Nine
Kat
Kat was kicking herself. She’d offered to help Ford out with food because she enjoyed cooking and she thought it was the right thing to do. But she hadn’t fully thought everything through with that. Doing it meant she’d have to see him more. She’d have to interact with him more. She’d have to do everything more with him.
It was panic inducing if she spent too much time dwelling on it.
Part of her was thrilled with the arrangement. She had the perfect excuse to spend time around the hottest man to come to Haven Falls in ages. Most women would kill to be in her position.
Then she realized that if she admitted what she was doing to Denise, she’d never hear the end of it.
However, she couldn’t not tell Denise either, which was why she was anxious as she stood at the stove stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce. Denise would be there any minute and would probably be able to tell something was up with Kat.
Add in the containers set up on the opposite counter for the food she was making and Kat knew that the game was up. She just had to figure out what she was willing to admit to her best friend.
Her head cocked to the side as the sound of crunching gravel reached her ears. She leaned back to peek out the window and saw Denise’s car parked outside. Kat had only a few minutes to get herself together and prepare for the coming inquisition.
“Knock, knock!” Denise called as she stepped inside.
“In the kitchen!” Kat called back.
She heard stomping before rustling. A few moments later, Denise stepped into the kitchen, her cheeks red from the cold outside.
“Why is it so cold!” she said, shivering.
“You’re asking the wrong person.” Kat smiled as she stirred the sauce in the pot. She reached down and turned the heat to low to let it simmer while she visited with Denise.
She glanced down at Denise’s feet. “I see you found my gift for you.”
Denise picked up her slipper clad foot and wiggled it. Kat looked at her friend’s face and laughed at the look she was getting. “I did. Thank you.”
Kat shrugged. “You’re welcome. I know how much I enjoy slipping into some warm slippers after being outside. You’re here enough that you may as well get your own pair. Coffee?”
“Please.”
Kat quickly poured two cups from the pot and doctored each of their coffees how they liked it. She stepped into the small breakfast nook and handed Denise her cup of coffee before settling down next to her.
“What’s with the food prep in the kitchen?” Denise asked, blowing on her steaming cup.
Kat’s face heated, and she knew that the blush must be pretty fierce based on how hot her face was. Denise looked at her and her brows rose. “Why are you so red? What haven’t you told me?”
Kat sipped her coffee to stall. She burned her tongue and winced. She lowered her cup and sighed. “I ran into Ford earlier this week.”
“And?” Denise looked at her expectantly and Kat struggled not to squirm under her friend’s gaze.
“And I saw that his cart was loaded down with a lot of processed and prepackaged food.”
“So?”
“So,” she said, drawing out the word, “I told him I’d cook for him and give him some leftovers that would last throughout the week.”
She was mumbling by the time she finished talking. She kept her gaze on the table, not sure she wanted to see what Denise looked like right then. She could imagine that she’d shocked her friend, because Denise had said nothing yet.
When the silence continued, Kat stole a look at Denise and bit her lip to keep from laughing at her expression.
“Okay. I think you need to rewind a little. You ran into him where?”
“The Wal-Mart.”
Denise nodded. “Okay. How’d you end up talking to him?”
“Ethel had him cornered by the Wonder Bread.”
Denise’s lips twitched and Kat knew her friend was likely stifling a laugh. “He needed saving then. Ethel could talk to a door and never tire.”
Kat tilted her head in agreement.
“What happened next?”
“I talked to Ethel and got her to move on.”
“That’s not what I’m asking and you know it!”
Kat coughed to cover the laughter bubbling in her throat. “I saw what was in his cart and realized he couldn’t cook. So…I told him to come to dinner once a week, and I’d have some food for him.”
Denise looked at her for several moments before saying. “That’s it? You’re just going to cook for this guy?”
Kat shrugged. “I also made him buy a crock pot so I can give him some freezer meals.”
Denise was silent again and Kat wished she had the ability to read minds. Denise’s was whirring and she would give anything to know what was going through her head.
“We’ll return to the whole freezer meal thing in a minute. I want to ask about the cooking. Why’d you offer?”
Kat pressed her lips together, not sure she was ready to admit that to Denise even though she was Kat’s best friend.
“I’m going to take a guess,” Denise said, cocking her head to the side and narrowing her eyes at Kat, “that you’re not telling me something important.”
Kat dropped her gaze to her coffee, watching the steam swirl above the cup.
“You like him!” Denise said, gasping dramatically and pressing a hand to her chest.
Kat jerked her gaze up to meet her best friend’s jovial face. “I do not!”
“Nah uh,” Denise said, wagging her finger. “You like him. You just don’t want to admit it.”
Denise clapped her hands together and Kat thought Denise’s face would split from the wide smile on her face. “You can’t deny it. You love to cook, but you don’t just go offerin’ it to anyone.”
“I do not!” Kat absolutely did not like Ford in the way Denise was implying.
