Okay, the panic was gone. Even from across the room, she could see that Liz was fine, cooing happily in Jack's embrace. So ... fear gone. Replaced by confusion.
"What's going on here?" she asked, tugging the edges of her robe closer together and tying the cloth belt tight at her waist.
"It's Christmas," he said, one corner of his mouth tilting into the half-smile that never failed to strike something warm and soft and delicious inside her.
Christmas. In August. "I don't understand." She shook her head, trying to take it all in, but failing. Her brain felt a little fuzzy from too much sleep and no caffeine.
Liz squirmed and twitched in Jack's grasp, her tiny fists batting at the air, her little legs kicking as though
trying to ride a small, invisible bike. Carol, though, watched Jack, trying to read the expression in his eyes. Trying to figure out just what the heck he was up to.
"I told you," he said as he stepped to the window and swept the curtains aside. "It's Christmas. A real, old-fashioned, 'like an old movie' Christmas."
Her own words. She recognized them. She'd thrown them at him that night in the park. And now ... what ? She frowned, then shifted her gaze to the windows. It was snowing. Beyond the glass, dazzled by sunlight, snowflakes fell gently against the windowpane, collecting on the frame, building and then melting in the California summer sun.
"Snow?" Carol felt a rush of wonder as she hurried across the room. Standing beside Jack, she looked up at him for a long minute, and saw that his blue eyes were clear and focused and... open. There were no closed shutters, keeping his pain in and her out. There were no shadows in those shining blue eyes. No old pain haunting him. No secrets lurking.
Her heart tripped a little and she swallowed hard, not yet willing to believe the fluttery sense of expectation building inside her.
Shaking her head, Carol threw the window open, reached one hand outside and let the cold, delicate snowflakes dance on her open palm. Summer sunlight washed over her from a clear, crisp blue sky. Beneath her, her front yard was filled with snow and the kids from the neighborhood were making good use of it. A snowball war was in full force and a snow family stood proudly near the porch.
Summer and snow.
It was only then that she caught the underlying roar
of an engine at work. She leaned out and saw the snow-making machine parked in her driveway and watched as snow rocketed from the funnel and spilled into the hot, still air.
Her breath caught.
"You did this," she said, drawing back inside to stare up at him. His eyes danced with pleasure and that half-smile was still in place. He'd done all of this. For her. "Why?"
Liz gurgled and swung her fists again and Jack smiled down at her for a moment before lifting his gaze to Carol's again.
"For you," he said, reaching out one hand to stroke her cheek. "You said you'd always dreamed of a real Christmas. Well, here it is."
Soul-deep pleasure rocked Carol, weakening her knees and stirring her blood. She sucked in a gulp of air and briefly closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of being this important to someone. To Jack.
Yet, she needed to hear him say the words. To give voice to the promises she could nearly see in the air around them. "Why are you doing this?"
"Carol," he said, wondering now where his great speech had gone to. He'd been working on it for the last two days. He'd wanted everything to be perfect. He'd found the snowmaker and become a B and E man to get into her apartment and set things up. He'd kept Quinn quiet and endangered his life by tying that damn bow on the big dog's neck. He'd sneaked Liz out of her crib while Carol slept and then waited what seemed forever for her to wake up.
And now that she was here, in front of him, all he could do was look at her.
Her honey-blond hair was ruffled from bed and her big amber eyes shone with expectation. God, he prayed silently, don't let me screw this up this time.
"Yes?" she prompted, bringing him back to the matter of the now-missing speech.
"Right." Jack swallowed, then handed the baby to Carol. "Take Liz for a minute, will you?"
"Sure, but..."
"Just let me say this, okay?"
Outside, the kids were laughing, their high-pitched voices sailing through the room and rocketing around it like bullets ricocheting off cave walls. He didn't need the distraction. Slamming the window shut, he started talking, with Nat King Cole singing backup.
"You were right."
"Good start to any conversation." She smiled and tucked Liz's blanket a little more tightly around her thrashing legs.
He smiled quickly at the smart-ass remark, then realized she was just protecting herself. From him. He had to earn her trust. Earn the right to make promises to her. "When you said I'd been too busy punishing myself to actually live, you were right. I've been a pain in the ass for two solid years, Carol. I got used to it."
"Jack—" *
She reached out one hand to him, but he shook his head, determined to say it all. To get it all out into the open where they could look at it, together.
"When you're an ass for that stretch of time, it gets to be second nature," he said and stalked past Quinn, ignoring the dog's curious whine. "You don't remember being any other way and maybe you don't want to remember." He whirled around and looked at her. "I didn't. It was easier to just crawl into that black hole and stay there,
snarling and growling at anyone who got too close ."
Carol inhaled slowly, deeply, then let the air slide from her lungs. But she didn't interrupt and he was grateful. Damn, he wished he could remember the speech.
"When I came back here, to Christmas, I figured I'd be here a few weeks, then leave again. Hadn't planned on staying. Didn't figure I deserved to be here anymore."
"That's so dumb—"
He held up one hand and gave her a tight smile. "I believe I already covered the 'pain in the ass' thing."
"Right" She sat down on the arm of the chair and gently rocked Liz. "Go on."
"Then I met you." He smiled again and shrugged helplessly. "It was over for me the minute I saw you."
"You hid it well."
"Yeah. I did." He stalked across the room and stopped in front of her. Taking hold of her upper arms, he drew her to her feet and looked down into her eyes, losing himself in the golden shine of them. '1 didn't want to love you, Carol. Thought I could get away clean and retreat to the shadows again."
