“That’s it exactly Kat. There’s a certain amount of danger these days associated with the military, even when we’re stationed at home,” he answered gently.
She nodded distractedly as if she’d just become aware of the fact that his chest was bare, and she was staring at it fixedly.
Jason froze. He was still wearing his shoulder harness and prosthetic and the wear marks were calloused and red. The strap was beginning to dig hard into his shoulder from using it for so long today. Plus, there was some scarring from burns on the upper half of his arms and chest.
“Let me go put on my shirt so you don’t have to look at me like this.”
“What?” Kat asked. “You mean you thought I was turned off by your prosthetic?” She cleared her throat when Jason stood up. “Truthfully, that wasn’t what I was thinking about at all.”
“What were you thinking?” Jason asked grimly.
“I was thinking about how you’re even more sexy now than you were when you were seventeen. And wow I thought you were totally hot back then.”
Jason stared at Kat in astonishment. She thought he was sexy, even like this, with this stupid harness strapped to his chest and digging into his scarred shoulder?
She was definitely sincere, he suddenly realized and Jason’s mouth broke out into a slow broad smile.
Kat smiled back at him raising a brow.
Jason shook his head.
“Uh, I planned to spend the rest of the day with you. Until I saw you go off with that guy, that is. You looked like you knew him pretty darned well.”
“You saw that?” Kat hesitated. “It didn’t look like you were paying any attention to me at all surrounded by that bunch of women.”
“You can tell me about him, Kat.” Jason smiled wryly. “I knew by the size of your suite that you weren’t originally planning on making this trip to the Dragonfly Pointe Inn all on your own.”
Kat sighed, definitely looking reluctant. “Mark was my boyfriend, and I really thought he was going to ask me to marry him.” She grimaced. “He was supposed to spend Christmas with me away from Chicago. I used a lot of my savings planning this vacation, and when he backed out at the last minute, I thought I was pretty devastated at the time.”
He looked at her quizzically. “Thought you were?”
‘Well, I’ve been having the best time ever, just being here again in Crystal Rock.”
“So, what was going on between you two tonight then? You were together for an awfully long time.”
Kat sighed heavily. “Mark actually decided to finally ask me to marry him once I’d left Chicago. That’s why he took the time to drive up here. Whatever’s happened between us, we’ve always been good friends.”
“And now that he actually has?” Jason growled.” I saw you kissing him too you know.”
Standing up, Kat put her hands on her hips and glared at Jason. “Do you really think I could have spent so much time with you these last few days, which by the way have been totally amazing, and then go running back to him today just because he finally proposed?”
She stomped her foot and raised her brow. “As far as my kissing Mark? We’ve been going out for a long time and we’ve been friends for a lot longer. What kind of woman do you think I am?”
Jason rose onto his feet, and reaching out and pulling her into his arms, he smiled his satisfaction. “Totally amazing? Even though nothing has even happened between us? We haven’t even kissed since we were teenagers.”
“I was wondering which one of us would bring that up first,” Kat muttered as she buried her face against his shoulder. “It almost happened.”
“It’s just that I am feeling a little insecure, Kat. This thing with my hand? You know how I said it really didn’t bug me that much.?” He backed away staring hard into her eyes. “Well sometimes it really does.”
Reaching for his prosthetic hand, Kat wrapped her hand around the metal. “Heck, I knew that. There’s just no way you could go through everything you’ve been through without it affecting how you go on with your life. You’ve always put up a good front because you’re so easy going and have a great sense of humor.”
He looked at her curiously and laughed. “Great sense of humor, huh?” But then he grimaced. “It did kind of bug me a lot to see how much my former girlfriend was turned off by me when I came home from Iraq.”
“That’s her problem Jason, not yours,” Kat voiced vehemently moving back into his arms. “Something like that shouldn’t bother someone who really cares about you.”
“I guess it could’ve been a lot worse though if I’d have been planning on a future with her. That’s what kind of saved me I think, the fact that I’ve never met anyone else I was serious about.” Jason cleared his throat. “There’s been girls Kat, but there’s been anyone like you,” he whispered into her ear.
Kat pulled away gazing into his eyes. “Oh, Jason. I had no idea you were even in the U.S. I always kept my ears and eyes open, and asked my mom if she’d heard from your mom. I kept trying to email you, and I even wrote you for at least a year after the last time I saw you at Christmas.”
“I wanted to keep in touch with you so badly, Kat.” He gently nuzzled his lips against the side of her face. “But I promised your parents that I wouldn’t.”
* * * * *
Kat stiffened and stepped back looking into Jason’s eyes. “My parents?”
Jason grimaced. “I mean, I kind of understood why. Even though it about killed me to do it. Sooner or later, we would’ve probably ended up going our separate ways. Maybe not by choice but because we had to.”
Although she was definitely disappointed in her parents, Kat was too tired to think about it right now. Plus, she’d been totally unfocused since the moment she’d arrived at the house.
Jason was so darned sexy standing there without his shirt on.
He’d definitely been hot as a teenager. But now? The man was broad, strong and ripped. Bulging muscles were clearly defined, and even the light dusting of hair covering his chest, which hadn’t been there when he was a teenager, was a huge distraction.
