Christmas on Mistletoe Lane--Includes a bonus short story

by Annie Rains

  Kaitlyn did remember but she’d thought maybe there was a chance they’d change their minds after receiving the invitation. She’d included a picture of the inn that she’d taken for the brochures. In the photograph, the mountains towered in the distance. Sunny beaches were nice, but during the holidays, snow and mountains were fitting. So was the idea of spending it with your family.

  “Come to the Bahamas with us?” her mom urged. “I’m sure you can still get a ticket, although it might cost you an arm and a leg this late in the season. Or cost you the inn that you’re so determined to revive.”

  Kaitlyn was literally seeing stars. “Mom, has it occurred to you that I’m actually happy here, doing something that wasn’t your idea? I love hosting at this B and B.”

  “You used to say you loved your job in New York too.”

  There was a condescending tone in her mother’s voice that made Kaitlyn clutch her cell phone even tighter.

  “I’m sure if you spoke to your boss, he’d take you back, sweetheart. You might have to start at the bottom rung again and work your way back into their good graces, but…”

  “Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said? I’m not going back to my old job,” Kaitlyn ground out with just a touch of irritation. Okay, more than a touch, in the same way that Bradley’s moves on her had been more than an innocent sweep of his hand.

  “I don’t get it. You had a job that other designers would kill to have.”

  “Okay, Mom. If you really want to know,” Kaitlyn snapped, “I didn’t quit. I was fired.”

  Her mom sucked in an audible breath. “What? Why? What did you do?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I was sexually harassed by America’s favorite action hero, maybe.” Kaitlyn’s eyes suddenly stung.

  “Are you talking about Bradley Foster?” Her mom had known that Kaitlyn was working for him. “Are you sure? Maybe you misunderstood?” she asked in quick succession. “He’s married, isn’t he?”

  Kaitlyn blinked. “Yeah, because no married man ever tried to cheat on his wife,” she said sarcastically. Hurt feelings blistered up. They’d been festering with every conversation she’d had with her mom since she left Beautiful Designs and the city.

  “This must be some sort of mistake,” her mom continued. “What were you wearing when this happened?”

  Kaitlyn’s mouth dropped open, and she pulled her cell phone back for a second to stare dumbfoundedly at it. “Clothes, Mom,” she said when she finally brought it back to her ear. “I don’t typically work naked, you know…Listen, I need to go.”

  “Kaitlyn, we’re not done talking about this.”

  Oh, but Kaitlyn was. And if her mother questioned her one more time, she was going to toss her iPhone at the wall. Not wise, considering that it cost her a small fortune. “I have a guest who needs me,” she lied. “Bye, Mom.” She quickly disconnected the call and shoved her phone into her jeans pocket.

  Well, that had gone well. Not.

  The nerve of her mom questioning her. Why was it always the woman’s fault if a man crossed a line? And of all the people who should believe a woman, it was her own mother.

  Kaitlyn clutched the front of the washer, feeling it vibrate through her hands and up her arms. She gulped in a breath, then another, and another.

  “Are you and the washing machine having a stare-down?” Mitch asked.

  She whirled to face him. “Just when I thought I’d gotten used to you sneaking up on me.”

  “Sorry. I tried to make noise as I approached but you were pretty absorbed in whatever you were thinking.”

  Kaitlyn looked down at her hands. “Yeah.”

  “Everything okay?”

  He was always asking that. Always trying to fix her problems. She didn’t want to weigh him down with any more of her baggage. “I’m fine,” she lied. Then she looked back up and offered a smile, which wasn’t hard when he was around. “Thought you’d be at the police station.”

  Now his expression turned crestfallen. “I was.”

  “Long day?” she asked, reading something in the lines of his face.

  “Something like that.” He shrugged. “Anyway, Alex forced me to leave. He won’t let me work more than a normal shift.”

  “A bit of a workaholic, are you?” She’d already learned that about him. He always took care of whatever she needed. Never complained. She’d never seen him at rest, come to think of it. Well, except for after they were spent from making love.

