Heron's Landing: The Complete Series

by Iris Morland

  Matt crouched in front of the canines. “This is Arya, and this is Sansa.”

  The two mutts—he thought they were part lab, part setter, and part who knew what—wagged their tails so hard they were in danger of falling over.

  Holly leaned down to pet Arya, who snuffled. “Game of Thrones fan?”

  “Yeah. At least, I was. The names were my ex’s idea.”

  At the mention of Melanie, they both fell silent, and Matt silently cursed himself. Way to go. How about you share all of your dirty laundry before she even sits down?

  “I think I’m going to take a shower to warm up,” Holly said.

  Matt jumped up, guilt assailing him. Here she was, freezing and tired, and he was talking about his ex-girlfriend. “Of course. Let me show you to your room. Arya, Sansa, go lie down.”

  After showing Holly to her room and the adjoining bathroom, Matt went downstairs to stare inside his fridge. Beer, shredded cheese, two eggs, and an almost empty half-gallon of milk. He went to the pantry, and he found a bag of rice that was probably older than this house and not much else. Thinking back, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone grocery shopping. He’d gotten take-out or gone to the one bar in Heron’s Landing as opposed to cooking at home for the most part since he’d broken up with Melanie, and now he cursed himself for being such a lazy bachelor. He couldn’t very well feed Holly old rice and beer, now could he?

  All thoughts of food fled when Holly came downstairs, her hair wrapped in a towel and wearing some fancy robe over what he assumed was a nightgown. She looked fresh and clean, her cheeks scrubbed until they were rosy, and she smelled like flowers.

  She glanced down at her attire and smiled at his expression. “I really hate wearing real clothes around the house,” she explained. “And we’re snowed in, so why keep my jeans on? Plus, I hate wearing a bra.” She scrunched her nose—her adorable, pert little nose—and Matt almost dropped the beer he’d just grabbed from the fridge.

  He did not need to think about Holly not wearing a bra. Did she want to kill him? She was going to kill him.

  He scrabbled around in the drawer for a bottle opener, trying to banish the thought of what Holly looked like without a bra on—or anything at all.

  After finally finding the opener and taking a slug of beer, he said apologetically, “I don’t have much food.”

  She opened his fridge and then laughed. “Do you even eat?” She shook a bag of what he thought was maybe broccoli at him. “Look at this! You’re such a guy.”

  “I’m not much for cooking, I guess.”

  “I can see that.” She pulled out cheese, butter, and then snagged the loaf of bread from the counter. “Where’s your skillet? Oh, and do you have mayo? Wait, of course you do. Mmm, let me cut some of these veggies up, and I’ll make us some grilled cheeses you’ll never forget.”

  Holly shooed him from the kitchen, rather like a wife would, and Matt sat down in the living room, hearing her hum to herself as she cooked. He stared at the snow falling outside, his heart beating fast, and he wondered if this was all a dream. How had he ended up with this gorgeous, lovely woman in his house? And for the night?

  He drank his beer, tipping it back until he’d finished it in only a few gulps.

  “Here we go.” Holly stepped into the living room, Sansa and Arya right next to her, and placed the plates on the table in front of the couch. “Eat up. I’m starving.”

  Matt dug into the cheesy goodness, practically moaning at how she’d managed to make the cheese both crispy and gooey. He hadn’t had a grilled cheese since he was a kid.

  “This is amazing.” He glanced at the sandwich again. “I didn’t even know I had red onion in the fridge. Wait, is this Gouda? How the hell did you find Gouda around here?”

  “I have special powers. What do you eat every night, though, pizza? Wings?”

  He shrugged. “Sometimes pizza and wings.”

  “Well then, aren’t you glad I showed up to get your butt in gear.” She took a big bite of sandwich and made a little sound in the back of her throat, which only drove Matt even crazier.

  When they’d finished eating, and Matt had given a bite each to the dogs who now rested at their feet, he asked, “Why were you headed to Kansas City?”

