Capturing Christmas

by Shanna Hatfield

  “I’d love to,” she said. Accepting his hand, she got to her feet and walked with him to the parking lot. Although she expected him to take her for a walk along the Greenbelt, he set her in his truck and drove to a nearby park. There, they walked hand in hand through a rose garden and around a pond where swans leisurely floated in the water.

  Celia released a contented sigh. “This is perfect, Kash.”

  When she leaned against him, he slipped his left arm across her back, settling it around her waist. With his right hand, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a light kiss to the back of it. “It’s a perfect evening. Not too hot, not too breezy, just right.”

  Celia wouldn’t care if the sky opened and poured down sheets of rain. The wind could blow hard enough to whip branches out of trees. A scorching heat wave could turn the pavement into lava and she wouldn’t notice.

  Not when she walked with her side against Kash’s and his hand holding hers. Sensations she’d never experienced rocketed through her, leaving her disoriented and wholly enthralled with the fine-looking man.

  Eager to keep him talking, to keep listening to the voice that made her heart race inside her chest, she smiled up at him. “Tell me three things about you no one else knows.”

  A wary glance and his silence made her wonder if he’d respond to her request. Finally, he tightened his hand around her waist. “I’ll tell you, but only if you swear it stays between us. I don’t want to find a list of crazy things you heard me say on Twitter or something.”

  Celia used her index finger to draw a cross over her heart. “I promise I won’t tell a living soul. Unless the fat little duck that’s been following us around the pond blabs, your secrets are safe with me.”

  Kash glanced over his shoulder at the duck that waddled behind them, creating a ruckus. No doubt, the bird expected them to toss out bread crusts, but he was out of luck.

  A nudge to his side from Celia’s elbow brought his attention back to her question.

  “Okay, three things no one knows about me. Number one, I hate mushrooms but always eat them at home, because our housekeeper, Barb, likes them. I don’t want to hurt her feelings so I choke them down when she adds them to my omelets. When she’s not paying attention, I pick them out of the salad and throw them away.”

  “How long has Barb worked for you?”

  “My Dad hired her the winter I was ten. She’s been our housekeeper, cook, substitute mother, confidante, and friend for the last twenty years.”

  “Wow! That’s a long time to eat mushrooms just to keep from hurting her feelings.” Celia grinned. “I bet if you told her, she’d be happy to leave them out for you.”

  “Probably, but I never wanted to make more work for her. She had her hands full with me and Ransom as it was.”

  Celia could picture the two boys as youngsters, full of mischief and orneriness. Although, Ransom didn’t seem to outgrow it. “That’s one thing. Keep going. What else have you got?”

  “When I was thirteen, I took Dad’s brand-new pickup for a test drive one night after everyone had gone to bed. I wanted to see how fast it would go on an open stretch of road. A coyote ran in front of me and I came so close to wrecking the truck, I saw my entire, short life flash before my eyes. The ride ended with a tiny scratch on the passenger side door from scraping by the guardrail. I hurried right home and parked the pickup then snuck back into my room. I never set Dad straight when he assumed Ransom scratched the new truck.”

  “Did Ransom get in trouble?”

  “Yeah, he did, but Dad was already after him about something he’d done at school that day, so I just let him get a double whammy.” Kash smirked. “I suppose I should fess up to that one sometime and remove the guilt from my tainted soul, but it was the only time I let Ransom shoulder the blame for something I did.”

  “I could be far off base, but I bet Ransom spent a lot of time trying to get you into trouble for things you didn’t do.”

  “You could say that.” Kash didn’t want to think about a childhood spent with a brother who tormented him during every waking moment. He’d much rather center his thoughts on the beautiful woman tucked against his side making him think any number of crazy ideas.

  She squeezed his hand as they circled around the pond and headed back toward his pickup. “One more. What else are you keeping as a big, bad secret?”

  “You will not laugh.” Kash didn’t ask it as a question, but said it as a statement.

  “I promise. No laughing.”

  “I’ve had a crush on Maureen O’Hara since I was fifteen.”

