by Boone, Lisa
She forced a bright smile. “Of course, why do you ask?”
“You seem a little tense.”
Madison shook her head. “Just tired.”
“Worried about Paul?”
She nodded.
“Did something else happen last night?” When she tried to change the subject, he lightly touched her arm. “Madison, what happened?”
She sighed before finally giving in. “I got another phone call from Quincy.”
Ethan’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure it’s him?”
“Positive.”
“You didn’t sound as certain yesterday.”
“No, but I had another chance to hear his voice last night. It’s Quincy.” She tilted her head to the side as she considered him. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head as her grandfather entered the room holding a framed picture. “We’ll talk about it later,” he said helping her to her seat before examining the picture her grandfather thrust into his hands.
“That was my first ship, USS Henry W. Tucker.” Lee Love took his place at the head of the table. Thrilled to have someone to talk to about his war days, he grabbed Ethan’s arm and pulled him into the chair next to him. Sarah and Madison exchanged amused looks as Sarah took the spot across from her grandfather and Madison slipped into the chair next to Ethan. She casually laid her hand on his arm, needing to be as close as possible to him.
Ethan looked at her with a smile as he laid his hand over hers and lightly stroked the skin on the back of her hand, tracing circles with his fingertips. “So, do you—”
Lee grabbed Ethan’s arm again, recapturing the young man’s attention. “It was a beautiful ship. There was this port that—”
Sarah cleared her throat. “Grandpa, the food is getting cold,” she said while subtly inclining her head towards her sister and Ethan. Unfortunately, Lee Love did not have a romantic bone in his body and missed his granddaughter’s hint. After a quick prayer, the old man dragged Ethan into a lengthy conversation about his military service that lasted throughout the dinner and well into dessert. It was only after the plates were cleared that Sarah was able to pull her grandfather into the kitchen and away from Ethan.
Finally alone, Madison inched closer towards Ethan. She inclined her head towards the window. “It’s snowing again.”
“Good. It wouldn’t be Christmas without snow. Have you already opened your presents?”
She nodded. “First thing this morning. Speaking of which…” She took his hand in hers and led him out of the dining room towards the sitting room at the back of the house. “I got you something for Christmas.”
One of his hands slipped to her waist as his other reached into the side of his jacket. “Well, I have—” A look of panic crossed his face as he began patting down all of his pockets. He glanced back toward the front door. “Actually, I’ll be right back.”
“What did you lose?”
“I didn’t lose it,” he said quickly. “I just need to find it. I’m pretty sure it’s in my car.”
“Oh?” She lightly touched his tie as she looked up at him in amusement. “And what is it that you didn’t lose?”
“Your Christmas present.”
“But you already gave us our gifts when you arrived.”
“Nah, the candy and the wine were for everyone to share. I have something just for you.”
“For me?” She stood on her tiptoes as a smile crossed her face. “Really? What?”
“You’ll see,” he said giving her a light kiss. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She nodded as she continued down the hall toward the sitting room, which in her opinion was the prettiest room in the cottage and left virtually untouched by her grandfather since her grandmother passed away. It had a large fireplace, high vaulted ceilings, solid mahogany paneling, blue and white toile curtains and large French doors leading to the wrap around porch and overlooking the lake. She bent over and lit the fireplace before settling down onto the soft blue and white floral couch.
A small squeak behind her captured her attention. She looked over the back of the couch towards the door as Rory walked in carrying a squeaky toy. She called his name and he raced toward the couch and up onto her lap before trying to cover her with kisses. “Well, Merry Christmas to you too,” she said holding the dog out away from her face. She wasn’t opposed to his kisses but she had spent a good portion of the morning getting ready for Ethan and if anyone was going to cover her with kisses, she hoped it was going to be him and not the dog.
She settled the puppy down next to her, absentmindedly petting him as he played with his toy. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen Ethan?” She glanced over the couch towards the door, wondering what was taking him so long.
Dear Lord, Madison, it’s been less than five minutes, so get a grip, she thought as she stood up and walked to the Christmas tree in the corner of the room. She bent down and picked up a long thin box, which she laid down on the end table before settling back in next to Rory.
“Where are your grandpa and sister?” Ethan asked from behind her.
Rory jumped up on his hind legs and attempted to climb over the back of the couch as he barked at Ethan.
“Um, in the living room watching Operation Pacific with John Wayne. Sarah was just dying to see it again,” she said reminding herself to do something nice for her sister sometime this week.
“Oh, that’s a great movie.” He looked down the hall, seemingly torn between joining her family and joining her on the couch.
Madison laid her forearms across the back of the couch and smiled up at him. When that didn’t seem to help him come to a decision, she twirled a lock of her hair around her finger and bit her lip. Come on, she thought, make the right choice, Ethan.
He closed the double doors and quickly closed the distance between them.
Rory, excited to see Ethan, wagged his tail furiously as he struggled to climb up the back of the couch in order to get closer. “My goodness, he hasn’t been gone that long,” she said to the puppy.
