by Jody Holford
Her stomach stopped seizing, and a tranquil kind of pleasure washed over her. “Thanks. Me too. Good night.” She fell asleep trying very hard not to think about Elliot, his body parts, or the feeling of his lips against her skin.
Chapter Five
Kate opened one eye to the feeling of a little finger tapping her on the shoulder. Grace leaned over the side of the bed, into her and whispered loudly, “Are you awake?”
Kate closed her eye and buried her cheek into the pillow. “Not really. You okay?”
Grace curled into her side, shifting, turning, and burrowing into Kate like she belonged right in the spot between her body and her arm. Grace’s head shared Kate’s pillow and her little hand was on top of where Kate’s now rested on Grace’s belly.
Opening her eyes, it was easy to smile down at Elliot’s older-by-two-minutes daughter. “You comfy, sweetheart?”
Grace nodded. “Santa is coming soon.”
“That’s right. And tonight we’ll be home,” Kate whispered back. Glancing over, she saw Elliot still asleep with Beth burrowed into his body, much like Grace was with Kate. A pang of…God, what was that? Need or want or something shot through her hard, like a jolt of electricity.
“We didn’t get Daddy a present yet. Can you help us? Me and Beth have ten dollars. Aunt Shelly paid us five each to go watch TV.”
Kate closed her eyes and counted to ten. Grace shifted, so she was on her back, looking up at Kate. When she opened her eyes and looked back into Gracie’s, she hoped her irritation didn’t show. “Of course I’l l help you. We’ll figure it out when we get home, okay?”
Grace nodded again. “I’m hungry.”
Just like that, the topic switched, and Kate wished she could turn her thoughts on a dime that way. Instead, she yawned and stretched. “There’s a restaurant. We can go get pancakes.”
Grace sat up, nodding her head frantically. “I love pancakes. I’ll wake Beth and Daddy.”
Kate glanced over again and took in the sight of Elliot sprawled on the bed, his eyelashes fanning out over his cheeks in his sleep. He wore a dark green T- shirt and one of his hands was dangling off the bed. Beth was beginning to stir.
“Why don’t you just wake Beth? Let your daddy sleep. We still have a long ride.”
Grace tiptoed over to Beth while Kate pulled herself from the bed, grabbed her carry-on, and went to the washroom. She brushed her teeth, tied her long, dark hair up into a ponytail, and washed her face. Sliding into a bra, she figured there was no harm in all three of them heading to the restaurant in pajamas. She finished up and opened the door, still moving quietly.
She nearly squealed when her eyes met Elliot’s wide-awake ones. His quiet laugh sent a delicious shiver over her skin.
“Hey.” His dark eyes were drowsy as they watched her. Leaning on his elbow and hip, his blanket trailed down and his shirt had bunched, treating Kate to a view of the abs she remembered very well. Her eyes followed the ridges before she remembered herself and snapped her gaze back up to his.
Kate kept her eyes firmly on his face. “Hey. We were going to grab some breakfast. Why don’t you go back to sleep?”
“Daddy doesn’t like mornings unless he’s going to the beach,” Grace said, putting her shoes on.
He might not enjoy early hours, but he looked damn good in the morning. “I don’t really blame him,” Kate answered.
“I can get up,” Elliot said, starting to do just that.
She held up a hand. “Sleep.” It was the least she could do for hijacking his trip. It would also put some distance between her and his abs.
Beth walked over and thrust a shoe up so Kate could see it. “I can’t get this undone,” she said.
“Then ask for help politely, Beth,” Elliot said.
Kate untangled the knot and handed the shoe to Beth, who murmured, “Thank you.”
“You sure?” Elliot’s eyes searched Kate’s.
Pretending the weight of his stare didn’t unlock guarded places inside of her, she made a dismissive gesture. “I got this. You’re driving so you can use the extra rest.”
“Thanks.”
The girls gave him noisy kisses and Kate wondered if he’d be able to fall back asleep. She never could. Once she was up, she was up. Beth and Grace chattered all the way down the horribly patterned hallway.
“We haven’t seen Santa yet,” Beth said as Kate pressed the button for the elevator.
