Christmas at the Graff

by Kaylie Newell

  She looked around the café. People were eating lunch in the cozy booths, drinking steaming cups of coffee at the bar that stretched out along the front window that overlooked a frosty Third Street. A few people were working on their laptops or reading books as a Christmassy Elvis crooned in the background.

  “What a great place.”

  “Just wait till you try the croissants,” Elsie said. “You’ll never want to leave.”

  “So, Elsie,” EJ said, cracking his neck. “Since you brought it up and all, it’d be kinda stupid not to address the giant elephant in the room.”

  “Whatever do you mean?”

  Her tone was as angelic as an eight year-old at a beauty pageant. She blinked up at him.

  EJ groaned. “The tree, Elsie? Remember that little auction known as Mistletoe and Montana? Which just happens to be right around the corner?”

  “You’ll have to be more specific.”

  “Spill, lady. What’s your theme?”

  Elsie inspected her sparkly red manicure. “Jemma, you need to keep a tighter leash on your snowboarding mountain man, here. He’s sorely mistaken if he thinks he’s getting any insider information with those croissants.”

  Jemma was trying not to laugh, but it was comical. The competition was good-natured for sure. But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t recognize the deep rivalry between these two. She saw the sparkle in EJ’s blue eyes, the mischievous tilt to Elsie’s lips. She wondered if their tree would have a chance against Java Café’s. This woman was obviously going to step it up a notch. Especially after this encounter.

  “And what about your tree?” Elsie asked, narrowing her eyes at EJ. “Care to give me a hint?”

  “Over my dead body.”

  They stood staring each other down until Jemma finally cleared her throat. “Should we order? Or...”

  “Oh, I saw you two coming and heard what you were up to. I’m having Alex pack you two a little to-go bag,” Elsie said. “Should be ready any minute.”

  “Is it poisoned?” EJ asked.

  “I’m offended. I really am. Your second-place tree raises a lot of money every year, and that’s what counts. I’d never take you out of the running. Completely.”

  EJ glanced at Jemma. “See what we’re up against?”

  Elsie laughed. The sound was so joyful even EJ had to smile. “You know I love you. And you always have the second prettiest tree at the auction.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  “You’re welcome.” She turned to Jemma and took her hand again. “Tell that dad of yours to come in when he’s feeling better. Actually, I’d love to see you both. Anytime, okay?”

  Jemma nodded, and watched her walk away. It was amazing at how a complete stranger could make her feel so welcome in just a few short minutes.

  When she and EJ were alone again, she looked over to find him considering her with that sexy, confident gaze of his. Her belly quivered. Was she starting to care too much where he was concerned? Would she regret coming to this quaint Montana town right before the most magical holiday of the year? It felt reckless. But in the most alluring way.

  Before she had time to ponder that thought anymore, a rotund man wearing the same red-checked apron that Elsie had on came over with a paper sack and two hot Styrofoam cups.

  “Two croissant specials to go?”

  “That’s us,” EJ said. “Thanks, man.”

  “If you two are headed up the mountain, be careful. There’s supposed to be some snow tonight.”

  “Will do. Thanks again.”

  She wished she could be as confident as EJ. Snow? No problem. Painfully attracted to someone you barely knew? Whatever.

  Reaching out, she took the hot chocolates. “Are we going to get stuck up there?” she asked, trying to keep the worry from her voice.

  He winked. “Only if we’re lucky.”

  Chapter Ten

  EJ stepped carefully through the snow, wanting to make tracks that Jemma’s rain boots could easily fit into. He could hear her panting along behind. Every now and then, he’d stop to make sure she was still coming.

  “It’s the altitude,” he said. “Gets people every time.”

  She stopped and pushed her knitted hat back on her forehead. “You’re sweet. But it’s more like the lack of a daily stair-stepper. I’m in horrible shape.”

  “It’s just a state of mind.”

  “That’s what healthy people say.”

