Jared couldn't believe Katherine had spent last night in his bed. His gaze lingered on every inch of her lovely naked body as he untangled sheets and recovered them.
“Wake up, sleepyhead.” He pushed a lock of silky, dark hair behind her ear, gave into temptation and nibbled her lobe.
A throaty whimper came up in reply, her slim arms slipped around his neck. He rolled away, rested his head on his elbow and stared down at her. “Oh, no. I want to talk.” He smiled at her closed eyes and relaxed face. “Last night I tried to talk to you several times about our relationship and the future, but we got carried away."
She opened one sleepy-eye and wet her lips. “Which time are you referring to?” she teased.
He shivered when her fingertips trailed down his stomach into dangerous territory. He groaned with frustration. Oh, Lord. “I'm trying not to think about any of them, but you aren't cooperating. How about helping me out here?"
“Yes, sir,” she said, saluting him military style. She sat up with her eyes full of mischief, exposing her full breasts.
“Cut that out.” His gaze riveted on her beaded nipples, poised, begging him to fondle them. “You're trying to distract me again."
She smiled at him, flopped back down and pulled the covers obediently over her chest.
He snatched what dignity he could and held the edge of the sliding sheet over his full erection.
“Is this better?” she asked, ducking underneath the covers and holding the pillow over her head.
“Stop playing games,” he pleaded, moving away from her.
Maybe Katherine didn't realize they were at a crossroad in their relationship, but he did. He knew it the minute he had made love to her. She had surrendered her sweet body to him, but he had surrendered his heart and soul to her. After last night, he wanted to bind her to him so tightly that nothing this side of heaven could rip them apart. Was she ready for total commitment? Would she trust him with her life and Matt's?
He shook his head. “I'm serious. We need to talk to Matt and Grace."
She peeked out, tossing the pillow aside. “What about?"
“Katherine Marisa Cahill, if you think I'd settle for last night and not have you and Matt in my life forever, you better think again. You're not running from this relationship. Matt needs a father, I know you want more children, so do I, and they aren't going to be born out of wedlock like I was."
She threw her arms around his neck and laughed. “Do I feel like I'm running, darling?"
God, he loved everything about this woman.
“You little vixen.” He swatted her bottom, his hand staying to reward it with caresses.
She glanced up at him. “I needed to hear you say you wanted the same things I do."
“I do, I do, I do, except I was thinking we'd get married and have five more children."
He loved the shocked ‘O’ her mouth formed. “Five! Jared Randall, I'll have three, you can have the other two. Not me."
He chuckled. “It's a deal.” He winked. “It might be fun trying to talk you into having the other two, anyway."
“Oh, you,” she said, punching his shoulder.
He studied her face and the warmth and desire reflected deep within her jade eyes. “I'm not Paul. I won't ever hurt you or Matt."
She nodded and pressed her lips to his chest. “I know."
He wove his fingers through her long hair, caressing the ends as they curled around his hand. “I needed to hear you say that."
“If I keep lying here with you, we're never going to get out of bed, and we have a lot to do today.” Rolling onto his back, he glanced at the clock on the wall. “It's eight. Let's get up and have breakfast. Is it okay if we give Matt that collie he always wanted for Christmas?"
She nodded and smiled. “You found one?"
“I found several. I thought we'd visit three kennels today and pick out one with just the right personality. After we take care of all that, I'll come back over to Grace's house around five. I thought I'd talk to your mother and Matt. To celebrate, I'd like to take everyone out to dinner before we drive around looking at Christmas lights."
Katherine angled her head to the side. “What do you mean, you want to talk to them?"
He smiled. “Well, I guess I mostly want to talk to Matt. I want to have a man-to-man with him and ask for your hand."
Tears filled her eyes. “You're wonderful,” she said in a choked voice.
“Hey, don't go crying on me,” he said with a chuckle.
“I won't,” she said, giggling. “I had the strangest dream last night."
