by Riley Murphy
He gave her the once over and then chuckled, “Gee, darlin’, you look like a possessed Furby in that coat and you smell,” he wrinkled his nose, making an unpleasant face, “like my late grandma’s closet.”
That did it. She yanked her arms out of his grip and caught her soggy-ass purse before it hit the ground. When she had a good hold of it she straightened and pointed the now limp clutch right at him. “You wouldn’t be cracking jokes at my expense if you knew what it took for me to get here. Hugely expensive and completely delayed flight, downgraded car, shitty directions and this coat? When I had to stop at a gas station about my less-than-perfect map to find you, two women threatened me. They thought this ratty old matted abominable snowman jacket that Martha insisted was a parker, was some sort of rare albino fur of a beast I’d never even heard of. I—”
“It’s called a Parka.” He pronounced and then made some kind of sound. A chuckle maybe that was husky and sexy as hell. Affecting her even in her present state. The bastard.
“Don’t you laugh at me.” She shook her purse at him. “I got lost I don’t know how many times. The guy at the one convenience store between here and the I-77 on-ramp thinks I’m doing my own Ground Hog Day movie. A perfectly logical explanation for why I kept stopping to ask him to repeat the same wrong directions over and over again to me. Bad enough, yet worse? There isn’t a trucker on that road who doesn’t hate me. But in my defense, I think a speed of twenty-five miles an hour is a decent clip for someone who has never seen snow before. And that brings me to—”
“Darlin’.”
“—the accident.”
Riker was just about to insist she get inside. Clearly she was freezing and he was too, but she was on such a roll and he hated to interrupt her, until she sounded as if she’d reached the end that oddly turned out to be the beginning. Now he forgot everything else and went after what was important. “You had an accident? Are you hurt?”
He pushed her purse out of the way and hauled her up against him. Unmindful of the cold, the smell and the feel of the spongy fur beneath his fingers, he examined her face before he held her at arm’s length and searched the rest of her. “Tell me.”
“I’m hurt. I’m very, very hurt.”
His heart pounded. She looked like she was going cry. “Where darlin’?”
“Right here, okay?”
For a woman who’d just indicated her ribs—was one cracked?—she seemed extremely aggressive about it. “Is it your ribs? Are they broken?”
“My ribs? No, it’s not my ribs, you idiot. It’s my heart. You’ve broken it. Let me go.”
Riker was totally confused. “Maybe you better come inside so we can talk about this.”
“Why? So I can watch you and Brianna?”
“Brianna?” He had to hold back a grin because he didn’t want to upset her, but damn, she was adorable when she sulked. Maybe it was the coat. She really did look like a lost little thing wrapped in that spikey hot mess. “I’m watching Debbie.”
“Debbie?” He had to forcibly pull her in before he could get the door shut. When he did, she sputtered, “Wh-who is Debbie and what happened to Brianna?”
He was going to answer, but then he spotted her teeth chattering behind blue lips and took charge. “You’re freezing. We need to get you out of these wet things.” He bent to look behind her and frowned. “Did you drive into the creek?”
“Th-there’s a creek around here? Amazingly, n-no. What d-d-do you think you’re doing? Hey.”
He ignored her grasping hands, that were also freezing, and stripped the wilted fur off her. When he saw the line of muddy water that had soaked not only her jeans but the shirt she was wearing, he scowled. “How long have you been walking around in these wet things?”
“Since I-I f-f-f-ell o-f-f-ff the sno-w b-b-bank.”
Riker knew from experience that once you started to peel off the layers, even though they were cold and wet, it was like taking out bad insulation in an attic. Even some bad insulation was better than none.
He got her stripped down to bra and panties and grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch. “Chin up.” He wrapped the plaid fleece tightly around her and then pulled her into his arms for a rub. “Tell me about the accident,” he spoke softly while he tried to warm her up.
“It was…s-scary. The c-car spun out and landed on a sn-ow b-bank.”
