Shifting, she scooted along his side and maneuvered awkwardly into a sitting position. With a twist and a grunt, she leaned over him as he arched up and caught her in a slow, leisurely kiss. The kind that zapped her senses as he took his time, teasing, taunting, provoking the fire that always simmered just beneath the surface.
His hand skimmed along her side to dance against her thigh, and in one fluid move, he drew her leg over his body, shifting her until she sat atop his belly. Leaning back, he broke their kiss. “I want to make love to you too. Right here.”
The sound of high-pitched laughter pulled Amanda from her dream. With a protesting groan, she rolled over, seeking the very same security she’d felt in sleep. The nearness of Josh. The strength of his arms. The intoxicating touch of his lips.
But beside her, the bed was empty.
Confused, she sat up and glanced around the room. The pale light outside alerted her to the early hours of morning, and she frowned. Had he come to bed?
Her gaze fell on the rumpled clothes on the floor. Yes, he had.
Relieved, she fell back into the pillows and let out a sigh.
Another peal of laughter drifted through her partly open door, mixing with the unmistakable rumble of hearty male amusement. She threw an arm over her eyes, trying to block the noise and sought her dream once more. Yet just as she envisioned the tequila-sunrise horizon, more amused squeals wafted to her ears. Groaning, she sat up again. What in the world?
“Shh, ladies, you’ll wake up Amanda,” Josh chastised distantly.
Too late, she was already awake, and there wasn’t a fragment of hope of going back to sleep now. She’d slept far too long as it was.
Driven by curiosity, she threw back the covers and climbed out of bed.
Donning a sweatshirt, she shivered against the early morning chill and wandered out in the hall where she turned the thermostat up a notch. She’d regret it later, when she forgot she’d altered the setting and the upstairs turned into a sauna. But right now, all she cared about was comfort.
She chuckled softly. Sure enough. Just like last time, her hormones were already kicking in. Her obstetrician refused to believe her too—said it wasn’t possible for hormones to be at elevated levels at so early a stage. Explained that her body would still think she was at the end of her cycle. But Amanda knew better. For someone who never minded the cooler temperatures of her mother’s house to suddenly find them intolerable, something was different.
With light steps, she tiptoed down the stairs, hoping to catch the trio in the middle of whatever had them laughing so hard, so early. One squeaky board, however, spoiled her attempt, and Emma’s keen ears picked up on it immediately.
“She’s coming,” her voice drifted from within the kitchen.
The sound of a rapidly closing door made Amanda frown. What were they doing? If she hadn’t heard Josh, she’d worry the girls were up to no good. While that was still possible, at least they had adult supervision and the likelihood of her kitchen catching on fire again was diminished.
Something metal clanged against the sink. Running water splashed in the basin.
“No, no, you’re doing it wrong.” Amy’s voice seeped through the closed door.
Amanda approached, her curiosity piqued. At Josh’s muffled oath, she lifted her eyebrows. Moving a little faster, she reached for the door, only to have it open before her.
Josh stepped out and yanked it shut behind him before she could peek inside. “Morning, honey.”
Eying him with one arched brow, she glanced between the closed door and his innocent smile. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing.” He pushed a hand through his hair, and she noted he’d removed the Band-Aid. The cut resembled little more than a superficial scratch.
“Uh-huh.” She reached under his arm for the doorknob.
He caught her wrist and pulled her hand away. “Why don’t you go sit in the living room for a while.” It wasn’t a suggestion, and the way he moved to block her from the doorway gave her little choice.
“Josh, what are you and the girls doing in my kitchen?”
“Nothing, baby.” He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Go sit down. We’ll be out in a little bit. Not too much longer now. Do you want some coffee?”
“Ah…” she faltered. “Sure.”
“Okay, I’ll have Emma bring it out to you.” Reaching behind his back, he turned the knob.
“I can get it myself?” she tried.
Flashing her a knowing smirk, he shook his head. “Nope.”
Damn. What in the hell were they up to?
Another unidentifiable clatter broke out inside.