“Yeah, but in dog years, it’s been forever,” he said picking Rory up and scratching behind his ears. He glanced at the squirming puppy with a broad smile. “He’s cute. Christmas gift?”
“Seems so. Sarah got him last night.”
He set the puppy down on the floor before reaching into the inside of his jacket pocket and pulling out a bright red rectangular box. “I’m sorry I missed your birthday the other day.”
She bit her lip as she popped the lid open and looked inside. A gold charm bracelet with six charms lay on a red velvet cushion.
A small gasp of pleasure parted her lips.
Settling in beside her, he said, “I remembered you saying how much you liked one of your client’s charm bracelets so I thought…”
Eyes wide, she looked up at him in surprise. “That happened months ago.”
“I have a good memory.” He tugged at his collar as he looked from her to the bracelet.
He’s nervous, she thought in awe as her smile widened. “I love it.”
His eyes lit up as he moved in closer. “You do?” He reached for the bracelet and held it up. “I had them add a few charms. You’re a lawyer so I had no choice but to add the scales of justice.”
“Oh, naturally,” she said in amusement.
“Also, I figured that’s how I came to know you so,” he trailed off as he cleared his throat, “that’s what that represents.”
Quickly realizing that the six charms had special meaning and weren’t just added at random, she looked from them to Ethan as a wave of warmth enveloped her. “And the others? What do they represent?”
He pointed to a flower charm made with five small clear blue Topaz gemstones. “This one here, I bought for your birthday since it has your birthstone.” He laid it across her wrist and pointed to the small red gift box charm. “That one’s because this is the first Christmas gift I’ve ever given you.” Holding the bracelet tight against her wrist, he carefully
clasped the ends together before pointing to the pink sapphire heart shaped charm. “This one was probably the easiest to pick out. I figured it sort of represents your last name.”
She pointed to a Claddagh charm with its green gemstone. “And then this charm?”
“I remembered you telling me that your grandmother was Irish.”
“I see.” She tapped the sixth charm, a small plain anchor. “And what’s this one represent?”
“Me,” he said simply.
She bit her lip as she glanced back at his handsome face, realizing she had never wanted anyone as much as she wanted this man. He was perfect. Smart. Strong. Generous. Funny. Dependable. Gorgeous beyond belief. And most importantly, he was also sweet and tender.
There was no doubt about it. Ethan was the man of her dreams. The man she had prayed for, wished for, pleaded for. And it looked like her prayers were going to finally be answered.
“So, what do you think?” Before she could answer, he added, “I was going to get you that clock that you wanted but Keith beat me to it.”
She ran her fingers over the bracelet. “I love it, Ethan. Thank you so much.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
She felt his hand tighten on her back for a moment before sliding down to her waist. He turned his head, bringing his lips within centimeters of hers.
Her heartbeat sped up as his gaze drifted to her lips. He pressed his mouth gently to hers at first, then deepening the kiss when Madison’s fingers ran through his thick dark hair to hold him closer.
They couldn’t get enough of each other. Months of flirting, of long lingering looks, of pent up frustration were suddenly set loose. They forgot about everything as their hands roamed over each other’s bodies.
At some point, some hint of awareness struck. Her inner voice, faint as though it was, reached her consciousness, reminding her that her grandfather and sister were still in the house somewhere. She turned her head, gulping in much needed air. “Ethan…”
He turned his attention to her neck before eventually pulling her mouth back towards his.
A low deep growl from Rory, which erupted in a series of loud barks, caused them reluctantly to break apart.
Breathing heavily, Ethan sat up and lightly clapped his hands. “Here, Rory. C’mere boy.”
Madison ran a shaking hand through her hair and readjusted her sweater. “What’s he barking at?” she asked, pulling her feet from out behind Ethan’s back. She felt her face blush as she tried to recall when she had ended up flat on her back with Ethan lying on top of her. Trembling slightly, she stood up and walked to the glass doors.
She laid her hand against the cold window, trying to cool down. She had never lost control like this. Not to this degree at least. To be so lost in the moment that she forgot where she was completely unbelievable to her. She glanced back at Ethan who appeared just as affected as she.
He sat on the edge of the couch, still breathing deeply as he tried in vain to get Rory to come to him. Giving up, he ran a hand through his dark brown hair pushing back off his forehead and away from his bright blue eyes. She was so tempted to rush back to the couch and throw herself into his arms that she took a half step towards him but another series of loud barks from Rory held her back.
Watching as Rory, growling low in his throat, anxiously paced in front of the French doors, Ethan stood up and tucked his shirt back into his pants.
Madison’s blush deepened. Control yourself, she thought, closing her eyes. “Um,” she started, still breathless from his kiss. She cleared her throat lightly. “I have something for you.”
He looked at her in surprise. “What?”
Not trusting herself to be too close to him, she pointed to the package lying on the end table.
