“I’ve seen decorations but not like this, this is amazing. Does it always look like this?”
He couldn’t help but find it a little funny. He’d never had this type of reaction from someone before when it came to Christmas decorations.
“Yeah it used to look worse actually, a lot more lights when Maddie was alive. She was big into Christmas.” The cheerful moment turned somber with talk of his deceased sister-in-law.
“Come on Fin, let’s get this pizza into the girls. I’m sure everyone is starved. I know I am.” She jumped from the truck and followed him inside where they were bombarded by two little dirty blond bobs, heading straight for Fin.
“Alright girls, this is my friend Harper.” He motioned for her to stand closer to him. “Harper, this rug rat is Kelsey, she’s got a freckle on her cheek. The little she-devil with the mini-pigtail horns is Hayley. Usually the freckle is the only way to tell them apart.”
“Hi girls, it’s very nice to meet you.” Both girls smiled at Harper then ran away screaming.
“Daddy, Unca fin has a gir fend.”
“Hey, you two…” but it was too late, they were already out of site. Then around the corner came Fin’s older brother.
“Hi Harper.” Kaleb extended a hand to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Kaleb. Please come on in and just ignore the girls. They are so high strung.”
“Oh, they’re really beautiful.”
“I’ve got pizza!” Fin went running into another part of the house leaving Harper with Kaleb.
“Let’s head in there before Fin and the girls eat it all.” He motioned for her to go ahead and explained where the dining room was. “Sorry if you overheard me giving Fin a hard time about meeting you today for lunch. It’s just he doesn’t have too many friends he spends time with so it’s nice to see him get out. I feel bad he’s been stuck here with me and the girls.”
Harper stopped him short of going through the doorway. “Kaleb, he loves the girls and would do anything for them. He doesn’t act like it’s a burden at all being here.”
“Thanks Harper.”
“Come on you two, get some while the getting’s good.” Fin’s words came out around the slice he’d shoved in his mouth.
Between the five of them, they devoured two extra-large pizzas layered with different meats, mushrooms, and extra cheese. Harper even sat down at the coffee table and colored with the girls while the brothers talked a little business. When Kaleb took the girls off to bed, Fin cleaned the mess left behind while Harper stood at the two double-pane bay windows, watching the snow coat the trees in the East pasture. She didn’t hear him stop behind her, only felt the warm air at the back of her neck.
“I’m really glad you came out tonight Harper. I had a lot of fun. Even if it wasn’t a typical date.”
“Hey, I don’t know what you’re talking about, coloring is a common event for one of my dates.” She laughed and leaned back a little, molded comfortably into his chest. Fin cautiously wrapped an arm around her, keeping her steady against him.
“Guess I should probably be getting you home huh?” Harper turned toward him when Kaleb came into the room, setting the police band radio on the end table. There were such enormous amounts of chatter, they couldn’t make out what was what.
“I don’t think you two are going anywhere. Sounds like it’s an absolute mess out there on the roads. Whole town’s nothing but a sheet of ice and there’s no sign of it letting up anytime soon. I can’t let you guys go anywhere. Not sure even steel studs on the tires would help tonight.”
“Oh, that’s not good. Tomorrow’s Saturday, I have to work.”
“I don’t think you’ll need to worry about opening the post office tomorrow. Sounds like we’re all in for the long haul. I heard Sheriff Ryder a minute ago ordering a couple deputies to rescue a group of carolers stuck out in the park with no shelter. The ground was so slick they couldn’t stand up long enough to walk.” Kaleb went around to the windows, securing locks and closing the curtains.
“That’s awful. What are we going to do?”
“Looks like you’re stuck here with us tonight. Hope that’s ok?” Fin looked cautiously at Harper.
She thought for a minute before answering, poking a little fun at him. “Guess it’ll have to be. Fin Cole, are you sure you didn’t plan this?”
