Red Hot Christmas (Pride Series Romance Novels)

by Jill Sanders

  Smiling, she walked up to the hostess desk. Already she saw things that could use new touches. The uniforms were nice, but with a little updating they would not only have a more modern look, but be more comfortable for the staff. Older computers could easily be replaced with touch screens to save time and be more efficient. By the time she was seated, she had a list running in her head of items that could use her touch.

  The menus were charming and just needed a little updating. The food list was perfect. She knew Iian ran everything in the kitchen. She'd done a lot of checking up on him and had found as much detail as she could. She knew she would be able to make small hints, but for the most part, would leave everything behind the swinging doors up to him.

  She ordered the special of the night, beer battered fish and chips with a side of clam chowder. She also got an order of the calamari as an appetizer. She knew it was a lot of food, but wanted to try as much of everything as she could.

  She watched how the waitstaff moved around, mentally taking notes as to which employees worked harder and more efficiently. By the time her food arrived, she knew exactly what her plan would be. When she got a taste of the food she knew why people drove from Portland to dine at the Golden Oar. The food quality was easily five-star. Now, it was up to her to bring everything else in the restaurant up to speed.

  When she saw Iian walk out from the double doors, she pasted on a smile. He was wonderful with the patrons. Even though he was deaf, he easily conversed with everyone. He looked like a natural. He had everyone smiling by the time he left their tables. Then he spotted Amber and a lopsided smile appeared on his face as he quickly approached her.

  “Hello, again,” he said smoothly.

  “Hello.” She shook his outstretched hand.

  “We weren't introduced earlier. I'm Iian Jordan.”

  “Yes, I know. I'm Amber Kennedy, your new manager.” She made a point to speak very clear and face him. She'd done research and knew he could easily read lips, so she wasn't too concerned about how they would communicate.

  She watched surprise jump into his eyes, then he laughed and sat down in the chair beside hers. “Oh, boy. I'm going to have fun with this one. It's nice to meet you, Amber. I hope you're finding everything to your liking?” He motioned to the empty plates.

  “Yes, everything was wonderful. I know I'm a week early, but I figured I'd have some extra time to get settled.” She wondered what he meant by, “I'm going to have fun with this one,” but didn't want to ask.

  “Checking us out, huh?”

  “Yes, so far I like what I see. The food is top notch.”

  “Well, I'm glad you like it. You just missed my sister, Lacey. She's in the last trimester of her second pregnancy, so I sent her home early. Doctor's orders.” He smiled.

  “I hope I can get a chance to sit down with her later this week.”

  “Oh, I'm sure she'll be around. If her husband Aaron has anything to do with it, she won't be around too long.” Amber smiled.

  Then Iian leaned in. “I have to thank you for today.”

  “Today?”

  “Yes, if you hadn't hit Luke with your Jeep, he could have easily overtaken me. Bummed about the bike though.” Iian frowned a little. “But he's already talking about making the Green Machine better than before.” He chuckled.

  “Yes, well. I guess I'm not used to two grown men flying at me on BMX bikes.” They both laughed.

  Luke looked at the digital clock on the wall and wondered what Amber was doing. It was a quarter past midnight and he was deep in work. He loved this time of night, when everything was still and quiet. His gran was asleep downstairs, and he could focus one hundred percent. He knew he needed to look for his own place, but her health had been failing in the last couple years, so he stayed close. After all that's why he'd come back to Pride. That and his work.

  He looked down at the screen and fixed another line of code while mentally thinking about other things. He'd gotten so good at his job, he hardly had to work at it like he had a few years back. Now it just came to him, flowing from his fingertips. He didn't mind the long, odd hours. Knowing that he could set his own schedule made it easier on him. Besides, it left him free to fix his gran's roof, race BMX bikes through town, or flirt with the pretty new girl in town.

  He smiled. Yeah, he'd have to make more time to do that again. He was sure she had been into him as well. He'd seen the looks she'd given him, since he had been giving her the same looks back. It had been some time since he'd felt that pull of attraction. Not that he'd been dead since leaving the city, but Pride had limited stock. After all, he'd gone to school here and knew everyone in town and considered them all very good friends. It was hard to find someone you not only found attractive, but were interested in. He'd sure felt both for Amber. He could tell she was the type of woman who had to have everything in order.

  It had been pure torture feeling her fingers on his back as she'd meticulously removed every pebble. He had enjoyed her smell, her feel, and had wanted nothing more than to see what she tasted like.

  Shaking his head, he realized he'd been sitting at his computer for several minutes without seeing the screen. At this rate he'd never get his latest job done. He worked all throughout the rest of the night and decided he'd have to make sure to stop by tomorrow evening and see if the newest member in town needed anything.

  The next day it was past noon when he finally woke up. His gran was in the kitchen watching the news on the new flat-screen TV he'd hung on the dining room wall, as she baked something that smelled like heaven. He walked up behind her and kissed her and wrapped his arms around her.

