Head over Heels for the Holidays

by Jennifer Bernard

  Rune took the lead by calmly directing the shivering girl, step by step. He reached in and unfastened her seat belt. “We can’t open the passenger-side door, so you’ll have to climb across the gear shift. This’ll be a lot easier if you can back your seat up. There’s not a lot of room in these Jeeps, but see what you can do. Even a little bit helps. Do you remember how to do that? Okay, great. Fantastic. Now scoot to the left, closer to me. Great, you’re doing great. Perfect. You’re brilliant. Now reach toward me. I’m going to put my hands under your armpits and pull you out. Got it?”

  It was part extraction, part pep talk—but it worked. Leanne found enough composure to do what Rune said, until he was able to gently maneuver her across the driver’s seat and out the door.

  Maya was there to receive her. “I got you, Leanne. You made it.”

  The girl gasped as the icy sleet hit her. Her slight frame trembled in Maya’s hold. Still blond and tiny, just the way Maya remembered her. “Where’s Jerome?”

  “He’s warming up in the car.”

  Trust Jerome to take care of himself above all else. Leanne shuddered as blood ran down her face. “I feel so weird. Like, I know I’m bleeding but I can’t tell where it comes from.”

  “It’s okay. The doctors will figure that out.”

  Rune shone his light across her face. “This isn’t the best in terms of flashlights, but can you follow the light?”

  She had trouble focusing her gaze and instead looked toward the Toyota. “Where’s Jerome?”she asked again.

  Rune met Maya’s gaze, concern in his eyes. Probably a concussion, she’d guess. “Let’s take you over to him,” she told the girl.

  Rune opened his medical bag and took out a towel. “Press this to your head until we get you to the ER. Can you do that?”

  She nodded with an expression like a child’s, almost adoring, then took the towel in her hand. He guided it to the bloody side of her head.

  “Ready?” Maya asked. “Here we go. We got you.” With her on one side and Rune on the other, the two of them helped Leanne across the snow to the idling Subaru. Her high heels were even less snow-worthy than Maya’s.

  When they reached the car, Jerome reached across the backseat and opened the door for them. “Come on, baby. Come warm up next to me.”

  With a sob, she dropped onto the seat beside him and burst into tears. He gathered her against him and met Maya’s gaze.

  “She gets a little emotional sometimes.”

  “Yeah, well, this would be a good time to get emotional,” Maya said sharply. “She might have a concussion.”

  He snapped his mouth shut and sat in silence while Rune drove through the eerie, empty streets of Lost Harbor to the ER. Sheets of sleet swept from the bay right across the town, the streetlights creating a red glow in the condensation.

  She got on the phone to dispatch and let them know that two injured parties were being taken to the Emergency Room. She noted the location of the accident so that no one would feel obliged to check out the abandoned Jeep.

  In a low voice, Rune murmured, “Tell them to meet us at the ambulance entrance. She’s disoriented, with altered mental status.”

  “Right.” She relayed those instructions to the dispatcher. “We’ll be there in five.”

  “On it. Be safe, Chief Badger.”

  When they reached the ambulance entrance, a team ran outside with a gurney, their PPE whipping in the wind. Rune rattled off Leanne’s vitals—at some point he’d checked her pulse, but Maya had missed that.

  Rune and Maya stepped back while they transferred Leanne to the gurney. Jerome hovered behind, looking almost bewildered, his usual slick confidence nowhere to be seen. “Can I go with her?”

  “Possible shock here too,” Rune told the ER doctors. “No visible external injuries. Can someone help him out?”

  One of the doctors came to his side and shepherded Jerome toward the entry. Stumbling, he looked back over his shoulder at Maya. “Good running into you, Maya. Maybe we can all get together after Thanksgiving. Call me.”

  Maya waved as he disappeared into the hospital. “He’s acting like we just ran into each other at cocktail hour.”

  “People can be really strange after an accident. They want to go on as if everything is normal. I once assisted a woman in Hawaii who’d accidentally chopped her finger off with a machete. She collected the finger and started walking down the road toward the nearest hospital. She got a hundred yards before she fainted and someone called 911.”

