A Little Christmas Jingle

by Michele Dunaway

  Plus, he had good lips. Full. Tasty. Much better than the chocolate. Just a brief kiss before she pulled away, but his blue eyes had darkened and he’d brushed his blond hair off his forehead. Their hands had fused together, and he didn’t make any attempt to let go. Kat leaned back, satisfied.

  Jeff Andrews, Pet Rescue’s Founder and CEO, and the man to whom the mayor had referred, spoke next, and he accompanied his speech with a slide show. The professional hockey player’s wife who went out with Jeff once a month to look for stray dogs was in several slides. Jack was in one slide—carrying a puppy—and the rest of the show featured tons of photos of happy animals and adoptions.

  The video hadn’t relied on any gore, but it had tugged on everyone’s heartstrings, and Kat knew St. Louis’s elite would be opening their checkbooks wide tonight. As it was, regular tickets had started at $150 a plate. VIP tables had cost double that.

  “Jack, your parents would be so proud,” Sharon said as the various speeches ended. Next would be the silent auction and then dancing. “How exciting. Next year we must bring them.”

  “I’m just doing my job,” Jack said.

  “He’s so humble,” Sharon told Kat with a conspiratorial wink. “I need the ladies room. Come with?”

  Kat wasn’t a woman who needed to go anywhere in pairs, but she rose to her feet. Tonight was about family harmony, so accompanying Jack’s sister-in-law fit the bill. She felt Jack’s gaze on her backside until she turned out of sight.

  No longer able to see Kat, Jack reached for his nearly empty beer bottle, lifted it to his lips, and drank the last, tiny unsatisfactory swig. Matt stared from across the table. “What?” Jack asked, setting the bottle down with a jarring thump.

  Matt shook his head, disbelief clear. “What are you doing?”

  “Finishing my beer,” Jack replied with a shrug. “What’s it look like?”

  “I meant with Kat,” Matt clarified.

  Jack frowned and crossed his arms. “We’re on a date. I would think that’s obvious. You have to admit, she’s a beautiful woman.”

  Matt fingered the short cocktail glass, rattled the ice. Jack kept waiting for a “She’s out of your league” comment but received instead, “She’s under legal scrutiny. It’s a conflict of interest. You should be giving her a wide berth, pretty or not.”

  “I don’t see any conflict and I like her,” Jack replied, realizing he wasn’t lying. He admired Kat. Found her funny. Charming. He enjoyed being around her. “I think she’s special. And I haven’t felt this way in well … years.”

  Matt exhaled. “Still. Couldn’t you have waited until after her case gets settled?”

  “When you met Sharon, would you have waited?” Jack paused for effect, not surprised when Matt stayed silent. “I like Kat a lot and that hasn’t happened in a while. So why be subjected to matchmaking at Cecily’s wedding when I can bring my own date, someone I care about?”

  “I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that you’ll get Mom off your back.”

  Jack bristled. “That’s not why I’m with Kat, and I’ll find my own wife when I’m ready. Besides, you heard the mayor. He made me stand up and wave.”

  “He probably doesn’t know you’re dating her,” Matt countered.

  Jack’s ire grew. He and Matt had been oil and water since their parents had first started dating. “And if he does, so what? He’s been elected mayor for a record fourth term. I don’t think my love life ranks high on his list of political concerns. You’re the one who’s always been worried about appearances. The only one who is most of the time.”

  “Pardon me for thinking of your career,” Matt shot back.

  Jack knew Matt meant well, but he’d heard this spiel or one like it enough times over the past twenty years. “Matt, that’s why we’re all South Side and you’re in Ladue with kids in private schools. I’m a cop. I’ll always be a cop. I like being a cop. I don’t want to be anything else. I’m sorry if that doesn’t meet your expectations of what I should be, or provide me an income that allows me to shop where you do or take vacations abroad. And I’m sure you’ve received nothing but grief over the calendar.”

  Jack drummed his fingers on the table. “Believe me, had I known the attention it gave me, I’d have found some way out. But what’s done is done and it was for a good cause. I’m the one living with the fallout. Besides, everyone has some relative who’s embarrassing. I’m yours.”