  “You have not!” A skeptical look settled on her face as they strolled back through the rose garden.

  “I have.” Kash glanced down at her. “Not the old Maureen O’Hara but the ideal of the sassy redhead from all those old movies. The first time I saw her, I was home from school with the flu. To pass the time, I watched a bunch of television. One of those channels that featured old films played a western called The Redhead from Wyoming. Ever seen it?”

  “No. I haven’t.”

  “Maureen O’Hara was in it with Alex Nicol. It was about cattle rustling and land wars, which of course held my interest. I watched, spellbound, when she marched around in a glittering gown, carrying a Winchester and shooting bad guys. Since then, I’ve liked seeing her in old movies.”

  Celia loved several of Maureen O’Hara’s movies, although her favorite was a popular holiday flick the Hollywood icon filmed with a young Natalie Wood. She studied him a moment, trying to gauge if he was teasing her or serious. “You are kidding me.”

  “I do not kid about beautiful redheads, Miss McGraw. That is a subject I take very seriously, particularly when they have big green eyes and pink lips just begging to be kissed.” Kash opened his pickup door and set her on the seat.

  The heat blazing in his eyes made her wonder if they were still talking about old movies or had moved on to an entirely new topic.

  He shut the door and ran around the pickup, climbing behind the wheel. “Are you gonna laugh at me now?”

  “No, I’m not going to laugh at you. If I did that, you’d laugh at me when I got around to admitting I get all fangirl over Trace Adkins.”

  “Trace Adkins? You’re yanking my chain, Celia.”

  She gave him a solemn glare. “I’m dead-on serious. I know he’s old enough to be my father, but there is something about his deep voice that I just love hearing. For my twenty-first birthday, Cort surprised me by taking me to a concert. I don’t know how he managed it, but he got us backstage passes and front row seats. It was so much fun.”

  Kash grinned as he entered the freeway, headed in the direction of Celia’s apartment. “How long ago was that?”

  “Four year ago. I got Trace’s autograph and Cort even had someone take a photo of us with him. I’m sandwiched between two huge guys who look like trees.” Celia giggled. “It’s a pretty funny picture.”

  “I didn’t notice it hanging on your wall.” Celia was younger than Kash realized. He’d assumed she was closer to his age than her mid-twenties.

  “No, and you won’t find it even if you search for it. I look like a starry-eyed nitwit. Although Cort and I both had a great time, I acted like a thirteen-year-old at her first concert.”

  “I get the idea you and your brother are really close.” A pang of jealousy speared Kash at never experiencing a close relationship with his only sibling. Most people assumed since they were twins, they shared a unique, unbreakable bond. Unfortunately, the most they shared was an identical gene pool and a healthy dislike for each other.

  “We are. Cort was nine when I was born. He always treated me like a little princess. Sometimes my bossy, well-meaning brother forgets I can take care of myself since I’m a big girl, but I love that he cares about me so much. I know I’m lucky to have such a close family.”

  “That you are.” Kash turned into Celia’s apartment complex and parked his truck.

  “It’s still early. Do
you want to come in for a while? If you’re interested, we could watch an old movie.” Celia wouldn’t beg, but she might plead if he told her he needed to call it a night. It was only a few minutes past seven.

  “I’d like that.” Kash cut the ignition and hurried around to help her out of the truck. Rather than offer his hand, he scooped her off the seat and started across the parking lot with her in his arms.

  Celia started to protest then thought better of it.

  Any girl with even a smidgen of sense would keep her mouth shut and relish the opportunity to have a devastatingly attractive man carry her in his strong arms, cozied up to his solid chest. A very smart girl would figure out a way to stay there as long as possible.

  “Suddenly, I’m just too exhausted to climb up those steps.” Celia feigned a weary yawn as she wrapped her arms around Kash’s neck. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help me out. I wouldn’t want to be so tired I couldn’t enjoy watching a movie with you.”

  Almost imperceptibly, Kash tightened his hold and fused his fiery gaze to hers. “It would be my pleasure, Red.”