  Holly seemed to close in on herself, and he regretted the question immediately. She shrugged, taking off the towel and letting her red hair fall down to her shoulders. She began to braid it with absentminded strokes.

  “I just needed to get away, that’s all,” she finally said.

  “I get that. Sometimes this town gets to be too much, even though it’s not even 300 people. My family lives in Illinois, but I couldn’t get there this year. So it’s just me and the dogs for Christmas.”

  He knew he was rambling, but it was better than feeling Holly’s silence and dismay. He watched as she braided her hair, her face contemplative. When she realized she didn’t have something to tie off the braid, she flung it over her shoulder and turned to him.

  “Let’s not talk about me. What about you?” She waited in expectation.

  About him? He was nobody. He was a cop in a small town doing his job. But she was waiting, so he cleared his throat and replied, “I’ve been a cop for five years. I grew up in Illinois. I hate peas.”

  She frowned. “Matt. Come on, tell me…” She thought a moment. “Tell me what you wanted to be when you grew up.”

  That was easy. “A police officer.”

  “Seriously? Okay, then, where all have you traveled?”

  “Illinois, Missouri, Kansas. I went to Iowa once for a basketball tournament in high school. That’s it.” He couldn’t help but smile at her expression. “I’m a boring person, I’m afraid.”

  “Nobody’s boring. You just say that. For instance, my grandma never traveled outside of her town until she was thirty, but she was the most fascinating person I’ve ever met. She was married three times by the time she was thirty-five, and we’re pretty sure my uncle Ted’s father is the milkman who swore he had an affair with granny off and on for years. Granny also could shoot a target dead-on when it was raining and she had only one eye open.”

  “Impressive.”

  “Now you’re making fun of me.”

  He couldn’t help it: he touched a strand of her hair that had fallen from her makeshift braid. “No, I’ve just never met anyone like you before.”

  “What, you’ve never met a woman who got stranded in a blizzard?”

  “No, I’ve never met one who was so…alive.” And it was true: they’d only met hours ago, and yet he’d felt a connection with her the first time she’d smiled. Everything about her radiated vitality. Holly could take on the world and laugh the entire time.

  She didn’t say anything, though. Her green eyes widened, and he wanted to kiss the freckles dotted across her cheeks.

  As if sensing the tension in the room, Arya woofed at their feet, which effectively ended the moment.

  “Um, you want a beer?” Matt stood up, taking their plates with him into the kitchen. At the sink, he almost stuck his head under the cold water to get himself to calm down.

  Holly was staying with him because she had nowhere else to go. He wasn’t going to take advantage of that fact. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t had sex in forever. It didn’t matter that she was beautiful and sweet and her hair was like a flame.

  “I’ll just get a glass of water,” she said as she walked into the kitchen.

  He jumped, almost dropping the plate in his hand. Luckily, she didn’t seem to notice, but grabbed a glass from the cabinet like she’d lived here for ages.

  Matt was about to tell her he was going to sleep—even though it was only seven o’clock—when the lights flickered and died, plunging the house into darkness.

  2

  Holly Cook stared into the darkness of Matt’s house and reflected—rather wryly—that her thought that the night couldn’t get any worse was being proven wrong with gusto.

  She heard Matt
curse, a dog woof, and then the sound of him hitting the corner of the coffee table.

  “Dammit, Arya, Sansa, whoever you are, stay!” Matt practically growled. “I’m going to get a flashlight.” He tromped off, the click of the dogs’ nails following him.

  When she’d left Louisiana two days ago, she hadn’t had any destination in mind beyond getting away. She’d packed up her car and driven off, no course set, no idea of where she’d end up. She’d just gone north. Driving through Arkansas and then Missouri, she’d arbitrarily decided to stop in Kansas City when she’d gotten a flat…and then the blizzard hit.

