by Jody Holford
Char: Lucy, practical. She wants to open a dress shop and eat. Babysitting is not exactly a stepping stone for that.
Kate: Why did I text you guys?
Lucy: Sorry.
Char: Sorry.
Kate: It is a good stepping stone. I don’t pay for rent, he’ll take care of food, and he’s actually offered me really decent money. I adore the girls and I can get things settled and started around his shift work. It’s…kind of ideal.
Lucy: What’s the problem then?
Char: It sounds good.
Kate took a deep breath, glanced at the door of the bedroom she’d be using as her own, then looked back at her phone.
Kate: Before I realized what a great solution it was, I told him I didn’t think it was a good idea because obviously there is a significant amount of heat between us and living under the same roof would only lead to trouble.
Char: The yummiest kind of trouble.
Lucy: He’s a bit old for you. And has two kids. Not exactly a fling.
Char: Now who’s bitchy?
Lucy: I’m just saying. She has a lot going on. Starting up her own business isn’t exactly easy, and Elliot’s got baggage in the shape of Gina.
Char: True.
Kate: Are you done?
Char: Sorry.
Lucy: Sorry.
Kate: He informed me that he wasn’t sure if he gave me mixed signals but he thought of me as no more than a friend, and whatever heat I was referring to was clearly only on my part.
Silence. Sitting alone in the quiet of the sparsely decorated spare room, Kate’s cheeks heated again. She could hear Elliot puttering around down the hall and another wave of regret shook her shoulders. He was supposed to be going to bed. Do not think about him and bed.
Kate: HELLO?
Lucy: Sorry. I just died of embarrassment for you.
Char: And instead of fleeing the country so you never had to see him again, you chose to move in?
Kate growled at her phone. She tossed it beside her and then got up, stripped down to her tank top and underwear, and crawled between the coolness of the covers. When she realized she’d forgotten the light, she got up, switched it off, groped her way back to the bed, and picked up her phone, the glow lighting the dark.
Lucy: DUDE. Be nice.
Char: 12-year-old boys say dude. Grow up.
Lucy: My brain is too sleepy to think of a good comeback. When I finally do, I’m just going to randomly insert it.
Char: That’s what he said.
Despite the irritation and unrest making a home inside of her, Kate snickered.
Kate: You two are idiots and terrible sisters.
Char: But we love you.
Lucy: Usually.
Kate: I’m such a loser.
One tear leaked onto the pillow.
Lucy: NO. You are not. You are an amazing designer, a beautiful woman, and Elliot is a blind, drunken idiot.
Kate: He was sober.
Lucy: So all of the other stuff then.
Char: She’s right. You’re the full package. I’m sorry you’re embarrassed and probably nursing hurt feelings but…it’s probably for the best. Lucy is right, he does have a lot of baggage, and if you want this to work out, you do not need to be doing your boss. When it ends, it would be messy on so many different levels. So this is better.
More tears threatened, and she bit her lip to hold them off.
Lucy: I think I just died again when Char said I was right. Honey, I’m sorry. He’s one guy. You’ve got lots going on. And you don’t need to be lusting after him while you’re working for him. Focus on your shop. We’re going to do everything we can to help. Actually, speaking of that… remember the small coffee shop that Joy Hillier tried to start a few years back?
Char: Before she took over a foster care center in another town?
Kate: I forgot about that. What about it?
Lucy: Alex says it’s available for lease. It’s a good location—right on the outskirts of town.
Kate: Cool. I’ll see if I can go take a look. I should go to bed. Elliot has to work tomorrow so it’s officially my first day.
Lucy: Okay…you know who IS cute and available?
Kate: Don’t.
Char: Who?
Kate: Stop it.
Lucy: Cam. I could set it up. Or nag Alex to help me set it up. He’s so sweet!
Kate: Goodnight. Lucy: Come on!
Char: He is really cute. Good job. No kids. No crazy ex.
