by Jillian Hart
For a fraction of a moment, it felt as if the world stopped spinning. As if time stood still. She couldn’t explain it and before she could analyze it, Jonah tore his gaze away and pulled out a battered three-ring binder from a nearby shelf. As if nothing had happened between them, as if nothing had changed whatsoever, he went to work thumbing through the binder, holding it open in one big hand. With an economy of movement, he slipped the binder onto the table between them.
“Here are a few snapshots of a bedroom set I’ve done in the same pattern.” He gazed at her with a knowing look, as if he knew she’d already made up her mind to get the entire set.
Him leaning over the table to show her the page made her draw closer. So close, with only the book separating them, she could see that his eyes, which appeared black from a distance, were really a striking dark brown with flecks of gold. This close, she could see that a faint shadow clung to his jaw as if he hadn’t shaved that morning. He smelled like soap and he looked even more invincible. The strong presence that he projected intensified, and she could see the rapid beat of his pulse in his neck. There was no doubt about it, if she’d come across this man in an abandoned alley, her first reaction would be alarm. But down deep, she knew on an instinctive level that Jonah Fraser was all man, and he was a very good one.
Why on earth was she noticing the furniture maker and not the furniture? What had come over her? Debra mentally shook herself and forced her gaze down to the plastic-covered pages where snapshots, neatly taken, displayed a breathtaking cherrywood bedroom set. Obliviously hand tooled to perfection.
“Mia, why don’t you come look at this?” The words tumbling out of her mouth didn’t sound like hers at all. This wasn’t like her. Why? She took a step back and to the side as her daughter approached. “This should be your decision, kid. This will be your furniture for a long time to come.”
“Wow! Cool, Mom.” Mia bounced against the table.
Now, if only she could focus on the lovely furniture they were about to buy instead of the man towering over her. Goodness, she hadn’t been intrigued by a man romantically since Mia’s father had walked out on her. That was the day she’d closed the door to her heart and locked it for good—or for at least until Mia was grown. So what was going on?
Quiet Jonah had opened that door to her feelings, she realized. Impossibly, in a matter of moments, he’d done what no other man had been able to do for the last thirteen years.
Suddenly she realized it was silent and that both Mia and Jonah were staring at her expectantly. Had she missed something? Her mind scrambled to try to figure out what it could have been. The last thing she remembered was the furniture.
It wasn’t like her to check out like that or to notice a man—any man—so strongly that she lost track of what was going on around her.
“You don’t like the sleigh bed?” Mia asked in distress.
“Oh, baby, I think it’s lovely.” Okay, she was back on track. She brushed her fingertip across the plastic photo-sleeve page, trying to ignore Jonah’s gaze, a brush against the side of her face.
Had he guessed that she was curious about him? How embarrassing. There was no way she could look him in the eye now. She stared hard at the page and hoped beyond hope her voice would sound normal—or at least not so vulnerable.
“This is truly an incredible set. You do amazing work, Jonah.”
“Everything I do is custom. If you want a different piece than I’ve got here, I’ll sketch something up for you. You name it, I’ll build it.”
He had the warmest baritone, as cozy in sound as a fire in a hearth, inviting you closer. Debra truly wished she wasn’t affected.
Mia planted her elbows on the table. “And, like, maybe a desk, huh, Jonah?”
His fathomless gaze softened. “What kind? How ’bout a lady’s writing desk? Good for studying or using your computer but looks pretty, too. Won’t take up a lot of room.”
“Yes!” Mia put on her most innocent look. “I can have that, too, right, Mom?”
“Right.” Fighting hard to keep her thoughts on their business transaction, she tapped on the page. “We’d be interested in a dresser and a chest of drawers, too. Maybe a chair?”
“A rocking chair?” Mia’s eyes widened. “And, like, a cedar chest, you know, to put at the end of the bed and sit on?”
Jonah’s chuckle was a warm surprise. “I could do that.”
