by Di Jones
“Come on, slowpoke,” he called and she shook herself out of her reverie, seeing that he was already standing by the car. By the time she caught up, he’d put the tree on the top of it.
She clapped her hands in excitement. “We’re doing this. We’re really doing it.”
“Of course we are. I told you we would. I don’t lie and I don’t make promises I can’t keep. Get in. I can see you’re cold.”
She got in and he gunned the engine then turned on the heater, putting it straight onto high. She used the break in the conversation to study him. His word and his honor meant everything to him. He was clearly a man she could trust, but what was the point of letting herself trust too much? It might lead to strong feelings and she knew he was only going to be here for a short while. Then she’d be alone again, struggling to earn a living doing something she didn’t even like for the sake of being able to pay for a place she didn’t enjoy living in. There was something wrong with the way she was living her life. She’d known it for awhile. What she could also feel without a shadow of a doubt was that Andy was the kind of man she could happily have a relationship with.
“What are you staring at me like that for?” he asked, turning slightly in her direction.
She blushed, as she’d been unaware of how long she’d been staring at him.
“I was just thinking how much fun I’m having with you.”
“Ditto. And there’s more to come.” He took his hand from the steering wheel, reached over and squeezed hers.
Even though she had leather gloves on, her skin seemed to burn where his fingers had been. “Good, because I’m really enjoying all this. Do you want to stop quickly at the grocery store? I don’t know what I have at home for dinner.”
“You have eggs, and I make the meanest scrambled eggs. Will that do you?”
She nodded happily. She was getting used to Andy helping with everything and loved the idea of him cooking a simple supper for them.
Once they got back home, Andy brought the tree onto her porch, carefully wiping down the branches with a towel so the fir wouldn’t shed snow all over the living room. He carried the tree into the house, and they chose a position where they could see it from the kitchen and combined living room. Andy set the tree up in the stand and then took a spot behind the kitchen counter.
“How about you see if you can find the Christmas decorations? I’ll chop an onion and get the eggs underway.”
“I think they’re in the garage.” She knew it would be cold out there but suddenly the idea of seeing the decorations that had been her mother’s had her excited. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She gathered together her coat and gloves, and pulled both on hurriedly, keen to start her mission. After trudging around the corner of the house, she put the key into the rusty lock and pushed open the side door of the garage. It was black inside and she felt for the light switch, and flicked it on. Carefully she made her way to the back of the gloomy space, marveling at the piles of boxes she’d forgotten about. The place could do with a clean out, but that would have to wait for another time.
Peering at the exterior of the boxes, memories came flooding back but she pushed them aside, focusing on what she needed. There it was—the large box with her mother’s handwriting on the side—right down at the bottom of a large stack of cartons. Carefully pulling and restocking the other boxes, she finally had the one she wanted.
Back in the house, the smell of frying onions assailed her nostrils, and her stomach grumbled. “I found it,” she called out and walked into the kitchen to see Andy decked out in her favorite apron. “You look charming.”
He waved a wooden spoon at her. “No teasing the cook, otherwise you won’t get fed.” Toast popped up from the toaster, and she put the box down and grabbed plates from the cupboard, while Andy buttered the toast, then served the scrambled eggs onto her best china plates.
“Table or TV dinner?” he asked her, and she plopped down on the couch in response. He sat beside her, and as she ate the delicious creamy egg on toast, and enjoyed Andy’s conversation, she decided that Christmas couldn’t come soon enough.
“You going to put those decorations on tonight?” He nodded at the box.
“No. I think I’ll wait until tomorrow when we come back from the festival. I’ll get some new ornaments there and I can put them up all at the same time.”
It was a great idea, but it wasn’t the only reason Elizabeth was putting off opening the box of Christmas decorations. Being with Andy made her feel all warm and fuzzy, and she was scared that those feelings—and the inevitable memories from the dusty old cardboard carton—would throw her over the edge and open a Pandora’s box of emotion. The last thing she wanted to do was break down and make herself vulnerable by crying in front of him.
Twelve
Andy
As soon as they finished work the next day, they made their way to the Christmas Festival, which was taking place in the town square for the twelve days prior to Christmas. Andy had loved the festival as a kid, and now he was getting to share it with Elizabeth.
As they reached the edge of the square, Andy took in the activity before him, memories from his childhood flooding his mind. His stomach rumbled, and his mouth watered at the array of food trucks in front of them. “Here’s the plan,” he began. “Notice how I went light at lunch?”
“I did. I thought maybe you were putting me on a diet,” Elizabeth commented.
“You don’t need to lose any weight. You’re perfect as you are.” He glanced down the length of her body, and wished, not for the first time, that he could take her in his arms, crush her to him, and kiss her deeply. This wasn’t the right time…although he knew it would come. “No. I was pacing you. Me..us..we needed pacing. Because this is the true test of our fortitude, our stamina, our stomachs.” He couldn’t get the thought of kissing her out of his mind, but he gestured around the square. There were food booths from the restaurants in town, and anyone local with a specialty had a stall. “You hungry, princess?”