  “I like to stay busy,” he said.

  “Well, the B and B is running on autopilot at this point. I have nothing for you to do. Unless, of course, you want to mingle with the guests.” She poked up a brow, knowing his answer.

  “I don’t.” He leaned against the dryer beside her. “Not my thing.”

  “That’s what you keep saying. But you looked like you were enjoying yourself the other night when I caught you playing cards with the new couple.”

  His mouth quirked to one side. “Putting me in charge of entertaining guests would be bad for business.”

  “You haven’t scared people away yet.” She winked. “Every room is booked, thanks to Josie’s article.”

  “And you,” he said. “People know a fraud when they see it. Guests are staying and enjoying themselves. That’s because of you.”

  She leaned back on the washing machine. It was entering the spin cycle against her back, and with Mitch beside her, she might as well have been sitting on top of it. “And you. You helped. In the shadows.”

  It was his turn to lift a brow.

  “Not those shadows,” she said, thinking about their midnight trysts, which, yes, had been quite inspiring.

  “So, what do you guys have on the agenda tonight?” he asked.

  She turned to face him, her side vibrating off the machine. “A few of the guests are going to the Tipsy Tavern. The Nelsons are going out to dinner on their own. So, it’s just us. Unless you’re going to the tavern too.”

  His eyes darkened. “I was thinking about staying in. I prefer peace and quiet.”

  “Do you want me to leave you alone?” she asked, lifting her arm to trace a finger down his chest. She couldn’t resist. The washing machine was going insane with its spin cycle, and her body was responding to it and the heat crackling between them. “There’s a book I’ve been meaning to read anyway.”

  He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her body complained against being torn away from the vibrating appliance but buzzed back to pure bliss in Mitch’s embrace. “No. I like peace and quiet. And you. I like you most of all.”

  Her heart danced around like sugarplums in the beloved “Night Before Christmas” poem.

  “The guests leave in twenty minutes. I was considering possibly climbing into the hot tub outside.”

  He leaned in and kissed her. His lips were warm. The friction of his beard scraped softly against the corners of her mouth. “That sounds perfect,” he whispered. “I’m going to shower off while we wait. I worked up a sweat chasing a dog today.”

  Kaitlyn choked on a laugh as he pulled away, feeling loads better already. “Seriously?”

  “Chasing dogs is evidently part of the job description. There’s still a thief out there though, and I can’t wait to bring him or her to justice.”

  “You’re a good guy, Mitch Hargrove.”

  His gaze flicked down and out. He didn’t believe her. She wished she could erase his past but she could no more do that than she could her own. Everyone had a past they wished were different. From what she’d seen, the town had already given him a clean slate. She wished he would give himself one too.

  “Twenty minutes,” he said as he walked out. “In the meantime, you can enjoy the rest of that spin cycle.” With a wink, he left her on her own, which had been the only thing she’d wanted fifteen minutes ago when she’d walked in here. Now, being alone wasn’t quite as appealing.

  She glanced at her watch, wishing time away—even though lately she’d been wishing it
to stop. So Mitch would never leave Sweetwater Springs.

  * * *

  Kaitlyn shivered as she stepped outside wearing a modest tankini bathing suit when a heavy winter coat probably would have been more appropriate.

  Mitch stepped out behind her, two glasses of red wine in his hands. “I hope that Jacuzzi is warm,” he said. “Wouldn’t want you to catch a cold out here.”

  No chance of that, she thought, admiring his bare chest that narrowed to a pair of low-hanging swim trunks. She shivered again for an entirely different reason. Then she walked to the edge of the hot tub and dipped a toe in the water before stepping inside.

  “Feel good?” he asked, handing her a wineglass once she was settled.

  “Oh yeah,” she moaned happily. “The temperature is just right.”

  He followed her in and took a seat next to her on the Jacuzzi’s bench.

  Sipping her wine, she looked up at the star-filled sky. “What an amazing view,” she said in more than a little awe. “Romantic is an understatement for this place.”

