A Silver Cove Christmas

by Jill Sanders

  “I was thinking…” He turned her around.

  “Yes?” She went into his arms.

  “That maybe you could show me those breathing exercises again. I’m a little… wired.”

  “Sure.” She stood up on her toes and, before touching her lips to his, whispered, “Just breathe through this.”

  Chapter 13

  The next morning, Rory woke early and decided today was the day he would go with her to her yoga class.

  Besides wanting to keep an eye on her, he wanted a better insight into her daily grind.

  Of course, she had already rolled out of bed, but he quickly caught up with her downstairs after changing.

  “I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about today.”

  “Really?” She looked at him like he’d just grown another head.

  He chuckled and took her close in his arms. “Yes, I enjoyed everything you showed me yesterday and figured if you can do it, so can I.”

  “If you think you can keep up.” She kissed him quickly, and they stepped outside. He noticed that she took a moment to lock the front door and held back his smile.

  He took her hand and started walking towards the store with her.

  “I know you’re only coming with me this morning to watch out for me,” she said when they’d made it to the end of the block.

  “What?” He stretched the word out and smiled. “Whatever my reasons, I give you full permission to kick my ass in class today.”

  She chuckled and picked up the pace.

  “Trying to kill me before we get there?” he asked when he had to drop her hand and jog to keep up with her.

  “Trying to get warm.” She glanced up quickly. “The snow will be here soon.”

  He nodded. “Okay, I’ll give you that one.” He’d grabbed his thick coat, but his legs were like popsicles by the time they reached the store.

  “How many are in your class every morning?” he asked, holding open the door for her.

  “About twenty.”

  “That many?” He frowned when he noticed the store full of people. “Jesus, how many people shop this early every day?”

  She smiled at him. “We get a lot of early birds.” She rushed past everyone to the back hallway and opened the farthest door to the yoga studio.

  The massage rooms were next to her office, and he’d witnessed countless clients coming and going all day long while he’d worked behind her glass office door. Beyond the two massage rooms, there was a door that led down some wooden steps to the basement storage room. It was kept locked, and staff members each had a key. Then there was a large room that was sitting empty, the room Joe had wanted to rent out for a salon.

  It would have been a good location, seeing as it had its own side entrance and was big enough to house several booths.

  Crystal had mentioned that she was going to turn the extra room into an art gallery before. It was still painted the stark white the construction crew had painted it after she’d had some work done on it a while back. She’d told him that the room had sat empty for a long time.

  There were boxes and old furniture piled along one wall, but the room could easily be converted.

  When they stepped into the massive yoga studio in the back, he noticed the additional doorway that lead to the alleyway. He knew a lot of people attending classes later in the day used that entrance instead of the front doorway, but he figured it was probably locked now since her class was the first of the day.

  He stood back as the group filled the room and moved about as if they knew what they were doing.

  “Here.” Crystal handed him a blue mat. “You can be in the back.” She leaned in. “So, you won’t feel watched.” She winked. “Although, with this group…”—his eyes followed hers around the room, and he realized that he was the only man there— “I’m sure eyes are already glued to your backside.” She chuckled as he followed her to the back of the room.

  “I’m hot for teacher,” he joked.

  “Try to keep up.” She smiled and made her way back to the front. “Who’s ready?” she called to the room.

  Forty minutes later, he was positive he was on the verge of a heart attack. He guessed his blood pressure was high and every muscle in his body screamed at him. His legs shook as he rolled the blue mat back up. He’d used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe the sweat from his face and desperately wished for a towel like everyone else had.

  Several women stopped and tried to talk to him, but he was so out of breath that he ended up just grunting at them in answer.

  “So?” Crystal said when she’d made her way back to him. She looked unaffected by the workout.

  “Aren’t you even winded?” he asked.

  She chuckled. “Sure, I am, but mostly I’m pumped.” She rolled her shoulders. “And centered. How are you doing?”

  “I’ll let you know as soon as I can breathe.” He placed his hands on his knees and took several deep breaths, then glanced up and smiled at her. “I’ll survive.” She laughed.

  “Come on, we’ll walk over and get some breakfast at the diner.”

  “Looking like this?” He frowned down at his sweats.

  “Sure,” she said as he rushed over and helped her on with her coat. “This isn’t New York.”

  He pulled on his own coat and stepped out the back door. A blast of cold air hit him and this time, instead of shivering, he took in a deep breath and enjoyed the chill.

  “Feels good,” she said beside him.

  “Yeah.” He glanced around the small town as they walked. He liked the place and could easily see why it had grown on Ben. “Is this place always like this?”

  “Like what?” she asked, stepping over a puddle.

  “Like something off the Andy Griffith Show.”

  She laughed. “Silver Cove is a small town. We have a population of just under ten thousand during winter. In the summer, it doubles with tourists. We like it this way.”

  “Sure, who wouldn’t. But doesn’t it ever get old?” he asked, holding the diner’s door open for her.

  “What about you?” she asked, once they were seated. “You live in a city, yet still help a woman on with her coat and open doors for her.”