Denise snorted and shook her head, sipping her coffee. “Girl, please. It’s written all over you. You clam up when I talk about him. I bet if I were to see the two of you together, I’d see that the feeling is mutual.”
Kat tried to think of a retort, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t speak on if Ford liked her or not, but she knew that she definitely liked him.
“He’s attractive,” she finally admitted a few moments later.
“Attractive? Please, you can do better than that. You know he’s the hottest commodity to hit this town since your brother returned from college.”
Kat nodded sharply. Denise sighed and her hand reached out to touch Kat’s. Kat turned her hand over and their fingers curled together.
“Kat. You know this is a good thing, right?”
Kat shrugged. She didn’t trust her voice at the moment.
“It is,” Denise continued. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you like this about someone. It’s been ten years. I think it’s time for you to try to move on. I know you don’t have the same issues you did when you first got here, so don’t even think about trying to spout that crap at me about fear of intimacy or whatever. You’ve been over that for a long time.”
Kat slumped. Denise knew her too well. She was sitting there doing just that. She was shoring her argument up about why she shouldn’t be attracted to Ford and why she didn’t have the time or the inclination to worry about dating or liking someone.
“Kat.” Denise’s soft voice lulled Kat into looking at her. There was no pity in Denise’s eyes, only understanding. “I’m not saying you need to jump into bed with the guy, but I am saying that a little attraction and flirting never hurt. Maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll ask you out. But not every guy is Scott, and it’s time for you to get back on the horse.”
At Scott’s name, Kat stiffened. She hadn’t heard his name in years and she could have gone the rest of her life without hearing it. Her mind flashed back to the last time she saw him across the courtroom as she awaited the sentencing from the judge.
He’d
looked smug and none the worse for wear while she’d been in pain, not only from what he’d done but by the aftermath of it as well.
It had taken her months to recover from him and their relationship. She still didn’t feel the same as she had before everything happened, but she was finally in a place where she was happy.
She knew that by refusing to acknowledge what happened she was refusing to fully move on.
“I like Ford, okay? I do. I just…” She trailed off and Denise squeezed her hand.
“You’re just scared?”
Kat sighed. “Yeah, pretty much. Remember the first guy I tried to date right after?” She looked back at her friend and saw her wince.
“Yeah. You kneed him in the balls and he had to go to the emergency room.”
Kat giggled, but quickly stifled it. “I’m worried I’ll do something like that again.”
“Well, first, that guy was a dick and deserved the icing his dick had to endure for getting handsy with you. Second, that was like, eight years ago. I think you’ve grown and matured. No other guy you’ve dated has been like that. Besides, I doubt Ford will be handsy like that guy was.”
“We have no way of knowing what Ford is like.” Kat winced at the ominous words, but they were true.
She didn’t know Ford. All she knew about him was that he was divorced, liked animals, and knew her dad. While that was a good start, it wasn’t enough to quell any fears she might have about him.
“I’ve admitted that I like him. That’s a step in the right direction. Let’s just see what happens. No need to force it.”
Denise sighed dramatically and Kat laughed, the tension easing from her body.
“Trust you to be the voice of reason here.”
Kat smiled at her friend. “Thanks for caring.”
Denise squeezed her hand. “I wouldn’t do anything else. Now lets talk about this year’s fair. Everything ready?”
Kat was thankful for the topic change and readily started talking about the preparations that were already underway. It helped to keep her mind off the sexy new vet in town that she wouldn’t mind getting to know better.
Ten
Kat
Even though she’d been helping with the fair for years, Kat couldn’t help the excitement that bubbled in her on Thanksgiving Day. There was something magical about hosting the holiday fair at their place and having so many people come to enjoy it.
It marked the start of the Christmas season for her.
It was only an hour until the fair opened for the season and everyone was running out to check that things were ready. The band, Southern Sands, was already on the stage warming up and checking their sound while David and her dad were checking the lights in the pasture.
Cal was double-checking that the tractor and trailer were ready for the continuous rides and all the vendors were in their booths making sure they were ready.
Excitement was in the air and Kat stood for a minute on her back porch reveling in it. There was just something so magical knowing that she was a part of something so amazing.
She tugged her hat a little lower on her head and grabbed her gloves out of her pocket, pulling them on as she bounded down the steps toward Denise’s small food booth.
Each year, Denise provided the coffee, hot chocolate, and apple cider that people could buy on site. She was inside with an assistant and Kat hated to interrupt her since it looked like they were hustling to make sure they were ready.
“Can I get a cup of apple cider?” Kat asked as she stopped at the window.
“Already covered,” Denise said, winking. “Here.”
Denise handed her a large thermos, making Kat smile.
“I knew you were my best friend for a reason.”
Denise laughed and shook her head as she turned back to what she was doing. “I’m your best friend because I punched Freddy in the face in second grade for saying you smelled like boogers.”