At least she wasn’t fighting him anymore. “The car landed in a snow bank and then what happened?”
“On the snow bank,” she corrected and he was glad she was shivering less. “Then when I got d-down and out of it a-and closed the door, it fell off.”
“The snow bank?”
“Yes.” She pressed her face into his chest and took a couple of deep breaths as if she were gathering strength or something. Then she tilted her head back and whispered, “I’m sorry I came. I should go.”
He ignored that and whispered back, “How did you get wet?”
“The airbag going off spooked me and I fell on my ass in the road.”
Well, that was plain enough. He was going to tease her about it when it hit him. Sidney was here. She’d gotten on a plane and put her life into her hands by driving in a snow storm that had made him sit up and take notice when he was on the road yesterday. And then, by all accounts, she’d survived a spinout and had walked the rest of the way to get here. To him.
“Why are you smiling? You think it’s funny? I could have died.”
Her hair was a mess, her nose was bright red and the smell of Martha’s coat still clung to her, but for all of that she was the best thing he’d seen in days. He thought about how totally together and elegant Brianna had been and silently cursed. Jesus, what a fucking hypocrite he’d been. It was time Sid knew it.
Brushing aside her bangs, he said, “I should have been more understanding about the situation with your parents, it’s just that—”
“Riker,” she tried to back out of his arms but he wouldn’t let her, “what about Debbie?”
When she pointed to the wine glass on the counter that was smeared with Brianna’s lipstick, it dawned on him and he understood why she was so upset and wanted to leave. With a smile that made his face ache, he turned with her in his arms and bent to speak in her ear, “Debbie Does Dallas is one of the classics I inherited from that client’s stash I told you about. You want to watch it with me tonight?”
She turned round eyes up at him. “You were watching porn on Christmas Eve? That’s what you were watching when I knocked and you answered the door…”
“Sporting some wood?” Yep, quirky all right. “So what? Did I break some holiday rule or something?”
“It’s Christmas Eve,” she whispered as if she didn’t want Santa to hear.
“Don’t tell me. I’ve just earned a lump of coal in my stocking.” He shook his head. There was no fucking Santa Clause and just when he was going to tell her so, he saw himself in her eyes. Her sparkling, bright and gorgeous eyes and thought, what the hell are you doing?
Sidney happened to him. Him, when she could have happened to anyone else on the planet, and he was going to force reality here? Fuck no. If she wanted to believe in Santa Claus with the tooth fairy as his bride and the Loch Ness monster their beloved pet, well then, he was going to be the guy who made sure no one crushed her spirit by bah humbugging her over it.
“Even I don’t watch porn on Christmas Eve.” She said this as if she was the resident expert, but before he could answer her, she frowned and added, “It’s a sacrilege. Only It’s A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story are allowed on television. That’s it. Nothing else for the whole night.”
“Hm.” He gave her a squeeze. “But I’m pretty sure there’s not enough skin in either of those flicks to get my rocks off. Which I so needed to do being that I was stuck here missing my angel.”
“Your angel? Me?” She turned in his arms—an encouraging sign— and toyed with his collar. “But what about Brianna? She was here, yes?”
Her hands were warm now. Soft. He nodded. “Yes, she was, yesterday when I got here.”
Her hand stopped stoking him. “I see. I know about her…and you. I know—”
“Sid—”
She looked up. “No, please listen to me. Please.”
Hell.
“I want you to know that it was never about you. With my parents, I mean. It was about me. How they’d feel about me if they knew what I’d done all weekend and stuff. It wasn’t about what or who you were. You could have been anyone. Wait, that didn’t sound good. I mean…”
“I know what you mean. I kind of figured that out once I got over my anger, but by then I was on the road here and then there was Brianna.”
The plaid blanket fell off one of Sid’s shoulders and he didn’t deny the urge he had to curl down and kiss that silky curve.
