Hearts on Fire: Romance Multi-Author Box Set Anthology

by Violet Vaughn

  He snorts. “If you help gut the deer, I’ll massage your feet and let you prance around the cabin in sexy clothes. Deal?”

  I giggle. “Gosh, that sounds too good to resist.” I glance over my shoulder at him, and he winks.

  “Yeah, you in a tight dress and heels is too good to resist.”

  I flash back to the night he drove me home, and my insides get tingly. Note to self: wear that dress again sometime soon.

  Up ahead is the clearing. As we approach, I notice tiny rabbit tracks and bigger prints that look like deer. This must be the local watering hole. “Let’s go sit over there by that fallen tree.”

  Jason walks ahead of me and swipes snow off the log. The backpack lands with a thunk. “Do you have anything in this we can have for a snack? I’m hungry.”

  “Sure.” I walk over and unzip the backpack. “How about some cheese? And we can share an apple.”

  “Sounds good to me.” He takes the hunk of cheese I hand him. “Doesn’t food always taste better in the woods?”

  I chuckle. “I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about that, but I suppose.”

  “Seriously though, it just does.” I can tell by the look on his face he believes it.

  “Maybe when we live off the grid we should have an outdoor café. No one will know why they can’t resist coming back for more,” I say. “But we’ll both know the secret. Food tastes better in the woods.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you’re just humoring me. It’s okay. You’ll discover the truth now that I’ve brought it to your attention.” He grins, and the apple crunches when he bites.

  We don’t speak as we eat. Birds chatter as they flit from branch to branch, and an occasional plop sounds as heavy, wet snow melting in the sun drops from branches. Jason touches my arm, and he points to the small hare hopping toward the pond. We watch him take a quick drink of water and bounce away.

  I pop the last bit of cheese into my mouth and peer into the pack. Seeing the chicken salad, bread, and cookies, my stomach clenches in anticipation. “Oh man, I wish we could eat everything right now.” I stand up and prepare to leave. “I don’t think we’re far from the magical place. Did you get enough of a snack?”

  “Yup. Which way do we go?”

  I look down at my compass and point toward the direction we should head.

  We hike for less than an hour before we reach it. Jason is in front of me and stops when he sees the clearing. He speaks in a low voice. “We found it.”

  I nod and walk ahead of him and pull branches apart with care to allow us to enter. There’s much less snow on the ground except for a mound in the center of the clearing. The branches don’t quite meet at the top, and snow has fallen through the circle.

  A serene silence envelops us as Jason sets the pack down and walks to the mound. He begins to carve at it with his hands, and I realize he’s making us a table. The sound of the zipper on my pack is loud when I open it. I pull out the tablecloth and watch as he finishes. I think about what it would be like living in the woods with him. He’s the most capable man I know, and could make us everything we’d need. I let myself drift away in the fantasy of pioneer life with Jason.

  “I’m ready for the tablecloth now.” He takes two corners from me, and we lay it out over the snow table. Snowshoes whoosh as Jason stomps the ground. “Help me pack down the snow around it.”

  Once we have flattened the area around the table, I take off my snowshoes and begin to unpack lunch. I put out two plastic plates to fill with food.

  When it’s ready, Jason says, “This looks great.” He lifts his glass of seltzer in a toast. “To roughing it.”

  I lift my glass too. “To roughing it with you, Mountain Man.”

  We don’t speak until we’ve devoured our sandwiches. “I know the reason food tastes better in the woods.” I smirk at Jason.

  “Oh, this should be good. Why?”

  “Because you usually have to work hard before you eat it. Did you even taste lunch?”

  “Yes, did you?” His eyes dance with laughter. “Because for a minute there, I thought I heard a wild boar.”

  “You say the nicest things to me.” Okay, so I did eat quickly. “I moaned in pleasure; that wasn’t snorting. You, on the other hand—Hey!” He’s snatched my cookie. “If you value your man parts, you’ll give that back.”

  “Actually, my valuable man parts think you need this. Here. Fatten up.”

  Happy to have my treat back, I don’t reply and take a big bite. Once I’ve finished, I speak again. “I’m so full now I can barely move.” I begin to pack up the remains.

