The next day, he sent flowers to her office. Friday, he went in person. They put her big desk to good use. Before he left, she asked him if he would be helping transport the Blueberry dollhouses to the Haltersham Hotel the next morning for display at the Christmas Ball.
“Yeah, I told Janice I would be at the clubhouse at nine. We’ve got most of the troop and several parents signed up to help.” He shrugged into his heavy jacket. “Sylvie’s going, right?”
“Yes.” She stepped close and eased her hands under the open sides of the jacket, sliding them up to link around his neck. Her fingers were cool on his nape, and she smelled so good. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her out of there, take her home with him. Forever. “I’m showing houses in the morning and afternoon, so I can’t take her. My mom will pick her up and drop her off at the clubhouse, no problem. But then I was thinking Sylvie would love it if you drove her. And as long as you’re going anyway...”
He couldn’t say yes fast enough. “I’ll be there to get her at quarter of nine.”
* * *
Saturday afternoon, Ava got home just before Dare returned with Sylvie.
Her daughter came running up the front steps, gap-toothed smile a mile wide, Dare right behind her. “Mommy! We moved the dollhouses and put them at the hotel. It was a lot of work, and Janice says we did a t’riffic job and they make a beautiful display. And look! I got a Helping Hands badge.” She held out the dark blue badge embroidered with linked hands. “Would you sew it on my uniform so I can wear it tonight?”
“Of course.” Ava took the badge.
“Thanks, Mom. Dare, thanks for taking me.”
“Anytime.”
With a wave, Sylvie slid around Ava and into the house, leaving Ava and Dare alone on the porch. He smiled at her. She felt that smile all the way down to the core of her. How did he do it? He could melt all her girl parts with no more than a twist of those beautiful lips.
“I’ve got a job I have to check on,” he said. “Be back to pick you both up at seven.”
She wanted to throw herself into his arms.
And honestly, wasn’t this thing with them getting seriously out of hand, turning out to be way more than she’d bargained for?
Yeah. She kind of thought so.
But at the moment, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to worry about it. She was too happy and having way too much fun.
“Seven,” she confirmed softly—like a promise.
Or a prayer.
* * *
The five dollhouses, each on a specially built turntable stand beneath carefully positioned lights, had been set up in the lobby right outside the hotel ballroom.
They did look terrific, Ava thought. Each miniature house was in a different style: Victorian, Craftsman, Contemporary, Tudor and Cape Cod. Each had been painstakingly painted, furnished to style and period—and decorated for the holidays. Guests attending the ball could stroll the lobby before entering the ballroom, take their time admiring the houses and also pledge donations to the five children’s charities to which the dollhouses would go.
The Blueberries, each girl in uniform, hair combed and curled and crowned with the trademark Blueberry beret, dragged their parents and grandparents around from one house to the other. They were all justifiably proud of the great work they’d done. Janice gave a little speech. Hotel staff offered sparkling cider and Christmas cookies to the girls and guests alike.
At nine, Janice herded the girls out to her van to drive them home. Sylvie’s sitter would be waiting at the house for her.
Dare took Ava’s hand. “Dance with me.”
She followed him into the ballroom, with its glorious tall windows topped with pretty fanlights. In daylight, the windows framed beautiful views of the mountains. But now, at night, they reflected back the warm glow of the ballroom’s famous vintage Tiffany chandeliers, the twinkle of party lights and thousands of foil stars strung from the ceiling.
Dare took her in his arms. They danced by Nell, who stood at the gorgeous antique rosewood bar deep in conversation with Ryan McKellan. Nell winked at Ava. Ava smiled and waved. When they swayed past her mom and dad, who were visiting with another older couple near the doors that led out to the lobby, Ava gave her mom a wave, too.
“Our first dance.” Dare pressed a kiss to her temple.
Their first, yes. And sometime tonight, they would probably share their last dance, as well. Because between now and New Year’s, further opportunities for dancing were just about nil.
Then again, she could put on some Christmas music at home, couldn’t she? Dance naked with him in her bedroom.
“What are you smiling about?” he asked.
She let a low chuckle serve as an answer.
The band launched into another holiday tune. Darius kept her close and went right on dancing. They swayed together, moving back and forth across the floor.
When the band finished that set, they ended up near the ballroom doors. Her mom signaled them over.
Ava went with some reluctance.
But as it turned out, it wasn’t that bad.
Her dad asked Dare how things were going in the metal fabricating business, and her mom was charming and talkative—and minus that exasperating wily gleam in her hazel eyes. Was it possible Kate Janko had finally decided to give the matchmaking a rest?
Tom and Libby came by and joined the conversation. Ava tensed a little, expecting Tom to lob some hostile remark Dare’s way. But nothing happened. Tom and Libby wandered off.
A couple of minutes later, Dare’s phone must have gone off. He took it out and glanced at it. Then he bent close, “Want a drink?”
“Something bubbly?”
“Done. Be right back...”
He’d been gone for several minutes before she started wondering if he went after more than drinks.