  He grinned. They’d only been walking for about twenty minutes, but he could tell she was spent. Granted, most of that was uphill. Plus, he hadn’t been feeding her a bunch of bullshit about the altitude. The place he’d chosen to get the tree was pretty high. Partly because he knew of a grove not too far off that had a ton of beautiful little spruces in it, and partly because it was a longer drive and he’d wanted to hold her captive as long as possible.

  The clouds were taking on a steely gray color he didn’t like, though. He hadn’t planned on the weather hitting until later, and he didn’t want to be out here when it did. He needed to hurry her up, but he also didn’t want to kill her in the process. The thought of hauling her over his shoulder came and went, but it left a pleasant sensation behind his rib cage. Maybe another time...

  She took another long step, trying to balance herself in his footprints, and wobbled. He held his breath for a second, waiting for her to topple onto her ass, but she recovered after sticking her arms out to the side to find her balance.

  “That was close,” she breathed. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes, and it’d be a long ride back with soaking wet underwear.”

  He could think of a few things to get around that problem. Ditching the underwear, for one.

  “You’re doing great. It’s not too far now.” He felt fairly douchy for making her clomp all the way up here in those God-forsaken rubber boots, but honestly, he didn’t think it’d take them this long. He wasn’t used to adjusting his pace for anyone else. Usually, EJ went like a bat out of hell, and if there was anyone in his way, they could just deal. But Jemma was Jemma. She was also breathing way too heavily. He might have to haul her over his shoulder after all.

  She took another step, and before he could say anything, her foot made a soft, suctioning sound as it freed itself from the boot. She stepped forward before realizing it. There was a definitive shoomp as she sank into the calf-deep snow and missed his footprint altogether.

  Sucking in a breath, she stared at her feet. “I...”

  “Whoops.”

  “I’m the worst tree hunter in the history of tree hunters. Admit it.”

  He turned around and made his way back to her. She was shivering and her teeth were chattering like a chipmunk’s. Now he really wanted to pick her up. Take her into a warm bedroom and get her out of those wet clothes.

  “You’re not the worst tree hunter. You’re an inexperienced tree hunter. I might be the worst tree-hunting guide, though, for dragging you all the way up here without the right gear.”

  She grabbed his arm and bent to retrieve the stubborn footwear behind her. He held her steady, taking a second to appreciate her ass.

  Then he looked up at the sky for the third time in as many minutes. It was going to dump soon, and the temperature was dropping.

  “I hate to tell you this,” he said, “but we might be destined for a tree farm after all.”

  Jamming her foot back into her boot, she stood and frowned. “Is it getting too late? I’m sorry, EJ.”

  “Don’t be sorry. And it’s not too late. It’s those damn clouds. I think the guy from the café might be missing his calling as a weather dude.”

  She blinked up at him. She might’ve been born and raised in Montana, but a tough mountain girl she wasn’t. It was obvious she didn’t relish the thought of trying to negotiate the narrow, twisting logging road in a storm. And neither did he.

  But that was the thing with living up here. Things could change in a nanosecond, and he knew that. He’d just been thinking with
his dick.

  “What if we get stuck?” she asked. There was a tinge of panic in her voice. It happened every year. People got caught in inclement weather, taken off-guard, and then they were up a creek and the main story on the five-o-clock news. He might make decisions with his junk sometimes, but he wasn’t a total idiot, thank God. He’d brought water bottles and a few protein bars, and he knew there was an old forest service lookout on the way back to the Jeep. They could shelter there until the worst of it passed.

  Before he could answer, the wind picked up, bringing with it a few wayward flakes. They looked up at the same time. The angry gray clouds were moving faster now, chasing each other across the great expanse of sky.

  “We’ll be fine,” he said. “There are places we can hunker down, and it shouldn’t last long.”

  The wind kicked up again, blowing a few strands of hair across her face.

  “So, now we go to Plan B,” he continued. “Christmas tree farm, and nobody has to be the wiser. As far as Elsie’s concerned, we hiked our asses up here and didn’t leave until we found the Griswold family Christmas tree, agreed?”