  When Mitch didn’t respond, she glanced over at him. He was staring at her with an unreadable look in his eyes. “I agree.”

  Butterflies chased around in her belly. After several weeks, they hadn’t stopped. “Thought you weren’t big on romance.”

  “Maybe you’ve sold me on the concept. Don’t tell anyone though, okay? I have a reputation to maintain.”

  She giggled softly. “It’ll be our little secret.”

  He set his glass down, and his hand disappeared under the water, finding her thigh.

  She narrowed her gaze. “The guests could come back, you know? We’d be wise to keep our hands to ourselves just in case.”

  He grinned mischievously. “No one can see underneath these bubbles.” His hand moved higher. “And I have an awfully hard time keeping my hands to myself when it comes to you. In case you haven’t noticed.”

  “Oh, I’ve noticed.” She put her glass down and leaned in to him.

  He grinned. “I thought you were worried about the guests coming back.”

  “I’ll take my chances.” She crossed the rest of the distance and brushed her mouth to his. Both of their hands roamed under the thick layer of bubbles. She could feel Mitch’s arousal as he pressed his body into her but they took their time, touching and teasing. No rush to do anything more. This was the ultimate foreplay until they retreated to the bedroom where they could be ensured privacy.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  It was after six o’clock when Mitch finally left the police station the next day. His body was sore and achy from being folded up in a car half the day and walking the sidewalk outside the row of downtown stores the other half, keeping a watchful eye for suspicious activity. They still hadn’t caught the thief who’d stolen from five stores now. They would though. Mitch was intent on that.

  “Hey,” Kaitlyn said, rounding the corner of the B&B’s kitchen.

  Mitch stopped to stare at her. Despite her smile, there’d been something bothering her since last night when he’d found her in the laundry room white-knuckling the front of the machine with tears burning her eyes. Whatever the problem, she obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

  Holiday music streamed down the hall. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “Mr. Timsdale from Ohio is teaching a two-step in the ballroom,” she said.

  Mitch had been the one to check in Mr. Timsdale and his wife yesterday. They were on their way to visit family and had decided to stay in Sweetwater Springs for a couple of days.

  “The guests seem to love it,” Kaitlyn said. “I might have to hire someone to teach ballroom dancing in there regularly. It could be another draw for the inn after the holidays.”

  He nodded as he considered the prospect, not that he’d have any say in what happened here after the holidays. “That’s not a bad idea.”

  Kaitlyn tilted her head. “I’ve been meaning to ask: Do you happen to know anything about the ballroom? What did my grandma and grandpa do with it?”

  Mitch shrugged. “They danced. That was probably Mable and Henry’s favorite room in the house. They always considered opening it up to the guests but it never happened. It was their special place, Mable used to say. I sneaked in there a time or two and watched. They were pretty good.”

  Kaitlyn shook her head, a smile lifting her cheeks. “So much I don’t know about them.”

  “I’m happy to fill in the holes where I can,” he offered.

  “Thanks. Well, I hope my grandparents don’t mind me opening up their special place for guests. I actually have another idea for the ballroom. I’m going to show a movie in there later. I found an old projector and several films in the shed. There were even a few Christmas flicks in the mix.”

  “Yeah?”

  She nodded, her face lighting up as usual when she had one of her moments of inspiration. “What do you think? A little Home Alone or How the Grinch Stole Christmas?”

  “I’ll have you know I am not planning to steal Christmas this year,” Mitch joked. “Although I have been compared to the Grinch many a time.” His teasing worked to make her laugh, which was exactly what he’d intended.

  “I have another surprise too.” She gestured for him to follow her down the hall toward the kitchen, which seemed to be the heart of the Sweetwater B&B.

  He could already smell the scent of cinnamon strudels as soon as he crossed the threshold. “You’ve been talking to my mom again, haven’t you?” he accused, his mouth watering as she pulled the oven door open and allowed him a peek at what was inside. “She told you that cinnamon strudels were my favorite dessert?” he asked.

