Tis the Season

by Jill Sanders

  She hated bothering him and tried not to send too many images, but she had to admit, Riley had stepped up her game.

  She’d gone bargain shopping with her one Saturday and had picked out more than a dozen items for Matt’s place. Lilly had to work on a few, cleaning them up and restaining a few. One dresser needed a complete overhaul, but she knew it would be perfect for one of the rooms.

  When Thanksgiving came, she flew to LA to spend the holiday with her mother.

  Even though her mother was busy, they ate at her mother’s favorite place in Hollywood.

  She was used to having sushi for Thanksgiving. Her mother had never been into normal family traditions. It was nice catching up with her for the weekend, but by Saturday evening, she was ready to go home. She hated having Butters stay with her neighbor a few apartments down from hers.

  When she returned home, it was like breathing again. Being in the smaller town, away from the traffic and so many people, including her mother, just felt right to her. Her mother had a way of causing undue stress.

  Even though it was snowing again, she was more relaxed. She had a full day before she was supposed to start on Matt’s place.

  She had to admit that she was nervous about seeing him again. They had talked so much over the past few weeks that she felt more exposed to him.

  The night before she was due to start work on his place, she was finalizing a few things on her computer when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw Matt’s number on the screen.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, I was just letting you know that I made it home okay.” He sighed. “It’s good to be back.”

  “I know the feeling.” She smiled.

  “How was LA?”

  “LA.” She chuckled.

  “Yeah, so, it’s supposed to keep snowing through the week. And I was thinking, this driving back and forth to Edgeview each day isn’t going to work.”

  “It isn’t?” Was he trying to fire her before she even started? Anger washed over her quickly. She took a couple deep breaths.

  “No,” he said easily. “Have you thought about my previous offer?” The line was silent for a few heartbeats. “Blake, there are five other bedrooms in this house. I think you should pack a bag and crash here until the job is done. It’ll save you on gas money.”

  She was silent for a while and leaned back on the sofa to think. Several emotions rushed over her quickly: relief, then annoyance, followed by anger that he’d try to manipulate her. Finally, it dawned on her that he had a good point. She’d been thinking about his earlier offer and the benefits of it.

  Besides, with winter in full swing, the narrow stretch of highway between Pride and Edgeview was something she dreaded to travel. In the old truck, she hated driving that stretch in the summertime.

  “I have a cat,” she blurted out.

  “Good, she can catch some of the mice I’ve seen around here,” he answered smoothly.

  “He,” she corrected.

  “Either or, he’s welcome. There’s plenty of room.”

  She thought about it further. “I’ll give you an answer in the morning.”

  “Fair enough. To sweeten the deal, how about I double whatever rate you were going to charge me?”

  “What?” She sat straight up.

  “You heard me.” He chuckled. “Doubled. From what you’ve shown me so far, you’ll earn it.”

  She did a quick calculation in her head and felt her knees go weak. If she hadn’t been sitting down, she was sure she would have fallen over.

  “Butters and I will be there in the morning.” She hung up before she changed her mind.

  What had she done? An hour later, soaking in the tub in her bathroom, she sipped the wine she’d run down to the corner store to get. For some reason, she kept running out of the stuff. While at the store, she’d grabbed a few other items she’d need for her stay at the house on the hill.

  When her phone rang again, she scowled at her father’s number on the screen.

  “Hi, Daddy,” she answered cheerfully again, knowing that if she acted unnerved, he’d find a way to get under her skin and get the information out of her.

  “Hi, zucca, how’s the new job going?” Her father sounded excited.

  “Fine, what’s up?” she asked.

  “It looks like I’ll be in the States for the holidays.”

  She stilled. “Christmas? You’re coming here?”

  “If everything goes as planned. Your mother will be there as well. This could be our first holiday together.”

  Her stomach rolled, and she sat up and let the lukewarm water out of the tub.

  “Are you sure about this? I mean…”

  “Don’t you worry about a thing, zucca, we’ve got everything arranged. I’ll text you the dates and flight details when I have them. I hope your job is going well, keep us posted.”

  Her father hung up before she could say anything further.

  It was nearly impossible for her to sleep that night. She had bouts of sleep mixed with dreams that didn’t make sense. By the time she loaded Butters and her bags into the truck, she believed she’d had made the right choice to stay at Matthew’s place.

  Besides the drive, she could use her work as an excuse to get her parents to cancel their trip out there.

  It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to see them, but since the last visit, she’d appreciated the distance between them. It was difficult to enjoy her parents when she felt like the adult in the relationship.

  It took her almost two hours to get to the bottom of Matthew’s hill. Then the truck groaned and spun its tires to make it up his drive. By the time she parked behind Parker’s truck, she needed several moments to relax before climbing out.

  She tugged Butters’ carrier out of the side door and almost bumped into Matthew, who was standing directly behind her.

  “Sorry,” he said quickly and steadied her by putting his hands on her elbows. “Is that the cat?” He bent and looked into the carrier. A low growl emanated from it.

  “He hates his carrier,” she supplied. “He’s really a nice cat.”

  “Can I help you carry something in?” he asked.

