Capturing Christmas

by Shanna Hatfield

  Abruptly jerking back his hand, he gaped at her. Intentionally ignoring her state of undress beneath the covers, he grabbed a garbage can from the other side of the bed and carried it around for her to drop in the wad of tissues.

  “Do I want to know what happened to your clothes?” he asked with a teasing grin as he picked up the soup tray.

  Wheezing, she shook her head and offered him a strained glance as she tugged the covers back up to her chin.

  “Get some rest, Celia. I’ll check on you later.”

  Once the door closed behind him, Celia climbed out of her cocoon of covers and hurried to the bathroom. She pulled on a pair of pajamas, released her hair from its confines then returned to the warmth of the bed.

  The clock read five when she rolled over and opened her eyes. The room was dark and the smell of meat and spices drifted up the stairs, making her stomach growl. She sat up and touched a hand to her forehead, pleased it felt much cooler than it had earlier.

  Cautiously, she reached out and turned on the lamp beside the bed. The nightstand held an assortment of magazines. A tabloid, two holiday craft magazines, and a magazine Celia’s mother had subscribed to ever since she could remember rounded out the selections.

  She picked up the publication on top of the pile and smiled at the festive holiday cover. Christmas was fast approaching and she remained stuck in bed two hours from home with a man she’d proclaimed she never wanted to see again.

  After what she heard him say the other night and the hurtful text he’d sent, his tender, attentive care the last twenty-four hours left her baffled.

  “Hey, honey. Are you feeling any better?” Frank asked as he stepped into the room with another glass of juice. He handed it to her and stood by the bed as she took a sip through a bright pink straw.

  Celia smiled at him and nodded her head.

  “You don’t look as feverish, so that’s a good sign. I spoke to your sweet mama this morning and assured her we’d take good care of you. She said if you need her to take you home, to call. Otherwise, we’re to report to her in the morning how you’re doing.”

  She mouthed “thank you” and squeezed Frank’s hand.

  He patted her hand between his then took a step back. “Kash thought you might want soup for dinner, so he’s warming up a bowl right now. If you’d rather have something more substantial, let us know.”

  Again, she nodded and took another sip of her juice. Frank smiled as he left the room.

  Celia flipped through the magazine on her lap, admiring the holiday decorations, reading recipes, and marking a few pages with ideas of things she liked. A door decoration made from grapevine wreaths in the shape of a snowman caught her interest. She imagined it would be equally cute made with old ropes.

  Before she could further speculate on her ideas, Kash walked in carrying a tray laden with soup and toast.

  He set it across her lap. She tossed the magazine aside and smiled up at him.

  “I have to say, I’m glad to see you looking more like the girl I know and ready to feed yourself.” The wicked smile he gave her held a hint of heat along with teasing. “If you’d told me you were as naked as the day you were born the whole time I was feeding you lunch, I’m not sure I’d have managed to get a single drop into your mouth.”

  Celia blushed nearly as red as her hair and he chuckled.

  “Want to tell me what that was all about?”

  She turned one hand upward, like it held a notebook, and pretended to write on it.

  “I’ll get a notepad. You go ahead and eat your soup while it’s hot.” Kash hurried out of the room and down the hall.

  Soon, he returned with a notebook and pen, setting them beside her on the bed. She took another bite of soup and finished eating a piece of toast before she wiped her fingers on a napkin and picked up the notepad.

  She jotted down that she started to take a shower and got dizzy then barely made it back to the bed.

  “If you have a repeat performance, at least wait until I’m here in the room. If one of us is gonna find you passed out in your birthday suit, I’d much rather it was me than Dad or Ransom.” Kash waggled his eyebrow at her as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m pretty sure you’d rather it was me, too.”

  She narrowed her gaze and glared at him then returned to her dinner. When she finished her soup and the second piece of toast, she sipped more juice before picking up the notebook again and writing a question. Kash remained silent until she handed him the pad.

  Why are you being so nice to me?

  Kash sighed and handed the notebook back to her. “Are you asking that because of what happened Saturday night and the text you got Sunday morning?”

  She nodded her head.