He had wonderfully strong hands and thick, scarred fingers that looked like he could do anything—and had. There was something in his shadowed eyes, something in the tense angle of his jaw, the way he kept his feelings carefully controlled that made her wonder more about him. About where he’d been and what he’d done. Why he limped. Why a man who looked strong and capable enough to save the world was making furniture in a carpentry shop in Chestnut Grove.
He’s not any of your business, Debra, she reminded herself.
He moved a bit closer, turning the page of his book to show a photograph of a similar bedroom set. She hardly noticed the writing desk that made Mia gasp for the man whose gaze found hers.
In that moment, between the beat of her heart and the next, it felt as if time stretched again. She saw a glimpse of the answers—and of the man—in his expressive gold-flecked eyes. In the raw pain that moved across his handsome face.
Before she could begin to wonder, the outside door snapped open, a gust of frigid air rolled between them and her heart started beating again. The moment was gone, time marched on and Jonah lifted one hand in a welcoming greeting to the newcomer, leaving Debra wondering if she’d imagined the moment.
But before she could think on it any further, Mia was shouting. “Uncle Ben! Mom, it’s Uncle Ben!”
And all questions—and curiosity—about Jonah Fraser were put on hold.
Chapter Three
Debra watched Ben close the door against the cascade of snow that had tumbled in with him. Her half brother. She still couldn’t get over it.
“Whew,” he said, unwrapping the muffler from around his throat. “It’s really starting to come down out there. Mia, it’s good to see you again. You’re looking very Christmassy.”
“It’s my new sweater. See? It has real bells on it.” The girl jumped up and down until the tiny bells sewn into the sweater tinkled cheerfully. “I’m so glad you came back!”
“I wouldn’t miss you and your mom’s visit for the world.” Ben had a kind look to him, a down-to-earth quality that it was hard not to like.
And she’d tried, Debra thought. Big-time. She didn’t want to like him. She still didn’t want to like him, but he had a friendly smile that was hard not to return. A few months ago, he’d come out to Maryland to meet them. While it had gone fairly well, she still wasn’t ready to welcome him with open arms. She didn’t know him. She didn’t know if his claim to the family was a good, positive thing, or if it would turn out to be something they all regretted. You couldn’t see a person’s true motives in one meeting and a few phone calls.
Sure, call her wary, but she felt that, unlike other members of her family, Ben needed to prove himself a good man before she accepted him. She was determined to keep her defenses up.
“Debra.” He nodded once in greeting, glancing over the top of Mia’s brown hair. He looked a little stiff, too, and a little wary.
She knew just how he felt. There was no telling where this would go. Meeting one another had been one thing, but to try to establish a relationship? That involved risk; someone—especially Mia—could get hurt.
“I’m glad you made it here safe,” Ben was saying. “The roads are tough-going.”
“Yes, they often are this time of year.” She heard the stilted sounding words come out of her mouth and she couldn’t seem to think of anything more friendly to say.
But she was strikingly aware of Jonah and her emotions seemed to warm for him as he snapped the binder shut and turned away with it, walking with that uneven gait that made her care. Why him? And why for him, when she couldn�
��t let herself warm up her frosty feelings toward her half brother? She didn’t like this at all. She was accustomed to being very in control of her emotions.
“Sorry I wasn’t here to meet you two.” Ben hung his coat up on a rack by the door. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
It was Mia who jumped in with an answer. “Like we’d come all this way to not wait? So, when do I get to meet my cousin, Olivia? And baby Joseph? Now?”
Ben chuckled, his gaze softening with kindness; it was hard not to like someone who was good with her daughter. “Soon, I promise. They’re home with Leah. You know, Olivia can’t wait to meet you, too. Debra, Leah is especially excited to meet you both. We were hoping you’d come to the tree-lighting ceremony with us tonight.”
Mia jumped in. “What tree lighting? Is it a special ceremony?”