“Gotta go!” Josh dashed inside the kitchen, shutting the door so fast, she caught just the briefest glimpse of Amy sitting at the table in front of a silver, mixing bowl.
With no other options, Amanda wandered into the living room and dropped onto the couch. She picked up the remote, flicked on the television, and curled up in the corner to watch the early morning news. Above the newscaster’s voice, the occasional giggle blended with the constant hum of movement, making it impossible to focus on the reporters’ stories.
She gave up and leaned her head back to stare at the ceiling. Today was Christmas Eve. She had a little more than twelve hours to finish the scrapbook she’d started yesterday at Lucas’s. Somehow or another, she needed to find an excuse to get out of the house without arousing Josh’s suspicions. Telling him she wanted to go to Lucas’s would only have him wanting to come along. While the men could hang out, she’d have a heck of a time keeping them out of her hair, and she couldn’t risk Josh peeking in at the wrong time.
Her quandary came to an abrupt halt as the kitchen door opened and two pairs of little feet rushed into the living room. She sat up just in time to intercept Emma’s leaping vault at her lap.
“I’m sorry, Mommy. I forgot your coffee.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. What are you up to in there?”
“Come see,” Josh called softly.
As Amanda stood, Amy and Emma each took one of her hands and half-dragged her into the kitchen. One foot in the doorway, Amanda stopped short with a gasp. Her gaze riveted on the cozy table, taking in the four tidily arranged places.
In the center of the table, a large bowl held a mountain of blueberry muffins. Nearby, her crystal butter dish displayed a stick of fresh butter. Next to the basket, a platter contained three stacks of pancakes that awaited the steamy syrup at the platter’s side. A sliced orange decorated each plate, and four tall glasses of juice stood sentry over the whole display.
“I set the table, Amanda,” Amy declared. Pride shone in her dark features.
Amanda patted her shoulder. “You did a good job.” She lowered herself into a chair, and chanced a glance at Josh.
He gave her a playful wink as he sat down beside her. “C’mon, girls, time to eat.”
“This is…wow.” Amanda gaped at the colorful array. “How’d you manage this?”
Josh freed a sheepish grin. “The girls told me what to do. Emma mixed the muffins, and Amy stirred the pancake batter. They both supervised the cooking.”
One glance over her shoulder at the stack of pans poking out of her sink confirmed her suspicion that every bowl in the kitchen had been used in this concoction. But for once, she didn’t care about the mess left behind. The impulsive surprise was far too touching.
“Josh burned the first four pancakes,” Emma said on a giggle.
As he dished out the pancakes to the girls, Josh’s cheeks flushed. “You weren’t supposed to tell her.”
“It’s funny, though, Josh,” Amy protested. “My mom doesn’t even burn pancakes, and she hardly ever cooks.”
“Okay, enough,” he said with a chuckle. “We eat now and stop picking on Josh’s inability to cook.”
Amanda grinned. Lifting a forkful of pancakes onto her plate, she spread a pad of butter on the edge and re
ached for the coffee. “What’s the occasion?” she asked over the rim of her mug before she took a deep swallow.
“Just because,” Josh answered through a mouthful of muffin. He wiped at his mouth with a paper napkin and nodded to Emma. “Tell your mom the rest, Princess.”
A touch of suspicion filtered through Amanda as she cast a wary gaze at her daughter. The rest? Had they broken something? These three had secrets, and judging by the impish look on Emma’s face, and Amy’s stifled giggle, she wasn’t certain she wanted to learn them.
“Aunt Olivia is coming in for Christmas.”
Amanda almost dropped her fork. She caught it as it slipped from her fingers, seconds before it made contact with her plate. She gaped at Josh. “Olivia? Your sister?”
“And she’s bringing a puppy.”
“A puppy?” Amanda echoed.
“I told her you might not be enthused about the dog, but I’ll pick up a crate, and we can kennel him to keep him out of trouble.”