  He shrugged. “My mom raised me right.” Over the years, he’d heard it all from people. Some women didn’t like that he held the door open, claiming it was going too far, while others thought it was charming and complimented him on it.

  “You’d be surprised to know you’re the first man, besides family, to do that for me since Johnathan.” She sat in a booth along the windows, and he took the spot across from her.

  “That doesn’t surprise me. They say that chivalry is dead.” He smiled at the waitress who handed them their menus.

  “Thank you for coming to class today,” she said, without looking at her menu.

  “Thank you,” he replied. “I think I’m feeling those endorphins.” His body had recovered and he was feeling as good as he did after lifting weights.

  “Good. If you continue with it, you’ll find yourself becoming more flexible and you’ll have greater endurance.” His chuckling stopped her. “What?”

  “Do you ever stop?” He set his menu down and reached across to take her hand in his. “The lectures?” he said upon her confused look.

  “I care. I’ve never… usually…” She shook her head. “Normally I date men a lot younger.”

  “If I remember correctly, I am younger than you.” Her smile grew.

  “True, but that’s not what I meant.”

  “Robbing the cradle?”

  “It’s just… they usually think I’m younger.” She sighed. “It’s nice, the change.” Her eyes ran over him. “Being with someone around my own age.”

  “I’ve dated a few younger women,” he said. “It’s hard to find a lot in common.”

  “Other than sex.”

  “Yes, other than that,” he agreed. “Do you know, I dated one woman who didn’t know who Seinfeld was.”

&nbs
p; “Wow.” Crystal shook her head. “Fresh off the school bus?” she joked.

  He laughed. “Not quite, but close. She’d told me she was thirty-one, but after a few weeks, I seriously doubted it.”

  She’d never laughed as much as she did over breakfast. Rory told several horror stories about his past dating life. She added a few of her own as she ate her oatmeal and berries.

  She was pleased when Rory ordered the same thing she was having. She knew he would have preferred bacon over the fruit, but he ate every bite of his meal and didn’t complain.

  They agreed to walk back to the house through downtown and made it to the center of town just as the snow started falling.

  “Looks like we’re going to get a little wet and cold putting up the decorations,” he said when they stopped in the town square as the first flakes fell on their heads.

  “I don’t mind.” She smiled up at the gray sky. “Do you?”

  “Nope. It’s a good thing I packed for the weather.” He took her hand and started slowly strolling through the town.

  The decorations were everywhere, reminding her that her own were gone. She pushed the sadness to the back and focused on the good. Rory’s warm hand held onto hers, and her family would be there today.

  She was in such a good mood by the time they walked up to the house that she planned on making an apple pie and throwing a batch of cookies in the oven for Connor. She always had a tub of frozen cookie dough in the freezer for when he came to stay with her while Rowan and Kayla were on a date night.

  “You look happier,” Rory said as they climbed the front steps.

  “I am. I think I’ll make a pie.” She turned as he wrapped his arms around her. “Do you like apple?”

  “Hate it,” he said smiling. “Especially with ice cream on top.” He leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips.

  “Wow, that moved fast.” She heard Serenity’s voice and turned to smile down at her daughter as she made her way up the pathway.

  “Not fast enough,” Rory said under his breath, causing her to laugh.

  Then Crystal noticed Aurora all bundled up in her daughter’s arms and rushed over to take her grandbaby in her arms.

  “You’re going to spoil her.” Serenity sighed.

  “Hush, I held you all the time and you turned out okay.” She snuggled her face into Aurora’s neck, causing her to giggle.

  Once inside, she pulled Aurora’s heavy clothes off before disposing of her own. Rory was there to help her and took all the jackets and hung them up in the hallway.

  “Mom, I was thinking…” Serenity paused. She glanced at her husband, who quickly nodded. “We thought we would spend Thanksgiving here, with you.”

  Crystal’s eyebrows shot up, then her eyes narrowed. “Is this because of this mess?” She motioned to the front of the house.

  “No,” Serenity answered too quickly.

  Crystal shifted Aurora onto her hip and looked between the couple. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Crystal, it’s not…” Ben started, but he stopped when she shot him a look.

  “Don’t intimidate my husband,” Serenity joked. “Only I get to do that.”

  Crystal smiled, despite herself. “You two have had plans to head into the city and spend it with Ben’s family.” She hated not spending Aurora’s first Thanksgiving with her, but she knew they would have Christmas together. After all, she wasn’t Aurora’s only grandparent.

  “We could…change the plans,” Ben suggested.

  “No, go.” She smiled down at Aurora. “I’m sure Brock and Tom will find out who did this.” She turned to Rory, who had been silently watching them. “Rory will find out more about the missing money and everything will get back to normal. Now, I’m going to bake a pie and cookies.” She turned and walked into the kitchen.

  Just then, she heard the front door open and smiled when Connor James rushed into her house at full speed, screaming, “Cookies!”

  Chapter 14

  “They’re right, you know,” Rory said that night as Crystal lay in his arms.

  “Hmm?” She sighed against his chest. “Who and what?” She leaned up and looked down into his eyes.