“Now why would I do such a thing? I’m as harmless as they come.” Fin ducked in time to miss the pillow flying from Kaleb’s direction.
Chapter Four
Harper sat on the double bed in the spare room Kaleb had directed her to for the night. Or next few nights depending on how long she’d be stuck there.
“Best to just make the most of it, not like I had anything to go home to anyway.” She borrowed clothes from Fin to sleep in, a t-shirt and an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms. She assumed he pulled them from his hamper because his scent was all over them, making her senses reel. After rolling the pants at the top about ten times and they were still too long, she shook her head.
“I didn’t’ realize I was so short.” She laughed at herself as she started to push the door closed.
“Hey there.” A knock on the door had her jumping back. “I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed.”
“Holy crap you scared me. I was just shutting the door when you knocked.” She stood back as Fin walked into the room and toward her. With a hand over her heart, she tried to catch her breath.
“Dang, I’m sorry.” His warm palms rested where her arms were bare from the short sleeves. His presence took away the chill she had but it created a whole different set of emotions instead. He was close enough she could breathe in the scent of the aftershave he’d used and the ends of his hair, the color of burnished oak, were still damp. A vivid mental picture of him naked in the shower had her heart racing again.
As she looked toward his handsome face, his eyes darkened, as if she were his next meal. The control no longer her own when her gaze traveled toward his lips, lush and begging to be kissed. The magnetic energy evident between them had her body being drawn toward Fin’s bare chest where her hands instinctively landed only seconds before his lips crushed onto hers. The nerves all over her body ignited and she returned his advances wholeheartedly.
His hands roamed over her back and lower while she twisted her fingers over his muscles and into his hair. Neither could fight the attraction a second longer as his fingers fisted into his own t-shirt she wore, edging it higher to reveal her silky skin.
“I’m sorry for being so forward but I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you.”
Her moans of pleasure only encouraged him and just as he had the material around her shoulders a knock came at the door before it started to push open.
“Hey are you two oka…”
“Kaleb don’t open the door.” Fin yelled as Harper shrieked, pulling her shirt back into place. She heard Kaleb curse in the hallway with a muttered sorry and his footsteps quieted the further from the door he got.
Fin had wrapped Harper in his embrace to shield her from Kaleb and he pulled away slightly to see her, then resting his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry about that. Damn, every time I turn around I’m apologizing to you. I sure as hell won’t be apologizing for kissing you though.”
“I would hope not. I wouldn’t accept it anyway. I wanted that just as much as I think you did.”
“Oh I definitely did. I’m only sorry Kaleb interrupted when he did and ruined the mood.”
She kissed him tenderly but only once and pulled away. “Maybe this time it was for the best. I just met you yesterday Fin and while I’m sure I’ll be cursing myself in about an hour, maybe it was a sign to take things slow?”
“You’re right. I don’t know what came over me, well I do know but I need to control it.” His face reddened a little from embarrassment. “There’s just something about you that makes me nuts, besides your beautiful face. You’re nice and funny and your smile lights up the whole ro
om.”
Harper smacked at Fin. “Stop, you’re embarrassing me,” but she was grinning proudly. “One last kiss then you’re leaving. I need my beauty sleep.” She grabbed him around the neck and planted a doozy on him them pushed him out and shut the door.
“Good night Harper,” she heard him call out.
She folded her own clothes she’d left lying on the bed, shut off the lamp and crawled in between the cold sheets. “How the heck am I supposed to sleep now?”
Fin blinked, clearing the sleep from his eyes and turned to the clock. “Great, no power.” Sometime during the night the ice must have gotten too bad on the transformers and tripped the electricity. He was used to it after living here off and on for so many years. Good thing his internal clock was set to 5:30 am regardless. The room was a little cold so he dressed and went to start a fire in the living room.
By the time Harper made it to the kitchen, the girls were dressed and eating breakfast with Kaleb. “Morning everybody.”