“Yes, and there’s an amazing selection here. Mrs. Bowers and her pies. She makes both meat pies and desert pies. In fact the best pumpkin pie you could find. Katie Lincoln crafts cookies almost too pretty to eat. And there’s Bob Schmidt over there manning his smoker. He makes the best barbecue beef brisket in ten counties.”
They walked around the square, checking out the foodstuffs and looking at the stalls. Every now and then Betty stopped to chat to someone, and each time she introduced him he noticed the questioning looks. Was he her boyfriend, or just a friend? If it was up to him it would be the former but despite the fact he knew she enjoyed his company he wasn’t sure of her feelings for him. Yes, she liked him, but was there more there?
“What do you want to eat?” she asked.
“I think that smoked brisket looked pretty good.”
They walked back to the stall, placed their orders, and found a bench where they could sit and eat. The meat was hot, smoky and spicy and melted in his mouth: the best thing he’d eaten for ages. He turned to Elizabeth to see if she was enjoying it as much as he was, and saw she had a run of barbecue sauce tricking down her chin. “Hold still,” he told her, taking his serviette and dabbing it on her face.
“I’m so messy. Thank you.” Their faces were so close together and again he wanted to kiss her, but she looked away and he wondered if she was embarrassed.
She bundled up her food wrappers, took his and got up to put them into a garbage can. “Let’s look around a bit more.”
The festival was becoming busier and merrier. Bonfires were crackling in braziers positioned throughout the square providing much needed heat and a place for folks to toast marshmallows. Many were standing around drinking, and the aromas of coffee and mulled wine filled the air, along with the barbecue they’d just finished.
“Let’s take a look here.” Elizabeth tugged on his hand, drawing him to a crowded stall filled with wreaths, garlands and a range of ornaments. She hung back until th
ere was space, then reverently touched the glass ornaments hanging on a small fir tree that was the center display.
“What’s the matter? You look sad,” he told her.
“There’s something about looking at these glass ornaments that reminds me of being a kid and being home at Christmas with my parents. They’re so old fashioned looking that they bring back memories.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Andy asked her.
“Yeah, I guess it is.” She wiped a gloved finger to her eye, and he wondered if it was a tear threatening to form. “I’m also being a bit hard on myself, wondering why I’ve let Christmas fall by the wayside for so long. It’s such a special time of year and I should enjoy this. I’m so glad you’ve made me feel the seasonal spirit again, Andy. I’m going to make sure I appreciate this holiday for the special time it is.”
He gave her a quick, tight hug, not wanting her to feel overwhelmed or vulnerable. “You want a couple of these?” He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and she smiled at him gratefully as he paid for two fragile glass balls shot with silver and gold.
“I’ll think of you every year when I unwrap these.”
“That sounds like a fair deal. Nothing could make me happier than you associating me with Christmas. Now on to more practical things. How about a donut?”
He took her by the hand and led her towards a small truck where crowds had lined up, lured by the smell of hot cinnamon permeating the cool air. His mouth watered as they joined the line. Why was it that being with her reminded him so much of being a kid? And why did he feel so completely protective of her and want her to feel the same happiness he did? He sensed that underneath her cool exterior was a depth of unhappy memories and he wanted to bring them to the surface. Then he’d encourage her to confront them, put them behind her and lead the happiest life she could.
She kept putting the lightest of pressure on his hand, and although they were both wearing gloves he felt heat rush through his fingers, down his arms and radiate onto his chest then up his neck into his face. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone for such a long time, not since his one serious girl friend in high school. There’d never been any time for romance when he was in the forces, and while he knew he was overdue for love, he also acknowledged when he found that special person he’d want their relationship to last forever. He just had to figure out the depths of his feelings for Elizabeth—and hers for him—as well as how she might fit into his plans going forward.
“Here’s The Daily Grind’s stand. We’ve already had one hot chocolate today but…” Her cheeks were as pink and curved as fresh apples, her smile wide and inviting.
“It’s a special day. We can have another. Do you want one?”
When she nodded, he let go of her hand, dug into his pocket and pulled out enough small change for another hot chocolate.
Five minutes later Elizabeth stopped in front of a display of turquoise, blue and silver glass bowls. “Aren’t these lovely?”
He drained the last of his hot chocolate and nodded.
“Nice hot chocolate mustache you’ve got there.” She stood on her tiptoes and gently touched his upper lip with her index finger.
Without waiting for her to wipe his mustache off he bent down, took both of her hands in his, drew her nearer to him and kissed her. Her lips were cool from the air, but warm in their response and emboldened he deepened the kiss. A moment later when they drew apart and brown eyes locked on green, he could tell something between them had changed. He tightened his grip on her hand, threw his arm around her and as they carried on through the festival, Andy’s heart soared.
By the time they’d done another circuit of the square, bought a few more ornaments, eaten a few candies, and enjoyed a cup of mulled wine, it was getting colder. The braziers were burning low and the crowd was dispersing. “Shall we go home now?” she asked him.