  “Morning, Gran.”

  “Well,” she smiled and smacked his hand out of the bowl she was stirring. “It's about time you got up.” She turned and upon seeing him, started tsk-tsking him, as she was famous for. “One of these nights you are going to have to actually get some sleep. You look terrible.”

  He hugged her again and this time was successful in dipping his finger in the brownie batter. Sticking his finger in his mouth and licking the sweet goodness, he smiled. “It's not my birthday.”

  “Oh, you boy!” She cleaned the drop of mix that he'd spilled off her countertop. “You be a good boy and go clean up. I have an errand for you to run today.”

  He smiled at her and started to leave the room. If his gran asked him to jump the Grand Canyon in a run-down VW Beetle, he'd do it.

  “Oh!” She said as he walked out. “And wear something nice. Not just jeans and a t-shirt.”

  “Yes, ma'am.” He frowned and hung his head as he walked back up to his room. Something nice to his gran meant dress slacks and a button up shirt. He hated wearing dress slacks and a button up shirt.

  An hour later he walked back into the kitchen where she was sitting at the table. A large covered dish sat in front of her on the table as she read the newspaper. When she looked up at him, she smiled and nodded her head.

  “Good, now be a good boy and take this down to that nice young girl that almost flattened you in Main Street yesterday. We need to welcome her properly into town.” His gran pushed the container of brownie’s towards him.

  “Gran, are you sure she gets the whole batch?” He looked at her, pleading with his eyes.

  “Yes. If you want some, you'll just have to invite yourself in and ask her.” His gran went back to her reading, in essence dismissing him.

  He stood there and looked at her gray head and realized she was more of a meddler then he had ever believed. How had she known about the incident with Amber yesterday? It must have been Patty. Patty O'Neil ran the local market for one reason and one reason alone, and no matter what she said, it had nothing to do with it being in her family for several generations.

  Sitting in his truck outside Amber's apartment, he looked at the pan of brownies and swore he'd have some. He peeled back the cover and just looked at the iced goodness. His gran could sure make the best brownies in Oregon. Closing the lid, he decided when his stomac
h growled loudly that it was now or never.

  When he walked by the large windows to Patty's, he noticed the woman's head turn and her eyes followed him to the side stairs that lead up to the apartment. He smiled and waved as he walked by. No doubt she'd be calling his gran to confirm that he had made it there with the whole pan intact.

  He stood on the small landing and was about to knock when the door flew open. If he hadn't ducked in time, he would have gotten a large spider in the face.

  “Oh!” Amber squealed and almost fell flat on her face. He reached out, and making sure not to drop the tray of brownies, steadied her by grabbing her waist. “My goodness. I almost threw that thing in your face.”

  He chuckled. “I know, I was there.” He looked down at the small dust pan she held in her hand. It was squashed between them. The brownie pan was off to the side, sitting on his hip.

  “Do you always throw spiders at guests who bring you gifts?”

  “I didn't see you.” She looked up into his eyes, not moving.

  “Well, that's because you need to look out your door before you toss helpless bugs to their deaths.”

  “Helpless? That thing was not helpless. Besides, can't they make little parachutes and fly? I think I read that someplace.” Her eyebrows squashed together and her bottom lip pouted out in concentration. “Or shoot webs and swing off them like Spiderman?”

  He chuckled and shook his head. She smiled up at him. They stood there for a minute like that, until his stomach growled, reminding him why he was there.

  “My gran made you some of her brownies to welcome you to town.”

  “Oh! How wonderful.” She didn't move. He smiled even more.

  “Can I come in? I haven't eaten anything, and well, I was hoping to mooch some of these off you.”

  She laughed, “Sure.” She pulled out of his arm easily and walked back in the door, setting the dust pan down by a broom and mop. He noticed furniture and boxes were piled around the room in neat stacks.

  “The moving guys made it okay?”

  “Mmmhmm.” Her back was to him as she pulled a few paper plates from her cupboards, which were already neatly and completely stocked. Yup, he’d pegged it, she was a tidy one. Probably had everything organized by color in her closet and drawers. The image, of course, made him think of what kind of silky things would be in those drawers. He tilted his head and looked at her backside, imagining.

  She was wearing tight little gray legging things. He wasn't sure the name or what women called them, just that they were tight and that he always enjoyed seeing women wear them. Her brown shirt was too long to spot a panty line, but he imagined she wore silk. Tidy women usually like everything nice and ... tidy. She probably had a matching bra and panty set. He liked it when a woman's fun clothes matched. Especially if they were red and lacy...

  “Hello?” Her voice broke into his thoughts and he realized she was standing right in front of him holding out a large brownie on the plate.

  “Oh.” He cleared his throat and took the plate. “Sorry, I was up late and this is my breakfast.” He motioned to the brownies.