  What rotten luck, she thought with a sigh. Could she ever do anything without screwing it up? The answer was definitely no, she couldn’t. Holly had dropped out of college her junior year, never finishing her degree, to run off with her then-boyfriend. She’d been twenty-one, in love, and stupid.

  Now she was twenty-five, sick of love, and only a little bit wiser.

  “Found it.” Matt came into the living room, the beam of the flashlight bouncing off of the walls. The dogs barked; he shushed them and told them to go lie down on their giant dog beds in the corner.

  Holly couldn’t help smiling now. When she’d been stuck in that ditch, the snow falling all around her, she hadn’t expected that anyone would be driving by, let alone a man like Officer Matthew Haldon. Tall, with dark hair, he wasn’t what she’d classify as handsome, per se, but his face was kind, and he’d taken her into his home without protest. She hadn’t known a lot of people who would be that kind to a stranger.

  A small voice had whispered that she was crazy to go to a strange man’s house, but he was a police officer, right? And looking at him, she felt like she could trust him.

  She almost snorted at that thought. Didn't you think the same thing about Sam?

  But she and Sam were over. Dunzo. She’d never see him again, and for that, she was infinitely thankful.

  Matt switched on a radio, which broadcasted the obvious news that there were power outages all over the state, and crews were working to get the power back on. He swore underneath his breath.

  “It’s below zero out there, and no electricity.” He rubbed the back of his neck before looking over at Holly. “It’s going to be a cold night, I’m afraid.”

  “Then I’m glad I took a hot shower before the power went out,” she replied.

  In all honesty, she’d experienced worse. Last year, when Sam had decided that they were going to save money and only spend ten dollars a week on food? She’d never been so hungry in her life. But Sam was like that: full of mad schemes, some that were brilliant, while the rest were completely insane. Holly had admired him for those schemes in the beginning. By the end of their relationship, she’d hated him for everything he’d put her through.

  She shook off the memories. Right now, she was sitting next to a man who was so completely different from her ex that it was almost difficult to reconcile the two in her mind. Matt was…dependable. Staid. Solid. He probably had never schemed in his life.

  Her lips turned up at the thought.

  After getting the fire started, Matt sat back down next to her. He drew a blanket down from the couch and placed it on her shoulders. “You look cold,” he said gruffly.

  She clutched the blanket closer, staring up at him. He seemed to be looking at her mouth, she realized with a start. Turning away, he returned his gaze to the fire.

  “So, tell me about yourself. You never answered my question,” Holly said.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You are persistent, you know that?”

  “It’s one of my best traits.” She moved a little closer to him and patted his knee; that touch, though, sent electricity zinging through her hand and up her arm. Her body heating, she snatched her hand back and hid it underneath the blanket, like it had been branded.

  No more touching Matthew Haldon, she told herself.

  “Where did you go to school? What was your major? Do you prefer pies or cakes?” Holly chattered, throwing out random questions, trying to find her equilibrium. She couldn’t look into his eyes right now. If she did, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t find her way back.

  Finally, he sighed. “You really want to know about me?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, let’s see…” He rubbed the back of his neck, like he was embarrassed. “Like I said, I grew up in Illinois.”

  “Where in Illinois?”

  “Springfield.”

  She nodded again. “What were you like as a kid? Shy? Outgoing? Bookish? Athletic?”

  He barked out a laugh. “None of those things. I was just a kid. I played basketball briefly. I had okay grades, but nothing spectacular. That was my sister—she was the valedictorian. I had friends, I really liked PE…” He shrugged. “Look, I told you, I’m a boring guy.”

  Holly wasn't sure why she wanted to know these details about him. Maybe because he was so reticent to talk, so embarrassed by anyone being interested in him. She rubbed her hands together. If she were good at anything, it was getting people to talk.

  “Okay, you know what we should do?” she asked.

  “Should I even ask?”

  “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”

  He stared at her, and then he laughed that husky laugh that sent shivers down her spine. “Holly, this isn’t some seventh grade girls’ sleepover.”

  She ignored that. “You can start. Go on.”