  “Sure, take this.” She handed him Butters’ carrier. “I can get the rest.”

  He took the carrier, then grabbed her biggest bag and hauled it with him.

  Reaching in, she grabbed her laptop case and her smaller bag then followed him towards the house.

  He’d cleared a pathway and had put salt down on the walkway.

  “I’ve cleaned up the room upstairs closest to the largest bathroom for you. I even found a set of clean sheets.” He opened the door and held it for her.

  She moved into the house, noting instantly the amount of work that had been done while he’d been gone. The kitchen was almost done; the wall of cabinets had been moved already. They looked great in the long laundry room, but what was amazing was seeing the wide-open space at the bottom of the stairs. It opened the space up so much, and she felt proud of the choice she’d made.

  “Head on up,” he said. He followed her up the stairs. “The farthest room on the left.” He nodded.

  She stepped into the massive room and looked around. Out of the four bedrooms upstairs, this was her favorite. The views here were spectacular. The walls were covered in a light pink wallpaper, nothing too offensive, but still something she was going to get rid of. A queen-size bed sat in the middle of the floor without any other furniture.

  “Again, sorry for it being scarce of furniture, but you’ll fix that soon enough.” He smiled.

  “Thanks.” She set her bags down on the bed and took Butters from him. Before letting him out, she took the container that would be his litter box and set it in the corner. “For now, I think we should limit him to this room. That way he won’t get underfoot when we’re working.”

  Matthew nodded in agreement. “You’re the boss.” He smiled. “Can I see the guy? I like cats.”

  “Sure.” She pulled out a small
bag of cat treats. “Here, he’ll be your best friend if you give him one.”

  She opened the door and the cat slowly crawled out on his belly, sniffing the air.

  He held out his hand and the cat treat. Sure enough, in less than a minute, Butters was curled up in Matt’s lap, purring.

  “I think he likes me,” he said, smiling up at her.

  “He’s a slut. He likes anyone.” She sat next to him.

  “Thanks.” He chuckled, then picked the cat up and set him down on the bed. “Will he be okay here by himself?”

  She held in a laugh. “Yes.” She smiled. “He’s normally by himself all day.”

  “Doesn’t he need a buddy? I mean, my mother’s cat was lonely, so she got him a dog.”

  She laughed. “Your mother got a dog for her cat?”

  “Sure.” He smiled. “She took Boomer to the pound to pick out a friend and he chose a Basset hound, whom my mother named Fritz.”

  Blake was totally relaxed now and laughed, the kind of laugh that started in her gut and traveled all over her body. Her eyes even watered slightly.

  “There it is, that’s the smile I missed.” He was close to her, closer than she had realized. When his hands moved to her arms, she stilled.

  “I’ve waited over two years to see that smile.” His eyes moved to her lips and suddenly, she was filled with so many emotions it was hard to keep track.

  “Matt…” She shook her head.

  “Let’s just try this once more, shall we?” he asked, taking another step to close the distance between them.

  He waited, his face inches from hers as his green eyes searched her face.

  “Tell me no,” he challenged, “and I’ll step away.”

  She swallowed, then shook her head before closing the distance between them. When her lips touched his, she had an overwhelming feeling of coming back to something she’d missed. Something she’d dreamed about. Something she’d desired more than breathing.

  Her body melted against his, molded to him as his arms wrapped around her, holding her tight. His strength consumed her, filled her, made her believe that anything was possible as his lips moved over hers. When their tongues met, she tasted pure heaven and a slight moan escaped her. Her fingers tangled in his hair, holding him to her until she felt her knees buckle. When he nudged her towards the bed, she froze and jerked back, instantly coming to her senses.

  Chapter 5

  The rest of the day was filled with dirty work. He hauled out the old carpet from the other bedrooms, the stairway, and the hallways. By the time the sun had gone down, he was covered in a layer of dust and grime. Thankful that he’d had the smarts to have his shower done before he moved in, he stepped into the heat and groaned blissfully as the water washed over him.

  Leaning his head down, he let the water wash away all the aches and pains as well. He’d smashed his knuckles hauling out the old cabinets in the dining room, and his knuckles were a little bloody and raw. So were his shins, from where the cabinets had banged up against his legs.

  By the time he stepped out of the shower, he felt like a new man. A hungry man. He was thinking of heading into town for a pizza or maybe a burger from his uncle’s restaurant, so he dressed quickly and went to find Blake.

  He found her in the space that was to become his office. She was measuring the windows again. Or at least trying. The tape measure kept rolling back up on her.

  “Need help?” he asked as he walked over and held the end of the tape for her.

  “Thanks,” she said, and he waited until she wrote down the number.

  “You know, Parker has already ordered the French doors for this space.”

  “I know. I am calculating how big of a desk we could get in here through the opening.” She smiled up at him, her eyes running over his wet hair. “Going somewhere?”

  “Dinner, I hope. I’m famished. How about a trip into town?” he suggested.

  She glanced out the window and winced. “In this?”

  He smiled. “I’ve got a Jeep. I’ll drive.”

  She relaxed slightly. “I’ll go and change.” She looked down at her work clothes.