  She laughed. “Agreed.”

  The snow was coming harder now. She shielded her eyes and squinted up at him.

  Without thinking about it, he reached out and pulled her close. She made a surprised sound, but came easily enough. In fact, she fit perfectly beside him. He wrapped his arm around her and leaned close enough that he could smell her hair.

  “Cold?”

  Her teeth weren’t chattering anymore. “Freezing.”

  “Let’s head back.”

  It had taken thirty minutes to hike up to where they were now. Thirty back, and who knew how bad it’d get?

  They began trudging back the way they’d come. The pines above them rocked in the wind, their branches whipping back and forth. Damn, this had come up quick. And it was cold. Really cold. Jemma sniffed beside him and touched her nose with her gloved hand.

  “Less than an hour,” he said against her hat. “Less than an hour and you’ll be back at the Graff ordering room service.”

  “Promise we won’t die up here like those people on Mount Everest whose bodies are frozen for all eternity?”

  “I promise. You might get a blister if you’re lucky.”

  “Overly dramatic?”

  “Never.”

  She laughed, muffling it against his coat. Really, this wasn’t the worst botched expedition he’d ever been on.

  Jemma gazed up at the fire lookout through the falling snow. Her nose was running, and she sniffed miserably. Her toes were numb in the stupid rain boots, but the rest of her was snug and warm where she was pressed into EJ’s side.

  “Are there stairs?” she asked.

  He looked down and smiled. How was it possible for him to still look so hot out here, when she knew her mascara was probably halfway down her cheeks and her hair was plastered to her face in icy clumps?

  “There’s a ladder,” he said. “I’ll carry you up it.”

  She stared at him.

  “Kidding.” He pointed to what looked like a set of rickety stairs on the other side. “Over there.”

  Thank God. Not that she’d mind being carried, but this wasn’t exactly how she’d imagined it going down.

  She looked up again and shielded her eyes from the falling snow. “It looks a little...”

  “I know. It’s old and abandoned, but it’s structurally sound, I promise. Hunters use it all the time.”

  The lookout resembled a shoebox on stilts. From where they were standing, she could count at least six broken windows, so it definitely wouldn’t be warm inside. But EJ said it would be a good place to sit out the flurry until it passed. They were still quite a ways from the Jeep, and she was simply too exhausted to keep trudging back through the storm, at least not until they’d had a break. Definitely time to invest in a gym membership.

  EJ grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”

  She followed closely behind, feeling safe in the shadow of his tall, solid frame. The stairs looked questionable, but they were surprisingly sturdy. After a minute, they were standing in the fire lookout, watching the snow swirl outside the jagged glass.

  The space was old and broken, but devoid of litter or graffiti, or anything else she might expect to see in an abandoned structure. Someone had left a couple of dingy folding chairs in the middle of the floor, and there was even a small plastic Christmas tree propped up in the corner with a string of miniature chili peppers wrapped around it.

  She smiled and rubbed her arms. “How in the world this place could look festive right now is beyond me, but it does.”

  EJ pushed a chair toward her. “It’s off the beaten trail, so only locals really know about it. It’s an unspoken rule to leave it as you found it, or risk an ass beating.”

  Sitting, she pulled her hat down farther around her ears.

  “Here,” he said.

  EJ unzipped his jacket and took it off while she stared at him with wide eyes. “What are you doing? You can’t give me your jacket. You’ll freeze to death.”

  “Correct, young grasshopper. I’m giving you my thermal shirt underneath. It’ll give you an extra layer, which you look in dire need of at the moment.”

  Before she could argue, he was peeling off his white, long-sleeve shirt. Up it came over a hard, ridged abdomen and a gloriously toned chest sprinkled with just the right amount of golden hair. His dark nipples puckered in the freezing air. They were a searing detail that shot like a bullet straight to her aching core. In fact, she was beginning to feel toasty all over. Just like a human s’more.