  She looked shocked. “It's almost two o'clock in the afternoon. And you can't have brownies for breakfast.”

  He took a big bite and smiled, then licked his lips, and said. “I just did.”

  Her nose crinkled and she had a look like she'd smelled something sour. He almost laughed. “Besides, my gran told me I could if it was okay with you.” He took another bite and closed his eyes with the rich goodness.

  Chapter Four

  Amber watched Luke with amusement. “How come all grown men act like children around brownies?” She took her plate and fork and took a bite. They were very delicious brownies and were still warm and gooey inside.

  “You can't eat my gran's brownies with a fork.” He walked over to her, picked up the brownie with his fingers, and took another bite. Then he looked at her and waited. Not wanting to offend him, she picked the brownie up and bit into it. He was right, somehow it tasted better.

  “So, how did it go yesterday at the restaurant?” He smiled and she felt a little flutter in her stomach that had nothing to do with the chocolate goodness.

  “How did you know I stopped by the Golden Oar?” She took another bite, then walked over to grab a few napkins from the napkin holder on her new countertop.

  “It just goes to figure. You're a neat and tidy person. I could tell right away. I figured the concern and dedication you have towards your job would pull you down there.”

  She nodded, “Why do you think I'm a neat and tidy person?”

  He laughed, “Lady, look around. The moving company was here less than two hours ago, I'd wager, and already this place is neater then most lived-in homes.”

  She did look around. To her this was a mess. Boxes lined the walkway, some still packed with items she hadn't had time to put away yet. Her furniture was temporary placed, since she'd have to wait until all the boxes were gone before making the final decision on where she wanted them placed. She hadn't even begun to unpack in her bedroom or office yet.

  “I started in here.”

  He chuckled. “Don't look offended. It was meant to be a compliment. Take me for example. I'm a neat freak with the exterior of a slob. No matter what I do, I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. But, everything I have is well cared for, meticulously so.”

  “Like your bike?”

  He thought about it. “Yes, I suppose so. But it took me five minutes to find my keys before I could leave the house.”

  She laughed, then pointed to her key bowl. “That's why I have one of those. I once looked for my keys for almost two hours, only to find them in the freezer.”

  He smiled and finished up his brownie. “Well,” he said, looking around, “what can I do to help you unpack?”

  She stopped, the next bite of her brownie in mid-air, as she looked at him. He began rolling up the sleeves on his dress shirt.

  “I don't need any help.” She set her brownie down.

  “Listen, if you kick me out of here too soon, those women downstairs will call my gran. And you don't want to know the yelling I'll get for not helping a lady move in when I've been asked to bring a tray of brownies over here. We were a package deal, brownies and physical labor.”

  She looked around for something mundane that he could do. “Um, I suppose you can break down the boxes and put them out in the closet on the back porch area.”

  “Good.” He rubbed his hands together and slid a small pocket knife from his back pocket.

  “Did you dress up so you could come down here and help me unpack?”

  “Yup, gran's idea. She'll use any excuse to get me out of jeans and a t-shirt.” He turned and got to work breaking down the empty boxes.

  Amber watched his back and wondered what it would take for her to get him out of all of his clothes. She stood there for a minute remembering what he looked like without his shirt on. Then she remembered he'd said he'd been up all night. Probably playing video games like Chris had. Her mind sharpened, and she realized that he was a grown man living with his grandmother. He'd probably been kicked out of his parents’ place. He'd also been racing a BMX bike that was too small for him down the middle of Main Street. Turning, she mentally crossed him out of her mind. There was no way she was willing to try another man-child relationship, not at this point in her life. Walking into her bedroom, she got to work emptying the boxes and organizing her closet.

  The next few days were filled with more unpacking and exploring the small town of Pride. Not that there was much to explore, but they did have a nice library and a couple shops along Main.

  She enjoyed walking along the piers, watching the boats come and go. She’d talked to more people in the last two days than she had the entire time she'd lived in downtown Portland. People stopped her as she walked and asked her questions, talking about the town and everything and everyone in it.

  It seemed to her that everyone mentioned Luke during their co
nversations, almost like the whole town was trying to set her up with him. Was he that big of a loser that he needed the whole town to help him get a date? She didn't think so; he’d made a good first impression on her. But after the seventh person brought up his name, she began wondering and decided the best course of action was no action. She was here to stay. It wasn't as if she had to make any decisions. He hadn't even asked her out. So, armed with the new plan of just being friends until he proved his worth, she smiled and was courteous to everyone who spoke to her.

  Several people stopped by and delivered food. Most of the well-wishers stayed and chatted about the town and the people in it. She heard all about how the restaurant had been renovated, and about how the Jordan siblings had lost their father and Iian had lost his hearing, something she had read on the internet in an old news article. People couldn't stop talking about Lacey's husband, Aaron. He was the doctor in town since his grandfather's retirement a few years back.