Mistletoe (Clairmont Series Book 4)

by S. Jane Scheyder

  “Talk about the kids?” he asked.

  Her eyes flew open.

  Grinning, Christopher said, “I couldn’t hear you clearly through your scarf, but I didn’t think I should just yank it down while we were skating. Seemed dangerous.”

  She cleared her throat. “Right. Of course.”

  “Besides,” he gestured up with his chin, “no mistletoe.”

  Liz smiled and looked up at the starlit sky. “Good thing, huh?” She met his gaze again. “Mistletoe gets us in trouble.”

  “I don’t know if I’d call it trouble, exactly.”

  His grin almost melted her into the ice. Liz looked down at her new skates and took a deep breath. “Okay, so I was just saying that I’ll make a point to talk to Kelly tomorrow during ... whatever she has planned for us.” She shrugged and attempted a carefree smile. “We can go from there.”

  “I’ll get whatever date information I can from Cam.”

  “Okay, sounds like a plan.”

  Christopher reached out his hand. “Good. Let’s skate.”

  Liz considered the invitation. ”Might not be a good idea,” she said, trying to dismiss the happy picture her mind had quickly embraced.

  Christopher picked up her hand and started off. “Why not? We can pretend that you need my help.”

  She laughed. “Very generous of you.”

  They settled into a comfortable pace and circled the rink. Somehow, it didn’t seem as cold as the first time around. Liz glanced at the other skaters; the few who were left didn’t seem to be paying attention to them. She relaxed a little and looked up at him.

  “This is nice,” she observed. “See any neighbors that might be shocked or concerned?”

  She watched him scan the rink, admiring his jawline as he looked around, and noting the crease in his cheek that meant a smile was coming. “No, it pretty much looks like they’re involved in scandalous liaisons of their own.”

  Liz laughed. “Scandal at the skating rink.”

  Christopher smiled and skated.

  “Don’t you ever wear a hat?”

  He shrugged. “Always gloves, sometimes a scarf, rarely a hat.” He grinned at her. “Wouldn’t want to mess up my hair.”

  She grinned back. “Yeah, it’s usually so ... pristine.”

  “You noticed.” He squeezed her hand. “Race?”

  “Not on your life.”

  Christopher laughed. “Where’s the Michaels’ competitive spirit?”

  “Oh, I have it,” she assured him. “Just didn’t bring it to the rink.”

  He nodded. “We’ll take it slow then.”

  Liz took a deep breath. “Too late for that.”

  ***

  They pulled up to the inn, and Christopher slipped into one of the few remaining spots in the lot. He turned to the woman who’d made the last hour fly by on the rink. They’d skated and talked and laughed, and might have been there still if the lights on the trees hadn’t been turned off.

  Liz smiled, looking relaxed and happy. “I had a wonderful evening. Thanks for hanging out with me.”

  “My pleasure.”

  She shifted in her seat, apparently in no hurry to collect her skates and face the cold.

  He raised a brow. “Walk you to the door?”

  She smiled again; a mesmerizing, lazy smile. “I should probably brave the steps alone.”

  Christopher reached out and touched a silky strand of her hair. “I don’t need mistletoe, Liz.”

  She released a breath and searched his eyes in the semi-darkness. “We can’t let this get complicated.”

  “Already is.”

  She sighed. “Yeah, it is.” She picked up her skates and put her hand on the door. “But we really need to focus on ... Bobby?”

  Christopher turned with a groan and followed her gaze through the windshield. Bobby stood on the porch waving at them. “He actually got a room here.”

  “Wow,” Liz replied, clearly no more excited than he was.

  “I’m coming with you now,” Christopher decided as Liz opened her door.

  “Well!” Bobby called out. “Look who’s finally home!”

  Christopher walked up the steps. “So, you checked in here after all.”

  “Yep,” Bobby replied, clearly having already enjoyed some of his cocoa. “This place is great. Very cozy. Hey, Liz!”