"Love?" She squeezed that one word out, but it cost her. Tears she'd been holding inside escaped the corners of her eyes and trailed along her cheeks. "You love me?"
"I do. Jesus, I really do." He lifted one hand to skim the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "I love you so much it rattles me. You turned me inside out and sideways, Carol. Made me want things I'd told myself I'd never have again. Made me want you so bad I could hardly see straight. And you made me question everything I'd been telling myself for two years. You forced me to remember what it was like to be really alive and to want to feel that way again."
Carol's legs buckled, so she locked her knees to stay
upright. The scent of cinnamon was rich and full and she sucked it down deep inside her and stored it as a memory. Snow and Christmas trees and music and ... Jack. Always, Jack. She kept her gaze locked with his and let herself believe.
"I watched the tape."
She frowned, confused. "What tape?"
"The tape of the shooting," he said. "It was in that box that was delivered to me."
"Oh, God, Jack..."
"It's okay," he said quickly, with a shake of his head. "I had to see the past, come to terms with it, before I could see a future."
"What did you see?" she asked, trying to keep a tight rein on the wild surge of hope and expectation that built steadily inside her.
"That it wasn't my fault," he said simply. "It just happened. It was a tragedy, but it wasn't my fault."
"I'm so glad, Jack." She stared up into his eyes and felt a jolt of surprise as she r
ead peace in those shady blue depths. He wasn't haunted anymore. He'd found his way out of the darkness and then he'd come to her.
"I straightened out a few other things, too," he was saying, and Carol told herself to pay attention. "Went to see Ed Thompson."
"The sheriff?"
"Not anymore," Jack said and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I'm the new sheriff. Recommended by Ed and duly appointed by the city council."
"Permanently?"
"Well, until the next election," he admitted. "I hear Ken Slater's thinking about running for sheriff next time."
"He'll never beat you."
"That's what I think."
He grinned at her and the full power of that smile slammed into her with the force of a line drive hardball to the stomach.
"There's more," he added while Carol's head was still spinning.
"What's left?" It was all so good. So wonderful. Her heartbeat was doing a fast two-step and even her blood felt as though it was dancing through her veins.
"I went and talked to Lacey."
She took a breath and held it. "About what?"
"She handpicked you to be her daughter's mother," Jack said, his voice a low rumble of sound that sidled up and down her spine like goose bumps. "I wanted to see if she had a problem with me being Lizardbaby's father."
"Oh, Jack." Carol lifted one hand to her mouth and stared at him. He was all blurry, though, so she blinked and cleared the tears away to see him better.
"I want us to be a family, Carol. The four of us. And however many more we have."
LIT 95
"Before you say anything—I'm not saying I'll never be a pain in the ass again," he warned her, "but I figure you know how to handle that."
She laughed. "I do."
"Remember those words," he said, grinning now. "Mostly though, I want you to know that I will love you forever. And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure you're not sorry about loving me."
"Oh, God." Carol stood up, suddenly unable to sit still. She clutched Liz to her like a life preserver and looked up at the man who had changed so much in her life.
He dipped into his jeans pocket and drew out a small red velvet box.
"Jack—" Carol held her breath and looked from the closed box to his gaze.
"Marry me, Carol/' he said and opened the box to display an antique ring—a ruby center with a spray of diamonds surrounding it. "Build a family with me. Build a future—for all of us."
Staring up into those blue eyes that had devastated her from the very first, she knew she'd finally found the love, the life, the home she'd always dreamed of. She swallowed hard and said, "You know, when I first brought Liz home—when I first rented the apartment to you ... I was sure it was all some kind of mistake."
"And now?"
"Now.. " Carol smiled and felt her heart actually lift in her chest. "Now, I'm sure it's all some kind of wonderful"
He blew out a breath. "So that's a yes?"
"I do love you," she said, hearing her voice break slightly with the weight of emotion pressing down on her. "And I will marry you—"
He grinned and reached for her.
She held up one hand.
"On one condition."
"Name it"
"We go downstairs and you build Liz and me a snowman."
"You've got a deal, lady." He grabbed her close, wrapped his arms around both her and Lizardbaby, and then dipped his head for a kiss that tasted of promises.
And that year, for Carol, Christmas came in August.
Fall in love with two unforgettable romances
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#1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR MAUREEN CHILD
FINDING YOU
Carla Candellano has faced a tragedy she'd like to put behind her, but no one has been able to penetrate the wall she has built around herself—until she meets six-year-old Reese Wyatt. Reese hasn't spoken since her mother died last year, and it's friendship at first sight for Carla and little Reese. But it's the girl's worried father, Jackson, who arouses Carla's curiosity, and passion, in ways she never imagined . . .
KNOWING YOU
Ever since Stevie Ryan was a young girl, she was in love with her best friend Carla's older brother Nick Candellano. But Nick had to complicate things by growing up gorgeous—and breaking Stevie's heart. Now she's convinced that forgetting him is the way to go. And it's working out fine...until she and Nick's brother, Paul, spend one sultry night together. Has the right brother been under Stevie's nose all along?
"An absolutely wonderful contemporary romance. A delightful blend of humor and emotion, this sexy love story will definitely keep readers turning the pages."
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MAUREEN CHILD writes love
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Her award-winning novels have been called "simply wonderful," "captivating," and "beautiful love stories that will live in the heart forever." A three-time Romance Writers of America Rita-finalist, Maureen Child lives in Southern California with her family.
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Table of Contents
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Pages
Back Cover
Some Kind of Wonderful Page 27