  Matt was one of the most skilled litigators in the city, but with his brother, he never had the right words. “I’m not saying being a cop isn’t a noble profession. There are plenty of—”

  Jack knew where this was leading and put a quick stop to it by cutting in. “Yes, but I’ve no desire to be a desk jockey. I don’t want management. I’m a detective. I like working the streets and solving crimes. I like making a big difference, especially in the lives of animals. And I do. You heard the mayor.”

  Matt changed tactics. “You’re blurring the lines of professionalism with—”

  “With what? Romance?” Jack scoffed. “Give me some credit. I know what I’m doing. And if you’re so worried, then put your money where your mouth is and help out.”

  “Help out?”

  “You’re the brilliant lawyer,” Jack said, irritation growing. “Donate money. Time. Giving me some support might be a nice change of pace.”

  “I do support—” But at that moment, the women began to make their way back to the table and the men fell quiet, schooling their faces into neutral. Jack swallowed as Kat came closer, the beautiful dress turning heads as she wove her way through the crowd. He had the sudden urge to bundle her up, take her home, and ravage her until neither of them could move.

  His hand tightened on the empty bottle. These were not thoughts he should be having, but like at the calendar ball where they’d first met, she called forth something primitive and primal from deep inside. Yet, he couldn’t act on it. He was Mr. Bah Humbug.

  None of this was real, and he was the wrong guy anyway, which meant there was a line they couldn’t cross—one he wouldn’t cross. He respected Kat too much. For Matt was right about one thing. Jack’s track record sucked. Eventually all his relationships fizzled. So better to keep this as it was. Friends. No benefits other than getting his family off his back, which clearly, from Matt’s attempt to be helpful, Jack was justified in doing.

  He rose to his feet, overwhelmed with desire to touch her and knowing the one way he could legally do so. He reached for her hand as she came into range, tugged her to him, and bent his lips to her ear. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s dance.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kat followed Jack onto the dance floor. He’d shed the tuxedo coat, unbuttoned the top shirt buttons, and loosened the black bow tie so that the ends draped on each side of the open collar. He pulled her to him, and their fronts fused as the band began a slow number.

  His hands curved around her waist, resting on the bare skin above her hips. She experienced a delicious branding, the kind that seared with sensual heat. She snaked her arms up over his broad shoulders. Oh Lord.

  Touching him made her weak.

  The calendar had revealed all his upper torso assets, leaving little to the imagination. However, her imagination hadn’t anticipated the reality of how those wide, muscular arms would really feel. Her traitorous body went into overdrive when her breasts pressed into that sculpted chest, causing anticipatory quivers that trembled through her like miniature earthquakes. His fingers toyed with the fabric seam, and her legs slid between his, moving in a step created since the dawn of time. Every nerve heightened; her heart skipped a beat.

  She rested her head on his shoulder, drew in the scent of a woodsy aftershave. The starched shirt didn’t scratch—she could have stayed in this delightful hazy trance all day. She’d danced many times, but never, ever, had her body longed for a man as it did Jack. Nestled in his arms, she felt safe. Cherished. He was strong, yet soft, and as she looked up, her gaze settled on the pure temptation
that was his lips.

  He drew her even closer, keeping her there as the band began another slow number. “So what did you and Sharon talk about?” he asked.

  “This and that. She wanted to know how we’d met, how serious we were. I told her we’d fallen in love at first sight.”

  His exhale tickled her ear. “You are good.”

  He felt dreamy, and she fought from falling into that Cinderella-like, happily-ever-after fantasy that crept into every woman’s head during a slow dance.

  Kat drank in his scent again before forcing herself to ignore the warm, intoxicating glow—it wasn’t real. She had to remember that. “Glad to be of help,” she quipped. “After meeting Matt and Sharon, I can see why you needed me.”

  Fingers traced circles on the small of her back. “My family is a little intense.”

  “A little,” she agreed, for while they had hidden it quickly, she’d seen the tension between the two men. “But sometimes families have very specific ideas.”

  “Mine has a mold, and I don’t quite fit.”