  Leaning back against the couch, he assessed her. The fire crackled and a log collapsed in the grate, which made Holly jump.

  “Okay, truth or dare?”

  She smiled. “Truth.”

  “What’s your favorite color?”

  “That’s a boring question! No, no, no, you have to ask something juicy. Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never played!”

  He let out a breath and thought for a moment. Waiting in anticipation, Holly set her chin on her hand.

  “Fine,” he said, “what did you want to be when you grew up?”

  “Oh, that’s easy. I wanted to be a unicorn.”

  “A unicorn.”

  “Yes, a unicorn.”

  “That’s not exactly a profession.”

  “It is when you’re four.”

  He stared at her, like she’d sprouted a unicorn horn right in his living room. Smiling widely, she explained, “My mom read The Last Unicorn to me when I was little, and after that, I decided I was going to become one. I told everyone who’d ask that that was what I was going to be when I grew up.”

  His gaze had softened, and her traitorous heart sped up at the look. “So why didn’t you grow up to be a unicorn in the end?”

  “Some kid told me they didn’t exist, and that was that. My dream was dashed into pieces.” She stared into the fire. It was silly, but she rather thought that that had been the first moment where she’d grown up. Before then, she’d believed she could become anything or anyone. After that, she’d had to learn the hard lesson of tempering expectations.

  “Truth or dare,” she asked him, wanting to push those memories away.

  He considered. “Since I have a feeling you’ll make me go outside and freeze, let’s do truth.”

  “Who was your first kiss?”

  To her amusement, a wash of red climbed up his cheeks. Or it could’ve just been from the reddish glow of the fire. She waited expectantly.

  “Are we really talking about this—?” He sighed. “It was Danielle Hanson, third grade.”

  “Third grade!”

  “She was my Valentine, you see.” His voice was low, and Holly pulled her blanket closer to control her sudden shivering. “I gave her a Valentine, and she told me to meet her behind the slide at recess. She told me she wanted me to be her boyfriend, and I kissed her.”

  “What happened after that?”

  He smiled wryly. “She stomped on my foot and said I was gross and to never kiss her again. So, my first love ended.”

  “Was your heart broken?”

  He shook his head.
“I had a new girlfriend a week later.”

  “For shame!” The dogs looked up at her rebuke, and she laughed. “Who knew that Office Haldon was such a playboy?”

  Now he was definitely blushing, which was intriguing. She’d gotten so used to Sam and his ilk that she’d forgotten there were people in this world who’d remained innocent. She’d lost her own innocence years ago, shed like a skin that had never fit her in the first place.

  “Truth or dare?” Matt asked.

  “Truth.”

  “Okay, who was your first kiss?”

  She smiled at the memory. “Aaron Slater in sixth grade. He was the most popular boy in school, and I’d had a crush on him the entire year. He asked me to the school dance, and then afterward, took me outside and kissed me.”

  Frowning, Matt replied, “I hope he only kissed you.”

  “We were twelve!” Indignant, she added, “We didn’t even know how to kiss, let alone do anything else. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d tried to go further. I’m sure you were the prettiest girl in school.”

  To her surprise, a blush crawled up her cheeks. She looked away from his gaze, staring at the fire, which had been steadily fading as they’d talked. What time was it? What was she doing?

  Matt grunted something and got up, and she wondered if she’d done something to offend him. But he just returned with a few beers, telling her they might as well drink something while they talked.

  They bantered and revealed silly secrets from their pasts, and Holly discovered that Matt had missed his high school prom because he’d been suspended for a senior prank (it involved crickets and pigs set loose in the school), and that he’d almost given up his dream of becoming a police officer to take over his father’s business when his father became ill.

  “I’m the only son, but my parents never expected me to take over the business,” he explained. “When my dad got cancer, things changed. I had to take off a year from school to keep things afloat. By the end, I wasn’t sure if I’d even go back.”

  “What changed your mind?” she asked softly.