  A shiver coursed through Celia at the husky tone of his voice. He bent down far enough she could pull open the door then he carried her to the elevator.

  He didn’t offer to set her on her feet and she certainly wasn’t going to suggest it. Every bone in her body felt like it had morphed into some foreign, rubbery substance as she breathed deeply of his woodsy, wintery scent.

  An elderly man stepped off the elevator and gaped at Celia.

  “Good evening, Mr. Gordon. Lovely day, isn’t it?” She smiled at the man as Kash stepped into the elevator. The toe of her shoe poked the correct button for her floor.

  “Are you well, Celia? Did you injure yourself?” Mr. Gordon inquired, sizing up the tall, muscular man carrying her.

  “I’ve never been better, Mr. Gordon. Have a wonderful evening.”

  The strange little man stared at them as the elevator doors closed. Celia tried not to giggle, but she couldn’t help it. The perplexed look on her neighbor’s face was priceless.

  “Neighbor of yours?” Kash asked as he stepped off on her floor then strolled around the corner and down the hall to her apartment.

  “Yes, he lives two doors down. He pretty much keeps to himself, but he’s friendly enough in passing.” Celia opened her handbag and removed her keys.

  Since Kash didn’t seem in a hurry to let her go, she reached down and unlocked her door. He shouldered it open then pushed it closed with the heel of his boot.

  “May I come in?” he asked with a teasing smile.

  “How could I refuse?” Celia asked as he carried her into the living room.

  He sat down on the couch, settling her on his lap and released a sigh. “It’s a good thing you have an elevator, or I might not have made it.”

  Celia removed his hat and set it on the side table. Her fingers itched to run through his thick hair, but she wrapped her hands around one hard bicep and squeezed. Impressed by the muscles, the raw strength she felt beneath her hands left her unsettled. “You didn’t have to carry me the whole way.”

  Kash lifted one of her hands to his mouth and kissed the back of it again, sending tendrils of yearning from the point of contact swirling throughout her entire body. “I wanted to. Besides, you don’t weigh as much as sack of feed, even with all that pie you ate after dinner.”

  Set to give him a stinging rebuttal, she sat up. Caught off guard by the desire in his eyes, she panicked.

  Jumping off his lap, she turned on the television and chose an old romantic comedy from the 1950s for them to watch. “Would you like some popcorn? Something to drink?”

  “I’m stuffed from dinner, but I wouldn’t mind a drink.” Kash got off the couch and followed her into the kitchen.

  Celia opened the refrigerator and stuck her head inside, hoping the chilled air would cool her burning cheeks. “I’ve got pop, juice, milk, tea, or good old water out of the tap.”

  “Iced tea would be great.” Kash leaned against the counter and watched as Celia filled two glasses with ice and added tea. She handed one to him then returned to the living room.

  He sat on one end of the sofa and Celia occupied the other. By the time the opening credits rolled across the screen, she kicked off her shoes then glanced over at him. “You may as well take off your boots and unwind. No need to be formal around here.”

  Kash toed off his boots and sank back against the comfortable cushions of the couch. As the movie began and the two of them relaxed, they seemed to gravitate toward each other. Without knowing how it happened, Celia settled her head against his chest and tucked her feet beneath her full skirt while Kash rested his hand along her side.

  If the possibility existed to remain in that position, he would have happily stayed there until he turned old and gray. Even his most vivid dreams hadn’t prepared him for how good it would feel to have Celia cuddled up to his side with her head resting above his heart.

  Under normal circumstances, Kash would have greatly enjoyed the movie, but he had no idea about the storyline, who starred in it, or how it ended. He’d spent the entire time absorbed in Celia.

  “Did you like the movie?” she asked. Big green eyes gazed up at him and his heart kicked into a frenzied beat.

  “I did.” What he really liked was sitting close to her during the movie, inhaling her captivating fragrance.

  “Do you want to watch another one?” Celia sat up and lifted the remote from the coffee table.