Fin met her at the table, kissing her softly. “Morning, you look refreshed. Did you sleep well?”
“I swear I had the best night in oh, I don’t even know how long. What happened to the power? I was hoping to watch the weather channel this morning.”
Kaleb grabbed some more coffee and handed Harper a mug while Fin cooked eggs on the wood stove. “Typical winter here in Colorado. I caught the tail end of it last night and the thermal maps didn’t look promising.”
Fin set a plate full of food in front of Harper’s seat, motioning for her to sit. “Sorry for dragging you all the way out here and getting you stuck.”
“It’s okay, really.” Harper smiled sweetly at him. “I have nothing to go home to anyway so it’s like a mini vacation.” I only wish I could make myself feel as relaxed as I made it all sound. Anytime she was in the same room as Fin, her insides went haywire. Last night had been a close call. She didn’t want to come off as desperate but it was a good thing Kaleb interrupted last night when he did because it’d been a long while since she’d been with anyone.
“Maybe I can show you around the farm today? The tractor shouldn’t have any problem getting through the fields if they’re all frozen. Looks like the freezing sleet has taken a break at least for a little while but it is still cold.”
“Oh okay, sounds like fun. I don’t think I really have the clothes to be outside though.”
“I’m sure there’s something around here that’ll fit you.” Kaleb added that he’d be right back with some things and headed upstairs with the twins.
Fin joined Harper at the table to finish his breakfast. Each time she caught Fin looking her way, she could feel her face heat up. Lord I’m acting like a giddy school girl. He is a great kisser though.
“So how did you sleep Fin?” She tried to get her brain away from thinking about his kisses.
“Well for being alone, not bad I guess. Pretty much same as always. You know if you get lonely or too cold and need someone to warm you, my door is always open.” He tried to keep a serious face but she knew he was as affected by what happened between them as she was. She’d like nothing more than to let her guard down and give in to him. Maybe I’m being a little overcautious but I just think it’s still a little soon, I haven’t even known him two days yet.
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks. So what’s on the agenda for the day besides sightseeing?”
“Whatever you wanna do as long as it doesn’t involve traveling anywhere the tractor can’t take us or using electricity. Not sure when we’ll get that back. Good thing we have a fireplace and a wood burning stove. We’ve had to use them a time or two.”
A few minutes later Kaleb came into the room with a box marked winter. “Here ya go Harper, see if any of this will fit you.”
“Thanks Kaleb, I’ll take good care of it.”
“No worries. You can have it if anything fits you. Maddie would be happy knowing its getting used.” With a somber face, Kaleb set the box on the table and left the room again.
“Fin, is he doing okay? I know how it was to lose my parents and that was really hard but I can’t imagine losing a spouse, someone you committed to spending the rest of your life with. She was so young, they’d just gotten started.”
“It hasn’t been an easy road for him but he’s actually doing pretty well. He’s started to talk about her more. I think that’s important now that the girls are getting a little older and starting to understand more. Christmas was always a big deal so I know Kaleb wants to keep that tradition going for the girls too.”
“I envy those girls. I don’t remember ever having a Christmas.” Harper stared down into what was left of her luke-warm coffee. “They’re so lucky to still have one parent, and an uncle of course.” She leaned over, nudging Fin with her shoulder.
“So you didn’t have any Christmas growing up, at all? Where did you go?”
“My parents died when I was really young, seven or eight. I don’t’ remember much about them or my childhood, it gets harder the older I get. Anyway, after they died, I became a ward of the state because I had no other family to be found.”
Harper busied herself with the Carharts from the box and a pair of winter boots, surprisingly in her size, while Fin put his winter garb on.
“I was in and out of foster homes until I was fifteen or sixteen. There was a diner in the town in Maryland where my last foster parents lived and I just hung around bugging everybody until the owner agreed to give me a job washing dishes. Eventually my rented parents told me to beat it, that I was too much trouble so Max, the owner of the diner let me stay in the two room apartment upstairs. I think he and his wife felt sorry for me and she made him do it.”