“Was I in it?” he said, cuddling her in his arms.
“Yes, but here's the weird part. You said you promised Thomas I'd talk to my mother about sex.” She giggled again. “Isn't that the most ludicrous thing you've heard in your life?"
He coughed. “That wasn't a dream. I did promise Thomas you'd talk to Grace about sex."
She shook her head. “My mother was married for thirty-four years. Why in the world would you think I needed to talk to her about that?"
“I'm convinced Thomas and Grace love one another. When you came home for your visit, Grace told Thomas she couldn't see him again because you didn't approve."
Katherine sat straight up in bed, spilling the sheets down to her waist. Jared forced his gaze away from her body as she replied, “I think Mother told Thomas that because she believes I wouldn't approve of her marrying anyone again. I'll talk to her and straighten it out."
He shook his head. “I think it's more than that. Thomas had been pushing for more closeness and she kept backing away from it. You came home and I think Grace used you as an excuse."
Her hands clutched at the down comforter, tugging it back to her collarbone. Jared sighed with relief.
She reached out and slapped his hand. “Do you know how uncomfortable this conversation is making me, Jared Randall? You're talking about my mother, for goodness sake."
He chuckled. “Darling, Grace is a woman, too. With the same needs as any woman. Do you think you were hatched?"
She blushed and put her hands over her ears. “I don't want to hear this. Children don't think of their parents as sexual entities."
Jared reached and took her hands in his. “Don't you want her to have the same happiness we have?"
Her chin lifted indignantly. “Of course I do."
“Thomas and Grace have had so much pain in their lives these last four years. Let's help them find their rainbow."
Her brows lifted. “Why doesn't Thomas talk to her about it? That's so personal."
“Grace won't see him or talk to him.” He nodded when her eyes widened slightly. “Sounds familiar, doesn't it? The guy's miserable. He came to my house and begged me to help, so I promised him you'd talk to Grace.” Jared released her hands and nuzzled her neck, his teeth nipping at her skin and his tongue lapping a warm path to her lips. “You promised."
Her eyes narrowed. “When did I promise that?"
His hands covered her breast, teasing her nipples to hard peaks and rubbing them between his fingers.
“Ohhh,” she arched her back, writhing as his mouth closed over her breast and his tongue explored her nipple.
He groaned low in his chest when her hand circled his erection and moved up and down the length of it, grazing the tip with her thumb. “Katherine…"
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
“Sweetheart, I can't think of a better way to start the day. Do you want me to remind you when you agreed to talk to your mother about sex?"
“I must have been out of my mind,” she purred as he took the other taunt nipple into his mouth.
He chuckled. “You were. So was I. Remember?"
Her back arched. “Yes,” she whispered as his mouth moved down to taste her sweetness.
* * * *
Jared couldn't wait to ask Matt for permission to marry Katherine. He had wanted to make a difference in this little boy's life from the minute he met him, but he neve
r dreamed it would turn out this way. He sat down and smiled when he spotted Matt flying across the living room towards him, a huge grin on his face.
“Mr. Randall,” Matt shouted. “You wanna know what happened?"
Jared pulled him onto his lap. “Of course I do. Tell me all about it."
“My dad went back home. Mom said he had something inside,” he said, laying his hand over his heart, “that made him unhappy around us.” Matt shook his head. “She said it wasn't anything we did."
Jared swallowed a lump in his throat. “No, it wasn't anything you did.” Jared shifted Matt on his lap. “I wanted to have a man-to-man talk with you about something special.” He smiled at the serious expression that slid across Matt's face. “Your mother and I would like to get married. How would you feel about that?"
Matt's dark eyes stared into his. After a moment of thought, he said, “Would you be my own dad?"
“Yes, I would."
His forehead scrunched up. “Would you leave, too?"
Jared shook his head. “No. I won't ever leave you or your mom."
Matt considered this for a moment. He cracked a grin that spread from ear-to-ear. “You know what?"