  Maya shivered as the wind pushed a wave of sleet against her face. “You’re right. Also, he’s always like that. He’s very smooth. I can’t believe I fell for his act. I used to think he was so charming and magnetic. Especially compared to me.”

  “Excuse me?” Rune put his arm around her and steered her back to the car. “You lost me on that one.”

  “You know I’m more of an introvert,” she said when they were both safely inside the warm Subaru. “Jerome’s the opposite. He knows how to win people over.”

  “Maya, you have it all wrong. When you speak, people listen. When that dude speaks, I tune it out because I know it’s mostly bullshit.”

  She let out a gurgle of laughter. “You got that right. I wish you’d been around back then to warn me off.”

  “I wish I had too.” He started the car and swiftly backed out of the ER entrance, as if he’d done so many times. He probably had, at other hospitals, other emergency rooms. This one too, during his volunteer shifts.

  He was an excellent EMT.

  “You did really well out there,” she told him.

  “Thanks. It’s my job. Or my old job, anyway.”

  She remembered how Leanne had looked at him with that expression of adoration. She knew exactly how the girl felt. There was nothing quite as sexy as a first responder in a crisis.

  Oh, who was she kidding? She knew plenty of first responders and had never wanted to swoon over any of them.

  It was Rune she found so sexy. That was all. End of story.

  Chapter 18

  Rune’s pulse was still racing when they reached the Sweet Harbor Bakery. Not just from the adrenaline of the rescue, but from the way Maya kept looking at him, with that soft light in her eyes.

  It made wild thoughts cartwheel through his brain and lust flood into his veins.

  The bakery was located only a few hundred yards from one of Lost Harbor’s most famous beaches. Lanterns in the shape of stars lit the windows of the bakery. The warm lights glowed like a beacon in the dark sleet-filled night. He could see movement inside; people laughing and getting up to help themselves to more food.

  Beyond the bakery, the road continued for a short distance and dead-ended at a parking lot at the beach. It made for a great view spot to take in the surf along the shoreline and the majestic mountains in the distance.

  He’d gone running along the beach a few times, going as far as he could before the incoming tide met the bluffs and he had to turn back.

  He didn’t mind at all when Maya said softly, “Keep going,” as they reached the bakery’s driveway. After the intensity of a rescue—even one with light injuries—he too could use a little time to decompress before facing all the people waiting for them in the bakery. All the questions, the curiosity—he wasn’t ready for any of that.

  Long driftwood logs separated the parking lot from the beach. Usually the spaces were filled with the vehicles of dog-walkers, beach-strollers, hikers. Tonight, they were the only ones present to witness the storm riling up the ocean into foaming surf that flung itself onto the shore.

  The roar of the waves fought the sound of his engine for dominance—and won as soon as he turned off the car.

  For a moment, they sat in silence as they absorbed the spectacle before them. Turbulent gray clouds drove waves of sleet onto the beach. It whipped against the car, which shook with each gust of wind. He hoped that no one was out on the water tonight. It felt almost as if they were on a boat themselves, alone in a
tiny bubble sheltered from the forces of nature raging around them.

  The only sound from inside the car was that of their breathing. Maya stared out the window, just as riveted by the storm as he was. He remembered a trick he’d heard; if you want someone to connect with you, sync your breathing to theirs. But his and Maya’s breathing were already in tune, as if rising and falling on the same churning surf.

  “That was—” he began at the same time she spoke.

  “I was so scared it was—”

  “Your father. I know. That red Jeep.”

  “Everyone loves renting red Jeeps.” She gave a shaky laugh. “I should have figured. Vicki was raised in Bethel, she’s a lifelong Alaskan. She knows how to drive in the snow.” She rubbed her hands down the front of her thighs. Her suede skirt was speckled with darker spots left by the precipitation.

  He covered her hand with his. “Of course you were worried about them.”