  Her blonde hair fell over her naked shoulder. His heart rate had just settled back down after their lovemaking. The woman had more energy than he could keep up with. Still, he enjoyed trying.

  “Ben and Sarah,” he said, using her daughter’s chosen name, since he knew only family called her Serenity.

  “About what?” she asked as she ran a fingertip over his chest bone.

  “You, staying here, alone. It’s not a good idea. Not until they catch whoever destroyed everything.”

  He knew that the new decorations they had spent almost two hours putting up outside weren’t as nice as the ones that had been destroyed, but they did the job. The house was back to its holiday cheerfulness.

  “We all know it was Joe.” She sighed as her fingers stopped their movements.

  “Yeah, but until they have proof, he’s free to wreak more havoc on you. Who knows how far he’ll go.”

  “Joe wouldn’t hurt me.” She rolled back over and looked up at the ceiling. “It’s not in his cards.”

  He rolled his eyes and was thankful she hadn’t seen the move. He rolled over and looked down at her. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow. She was extremely comfortable in her nudity, more so than any woman he’d known. Actually, she was more secure in everything she did. Not only was she sure of herself, but she was one of the most sincere people he’d ever met. Which heightened his attraction to her. “Still…when a man like him seeks revenge, all bets are off.” It was the main conversation of the night. Even Rowan and Kayla had tried to convince Crystal to be more cautious.

  Rowan, Kayla, and Connor James were all heading down to Florida in less than a week to spend Thanksgiving with his parents down there, and Rory was disturbed, knowing that Crystal would be all alone for almost an entire week.

  “Not you too…” She reached up and tugged on his hair until his lips covered hers. “I bet we can distract ourselves from…”

  He pulled back from her. “Why don’t you come spend Thanksgiving with me and my family?” he blurted out. “I spend each year with my folks in Vermont.”

  “I couldn’t—” she started, but he stopped her by kissing her. When he felt her heartbeat jump under his fingertips, he smiled. “Say yes.”

  Her eyes met his and when she smiled, he knew he’d won.

  The next morning, he helped her make pancakes for everyone. They sat in the formal dining room since it could seat everyone.

  “I’m going to spend Thanksgiving with Rory,” Crystal blurted out before he’d had his first cup of coffee. Still, when she smiled over at him, he doubted he would need the sugary kick anymore.

  “What?” Sarah had said, then instantly coughed to cover it up. “I mean…” She coughed again as her eyes zeroed in on Ben’s.

  “I think it’s a great idea.” He took his wife’s hand. “Rory spends every Thanksgiving with his folks in upper Vermont.” Ben leaned closer and whispered something in Sarah’s ear and she smiled and nodded.

  “Okay, it’s better than sticking around here, alone.” Sarah went back to eating.

  “Good, now that that has been settled.” She glanced around.

  “So,” Ben said after all the food had been devoured. “Will you be heading back to the resort with us today?”

  His eyes moved to Crystal. “I still have a few things to tie up here.” He thought about all the financial advice he’d yet to work out with her. He hadn’t even technically found out more on the theft. “How about we move it back to Tuesday?” He calculated his time.

  “Sure, not a problem.” Ben had gone back to feeding Aurora, who had banana pudding all over her face and clothes. Sarah stood up when Ben was done feeding the girl and carried her into the next room to clean her up. Crystal followed behind.

  “So,” Ben whispered when they were l
eft alone, “you two moved fast.”

  “People our age have to,” he joked. What he wanted to say was that when it was right, it didn’t matter how fast you moved. “What have you found out?” he asked just as Crystal came back into the room.

  Rory took a deep breath. “I’ve found out that the bank the deposit was made to is in the Netherlands. There isn’t a name on the account, but there is lot more than eighteen thousand dollars in it.”

  “How did you find that out?” Crystal asked from across the room as she cleaned up. He stood up and started to help her.

  “I have connections.” He smiled down at her.

  “How much more?” Ben asked from the table.

  “Close to half a million.”

  Ben let out a low whistle. “So, whoever did this, has done it to others.”

  “One would assume. I’ve got my… guy watching the account.”

  “What can be done?” Crystal asked, handing him another plate.

  “Well,” he sighed, “this is where it gets tricky. Your bank is working with you, thankfully, but not to the sum of eighteen thousand. They have blocked all transactions outside of the US.”

  Crystal nodded. “Kayla set that up.”

  “I’ve taken it a step further. I’d like to close your account and open a new one, with a more secure bank.”

  Crystal leaned back on the counter and looked at him. “My money has always been here, at a local bank.”

  “Which is part of the problem.” He set the dry plate down and tossed the towel on the counter. “Local banks are good for basic checking accounts, but you run a business, a successful one at that. You have some pretty high traffic in and out of your accounts. You need additional protection. If you’d banked with one of the banks I have in mind, you would have gotten back the eighteen thousand.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “I… need to think about it.”

  “Crystal, what’s there to think about?” Ben stood up. “Rory knows his stuff.”

  She turned to her son-in-law. “I’ve lived in Silver Cove my entire life. I’ve banked with the same people since I was sixteen.” She shook her head. “I need a few days.” She closed her eyes.