her body tingled all over.
He gazed intently down at her. She couldn’t decide if she was imagining it or not, but she was pretty sure his face was moving closer to hers, his lips looking more and more inviting as they drew closer.
“I’m home,” Evelyn yelled, slamming the front door behind her.
Cole snapped his head up, and Kristin jumped backwards, almost slamming her back into the kitchen table. What had just happened? Kristin tried to still her wild thoughts and calm her racing heart as she heard Evie’s footsteps draw closer to the kitchen. How on Earth would they ever explain what they were doing here, alone? To Evie, of all people!
8
“Good gosh, Cole, that lasagna smells amazing,” Evie declared as she appeared in the doorway. “Oh!”
“Hey, Evie,” Kristin said and waved self-consciously.
Cole couldn’t stop himself from laughing. The look on Evie’s face was priceless. She looked from Cole to Kristin, as if trying to figure out why in the world they would be here, together, alone. After everything he’d said to her in the past few days, it made sense she’d be confused.
He had argued strongly that there was nothing going on between them, and her doubt was almost worth having to pull away from that near kiss with Kris. He watched as she placed her bags upon the table, and stared at him, waiting for him to explain.
“Kristin just stopped by to let you know that she’ll be delighted to attend the wedding shower tomorrow. She also said she’d love to accept your invitation to the rehearsal dinner and she’ll even grace us with her presence at the wedding, too,” he said smoothly.
Seeing the relief on Kris’s face as he came up with the face-saving half-truth, made him grin. She hadn’t said she would attend every event, but he knew he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could and was prepared to use any underhanded means available to make it happen. Kristin was too sweet to disagree with him in front of Evie, especially given that the news was what Evelyn had been longing to hear for weeks.
“You are?” Evie cried, turning to Kristin and taking both her hands and pumping them up and down excitedly. “I’m so glad. It wouldn’t have been the same without you. You’ve been like a sister to me, all my life. I knew you wouldn’t let this big goofball stop you from coming.”
“I just didn’t think Martha would be able to spare me for the extra events, I was always going to come and see you get married. I’d never miss that.” Kristin threw a look at Cole that told him just how much trouble he was going to be in when she got him alone. “I’d better go. I have a lot of work still to do before the big day.” She began to move towards the front door.
Cole remained in the kitchen, as Evie followed on to see Kristin out. Cole could hear them chattering. Evie sounded so happy, and Kristin was doing her best to sound as though everything was completely normal. She was doing a good job of acting like she hadn’t just come over to see Cole of her own free will. That they hadn’t just almost kissed. That she was simply there to see Evie.
He wasn’t sure what had just happened between them, but it was clear as daylight that there was still a spark flickering just under the surface. He wanted to act upon it, yet he knew he was only here for a very short time, and then they’d have to go through the pain of separation all over again. It would be better for them both if nothing more happened. He wasn’t sure he could go through losing her twice. He had barely ma
de it through last time.
If it hadn’t been for the discipline and routine in the army, Cole was sure that he would have gone out of his mind with grief. But then again, if it hadn’t been for the army, they would never have split up. Sighing, he went back to stirring the sauce on the stove.
His heart was telling him he had to give it one more chance. He wanted to be with her. Even if all they could ever salvage was a friendship, he wanted her in his life. He untied the apron and hurried to the front door. Kristin was already half way down the path. “Hey, Kris,” he called.
She turned. “Um, hey. What’s up?”
“I still need to finish getting some Christmas gifts as I was so rudely interrupted the other day. Would you maybe come and give me a hand?”
An odd look passed over her face, one he couldn’t quite figure out. “Sure,” she said tightly. “I only work a half day tomorrow. My afternoon is open.”
“I’ll meet you at the flower store,” he said.
“Oh, good,” Evie said excitedly. “You can drop me off so I can see everything Martha and Kris have been creating for me.”
“Sure, you’re welcome to stop by any time. Bride’s prerogative,” Kristin said. “You’re going to love everything, I just know it.” She grinned at them both and disappeared down the street.
Evie turned to Cole with a knowing look. “So, just what did I interrupt there?”
“Nothing at all,” Cole said defensively.
“Right,” Evie said. “And Christmas shopping tomorrow? When you should be delivering the tuxedos to the hotel ready for the wedding? Hmmm.”
“You’re infuriating,” Cole said, pushing past his sister and heading back to the simplicity of making his lasagna. At least pasta and sauce couldn’t make you feel as if you were coming, going, upside down, and all spun around the way everything else had since he came home.
A Christmas Surprise (Second Chance Christmas) Page 4