Maybe because Kelly was using every available opportunity to put her hands all over Luke? It was heart-warming to see a couple who were so obviously in love.
Because that was exactly what she wanted too, Kat realized feeling a sudden surge of longing.
A home and family with maybe even a couple of kids?
Where had that thought come from when just yesterday Kat been thinking about starting over somewhere new and forgetting any ideas about a home or marriage? And not just with Mark but with any other man.
Kat shook her head snapping out of her trance when she noticed Jason staring at her curiously.
Holding onto the trunk of the tree, Kelly and Luke began dragging it onto the path while Jason and Kat lifted and guided the tree over the frozen rutted ground.
Before long, Luke and Jason were loading the tree into the back of the pickup, and Kat and Kelly decided do some shopping inside of the garden center.
Kat had picked out a beautiful topper for Jason’s tree along with another surprise, and was paying for her gifts at the register when Luke and Jason strolled inside.
Luke grabbed Kelly’s hand and they headed down the aisle to take a look at some of the remaining Christmas decorations.
“This place seems to do a really good business,” Kat observed looking at Jason. “You may want to pick up some lights for the tree if they have any left.”
“Good idea,” Jason answered with a grimace. “All the stuff at home’s been in storage for a while, and I don’t have a clue about what’s down in the basement.”
“Maybe we should get you a few ornaments too?”
“Yeah, why not? My grandparents probably took everything sentimental along with them when they moved.” He looked at the bag in Kat’s hand. “What’ve you got there?”
Kat gave him an impish grin. “Oh, a little something for you and your tree. You’ll see soon enough.”
Jason grinned back at her. Resting his hand on her back, he guided her down the aisle towards the decorated trees where boxes were displayed with lights and ornaments for sale.
They settled on some clusters of silvery stars and golden globes along with a couple dozen handmade novelty ornaments made by local craftsmen. Many of the artisans were residents of Crystal Visions according to Luke, who mentioned it when he walked up with Kelly and stood beside Jason. The vocational program offered numerous fundraising projects that had been organized by Jake and Danielle Loughlin.
Luke pointed at a display of ornaments being sold to support the wounded warrior project, and they added a few silver planes to their purchases before strolling up to the register and finally checking out.
The tree had been loaded and strapped down into the bed of Luke’s pickup, so when the four of them returned to the parking lot, they loaded up into the truck and were soon on their way to Jason’s house.
When Luke pulled his truck into the driveway of the cottage thirty minutes later, Kelly felt like she was coming home.
It was blowing her mind, this feeling of rightness she was experiencing gazing over at the newly remodeled house. Formerly painted white, the home was now sided in a lovely sage green with window shutters of deep dark rose. Planter boxes hung from beneath the windows, and not only was Kat envisioning them planted through the summer with impatiens and lobelia, she was also thinking about how beautiful the house would look with those planters filled with Christmas greens, bows and ornaments while sparkling with miniature lights.
Suddenly, Kat was remembering the past. She’d never heard back from Jason again after that Christmas visit fifteen years ago, and leaving Jason that day had left her feeling totally devastated. She’d felt a world of hurt because despite their promise to break off contact, she hadn’t really expected him to do it.
The cab doors banged shut as Kelly and Luke stepped out from the truck and walked around to the rear.
Catching Jason’s eyes upon her as she gathered her gloves and purse from the seat, Kat paused with her hand on the door. “What?”
He looked wistful. “You looked so happy for minute, and then all of a sudden you seemed to be really down.”
Kat sighed giving him a rueful grin. “Ah, It’s nothing,” she answered, opening up the door and stepping out from the truck. “Coming back to Crystal Rock is bringing back a lot of memories.”
Jason nodded his obvious understanding, and his grin was wry when he stepped out from the truck and walked around to the back.
Jason appeared to be thoughtful staring at the tree as they all stood behind the truck.
“Kat?” Jason asked.
Still distracted, she turned to him. “Hmm?”
“Unlock the door—will you? We might as well drag the tree in through the front door.”
Kat held out her hand, and after singling out the key, Jason handed over his keychain.
While Kat strolled up to the front door, Luke opened up the hatch and he and Jason began pulling the tree out from the bed of the pickup.
Since it was at least ten feet tall, Kelly ended up guiding the tree along the driveway as Luke and Jason half lifted and pulled it along until they reached the entryway. A new extra wide door had been installed leading into the foyer, so it wasn’t very difficult dragging the tree into the house through the doorway after Kat had unlocked and opened the door.
Wow was her first thought strolling inside the house behind Luke, Kelly and Jason. Although the new drywall had been primed and painted a stark white, the combined living room and kitchen space was beautiful, and so impressive with vaulted ceilings and high arched windows. There was so much light in the room now. And the fireplace was stunning sheathed in glass tiles of greens, violets and blues.
It looked like an entirely new house. She’d love the challenge of decorating a space like this, Kat thought, suddenly becoming excited by an idea springing into her mind. What if she moved to Crystal Rock? The town was growing by leaps and bounds, and there was a lot of new construction going on around the lake and in town.
Of course Jason would be here too.