“What?” Jared asked.
“You think Santa reads heads?"
Jared fought a smile and tried to look serious. “I never thought about it. What do you mean?"
“When I asked Santa for a new dad, you was in my head. I wanted you for my dad."
Jared coughed to clear the lump in his throat. “I don't know if Santa reads heads, but I know he reads what's in your heart."
Matt nodded. “I think so, too."
“Let's tell your mother and Grandma that it's okay with you if I become your dad."
Matt clapped his hands, his eyes sparked with excitement.
“We have a lot to celebrate this Christmas.” Jared released Matt and stood up. “After we talk to them, we'll all go out to dinner, before we take a long ride and look at the lights."
Matt placed his little hand inside Jared's bigger one. “Mr. Randall, I never really knew my other dad. I told all my friends I was getting a new dad for Christmas, but they laughed at me. Can I call you ‘Dad’ so they'll believe me?"
“Yes,” he whispered, bending and hugging Matt.
When the boy's arms clung to Jared's neck, tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. He knew he'd do anything for his son.
* * * *
“I don't want to talk to my mother about Thomas today. I'll do it Monday,” Katherine said.
Jared turned her away from him and pushed her gently toward the kitchen door. She let him propel her as far as the doorframe but dug in her heels and stopped. She peeked at her mother, who sat at the table drinking her Sunday morning coffee. “I can't believe I promised to talk to my mother about you-know-what,” she whispered over her shoulder to Jared.
He chuckled. “Oh, great. You can't even say the word ‘sex’ in Grace's home."
Katherine slapped his arm. “Shhh. She'll hear you."
“Cluck, cluck, cluck. Okay, chicken, I'm taking Matt to shop and eat lunch. Remember Thomas is coming over at one o'clock. That's two hours from now. You have a lot to get settled before then.” Jared bent and gave her a heart-stopping kiss. When he pulled away, he winked. “Good luck."
“I can't believe I'm doing this,” she said to herself as Jared headed for the front door and she walked into the kitchen.
“Did you say something, dear?” her mother asked, looking up.
“I think I'll join you.” Katherine poured a cup of coffee and sat beside her mother. She looked at her mother blankly, running over Jared's words in her mind.
I'll do it my way.
“Did Matt and Jared leave?” her mother asked.
“Yes. They went to buy more wrapping paper and look around the mall for awhile."
“Jared's so good with Matt. You don't think Jared got mad at me yesterday, do you?"
Katherine chuckled. “You mean when you took credit for Jared and me getting married?” She shook her head. “No. However, he was a little surprised to hear the entire neighborhood was in on the matchmaking, too. They maneuvered us under that mistletoe."
Her mother blushed and laughed.
It's now or never.
Katherine sipped her coffee. “Have you seen Thomas lately?"
Great, that's real subtle.
Her mother's back straightened and she frowned. “No, and I don't plan on seeing him."
Okay. Torpedoes away!
“Why did you tell Thomas that I didn't approve of your seeing him?"
Her mother's eyes rounded. “Did he tell you that?"
Katherine pursed her lips. “Noooo. And stop avoiding my question."
Her mother ran her finger over the rim of her cup. “I thought you might think it was too soon for me to date anyone."
Katherine hoped that was all there was to it, but she doubted it. “You and Thomas have known each other for over four years. You shared a lot of pain together.” Katherine shook her head. “It isn't too soon."
Her mother's chin quivered. “Your father-"
“Would want you to be happy, Mom. You had a beautiful marriage, but Dad wouldn't want you looking at the past and clinging to it. He would want you smiling and running ahead to the future."
“I can't.” She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
Katherine grabbed a handful of tissues, handed them to her mother and hugged her. “Why can't you? What are you afraid of?"
“Lots of things."
Katherine took a deep breath. “Okay, name them."
“It isn't that easy. You don't know what it's like to live with a man for thirty-four years and see him die from cancer.” She twisted the tissues in her hand and sniffled. “A part of me died watching him suffer,” she whispered.
