by Cathryn Fox
Gathering herself, she said, “I’ll drive you to get your bags and drop you off at the airport. But first, we need to eat breakfast.”
“Do you think your truck will work?”
“I guess we’ll find out.” She flicked on the radio to fill the cottage with Christmas music.
A pained expression came over his face. “Do you have to listen to Christmas music twenty-four-seven?”
“You don’t like Christmas music?”
“Something like that.”
“You really are Scrooge, aren’t you? You don’t like dogs, you don’t music, you don’t like lights.”
“I never said anything about lights.”
“You didn’t have to. I left the tree plugged in last night because I thought you might enjoy it, but this morning, the lights were off.”
“Maybe I couldn’t sleep because they were too bright.”
“So you’re telling me you do like lights.”
“Well, no.”
She laughed and pointed to the bathroom. “Go get a shower while I whip us up something to eat.”
He shot a glance toward the front door and froze when he looked through the windowpane.
“What?” she asked.
“I thought…” He let his words fall off. “Nothing. I probably should just get going.”
She pointed to his hair. “With that hat head? I don’t know, City. They might not let you on the plane looking like that.”
“Oh, you’re one to talk,” he shot back, his hand going to her messy locks. “Have you ever even heard of a comb?”
He raked his fingers through her short hair, and she sucked in a breath, the heat from touch traveling all the way to her toes, stopping at a few erogenous zones along the way.
He pulled his hand back like it had been burned. “Oh…I…sorry.”
Her heart thudded a little faster. “You don’t have to be sorry. If you want to touch my hair, you can touch my hair.” She looked at him and wondered if there were any other places he’d like to touch, because yeah, she could think of a few. It had been a long time since she’d been with somebody, and while she wasn’t the kind of girl to jump into bed with a random man, her heart told her Carter was anything but. There was something very special about him, something very good in his heart.
He peeled off his coat and jerked his thumb toward the shower. “I…ah…I should probably grab that shower.”
“Don’t use all the hot water.”
“I’ll probably just use cold,” he mumbled under his breath as he turned and walked away, his tight ass dragging her focus. Her thoughts shifted direction as she continued to stare, and she couldn’t help but think it had been a long time since she’d asked Santa for something special under her tree. Since she was pretty sure Carter was going to be around for the holidays, she couldn’t think of anyone else she’d rather unwrap.
5
Carter sat beside Josie in her truck, happy that the engine had turned over, and listened to her sing off-key to a Christmas song. Even though he hated the song, he couldn’t help but grin, especially when she messed up the words and kept right along. He’d never quite met anyone like her. Easygoing, easy to be with, always taking everything in stride. Basically, she was the opposite of him in almost every way. They clearly weren’t compatible, which made him wonder why he’d felt a spark of jealousy when he thought Jack was her boyfriend.
“What?” she asked, a wide smile on her face.
“You sing as well as you drive.”
“Hey.” She wacked him and punched up the volume, just to annoy him, he was sure. “If you think you can do better, let me hear it.”
“Don’t think so.”
“Then zip it.” She ran her finger across her lips, lips that kept drawing his attention, even though it wasn’t in his best interests. He shifted, his jeans suddenly feeling a little too tight in the crotch area.
As they approached town, he grabbed his phone and called up the flights. “Looks like I can get out of here mid-afternoon.”
“Do you want me to drop you off now?” she asked, and again, he couldn’t help but think how she was placating him, because he got the feeling she didn’t believe he’d be going anywhere anytime soon.
He glanced in the back seat at all the food she had for the shelter. It was a lot to carry, and she was such a little girl. With a few hours to spare, he supposed he had time to help. After all, she’d come to his rescue and had given him a place to stay.
“I can give you a hand with this first,” he said.
“Sounds good.”
Her head bobbed to the beat, and before he realized what he was doing, he was tapping his fingers on the dashboard. Shit. He pulled his hand back but caught the smirk on Josie’s face.
She parked along the street. Carter climbed out and noticed the pet store and all the puppies in the window. He could only imagine how many little kids would be asking for one of those purebreds for Christmas, and how many would be left disappointed.
He walked around back of the SUV to meet Josie. “Grab those two containers,” she said as she shuffled the boxes around. Just then, her phone pinged. She pulled it from her back pocket and grinned. “Dad’s on his way. He’s going to dress as Santa and meet with the kids. Hang on, I’ll ask him to bring your luggage.”
She punched the message, then stuffed the phone into her pocket as he gathered up the plastic containers full of turkey.
“Do you do this every year?” he asked.
“Sure do. My dad’s the mayor, and he likes to take care of those in his town. My brothers and I all help out the best we can. They leave the cooking to me.” She laughed and grabbed a container full of stuffing and a bag of rolls. “Because no one wants a charcoal turkey that looks like a sacrificial offering on their dinner plate.” Carter stood on the curb as she trudged down the long driveway toward the back entrance of the church. When she realized he wasn’t following, she glanced over her shoulder. “Aren’t you coming?”
“Your father is the mayor?”
“Yeah, I thought you knew that.”
“How would I know that? You didn’t tell me.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“Why would I ask?”