  Kaitlyn shut the oven door and turned to face him. Her cheeks were suddenly flushed, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the heat of the oven or from him standing so close. “I wanted to do something nice, to thank you for everything you’ve done. You didn’t have to help or do as much as you’ve done for the inn. And for me.”

  She’d already thanked him a dozen times. “I would’ve been some kind of schmuck not to.”

  “True. But you didn’t have to care.” She folded her arms. “Anyway, Mr. Garrison called this afternoon. Since the time stipulation of the will is nearly up, he’s coming by to check on things tomorrow morning. I invited him to breakfast.”

  Mitch nodded. “I’ll cook and let Alex know I’ll be in to the station a little later. He won’t mind.”

  “Perfect,” she said with an easy smile. It still didn’t reach her eyes, and he decided to make it his personal mission to change that tonight. Whatever was bothering her, he wanted to erase it from her mind.

  “So, how much longer until the strudels are ready?” he asked.

  “One minute.”

  “I can do a lot of things in one minute. Starting with this.” He pulled her to him and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He stroked a finger along the side of her jaw as his thumb rested on the jumping pulse at her neck. After a moment, he pulled his mouth away and looked at her, long and deep. Those eyes worked as a flame, and he was their moth.

  How the hell was he going to walk away from this woman in a couple of weeks?

  The oven’s timer beeped in the background.

  Kaitlyn cast a glance over her shoulder. “Don’t want those to burn.”

  “Just a second.” He pulled her in again, needing one more little taste. Because she was the sweetest thing he knew. His love for cinnamon strudels had been before Kaitlyn Russo. Now she was his favorite dessert.

  * * *

  The next morning, Kaitlyn bumped her body against Mitch’s as he taught her the art of making eggs Benedict in the kitchen. The well-rested guests would start stirring soon.

  She, on the other hand, was tired. She had snuck off with Mitch midway through Home Alone. They’d hurried down the hall like a couple of horny teenagers. Like the college-aged couple who’d stayed at the B&B during Thanksgiving week. After posting the DO NOT DISTURB sign—a cute little trinket she’d picked up the oth
er day—and locking the door they’d buried themselves under the covers but hadn’t gone to sleep until well after midnight.

  “I could get used to this,” she said dreamily as they cooked.

  “You could get used to what? Delicious breakfasts every morning or me?”

  “Both.” At her confession, a moment of panic streaked through her at the thought that Mitch might think she was somehow implying she wanted him to stay. She wasn’t. But she relaxed when she saw the easiness of his smile. Everything with him really was starting to be so easy. Yes, she could get used to the tasty dining, but also to him.

  They carried the food into the dining room where one couple had already come down. Another lingered at the staircase. She quickly set the table, leaving an extra spot for Mr. Garrison, who was supposed to be arriving anytime now.

  “Take a breath,” Mitch advised as she straightened one of the centerpieces. “He’s just checking that I haven’t gone AWOL. He doesn’t care if the bed and breakfast is in pristine condition. Which it is, by the way.”

  “I know.” Kaitlyn glanced around at the guests filling the seats. “It’s just that Mr. Garrison knew my grandparents. He knew this place. I want him to be impressed with what we’ve done here.”

  “It was mostly you.” Mitch lowered his voice in that intimate way that lovers did when they were paying the other a compliment. It sent gooey warmness all through her. “And he will be impressed. He’d be crazy not to be. In just a short time, this place has been completely transformed. It’s more than a B and B. It’s an experience.”

  Kaitlyn narrowed her eyes. “Wow. I love that. More than a bed and breakfast—an experience.” She clapped a hand over her chest. “I’ve been working with Paris on some graphic design ideas for pamphlets to advertise the B&B. Emma from the Sweetwater Café said she’d put some out for me. She said her restaurant is one of the first places tourists hit when they come to town.”

  “You’re getting cozy with all the locals, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged. “Well, if this is going to be my home, I should make friends.”