Just One Kiss: A heartwarming Christmas romance (Whisper Lake Book 4)

by Barbara Freethy

  "The calm before the storm. But the race down the mountain brings the energy, the excitement, and the challenge. You can't beat that feeling of exuberance at the end of a good run."

  His words made her feel like she was already on that run. This had probably been a really bad idea, but it was too late now. There was no other way down than sledding with Jake, and the excitement was already bubbling up inside of her. "Have you done this run before?"

  "Nope. This place wasn't here when we were kids. And sledding isn't really my thing. I'd rather be snowboarding, skiing or freestyling."

  "Then why the push to sled now?"

  "Because I get to put my arms around you," he said with an honest and open grin.

  She couldn't help but smile back. Thankfully, she didn't have to come up with a response as the lift had reached the top. They hopped off and grabbed one of the two-person sleds before making their way to one of the three runs that went down the mountain. When it was their turn, she had to admit to a little trepidation.

  "It's very high," she murmured. "It didn't look this steep from the bottom."

  "It will be fun. You will love it, Hannah."

  "How do you know that?" She got onto the front of the sled, and he slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her back against his very solid chest. And just like that, her fears slipped away.

  "How do I know that?" he echoed. "Because deep down, you love to fly, Hannah."

  She had no time to argue or even to think about that, because they were racing down the mountain. As their speed picked up, as the wind beat against her face, she screamed with both fear and excitement, appreciating the strong arms around her. It seemed like it would be impossible to stop, but there was just enough of an upward rise to slow them down and bring them to a stop in a spray of beautiful white powder.

  Her heart was pounding against her chest as she rolled off the sled and jumped to her feet. Jake looked at her with sparkling brown eyes as he got to his feet. "Well?"

  "That was amazing."

  "Seems like the perfect time for a kiss. But it's your call," he said.

  She must have lost her mind somewhere on the slope, because she found herself grabbing his arms and leaning in for the kiss she wanted as much as he did.

  She closed her eyes as his mouth settled on hers with spine-tingling heat. There was cold surrounding them, but there was nothing but delicious warmth in their kiss. She'd always loved kissing Jake, and now the past was mixing with the present in the best possible way.

  Until a flurry of snow hit her on the side of her cheek. She broke away from Jake as a sled came perilously close to running them down but managed to land a few feet away.

  "Sorry," a woman said with an apologetic wave.

  Jake grabbed their sled and they dragged it over to the lift area, sliding it onto a flat piece of metal that would take it back to the top.

  "Want to do that again?" he asked.

  "The sledding or the kiss?" she asked mischievously.

  "How about both?" he returned, his hands sliding around her waist.

  She immediately regretting her challenging question. She slipped away from him. "I think we're done."

  "For today," he added. "The ball is now back in my court."

  "We're not playing a game."

  "Oh, it's not a game," he said purposefully.

  "Jake…" Her voice trailed away as she really didn't know what to say.

  "Let's go build a snowman," he said.

  As he turned away, she said, "I don't have to do everything you say." She impulsively picked up a handful of snow, molded it into a ball, and threw it at the back of his head.

  He jumped and turned around in surprise. "What the hell was that?"

  "Oops," she said, giving him a look of mock apology.

  "You want to play it like that?" he dared.

  "I'll play any way I want," she shot back. She dodged his snowball and jogged across the meadow. He caught up with her within ten seconds. He grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.

  She thought he was going to go in for another kiss, but to her shock he smashed a pile of snow right into her face. She sputtered. By the time she'd wiped the icy mess off her mouth, he was out of her range.

  He flung her a quick grin, backpedaling as he did. "Ball is still in my court," he said.

  "You just had a chance to kiss me. Why didn't you take it?"

  "It wasn't the right time."

  "There's not going to be a better time. We may never be this close again."

  "Oh, we will be," he said, his promising gaze sending a shiver down her spine that had nothing to do with the snow still lingering on her face. "You'll see."