  “Hey, Bobby,” she replied, slowly ascending the steps. She joined Christopher under the mistletoe, though the magic was decidedly missing.

  “So, where have you two been?” Bobby weaved a bit. “Cam dropped me off here an hour ago.”

  “Skating,” Christopher replied flatly. “And it’s late. I’m sure Ms. Michaels would like to go inside and get warm.”

  “Absolutely,” Bobby slid an arm around her shoulders. “Come on in, Liz. I’ve got it from here,” he said, dismissing Christopher.

  Irritation gave way to something much darker. “Bobby.”

  Liz twisted out from beneath his brother’s arm. “You okay?” she asked.

  “Oh, don’t mind him. He’s moody,” Bobby explained. “Hey, look! Mistletoe!”

  Christopher stepped in front of Liz just as the door opened.

  “Oh, hey everybody!” The woman from the night before greeted them, her look of concern not completely masked by her cheery voice. “Mr. Harrison, could you step inside for a moment? I just need a little more information for the books.”

  She gently, but decisively pulled on Bobby’s arm and drew him back into the house, closing the door and turning out the porch light behind her. Bobby seemed to follow without complaint; as long as he had another pretty woman in his sights, he was happy.

  Once again, Liz and Christopher stared after her for a moment before turning to each other.

  “Lock your door,” Christopher warned her. “I’ve always assumed he was relatively harmless, but I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “I’ve got Becky, I’ll be okay.” Liz attempted a laugh. “If he gives us too much trouble, we’ll sic Tank, her fiancé, on him. He used to play professional football,” she explained.

  “That might work,” Christopher half-smiled, trying to shake his irritation with his brother. Picking up her hands, he looked into her eyes and his frustration slipped away. He could spend a lot of hours looking into this woman’s eyes.

  “It’s cold,” Liz reminded him with a small smile.

  “Didn’t notice,” he replied.

  “I should go in while Bobby’s distracted.”

  It was a compelling argument.

  Instead, Christopher looked up, gently moved Liz a step to her right, then pulled her close.

  ***

  Three beats them all, Liz hazily decided, reveling in his warm lips, the scratch of his days’ growth of beard, his hands, albeit gloved, cradling her face. Mistletoe innocence gave way to something deeper, and Liz participated fully, ignoring the alarms beginning to sound in the far reaches of her consciousness.

  When she found herself backed up against the porch column, she pulled her hands down between them in feeble and unconvicted protest. Perfectly placed to help create distance, her hands instead celebrated the solid wall of Christopher’s chest.

  He stilled and stifled a groan.

  Liz came to her senses and pulled back. “Wow.” She moved her hands to his shoulders and gently pushed him away. “This is crazy.”

  “I’m sorry.” He pushed a hand through his hair and Liz ignored the mess he made, as well as her desire to smooth it back down. “Do you think,” he made another mess of his hair, “is this what happened to the kids?”

  “I don’t know.” Liz tried to switch gears to think about her daughter. It wasn’t easy, and that was a problem. “They seem happy,” she finally replied, “but I haven’t seen evidence of either of them being head over heels. No offense to Cam, but Kelly isn’t all starry-eyed and incoherent like I ...” Liz swallowed, “like I think she shoul
d be.”

  Christopher’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “And I don’t see evidence of Cam being starry-eyed and incoherent, like I ...” he picked up her hands again, “think he should be.”

  Liz smiled. “What are we going to do?”

  “Probably start some more intentional recon.”

  She laughed. “Right. We’ve only got a few days.” She linked her fingers through his. “I’ll make it a point to get whatever information I can in the morning. You see what you can find out and then we’ll connect tomorrow afternoon and make a plan.”

  Christopher nodded.

  Liz looked up into his handsome face, wondering what she’d gotten herself into. “We have to be careful,” she continued, “if they get any idea that we ...”

  He looked at her with interest.

  “That we’re ...” she stalled again and he grinned. “Help me out here.”