* * *
When Dare entered the Haltersham’s best restaurant, the Columbine Room, the pretty hostess beamed him a welcoming smile. “Good evening. Do you have a reservation?”
He didn’t respond. Eyes straight ahead, he kept walking, headed for the swinging doors into the kitchen. When he reached them, he shoved them wide and went on through.
One of the prep cooks called, “Sir, can we help you?”
He ignored the voice and moved on, past the stoves and steel counters and walk-in refrigerator, down a narrow hallway and out the door at the far end.
Tom Janko was already there, standing by the Dumpster, his beefy arms wrapped around himself against the bitter cold. “I wasn’t sure you got my message.”
Dare crossed his own arms against the chill and wished he’d stopped to get his coat. “How’d you get my number?”
“Last Sunday, family dinner.” Tom’s breath came out as fog. “I borrowed Ava’s phone to make a call.”
“Sneaky.”
“Yeah, well. She goes her own way and never listens to advice from the people who care about her. But she’s still my sister, and I don’t want anybody messing with her.”
Dare made eye contact with him and held it. “I’m not messing with her, Tom.”
“Oh, yeah? So what exactly would you call what you’re doing?”
Dare stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket and stamped his feet to keep from freezing to death—as he tried to decide how much to say. “I can’t tell you what I’m not ready to say to her yet.”
Tom swore low. “Man. What does that even mean?”
“It means I like her, okay? I like her a lot.”
“Until you don’t. Come on, Dare. We all know how you are. You get bored way too damn easy.”
“Not with Ava.”
“You say that now. But wait five minutes. We both know you’ll be moving on.”
“Listen. Can we j
ust go back a little first?”
“Back where?”
“Eight years. I shouldn’t have fired you. I should have given you a warning and another chance. And I was way out of line when I punched you.”
Tom stared at him for a good count of five. Then a rumbling laugh rolled out. “I punched you first—and I had some issues then, issues that I was chasing to the bottom of a bottle. Another chance wouldn’t have had much effect on the final outcome.”
“Still. I was new on the job and out to show my dad how tough and uncompromising I could be.”
“I noticed. And at the time, I was seriously pissed at you. Because it was easier to get mad at the boss man than to admit I needed to lay off the booze and take my work seriously.” Tom put his hands together and blew into them. “But I’m past all that now, and if Ava’s told you otherwise, she’s got it wrong.”
Dare hesitated, unsure how to respond. He didn’t want to cause trouble for Ava with Tom.
And then Tom waved a hand. “Never mind. Just take my word for it. This isn’t about what happened at Bravo Steelworks way back when. We can leave all that behind.”
Dare answered cautiously, “Okay...”
“No, man. It’s not okay. My sister, she doesn’t need any more heartache. She may seem like she’s got it all together. And she’s always telling Mom she’s happy and she’s running her own life just the way she wants it. That she doesn’t want or need a man. But she hasn’t had it easy. She not only lost the guy she loved to a land mine on the other side of the world, there were some tough times back when we were kids. I’m not going into any details. But there were bad experiences, you know? Stuff happened that I’m still not really sure she’s over. Trust is a hard thing for her, and her toughness doesn’t go as deep as she wants everyone to think.”
“When you say stuff happened...”
Tom shook his head. “Didn’t I just tell you I can’t give you specifics?”
“And that’s okay. I think I already know.”
“Uh-uh. Not possible.”
“Ava told me that the four of you spent two years in the system where she met a screwed-up kid named Trevor.”
Tom did a classic double take. He stopped blowing on his hands and let them drop to his sides. “My sister told you about Trevor? She doesn’t talk about Trevor. Ever. Our parents don’t even know about Trevor.”
“So then maybe you’ve got this all wrong, Tom. Maybe she doesn’t see me so much as the spoiled rich guy who never met a woman he couldn’t walk away from. Maybe she feels safe telling her secrets to me. Maybe she trusts me more than you know—not as much as I want, but I’m working on that. Will I get what I’m after from her? Still can’t say. But when you come right down to it, I’m not the one most likely to end up walking away.”
Tom had been blowing on his hands again. But then he stopped. Leaning in, he squinted hard in Dare’s face. “Good God almighty. You’re in love with my sister.”
To hear the truth right out loud like that from another guy’s mouth? It shocked him.
And where to go from here? He hadn’t even worked up the nerve to declare himself to Ava yet. No way he was telling her brother all about it first. He’d said way too much already.
But then Tom put up a hand. “Never mind. I get it. I finally get it. Wow. Does she know how you feel?”
Uh-uh. Not going there. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tom wasn’t fooled. “Right. So I’m guessing that’s a no. You haven’t told her.”
“Look, I’d appreciate it if—”
“You know what? You don’t even need to say it. Your secret’s safe with me. And I gotta hand it to you, Dare. I never saw that coming.”
“Yeah, well. You’re not alone.”
“Good luck to you, man.”
“Thanks. I think.”
“Because you’re gonna need it.” Tom laughed then. It wasn’t a reassuring sound.