  “Well, I like you just the way you are,” Kat said, drawing back and brushing some microscopic lint off his shoulder as the song ended. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  They stood there for a moment, gazes locked, until the music changed and the crowd began the electric slide, a St. Louis staple no matter how old the signature song was. Jack gestured. “Shall we look at the auction items?”

  “Let’s.” Kat took his outstretched hand and followed him from the dance floor. She enjoyed the way her fingers fit into his as they began to look at the items, which ranged from some less-than-fifty-dollar pottery pieces to full-blown four-thousand-dollar vacations. She let go of Jack when she bent over a set of St. Louis Blues tickets and wrote down a bid. She set the pen down. “If nothing else, if I lose, someone else pays more. Every dollar counts. It’s for the animals.”

  Jack looked around. “There’s a lot of money in this room.”

  “Which is good for Pet Rescue and the animals,” Kat replied, hearing his unspoken “too rich for my blood.”

  His arm made a sweep. “This doesn’t intimidate you?”

  “Why should it? I’m comfortable and I became a vet because I love animals, not because I wanted to be rich like my parents.”

  She bid on a handcrafted bead necklace running about seventy-five dollars. “This would be a perfect Christmas gift for my mother. I am a sucker for silent auctions. Do you know I have thirteen autographed baseballs?”

  He gave her an odd look. “Do you even like baseball?”

  She laughed. “Yes, and I go to the occasional game, although I admit I’m not a diehard fan. But I’m addicted to my collection.”

  “Well, then you might want that ball over there. Tony La Russa.” Jack pointed out the former St. Louis Cardinal manager and Hall of Famer.

  She sighed. “I have that one. He is a huge supporter and always donates. He has his own animal rescue foundation. Maybe that’s the route I need to take.”

  “Let’s not talk business tonight.”

  She stopped in front of an autographed book and wrote down a bid. “Okay. That’s fair.”

  “I know the case upsets you. And you seemed to be enjoying yourself. I want us to have fun tonight.”

  “I am having a good time.” They went to the bar and picked up new drinks. “It’s been a nice evening. Best time I’ve had in years.”

  “I agree, and I hate these things. But you’ve made it tolerable. Highly enjoyable,” he admitted.

  “I’m glad.”

  “Me, too.” They wandered back to their table, a process that took a while as they kept stopping to socialize. Kat didn’t mind. She liked watching Jack in action. He was a born leader, and clearly well respected. If she was being honest with herself, she also liked the way he moved and the way he filled out his tux. Judging from the appreciative glances he was getting, she wasn’t the only one.

  She bit the inside of her lip, a reminder not to forget. She could lose herself in the moment far too easily. She had a bad habit—she often jumped in with both feet, never fully considering the consequences. It’s how she’d ended up in her predicament with the shelter. Impulse often won over rationality, a trait she’d been trying to correct most of her life with little success.

  This whole evening might not have been real, but she still wanted to kiss him. Her lips had quivered during the slow dance, her compulsion to touch overpowering. Toss caution to the wind. Who cares if it won’t lead anywhere! She’d somehow managed to keep her wits.

  “There you are.” Sharon grabbed Kat’s arm. “I have to check my items. Come with me.”

  Kat allowed herself to be propelled along to the first group of auction items, using the time away from Jack’s magical presence to clear her thoughts and regroup. “What did you bid on?”

  “This fabulous winery weekend in Napa. You?”

  “A book. A necklace over there that my mom might like.” Nothing nearly that expensive, Kat thought as Sharon upped her bid by a hundred dollars.

  “We should check on them,” Sharon said, but Jack approached, holding out Kat’s sequined evening bag.

  “You’re buzzing,” he said. “I didn’t want to open it, but whoever’s calling has tried multiple times.”

  Kat unlocked her phone, noting three missed calls and two texts. Her stomach dropped and her face drained of color. “We need to go.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Her voice rose in a fevered pitch. “Jingle. The clinic. We have to go.”

  “What if you win?” Sharon asked, clearly confused.

  “Buy it and I’ll pay you back,” Jack said, understanding the urgency. He grabbed Kat’s hand and led her toward the exit. “I’ll get the car while you retrieve our coats.”