Was he seeing anyone? The thought abruptly popped into her mind. Surely if he was, he would have said something.
Maybe it was fickle of her to already be thinking of her relationship with Mark as in the past? She was feeling a little guilty.
But it was really sinking in now just how little Mark always had to give. Mainly, they’d just hung out at his apartment, and she’d made dinner and they’d watched a movie or two. She’d always returned home because Mark had early hours and even worked Saturdays. Heck, it had been months since they’d even gone out to dinner because of all the time that Mark spent at work.
Come to think of it, Kat couldn’t even remember the last time Mark had kissed her.
Feeling slightly remorseful, Kat had been hesitating.
But in that split second she made up her mind. Although she owed it to Mark to break off their relationship properly, she wanted—no, she needed more from a relationship than Mark was willing to give. She’d never have been happy with him for the rest of her life.
And that was one thing she knew for sure. If she ever got married, she wanted it to be for keeps.
* * * * *
Something significant was going on in Kat’s mind. Jason watched as a multitude of emotions seemed to play across her face.
What was she thinking, he wondered?
But it was time to decorate the tree. And it was funny—for someone who’d thought he’d craved solitude this past year, Jason was having a fabulous day just hanging out with his friends.
“It’s kind of chilly in here,” Jason observed stepping over and adjusting the thermostat. “How about some coffee everyone?” he asked.
Not awaiting an answer, he strolled into the kitchen.
After preparing the coffeemaker and switching it on, Jason made his way with Luke down the stairway and into the basement.
Luckily, Jason had purchased an extra-large stand for the tree when he’d paid the cashier after she�
�d suggested it because there was nothing very useful stored downstairs. The decorations that Jason and Luke found in the basement were mainly for outdoors.
Fortunately, Jason had discovered about a half dozen boxes of unopened ornaments that his grandmother must have bought on clearance after Christmas, because once he and Luke stood up the tree, it seemed to be huge.
Kat and Kelly were busy pulling lights from the boxes to string around the tree, so after unloading the boxes of ornaments near the fireplace next to the tree, Jason went into the garage to retrieve a ladder.
Carrying the ladder into the kitchen through the doorway from the garage, Jason hesitated suddenly beginning to laugh.
Luke turned to Jason with a quizzical look on his face. “What?”
“Who’s climbing up the ladder?” Jason asked. He was carrying the ladder with his right hand and balancing it with his left arm. He’d long ago abandoned his useless prosthetic. In fact, he’d gone without it at the tree farm and nursery, and Luke had watched him approvingly when he’d left it in the truck.
Luke blinked. And then he began laughing too looking down at his leg. “Yeah, I forgot. I don’t think I’m quite ready to try this prosthetic out on a ladder yet either.”
“I think that Kelly and I can handle the top of the tree,” Kat said wryly, laughing along with everyone else. “In fact, I bought you a topper for your tree, Jason. I remember even when I was visiting here as a kid thinking that you needed to have a pretty star on top.”
Walking over to the couch and opening the bag containing her purchases from the greenhouse, she pulled out a hammered silver star etched with cutouts.
“Cool.” Jason smiled as he unfolded the ladder. “Thank you, Kat.”
After Jason set up the ladder next to the tree, Kat climbed up and fitted the star over the top.
“Aw, that’s beautiful, Kat,” Kelly observed, reaching up with a string of lights in her hands.
Kat plugged in the star and begin winding the lights around the top of the tree.
Once the star was alit, it looked fabulous, Jason thought.
“I think that these are all LED lights,” Kelly said. “They should be a little brighter and last a little longer than the old-fashioned light strands do.”
Kat nodded her agreement climbing down the ladder. She pulled out another string of lights she’d left hidden in her bag of greenhouse purchases and began wrapping it around the tree.
Kat finally looked at everyone with an impish grin. “Here’s the pièce de résistance.”
When Kat plugged in the lights, Jason began to laugh when Christmas music echoed through the air. She kept switching up the adapter for an assortment of tunes, and Jason laughed even harder when she flipped another switch and a light show began.
Luke put his hand on his hips and turned to Kelly. “I want some of those,” he demanded and grinned.
Kelly began giggling madly.
Luke snatched Kelly into his arms and gave her a kiss.
For a moment, Jason looked into Kat’s eyes. He really really wanted to kiss her too.
But, no. It wasn’t the time or the place.
If not now though, when would it ever be?
Eventually, Jason had to wipe the tears from his eyes, he was laughing so hard.
After everyone had settled down a few minutes later, Jason walked into the kitchen. “Who wants coffee?” he called out, before a chuckle escaped and he began laughing hard again. This was the best day he’d had in like…forever, he was surprised to realize.
At that moment, Jason heard scolding in the living room. Kitty had obviously decided to make an appearance.
Kelly was yelling. “Kitty, get down from that tree!”
Jason rushed into the living room just in time to see Kitty climbing to the very top.
“Kitty Kat,” Jason scolded seeing her peeking out from between the branches.
“Meeeeowwww,” she answered, continuing to bat at one of the musical lights with her paw.