Her mind spun. Olivia was four years older, and the last Amanda remembered of her was attending graduation as an eighth grader, long before she and Josh started dating. A friend of her mother’s had a niece graduating, and Amanda had been forced to go along. Olivia had been class President and Valedictorian. She left town that afternoon, or so it seemed. For years after, her artwork still hung in the halls, tagged with various awards she’d won. She’d never come back to claim them.
What Amanda remembered of Olivia was a strikingly beautiful girl who had a reputation for eccentrics. She’d painted a mural on the side of one of the historic buildings in the middle of the night. While she’d done community service for breaking the law, the city oohed and ahhed over her talent behind whispered hands. Her speech at graduation had been…shockingly funny too. Instead of something reserved and motivational, she dwelled on the life of teens, and the transformation into adulthood, covering every aspect from puberty, to sex, to how they’d go on and find freedom in their lives at college.
Olivia was coming here.
“Why?” she asked, swallowing down a bite of pancake that clung to her dry throat.
Josh shrugged. “I guess the house got lonely.” He drained his orange juice and went to the fridge to pour another glass. “I, ah, need to borrow your car though. She’s insisted I come get her.”
“Can I go with him, Mommy?” Emma chirruped at her side.
Still struggling to grasp that Josh’s sister was coming to her house, Amanda blinked. “Um.”
“Please, Mommy, please? Josh said he didn’t care, if it was okay with you.”
With a shake of her head, Amanda shook off her momentary stupor. “No, you have company.”
“Aw, Mom,” Emma protested. “I want to.”
“I know you do, sweetie, but not this time. Maybe when she goes back to the city.”
Olivia here. Good, Lord, what would Mae think? Had Olivia changed? If she were still the outspoken girl she’d once been, Mae would faint at the table.
She forced the thoughts aside. No matter how uncomfortable it might be, this was Christmas. A time when family was supposed to get together. While Olivia chose to distance herself earlier, for whatever reason, she wanted to be a part of the holiday. Amanda didn’t intend to ruin that for her.
Nor did she intend to spoil this beautiful breakfast. “Thank you, girls, Josh, for breakfast.”
“You’re welcome,” they all chimed at once.
Finished with her meal, she started to her feet. “So when will you be back?”
Josh stood before she could and took her plate, depositing it in the sink. “Well, I thought I’d leave after I got this mess cleaned up. I have a couple errands I need to run while I’m there, and I’m supposed to pick up Olivia around nine.” He turned the water on in the sink, jumping back when the spray ricocheted off a pan and doused his shirt. “I doubt she’ll be up, but I should be back no later than noon.”
Noon. Plenty of time to work on her project. Maybe Olivia’s coming was a blessing in disguise. It certainly provided Amanda with a means of sneaking out of the house to finish her scrapbook.
“Do I need to plan anything special for dinner, or adjust anything she can’t eat, for tomorrow’s meal?”
Josh planted a kiss on Amanda’s cheek with a shake of his head. “Don’t trouble yourself, honey. Olivia isn’t picky about food. She’ll love anything you make.”
As she watched Josh clear off the table, leaving only enough for the girls to have a second helping if they chose to, she couldn’t hold back a tiny frown. There was something markedly different in his behavior. Nothing she could immediately put her finger on, but something that definitely hadn’t been there yesterday.
“Olivia’s an artist, Mommy,” Emma announced with a theatrical wave of her hand. “She paints things and makes lots of money.”
Amanda groaned inwardly at her daughter’s excited proclamation. With a little luck, Olivia would temper her brush and the urge to paint Amanda’s walls.
Twenty-nine
Ensconced in Lucas’s upstairs entertainment room with her daughter playing board games downstairs, Amanda spread a stack of photographs and paper mementos around her. To her left, she set clippings from the local paper about Josh’s football accomplishments—everything from winning games to his scholarship offer from Kansas State University. All things she and her mother diligently collected years ago.
