As the lead singer started talking, Kat swept her gaze over the crowd. The people watching the concert had folding chairs and many of them had blankets over their laps and were holding steaming cups from Denise’s booth and food from the food truck. People looked happy and relaxed.
As the band launched into their first song, she looked at Ford from the corner of her eye and saw that he looked relaxed, a smile playing across his face as well.
“You want to see the lights?” she asked after the song finished.
“Sure.”
“Let’s put our thermoses out of the way first.” She took his and jogged over to the porch, placing them on the porch itself before rejoining Ford. The sound of Christmas hits echoed around them as they walked toward the tractor where the smell of hay greeted her.
“Going for your first ride?” Cal asked as he helped her step up.
“Yep. Bringing this one with me,” she said, pointing to Ford. “This is his first visit.”
Cal smiled. “You’ll like it.”
“I think so too.”
Kat walked over to a hay bale and sat down, grabbing one of the fleece-lined blankets they kept on the trailer to spread over her and Ford’s legs.
A few minutes later, they were on their way. Though they weren’t moving quickly, the wind created by being in the air as they wound their way toward the lights was rough.
She shivered and pulled the blanket up a little higher. She wasn’t the only one that was cold, and she wondered if they should offer complimentary hot chocolate or something to the riders. It would only get colder as it moved closer to Christmas, and she didn’t want people to be uncomfortable.
She jerked when she felt a hand slide around her back. She looked at Ford as he tugged her into his side.
“You’re shivering.”
That was the only thing he said to explain why she was now leaning into him.
She couldn’t have said anything if she wanted to. It stunned her that he noticed her shivering and that he’d done something about it. She was still cold, but she couldn’t help but be warmed by his actions of trying to warm her up by letting her sit against him.
“We’re getting close to the first show,” she whispered.
Ford glanced at her and then looked away as the tractor came to a stop. At first, nothing happened. Low music started playing from the speakers on the tractor and the light show began, illuminating the old smokehouse they’d strung with lights.
She smiled as the lights changed in time to the music, enjoying the show just about as much as she was enjoying being snuggled into Ford’s side.
Once the last note faded, the tractor started moving, and they were off to the next part.
“That was pretty cool,” he said as they rumbled through the field.
She smiled. “Glad you think so. We try to change it up each year and do something different, but that’s the one that stays the same. We just change the music.”
Ford’s arm tightened around her waist, but remained silent as they came to the next part, which depicted different scenes from The Night Before Christmas. As they moved through the stationery displays, Kat couldn’t help but imagine that she and Ford were on a date and that after this, they’d be returning home together.
It was a nice fantasy, but that was all it was. As much as she might like him and wish that they were on a date, he’d done nothing to show that he viewed her as anything other than a friend and his partner’s sister.
She shouldn’t be harboring thoughts about him like that.
Even still, she couldn’t help herself as she sank a little deeper into his arms. She had to be imagining it when she felt his arm tighten around her. It was just wishful thinking.
Eleven
Ford
Ford was in trouble. And he had no idea what to do about it.
Sitting with Kat on that ride through the lights at her farm was unlike anything he’d ever done before. He liked her sitting in his arms and snuggled up to him more than he cared to admit.
After his failed marriage to Alexis, he swore that he would take the time to concentrate on starting a new life in a new town. He didn’t have time to try dating.
But he hadn’t banked on meeting someone like Kat, someone that seemed to like the same things he did. Not only that, but she had a big heart.
She was beautiful and kind and everything he should have been looking for with his first wife.
But he also knew that he wasn’t ready to date.
And there was something that seemed to make her a little skittish around him, though he wasn’t sure what that was.
Maybe he’d find out at some point.
The jostling of the trailer pulled him from his thoughts and he was reminded that they were rolling along through the field and Kat was still in his arms, snuggled under a blanket with him.
He glanced at the other people on the trailer with him, mainly couples, and took in how happy and relaxed they seemed to be.
He wanted to pretend, just for a few moments, that he and Kat were like them, just enjoying an evening ride under the stars. For a date, this would be romantic.
He blew out a breath, watching it curl into a fog in front of his face and relaxed back into the bale of hay behind him. He tightened his hold on Kat and pulled her closer to him. She wiggled around some before relaxing into his side and he smiled.
Yeah, he was a goner; that was for sure.
They rode in companionable silence and a few minutes later, they rolled to a stop where they’d started the trip.
Ford stood and held out a hand to help Kat stand as well. He didn’t release her hand as he walked to the back of the trailer, only letting go once he was ready to jump down.
He turned and helped her down. Though it killed him, he released her hand again because he was certain she wouldn’t want anyone getting any weird ideas about them.
“What’d you think?” Kat asked, smiling at him and bouncing on her toes.
“That was cool. You change it every year?”