  Jason removes the vinyl cloth, and it snaps before he lays it out on the ground with the cloth side up. “Come over here and we can rest a bit.” He falls back and faces the sky.

  I cuddle up next to him and close my eyes. I take a deep breath through my nose to smell his sweaty musk and shiver from eating and inactivity. Jason sits up and reaches for our coats to cover us as blankets. “There. Warmer now?” He’s pulled me to his chest, and the soft flannel of his shirt collar is against my cheek.

  “This is perfect.” I turn away so I’m on my back and looking up at the sky too. The cheep, cheep, cheep of a nuthatch calls to us. “Why do you suppose this place was created? It has to be man-made.”

  “I don’t know, but this reminds me of being a kid. My grandparents had a farm, and in their woodlands was a little outdoor chapel. At least that’s what my grandmother called it. There were two benches made out of logs, and the trees had been cleared in a rectangle shape. Over time, the branches all leaned in, creating something similar to this. Gram used to bring my brother and me out there to play. She would sit and knit while we fought off the bad guys.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  “It was. My grandparents were a big part of my life after my father died.” Jason sits up, and he removes a pocketknife from his pants. It clicks open as he stands, and he walks over to snap a branch off a dead tree. He breaks it down to a small piece and comes to sit next to me. I watch him hack at it with the knife.

  “Are you whittling?”

  “I am. My grandfather taught me how to do this, and I haven’t in years. I used to sit with him at night, and we would make tiny animals. If I remember right, you may even know what it is when I’m done.” He moves on to more delicate carving. “My grandfather is the one who taught me how to build. There was always something that needed to be made or repaired on the farm.” He glances at me. “I think I’ll always want to work with my hands. It’s in my blood.”

  I listen to the scraping of his knife. “You really are a mountain man. I used to help my grandmother can vegetables from her garden and make jam. It’s a satisfying feeling to look at all those jars on a shelf.” The taste of her blueberry jam is vivid in my mind, and the memory tugs on my heart. “She’s the one who taught me how to knit. We would sit together after dinner and make mittens or socks while watching TV. I loved staying at her house.”

  I sit up to see how Jason’s figure is coming along. He puts the finishing touches on it by taking the sharp point of his knife to poke tiny indents for what I assume are eyes. I ask, “It’s a bunny, isn’t it?”

  “It sure is. This is the little guy we saw at the pond.” He places it in my hand. “Here, it’s for you. I still need to sand it, but you keep it for now.”

  My fingers wrap around the rough wood. “He’s adorable. Thank you, I love him.” I look into Jason’s eyes and see he’s proud of his handiwork. “You’re amazing.” His smile is radiant, and it warms my heart that my adoration makes him so happy.

  I get up on my knees and reach over for his hand. I pull it up to my mouth. I kiss his palm and murmur, “These are magic hands you have.” I breathe in the scent of pine.

  Jason licks his lips and gets up on his knees too. He takes my face in his hands, and when he brushes his thumb over my lower lip, I start to come undone. Trembling, I reach up to touch his bottom lip too. He gently sucks my finger in, and I sigh as I bite
my lower lip. I realize what I’ve done and watch his reaction. The look on his face sets my juices flowing, and I pull him to me. His kiss burns with desire as his hands move down my body to cup my butt. We have on way too many clothes for my taste, and I’d love to peel them off, but I’m letting Jason lead. He pulls away and takes a deep breath.

  “We should get moving again.”

  I nod and get up. I put the little rabbit in my inner jacket pocket and zip it up to keep him safe. “Someday, I want a place like this.”

  “Me, too. Thanks for bringing me here.” Jason straps on his snowshoes and puts on the pack. He sweeps his arm toward our trail. “Lead the way.”

  I glance around the circle and pat the pocket that holds the bunny; it’s right next to my heart.

  32

  Jason and I are headed over to the Kids’ Castle. It’s the day before Christmas, and the mountain is a zoo. We got pulled over to help Heather out, and Jason’s nervous. I try to convince him it’ll be fun. “Just be silly. You’ll have a good time. They’re little people who love to laugh.”