  He finished pulling the shirt over his head and handed it to her, standing there half naked with the snow swirling behind him. “Take it.”

  She was too stunned to say anything. In fact, she was having trouble closing her mouth.

  “Jemma.”

  Her gaze slid up his chest and finally found his. “Yes?”

  His lips tilted, his expression slightly cocky. Definitely playful. “Take it.”

  Nodding, she did. His scent was infused in the fabric and wafted up to tease her senses. Soap and man, spicy and warm. Sexy as all get out.

  He stood there watching her, putting his jacket back on and zipping it up slowly.

  “You have to put it on to get it to work, you know.”

  He was talking to her, but she had trouble making out the words. She was still processing the fact that he’d literally given her the shirt off his back. And the way he looked underneath... Well, the way he looked underneath was something a girl could get used to.

  She unzipped her own jacket, and the freezing air immediately seeped through her thin sweater. Shivering, she pulled his shirt over her head and stuck her arms through. It was still warm from his body heat, and it felt unbelievably sensual to be wearing something so close to her skin that he’d just had on.

  It was huge on her, of course, but she was twice as warm with it on.

  She grinned up at him. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  He pulled his chair up, and she put her jacket back on and zipped it up. Sitting, he stuck his hands in his pockets.

  “Well, this is cozy.”

  She laughed. “I’ll take it. At least there’s a roof and chairs.”

  “And a Christmas tree.”

  “And that. A cute little Christmas tree.”

  “You can rest up, and then we’ll get you back to the Jeep. Your room service is waiting.”

  At the mention of food, her stomach rumbled. To take her mind off it, she scooted her chair a bit so she faced him better. He was watching her in a way that made her think he might not be thinking about food. Just maybe.

  “So,” she said.

  “So.”

  Despite the cold, she sat up straight, summoning her best librarian pose. He didn’t need to know how much she wanted another glimpse of that chest. Absolutely didn’t need to know what was going through her surprisingly filt
hy mind at this very moment.

  But there was another part of her, one that went deeper than her libido, that wanted to know more about this man who had her so dizzy, so enthralled, in just a matter of days. Suddenly, she was consumed with wanting to know him better. Really know him better.

  She swallowed hard. “What was your childhood like?” The question was abrupt, and she instantly regretted asking it. She knew he was an orphan. That he’d been abandoned by the people who were supposed to have loved him most. But all of a sudden, she saw him as a kindred spirit. Their stories were drastically different. She’d had a loving childhood, a relatively normal childhood, and he hadn’t. But the abandonment was there—different in its execution and timing, but there all the same.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to... That was rude.”

  He smiled, but it was guarded. Her heart began pounding in her chest, and she had the sudden urge to take off her jacket. Her cheeks and neck were uncomfortably hot.

  “I know you didn’t have a family.” God. She was making this exponentially worse with every word out of her mouth. She half-hoped he’d let her off the hook and snap that it was none of her business.

  But he didn’t snap. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, the rusty metal creaking under his weight.

  “No,” he said. “I didn’t. It’s obviously been a defining thing for me.”

  “I know what you mean.”

  The snow continued falling outside their little fire lookout world. It was just the two of them in the wintry silence, and the moment felt fragile, like a spider’s web in a breeze.

  “I know you do,” EJ said, crossing his arms and looking past her out the window. “You’ve been defined by your circumstances, too. We all are. Stuff like this is what makes us human and interesting.”

  It was a good way to put it. Somehow, it made her feel better about being screwed up. She was interesting.

  “I like that,” she said.

  He stood and walked over to the window, looking out over the frozen landscape. Her gaze fell helplessly to his rear end. Good Lord, he was a good-looking man. She really couldn’t remember being this attracted to anyone before. There’d been Devin Kyle in college, with the glasses and leather loafers, but that was different. He’d been funny and nice to her. There’d been nothing about him that spoke in such a primal way to her inner most female. EJ didn’t have to do anything but stand there, and she was a puddle on the floor.