Katherine's eyes welled with tears. “I loved him for thirty-one years, still do. I think you're like me, afraid of getting hurt again."
Her mother nodded and tried to take a sip of coffee, but her hand shook so badly she set the cup back down. “I don't want to go through that again. I can't."
Katherine leaned closer. “Mom, do you love Thomas?"
Her mother wiped tears away and looked up. “Yes, I do."
Katherine smiled. “Don't you see? The only thing you'll be stopping is the joy of loving him however much time God gives you on this earth. You can't control the rest. Love him like tomorrow might not come, that's all any of us can do."
Her mother sniffed. “How'd you get so smart?"
Katherine hugged her. “I had a good teacher."
Her mother blew her nose and wiped her eyes. “I know you're right. I love him and even if he was on the moon, I'd hurt if anything happened to him."
Katherine heard a ‘but’ in her mother's reply. “Okay, out with it. What else is stopping you?"
Her mother blushed. “Katherine, I can't talk about it."
I'm going to have to talk to my mother about sex.
Katherine rolled her eyes. “Is it sex?” she blurted out.
Her mother gasped and her cheeks turned red. “Katherine Marisa Cahill, this is not something a mother wants to discuss with her daughter."
Katherine stood up, refilled her cup with coffee for herself, and then sat back down. “You aren't discussing it with your daughter. You're discussing it with another woman. One who's as stubborn as you, so talk."
Her mother blushed again and lowered her gaze to the table. “I've only been with one man. I don't know if I can please Thomas. I'm scared. Can you understand that?"
Katherine smiled. “Yes. I had the same insecurities, but you love him and you're going to have to face your fears."
Her mother nodded and blushed.
“At one o'clock, Thomas is coming here to pick you up. Talk to him. Share with him what you shared with me. You might find out that you have some of the same concerns."
Her mother smiled and put her arms around Katherine.
*
* * *
It was six o'clock and her mother hadn't returned. Katherine smoothed chocolate frosting on the cake she had baked. Matt sat at the table licking the beaters and smacking his lips.
“You put peanut butter in it, too. It's good,” Matt said taking a sip of milk.
After Katherine put the dirty dishes in the sink, she ruffled Matt's hair.
She glanced up to see her embarrassed mother and an ecstatic Thomas enter the kitchen. He held onto her mother's arm as they approached Katherine.
“Grandma,” Matt shouted and waved a beater at her.
Her mother laughed. “It looks like you're enjoying that frosting."
Thomas extended his hand. A warm rush of happiness welled up in Katherine. She smiled, flung out her arms and hugged him. “I'm so happy to see the two of you together."
“I wanted to thank you for helping Grace and me,” he said, his gray eyes warming with the sentiment. “I love your mother with all my heart. She never would have told me what was bothering her if you hadn't talked to her."
Her mother extended her hand, brandishing an antique diamond engagement ring. Tears glistened in her mother's eyes. “I'm so happy. He bought this for me weeks ago, but I never knew it.” She blushed. “You were right, Katherine. We needed to talk it all out. We're getting married right after Christmas."
Katherine hugged and congratulated them again. She glanced from her mother to Thomas and was warmed again by the love and adoration that shone in their eyes for one another. “You're just in time for cake and coffee. I'll call and invite Jared to come and celebrate with us."
Matt glanced up, licking the icing from his fingers. “My grandma's getting married, too?"
Katherine chuckled and wet a dishtowel to clean some of the chocolate layers off his face. “Yes. Mr. Hughes will be your new grandpa soon."
Her mother took the cloth from her. “I got him."
Katherine dialed Jared's number but it was busy. “It's just up the street. I'll go get him."
“Boy, Matt, you're a mess,” her mother said.
Katherine smiled and turned away as her mother rinsed the rag and washed Matt again.
“Will this still be Grandma's house?” Matt asked.
The Mistletoe Affair Page 20