A Little Bit of Christmas

by Juliana Stone

  “That was…” she began, her voice featherlight and weak.

  “Yeah.”

  A few seconds passed, and she smiled. “Give me a bit. I think we should do it again.”

  Cash laughed. It was a sound she’d remember later when she was alone. “I might need more than a bit, but I’m up for another round.” He pulled her close. “Maybe two.”

  They went three more rounds, and it was late when they fell asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms. So late that the sun was already starting to come up.

  Chess woke up slowly. Did she dream? She couldn’t remember, but if she did they good dreams.

  She stretched like a cat lying on the roof in the sun, each limb unfurling with languid grace. She was warm and lazy. When her eyes blinked open, she was surprised to see sunlight falling through the window, chasing the shadows away. She’d been living between shades of gray for days now, and it was nice to escape the chill.

  Then she sat up, clutching the covers to her chest.

  This wasn’t her room.

  Images rolled through her mind. Cash naked, his strong body straining against hers. His touch gentle, his dark eyes intense. He’d touched a part of her she didn’t know existed, and this morning, that part of her cried out for more.

  But there would be no more.

  Chess slowly exhaled and glanced around the room. His duffel bag was gone, the empties stored in the garbage, and his winter coat and boots were nowhere to be seen. Her clothes were folded neatly on the dresser. On shaky legs, she slid from the bed, gathering the pile of clothes close before heading to the bathroom.

  She knew she would think about this night again, but right now, she needed to wipe it from her mind and put some distance between what she wanted and what could never be.

  Cash Bodine was gone, and she knew he wasn’t sticking around. It was just… She bit her lip to stop from crying. God, he didn’t even say goodbye. Chess looked at herself in the mirror. The skin on her neck was red from his whiskers, and her mouth was bruised from his kisses. She could still smell him.

  She looked away and stepped into the shower.

  Ten minutes later, any trace of Cash washed from her body, she gathered her things to go. She’d just slipped into her boots when the door to the room opened and Cash walked in with coffee, Danishes, and the kind of smile that could melt a girl’s heart.

  “You’re up,” he said, setting down the coffee tray. “I thought you’d be out for at least another hour.”

  She looked at the coffee and then back to him. “I thought you left.”

  Don’t cry. Don’t be that woman.

  He shoved his hands into his front pockets and hunched his shoulders. She knew he did that when he was trying to decide what to do or say.

  “I’m heading to my sister’s soon. She’s expecting me for breakfast. The roads are open and clear.” He looked at her, those dark eyes of his shooting darts straight to her heart. “I want you to come with me.”

  “What?” Surprised, she had to work to close her mouth.

  “It’s Christmas, and I don’t want you here by yourself.” A slow smile curved his mouth. “Come with me.”

  This wasn’t a good idea. Chess knew she was just delaying the inevitable. Cash was leaving for parts unknown tomorrow, and she’d still be here, stuck in Crystal Lake. But tomorrow hadn’t happened yet, and damned if she was ready to grab hold of it now.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t.”

  “Okay,” she said softly with a smile. “If you don’t think your sister will mind.”

  Cash didn’t answer that. He scooped her up and kissed her until her head spun. And then proceeded to divest her of the clothes she’d just pulled on.

  In the end, they didn’t make it for breakfast. In fact, they barely made lunch.

  Chapter Ten

  His sister’s place sat on the edge of a bluff that overlooked Crystal Lake. A new build, she and Cam had moved in just four weeks ago. It wasn’t nearly as large as her previous house, the one she’d shared with her late husband, David, but the many windows that had been incorporated into the design let in the surrounding nature, and the open concept was bright and airy. It was modern and classic combined, and every detail was filled with love.

  “Uncle Cash,” Tawny yelled excitedly.

  She nearly took them out as he and Chess walked into Blue’s house. She ran at them full tilt, a bundle of energy and sass and excitement. Dressed in a purple onesie with big pink polka dots, and curls springing in every direction from underneath a Santa hat, she jumped up and down and danced in a circle.

