by Jody Holford
The lights were incredible. Georgia had never seen anything like it. They were magical. A fireman put the star on top using the huge extension ladder on the truck. The crowd, including her, gasped when the square was brightened by thousands of miniature lights.
She didn’t even have a tree in her apartment. You can look at this one out the window. The lead up to the event seemed to take longer than the actual lighting. People were encouraged to hang out, enjoy the sight, and have some hot chocolate or apple cider.
When she glanced around, unsure if she should just slip away, head home, she caught Cam’s eye. He was headed her way. Georgia’s heart gave an erratic little bounce.
“Well, look who it is. The town’s newest tease,” a gravelly, unpleasant voice said in her ear.
When she startled, turned to face the speaker, she didn’t recognize him right away. Then it clicked. He wasn’t wearing a Santa suit but he smelled the same.
Before she could say anything, Cam appeared at her side.
“Davey. I swung by your place earlier this evening,” Cam said. His voice was stronger when he was in cop mode. More inflexible.
“Oh yeah? You miss me?”
“Not at all. Ms. Meyers here had an incident with her car tires today. Wondered if you knew anything about that.”
Davey snarled, looked back and forth between her and Cam. “Why would I? Seems like someone besides me doesn’t like you. No matter how pretty you are.”
His wandering gaze made her stomach pitch uncomfortably. Cam stepped closer to her side while at the same time blocking some of Davey’s view.
“Head home before I give you a place to stay for the night,” Cam said.
“For what? I’m just hanging out with the rest of the town, minding my own business.”
“You never mind your own business, Davey,” Cam said. “You leaving or do you need an escort?”
His mumbled words sounded like swears but he walked away. Cam turned to face Georgia.
“You really need to stop saving me, Deputy.”
One side of Cam’s lips tipped up. She caught herself staring at them. Wondering. She really needed to stop doing that.
“You need to learn the difference between me doing my job and rescuing you.”
She tipped her head back, catching sight of a huge mistletoe shaped out of wire hanging from the lamppost they spoke under.
Hmm. No. Not hmm. There’s nothing to be curious about here.
Cam followed her gaze. He licked his lips, his gaze darting back and forth. Basically, anywhere but at her. How long had it been since a man was nervous about kissing her? How long had it been since she’d wanted to kiss someone as much as she did this man who kept popping into her life?
“I should, uh, go. Actually, I’d like to walk you home. With Davey wandering around, it’d be safer.”
Not letting herself think things through—the root cause of most of her poor decision making—Georgia stepped closer.
“That sounds a lot like you rescuing me again. I can take care of myself.”
He nodded. “I don’t doubt it but it’d make me feel better.”
She glanced up again then at him, holding his gaze. “I can think of something else that might make you feel better, too.”
Shifting on his feet, he put both hands on his hips. “Knowing you’re safe would be enough for me.”
Georgia put a hand to his chest. “What if it’s not enough for me?”
He stared at her lips. She waited, surprisingly disappointed when he stepped back.
“Do you ever just take what you want, Officer Andrews?”
“Not without permission,” he answered immediately.
“Pretty sure the permission was implied.” It was stupid to feel rejected but she couldn’t help it. Why was it so easy for him to deny what was flickering between them? She knew it wasn’t a good idea, too but clearly, he had a hell of a lot more will power than she did. Or, he’s not into you. You have a tendency to see what you want. It sets you up for the inevitable fall.
“Georgia.” Her name on his lips was like a caress. It curled under her skin, burrowed inside her heart, reminding her that she wasn’t the kind of girl who would make a man like him happy. He was all good and she was just finding her way.
Turning, she pushed through the crowd, ignoring him when he called her name. She heard his footsteps behind her the entire walk to her apartment. She wouldn’t admit it but when she hit the dark alley, she was grateful he ignored her stubborn behavior. Still, it was a surprise when he followed her up the stairs to her dimly lit landing. She pulled the keys out. They shook in her hand.
“Georgia,” Cam said. He was so close she could feel his front against her back.
“I’m safe. You can go.”
“Please turn around.”
Inhaling deeply, she exhaled, watching the plume of air. When she faced him, his expression was a mask of gentleness. He was so sweet. She’d eat him alive. Good thing he had the sense to steer clear. It was the last coherent thought in her head before both of his hands slid into her hair.
“Implied or given?”
“What?” The word came out as a breathy whisper.
“Your permission. It should be given. Not assumed.”
They were close enough she could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. The desire in them was equally clear. Georgia went up on tiptoes, her hands wrapping around his wrists.
Unsure which of them made the move, she realized it didn’t matter. The second his mouth touched hers, she felt like she’d been waiting for this since the minute she’d met him. While she’d expected him to be hesitant, he was sure. She’d thought he’d move slow but his kiss was lightening, flashing through her as his fingers tightened.
The door at her back, him at her front, Georgia felt cocooned, surrounded. Dammit. She felt safe. Cherished. And turned on. The man could kiss. It was the kind of kiss that would warm her on a cold day just from the memory.