“We don’t have to talk about her. I trust you. Whatever happened was the right choice, I’m sure of it.”
He stood up straight. “Really?”
She vigorously nodded as if she had to talk herself into the idea. “Absolutely.”
“Okay.” He led her into the kitchen and then lifted her up until she was seated on the counter. With his hip, he wedged her knees apart so he was standing between her spread thighs. “But I want to tell you this.”
She’d been busy tucking the blanket around herself then stopped. “I’m listening.”
God he’d thought about those freckles, sprinkled so sparingly over her nose and cheeks, hundreds of times over the last few days. He’d been starved for the sight of them. He’s been right too. They were the lightest honey color imaginable.
“I have a confession to make.”
The freckles disappeared in the hot pink blush that surfaced. Damn, he hadn’t meant to worry her. “Oh?”
“About Brianna.”
They were right at eye level now that she was on the counter and he realized she was going use it to her best advantage and stare right at him. Hell. A fine time to have to admit the one secret he’d never told anyone before. Deep breath.
“I picked Brianna.”
“I’m sure you did. I imagine she’s beautiful.”
Riker looked away and then looked back. If he was going to do this he was doing it right. “I didn’t pick Bree because she was pretty. Don’t get me wrong, she’s gorgeous if you happened to like skinny, leggy chicks with no ass, but that’s not why I picked her. She was quality.” Sidney tilted her head and frowned so he continued, “She was elegant and good to have on the arm when I had to go business functions. I thought she’d be the perfect woman to give me a leg up with the suits and the credibility I was lacking in certain social circles.”
He looked down at her right hand. Her palm rested flat on the counter beside her thigh. He’d give anything to feel her softness against him. “Put your hand on my shoulder.”
She looked at him.
“Please.”
When she did touch him, he closed his eyes and pressed the side of his jaw into her hand. “I should have practiced what I preached. Different in life is far better than the sameness everyone else is after. Bree figured that out too late. I just hope I haven’t.”
She turned her hand until her palm was flattened on his cheek, and then her other one came up and slapped against him as she squeezed. “What are you saying?” He opened his eyes and smiled. Clearly she didn’t like that because she frowned. “Riker, what? Why are you smiling?”
He freed himself from her grip and leaned back.
“I’m smiling because for the first time in my life I know where I want to be. Not where I think I should be and not where others want me to be. I just know,” he tilted her chin up and loved that the blanket slid down, exposing some serious cleavage, and she didn’t shift to catch it because she was too intent on him and what he had to say, “that I’d rather spend my worst days on this planet with you, than a thousand best days with anyone else.”
“You mean it?”
“I do. I used to go to sleep and dream of a woman. Of a life. Of a place I’d be happy, but it wasn’t until I found you sitting on that dryer trying to get yourself off that my dreams were trumped by the fucking awesome realty of you.”
Up popped one of those thought bubbles he loved. This one said, dammit, before she said, “You knew that’s what I was doing? What tipped you off?”
“Hm.” He moved in close and caged her in. “I think it had to do with the squirming and moaning—”
“Squirming,” she mumbled against his neck. “You were watching.”
“I was and you were absolutely perfect, darlin’, absolutely—”
He didn’t get to finish as she threw her arms around his neck and practically strangled him.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
She squeezed him tighter. “It’s is, isn’t it?”
“Sid?”
“Not a chance,” she whispered in his ear. “I’m not easing up. And I’m not letting go. Deal with it.”
So he did.
Epilogue
Sidney put away the last dish in Riker’s cabinet and smiled. “Thanks for the help.”
Her mom smiled and waved her off. “It was the least I could do. Riker made such a lovely meal.” She sighed. “It’s been so nice getting away for New Year’s.”
“Sidney? Did you know Riker did Paul Samis’s medical building here in Denver? You know. He’s the doctor your cousin Tiffany married.”
Her mom gave her the dead-eye. “You better go see the lights before your father talks the poor guy’s ears off. I think Daddy has a man crush.”