  “Santa came in the night, and we’ve been waiting forever and ever to open all the presents he left.” She did a perfect pirouette. “Well, Mommy let me open one for me and one for Brin, because she’s too little to open them by herself. Her present was boring, a little piggy to chew on.” She stopped, noticing Chess for the first time, and pushed hair from her face so she could see her better.

  “You’re pretty,” she said with a big smile. “You look like a princess.”

  “Thank you,” Chess replied, glancing up at Cash. She looked nervous, he thought. And kind of adorable. Her skin was still pink from their lovemaking, and her eyes sparkled. Damn, he could barely take his eyes off her.

  “Are you Uncle Cash’s girlfriend?”

  “Oh, um…” Chess glanced to him for help, but they were both saved when Blue and Cam appeared with their daughter Brinley, tucked into Cam’s arms.

  “Hey,” he said softly, giving his sister a big hug before taking the hand Cam offered. “Merry Christmas.” He pointed to a bag filled with wrapped presents in the corner and winked at Tawny. “Santa left presents at my house for you and your sister.”

  “He did?” Eyes as big as saucers stared up at him, and Cash’s heart melted. The little girl had had a rough start in life, but Cam had changed that, and then Blue came along, and now they were a family.

  “Apparently, you’ve been a good girl this year.”

  Tawny nodded, her eyes on the bag. “I tried really hard to be good. Even when Jensen is mean to me and pulls my hair. Daddy says I should pull his hair, and pull it harder, but Mommy says that Daddy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She told me to tell the teacher if it happens again and to be kind to him. She says it’s harder to do that, but it will make me a better person.”

  “What do you think?” Cash asked, lowering himself so he was face-to-face with Tawny. She shrugged and shook her head.

  “Well, he doesn’t have much hair to pull, so…”

  Cash laughed and scooped her up. He looked at Chess, who’d taken a step back. “Guys, this is Chess. She was alone today, so I brought her along.”

  “Chess Somers,” Cam said, moving aside. “Man, I haven’t seen you in years. I didn’t know you were back in town. But then I’ve been a little busy with the house and baby.”

  Neither Blue nor Cam asked him where they’d met, and Cash didn’t feel the need to offer up that information.

  “I’m glad you came,” Blue said as she took Chess’s coat. “My friend Poppy is in the kitchen making hot chocolate, and all my favorite people are finally under my roof.” Her voice trembled a bit as she looked at her brother. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Can we open the presents, pretty please?” Tawny stomped her feet and put her hands on her hips, looking at each adult and then pointing toward the large tree that twinkled from the family room.

  “Let’s do this,” Cash said. “It’s my fault we’re late.”

  “Mommy told Daddy you were probably getting busy.”

  “Did she,” he said, shooting a look toward his sister, who had the grace to seem at least a little embarrassed.

  Tawny took hold of his hand, and he let the little girl pull him toward the family room. He nearly grabbed Chess’s hand, which was insane. She wasn’t his girlfriend, and he was pretty sure she wasn’t the type to hold hands for the sake of holding hands.
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  He was also pretty sure he’d just taken leave of his senses, because since when was he the hand-holding type?

  They got settled around the tree, and Tawny insisted that Cash and Chess sit close to her while she opened her presents. Which were many. He arched an eyebrow at his sister, but she just laughed and shrugged. It was hard not to spoil the girls, especially for the first Christmas in their new home.

  When Brinley started to fuss, he took her from Cam and headed to the kitchen to heat up a bottle. Chess followed him.

  “This is a side of you I’m kind of surprised at,” she said softly, sidling up to him at the counter. The baby began to squirm, and he held her close, knowing babies (for the most part) liked to be cuddled. He murmured words that made no sense, but ones that calmed her down while they waited for the bottle to heat.

  “I’ve got superpowers when it comes to babies.”