His lips retreated, softened, trailed along her cheek to her ear, down to the spot where her neck connected with her shoulder. Shivers of delight and awareness spiraled together in her chest. Cam was the one to pull back. She wouldn’t have. His forehead rested against her own. She was grateful his breathing was uneven and choppy as well.
“Wow,” she whispered. “I did not see that coming.”
“Really?”
She grinned. “Okay, I had a feeling we’d eventually kiss but I didn’t expect it to rock my world like that.”
Pulling back, she watched as his face lit up with that smile he didn’t give away easily.
“That goes both ways.”
Her hands released his wrists when they roamed down her arms. She put them against his padded chest.
“Just so you don’t get the wrong idea, this doesn’t mean we’re going steady.”
Cam laughed. “Fair enough. Does it mean you’d let me take you to dinner?”
She might have said no just to be fair to him but she heard the tremor in his voice, knew the courage it took, even now, for him to ask.
“I could do dinner. I mean it, though. I’m not looking for anything serious.”
He scoffed, shrugged. “Totally. Me neither.”
It was Georgia’s turn to laugh. “Right. You have player written all over you, Officer Flusters Easily.”
He scowled at her. “I do not like that nickname.”
She started to take it back but one of his hands came up so he could stroke her cheek with his thumb. “But I do like you.”
Uh oh. That was the kind of thing that could make a girl like her fall. Make her believe she could be something she wasn’t. Someone she wasn’t. The kind of woman he deserved.
“I work tomorrow night. Monday?”
She nodded. Her throat felt too thick to form words.
“Just so you know, I’m not going to stop looking into who might want to damage your belongings.”
“Your choice.”
“My job.”
“Right.” One more reason she should bail on the date now.
“Are you in any trouble, Georgia?”
She stepped back but couldn’t go far. “Would it make you change your mind about dinner if I was?”
He shook his head immediately. “No.”
“I’m not.” He deserved that much of the truth.
“I get the feeling there’s a lot you’re not telling me. Are you running from someone?”
Folding her arms over her chest, she looked over his shoulder. “What makes you think I mattered enough to someone for them to chase me?”
His hand came to her cheek again, nudged it so their gazes met. “Knowing you. Even for the short period I have, I can think of a dozen reasons why and how you’d matter to someone.”
The sharp gasp pulled cold air into her lungs. How could he believe that based on her behavior? She hadn’t even been all that nice to him.
“If you need anything, you can phone me.”
“I won’t.” Even as she said it, she pulled her phone out so they could exchange numbers.
When they’d done that, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Goodnight, sweet Georgia.”
She let herself in, leaned against the closed door and closed her eyes. She was falling for Cam. In the quiet of her own home, she could be honest with herself. She liked the way he talked, the way he focused so intently, the way he’d helped his niece with her gloves and the way his cheeks turned pink. She definitely liked the way he kissed. He was the kind of man who could make her forget how lousy she was at the whole relationship thing. He could make her want to try. Worse, he might make her hope that she could matter enough. To him.
Chapter Nine
Georgia lay on her side, facing her cousin Anna, who was propped up on pillows against the headboard.
As she watched the woman’s belly literally move, she was part amazed and part freaked.
“It’s like there’s an alien inside of you,” Georgia said, reaching out, then stopping.
Anna’s musical laughter filled the room. “Or a baby. Go ahead, touch. It’s amazing. It’s my favorite part.”
A quick, hard jab met her hand. Georgia laughed, pulling her hand back. “That’s incredible.” She glanced up at Anna’s smiling face. Her blond hair was pulled back from her face. Though she looked tired, her pale skin was flawless and make up free. Her eyes shone with happiness but Georgia knew she was getting bored of being in bed.
“How are you doing, really?”
Anna shrugged, then gave a deep sigh, sinking down into the cushions. “It’s all for the greater good. That’s what I keep telling myself but I really want out of this bed. I love this time of year at school. I miss playing on the floor with Seth.”
Shuffling into a sitting position, Georgia covered her cousin’s hand. “You’re right though—the payoff on laying low is pretty spectacular.”
“I know. Thanks again for taking Seth the other day. He had so much fun.”
“He’s great.” Sam had taken him out Christmas shopping when Georgia arrived. Her date with Cam wasn’t until this evening so she had plenty of time to hang with Anna.
“What was that look?”
“What look?” Georgia glanced around the room, saw the bags and boxes in one corner. “Can I wrap those for you?”
Anna laughed again. “Only if you want me to love you forever. Wrapping paper is in the closet.”
Georgia got everything ready and worked at the end of the bed so she could still see Anna, who waited patiently. As a teacher, the woman was used to unearthing the secrets of seven and eight-year-old children. Georgia didn’t stand a chance.
“I have a date with Officer Andrews tonight,” she admitted, keeping her gaze focused on her task.
“Will you call him that?”
Her gaze shot up to meet Anna’s amused one. “Maybe. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Oh sweetie. Didn’t anyone have the birds and the bees talk with you?” She snickered.
“Maybe I won’t wrap these presents,” Georgia said, lifting her hands.
Anna leaned forward, reached out a hand. “I’m joking. Totally joking. Talk to me.”