All true. But Cam didn’t make her stomach trip over itself like a klutzy teenager who hadn’t grown into their full height yet. He didn’t make Kate’s heart speed up or make her want to hold her breath just so she could listen to his breathing.
Kate: I hope you both got me something insanely overpriced for Christmas. If not, there are still a few shopping days left.
Lucy: We could invite him for Christmas brunch.
Kate: I’ll tell Alex you’re trying to make him play matchmaker.
Lucy: You’re mean.
Char: Get some sleep. Lucy, leave her alone.
Lucy: Bossy.
Kate: Jesus. Goodnight.
Lucy: Love you.
Char: Love you.
Kate: Yeah. Love you both too. Most of the time.
A shard of light filtered through the gap in the curtains. Kate closed her eyes but the memory of Elliot’s pained expression as he explained her misinterpretation kept rushing through her mind. She’d been so restless, so ready to come home, so certain everything untethered in her chest and stomach would settle down in familiar surroundings. Instead, she only felt more unconnected. More alone.
“Better alone in a place you know than one you don’t,” she whispered into the dark. But she wasn’t sure she believed herself.
Chapter Nine
Elliot was an idiot. He’d reminded himself of that several times over the past few of mornings. The first time Kate stumbled out of his guest room, looking like a sexy, sleepy siren, Elliot had lost the power of coherent thought. Her hair was mussed and her blue eyes were a little darker in the morning, a little unfocused. She wore a tank top and a pair of yoga pants that hugged her sweet curves, and Elliot had nearly spilled his coffee when she’d tumbled into the kitchen.
He’d mumbled unintelligibly about getting to work and left without his travel mug, which meant that by the time he rolled into work, he was still mildly turned on and greatly in need of caffeine.
This morning was no different. He came face to face with Alex before he could reach the coffee pot. “Morning. You getting any sleep?” Alex said.
Elliot met Alex’s gaze, telling himself there was no way his boss could know the thoughts that had crowded his mind for the whole drive. “Morning.”
Alex arched an eyebrow. The phone rang and Dolores, their front desk receptionist answered in a sing-song voice that was both two high and too loud.
Elliot continued to hold Alex’s gaze as the Chief of Angel’s Lake Police sipped his cup of coffee. Was he salivating? The staring contest seemed necessary. If Elliot broke away first, it would confirm he’d thought of tumbling his new nanny into bed.
“You okay, Peters?” Alex asked.
“Yup. Thanks again for the extra days. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. You get everything sorted with Gina?”
Elliot grimaced. He couldn’t handle talk of his ex without more caffeine. “For now. Enough.”
“Heard you have a sexy new nanny,” Alex said, lowering his mug to the counter he was leaning on.
“No! I mean, yes. I have a nanny. Kate. Kate’s my nanny,” Elliot said, choking on his own words. “Not my nanny. She’s watching the girls. There’s nothing sexy about it.”
Alex looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. Elliot nearly growled and decided that things would only get worse if he didn’t do something about the coffee situation. He turned, poured himself a cup and took a huge gulp. He refilled the cup and walked back over to Alex. Dolores smiled an
d waved at him. Off the phone now, she was singing along with a pop radio station that made Elliot want to stab his ears.
“So, just to make sure I’m hearing you right, you do not find Kate sexy?”
Elliot choked on his coffee. It took him a minute to regain his breath. All the while, Alex watched with far too much amusement. Finally, he spoke around his raw throat. “Kate and I are friends. Nothing more.”
“Hmm.” Alex nodded his head once, picked up his coffee cup, and filled it. When he turned back, he clapped Elliot on the shoulder. “Just keep in mind you hurt her, I can’t fire you, but I can make you wish I would.”
Elliot stared at his coffee. “Noted.” And once again, he called himself an idiot.