Kat nodded and started talking about ordering the lights, the frames, and many other things. He wasn’t paying attention and hoped that she didn’t notice. He was too busy looking at her and thinking about how amazing it was that she was so passionate about something like this fair.
It was refreshing and only further cemented her as someone that he should care about.
“Want more hot chocolate?” she asked. “I’m sure you’re tired of hearing about the lights…”
Kat looked at him sheepishly. He smiled. “I could listen to you talk about them all night.”
That was incredibly cheesy, but it didn’t ring any less true. Kat’s cheeks turned red, and she cleared her throat before she started to walk.
He fell into step beside her, content to just walk with her.
While they were gone, the place had filled with even more people and it was slow getting through the crowd. Several times he and Kat had to walk single file to wind their way through the people to get to Denise’s coffee stand.
When they got there, he wasn’t surprised to see that there was a long line, and he settled in for a bit of a wait.
The two of them stood there in companionable silence for several minutes before Kat sighed. He looked at her and noticed that she was shivering.
Without thinking about it, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, wrapping his other arm around her front.
He felt Kat stiffen in his hands and he held his breath as he waited to see if she would do or say anything. After a few moments, she relaxed in his arms and he counted another victory for himself.
Though the line was moving, it was moving slowly and Ford was thinking he might just go sit in his truck for a bit to warm up when Kat asked, “Do you want to come inside for some coffee instead? I can make some and we can warm up a bit.”
He glanced at her. “You sure?”
She nodded. Her cheeks were still pink, but he had no way of knowing if it
was from the cold or something. She wasn’t looking at him either, so he couldn’t get a read on her.
“If you’re sure, then yeah.”
She glanced at him and smiled before jerking her head toward the back porch.
He followed behind her, trying not to pay attention to her ass as it swayed in front of him, but finding that almost impossible.
She was still in her work pants, which he never would have considered sexy since they were created for durability and comfort. But she wore them well. He pushed those thoughts from his mind as he followed her inside.
He quickly toed his boots off and hung his jacket up before following her into the kitchen where she was already starting the coffee pot.
“We keep it ready to go this time of the year,” she said as the machine hissed and started dribbling the first of the coffee into the glass carafe.
He nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Have a seat,” she said, pointing to a barstool.
He hooked his foot around the bottom of a stool and pulled it out before sitting. His arms and hands prickled as the heat absorbed into his body. He was thankful for the reprieve from the cold outside. He couldn’t imagine doing this night after night.
The two of them stayed quiet, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was nice to know that he could sit with someone without the expectation that they talk to fill the void.
The coffee machine sputtered and Kat pulled two mugs out, filling each with coffee. She handed him his mug before pushing the sugar and creamer toward him. While he doctored his drink, Kat walked around the counter to join him on the stool next to him.
Once both their drinks were to their liking, they sat in silence sipping it. It was nice. Very nice.
When he was halfway through his coffee, he turned on his stool to look out the window on the other side of the breakfast nook, taking in the outside activities.
“That’s a lot of people,” he remarked idly, sipping his coffee.
Kat turned on her stool to look outside as well. “It is. I’d bet there are more people here than last year.”
Ford nodded. “This is really something else,” he said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “I’m serious. I’ve seen nothing like this, especially not at someone’s house. I can see why people like it so much and why it’s so important to you.”
“Thanks,” she said softly.
They stared out the window for a few minutes more before Ford realized his mug was empty.
He stood and walked around to the pot, filling his cup. “Need more?” he asked, waiting for Kat’s response.
She turned. “Please.”
He took her mug and filled it, pushing it across the counter to her. He then rejoined her on the other side, but he didn’t sit, choosing instead to lean against the counter.
They lapsed into silence again. It was just as comfortable as the others, but Ford couldn’t help but become uncomfortable the longer it continued. Shouldn’t he be trying to talk to her? He was attracted to her, yet he was standing there like a bump on a log with nothing to say. He needed to figure something out to say.
He sipped his coffee as he wracked his mind for what he could lead with. Finally, he settled on the dogs. “Will you be going into the woods for any trail rides soon?”
Kat turned away from the windows and faced him. “Possibly. It’ll depend on the weather. I’ve not seen any forecasted snow, but it’s possible. I can only really go out at midday because of the cold.”
He nodded. “Yeah, makes sense. With the shorter days and everything, you don’t want to get caught out there when night falls.”
“Yep.”
He thought about what he was about to ask and decided to just go for it. “If you’re going one weekend, I wouldn’t mind tagging along. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a horse or on a ride, but I’d love to join you.”
Kat looked at him for a few beats and he worried that he’d overstepped an invisible boundary. But eventually she smiled at him and said, “Okay. I’ll let you know.”
He grinned in return. He checked the time and grimaced, seeing that it was getting pretty late. He quickly drained his coffee and walked over to the sink, rinsing the mug and opening the dishwasher.
