She pounded again.
Waited. Aunt Allie’s bedroom was on the front of the house. There was no way she would hear her.
And there was no way Tabitha was going to go around to Main Street in her pajamas to knock on the front door. Not even at four in the morning.
She knocked again, louder this time.
Again.
She was cold. She wondered how long she could survive.
She looked around and a different kind of fear shot through her.
This one wasn’t about the cold. This was about being outside in the middle of the night. Vulnerable.
A dog howled somewhere. A car door slammed. She shivered.
And pounded on the door.
“Hey, what’s going on out here?”
The door next to the one she’d been pounding on opened and Adam stepped into the frame. His features were relaxed with sleep. His eyes a bit unfocused. All sorts of thoughts and emotions ran through her. She could feel the warmth from the heat and light of his house. Here was a friendly, safe face.
Yet… he was a stranger she didn’t know. She was in her pajamas.
“I’m locked out.”
“It’s freezing,” he said. “Come in here,” he reached out, took her by the elbow and steered her inside.
“How long have you been out there?” he asked, leading her toward the stairs.
She stopped and looked at him questioningly.
“You have to come upstairs and get warmed up.”
She didn’t move. He shrugged.
“Ok. I’ll get you a blanket. There’s a chair just inside,” he pointed toward the front of the store and left her to go upstairs for a blanket.
When he came back half a minute later with a fleece and down throw, she was perched on the edge of an overstuffed chair.
He draped it around her and she shivered, huddled beneath it.
He kneeled next to her, smiled. “How in the world did you get yourself locked outside in the middle of the night?”
Between her teeth chattering, she smiled back as she looked into his slate blue eyes. “I went out to get firewood,” she said, simply.
“Well, that makes sense.”
She felt him searching her features and lowered her eyes, a smile playing about the corners of her lips, thankful for the warmth she found from the blanket.
“Except that it doesn’t,” he said, his voice teasing.
This time she did smile. “I couldn’t sleep and the store’s going to open at six. I thought I’d bring in some firewood to lure in the customers. But the door locked.”
“Yeah, I’ve locked myself out a few times, too. But - not in the middle of the night in my pajamas with it freezing outside.”
She lifted her eyes and met his gaze. “Not one of my finest moments.”
“Will you drink some hot chocolate?”
“No, I don’t want you to go to any bother.”
“It’s too late,” he said, standing up. “I’m awake.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be sorry. Like you said, we’ll be opening shortly. But you’re kind of stuck here until Aunt Allie wakes up.”
“We could call her.”
“Won’t do any good. She sleeps with some kind of ear plugs and I think she turns her phone off at night.”
“That’s odd. What if there’s an emergency?” Tabitha couldn’t image living that way.
“Or what if someone gets locked out.”
“Exactly.”
“I guess they just have to deal with it until she wakes up,” he said mischievously.
She shuddered beneath the blanket. “Can we at least try?”
He disappeared for a moment. Came back with his cell phone. He pulled up Aunt Allie’s number and handed the phone to her.
She dialed and just as he predicted, it went straight to voicemail.
He made a knowing expression.
“Hi Aunt Allie. It’s me. Tabitha. I sort of got locked outside. Anyway, I’m at Adam’s. Next door. When you wake up, please call me back and let me back inside.”
She disconnected the call, looked hopefully at Adam. “Do you have her store number?”
“So you can ring the phone downstairs?”
She sighed. “I guess I’m stuck here.”
“I’ll heat the water,” he said and started to turn. “You know, it’s warmer upstairs.”
That did the trick. She wrapped the blanket around herself and followed him upstairs.
When they got to his kitchen, she looked around. It was a mirror image of Aunt Allie’s, except it was decorated completely differently. Where Aunt Allie’s was sort of country chic, Adam’s was contemporary. His kitchen was done in black and blue. It was clean. Uncluttered.
She liked it.
“You like it?” he asked.
She realized she’d been nodding out loud. “I do like it. Quite a bit.”
“I did it myself.”
“What? The decorating?”
“Yeah, everything. I gutted it. Put in new cabinets, painted, new floors.”
“Wow.” She was impressed. “You have a lot of talent.”
“Actually I have a lot of free time.”
“You live here by yourself?”
“Nope.” Her heart sank. She had made assumptions that perhaps she shouldn’t have.
“Rover’s asleep.”
“Rover? A dog?’
“Yeah, kind of an obvious name, huh? I didn’t name him. The daughter of a... friend named him. She was seven.”
“Rover’s a nice name for a dog.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t mind.”
The teakettle whistled and he set out two cups, opened two packets of hot chocolate.
“He must be a sound sleeper,” Tabitha said.
“Yeah, he and Aunt Allie should get together.”
Tabitha laughed. Adam stopped pouring and turned to look at her, a smile on his lips.
Chapter Four
She smiled back. He liked her smile. It was warm and friendly.
Fragile.
He finished making the hot chocolate, handed her a mug. Then sat next to her at the table.
“Is this your first visit to Estes Park?”