  "Or I won't," she said, determined not to let him think he was getting his way.

  "You will. Because you want it to happen as much as I do."

  She wanted to argue that he was wrong, but her slight hesitation was all it took for him to spin back around and jog ahead, once again getting the last word.

  She hated when he got the last word, but she had to admit that what she hadn't hated was his kiss. But then, why would she hate it?

  They'd always had a crazy chemistry. It was everything else that had gone to hell. That's the part she didn't ever want to live through again. So, maybe she needed to end this game before it went any further. Not that she was playing.

  Oh, who was she kidding?

  She'd kissed him. She was definitely playing. But not for long, she told herself firmly. They'd had some fun. That was enough.

  She really wanted it to be enough…

  Chapter Twelve

  Hannah had surprised him, not just with the kiss, but with the snowball fight, with the smile that had stayed on her lips, the happy light in her brown eyes. He'd wanted to see her like this for a long time, and, finally, she'd shown him a side of herself that wasn't brimming with anger and resentment. He just wasn't sure he could make the mood last, but he was certainly going to try.

  He'd always thought he needed a huge challenge to face and conquer in order to get to a happy place, to escape the darkness that resided deep in his soul, in a place that no one else ever saw. That's why he hiked the tallest mountains, climbed the most dangerous rock formations, challenged himself on the white waters of the wildest rivers, tested his confidence with parachute skiing and cave diving—anything that would put his life on the line, his skills to the ultimate stress point. But today, sledding and snowman building, and a hot kiss from Hannah, had put a grin on his face that he couldn't seem to get rid of.

  Everyone else seemed to be having a good time, too. Lizzie and Justin managed to snag first place with their snowman, an elaborate creation that only the imaginative Lizzie could create, while the rest of the group had had to settle for ribbons for basically showing up. After the competition, they'd gone to the dining room at the lodge and ordered up burgers, wings, fries, and plenty of hot chocolate with whipped cream. Conversation had flowed fast and furious, although he'd been content to watch and listen for most of the time.

  After their meal, Lizzie and Justin took off while Hannah, Zach, Gianna, and Chloe decided to take the kids into the arcade. He'd thought about going with them, but Keira had slid down the bench next to him, and it was clear she wanted to speak to him.

  "So…" she began. "What's going on, Jake?"

  "Just enjoying the last of my hot chocolate," he said, taking a sip.

  "I mean with Hannah."

  "I know what you mean, but I can't tell you."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I have no idea," he said candidly. "I was in the right place at the right time to help Hannah on Friday night. Since then, she's been a little friendlier. I think, or I hope, that she's starting to see me as who I am now."

  "That would be nice. It has been awkward for the group with you two at such odds. But—"

  "I figured there was a but… Let me have it."

  She gave him an assessing look. "I don't want to see Hannah hurt again, an
d I'm not sure what to make of this sudden turnaround in your relationship. Two days ago, she hated your guts. Today, I felt like I was watching the Hannah and Jake show of our high school years, the sneaky little intimate looks and the ridiculously happy smiles."

  "I don't think we've gotten back to that place yet."

  "Still…I'm a little shocked that everything has changed so fast. I don't know what to make of it."

  He shrugged. "I'm just happy she doesn't look like she wants to put a knife in my back as soon as I turn around. Beyond that, I have no idea where we're going, if we're going anywhere. She has a lot happening in her life right now."

  "True. I've only heard pieces of the story, but I know Kelly is in some sort of trouble, which doesn't surprise me, since trouble was her middle name. But now she has a kid who needs his mother, so I hope she comes through whatever she's involved in."

  "So do I." Despite Hannah's estrangement from her sister, anything bad happening to Kelly would shatter Hannah. "I don't want to see Hannah have to deal with another tragic loss."

  "I don't either. She has had such a rough time with her mom all these years. You know she practically raised Tyler. She had him with her when she went to college because her mom couldn't take care of him. Can you imagine being a junior in college and having to deal with your sixteen-year-old brother making his way through a new high school?"