“Yes. All I want to do is sit on the couch and cuddle with you.”
After a brisk walk home, their arms wrapped around each other, Andy lit the fire, while Elizabeth opened a bottle of wine.
“Here’s to a lovely evening,” she said, clinking her glass against his. “I can’t tell you how nice that was.”
He took her glass from her hand and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. “And I can’t tell you how nice this was.” As he moved to her, her lips parted and when his mouth sought hers, her tongue met his instantly. Fire raged inside him, but he wasn’t going to rush her, as much as he wanted to.
“Yes. It is,” she responded as he moved away, then she brought her mouth to his and kissed him again.
As the light of the fire danced on the walls they talked and kissed and cuddled as they drank the bottle of wine. They opened up to each other, talking about their childhoods, their ambitions, hopes and dreams, and with each sentence, he felt closer to her. Longing coursed through him and he shifted his weight, not wanting her to know the strength of his ardor. He sensed she wanted him too but something was holding her back and what he wanted most of all was for her to feel safe. He held her against him, stroking her hair gently and soon the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest told him she had fallen asleep.
He closed his eyes too, enjoying the crackling of the fire, the feel of her warm body against his, and the scent of her in his nostrils. How would it feel to be skin on skin with her and to have her open up to him fully? What would it be like to be in love, to have a base, and to know that his life partner was with him? Would he be able to settle down here, or was the lure of his adventures too strong to overcome? He wasn’t sure of anything, except that his senses were heightened by her presence, never more so than now.
He must have drifted off because when he woke the fire that had been blazing was a slumbering pile of embers. It wasn’t worth getting up and adding fresh logs to reignite the flames as the room was already toasty. Elizabeth was wrapped in his arms, a sensuous smile shadowing the corners of her lips. He considered waking her for bed, but her open posture told him how comfortable she was. Instead, he grabbed the throw from the behind them and gently covered their bodies. She moved with a murmur and he drew his arms tighter round her. This was a nirvana he wanted to enjoy for hours longer.
Thirteen
Elizabeth
She woke up to find the fire all but extinguished, although she was warm, sheltered in the crook of Andy’s arms. She moved slowly, not wanting to disturb him, but he gently tightened his hold around her and brought his lips to her hair. “You’re awake, princess. You look beautiful when you’re sleeping.”
She slowly met his gaze…his deep brown eyes shone in the dim light. “What have you been doing while I’ve been asleep?”
He smiled, revealing white teeth behind the oh-so-sensuous lips that had kissed her earlier. “Holding you close. I’ve wanted to do this for a while, and as it happens, I like it. Don’t you?”
“I guess you do from how tight you’re holding me.” She didn’t answer his question, because she was too shy to tell him just how much she liked it. The fire might have all but died in the room, but it was racing through her, heating every cell of her body, and making her feel more alive than she could remember ever feeling.
He pulled her back against his chest. “Rest.” He pressed his lips to her forehead like it was the most natural thing ever. She wanted more though, and when she moved closer, he pressed his lips to hers.
His lips were warm and firm, and she opened hers in response. Their mouths melded together as if they’d been kissing for years, and as she nipped his bottom lip he groaned and his hands slid down her body.
This was the perfect romantic scenario. She was warm from the nap and the fire, her inhibitions were cloaked in sleep, and she couldn’t have controlled her primal responses to Andy’s hands and lips even if she’d wanted to. She didn’t want to: it had been too long since a man had touched her, and her body, now alive, didn’t want to sleep again. Her breasts tingled, fire licked between her legs, and when she moaned into his mou
th and shifted against him she could feel his desire growing in the same leaps and bounds.
She moved back from his mouth, her eyes meeting his. His need was clear in his eyes, and as his fingers strayed inside her top to her bra she knew he could see her need too. “Yes,” she breathed into his ear and then his hands slid behind her back. She moved to help him as he deftly unhooked her bra. She gasped as his fingers skimmed across her breasts, then moaned as he lightly squeezed one swollen nipple between his fingers. There’s no going back now.
Their mouths joined again roughly, excitement driving them onwards. She reached down to feel his erection through the fabric of his jeans, shuddering at the thought of him inside her. Then it was his turn to pull away from the kiss, and his eyes searched hers. “Do you want this, Elizabeth?”
“Kiss me again.” She leaned into him, traced his mouth with her tongue.
He kissed her deeply then pulled away reluctantly and slid off the couch, scooped her into his arms, and left the warm room. He walked through her bedroom door, into the cool, and set her down on her bed, then backed away from her, his eyes never leaving her face.
He’s saving me from myself, when all I want is for him to make love to me. Her body tensed as disappointment coursed through her, but rather than leaving her, Andy pulled off his sweater then the shirt underneath, exposing smooth skin covering well-defined muscles. As her excitement built he unzipped his jeans and as he kicked them off she got up, tearing at her own clothes.
“Let me do that.” She raised her arms above her head and he took her sweatshirt off, then he helped her undress. A moment later they stood naked in front of each other, with Andy smiling his approval.