Kate gestured for both girls to go in before her. “I’m sure there’s time. Did you write letters?”
“I’m pressing the button,” Grace shouted.
“It’s my turn,” Beth said.
“No, it’s mine,” Grace answered.
Kate put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Shh. People are still sleeping. Grace, press the button. Beth, you press it on the way back up.”
Beth gave a small “hmph,” while Grace pressed the rounded two. Kate smiled down at them, thinking it would be lovely to have such minor worries.
We didn’t write letters,” Grace said.
“Well, there’s still time for all of that,” Kate said, wondering if she should mention it to Elliot.
“No there isn’t,” Beth said, still frowning.
“Why don’t we write them while we wait for breakfast?” Kate asked.
Both girls beamed, their smiles overtaking their entire faces, twin smiles that caused happiness to simmer in her. Adorable.
They settled down with menus, and Kate ordered a vat of coffee. Once they’d placed their orders, pancakes for both girls and waffles for Kate, they got down to the serious business of penning letters to Santa on the back of their kid’s menus.
“Are you writing one, Kate?” Beth asked.
Grace had her pen resting on her lips, her eyes scrunched in thought. “She can’t write one. She’s a grown-up.”
Kate nodded. “Santa brings stuff to kids. Grown-ups take care of each other,” Kate said.
Beth looked at her sister. “But we can still ask for stuff for Daddy, right?” Grace looked at Kate, who opened her mouth then closed it. Maybe she should have waited on this. Every family had different traditions, though she wondered if Elliot and the girls did. Kate knew he had a rocky relationship with his own parents and wasn’t close to them. He didn’t have the girls every Christmas either, Gina and he had shared.
Kate went with her gut and hoped she wasn’t overstepping. “I’m sure you can ask for something for him but Santa can’t guarantee anything. Why don’t you just write your letter and I bet he’ll do the best he can.” There. Open ended.
“If you’re asking for something for Daddy, so am I. What are you going to ask for?” Beth said.
“I want Santa to bring him a puppy,” Grace said.
Kate laughed, nearly choking on her coffee. “Wow. That would be fun for him, wouldn’t it?” She didn’t think Elliot wanted a gift that spread his attentions any thinner.
“If he got a puppy, we could take care of it for him,” Beth said.
Grace nodded excitedly. “I’m going to ask for a puppy for me, too.”
Beth rolled her eyes comically. “You can’t ask for two puppies.”
Grace frowned. “It’s not two. One would stay with Daddy all the time and the other one comes with us when we go to Mommy’s.” Kate listened to their banter, letting the caffeine work its magic.
“We’re not going back and forth anymore. Daddy told Mommy he was done with that and if she wanted to see us she’d have to come to Angel’s Lake,” Grace told her sister.
Kate’s eyebrows rose. She wondered if Elliot had meant for the girls to hear that. “Mommy doesn’t like it there,” Beth said.
Grace shrugged. Her eyes shimmered with sadness and she looked down at the pen she was holding, twisting it in her grip. “That’s just too bad. Because that’s where we’ll be.”
Beth said nothing to that, and Kate’s heart squeezed. Trying to lighten the mood, she wrote something down on her own list. “Oh, I have a g
ood one,” she said, covering her words with her hand.
Both Beth and Grace were immediately distracted from their gloom. “What is it?”
“Do you want a puppy too?”
Kate laughed and glanced at both of them. “Actually, I would love a puppy, but my wish is that you both have the very merriest, bestest Christmas ever.” Both of the girls giggled as two servers brought their meals.
“Bestest isn’t a word, Kate, but I’m going to ask Santa to bring you a puppy too,” Grace said, her smile wide and toothy.
“All right, pancakes for you two ladies and waffles for Mom,” one of the servers said.
“Oh,” Kate said before surprise stopped her words.
“She’s not our mom. She’s our Kate,” Beth said.
A rush of warmth filled Kate’s chest, making her feel like she might burst.
“Well, you’re both so cute, that sounds like a good thing to be as well,” the waitress said. Kate saw the apology in her eyes when their gazes met.