Kat shook her head dazedly. She’d been wanting to run her hands across his chest from the moment she’d walked into the room.
How crazy was that?
“Kat?” Jason grinned obviously noticing her wandering eyes. “Earth to Kaaaat?”
She gave him a huge smile.
Jason blinked. “Well, that was easier than I thought.”
“That’s because I’ll need to think a little about how disappointed I am with my parents. We have other things to talk about that are more important,” she answered stepping back into his arms.
Jason seemed slightly taken aback, but then he wrapped his arms around her tightly talking in an unsteady voice. “I’m going to have to kiss you now, you know.”
“It’s about time,” she answered, taking in a shaky breath.
Jason laughed softly and after sucking in a deep breath of his own, he finally covered her lips with his.
Oh wow, Kat thought as she melted into his arms; how she’d really needed this. The warmth, the closeness and every single magical moment she felt like she’d lost from the moment Jason had disappeared from her life.
His kiss was everything she remembered plus so much more, she thought crushing herself against him urgently.
Achingly.
And longingly, wanting to connect with him in every possible way.
This is what’s like to be in love, she realized as Jason held her even tighter. It’s what had been absent in every previous relationship throughout her entire adult life.
Moving his hand down from her face and around her shoulders, Jason tugged Kat closer.
Until she was as near as she could possibly be.
While the kiss went on and on and on, Kat ran her hands over Jason’s face loving the roughness of his skin against hers. From the stubble of his beard while he was half kissing, half caressing her lips, and the spicy scent of his skin as her mo
uth responded to his, Kat just wanted to breath him in.
“Mmmmmmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww,” suddenly echoed through the air like a scream.
Jason broke away from Kat. “What in the..?”
Kat’s eyes were wide. “It’s Kitty I think. What’s wrong I wonder?”
Jason’s eyes searched the room. “Where is she? Do you see her anywhere?”
“Mmmmeeeeoooooooooooooooooooowww.”
This time Kitty sounded like she was in terrible pain.
“Downstairs,” Jason said, rushing through the living room.
Kat followed Jason as he went into the kitchen and began running down the basement stairs.
“Jason,” Kat cried. “I think I might’ve figured out what’s going on!”
And when they reached the basement, Kat discovered she was right.
Checking on Kitty where she’d burrowed into a box on the floor that was full of old rags, Jason groaned covering his face with his hands. “Oh, man.” Kitty was shaking and shivering clearly in agony. “What can I do for her?”
“I’m pretty sure she’ll figure it out for herself,” Kat answered dryly.
Kat couldn’t help it when she began to laugh. Jason kept pacing around Kitty moaning and groaning just like he was the expectant father.
She’d better think of something to keep him busy. “Have you got a laundry basket anywhere Jason? And maybe some towels? I’m thinking we should move her upstairs where it’s warmer. Plus those rags that’s she’s burrowed in look pretty grimy. Some nice clean towels I think would be better.”
Obviously relieved when Kat gave him something to do, Jason ran into the laundry room located conveniently down the hallway, and quickly returned with a laundry basket filled with a bundle of freshly laundered towels.
Kat grinned laying the basket next to Kitty. Jason was so upset about the fact that Kitty was in pain, he could barely stand to watch. After everything he’d apparently been through in Iraq, Kelly had told Kat about Jason’s heroic assistance rescuing Luke and Josh Logan, it was actually hilarious seeing Jason like this.
She suddenly pictured Jason behaving like this with kids of his own, and the thought brought a warm smile to her face as Kat looked down at Kitty.
Kat folded up the towels and laid them neatly into the bottom of the basket. Soothing Kitty in dulcet tones, Kat picked her up from inside the box and transferred her into the basket.
“Meeeoooowww,” voiced Kitty less frantically once Kat was finished.
“That’s okay Sweetie,” Kat answered, gently rubbing Kitty’s head with her hand.
She finally turned to Jason. “She’s ready to go.”
Jason was grimacing the entire way up the staircase with the laundry basket in his hands.
He did know how to manipulate his prosthetic really well, Kat noticed when he wasn’t being self-conscious about the fact that he had to.
Maybe all Jason really needed was a support group, Kat decided. Even though they’d been interrupted, Kat was pretty confident that she and Jason were going to have that future that she’d secretly wished for fifteen years ago, and she’d do everything in her power to be there for him through the highs and lows.
Jason rested the laundry basket near the fireplace and scooted it slightly under the tree.
Kat grinned and turned on the switch for the Christmas music. The sound of the music seemed to instantly sooth Kitty.
When Jason began pacing again, Kat sent him into the kitchen to make some coffee. They might have a long night ahead of them.
And then a few minutes later they were sipping on their coffee and waiting.
It seemed like forever but when Kat looked at the clock she was surprised to discover it had only been half an hour since they’d brought Kitty upstairs from the basement.
After cringing and pacing and even going outside on the deck and shoveling off snow for a few minutes, Jason returned to the living room looking down rather doubtingly at the small wet glob of fur that’d just been born.