  “Really?” She smiled.

  “I was working a case with my buddy Blake, and his wife came down with the flu. Their baby was about four months, and it was up to us to look after the little guy, because no way Selma could.” He shook his head. “That kid could cry so damn loud, I swear it was a miracle the windows didn’t shatter. And Jesus, he liked to cry. Turns out I was the only one who could calm him. Blake tried but gave up, and after a while, I was in charge of the diaper changing, bottle giving, and all-around cuddling to keep little Max happy so we could get our work done.”

  Cash reached for the bottle and checked the temperature. “Babies are easy. It’s grownups who’re hard.” He looked down at his niece. “Besides, this little girl is only six months old, and she already has good taste in men.”

  Chess laughed, and he jerked his head up at the sound. Their eyes met and held, and though he was loving this time with his sister and her family, already his mind was headed to a place he couldn’t wait to get to. Back to the Crystal Lake Motel and one last night with Chess.

  She might not yet know it yet, but he was staying at her place tonight. New York City could wait another day.

  Cash watched Chess over dinner. She was like a flower slowly opening, showing the world a beauty she’d kept hidden. At first she’d been quiet, nodding when she was supposed to, asking a polite question when it fit. But after a while, she started initiating conversation, asking Poppy about her boutique, Bella & Hooch, wanting to know more about Blue’s dance studio. She had a sense of humor he’d not seen before and traded barbs with Cam easily.

  When dinner was over, Tawny grabbed Poppy and Chess and ordered them to play dolls in the new castle Santa had left for her because, as Tawny told them several times, she was on the good-girl list and she could stay up past her bedtime.

  “Not too late.” Cam winked. He took a sleepy Brinley up to her room, and when fifteen minutes passed, Blue sighed and looked at her brother.

  “He’s fallen asleep with her.” She grinned. “He does it all the time.”

  Cash took the last bit of food they’d wrapped up and stored it in the fridge. “I’ll tell you something, Blue, your cooking has improved a hell of a lot.”

  She jabbed him with her elbow but laughed. “Actually, Cam roasted the turkey and made all the fixings, including the stuffing and gravy and grilled vegetables. Oh, and his mashed potatoes are to die for.”

  “No wonder he’s sleeping. You worked him to the bone.”

  “He can’t take all the credit. Poppy brought the ham and dessert.”

  “And what was your contribution?” he teased.

  “I made sure the beer was cold and the wine was chilled.” She raised her glass of wine. “I think I did a good job.”

  He slipped his arms around her. “You did. This is a good look on you, sis.”

  “Yeah? What’s that?”

  “Being happy and content.”

  The siblings were quiet for a few moments, and then Blue spoke quietly. “Have you talked to Mom or Dad?”

  “No.” The last time he’d spoken to his father was the day he’d enlisted. He’d been eighteen years old. The rift between him and his mother was just as bad.

  “She called me.”

  “Did she now.” Cash knew his mother only called when she needed something.

  “She wanted to know when I was going to invite her and Pete for a visit. Says she wants to see her grandchild.”

  Anger flared inside Cash, but he didn’t say a word. Some folks weren’t meant to be parents. It was his and Blue’s tough luck that both of theirs fell into that particular category.

  “I told her I’d think about it. That if it ever happened, Pete couldn’t come with her.” Blue looked up at him. “She said, ‘Why on earth would I come without Pete?’ And I told her she should know why.” Blue shrugged. “She hung up on me, and I haven’t heard from her since.”

  Cash was silent because there wasn’t anything to say. Their family history wasn’t pretty, and their mother was in a toxic relationship with a man who meant more to her than her own flesh and blood. He was the stepfather you didn’t wish upon anyone.

  “So, to change the subject…” Blue paused, and he saw the wheels turning big-time. “Chess seems nice.”

  “She has her moments.” He wasn’t giving anything away.

  “Tawny really likes her.”

  “Tawny likes everyone.”