Kat turned to Jason with a startled look on her face and began to giggle.
Yep, Jason thought when he started laughing loudly, he hadn’t enjoyed himself this much in a very long time.
Chapter Nine
What a fun day it had been, Kat thought when they were all in Luke’s truck on their way back to the inn a few hours later. Most of her time in Chicago was spent working since many of her best friends had long ago relocated to other states because of the struggling economy in Illinois. It was a little different for Kat since much of her design work was contracted by referrals from satisfied customers.
And Mark spent most of his free time working because he had a grueling job. But come to think of it, he didn’t have a whole lot of friends either.
The snow remaining from the storm that had supposedly hit Crystal Rock the previous week was nearly melted now. Kat gazed through the window of Luke’s truck from where she sat in the back seat beside Jason. She had a feeling that normally Kelly would’ve been sitting back here while Jason would’ve been riding in the front seat of the cab with Luke. Kat had been pretty sure from the moment she realized Kelly and Luke were Jason’s friends that they were attempting a little matchmaking between her and Jason.
And it was working, Kat thought, giving Jason a side glance while he stared outside through the other window.
Kat frowned. Sometime in the last few minutes, he’d slipped his prosthetic back over his arm. She’d heard him and Luke discussing the other prosthetic Jason normally used. Since it supposedly gave him flexibility, she had to wonder why he wasn’t actually using it?
Jason suddenly turned and smiled and Kat’s heart skipped a beat. It had been doing that off and on through the entire afternoon.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
It was weird, but all of a sudden her voice seized up in her throat when she looked into those intense gray eyes of his.
Since she couldn’t talk, she quickly nodded yes.
“Luke and Kelly are going to help for a while with the decorating but then they’ll be going home. They’re hosting Christmas Eve I guess for Kelly’s family, so they have a few things they need to do tonight,” he continued. “Maybe you and I can get some dinner once we’re done with the decorating?”
“Sounds good,” Kat finally answered.
Moments later, Luke was pulling the truck into the parking lot belonging to the inn.
Jason reached behind him and grabbed the clothing bag that was hanging on a hook.
“I’ll get your shoes,” Kat said, reaching for the draw string bag laying on the seat between them.
He grinned. “Thanks.”
It would be strange to see him in a uniform, Kat thought as she walked beside Jason through the breezeway into the inn. Come to think of it, Jason stood a little taller and walked a little straighter than he had a teenager, almost like he was marching to a drum.
Kat began laughing softly.
Jason’s smile was quizzical. “What?”
“I was just thinking that if anyone had to guess, they’d instantly know you were in the military. You walk tall like a solder,” Kat said.
“Comes from going through the paces for nearly fifteen years,” he answered. “Sometimes, I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
“Me, neither,” Kat said, holding his gaze.
It was obvious they weren’t talking about Jason’s military career anymore, and Jason stilled staring into her eyes.
They were distracted by Kelly. “Wow. Look at the tree you guys. Isn’t it beautiful?”
It had to be at least twenty-five feet tall, Kat thought. “How in heck did they even get that inside?” Kat asked, grimacing. Kat noticed her question set off a bunch of laughter from the surrounding crowd.
Luke, Kelly and Kat helped themselves to refreshments set up as a buffet while Jason made a quick trip to his room to deposit his uniform.
Along with at least fifty other guests and employees, the four of them began decorating the spruce t
hat had been situated beside the towering stone fireplace in the huge open ballroom fifteen minutes later. The tree was so tall that a construction scaffold had been brought inside so that a few employees were able climb aboard to decorate the tree all the way to the top.
Hundreds of decorations had been pieced together with foam board by the kids and adults enrolled in the Crystal Visions vocational program. In thanks for monetary donations for both Crystal Visions and the wounded warrior home, colorful stars, trees and bells were hung across the tree, and each ornament had been sprinkled with glued on glitter to list individual contributors’ names.
“How’s Zach doing?” Jason asked Luke suddenly. Kat had discovered earlier that the man they were talking about was apparently a wounded warrior air force captain who had served with Jason and Luke, and he was living in Luke and Kelly’s guest house.
Luke grimaced. “Not so good. He lives like a hermit. I tried to talk him into coming over here today.”
Jason looked at Kat. “Zach Logan was injured in the same incident as Luke and I,’ he explained. “Zach decided to visit here and to try to begin healing. Although the facility isn’t actually up and running yet, the psychiatrist in charge of the program has already moved into town.”
Approaching them with another dozen ornaments for the tree, Kelly must’ve heard the tail end of the conversation. “Are they talking about Zach?” She turned to Kelly and winked. “I guarantee he’ll be doing a little better soon. He’s already decided to move into town for good since he’s retired from the air force, and he’ll actually be working full time in the wounded warrior facility once it’s open.”
Kat turned to Jason. “But I thought you were the one who would be working there with the soldiers?”
“I’m the official liaison between the Air Force and the facility. I’ll mainly be doing administrative work part-time. Zach will be talking to soldiers individually on a personal basis before they actually begin meeting with the psychiatrist. That way, he can try to get a handle on their specific issues.”
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