  “Right. Little people who can get hurt, eat, and pee at any time.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “Try to focus on the best.”

  We enter into a room full of chaos. High-pitched voices strike above the din. I spy Heather and lead Jason over to her. “Tell us what to do.”

  “I made it easy for you two. This way you’ll want to come back.” A pencil taps on her clipboard. “You have upper-level kids, and I divided them into a boys’ group and a girls’ group. You can ski with all of them as a team and break away if they want to ski different terrain.”

  Fear has progressed to terror on Jason’s face as he asks, “What do I teach them?”

  “You don’t. Just ski well, one level above them, and make sure they each spend time following you. Kids learn by watching and doing. The most important thing is to make it fun. Make them love skiing as much as you do.” She pats his shoulder. “You’ll be just fine. Your groups are outside by the Level 7 sign.”

  Level Sevens can ski a majority of the mountain, and I know we’ll get some good skiing in. She is making sure we’ll come back. “Thanks, Heather.”

  I try to see this through Jason’s eyes. Our students look like a sea of helmets bobbing. On each one is a piece of masking tape labeled with a name in marker, and I smile at the efficiency. I whisper to Jason, “The names—I wish we could do that with adults.” He cracks a smile.

  “Hey, guys. I’m Casey, and this is Jason. We’re going to start as a group. Does anyone need to go to the bathroom?” Nobody raises a hand. “Excellent. Okay, equipment check. Yell ‘check’ after each thing I say, unless you don’t have it. Helmet?” Jason puts his hand on his helmet, and I hear a chorus of “Check!”

  “Skis?” Jason bends over and touches his skis. A few kids do the same.

  “Check!”

  “Boots?” Now most of the kids touch their boots like Jason.

  “Check!”

  “Poles?”

  “Check!”

  “Underwear?” This gets a few giggles, and when Jason pulls out his pants as if he’s making sure, they all chuckle. He looks at me in mock panic. Tapping my shoulder, he pretends to whisper in my ear that he doesn’t have his. The kids squeal with laughter. He’ll be great.

  Jason’s a natural. We play off each other, and he has everyone entertained with his antics. He steals my cookie, wears my jacket claiming one of the kids must have shrunk his, and makes faces behind me when I talk to the group. I knew he’d be good, but even I’m surprised at how well he gets their humor.

  As we walk back to the locker room, I say, “You survived.”

  Jason smiles at me. “I sure did. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had thought it would be.”

  “Yeah?” A tiny seed of hope sprouts in me. Maybe he can imagine children in our future? I quickly stop my line of thinking. I need to accept Jason on his terms.

  “You were really great. I think they’re more excited to ski with you tomorrow than me.”

  I glance at him to see his reaction, and his smile tells me he liked the compliment. That darn seed doesn’t know what’s good for it, because I swear it stands a little taller as I imagine what our children might look like.

  * * *

  It’s Christmas Eve, and I’m so excited to go to Megan and Nick’s. Lori and Kaleb will be joining us for dinner. A storm is predicted for tonight, but right now the sky is crisp and clear as I drive to Jason’s house to pick him up. While I love falling snow on Christmas Eve, the stars are a close second, and I gaze up to let the Colorado sky mesmerize me.

  Megan asked us to dress up a bit, and I’m in a plum crushed-velour dress that hugs my body. Wearing my slip-on boots, I have my heels in a tote along with the gifts, wine, and Jason’s socks. I brought little presents for everyone tonight. I found dainty snowflake earrings for the girls and a do-it-all gadget pocketknife that hooks onto a keychain for the guys.

  When I get to Jason’s house, I notice the guys have hung lights on the eaves of the front porch. They even strung them on two rocking chairs. Jason must have been watching for me, because he opens the door as I get to it. He has a navy sweater over a white button-down shirt, and instead of his usual jeans, he’s wearing khakis.

  “You look handsome.” His woodland scent floats toward me.

  “Thanks. Come on in while I get my jacket.”

  A decorated interior greets me as I breeze by him. There’s a tree, and garland on the mantel, and someone hung old ski socks over the fireplace. “Who did that?”