  “That their parents can’t keep their hands off each other?”

  “Seriously, we’re like teenagers.”

  He laughed. “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

  She reveled in the sound of his laughter. “Well, they can’t think we have any other motivation than their best interest right now.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  Liz took a deep breath. “So, we should probably keep our distance.” She glanced up. “Stay away from mistletoe.”

  Christopher’s eyes drifted over her face. “It’s going to take more than no mistletoe, Liz. They could hang their laundry out here, and, well ...” He grinned, disarming her yet again.

  Liz smiled, edged toward the door. “Ha ha. Just don’t look up. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

  Christopher smiled ruefully, marking her retreat. “See you tomorrow.”

  Wednesday

  Liz peeked into the dining room and was relieved to find it empty. She didn’t know if Bobby was an early riser, and she hoped to grab a quick cup of cocoa before going out to meet Kelly. She filled her mug and jumped when the door to the kitchen opened.

  “Morning, Liz! Did you sleep alright?”

  She relaxed as Becky walked in. “Pretty well, thanks. How are you?”

  “I’m good. Busy. Almost a full house today.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I must be early; it’s still so quiet.”

  “It’ll pick up here in a bit. You heading out?”

  “Yeah. Kelly’s setting up for her Christmas party, or at least getting ready to set up. She asked me to meet her at the shop.”

  “Really? This early?”

  “Well, I thought I’d get an early start and take a walk around downtown. Looks like a pretty little village.”

  “It is. Not much will be open yet, but the walk will be nice.”

  “Right.” Liz sipped her cocoa. It was piping hot - just how she liked it. “Thanks for your help last night.”

  Becky grinned. “We are a full service B&B.”

  “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

  “I’ve dealt with his kind before,” Becky said, turning thoughtfully. “Actually, his kind was my kind, not too long ago.”

  “Really?” Liz tried to hide her surprise.

  Becky straightened the display on the sideboard. “Yeah. I was all about having fun with no commitment. The lawyer/businessman type? Definitely my weakness.”

  “Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed.” Liz considered her new friend. “Okay, well,” she picked up a banana chocolate chip muffin, her mouth watering at the smell, “good luck with ...”

  “Ladies.” Bobby walked through the door.

  Liz braced herself for a flattery onslaught, but it didn’t come, for either of them. Bobby smiled distractedly and walked over to the coffee, helping himself to a mug. Becky was the first to recover and respond.

  “Good morning, Mr. Harrison,” she said. “I trust you slept well?”

  “Yes, thank you. The room’s great.”

  Becky and Liz exchanged glances.

  “Help yourself to the scones and muffins. I’ll have a creme brûlée french toast up soon.”

  “Sounds great. Thanks.”

  Bobby poured his coffee and walked over to the antique table. He carried a leather brief case, which he set down next to his chair. He pulled a folder out before sipping his coffee.

  “Well, I’ll see you later,” Liz said, puzzling over Bobby’s polite distance.

  “Liz?” He looked up from his papers.

  “Yes?”

  “Can I speak with you before you leave?”

  “Sure.” Liz topped off her cocoa and shrugged at Becky, who quietly excused herself. “What’s up?” she asked, more curious than put out by the delay in her plans.

  Bobby drank from his coffee and glanced at the door through which Becky had just disappeared. “Have a seat.” At her hesitation, he added. “I won’t keep you long.”

  She pulled out a chair, admittedly somewhat fascinated at this lawyerly side of Christopher’s brother. “Is everything okay?” she asked, suddenly concerned that something might have happened to Christopher or Cam.

  “Sure. Everything’s fine. Nothing’s changed,” he assured her, piquing her interest even more.

  “Okay,” she said.

  He sat back and regarded her over the rim of his mug. “I won’t waste your time - I’ll cut right to the chase.”

  “Okay,” she said again, refusing to become anxious while his insisting that he wouldn’t waste her time wasted her time.