Kat snorted. “True. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Denise waved and Kat turned to look at the rows of booths in the pasture close to the horse barn.
Fairy lights were strung between the booths, giving the area a romantic glow while also making sure people wouldn’t trip and fall while walking.
They tried to have a little bit of everything represented in the booths, so they had hand-made goods and some other textiles from larger stores. But every person who manned the booths was local. They tried their best to support local businesses and allow them the opportunity to get a booth.
She slowly walked down the rows, checking in with people and radioing if they needed additional help with anything. Once she was done with that, she checked in with the sound guy for the band to make sure they had everything they needed.
That done, she settled in to wait by the tractor, knowing her dad and brother would return from their light check soon.
Sure enough, her dad’s beat up truck pulled to a stop on the other side of the barn. She straightened as her dad and brother got out, but her brow furrowed when she saw a third shape get out of the cab of the truck. Who had come with them?
She walked toward them and had to stifle the smile threatening to spread across her face. “Which of you rode bitch?” she asked when she reached the men.
Jimmy and David looked at Ford, who avoided her gaze as his cheeks turned red. She had no way of knowing if they were red because he was embarrassed or because he was cold, but she had a feeling that it was because it embarrassed him.
“Ford here got that honor,” Jimmy said, clapping the man on the shoulder, making him stumble.
Kat laughed. “Well, he survived. I’m sure that couldn’t have been fun. The shocks have been going out on that thing for years.”
“You have no idea,” Ford said. “Am I able to go buy something to warm up?”
Kat laughed again. “Heat out in the truck again?”
“Yeah,” David muttered as he blew on his hands. “We should have just taken my truck.”
“Betsy runs just fine, you pansies. I’ll catch up with y’all later. I’m going to see a woman about some coffee.”
Jimmy left her with Ford and David. She looked at them and smirked when she saw how they looked. They were each hunched into their jackets looking like they were freezing their asses off.
“Come on. I’m sure Denise will give you something.”
The two men fell into step behind her as she led them to her best friend’s booth.
Denise cocked a brow when she saw Kat standing there with David and Ford, but thankfully her friend stayed silent, only asking what they wanted to drink before producing two more thermoses filled with coffee.
“How many of these do you have back there?” Kat asked.
“Enough for y’all. I know you’ll be by several times, so I came prepared this year.” Denise winked at her.
“I’m thankful for it,” David said sipping his coffee.
“I second that,” Ford said. “I feel like I’ll never get warm again.”
Kat laughed. “Just wait. You’ll get used to it eventually, but the first few days and nights are always the worst.”
“I don’t see how you do it,” Ford said as David walked off toward Cal.
Kat started walking to try to keep her blood flowing and Ford fell into step beside her. “I’m used to it. Yeah, tonight sucks and the next few probably will. But eventually it won’t matter. We’ll bring some propane heaters out later in the season to help if it gets really bad, but it’s not that terrible once you’re used to it and you know what to expect.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Ford muttered.
“Trust me, you’ll be used to it in no time.”
She bumped her shoulder against his in a friendly way, but froze when she realized what she’d done. She’d never been that forward with a guy before, so she was worried she’d crossed some invisible line. Did he think she was flirting with him? Was he mad she’d done that?
She looked at him and saw him gr
inning, easing the knot of nerves inside her.
“We’ll see,” Ford said.
They continued to walk in companionable silence.
“This is really nice,” Ford said, pulling her attention to him and away from the first people trickling down the lighted path that connected their property to the parking lot.
“Sorry?”
Ford nodded toward the well-lit area by the horse barn where the fair was centered. “This, what you’re doing, is nice. I’ve never been to something like it and I’ve been hearing about it throughout town this week. It’s nice to see that the local area has something to help herald the coming season.”
Kat smiled. “Thanks. It’s definitely a labor of love.”
“Your mom started it?” Ford asked.
Kat glanced at him and saw the nervousness written across his face. She smiled as she nodded. “Yeah, she did. It was right after David and I were born. She wanted to go to something like this, but couldn’t find anything. So she somehow talked my dad into hosting it. It was a lot smaller then. I’ve seen the pictures. It’s steadily grown, though, to what it is now.”
“Do you plan to continue doing this?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.
She didn’t answer at first, instead looking at the different people that were slowly filtering through the booths and onto the trailer for the light show.
“Yeah, I do. I think it’s something nice and fun to do. It’s free to attend. You just have to pay for whatever you buy and to go on the hayride, but it’s minimal cost. It’s close enough to town that local people can come as well as surrounding areas. It’s just…nice, ya know?”
She looked at him and paused. He was looking at her with a soft look in his eyes and it made her nervous.
She cleared her throat. “I’d love to expand it at some point, but we’re a ways from that. We’ll see what this year brings first.”
Ford opened his mouth to say something, but a burst of feedback from the microphone stopped him. They both turned toward the stage where a small crowd was already gathered. The band was on stage and getting ready to start.
Hometown Christmas Page 5