Sidney laughed, deciding this was nice for once. She’d been nervous about spending New Year’s with her parents, but now she was glad they’d come. She wasn’t sure if it was her who changed, her parents or just the inclusion of Riker into the mix, but things were different. Better. Her parents treated her as an adult and for the very first time in her life she felt like one of the grown-ups at the table and not the little girl who needed her dad’s approval.
“James?”
Her mother gave her dad that look and he blinked. Then he seemed to give himself a mental shake, and said, “Damn, the time flew, didn’t it? There’s less than ten minutes to midnight. I better get the champagne organized. Weren’t you guys going out back to see the fireworks?” He winked at Sid and said, “Your mother and I will get the bubbly ready.”
No sooner did both her parents disappear into the kitchen that Riker pulled Sidney out onto the back balcony and shut the slider door. She loved it out here, even more so when she noticed that Riker had the heaters going. She still couldn’t get used to the cold, but she sure could get used to the property.
From the front of the cabin she’d never have guessed what was behind it. The place had to be absolutely spectacular in the fall, as the back of the property opened out into a huge canyon. Dotted now by snow covered cedars and pines, but Riker told her there were all kinds of flowering trees that bloomed in spring, summer and fall. He’d explained that there was a lake at ground level too. It was frozen over now, but he assured when the moon was full and the ice melted, the moonlight shimmered over it. She could only imagine that view.
“Alone at last.”
“Yeah, but not too alone. They can still see us when they come back into the living area.”
“That’s okay. I’m not going to ravish you just yet. I have something I want to give you.”
“Hm.” She slipped her arms around him and smiled. “As I recall, you said you had something to give me this morning right before you ravished me.”
“Yeah, but that was different. You were sitting on my dryer. You know how I feel about you on a dryer.”
“You’re so bad.” She pushed away from him with a laugh. “I love that about you.”
“I know.” He grinned and then reached sideways for a package that was sitting on one of the patio chairs. It looked like a shoe box.
“What is it?”
“Open it and you�
��ll see.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. She popped the lid, parted the tissue paper and sucked in a breath. “Aw, where did you find this?”
“Do you like it?”
When she looked up at him, he was smiling. She smiled right back. “I love it!”
“Take it out. Look at the saddle bags.”
Sidney lifted the reindeer, in a reared up position with a funky angel on its back, out of the box. This piece, although large, would fit right in with her collection. She handed Riker the empty box and turned to hold the figure up in the patio light to get a better look. The first thing she saw was the skillfully fashioned roll of tickets hanging out one side of the angel’s saddlebag and then when she looked at the other side she burst out laughing. The item there, looking like it had been poured out of acrylic maybe, was a stylized baggie filled with oats and glitter tied with a candy striped ribbon. “Did you have this made? You did, didn’t you?”
He tossed the box on the chair and nodded. “Yeah. Did you see? Look.” He adjusted it in Sidney’s hands and said, “There’s a spring. This goes on top of a tree. This is going be riding the top of our tree next year.”
Suddenly Sidney wasn’t laughing anymore. She brought the ornament to her chest and hugged it. “Our tree?”
“Yes.” He brushed her bangs back and added, “Ours. But I’m sorry to say I’m going to have to put my foot down on one thing.”
Her heart pounded so loudly she was afraid she wouldn’t hear what he had to say.
“Next year, we’re getting the table with the markers. Sweet baby Jesus, I’m still picking glitter out of parts of me—well, let’s just leave it at, I’ve had enough bling to last me a lifetime. At least until we have our own kids.”
“We’re going to have children? Me and you?”
“Yeah.” His grin slid up into a smile that beamed and nearly blinded her. “But trust me on this. For our little guys? I’ll eat bags of glitter and oats to make them happy.”
She had nothing to say to that so she said nothing at all. She just threw her arms around his neck, mindful of the tree-topper, and squeezed in tight.