  “No. I don’t.” Kash took the remote from her hand and turned off the television.

  Taken aback by his reply, Celia realized Kash had a long drive home and probably needed to leave. She rose to her feet, but Kash pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her. Her eyes widened in response to the look in his.

  His thumb grazed across her cheek and he tilted his head, as if he memorized every freckle on her skin.

  “I don’t want to watch another movie. I don’t want to talk about rodeos, family, or stupid crushes we had as kids. In fact, I don’t want to talk about anything.”

  Unhurriedly, he pulled the pins out of her hair then shook out the thick mass, burying his hands into it. “What I really want, Red, is to kiss you.”

  A shiver of delight made a tremor start at her head and end at her bare toes. Her eyelashes fluttered down, and she leaned forward. Longing unlike anything she’d ever experienced overtook her.

  “What are you waiting for, Kash?” she asked in a breathy whisper.

  Although he wanted to ravage her mouth, quench his thirst for her, Kash bracketed her face with his hands and tenderly kissed the right corner of her mouth, then the left. He traced a finger along that pouty bottom lip that had driven him to the brink of losing his mind numerous times.

  With painstaking restraint, he gently touched his lips to hers, wanting to savor every second of his first kiss with the beguiling woman.

  A shocking jolt rocked through him and he deepened the kiss, wrapping both arms around her again. Her hands trailed across his broad shoulders and settled at the back of his neck.

  Slight pressure to her back drew her closer as they fully engaged in an earth-shattering kiss.

  Kash was in heaven — or as close to heaven as he thought he might find on earth. The taste of Celia, a flavor so splendidly sweet and divine with a hint of spice, was better than anything he could have possibly imagined.

  Like a habit-forming substance, the first sample left him wanting more and more.

  When he lifted his head to draw in a breath of air, a cross between a moan and a whimper escaped from her. “Don’t stop, Kash. Not yet.”

  “Whatever you say, Red.” A wicked grin rode his mouth until he blended his lips with hers in a fervent, driven kiss.

  Colorful, bright lights exploded behind his closed eyes and bells chimed in his ears. None of the women he’d kissed in the past had ever made him feel so exhilarated and full of blistering passion.

&nb
sp; “Let me up, Kash. Someone’s at the door.” Celia pushed against him. He tumbled off cloud nine and back into reality.

  She rushed toward the door, shaking out her wrinkled skirt on the way there.

  Kash shoved his feet into his boots. He listened as Celia greeted her guests in a somewhat testy tone. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hey, sweetie! Your dad and I were driving by and thought we’d stop for a minute,” Jana said as she and her husband walked into the apartment.

  Celia sighed, trying not to take out her frustration on her parents. They had no idea they’d just interrupted the wildest, most wonderful kiss Celia had ever received in her life. She wanted to shove them out the door, lock it, and run back into Kash arms.

  Instead, she followed them into the living room where Kash stood with his hat in his hands, appearing as if he planned to make a quick escape.

  “Mom, you remember Kash, don’t you?” Celia asked as her parents stared at the handsome man standing in her living room.

  “Kash! How lovely to see you again.” Jana held out a hand to him.

  He shook it and returned her smile. “It’s nice to see you, Mrs. McGraw.”

  “Now, none of that. You call me Jana. This is my husband, Trevor McGraw.” Jana settled her hand on her husband’s back. “Trev, this is Kash Kressley. He and his family own the Rockin’ K Rodeo Company.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Trevor offered him a firm hand and a friendly smile.

  Celia hid her grin as her parents quickly pieced together the flustered look on Kash’s face, her dressy appearance, and the obvious fact they’d interrupted something.

  Jana placed a hand on her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry, honey. Your Dad and I had to run into town for a few things and thought we’d drop by on our way home. We’ll just be on our way.”

  “No, sit down and join us. Do you want something to drink?” Celia motioned for her parents to sit on the sofa.

  “Got any iced tea?” Trevor asked.

  “I do.” Celia turned to Kash. “Want a refill?”