  “To clarify, Ransom sent that text, not me. I didn’t know he’d done it until last night. In fact, after I threatened to rearrange his face and prematurely end his life, he’s been conspicuously absent all day.” The look of relief on her face left him gratified. “As for what you heard me say Saturday night, I can only offer you my apologies, Celia. Those guys thought I was Ransom and started bad-mouthing me and you. It made me furious and I wanted to goad them a bit before I gave them a verbal dressing-down. I pretended to be Ransom and rattled off a bunch of idiotic stuff they seemed to want to hear. I was getting ready to lambast them when you rushed by. Not a word of what I said is how I really feel about you, Celia. It was stupid and childish of me to do what I did. All I can ask is that you’ll someday forgive me.”

  Celia studied his face, appearing to search for something in his eyes. Finally, she nodded her head and pushed the tray back.

  Kash took that as his signal to leave. He stood and carried the tray to the door. His eyes met hers as he looked back at her. “I really am glad you’re better, Celia. Even if it means you’ve got on clothes.”

  A grin creased his face as he strode down the stairs and to the kitchen. Celia looked more like herself, but the devil in him experienced keen disappointment to see she wore pajamas.

  Earlier, when he’d discovered she hid beneath the covers without a stitch of clothes on, he’d almost tripped down the stairs and barely made it back to the kitchen without breaking the dishes he carried.

  He’d stood outside on the back porch for a good ten minutes before he cooled down enough he could see straight. Then he considered if he’d turned into some kind of pervert for entertaining amorous thoughts about her in light of her sickness.

  Several parts of him had wanted to race up the stairs, whip off the covers, and take her in his arms. The small portion of him that still possessed a lick of sense and a strong dose of morals forced him to grab his coat and gloves and head out to check on the bulls. After an hour out in the freezing temperatures, he finally got his yearnings under control.

  Relieved she gave him an opportunity to explain what had happened in Las Vegas, Kash felt like an idiot as he apologized to her. However, if she’d open her heart to him again, he would gladly say he was sorry every day for the rest of the life.

  As he pondered what it would take to earn her forgiveness, he set her dishes in the sink and washed his hands. The roast Barb had pre-cooked was thoroughly reheated. He removed it from the oven and set it on the table.

  His dad wandered into the room as he took a bowl of salad out of the refrigerator. Neither of them had seen Ransom all day. Kash assumed he’d probably gone off to stay with one of the many girls he knew in the area.

  “Ready to eat, Dad?” Kash filled two glasses with water and set them on the table before he took a seat.

  “I’m hungry enough to eat my own cooking, but I’m glad you took over for tonight.” Frank grinned as he sat down then bowed his head and asked a blessing on the meal.

  When he finished, he took a helping of the roast before handing the platter to Kash.

  “Celia seems to be doing better,” Frank commented as he spooned instant mashed potatoes onto his plate. Barb would have a conniption fit if she found them in her kitchen,
but Frank and Kash would make sure no evidence remained before she got home. In the meantime, though, it saved them time from having to peel and cook potatoes.

  “Yeah, she’ll live.” Kash grinned at his dad and took a bite of the meat. Thoughtful as he chewed, he looked over at his father and studied him for a while. “Last night, when you said you wanted Ransom and me to work together so we could learn from each other, what did you mean by that?”

  “I always wanted a brother. As an only child, I used to dream about what it would be like to have a brother. When my father started teaching me this business, I often thought how much more enjoyable it would be to have someone to share it with, someone who was family. That’s what I wanted for you and Ransom.”

  Frank set down his knife and fork and looked at his son. “Kash, you’re a good man and I couldn’t be more proud of you if I tried. You’re strong, honest, loyal, responsible and hard-working. I’ve never had to worry about checking up on you, because you’ll do whatever is asked and give it your best — and then some. You’re intelligent and driven, yet kindhearted. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that you could take our company to a whole new level of success.”

  An unsaid “but” lingered in the air between them.

  “Why don’t you let me take over?” Kash asked.

  Frank sighed and leaned back in the chair. “While I hoped some of your morals and ethics would rub off on Ransom, I also hoped some of his lightheartedness and friendliness would rub off on you.”

  When Kash started to speak, Frank held up his hand. “I know your brother has been impossible the last few months, but this mean, vindictive streak is new for him. Before all that started, Ransom was mostly looking for the next opportunity to have fun. I wanted you to learn to relax, lighten up, and enjoy life. You’ve always been so serious and focused on work, you forget that there’s a soft, sweet side to life, too. A side that I hoped your brother could teach you to see.”

  The older man grinned and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “However, I do think Celia has been good for you. I’ve seen you laugh and smile more since you met that girl than you have in the past decade. You’ve had a rough go of it as the two of you have gotten to know each other, but don’t give up, Kash. You’re on to something with her.”