“Yep. It’s a town tradition over at the mayor’s mansion.” Ben’s chuckle of amusement at Mia’s enthusiasm was nothing but gentle.
Debra could already feel the ties pulling at her like invisible strings of obligation. She’d learned that people were unknown quantities. The last thing she wanted was for Mia to get hurt. To get her hopes up, as she always did, only to be crushed if this didn’t work out. The Cavanaugh family might not want real ties; maybe this invitation to town was about getting their curiosity satisfied. Who knew what the future held? Mia’s heart could be broken.
To make matters worse, she couldn’t seem to concentrate on the conversation. Jonah was reshelving the binder, moving with that disciplined control of his. A lightbulb went on. He had the posture and manner of an elite soldier, that’s what he reminded her of, she realized. Although she couldn’t reconcile that with this man who made such beautiful, intricate furniture.
She realized Mia was staring at her again, as if expecting an answer. “Oh, the tree lighting. What time is that happening?”
“At eight o’clock sharp.” Ben strode toward her. “It’s a big event here. There’ll be music and the church choir will be singing carols. Mia, I’ve heard rumors there might even be a visit from old Saint Nick. There will be bags of candy for the kids, prizes and a church raffle. It’s a good, family-friendly event. We’ve all been looking forward to it. Leah made reservations for all of us at the Hamilton Hotel’s restaurant beforehand.”
“It sounds lovely.” What else could she say? She knew it was right when Ben grinned. He had a smile that was a little ghost of her mother’s—their mother’s, would she ever get used to that? And it made Debra sad in more ways than she could count.
Her throat felt tight as she said, “I look forward to meeting your wife. Leah sent us the nicest letter just last week. I hope she received my response.”
“It came in yesterday’s mail.”
The contents of Leah’s letter had been nothing earthshaking. It was simply a very nice and inviting letter telling more about the extended Cavanaugh family, the town, its history and the best places for them to stay. “We have a room at the Peachtree Bed and Breakfast on her recommendation. It’s a cozy inn, just as she promised.”
“I’m glad it helped out.” His cell phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket to check the screen. “Oh, speaking of the wife. It’s her. Excuse me, won’t you?”
“Certainly.” Debra stepped away to give him privacy and Mia danced up to her, lit with excitement.
“I’ve never been to a real tree lighting before. Uncle Ben knows I don’t believe in Santa Claus, right? I mean, that’s for little kids.”
“It’s just for fun, you know that.” Debra had grown up in a family where Santa Claus was a secular icon and therefore not part of her childhood, but she didn’t feel as strongly on the subject as her mother had. Millie had been a very strict Christian and disciplinarian. Debra smoothed back a lock of Mia’s baby-fine hair out of her eyes, glad that so far things were going well.
Then a blur of movement at the edge of her vision caught her attention.
Jonah. He was the reason that she’d been distracted throughout her conversation with Ben. The big man had hunkered down to his work carefully sanding a portion of the crib. Debra couldn’t help noticing how his big artist’s hands expertly worked the small square of roughened paper over the delicate scrollwork, she supposed to get it exactly right.
She didn’t know him, but what she did know about the man she liked very much. He was so disciplined and exacting. He obviously cared about his work. It must take a lot of the patience and dedication to build something so intricate and perfect.
She admired that kind of stick-to-it-ness. The muscle-bound man looked out of his element kneeling in front of the delicate crib. She never would have pictured him as a minister’s son.
The man was an interesting contradiction; maybe that’s why she kept wondering about him. Why her eyes kept finding him. Why he stayed at the edges of her mind. He seemed different from most men she knew. In the corporate world, she dealt with a lot of power-hungry men, men concerned with their image, wearing the right suit, driving the right car and having the right title beneath the name on their business cards.
Men like that, she deeply suspected, were like Mia’s father. Men who made promises they couldn’t keep, weren’t man enough to keep.