  She turned her hand over so their fingers interlaced. “Yeah, but I was ready to rip Vicki’s head off as soon as that window came down. Jerome’s actually lucky I recognized him in time. Not that he doesn’t also deserve a good head-ripping,” she added.

  He wondered if it had been tough for her, seeing him again, but didn’t really want to talk about the dude. He’d been completely unimpressed by him and would never have approved of him for Maya if she’d asked.

  “His wife seems sweet,” he said instead.

  Which was apparently not the right thing to say. Maya drew her hand from under his and wiped a hole in the condensation forming on the window.

  “You would think so,” she said pointedly. “You are a man, after all.” Facing him again, she went on, the hurt clear in her voice. “All the guys love Leanne and always have. She’s tiny and blond and smiles a lot and—”

  He stopped her flow of thought by snatching her against him. “No.”

  “No?” She blinked up at him.

  “No,” he repeated firmly. “I don’t care how much she smiles, she’s not you.”

  Her lips parted. The next thing he knew, they were kissing. A fierce, passionate, no-denying-it kiss. Pressing his mouth to hers, all the adrenaline and urgency inside him pouring into her. All the feelings he’d been stopping up and shoving aside.

  “She’s not you,” he muttered against her mouth. “That’s the only thing I noticed. She’s not you.”

  Did she understand?

  She must have, because she returned his kiss with the same kind of fire that burned inside of him. Her lips parted for him and he feasted on that rich flavor that was pure Maya. He caught her fast breaths in his mouth, along with her sighs. He wanted it all, every throb and pulse and heartbeat.

  They clutched at each other, straining against their seat belts. He cradled her head in his hand, savoring the texture of her skin, the soft spring of her hair. She’d left it unpinned for the night, which was unusual for her. Didn’t matter; however she wore her hair, he found her beautiful.

  When they were gasping for breath, they pulled apart. He ran his thumb across her lower lip, feeling its swollen warmth. Her eyes gleamed in the darkness, wide and soft. Wind jostled the car.

  “Maya, I—” He struggled with the words. “I think I…”

  “Wh-what?” She breathed rapidly. Her tongue slid across her lips, where his mouth had been. Where he wanted it to be now, except that he had to say this first.

  “I think I’m…falling in love with you.”

  Her lips parted again, a look of shock shivering across her face. “What?”

  “Yeah. I know. It’s…nuts. I know we’re friends, and I’m your holiday date, but I can’t help how I feel.”

  “And you…” She seemed too stunned to finish her sentence.

  “I’m in love with you. I thought you should know. I’m not good at hiding my feelings.”

  She scanned his face, confusion in her eyes. “I—I don’t know what to say.”

  Ouch. That was very far from what he’d been hoping for. He drew in a breath. He couldn’t make her feel the same way he did. All he could do was say how he felt. “I get it—”

  “You’re my friend,” she interrupted. “But we’ve been flirting and kissing, inching toward something else. I want the something else. But I didn’t know—” She broke off, tugging her lower lip between her teeth.

  “I sprung it on you, I know. I’m sorry. I just need to be completely honest with you. Our friendship deserves that much.” He gave a laugh that he hoped didn’t sound too awkward.

  “I—thank you.” She looked away, glanced at him again, then looked back, as if still trying to put all the pieces together.

  “I don’t want things to get weird,” he said, more lightly. “Nothing’s changed. I’m still Rune, you’re still Maya.”

  “Technically, you’re Jay-Jay.”

  “I’m still me.” He picked up her hand and placed it on his chest. “I’ll always be your friend. I don’t want this to change anything. If you want to dump me as your fake holiday boyfriend, I understand. I didn’t mean to ruin everything by falling for you. It just…happened.”

  It was so quiet inside the car that he could hear his heart beating. Or maybe it was hers. Or the wind buffeting the car. Or the time running out on their relationship. Would things ever be the same?

  A smiled tugged at the corners of her mouth. By now, she didn’t look quite so shocked. “You didn’t ruin anything,” she said softly. “I just don’t—”

  He flung up a hand, not wanting to hear the words straight out. “You don’t feel the same way. I get it.”