She shrugged and shifted the bag of rolls in her arms. “Beats me.”
He nodded toward the old, rundown church. “You said we were going to a shelter, but this is the church my client bought, isn’t it? The one the town uses as a food bank?”
“Yeah, shelter, food bank. Same thing. Now come on, we have some hungry people to feed.”
Shit.
He’d never personally visited the property, and even though the church was the last place he wanted to be, he followed along. She used her shoulder to push open the heavy back door, and a burst of heat washed over them as they stepped inside. Laugher could be heard as kids played and ran around the big open room while their parents stood in line to get them food.
“Hey Josie,” a pretty, middle-age woman wearing a hair net called out.
Josie placed her food on the counter and dropped a kiss on the woman’s cheek. “Mom, this is Carter. He’s staying with me for a few days. Carter this is Mary, my mom.”
Josie took the containers from him, and he held his hand out to her mother, but she shooed it away and wrapped him in a hug. “Carter, it’s nice to meet you. Josie told her father you’d be staying awhile when she called him last night about the road.”
He shifted, feeling a little uncomfortable. “Nice to meet you,” he said. “And I only stayed the one night. She was kind enough to take me in and offer her sofa.” In fact, it was also kind of her father and brother to tow his car to the rental place as well. He couldn’t image why they’d do that, for him of all people. “I’m heading to the airport in a few minutes.”
“Well, before you go, would you two mind setting up the Santa chair? It’s in the back room and your father is on his way.” She smiled at all the children playing, a warm motherly look that had Carter’
s heart pinching. She clasped her hands together. “Look at them all. They’re so excited to see Santa.”
“Let us grab the rest of the food,” Josie said. “Then we’ll get the chair.”
They made a few more trips to the truck, then headed to the back storage room. When he saw the plush Santa Chair, Carter scrubbed his face and asked, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
She crinkled her nose. “Bringing the chair out?”
“No, I mean, all those kids asking Santa for a gift. I mean…they don’t have…”
She blinked up at him, the warmth in her eyes doing the strangest things to him. “What they have is belief, Carter,” she said, and he realized she’d used his real name for the first time.
“Isn’t your dad kind of setting them up for disappointment?”
She went quiet for a moment, her glance moving over his face, those big eyes of hers assessing him in a way that made him feel…made him remember that he wasn’t worthy of anyone’s love.
“Is that how you see it?” she asked.
“It’s not how I see it, Josie. It’s how it is.”
A sadness backlit her eyes as she touched his cheek. In the softest voice, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
His throat tightened and she stepped back. “Hey, I’m fine. I was just thinking—”
“About the kids. I know. You’re a good guy, Carter.”
Good guy? Hardly.
These folks were all going to be left in the cold because of him. “Don’t be so sure about that,” he mumbled and grabbed the chair. “I got this.”
“Are you sure? It’s heavy.”
He carried it into the main room, and the kids starting clapping and jumping up and down when they saw it.
“Santa’s coming! Santa’s coming!” They all shouted in unison. “I’m going to ask for a puppy,” one of the little boys said. “I want a dolly,” a girl shouted.
He looked at his watch as Mary came up to them. “I have one more thing to ask before you head out. Would you mind running to Johnson’s convenience to grab a few more boxes of candy canes? I think we’re going to need them.”
Carter looked at his watch. “Okay,” he said. “I still have time.”
They stepped outside and when they reached the sidewalk, Josie slipped on a patch of ice. “Whoa!” she yelled.
Carter put his arm around her and held her to him. “You okay?” he asked.
“My hero,” she said, blinking up at him.
“I’m nobody’s hero.”
Instead of answering, she snuggled in tighter and stayed in his arms as they walked down the sidewalk. He slowed in front of the pet store and looked at the cute pup clawing at the window.
“I think he likes you,” Josie said. Then she nudged him. “Too bad you don’t like dogs.”
They reached the convenience store, and the bell overhead jingled when he pulled the door open. The girl working the cash register smiled at them, and an elderly gentleman behind the pharmacy counter lit up when he saw Josie.
“Josie,” he said. “I heard you had trouble on your road last night.”
“Yeah, but dad and Jack fixed it.” She pointed to Carter, then grabbed a couple boxes of candy canes from the shelf. “This is Carter. He’s staying with me for a few days.”
“Actually, I’m headed to the airport in a few minutes,” Carter corrected. Josie smiled at him and handed him the boxes. She grabbed a few more and started humming to the Christmas music playing from an overhead speaker.
Mr. Johnson frowned. “I guess you haven’t heard.”
“Heard what?” Carter asked.
“The airport is covered in fog. Nothing coming. Nothing going. I think you might be stuck here a little longer.” He placed his hands on the counter and gruffed. “They built that damn airport in a fishbowl. No wonder the place is always getting fogged in.”
A strange, uneasy feeling moved into Carter’s stomach. Okay, this was getting weird.
“Thanks for the update,” Josie said. “You tell Elaine we said hello, and Merry Christmas to you all.”
Carter followed her to the front. “He’s kidding, right?”
“Why would he kid about that?”
“Josie, this is strange.”
She stopped and turned to him. “When are you going to start believing me?”