“I came here as a child.”
“How long are you staying?”
She didn’t answer right away. “I’m not exactly sure yet,” she said, quietly.
Adam knew this was somehow connected with her vulnerability. He wouldn’t press her for an answer.
They drank in silence. Tabitha used the mug to warm her hands. “Aunt Allie said you not only run a store, but you run a web site.”
“Yeah, I actually enjoy the web site more than the store.”
“That’s what she said. Maybe I can check it out. I’m going to start a web site for her.”
“No way! Really? I offered to put her online a few times, but she said no.”
“Hmm. I wonder why. She seemed really excited by the idea.”
“That’s Aunt Allie for you. Never know what she’s going to do next.”
“She really likes you.”
“It’s mutual.”
“I think she counts on you to help her out.”
He shrugged that off. “It’s what neighbors do. Anyway, I consider her a friend. She does a lot for me, too.”
Tabitha nodded. And fought a sudden wave of exhaustion.
“If you’d like to catch some sleep until morning,” Adam said, “you can use the sofa.”
She shook her head. “Oh no, I couldn’t do that.”
He looked at her quizzically. “Why not?”
“It wouldn’t be right. I couldn’t just.... sleep here.”
“What else are you going to do?” Even as he asked, several things flashed through his mind. She must have had some of the same thoughts or else it showed in his expression. Her eyes widened.
“You’re perfectly safe here,” he said.
“That’s good to know,” she said, lookin
g down into her almost empty mug.
His laugh was short and humorless. “No, I’m not gay.”
She looked back up and smiled slightly. “I didn’t think you were.”
“Alright,” Adam said, standing up. “I’m going to leave you here while I go catch a little shut eye. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” she said, but she looked a little surprised and something else… disappointed perhaps?
Nonetheless, Adam knew he was lying. There was no way he was going to sleep now. But he had to get away from Tabitha Black before he did something he might regret. Getting into bed under his blanket, he stared at the ceiling and saw only her lush pink lips and haunted eyes.
Tabitha went downstairs alone and sat alone in the strange chair, in the strange shop, with the stranger upstairs, doubtless in his bed. She could hear the ticking of a clock and an occasional car along main street. Otherwise, it was quiet. There was a lamp burning on a table next to her chair.
She didn’t have very many options really. Aunt Allie was sound asleep and she was locked out. Her plans for the morning were pretty much blown. Hopefully Aunt Allie had set an alarm. She could try calling again in a little bit. That is, if she could find the phone number.
In the meantime, she had at least a couple of hours to pass. Here. In Adam’s house and shop. She did an emotional check. She wasn’t panicking. She was fairly calm, considering.
Interesting.
Taking her blanket, she made her way in the dim light to the sofa Adam had mentioned. Curling up on it, finding a throw pillow with an embroidered image of a huge fish in a little stream, she allowed her eyes to close, and she went to sleep.
This time a sleep devoid of dreams - a peaceful, restful sleep.
He regretted having to wake her. She was as peaceful as a princess, lying there on his sofa. He also didn’t want to frighten her. But he knew she’d want to get home and get dressed for the big shopping event.
He considered waking her with a kiss. Studied her lips, parted slightly in sleep. That would doubtlessly frighten her if nothing else did. As jumpy as she was, she would probably either punch him or have a heart attack. Neither one of those were attractive alternatives.
But, oh, it was ever so hard to resist.
It turned out he hesitated too long. Rover dashed down the stairs, and just about the time her eyes fluttered open from the noise he made, the dog was on top of her, licking her face.
She shrieked. But at least Adam knew he didn’t cause this startled response.
“Come on, Rover,” he said, pulling the dog off her.
“Thanks,” she said, sitting up, visibly trembling.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to wake you up that way.” I had other ways in mind.
“It’s ok. What time is it?”
“It’s about five thirty.”
She jumped up. “Oh no, I’m late.”
“I’m pretty sure Aunt Allie will be just now getting up.”
“She’ll be looking for me.”
“I haven’t heard her up.”
“Do you usually?”
“No, not really, but lately, I’ve caught the scent of bacon cooking every morning.”
She smiled at that. “She makes a good breakfast.” She sniffed the air. “And I don’t think she’s up yet either.”
He picked up the phone, handed it to her.
She dialed Aunt Allie’s number. “Aunt Allie won’t believe what happened.”
But Aunt Allie didn’t pick up.
Chapter Five
At six fifteen Aunt Allie didn’t answer the door or her phone. There was a noisy crowd outside already. Adam had opened his store and was back and forth, but Tabitha stayed hidden upstairs – still wearing her pajamas.
When he came back upstairs, Tabitha was pacing. “Something’s happened to her. I just know it. We should have been ready to open an hour ago.”
Adam handed her a cup of coffee. By now he knew just how she liked it - creamer added until it was a light milky brown. She took the cup from him, but didn’t drink. “We have to do something.”
He nodded. “You’re right. It’s time to get into the house.”
“But.... we don’t have a key. Can we just break in?”