Angel’s Lake wasn’t exactly a hub of crime, but it kept the six deputies and their chief busy enough. By the time Elliot pulled into his driveway at nearly seven, he was drained. He’d dealt with shoplifting kids—always a problem at Christmas—two accidents, traffic duty when the lights coming into town stopped working, and a domestic dispute.
He wanted a hot shower, a cold beer, and some cuddles from his girls. He’d forgotten to talk to Kate about meals so he hoped she’d fed them.
When he came in, the house was way too quiet. The table was clear but the kitchen smelled like garlic and other spices, and his stomach rumbled noisily. He set his keys, wallet, and cell phone on the counter as Kate came tiptoeing into the kitchen.
She startled when she saw him then put a finger to her lips. He watched her, amused, as she came closer. “I’m hunting elves. If I find them before the timer rings, they have to take a bath with no fussing,” she whispered.
She smelled like flowers. He didn’t know the names of most flowers, but whatever one was making Kate smell like spring was his new favorite. He clenched his fingers so he wouldn’t reach out and touch her.
“What happens if the timer goes and you don’t find them? Do they just have to be smelly elves?”
She winked at him and it was like sending a shock straight to his gut. She pointed to the table, and though he hadn’t noticed earlier, he saw the tip of a foot underneath a pushed-in chair.
“I’ll find them,” she whispered.
Elliot watched, fascinated, as she tiptoed past the table one way then the other. He heard the giggle, so he knew Kate did too, but still she paced. Then she sighed loud enough that he would have heard her in another room.
“I give up. These must be magic invisible elves,” Kate said. She pulled out a chair and flopped into it. Both of the girls squealed and Kate dropped to her knees. “Found you!”
A chorus of giggling and tickling ensued and Elliot wasn’t sure who was sillier, or cuter, his daughters or their nanny. How could a grown woman act so silly and still be so incredibly alluring? Because she’s making your daughters laugh and enjoying it. He hadn’t known that could be attractive.
“Hi, Daddy!” Beth came out from under the table and rushed to him. He bent and picked her up as Grace followed. “Hi, Daddy,” she said.
He leaned over and boosted Grace up into his arms as well. “How are my two favorite girls?”
“We’re good. But we gotta have a bath,” Beth said.
Grace ran her hand over his jaw then nuzzled into him. His heart flip-flopped. “Good thing. You smell like elves.” The girls laughed. He gave them a squeeze, kissed each of their cheeks, and set them down. “Should we feed you before you have a bath?” he asked.
Grace took Beth’s hand. “We already ate. Will you read our stories?”
Elliot locked eyes with Kate. “I didn’t mean for you to have to cook each night too. Sorry. Thanks for getting them fed, again. I’ll give them a bath and put them to bed. I meant to grab groceries so you wouldn’t have to. We can sort some of that stuff out after they’re down for the night.”
Kate smiled and pushed the chair back in. “Sure, we can talk later. Dinner is in the oven. I’ll get them into the bath. You unwind, have something to eat, and then you’ll be ready for stories.”
Without waiting for an answer, she followed the girls, who were already headed for the bath. Elliot stood in his kitchen, staring after them. Never mind magic elves, Elliot had found himself a magical woman. She was still smiling at the end of another twelve-hour day, she’d cooked him dinner three nights in a row, his daughters were happy, and his house smelled like a combination of excellent food and sexy female. What the hell was he supposed to do with that? He couldn’t have guessed how awesome it would feel to come home to his girls and Kate, laughing and smiling. It refreshed him, and as he zapped his plate of roast pork and potatoes in the microwave, he wondered how he could make it last without messing it up.
Elliot tucked Grace into her bed, which was next to Beth’s. Kissing her on the forehead, he breathed in the scent of her freshly washed hair. “I missed you guys today. Was it fun hanging out with Kate?” He leaned over and kissed Beth, sitting down beside her on the edge of her bed.
“Kate’s funny. And nice. And she smells pretty,” Beth said, reaching out for Elliot’s hand.