“Go ahead. It’s okay to pick him up for a minute. Kitty’s nearly ready to have another.”
Reaching down with his right hand, Jason picked up the kitten gingerly.
Kat began to laugh at the dubious expression on his face. “He’ll look a little better in a few hours once mommy gets him cleaned up. Although it might take a couple of days for him to look a whole lot better.”
Jason was definitely puzzled when he turned to Kat with the kitten still in his hand. “How in the heck do you know about this kind of stuff?”
“I don’t know if you remember me telling you when I was a kid, about my uncle who taught me to ski?”
‘Yeah. I remember,” Jason answered.
“My aunt and uncle live on a farm. I used to stay with them during the summer a lot. There were always cats around the barn and I made friends with the ones who weren’t too wild. I always wanted a dog or a cat when I was a kid. But it was too hard with my parents living in an apartment in the city.”
Jason’s eyes met hers for a long quiet moment. “You can have whatever you want right here in Crystal Rock Kat, if you’ll think about moving in here with me. I’ll make sure of it,” he added softly.
Jason nuzzled the newborn kitten near his face.
There was something so sweet about Jason right at that moment, Kat nearly began to cry.
Kat gave him a watery smile. “I’m glad you asked. There’s a pretty strong possibility that that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
* * * * *
It had been a long exhausting night, but when Kat awoke on the couch next to Jason late the next morning, he was looking at her with a tender smile on his face.
“Have you been awake long?” she asked.
Hearing a loud purr, Kat slipped out from underneath the blanket laying over them so she could peek into the laundry basket to see Kitty nursing her kittens. The kittens were marked in a variety of colors. Two of them were white with large black spots, while two of the others had calico markings. The fifth one looked like he or she was going to be purely gold.
“Wait a minute. There’s six of them now?” Another kitten had apparently been born and appeared to be sold black just like his mom.
Jason gave her a rueful smile. “Yeah, I can’t believe you slept right through it.”
She grinned. “I can’t believe I did either.”
“Coffee?” he asked.
Jason headed towards the kitchen when Kat nodded yes.
Bending down, Kat lightly rubbed the top of Kitty’s head which began making her purr even louder.
Jason soon returned with the coffee, and after peeking through the window, he sat down beside Kat where she’d settled back onto the couch.
“Surprisingly, it looks like they’re already working on the roads. I’m guessing we’re going to need to get to get a tow truck here—to pull your car out from the ditch?” Jason asked.
Nodding her head up and down, Kat gave him a rueful smile as he picked up the phone.
“Ah, there’s even a signal today. It looks like we lucked out with the weather this time. The wind’s died down and there’s not too much accumulation of snow.”
After Jason had made arrangements to have her car towed, when she looked into his eyes a few minutes later Kat asked, “What’s next?” She wasn’t just talking about the rest of the day.
“Whatever you want, Kat.” Jason answered softly. “As long as you promise me that we’ll be spending the rest of your vacation here in Crystal Rock talking about how we’re going to make this relationship work?”
Kat had to blink back tears when she answered. “Definitely.
Epilogue
Kat had made them breakfast, and once her car had been pulled from the ditch rather effortlessly by the tow truck, she and Jason returned to the Dragonfly Pointe Inn for what was left of the afternoon.
Kat and Jason each had messages awaiting them at the desk when they walked into the lobby, and definitely loo
king puzzled, Kat stared at Jason after reading one of hers.
“How would my parents know I’d be here with you Jason at Christmas?”
Her parents must’ve regretted the decision they’d made years ago about asking Jason to break off contact with Kat. He’d figured it out on his own the other day after speaking with his mom, and decided he’d better clue in Kat. “Whose idea was it for you to come here for Christmas?”
Kat looked startled and her eyes went wide. “My parents were going away on a cruise and my mom reminded me about how much I loved it here when I was a kid. She told me about the big Christmas celebration the Dragonfly Point Inn hosted every year.” Realization dawning, she stared at Jason. “Why were you staying here at the inn that night, Jason? The weather wasn’t supposed to get bad until the next day.”
He stared at Kat without answering.
Kat was looking hard at him as understanding crept in. “No. It couldn’t be.”
He began giving her a slow smile.
“You came here for Christmas, because of…me?”
His smile turned wry. “And guess who’s coming to the Dragonfly Pointe Inn for the holidays? They’ve all had reservations for weeks!” Jason held up his own written message and began laughing. “My parents will be arriving sometime tomorrow to spend Christmas with us, and yours are supposed to join us a little later in the week.”
Kat’s jaw dropped “They all planned this? But how did they even know? I already had a boyfriend. What made them think you and I would get together?”
Jason became serious. “I think they just wanted to see what would happen Kat,” he answered softly. “When I heard about your boyfriend and how long you two had been dating, I really didn’t think I stood much of chance with you either.”
He continued, “Which reminds me.” Jason steered Kat over to a chair near the fireplace in the lobby and pulled out a gift bag from another bag he’d brought along today. It was stuffed with gifts for Kelly and Luke along with a few toys for their dog Hawk.
Two Hearts Christmas Wish Page 13