“Sort of.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so already?”
“I didn’t want to invade her privacy. I never have. Come on,” he said, going upstairs to the third floor.
She followed him upstairs, down the hall, and to a closed door. He turned and looked into her eyes. “You have to know that I’ve never gotten into her house this way,” he told her.
“Okay,” she said, with a slight shake of her head, confused. Why was this so important for her to know? Where were they going?
Adam opened the door, to another set of stairs – much more narrow. At the other end of that room was a panel in the ceiling with a rope hanging down. Grabbing the rope, he lowered the panel, then pulled down a ladder.
“Where does this go?” she asked.
“Into the attic,” he said, as he started up. Hoisting himself inside, he turned and held out his hand. “Coming?”
She followed him up the ladder and took his hand for him to pull her up.
“This attic is shared by the two apartments.”
“You and Aunt Allie share an attic?”
“Yep.”
“How does that help?”
“It may not. It’s just an idea,” he looked around. “There.”
They found a folded ladder above a panel like the one they had used to come through the ceiling.
“Is this the way inside?” she asked.
“We’re about to find out.”
Adam pulled open the hatch and tried to lower the ladder. “It’s not working,” he said, as the ladder snapped apart – the wood rotten.
He glanced at her, then looked through the opening.
“So much for that idea,” he said. “I was going to send you through to keep from startling her, but now I have to jump through.”
She looked down. Saw the floor beneath the ceiling that must be eight to ten feet. “Okay,” she agreed.
He shook his head, but he smiled. “Here I go,” he said, lowering himself through the opening. He hung for a moment from his fingertips, then dropped to the floor.
“Are you alright?” Tabitha asked, sticking her head through.
“I made it,” he said, getting to his feet. Seeming to consider, he looked at her. “I’ll come around and open the back door for you.”
She agreed. And sighed with relief. It wasn’t necessary for her to fall through the ceiling.
“Meet me at the back door,” he said.
Racing through Adam’s house, she got to Aunt Allie’s back door before Adam did. She waited. Stomped her feet to try and warm up. Blew on her fingers. She should have brought her blanket.
What was taking him so long? She knocked on the door. She couldn’t help herself.
When Adam opened the door, he had the phone to his ear, giving out her aunt’s address. The panic raced through her setting her over the edge.
Pushing past Adam, she found Aunt Allie leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs, holding her ankle.
“Where have you been, Tabby?” she asked.
“I got locked out.”
“I called and called for you, but you didn’t answer.”
Tabitha knelt beside her aunt, hugged her. Tears ran down her cheeks. Aunt Allie had needed her and she hadn’t been there.
Tabitha knew what that felt like. It broke her heart that she hadn’t been there for Aunt Allie.
“I’m so sorry,” she kept saying. “I couldn’t get back inside. I called.”
“I know. I heard the phone ringing, but I couldn’t get to it.”
“An ambulance is on the way,” Adam said, hanging up the phone and coming to kneel next to the two women.
The next two hours were a blur. Tabitha had managed to throw on some clothe
s, then went with Aunt Allie in the ambulance. Adam followed them and waited with her while Aunt Allie was with the doctor.
The whole time, Aunt Allie insisted that Tabitha go back and open up the store. Just after nine o’clock, she relented. They wanted to keep Aunt Allie overnight for observation, so Tabitha rode back with Adam.
Tabitha was so tired and stressed out, she felt physically ill. “I don’t like leaving her,” she said.
“She’s going be okay,” he assured her.
“I know, but she doesn’t have anyone else to stay with her.”
“We’ll come back a little later. Right now, what she needs most is for you to take care of her business.”
She studied his profile as he drove the few blocks to the store. Traffic was heavy on the little streets and they had to sit in traffic as they waited to cross one of the two busy intersections.
Adam seemed to be a good man. Aunt Allie obviously thought a lot of him. And he seemed to care about her aunt.
“Are you going be okay?” he asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “If you need to get some sleep, I can send one of my girls over to take care of the shop.”
She smiled and that puddle of reservation she’d been entertaining dissolved. He was a caring man. He wasn’t playing her.
“It’s okay. I appreciate the offer though. Claire was scheduled to be in at ten o’clock, so I’ll just wait and open up then.”
He nodded. “Everyone will think you just opened on a regular schedule.”
She gasped as it suddenly occurred to her that he wasn’t open either. “What about you? You’re not at your shop.”
“It’s fine,” he assured her. “My girls can take care of everything.”
“Wow. You must really trust them.”
He signaled and turned down the street toward their back doors. “I do trust them.”
Tabitha considered this as he parked the car. Besides Aunt Allie, she couldn’t think of anyone she would trust that much.
“I’ll come around,” he said as he turned off the ignition and got out of the car.
Perplexed, she watched him hurry around the back of the car and open her door. She sat there a moment with what she knew was a perplexed expression.
In response, he smiled and held out his hand. “Shall we go inside?” he asked, as she put her hand in his.
A Very Merry Christmas Gift (Winter Kisses Book 1) Page 3