  "She told me about that. I had no idea she'd had to do that."

  "She rose to the challenge. That's what Hannah does; it's what she's doing now." Keira paused, her gaze moving toward the archway that led into the arcade. The group was headed back to the table. "Looks like they've run out of tokens." She turned to give him another pointed look. "Just remember this, Jake. You hurt Hannah again, and you will have to answer to not just me, but all of us. You know that, right?"

  "What if she hurts me?"

  Keira frowned. "Good question. I guess we're friends, too."

  "I'd like to think so."

  "Maybe you two should go back to keeping your distance. As annoying as it sometimes was to be around the two of you together, I never had to worry that things were going to blow up again. Now, I do."

  "Relax, Keira. We're not rushing into anything. We've barely gotten past the enemy stage."

  She gave him a thoughtful look. "Somehow I doubt that. And I know you, Jake. When you want something or someone, you go after that goal with everything you've got." She paused. "Hannah is the same way. So, I guess we'll find out what happens if one or both of you decides you want the other."

  "It will be fireworks," he said with a grin.

  She smiled back. "I hope neither of you gets burned."

  Jake thought about Keira's words as he drove Hannah and Brett home a little after two. Brett was already drooping in his seat. He had a feeling the kid would be asleep before they reached the highway. Which meant he and Hannah would have plenty of time to chat, not that she'd had much to say since she'd gotten in the truck. Her mood had definitely changed from where it had been after the sled run. She wasn't being cold, but she wasn't being warm, either. She was thinking—probably about all the reasons why they shouldn't be friends again. That needed to stop.

  "What do you have going on the rest of the day?" he asked, hoping to distract her from her thoughts.

  "I have to bake cookies. The hospital Christmas party is tomorrow afternoon, and I've been tasked with bringing three dozen cookies. I guess Brett will have to help me make them."

  "I'm sure he'll enjoy that. I think my mom is making cookies, too, or maybe that was for the carnival."

  "She was on the carnival baking committee. The ER nurses are in charge of tomorrow's sweets. I was also thinking that I should get a tree." She took a quick look back at Brett. "He's already asleep."

  "He had a lot of exercise today."

  "I want to make this Christmas magical for him," she continued, as she turned her gaze back to his. "I don't usually decorate for the holiday, but I feel like this one should be everything it's supposed to be. It won't make up for his mom not being around, but maybe it will help."

  "And maybe she'll be back by Christmas."

  "I hope so."

  His phone buzzed with an incoming text, and he pulled it out of his pocket. He handed it to Hannah, not wanting to be distracted while driving through the mountains. "Could you read that for me?"

  "It's from Trevor. He's at the Motor Inn off Highway 7 in room ten."

  He was relieved that Trevor had finally gotten back to him, but not that he'd ended up in a motel.

  "Is that good news?" Hannah asked.

  "I'm not sure. I don't know why he left the cabin, but I'm glad he finally got back to me. I've been texting him since Friday night."

  "He sounds relatively coherent."

  "I'll go by the motel after I drop you and Brett off."

  "I'm sorry you have to take us all the way back."

  "It's not a problem."

  "When you talk to Trevor, maybe you can find out what he spoke to Kelly about."

  "I will definitely ask him."

  "He might have been the last person to talk to my sister. He could have information that no one else has."

  "That's one reason I've been relentlessly texting him."

  Hannah tapped her fingers nervously against her thighs. "I wish we could both go see Trevor, but I can't expose Brett to whatever is going on at that motel."

  "No, you can't. I'll handle it, and I'll make sure to get any information he has. You can count on that, Hannah."

  "Thanks."

  Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at her house. He got Brett out of his car seat and carried him into the house and up the stairs to Hannah's guest room. After one very sleepy trip to use the bathroom, Hannah tucked Brett into the middle of the bed, surrounding him with pillows, so he couldn't possibly roll off the edge, and then they went downstairs.