Georgia gave her a mock frown. “Lay back. There’s nothing to say. He’s a well-liked police officer from Pleasantville who takes his nieces and nephews out for fun in between stopping bad guys and probably walking old ladies across the street.”
She caught Anna’s nods of agreement. “All true. He took part in a calendar Lucy did a while back. He also looks very good shirtless, if we’re listing his attributes.”
A frown settled on her lips. It bugged her that Anna knew that and she didn’t. No, it doesn’t. Besides, you could just get the calendar. No need to get tangled up by going on a date with him.
“What is wrong with any of those things, Georgie?”
“Nothing. Not one thing. He’s the perfect guy. He deserves a female equivalent.”
“What does that even mean?” Anna shifted again, clearly trying to get comfortable.
“Do you need anything?” Georgia put the present she’d finished wrapping on the floor.
“I need you to tell me what’s wrong with Cam being a good guy.”
She picked up a boardgame. Anna had already put names on sticky notes on each of the gifts. “It’s me, Anna. Not him. My best job before coming here was a bar manager. I got fired from that one even though it wasn’t my fault. Not really.”
“You never did say what happened.” Anna stared, her gaze open. Curious.
“My ex was the bartender. He was supposed to have carded the girl he served. I was finishing something up, he asked me to deliver a drink. There was an undercover cop sitting beside her and I got let go.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry. Did your ex lose his job, too?”
Georgia ripped off a strip of tape. “Nope. But it worked out okay because I found out he’d been stealing from the bar for months. If I’d stayed any longer, he might have pinned that on me, too. As it was, he was living in my place, eating my food, and carrying on with a waitress on the side.”
“Oh. Georgia. Come here.”
She sniffed. “I’m fine. He was a jackass but he was one in a long line of them. I don’t make great choices.”
“If you don’t come here, I’ll try to come to you.”
Georgia glared, set down the scissors and walked around the side of the bed, sitting beside her cousin’s hip.
Anna took her hand. “Would you have carded that girl?”
“I didn’t. I should have.”
“Fine. But did you know she was underage?”
“No.”
“Did you stay with your ex when you found out those things about him?”
“Of course not.”
“So, how are you to blame?”
Georgia sighed, frustrated that she couldn’t put her feelings into words. “Every time there’s been a choice to make, I pick the wrong path. Except for this one, of course.”
“You think this is a good one?” Anna’s thumb stroked over Georgia’s hand. It was soothing.
“I do. It’s a nice place, minus some petty vandalism. Nice people and I love my shop. I want it to work so bad.”
“It will. I think this choice was pretty awesome, too. You know what that means?”
Georgia gave her a wry smile. “That I should have taken you up on your suggestion to follow you years ago?”
Anna shook her head. “No. It means that all the things you did, led you here. You needed to take those paths to end up where you are now. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are a smart, fiercely loyal, funny, kind, gorgeous woman. Cam—or any other man in this town—would be lucky to have you.”
Georgia ducked her head, the words making her cheeks warm. “He’s so quiet. I’m nearly brash in comparison.”
“Opposites attract.”
Georgia lifted her head. “Or destroy each other.”
Anna gave her a cheeky grin. “Sometimes that
can be fun, too. Open mind, okay? Give Cam a chance to see who you are.”
“What if I don’t entirely know who that is?”
Anna leaned forward with open arms. Georgia returned the hug. “Then it means you’re human like the rest of us.”
Chapter Ten
Cam did his best to hide his nerves as he opened the truck door for Georgia. She slid him a look as she eased past him and the scent of sugar swirled around him. Smiling wouldn’t be a problem. Over-smiling might be. He couldn’t believe she’d actually agreed to go out with him.
Rounding the hood, he got into the truck, put it in drive, his mind flashing back to that kiss. He wasn’t exactly a player but he’d kissed enough women in his life to know there was something special about his connection with the pretty, and sometimes prickly, candy maker.
“Where are you taking me, Deputy?” She turned her neck to look at him.
“My family’s cabin.”
Georgia laughed. “Should I be worried that you’re taking me to a remote cabin and you know how to bury a body.”
He arched a brow, slid her a glance. “You must not have the best track record for dating if that’s where your mind goes first.”
She sighed, leaned her head back on the seat. She was all bundled up in her puffy pink jacket. “You’re not wrong. But seriously, I thought we were going out to dinner?”
“We are. To my family’s cabin. I ordered from Lulu’s. Already brought everything up. I thought we’d hang out, eat dinner by the fire, maybe curl up and watch a movie.”
When he stopped at the red light, he turned his head and saw the surprise in her features. His fingers tightened around the wheel, his mouth going dry.
“That okay?” You could go to Lulu’s for dinner. Take her out. Of course, she wants to actually go out.
“It’s…wow. It’s really sweet and adorable. Very high school sweetheart.”
He cringed. Pressing the gas, he turned his attention back to the road. “You know what? Lulu’s is a great restaurant. Nice atmosphere. Let’s just go there.”
She put a hand on his arm. It drew his attention even through the layers of his coat and henley. “Cam.”