  “You’re getting to know Christopher a bit,” he observed, no question in his voice.

  Liz nodded, tempted to explain and justify. Instead she simply waited.

  “He’s a good guy,” Bobby said, sounding sincere. “I know we give each other a hard time, but there’s some brotherly affection, believe it or not.”

  “I do,” she said simply. She and her two older brothers weren’t as close as she’d like, but there was certainly affection between them.

  “So, here’s the thing,” he said, leaning forward. “It’s going to sound like I’m trying to keep you from getting to know him better.” He looked intently at her, reminding her a lot of Christopher. “I would have enjoyed some time with you,” he admitted, “but this isn’t about that.” He sat back again. “Has he talked to you about his wife?”

  Not what she expected. “No, we’ve mostly talked about the kids and their plans.”

  He raised a brow, again reminding her of his brother. He wasn’t buying her hedging.

  “Look, I don’t know what you think is going on, but I hardly know him. We just met a day and a half ago.”

  Was that even possible?

  “Precisely,” said Counselor Harrison, “and while you might enjoy his company, I also like you, and there are some things I think you should know.”

  Liz inclined her head. She wasn’t looking for dirt on Christopher; she wasn’t about to openly encourage his brother.

  “He lost his wife about ten years ago,” Bobby said. “Cancer. Ruined him.” He shook his head. “Barely recovered enough to take care of the kids. Cam has a sister,” he explained and Liz nodded.

  “Anyway, he hasn’t been the same since. Used to be a fun-loving guy. Serious, but ready to laugh. Maybe not the life of the party, but always ready to participate. Smart, funny.”

  Liz could picture these things. She’d experienced all of them in the last thirty-six hours.

  “In the last few years I’ve seen him rally - usually around this time of year. Reaches out a bit. Tries to connect. Like he’s doing with you.”

  Liz felt understandably marginalized. “Okay.”

  “He’s realized that he needs ... Well, he’s a guy. What can I say? He’s found that it’s important to connect with the outer world from time to time.”

  Liz felt a little sick. She listened with an increasingly heavy heart.

  “I hate to say this. I can see by your face that he’s gotten to you.
”

  Full-blown denial took over. How would Bobby know the difference? “Like I said, we mostly talk about the kids. We had fun skating last night, and that was nice, but other than that,” she shrugged. “Friends.”

  She almost choked on the words as she remembered Christopher’s kiss the evening before. She felt weak in the knees even thinking about it. Was it all an act? It made her ill to think about it.

  Once again, Bobby considered her with his all-too-knowing lawyer regard. “Right. Well, then I guess I’m in time to warn you that whatever he does in the next day and a half, by Christmas he’ll sink back into the old Christopher; unresponsive and rude.” Bobby sat back. “Happens every year. He seems to try, then he just falls right back into despair. None of the other women,” he had the decency to look apologetic, “has ever been able to keep him from going back. He makes a connection, invariably breaks a heart, and goes back to his dismal life.”

  Liz looked at Bobby for a long moment, her heart breaking a little for Christopher, despite her own disappointment. “What have you done to help him get past this?”

  He looked surprised. Perhaps he thought she’d be licking her wounds and running to him for comfort. “He knows I know his routine, so he withdraws. You’ve seen how he treats me.”

  Liz thought about the pattern of their behavior over the last few days. Bobby could be telling the truth, or filling her with nonsense for his own benefit. She hardly knew what to think.

  “Well, it sounds like your brother could use a friend,” she decided, getting to her feet. “I’m not going to pull back because he’s going through a hard time.”

  Bobby nodded. “Good for you. Maybe you can help him see the light.” His voice lacked conviction. “Just take care of yourself. Don’t get in too deep.” He gave her the piercing Harrison stare.

  “Thank you for your concern, Bobby. I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sure you will,” he responded, draining his coffee.

  “Anything else?” she asked, leaving her mug on the sideboard.

  “No, that pretty much covers it,” Bobby replied, eyeing her with interest.