He looked out the window and saw a flash of blue. “It’s a little far-fetched.”
“Not so far,” she said and dropped the boxes on the counter. “You might as well start accepting that you’re going to be spending Chrisms with me.”
“No, I’m not,” he said a little too harshly. Christ, she was too temping, too sweet, and he needed to be away from her sooner rather than later. Otherwise, he was pretty sure he was going to kiss the hell out of her. And he wasn’t so sure he could stop there. “I’m going home. One way or another, I’m going home.”
She turned to him, a hurt look on her face. “Is being here with me so bad, Carter?”
Feeling like a world-class prick as she turned those dark eyes on him, he said, “No. I didn’t mean that. I just…I have to get home.”
“Why?”
“Because I do.”
“That hardly seems like a good enough reason.” She pulled her wallet from her purse. “You said no one was waiting for you, so what’s the rush?”
The cashier rang them in and put the candy into bags as Carter pulled out his phone and checked his flight. Sure enough, everything was delayed due to fog.
“I’ll check into Stone Cliff. I’m not going to put you out any more than I have.”
“Okay, suit yourself, but I don’t think you’ll be able to get a room.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged easily. “They go to minimum staff this time of year, and if you’re not booked already, you likely won’t get booked.”
He called up the website and phoned registration. After a quick chat with the receptionist, he hung up. “Shit.”
She puckered her lips. Christ, he really wished she wouldn’t do that. “No rooms?”
“No.”
“So you have two choices. Stay with me, or sleep on an airport bench until the flights start again. I’m guessing, since you hate the idea of staying with me, that you’ll—”
“I never said that. I just…never mind.”
“Okay.”
He followed her outside, and she swung the bags as she continued to hum. They walked past the pet store, and as they approached the church, and saw the front doors wide open, she headed toward them.
“Dad must be here,” she said excitedly. “Come on, we’ll get your bags.” She rushed up the steps and he kept pace behind her. When they reached the top landing, she stopped abruptly and he crashed into her.
“What?” He put his mouth close to her ear and was sure a shiver moved through her. Yeah, whatever this thing was between them, she felt it every bit as much as he did. But dammit, he was not going to act on it. Now way. No how.
“My brother,” she said pointing.
Carter glanced up and spotted a guy and girl kissing in the doorway. Josie sagged against him. “That’s Katee Fraser. She’s been after Jack for a long time.”
“Looks like she’s finally caught him,” he whispered.
She gave a happy sigh. “Christmas really is magical.”
“Maybe,” he said, taking note of the mistletoe. Or maybe not.
As soon as they stopped kissing, Josie ran toward them, Carter following her. “Hey big bro,” she said, grinning. “You got something to say?”
He pointed upward. “Yeah, your turn.”
Josie’s eyes lit when she spotted the mistletoe over the door. “Oh!”
Dressed as Santa’s helper, Katee took off to help the mayor, and eyes that mirrored Josie’s met Carter’s. Jack grinned and folded his arms. “What are you waiting for, little sis? Time to kiss your boyfriend.”
“Wait, we’re not…” Carter stepped back. “She’s not…”
�
�She’s not what?” Jack asked, his grin widening. “Good enough for a city boy like you?”
Christ, was this whole town conspiring against him? “No, that’s not what I meant.” He looked at Josie. Sweet Josie, who he wanted to kiss in the worst way. But it was a bad idea. She was a nice girl who made him want to ask for things he knew better than to ask for.
Josie went up onto her toes. “He’s not going to leave us alone until you kiss me. So let’s just get this over with.”
Carter pulled her to him. “Fine,” he said, and pressed his mouth to hers for a quick, hurried kiss, knowing anything else would be too tempting, too dangerous. But the second he felt her soft lips on his, felt the way her body warmed in his arms, he forgot why getting close was a bad idea. She put her arms around his shoulders and held tight, and as her body fit against his, molding like a well-worn glove, he deepened the kiss, wanting, no needing, more. Her lips parted, and despite their audience of one, he slipped his tongue inside. Oh God. She was so sweet, so warm and welcoming, he almost forgot they were standing in a church, in a town he was desperate to escape.
Jack cleared his throat and Carter broke the kiss. With his arms still around Josie, he stood there staring at here, taking note of the desire reflecting in her eyes. Oh, Jesus, she wanted this, too. No way could he crash on her sofa knowing she was only a few feet away and wanted this as much as he did.
Walk away, Carter. Just walk away.
“Josie,” he whispered.
“Yeah,” she said, sounding breathless.
Go to the airport, Carter.
Even though it went against his own best interests, he said, “About your sofa…if the offer is still open…”
Shit.
“It is,” she said quickly.
As Carter looked at sweet and sexy Josie, taking in the warm flush on her cheeks, he knew spending the holidays with a nice girl like her was a bad idea—a really fucking bad idea—which made him wonder what is was about her—this town—that had him acting so out of character.
6
Josie could feel Carter’s eyes on her as she drove them back to her cottage. The glances he kept aiming her way had her temperature jumping a few degrees, despite the cold mountain air. Honest to God, the intense look on his face made her feel all jittery inside, all hyped up.