Grace dug into her pancakes, more ripping them apart with her fork and knife than cutting them, while Beth asked for help. Kate was just pushing Beth’s plate back to her when she saw Elliot out of the corner of her eye.
She took a moment to drink him in at a distance. There had to be something in the water in Angel’s Lake because it was home to some seriously fine- looking men, but none of the others had ever made her pulse sprint quite like Elliot Peters did. His dark hair was tousled, like his fingers had traveled through it a few times. A bit of scruff outlined his strong jaw and those smoky, dark eyes were pinning Kate to her seat. Jesus. Breathe. The sight of him strolling over in a pair of cargo pants and a cozy gray hoodie was almost better than caffeine. She picked up her cup, gulped some down. Almost.
“Mind if I join you girls?” Elliot’s eyes stayed on Kate even as he spoke to his daughters.
Grace and Beth looked up, mouths full, and said, “Daddy!” at the same time. Elliot laughed, leaned over to kiss them both on the head, and then gestured to Kate to move over.
All thought fled her brain for a second before she realized she’d frozen. She laughed too loudly and scooted over on the booth’s padded seat. He slid in and his thigh brushed up against her pajama-clad one. It’s just the fleece that’s making you warm. If you can share a bed, you can share a padded seat. Actually, don’t think about sharing a bed.
Without asking, Elliot took her coffee and swallowed down the rest of it. She eyed him as he set the mug down, clearing her lust-filled vision. “You always wake up with a death wish?”
He tugged a lock of her hair and grinned. Her stomach bounced at the sight of that smile—it went all the way up to his eyes. “I’ll buy you another,” he said, winking.
The waitress came by and asked if he’d like a coffee and some food. Without even looking at the menu, he ordered eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, and coffee. Kate grinned as their server walked away.
“Wow. Sleeping sure gives you an appetite,” she said.
Elliot’s eyes locked on hers. Kate’s breath caught. One beat. Two. Then she remembered to breathe.
“Daddy, we’re writing letters to Santa,” Grace said.
“Hey, that’s a pretty good idea. We can mail them when we get back to Angel’s Lake. What’d you ask him for? Wait. Have you been good?”
The girls giggled.
“I have,” Beth said.
“Hey! I have too,” Grace said.
Elliot smiled then looked at Kate again. “How about you, Kate?”
Feelings tumbled in her chest and clogged her throat. Nope, not really. I’ve messed up a fair amount and really want to mess up worse. With you. “Of course,” she said.
Elliot’s food arrived quickly and he dug in. The girls asked to go to the bathroom, insisting they couldn’t wait until they were back in the room and that they had to go together. Since the bathrooms were directly across the restaurant in his eyesight, Elliot told them they could go on their own. He’d probably be protective even if he weren’t a cop or a dad. Some things were just part of a person’s make-up.
“They’re just so sweet,” Kate said, watching the girls link hands.
“They really are.” Elliot looked down at his food, pushing some hash browns around on the plate. “You okay?”
“I've gotten used to Gina making me scramble, but I can usually hide it from the girls. She was supposed to keep them through Christmas. She begged me to let her have the holiday. So I agreed to work Christmas Day to keep my mind off missing them. Next thing I know, she’s quit another job and taken them across state lines. Then she calls me because her sister doesn’t want them there. My girls shouldn’t be at the mercy of whatever whim she dreams up. I just want to make Christmas great for them.”
Kate hated the jaded tone of his voice. It didn’t suit his temperament. Covering his hand with her own, she squeezed.
“They will have a great Christmas. You’re a fantastic dad, and you’ll deal with the rest after the holidays. One step at a time. And you’re not alone. Being currently unemployed, I have ample time on my hands to help you out.”
Elliot turned his hand so their fingers linked. “Thanks, Kate. I was happy for you when you got to go to New York, but I’m glad you’re coming home. It’s not the same there without you. And I actually have some ideas for how you could help me out.”