“She is.” Very funny. Extremely nice. Way too pretty.
“We got you a Christmas present today. Kate helped us pick it out, but it’s not a puppy,” Grace said, sitting up and taking a drink out of the glass beside her bed.
Elliot choked on a laugh and made a mental note to thank Kate later. “Let’s get settled with us first and we’ll see about puppies in the future.”
“Beth and me wanna get Kate something for Christmas. She really wants a puppy,” Grace said.
“A puppy is a pretty big gift, sweetie. But we can definitely get her something. We need to go shopping anyway so we’ll do it in a few days. I missed a bit of work coming to get you guys so I’ve got to work for the next four days.”
He stood up, walked to the door, and hit the switch on the wall. Their night table lamps had star cutouts, which created shapes that danced across the ceiling and walls.
“I love you girls.”
“Love you, Daddy,” they said together, then giggled.
He stared at them a moment longer and went to find the third best thing that had happened to him. Kate was more than a godsend; she was a damn miracle worker. He knew she couldn’t stay long, but he wondered how the heck his home—and his life—would run without her. He’d had the girls for weeks at a time before and it had felt like a juggling act. Today felt like a well-rehearsed skit he wouldn’t mind performing again and again. Indefinitely.
Don’t go there. Look how well forever worked out last time, Peters.
The thought was stuck in his head as he walked through the kitchen, snagged them both a beer from his fridge, and found her in the living room. The lights from the tree glowed, even from the hall. The peacefulness scene of Kate sketching on his couch stopped him in his tracks.
The flames of the gas fireplace danced, sending shadows over the softness of Kate’s body curled into the corner of the cushions. Her dark hair fell across her cheeks, curtaining her view of him. His heart beat like a drum, heavy and loud, then increased in tempo, like a marching band building up to the crescendo. He couldn’t move. What the fuck was he scared of? He’d liked her since the day he’d met her. Every woman was not Gina. No other woman was Kate. She didn’t run and she didn’t hide. She was strong and fearless and so goddamn sweet it made him ache.
He must have made a noise because her head snapped up and her eyes locked on his. She gave a small gasp of surprise that echoed in the quiet. The neck of the beer bottles were numbing his fingers but still, he stood staring at her, lost in her.
His voice was rough when he spoke. “What are you working on?” Eyes not leaving his, she turned the book and he saw two dresses, similar but different. She was designing clothes for his girls. Fuck. He was sunk.
Chapter Ten
Kate’s hands trembled slightly as she held the sketchbook so Elliot could see. Was he even looking at the adorable gowns she’d drawn for the girls? His eyes darted to her sketchbo
ok quickly and then locked back on hers. What the actual hell? She’d been mortified for days now, her nights practically sleepless, every time she’d thought of their conversation. She’d made sure to be in the middle of something or unable to talk when he came home at night. How could she face him when she’d made such a fool of herself?
It was like being naïve —and wrong—was her new hobby. She’d been sure New York was for her. Wrong. She had thought she’d had a real connection with Darby. Stupid. She’d thought her family would weep with joy at her return. Not so much. When she’d been wrong about Elliot’s feelings, the last of her confidence in her own ability to be sure about anything had turned tail and fled.
Now he was looking at her and everything inside of her was going haywire like circuits being blown. He was not looking at her like a goddamn friend. She might be wrong about a lot of things and she might have no idea where the hell she’d go from here, but she could read him, better than he thought.
The air pumped with tension and their combined breathing. He didn’t blink as she set the sketchbook on the couch and rose. The Christmas lights played tag on the wall, blinking on and off. Her heart wouldn’t settle. Instead, it urged her forward. Two beers hung loosely in his grip and she watched his jaw tighten, but still, his eyes held hers. The closer she got and the more she could see the hunger in them, the surer she became. She hadn’t been wrong. God that mattered. She needed to feel sure about something. And she was sure that Elliot Peters wanted her every bit as much as she wanted him.