Chapter Eleven
Dare found Ava more or less where he’d left her. Her parents had moved on. He handed her the glass of champagne she’d asked for.
“That took a while,” she said.
“Sorry. I needed to clear up a few issues with an old friend.”
“Who?”
“Your brother Tom.”
She choked on a sip of champagne. “What?”
“Relax. Nobody bled—as a matter of fact, we made peace.”
“You’re joking, right?” She croaked. And then she coughed into her free hand.
He patted her back. “You all right?”
“Fine. Wonderful. Just answer the question.”
“No, I’m not joking. I had a talk with Tom, and we put the past behind us.”
She gazed up at him, blue-green eyes a little misty. “I...well, I don’t know what to say.”
“That’s okay.” He put his arm around her, bent close and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair, which she’d piled up loosely and held in place with a big rhinestone clip shaped like a peacock. Little wispy curls had gotten loose to trail along the silky skin at her nape. God, she was pretty, in hot pink satin that clung to every tight, tempting curve and ended a couple of inches above her shapely knees. He tugged on a curl. “You look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.”
“Keep talking.” She twinkled up at him. “You just might get lucky tonight.”
* * *
They got back to her place at a little after two in the morning. Ava paid the babysitter, and off she went.
Then they both shucked off their shoes. “Let’s dance.” He pulled her into his arms.
Her cheeks were flushed as pink as her dress, and her smile lit up the dim corners of the front hall. “There’s no music.”
“Oh, yeah there is. A golden oldie. Frank Sinatra. ‘The Christmas Waltz.’” He tapped the side of his head. “It’s playing in here.”
“Well, all right then. I would love to dance—to whatever happens to be playing inside your head.”
So they danced.
He waltzed her out of the foyer and into the living room, across the dining room and on through the open door of her bedroom. Pausing on the far side of the threshold, he kicked the door shut with his foot, simultaneously letting go of her hand just long enough to engage the privacy lock.
And then he had them on the move again. They circled the room, ending at the bed, where he finished by lowering her in a slow dip. When he guided her upright again, he claimed a kiss. “What do you think? Am I ready for my stint on Dancing with the Stars?”
She eased his jacket off his shoulders and tossed it on a chair. “I would totally vote for you.”
“So you like me, huh?”
“Oh, yes. I do. I really do.”
“I think you need to show me just how much.” He unzipped her pink dress and took her down to the bed.
* * *
“Dare.” Ava shook him awake. She switched on the lamp. He squinted at the burst of harsh light. “It’ll be daylight before you know it. You need to get going...”
Get going. He rolled to his back and put his arm across his eyes. “Right.” Because this was only temporary and Sylvie could never be allowed to find him here in the morning.
He pushed back the blankets, swung his feet to the floor and reached for his clothes. Ava stayed in the bed, covers pulled close. But already, in less than two weeks of being her lover, he knew the routine. She would get up when he left. Get up and trail him to the door for a last kiss before she locked up behind him.
It wasn’t enough. He wanted more. He ached with the need to push for more—but they hadn’t been together long enough for him to be pushing for anything.
Because she’d set it up that way. Fast and hot and festive. And done by the first of January.
Dropping to the corner chair, he pulled on his socks as she pushed back the covers and slipped on her robe.
“Ready?” She wrapped and tied the sash. He just sat there, hands on his spread knees, staring up at her. “What is it, Dare?” He reached for her. She gave him her hand and he used it to reel her closer, until she stood between his knees. Her hair was a wild tangle, her eyes growing wary. “What?”
He brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed the tips of them slowly, all the while holding those aquamarine eyes. “Bring Sylvie out to my place today. We’ll build a snowman, go sledding. She can meet Daisy and the horses. You know she’ll love it. Did I tell you I cut down a Christmas tree? It’s in a bucket of water in the front hall. Maybe you guys can help me decorate it, help me fix it up right.”
“Dare...” She let his name fade away on her lips. He wanted to pick up the nearest lamp and hurl it at a wall. “Sundays are for dinner at my mom’s.”
He should stop. But he couldn’t. “So tell her you’re not coming. Or invite me along, too.”
She did it again, said his name, “Dare...” and then let it wander off into nothing as she begged him with those shining eyes to tell her it was all right.
Well, it wasn’t all right. And he damn sure wasn’t going to help her to push him away. So he kept his mouth shut. He held her hand and stared up at her, waiting.
She took another stab at blowing him off. “It’s not a good idea, okay?”
“No, Ava. Wrong. It is a good idea. What’s bad is how you won’t stop pushing me away.”
That did it. She pulled her hand free, backed up and dropped to the edge of the bed. “You’re being unreasonable.”
“I know. I can’t seem to stop myself. I want you and Sylvie to come out to my place. And I’m not giving up on that until you say yes.”
She fiddled with her robe, pulling it closer around her. “I don’t know where to start. Yes, we’ve decided not to hide that we’re together.” She spoke with care, as though each word was dangerous and might suddenly blow up in her face. “But there have to be...boundaries. Lines we don’t cross.”
A Bravo for Christmas Page 14