  “Perfect.” Kat took the claim ticket, and by the time she reached the front of the hotel the valet was holding the SUV door open. Jack put the siren on the roof, and within minutes they were at the back entrance to her clinic.

  “Kat, thank God,” the overnight vet tech said as Kat rushed into the OR. “I’m not sure what happened. Vitals were stable and then they plummeted …”

  Jack didn’t understand the medical jargon uttered next, and he stepped back as Kat pulled a surgical gown over her dress. She pointed to a small closet. “Jack, suit up. Scrubs are in there. I’m going to need you.” She pulled a mask over her mouth.

  “Sure thing.” He peeled off the tuxedo coat, donned the green gown and a mask, and waited for instructions. While for the briefest moment at the ball Kat had been panicked, now she was in full control, as good and professional as any other first responder with whom he’d worked. “What do you need me to do?”

  But Kat didn’t answer; she was a flurry of activity as she worked on Jingle. She tapped a syringe to get the air out before slowly plunging the contents into the IV line. The dog, who had been trembling, immediately began to calm. Then she began to peel back the bandages. “Damn,” she said, and as much as Jack wanted to ask, he kept his mouth shut, only asking for further information as needed after she issued him directions.

  Kat and her tech worked well together, and Jack passed over this and that, until finally Kat wiped her brow and said, “That’s it. All we can do. Now we wait again.” Jingle lay sedated on the table as Kat turned to her tech. “Thanks, Jane. You were great. Go home. I’ve got it from here.”

  The girl took off her gloves. “Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely.” Kat nodded. “Jack will help me.”

  “Thanks.” The tech scrubbed out and left.

  “So what happened?” Jack asked.

  “Infection. I had to reclean one of the wounds. He’s on an antibiotic but …” She stopped, clearly drained. “His body has a lot of recovery left to do. Can you help me move him? He’s okay to pick up by lifting under his front legs and under his stomach.”

  Jack put Jingle back in his crate, and the dog seemed to sigh. “Good thing my cats won’t miss me,
” Kat said, removing her scrubs and tossing them into the hamper. She glanced at her dress and sighed. “Some end to our evening. Thanks for staying and helping.”

  “Do you know how many times I’ve been called away on an emergency? I get it.”

  Most men she’d dated hadn’t, Kat reflected, but Jack drew her close with a “Come here.” His fingers found the knot on her left shoulder blade, and she practically moaned. “That feels so good.”

  “Least I can do,” Jack replied. His phone pinged and he used his free hand to get it out of his pants pocket. “You won some of your items.”

  A tear slipped down Kat’s cheek, and then she began to laugh as the weight of the evening crashed into her. “Yay,” she quipped. “A bonus.”

  “Hey,” Jack said. “It’s okay. You saved him. And your dress is still beautiful. You’re still beautiful.” He turned her to face him and flicked away the stray tear with the rough pad of his finger. “How about I rustle up some food?”

  “There’s stuff in the break room. End of the hall,” Kat told him. “Meet you there. Let me check his monitors.”

  She needed a moment to regroup. She made sure Jingle was fine, and then stopped in her private bathroom. Her updo had fallen. Her dress had wrinkled. Her right eye mimicked a raccoon’s. Her lipstick had long faded. Taking a makeup wipe, she removed the black under-eye smudges, whisked away the last of her lip color. Then she took a quick swig of mouthwash and sighed.

  She reached down and slid off the sanitary shoe covers and her heels, putting on the spare slippers she kept on the shelf. She had spare clothes in the closet, but no point. She’d rather change straight into the sweats she’d sleep in later. She padded toward the break room, where she discovered Jack microwaving frozen individual deep-dish pizzas. “Found these in the freezer.” He held out a paper plate. “Hope you like plain cheese. It was this or some cheese rice thing with a green giant on the box.”

  Her mood lightened and she laughed. “Actually, I’ll have you know that that cheese rice is pretty good. But this will be perfect.”

  A tickle of awareness passed between their fingertips as she took the plate. The microwave beeped, and Jack retrieved the second pizza. Kat sat at the small table, and Jack dropped into the chair beside her. He handed her a napkin. “There’s silverware in that drawer,” she said.