Once they were both dressed, Fin motioned for Harper to go ahead of him outside. She continued to explain that she’d lived there until she found a want-ad online for the post office in Hopeful and applied. That was a little more than three years ago.
Chapter Five
Fin had no clue what to say to Harper about her childhood. He never imagined she’d had it so rough and here he was trying to take advantage of her last night. At least a tiny bit but he’d thought she was equally as interested. I really need to take things slow damn it.
“Damn Harper, I don’t know what to say. That’s a hell of a story.”
She smacked him on his padded arm. “Don’t go feeling sorry for me. I’m a big girl and I’ve been taking care of myself just fine up til now. So are we going on this ride around the farm or not?”
Far be it from him to make a lady wait. “Sure thing ma’am. Follow me.” Fin took off across the drive to the barnyard where the tractor was parked next to the equipment barn.
Donning a pair of pink Carharts, stocking cap and wool mittens, she tried to keep up but Fin kept focus on his path as he heard Harper stomping over the crunchy snow trying to keep up with his long strides. He’d always been a mover when he walked.
“Would you slow down, I can’t keep up with you.” Fin paid no mind to the tiny scrap of woman following him and stopped when he reached the tractor.
Are you going to be able to climb up there?” He motioned to the fender above the tractor tire, smirking. Years ago his dad had welded an iron bar right next to the fender and attached a cushy bar stool stationary type seat so his mom could ride the fields with their dad.
“I know you think your funny but don’t you worry about me. Just get yourself up there, I’ll manage.” She watched Fin get situated on the John Deere then took a minute to contemplate her current situation. The clothes were bulky but she could still move. Watch this Lover boy.
With more ease than even she expected, grabbing hold of the green fender, Harper stepped up on the trailer’s hitch and slipped up beside Fin within seconds.
“Hey I’m impressed, I didn’t even need to help you.” Fin snickered as she got situated.
“Very funny, ha ha. Now, are you taking me somewhere or are we just going to sit here all day so you can pick on me?”
Fin pumped the choke a couple times and turned the small starter key. Once he got the tractor running he told her loudly, “make sure you hold on.” Then they were off.
Over the next few hours, he took Harper through so many fields filled with all different kinds and sizes of trees that she lost count. The last field they passed was closest to the house with a cleared parking area and a big sign that said Cut Your Own Christmas Tree.
Harper tapped him on the leg and pointed out toward the field. “Do a lot of people come out here to get a tree for Christmas?”
Fin stopped the tractor where they were and cut the engine so he could hear her better and they didn’t have to yell at each other. “A fair share do. We get people coming from all around, not just Hopeful. For some people it’s a family tradition to cut one every year. With Hopeful being our hometown, we make it easy for most residents. We support the local Boy Scout troop and set up in an empty lot so they can sell the trees in town. The tree farm gives them a big discount and the boys, along with their parents have a blast taking turns doing the selling.”
He looked like he wanted to say more but didn’t.
“Is everything okay Fin?”
Even through his thick bib overalls, the electric current pulsed through him from where her gloved hand rested on his leg. He’d been trying to keep things on an even playing field but the more time he spent around her the more he liked her and that meant he also needed to be honest with her about his feelings and thoughts no matter what.
“I just want you to know I didn’t mean to come across wrong when you were telling me about your childhood earlier. If you’ll let me, I’d really love to give you the kind of Christmas you’ve never had before, here with us.” He looked at her expectantly, his brows arched. “Since you’re stuck here with us for a while anyway.”
“I don’t want you to do anything for me because you for sorry for me. I don’t need anyone’s pity.” She turned away from him, the anger making her face a bright crimson. He’d also picked up that she had a nervous habit of wringing her fingers together which she was doing now, even with her digits encased in gloves.
Country Wishes Page 88