“You don’t have to do that,” Kat said, coming to stand beside him and placing a hand on the one that was gripping the handle to open the dishwasher.
“I don’t mind,” he said, tugging the dishwasher open.
“But you’re a guest,” Kat said, trying to take the mug from him.
He looked at her and sucked in a breath when he realized how close they were to each other. Only a few inches separated them and he could just lean forward if he wanted to press his lips against hers.
His gaze dropped to her lips, and he saw them part slightly, begging for him to kiss them. He looked back at her eyes and saw that they were concentrated lower on his face, most likely his own lips.
All the signs were telling him that she was open to him kissing her. He leaned forward slowly, not wanting to spook her and to give her the chance to back away if she wanted.
She stayed there and right when he was about to press his lips to hers, a door opened and he jerked back as David shouted, “Kat! You in here?”
“Yeah,” she called back, stepping away from Ford and turning toward the counter. As David walked into the kitchen, Ford was placing his mug away and Kat was sipping from hers like nothing had happened between them.
“You made coffee!” David said, stepping into the kitchen and between Ford and Kat to grab a mug.
Ford used that as an opportunity to walk back around the counter and stopped by the door to the mudroom. “Thanks for the coffee,” he said. “I need to get going since I’m opening the clinic tomorrow.”
“Thanks for your help, man,” David said as he poured himself something to drink. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Kat whispered as he turned and walked out the kitchen.
He quickly put his boots and jacket on before stepping outside and into the cold. It was colder than earlier, but he barely noticed, his mind consumed by the almost kiss he shared with Kat inside and wondering what would have happened if David hadn’t come in when he did.
Twelve
Ford
Ford had hoped that the day after Thanksgiving would be fairly slow at the clinic, allowing him the opportunity to catch up on paperwork and maybe get a plan together for updating his office. But that wasn’t so.
They had a full docket of appointments plus a few walk-ins. He did fine when he first opened up, when only a few people came in. But by the time David arrived, he was swamped and he could only nod at his partner when he arrived.
He’d thought that between the two of them they could handle the load, but Ford was thinking they needed to seriously consider a third vet at the practice, even if he or she was only part time.
He finally got a break for lunch and was quick to flip the sign on the door to show they were out for lunch and flipped the lock as well.
He then walked back to his office and collapsed in his chair.
“Rough morning?” David asked, stepping into Ford’s office with a pizza box in his hand.
“You have no idea,” Ford said, eyeing the box. “You sharing?”
“Yep.”
David set the box on Ford’s desk and opened it. Ford groaned as he smelled the pizza. He grabbed a slice and folded it before taking a large bite.
David did the same, and they ate didn’t speak for several minutes. Once they each finished their first slice and were working on their second, they started chatting about the rest of the day at the clinic and the planned closure they had for the upcoming Christmas holidays.
“What’d you think of last night?” David asked as he stuffed the last bit of crust into his mouth.
Ford nodded as he finished chewing. “It was nice. A lot nicer than I expected.”
“What were you thinking it would be?” David asked as he leaned
forward and snagged a third piece.
Ford shrugged as he took another bite. He chewed thoughtfully for several moments before saying, “I don’t know? I’ve never lived in a small town, so I was expecting something smaller I think. Maybe more low-key?”
David nodded as he chewed. “Okay, I can see that. You are a city boy. But you had fun?”
Ford nodded. “I did. The lights were impressive and I can see myself going back at some point.”
David smirked. “A lot of people propose on that light ride,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Ford laughed. “I can see why. It’s romantic.”
“You got that right. Kat and my dad field a lot of questions and special requests from people that want to propose. You’d be surprised to see what some of them want.”
“Do they grant them?”
David shrugged. “I think it depends. They’re both willing to work with someone to help, but some people’s requests are outlandish. There was a guy that wanted them to do a special installation for his fiancé, but he wasn’t willing to pay for it. That got shot down quick. Another person wanted them to be the only ones there. I think my dad and Kat would have gone for it except they had some other requests that would end up costing everyone money.”
Ford nodded. He could see why people would want to propose at the fair. It was romantic with the lights. Add in the cold, causing people to snuggle up together to stay warm, and it was the perfect recipe to get people in the mood for love.
Hadn’t he been mooning over Kat the night before? He still was, if he was honest with himself. But he didn’t want to think too hard on that.
“You see the flyer?” David asked, pulling Ford from his thoughts.
“Flyer?”
David nodded. “Yeah, the North Carolina Vet Association sent us their annual flyer about their holiday thing. I think it’s a charity dinner and auction this year.”
Ford shook his head. “I haven’t. It’s at the front?”
David nodded. “Yeah. I glanced at it. I figure we can see about getting a few seats?”
Hometown Christmas Page 6