Jonah looked like a man who knew how to keep his promises and honor his commitments. Not that she was seriously considering even trying to date again. No, it wouldn’t be good for Mia to get attached to a man who decided, in the end, to leave.
Debra pushed that old sadness out of her heart and smoothed the last of the damp remains of snowflakes from her daughter’s hair.
“Mom,” Mia leaned in to whisper. “Isn’t Uncle Ben the greatest?”
“He sure seems to be.” Please let him be, she wished. Not that she was religious anymore, but if she were to pray, she would have one simple request. Please, let this work out. Don’t let Mia get hurt.
“Mom. We get to go to the dinner at the hotel tonight, too, right?”
“Of course, kid. If it’s what you want.”
“Uh, ye-ah!” Mia grabbed Debra’s hand and held on tight, the way she used to do when she was a little girl. There was so much brightness in her smile and so much hope in her spirit that it just shone right out of her. “Isn’t this the greatest day ever?”
“Well, it certainly has been a very good one.”
“Uh-huh! Remember how we never thought we’d get over being so sad when Grandmother Millie died? I’ve been praying and praying ever since. And look what happened. God found us more family to love.”
Mia’s hopes were far too high. They had both taken her mother’s death hard, each in her own way. Mia was only now just starting to come out of the grief.
Debra felt a horrible sinking feeling in her chest. What could she do to protect her daughter? She didn’t have a single idea. Not that she believed a prayer made much difference, but if it could, she hoped hers had risen on angel’s wings. What were the chances of all this with Ben coming out all right?
They had talked about that on the drive here to Virginia. Debra had done her best to try to be sensible and prepare Mia for the truth of relationships. You just couldn’t know how people were going to decide to treat you.
There was Jonah, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Or was that her imagination?
When she turned toward him, he was absorbed in his work. Acting as if he didn’t know she was on the same planet, much less in the same room.
Fine, it was her imagination, after all.
“Leah says hi and welcome,” Ben said as he pocketed his phone. “You are coming to our precelebration dinner, right?”
“Right!” Mia jumped in with a high-pitched answer. “Cousin Olivia’s coming, too, right? And baby Joseph?”
Ben’s chuckle of delight was charming. “Absolutely. Olivia’s talked about nothing else for days. And talked and talked. Girls,” he said, shaking his head in friendly amusement. “If it wasn’t for baby Joseph, I’d be really outnumbered.”
“You don’t
look like you’re suffering much,” Debra commented, unable to keep from sharing a smile with her half brother.
“No complaint here. I’ve got more blessings than I can count. Family, that’s what’s important.” He shot a look over to the workman crouching strategically behind the crib. “I keep telling Jonah that, but to no avail. He’s still stubbornly single. I keep hoping to change that.”
“He doesn’t even have a girlfriend?” Mia perked up at that bit of news, twisting toward the woodworker to study him intently. “Is that true, Jonah?”
“Yep, it’s true.” He grinned over the top of the crib. “I’m too busy to have a girlfriend. I keep telling your uncle Ben that, but does it look like he listens?”
“No.” Mia answered. “How can you be too busy to have a girlfriend?”
“Look at me, working through lunch. Next thing I know, I’m working away and I look up and it’s way past dinnertime.”
“That’s just like my mom.” Mia wrinkled her nose. “She’s always at the office. And when she isn’t, do you know where she is?”
Debra could feel Jonah’s gaze on her. And Ben’s, too. She felt her chin shoot up and all her defenses, too. It wasn’t easy being a single parent, but she was doing her absolute best.
The big man on bended knee reached for a fresh sheet of sandpaper. “If your mom’s anything like me, she probably brings work home.”
“That’s it exactly,” Mia confirmed.
“I don’t think it’s much of a secret why she works so hard.”
“It isn’t?” Mia took a step toward him, transfixed.
Deb realized that’s how she felt, too.
“Nope, it’s easy to see.” Jonah’s baritone sliced right through her every defense. “She works that hard for you. Isn’t that right, Debra?”