  She shook her head quickly. “It’s just a lot to take in, that’s all. I’ve been trying to ignore all that,” she waved a hand at his torso, “and everything else too. Just stick to the friendship, with some flirting. Now I’m confused. I mean—” She snapped her mouth shut.

  “What? What are you confused about?”

  “Does this mean you don’t want to sleep together?” she blurted. “Because I thought that’s where this was going.”

  Inwardly, he cursed himself up one side and down the other. If he’d kept his mouth shut, they might be dry humping in the car right now. Or racing back to her place and tumbling into a bed.

  “I…wouldn’t mind,” he said—which was so awkward that he dropped his forehead onto the steering wheel and bonked himself a few times. “Can we rewind and try this again?”

  She laughed softly. “You’re pretty cute right now, you know that?”

  He lifted his head off the wheel and glanced her way. That smile playing across her lips, the light in her eyes, the teasing expression—he would have thrown himself in front of a car for her.

  “That doesn’t sound like a good thing. I’m a man, not a kitten.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” Again, her glance flitted across his body. It acted like gasoline on a fire. His cock pulsed hard.

  He cleared his throat. “So, you know where I stand. Ready for action. All in, baby. Fired up and ready to go. It’s all on you now.”

  Her phone rang, making both of them jump. His head actually hit the roof of the car. She looked at the number.

  “It’s Dad. I’m sure they’re wondering where we are.”

  He gestured for her to answer, which she did. “Hi Dad. Yeah, we’re on our way. It took a little longer at the ER than I expected. Yup, almost there. We’re right around the corner. Don’t worry, we’ll drive safe. Yes, Rune’s right here next to me.” She mouthed something to him that he couldn’t make out, but was probably naughty.

  He made goofy gestures in response, as if they were playing a game of charades. She smiled at his clowning. Good—maybe his surprise announcement wouldn’t throw things off between them too much.

  “Yes, I have the sweet potato casserole with me. Dad, I have to hang up now. Rune is trying to say something to me.”

  Finally, she ended the call. “We have to get our asses over to that dinner or my dad’s going to need more heart surgery. Can we maybe come bac
k to this?”

  “I’m here. Not going anywhere.” He winced, since that wasn’t completely true. He would be going somewhere. It was just a matter of time, unless Stalker Chad got lost in the mists of the bay. “You know what I mean.”

  “I do.” She scanned his face. “You mean you’re here for me.”

  “Exactly. That’s exactly it. I’m here for you. Whatever that looks like.”

  Somehow, it felt like a promise.

  Chapter 19

  The rest of Thanksgiving might as well have been a third-grade reenactment of the landing of the Pilgrims; it was all a blur to Maya.

  Rune was in love with her? And he’d come right out and said so, on the very night that she’d seen Jerome for the first time since he’d incinerated her heart?

  It was too much to take in.

  The Sweet Harbor Bakery was toasty warm, filled with the aromas of roast turkey and sage. The only sign of the storm outside was the occasional burst of sleet pattering against the windows. All the Café tables had been pushed together to form one long banquet table. Everyone else had finished eating and had pushed back their chairs to relax.

  Her father and Darius were getting their instruments tuned up; fiddle and standing bass, respectively. After Harris waved a greeting to Maya and Rune, he launched into “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which felt very appropriate on this stormy night.

  All of the dishes were laid out on the bakery counter. As the mournful chords and murmurs of conversation swirled around them, Maya and Rune filled their plates with turkey and ham and green beans and collard greens.

  It felt almost surreal to Maya, as if the storm had shifted the entire night into an alternate reality. Or maybe it had blown away the fog so she could see more clearly the man at her side. Rune wasn’t just her fun best buddy from Hawaii. Not just a strong and caring (still fun) nurse. He’d just opened a door for her—for them. Beyond that door…

  She shivered with excitement at the thought.

  As they sat down at the banquet table, Vicki jumped up and brought them both glasses filled with something bright and scarlet.