  “I’ll wait.” He nodded and watched her disappear through the doorway. She had pinned a couple of paint swatches on the walls, and he walked over to check them out. She had a small check on the middle one, which was the one he instantly picked for the room. Replacing the bright-yellow paint with gray would change the entire look of the room.

  He couldn’t wait to start using the space. As it was, he spent hours on his laptop in different places around the house. He found that working at the kitchen counter was the easiest, now that the new one had been installed. The kitchen wasn’t finished, but there were still a few weeks before Christmas.

  “I’m ready,” Blake said from behind him. She’d changed into black leggings with a long dark gray sweater skirt and matching gray boots. She’d tied her hair up in a loose messy bun and had applied a fresh layer of makeup.

  “You look… amazing.” He smiled and walked over to her, noting the moment she tensed. “Let’s go.” He held out his hand and she hesitated for a moment before taking it and letting out a sigh.

  As he drove down the snowy road, she remained silent. He decided now was a perfect time to get to the bottom of what was going on in her head.

  “You’re using a different name now,” he said.

  She glanced over at him and nodded. “My mother’s name.”

  “Did your parents divorce?”

  “They were never married.”

  “So, why the change from Ricci to Shelby?” he asked as he pulled into the parking lot at the Golden Oar, his family’s restaurant.

  She shrugged. “They thought it was needed.”

  “Needed?” He parked but kept the car running so the heater would keep them warm. “Why?”

  She sighed. “My father is… powerful in Italy. There were people back then looking to hurt him.”

  He tensed and frowned. “And they thought hurting you was the best way?” She nodded. “Is that threat over at least?”

  She shrugged. “It seems to be. He’s stepped down from his… job. Taken a break at least.”

  “What is his job?”

  She just looked at him. “I’d rather not go into it.” She tilted her head. “At least not right now. I’m pretty hungry.”

  He nodded. “Okay, but don’t hate me if I ask more questions during dinner.”

  She laid her head back on the seat and sighed. “How about we eat dinner in peace, and I promise to answer questions after?”

  “Deal.” He smiled and turned off the engine and got out to help her down from the Jeep.

  Walking into the Oar was like coming home from a long journey. Even with the new renovations, the place was as much his home as was his parents’ place.

  “This is nice,” she said as they were seated by the large windows near the fireplace.

  “You should see it during the day. The view is amazing. Best place to watch the sunset in Pride.” He leaned closer. “Even my new place can’t beat this view.”

  “Your family owns this place, right?”

  He nodded. “My grandfather moved to Pride with his new wife. She was an artist.” He nodded to the paintings hanging on the walls. “Some of them are hers, the rest are Aunt Allison’s.”

  “I’ve met her. Actually, I’ve purchased some of her works for my clients.” She smiled. “She and her daughter Riley are wonderful.”

  He chuckled. “I would have loved to have seen her fly through the air and tackle that woman last month.” He frowned. “Of course, now I have nightmares about it. Parker installed a new security system. They have remote-control panic buttons that they carry in their pockets now.”

  “Good. Even though this wasn’t a robbery, you can never be too careful. Especially with a store that deals with that much cash each day.”

  He frowned. “They are doing that well?”

  She chuckled. “Yes, and if I have
my way, most of what I’ll put in your house will come from Lilly. She is a genius at picking out pieces. I spent almost a full paycheck on this silver mirror.” She sighed. “Fell in love with it the moment I saw it. I haven’t found a place to hang it yet, but I will.”

  “My grandmother’s piece?” he asked. “Mirror about this big?” He held up his hands.

  “Yes.” She frowned. “I didn’t know it belonged to your grandmother.”

  “That’s okay, we have tons of her stuff still in my uncle and aunt’s barn.”

  “Really? I’d love to look at some of it. Maybe there’s a desk…”

  Carrie, one of the waitresses, walked over just then and took their order.

  “I can take you over there sometime. Or better yet, go with Lilly so she can let you know if something can be fixed or not,” he suggested when they were alone again.

  “That would be great. Anything I find, I’ll have to commission her to repair or clean up.”

  “I’m sure she’d love it. The first time she worked on something, her dad had bought her an old school desk. She’d begged for it when she’d spotted it at the antique store. Within a month, she had transformed it into an amazing piece.” He smiled remembering how proud his cousin had been of the job. “She sold it a few weeks later and made almost three times what she’d spent on of it.”

  “Your family is close,” she said. “I noticed it with your cousins. They act more like sisters than anything. Actually, when I first met them, I thought they were sisters.”

  He nodded. “We’ve all been raised like that.”

  “You’re the oldest?”

  “Yes. There were times when I was younger when I’d forget that everyone wasn’t in my family. I’d be upset because they had to go to their homes for the night.” He chuckled. “When the twins were born, Riley and Jacob, I cried that entire first night when they got to come home from the hospital because they weren’t going to sleep in my bedroom with me.”

  Blake smiled and reached for her wine glass, which Carrie had just refilled after delivering their food.

  “Thank you.” She nodded to Carrie.

  “Matt, your family just came in.” Carrie nodded to the far corner where his parents waved at him.