On her right, she lined up candid shots of friends, family, and themselves. Her favorite was a picture Lucas had taken on their trip to Yellowstone. Perched on a large rock, before a backdrop of thick trees, she sat with her back propped up against one of Josh’s legs, his chest against her shoulder. Lucas caught them stealing a private moment, and Josh’s head was tipped toward hers, moments before he’d kissed her. His expression held softness. The way his fingers framed the side of her face spoke of the deep attachment they’d had even then. They hadn’t even known Lucas had taken the shot until he developed the film.
She picked up a pair of scissors and a sheet of yellow-green cardboard paper that accented the color of the trees. With careful snips, she cut out a frame to fit around the photograph and glued it inside the scrapbook. The picture fastened in place, she moved on to the decorative stickers she’d picked up.
After considering all the things she could buy Josh, and with her convictions about her pregnancy, she’d decided the scrapbook was the most effective way to make the announcement. It would be an eternal chronicle of the things they’d shared, what they’d been through, and where everything finally came together. She’d also outlined two pages near the end of the book that included the announcement of his architectural firm’s grand opening and news clippings of his professional awards.
It would appeal to Josh’s sentimental side. While he might not show his appreciation in front of everyone, he’d love it. If she had any money for wagers, she’d stake all of it that somewhere, tucked inside some dark closet, Josh had just as many saved mementos. Probably wherever he’d stashed her class ring.
Combined with the scrapbook, she’d wrapped a small box of newborn clothes. But the baby things weren’t the only present she’d worked on.
Glancing up, her gaze settled on the tissue-paper-filled sack on the dresser.
Of all the things Josh found most fascinating, old ruins and the techniques that withstood centuries were his passion. Modern architectural design had never held his fancy. He could build it, but he didn’t like to. All of his awards had been for excellence in restoration and for building new with concepts and elements of the past.
With Lucas’ help, she’d found the perfect gift that fit his passions. The Santa Claus decorated sack she could give to him in front of everyone and save the scrapbook for private. Just in case the baby upset him.
A little thrill of anticipation worked its way through her, provoking a giddy giggle. Playing Santa for Josh was almost more fun than playing Santa for Emma. Though she now owe
d Lucas a heck of a lot more money, every penny of it would be worth it to see the look on Josh’s face when he pulled out the printed plane tickets inside the Christmas sack.
Humming a random melody, she turned back to the newspaper snippets and pictures surrounding her. One thing at a time. Scrapbook first, meal prep next. Setting out cookies with Emma tonight, making love to Josh much later. Christmas tomorrow. Mae, Olivia, and all the gift-giving after dinner.
She blinked.
Olivia.
“Lucas!” She leapt off the bed in a flurry and dashed into the hall. Leaning over his upstairs balcony, she bellowed again, “Lucas!”
Stepping out of the game room, he looked up. “What are you hollerin’ about?”
“Take Emma downtown and find something for Olivia.”
“Who?”
With an exasperated mutter, she rolled her eyes. “Josh’s sister’s coming in town today. I don’t have a thing for her.”
“What the hell is that nut coming here for?”
“Luc, be nice. It’s Christmas,” she scolded.
Below, his snort bounced off the walls. “Nice? You have any idea what she used to do to Josh and me? The last I remember of her, was gettin’ whacked over the head with a tree limb when she crashed my remote control helicopter.”
“I don’t care. I won’t have her sitting there empty-handed while we open gifts. Go get her something.” She turned around, but at the snicker that drifted upstairs, she darted back to the railing. “Luc?”
“Yeah?”
“Make sure it’s something I’d approve of.”
“Damn,” he muttered.
She smirked.
“C’mon, Emma,” Lucas called. “We’ve got an errand to run.”
Amanda turned her back on the curious questions that followed and shut herself inside the entertainment room once more.
****
Josh parked in front of the Toy and Miniature Museum at ten o’clock on the dot. He was running late, but he’d had a few errands to run in the city that crucially affected his project. As long as he was here, he’d go ahead and add a little more detail to the 3-D model. Olivia certainly hadn’t complained about the extra sleep, either.
All I Want for Christmas is Big Blue Eyes Page 24