  Blue nodded. “True.” She paused. “What’s the story with you two?”

  His gaze wandered across the room to where Chess listened intently to Tawny. The little girl held up a doll, and the two of them giggled.

  “There’s no story,” he replied, knowing his sister wouldn’t let it go until he did. “I don’t know her all that well.”

  Except, he felt he did.

  “We got thrown together because of the storm, and that’s about it.”

  “If you say so,” Blue quipped, grabbing up the bottle of wine on the counter and emptying it into her glass. She grinned at him, all cocky and full of it. “Do you want to know what I think?”

  “No.”

  “I think you like her.”

  “I wouldn’t have brought her here if I didn’t.”

  “I think you like her, like her.”

  His eyes found Chess again, and his heartbeat nearly doubled in speed when she caught him looking his way. A soft smile played around the corners of her mouth, and all that hair hung down her shoulders. God he loved her hair. He wanted to caress it away from her face. Dive in for a kiss.

  Blue was right. There was something here, more than just a casual hookup. But what that something was, he had no idea.

  “It doesn’t matter,” he murmured. He had no time to explore this. He had a life that didn’t involve Crystal Lake or a woman he just met. And after tonight, that life wasn’t waiting on him anymore. He had a job to do, and he’d be leaving town.

  “It should matter.” Blue frowned and poked him in the ribs. Hard.

  “Hey.” He rubbed the spot.

  “Just promise me that when you realize how much it does matter, you’ll do something about it. Because if you don’t, it will be too late.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The moon was out when they left his sister’s house. Its beams reflected off the snow, leaving swaths of twinkling diamonds, and they drove down River Road surrounded by a winter wonderland. For a Southern boy like Cash, he didn’t mind the cold so much when he got to see it like this.

  Chess stared out the window, no doubt enjoying the beauty, and for the moment, he was content to let the radio fill up the silence between them. As they were leaving, Blue had pulled Chess into a hug and told her she hoped to see her again. It was a nice gesture, but Chess had been quiet ever since.

  There wasn’t a car in sight as they came into the town proper. When he pulled up to the stoplight at the main intersection downtown, he glanced over and caught Chess’s eyes on him. It was a long, measured look, one that started a fire deep in his gut.

  A slow steady beat began in his chest, and every part of his body tightened. He k
ept his hands on the steering wheel—it was that or sink them into her hair and draw her close. He didn’t say a word. He couldn’t tear his eyes off of her.

  When a horn sounded behind them, Cash glanced into the rearview mirror and slowly accelerated. They crossed over the bridge and drove past the park. There, Santa and his reindeer were lit up in flight, as well as angels and trees that cast golden circles of light. He spotted an elderly couple holding hands as they stopped to admire the nativity scene by the pavilion, their dog running around them, barking and jumping crazily.

  When they pulled into the motel parking lot, he took the spot in front of Chess’s unit and cut the engine. All he heard was his heart pounding inside him, and it took some effort to get his shit together. He felt like the dumb teenager he used to be, running on emotion. Yet, something was going on. Some invisible thing that was tied to both of them. He knew Chess felt it. She didn’t have to say a word.

  He knew.

  She didn’t look his way, didn’t say a word either. Instead, she opened the door, slid from his truck, and Cash was right behind her. He followed her to her room and then inside, closing the door behind him.

  Still, there were no words.

  He could have taken some time to look around her room, to note it wasn’t much different than his had been, save for the garbage bin overflowing with empty whiskey bottles, and a pink fur jacket slung over the chair. But he didn’t take his eyes off Chess. That damn invisible string again.

  He looked at her, breath ragged, body wound so tight he should have been bouncing off the damn walls. He stepped forward and reached for her, and Chess folded into him as if her muscles liquefied.

  He searched her face and, with a groan, kissed her like he was starving. She bent to him, and damned if it didn’t feel like she was made for him. Her hands were everywhere, tugging at him with a need that matched his own.