His face lit up as he snatched the box and ripped through its wrapping. “What did you get me?”
She twisted her fingers together. “I wasn’t quite sure what you would like, but I know you like being on the water so…” She bit her lip, second guessing her gift choice. Why did I let Sarah talk me out of the cufflinks? Cufflinks were a great gift. They would have been a perfect complement to his gift to me. I could have gotten the ones with little anchors on them, she thought cringing as he opened the box.
A broad grin stretched his face as he held up a gift certificate to a riverboat cruise.
“They have dinner and dancing,” she said quickly, lifting her hand back to her hair. “I just thought…” The soft jangling of the bracelet caught her attention. I should have gone with the cufflinks. “If you don’t like it, I could get you something else.”
“No, this is perfect,” he said enthusiastically. “We had just talked about going sailing,” he said pushing his hair off his forehead. “Thank you. How soon do you want to go with me?”
“As soon as it warms up a bit.” She turned back to the window and froze as her gaze zeroed in on a figure standing in the tree line.
Rory stood on his hind legs and pressed his front paws against the door, letting out another loud bark.
“Ethan?”
Warm hands gripped her waist. They slipped over her stomach and brought her back against his strong chest as he kissed the side of her neck. “You’re so beautiful. You have no idea how long I’ve waited to have you in my arms.”
Madison felt a rush of desire fill her again. She forced herself to push it back down. “There’s someone in the woods.”
“Hmm,” he murmured as his lips travelled up her neck towards her ear.
“Ethan!”
He lifted his head, surprised at the urgency in her voice. “What?”
“There’s someone in the woods,” she repeated as she looked over her shoulder at him. “Our property is surrounded by a fence. That includes the woods. No one should be out there.”
His eyes cleared and focused on the tree line. “Where?”
“Right…” She paused as she searched the tree line. “He was right there.”
“Did you get a good look at him?”
“Not really. He disappeared behind a tree before I got a good look at his face. He was wearing jeans and I think a brown coat.”
Ethan walked over to the sitting room double doors.
Madison picked up Rory and followed Ethan out into the hallway and to the coat closet. When he reached for his coat, she grabbed his wrist. “Wait, don’t go out there.”
“Why not?”
“We don’t know who he is.”
“That’s why I have to go out there,” he said slipping his arms into his coat. “So, I can find out.”
“He probably has a weapon.”
He bent over and pulled a gun out of a holster attached to his ankle. “He won’t be the only one.”
“You brought a gun to Christmas dinner?” she asked in surprise.
Raising an eyebrow, he glanced over to the library and gestured to the large gun cabinet next to her grandfather’s desk.
“Well, that’s different. Those are already here.” She felt a knot form in her stomach. “And you don’t usually carry a gun.”
“I do now.”
“Why? What’s changed?”
“I’ll explain later.” He opened the doors and stepped into the hallway. “Follow me to the front door and lock it. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
5:15 P.M.
Madison stood in front of the window in the sitting room, anxiously waiting for Ethan to return. She crossed her arms and took a deep calming breath. It was probably just a neighbor. A friend of Grandpa’s who wanted to pop in and say hello.
That was it, she nodded to herself. Just a neighbor… She frowned. Who just so happens to like climbing over fences and lurking in the woods for no apparent reason on Christmas Day.
She rubbed her hands down her arms as a chill snaked up her back. She wished Ethan would hurry back. He was obviously worried if he felt it was necessary to bring a gun to dinner and he certainly ran out in a hurry
once she told him someone was trespassing. Anyone else might have shrugged it off or perhaps if they were truly worried, called the police. He knows something, she thought as she absentmindedly chewed at her thumbnail, and whatever it was must have been bad enough to make him bring a gun with him today.
She spun around as the door opened and Ethan strode in.
“Did you find him?”
“No,” he said removing his coat and gloves, “but someone was out there. I found fresh footprints in the snow.” He gestured to the window before he laid his coat over the back of the couch. “I followed them back into the woods and over the fence. I got up the hill just in time to see the car pull away.”
“Did you get a license plate?”
He shook his head.
“Well, at least he’s gone.”
He sat down on the couch’s armrest. Reaching forward, he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer until she was between his legs. “For now.”
“Do you think it was Paul?”
“I don’t know what to think at this point.”
“I doubt it was Quincy. Quincy was a big man. There’s no way he could have hidden behind that tree.”
“Perhaps he lost weight. It’s been a couple of months since you’ve seen him, hasn’t it?”
The corner of her lips quirked up. “I want to know what diet he’s been on to lose that much weight in just a few months.”
“I see,” Ethan said. “So, tell me about Quincy.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Were you two close?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I got to know him when I came to work for the firm.”
“Did you two argue or fight about anything before he left?”
“No, we got along great.”
“Could he be angry with you about something?”
“I don’t see how. The last time I saw him, he was laughing and joking with me like normal.”
He bit his lip as his gaze travelled to the floor. “Would you say he was a bit of a flake?”