  The whole routine of putting a child down to sleep felt surreal, as if they were parents, as if Brett was their child. It was not an experience he'd ever had before, but he found himself liking it more than he would have expected.

  They were almost to the door when the doorbell rang. A somber-looking Adam stood on the porch. He looked like he'd come from work, wearing a heavy wool coat over dark slacks and a button-down shirt.

  "Is it bad news?" Hannah asked.

  "It's news," Adam said quietly. "Can I come in?"

  "Yes. Let's go in the kitchen. Brett is asleep, but I don't want to take a chance he'll overhear anything."

  He followed Adam and Hannah into the kitchen. As eager as he was to talk to Trevor, he wanted to know what Adam had found out.

  "We've been tracking Kelly's boyfriend, Russ Miller," Adam said, as they sat down at the table.

  "The hotel manager?" Hannah asked.

  "Yes."

  "Did you find him? Does he know where Kelly is? Was she with him?" The questions poured out of Hannah's mouth,

  "We found him," Adam replied, his lips drawing into a tight line. "At a campground outside of Denver. He was dead."

  Jake couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He's dead?"

  "Yes. Russ Miller was stabbed twice. His body was found near a river that ran through the campground. It was about a mile from the cabin where he was staying with your sister."

  "Oh, God." Hannah put a hand to her mouth. "Is Kelly…"

  "We didn't find her," Adam said quickly. "But she was with him at the campground. The attendant said that Russ checked in last Monday with a woman and a child. She identified the woman as your sister. Mr. Miller's body was discovered Saturday morning, and it appeared that he had been dead for over forty-eight hours. It's believed that the stabbing occurred sometime on Wednesday evening."

  "Did anyone see anything?" he asked.

  "No. It's winter, and the campground was mostly empty. Only a few cabins had been rented. The attendant said that Russ, Kelly and Brett showed up on Monday night and paid in cash for a week."

  "What do you think h
appened?" Hannah asked.

  "Mr. Miller was stabbed in the back and then in the neck. The neck wound was fatal. My guess is he was taken by surprise, disabled by the first attack and unable to fight off the second."

  Hannah paled at Adam's gruesome statement, and Jake couldn't help but put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

  She gave him a despairing look and then moved her gaze back to Adam. "Who do you think killed him?"

  "I don't know."

  Jake didn't know either, but he had a bad feeling, and he could see that Hannah was struggling with the same theory.

  "If Russ was hurting Kelly, then maybe she…" As Hannah struggled to finish that sentence, he jumped in.

  "It could have been self-defense," he said. "Kelly didn't want to be with Russ. She found a moment to take him by surprise. She stabbed him, and she took Brett and ran."

  Adam met his gaze. "It could have gone down that way. If she was involved, self-defense or not, it would also explain why she didn't want anyone to go to the police."

  "She could have been afraid she'd be arrested for her boyfriend's death," he added.

  Hannah turned to him, grabbing onto his theory. "And Kelly didn't think anyone would believe it was self-defense." She looked back at Adam. "What happens now?"

  "The investigation is continuing on multiple fronts. I'm working with the police in Colorado Springs and in Rocky Point where the campground is located. The rangers are also involved in collecting evidence in the park. We're, of course, still looking for your sister and following up with as many coworkers and friends of Kelly and Russ Miller as we can find."

  "You got my message about Kelly being pregnant?"

  "Yes. I have to tell you that no one mentioned it to me. The only photo we have of Kelly is from the ATM she used in Colorado Springs before she left town. In that grainy image, she doesn't look pregnant, but she was wearing a big coat over what looked like leggings and boots, so it was hard to tell. However, I will follow up and see what I can find out about that. I don't know that it changes anything, although it might play into some kind of motive."

  "Should I feel relieved that Kelly isn't in danger from this man?" Hannah asked slowly.