Wondering what he meant by that, Kate nodded, biting her lip to block the unexpected rush of emotion clogging her throat. The girls returned before she could say anything else. Once Elliot finished eating and Kate downed a third cup of coffee, he paid for the meal—ignoring Kate’s protests—and they returned to the room to grab their things. They loaded up Elliot’s truck and got the girls settled before Kate grabbed his iPhone to make a playlist.
Traveling with the girls required turning around frequently to answer questions, pass them something, or open snacks for them. After about the fifth time, Kate’s stomach rolled uncomfortably.
She rested her head back against the seat, closed her eyes and sighed heavily. When Elliot’s hand touched her thigh, her eyes popped open. “You okay?”
He put his hand back on the steering wheel and she found her voice. “Hmm. Just too much turning around, I think.”
He gave her a quick frown before returning his attention to the road. Kate must have nodded off with the girls because when she opened her eyes again, they were just outside Angel’s Lake. Checking the back, she saw the girls were out.
“Sleeping Beauty awakes,” Elliot said quietly.
Kate yawned, covering her mouth. “Sorry about that. Not the best wingman, am I, Maverick?”
He laughed. “Um…are you still asleep?”
Shaking her head, she stared at him. “What?”
He switched on his signal and took a right onto the main road into Angel’s Lake. “What are you talking about?”
Firming her lips, she tried to clear her sleep-fogged brain. “Maverick? Goose?”
Elliot’s laughed. “Aarons, did you hit your head on the window?”
“You should be ashamed.” Shaking his head, his eyes crinkled at the corners and his lips turned up in a small smirk.
“And maybe you ought to go back to sleep.”
“Top Gun. Tell me you’ve seen it.”
He smacked the steering wheel. “Right. Yes. Saw it. Don’t remember that part.”
She groaned. “Stop talking.”
Elliot laughed. “Don’t give up on me. Hey, if you’re the wingman, does that make me Tom Cruise?”
“Yes. But if you jump on a couch, I’m spreading it through town that you don’t know your Top Gun trivia.”
His laughter fueled hers. He nodded. “Noted.” Then he poked her in the shoulder and added, “I’m terribly sorry I’ve disappointed you in my knowledge of movies. I’ll make it up to you.”
That sounded far too tempting. Kate considered. “I’ll accept your apology but you’ll need to watch the movie with me to really make up for it.”
“Sounds fair.”
Kate laughed and watched the familiar sights come into view. An ache settled just under her chest. She’d been home last Christmas and thought her homesickness was just from the long stretch of time she’d been away. Missing her family was normal; they were close. Even when her sister Lucy had traveled, they’d stayed in touch.
But New York had kept her so busy. She’d tried to absorb everything she could about fashion and design and the industry in general. In the moments she had to herself, she’d made it to some of the more touristy sights, but usually, a day to herself meant running errands and catching up on sleep. But in the back of her mind, in the corner of her heart, she’d never felt truly at home in the city. Because there was only one of those and this was it. Sure, she wanted things Angel’s Lake didn’t offer right now. But if her plans worked out, she’d have everything she ever dreamed of, right in the small town where she’d grown up.
“You know, if you’d referenced Fast and Furious, I’d have impressed you.” Elliot pulled up to her parents’ house and put the car in park.
“What?” The pressure in her chest increased and Kate rubbed the heel of her hand between her breasts.
“Paul Walker? Vin Diesel?” Elliot’s easy humor diverted the ache in her chest and made her laugh again. He was good at that. “You’re making it worse. Stop it.”
He undid his seatbelt and turned toward her, taking her hand from where she was pressing it. His hand dwarfed hers and she felt the calluses brush over her soft skin.
“Joking. You okay?”
She nodded and bit her lip. She would be. Right after she told her whole family she was home to stay and some days she wished she’d never left. It looked like she’d get that over in one shot, as Luke and Char’s cars were parked on the road.
“Nervous. Stupid right?”
His hand on hers was reassuring. He squeezed and her eyes moved up to his. “Not stupid. Normal. Everything happens for a reason, right?” He glanced out the window and frowned.
“You think?”
Elliot looked down at their hands and Kate’s stomach danced. “I do. I have to remind myself of that repeatedly. I can remind you when you forget.”