  “Bill. He’s going to make someone a great wife.” Jason is teasing, but I know he’s grown to like Bill. He was the one who suggested Bill move in when one of the guys bailed on them. Besides, I think the bathroom and kitchen stay clean.

  I wander to the kitchen and notice a plate full of cookies. “Someone in this house has a thing for Christmas, don’t they?” I snitch a treat and put a little sugar explosion in my mouth.

  “They all do. I had no choice but to like it this year.” He reaches over and breaks off a piece of my cookie. “I’m ready.”

  Snow crunches under our feet as we walk to the car. “I just have to tell you again how great you were with kids today. It’s going to be a fun week teaching with you.”

  “You think? They do laugh at my jokes.” He chuckles. “Of course, picking on you makes it easy. I’m already good at that.” I left my car running, and Christmas music greets him as he opens the car door.

  “It’s more than that,” I say. I slide in behind the wheel and turn down the radio. “You’re patient and kind. I think half the girls have a crush on you.”

  “I’ll admit I like it more than I thought I would. Who knew?” I glance over and see his genuine smile. I tell myself to leave the subject at that.

  Nick greets us at the front door and gives Jason a half hug. “Hey, guys.” He points at the mistletoe above the doorway and winks at me. “I get to kiss all the girls tonight.” His lips brush mine. “Megan’s in the kitchen.” Jason hands me the bag, and bottles clink when he removes them. He heads to the fridge. Retrieving my shoes, I slip them on and walk to the dining area. Megan has the table set, and it’s beautiful. A white tablecloth is topped with six place settings, and each has a red napkin in a silver ring. The centerpiece is holly with red berries, and green candles are lit. I set the presents at each seat, alternating male and female.

  The odor of roasted beef reaches my nose, and my stomach growls. I venture into the kitchen, and the sound of metal brushing against a pan greets me as Megan makes gravy. “Everything looks great, including you,” I say. “Pink is definitely your color.” We exchange a quick air kiss as she continues to stir. Nick and Jason are over by the fire, chatting.

  “Thanks. I’m so glad Jason came too. How’s it going?”

  “So far, so good.”

  “So are you still ready to explode?” She starts to giggle.

  Nick walks over to us. “Expl
ode? Oh God, Casey, are you still in that predicament?”

  My face heats up as Jason raises his eyebrows. I close my eyes and shake my head. “When I open my eyes, you two will stop. Got it?”

  Jason’s arm wraps around me. “Do I want to know?”

  I open my eyes to Nick and Megan’s laughter. Nick stops and says, “Let’s just say you’re about to be a lucky man.” He pats Jason on the arm and winks at me.

  I change the subject. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you guys. Poster Gretchen will be here in a couple of days. She’s following a coach and will be living with me.”

  “Poster Gretchen? You mean the girl in the Burton poster at the shop?” Megan doesn’t sound thrilled. I know why. Gretchen and her smoking-hot body are the subject of a snowboard ad. She’s in a bikini standing in the snow with snowboard boots and a snowboard. A blurry log cabin is behind her, with little boys standing on the porch. The caption reads, “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch.”

  “You know Poster Gretchen?” Nick chuckles.

  “You guys have no idea.” Jason rolls his eyes. He likes Gretchen, but I know he thinks she’s a bad influence on me.

  A knock at the door interrupts us. When it opens, I’m struck by what a good-looking couple Lori and Kaleb are. Lori is wearing a green silk bustier and high-wasted black silk pants that give the impression of long legs even on her petite body. I point to the mistletoe and give each one a kiss. “Kaleb, you look handsome tonight.” His sweater is a bit tight, showing off his muscular build. “And you look fabulous.” I give Lori a wink.

  The sound of plates rattling comes from the kitchen. Megan calls out, “You two are just in time. Dinner is almost ready.”

  Dinner goes on for hours. Get six instructors together, and the stories never end. At eleven, Megan looks tired, and I realize we all have to work tomorrow. Fortunately, we have cleaned in spurts, and there is nothing left to be done other than the table linens.

  I say, “Jason, we should get going.”