  “But what if I commit to her and she turns out to be like Darlene?” Kash thought of his father’s tragic marriage. He didn’t want to make the same mistake and he sure wouldn’t want to have any kids with a woman who might lock them outside and walk away one afternoon.

  Frank scowled at Kash. “You aren’t really that dense in the noggin are you? Darlene was the type of girl your brother hangs around. I’ll tell you straight up, I wasn’t thinking with my head or my heart when I married her on a whim. I knew it was a mistake before we ever said I do, but she was a looker and unbelievably good...”

  Kash held out a hand in front of him and turned his head away. “Stop before you tell me something that’s going to make me want to ream my ears out with soap.”

  Chuckles burst out of Frank and he pointed at Kash. “I’m just trying to tell you that Celia is nothing like Darlene. Not a thing. When you think of her, what does your heart say? What does your head tell you to do? It’s no secret that the rest of you is wild about her, otherwise you wouldn’t have nearly frozen yourself this afternoon trying to cool the fever she stirs in you.”

  “My heart says to love her. My head says to hold onto her and never let her go.” Kash stared at his dad then broke into a lazy grin. “And I thought I handled myself pretty well this afternoon, all things considered.”

  Frank laughed.

  “I’m inclined to believe she’s the one, Dad, but how do I convince her to stay?”

  “Ask nicely,” Frank said, lifting his fork. “You’ve seen your brother in action. He may be hot-headed and unstable, but he is good at charming the ladies.”

  “I’m not taking a page out of Ransom’s playbook. I’ll figure it out on my own.” Kash forked a bite of salad.

  “You do that, son, but you might want to work with a sense of urgency while you’ve got a captive audience. It’s not like she’s gonna be able to run away from you when she’s sick and has no transportation off this place.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kash noticed a light beneath Celia’s bedroom door as he headed downstairs to start a pot of coffee.

  Unsure if he should keep walking or stop to see how she was doing, the need to see her trumped everything else.

  A light tap on the door didn’t bring an answer, but he didn’t really expect it to. He turned the knob and stuck his head inside the guest room.

  Wrapped in her robe, Celia stood by the window staring outside. Even though it was still dark, the yard light illuminated the area around the house.

  “Celia? Are you doing okay?” he asked, pushing the door all the way open.

  She turned and smiled at him, pointing to something she saw beyond the window.

  He strode across the room and drew back the sheer curtain. Three of the dogs played in the snow, teasing each other as they tugged on an old piece of rope he’d given them yesterday.

  “Those three frequently relapse to the playful puppy stage even though they’re almost four. They work hard when they need to, but the rest of the time, they are a bunch of goofballs.”

  Celia grinned at him. He touched his palm to her cheek then the back of his hand to her forehead. “Your fever’s gone. Do you feel better today?”

  She nodded her head and turned back to gaze outside at the dogs chasing each other in the snow. One of them slid and went end over end while the other two watched then pounced on him.

  The unanticipated sensation of Kash’s hand on the back of her neck made her legs wobble. Warm, minty breath blew past her ear. Even if she’d wanted to put distance between the two of them, which she didn’t, her languid body wouldn’t have cooperated.

  “Let me in, Celia. Please, give me one more chance.” Kash brushed the hair away from her neck and planted a hot, moist kiss to her skin. His touch sent a tremor rocking through her. “Let me prove that I’m not a brainless jerk.”

  Again, he kissed her neck. She spun around, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his chest. Comfortingly, his arms rubbed up and down her back.

  For several heartbeats, they held onto each other. Finally, Celia released him and took a step back. Hundreds of words floated through her head, waiting to be spoken. Dozens of kisses she wished she could give him lingered on her lips.

  However, she’d have to wait a few days to do either.

  In the meantime, she lifted one of his big, work-roughened hands in hers and held it close to her heart, hoping he understood that she wanted to give him another chance.

  As soon as he explained Ransom sent the text message that left her devastated, she knew she’d forgive him. His clarification of what happened Saturday evening made sense. Everyone made mistakes and it wasn’t like he would repeat that particular one.

  Kash had somehow become a part of her, part of her happiness and her future, and she wouldn’t easily give up on him.

  In retrospect, she’d reacted badly to what happened in Las Vegas. Partly because of her raw feelings due to the arrogant photographer, and in part because she was getting sick. She’d yet to make it through even a simple head cold without becoming unreasonably short tempered and sensitive.

  Early that morning, she awoke feeling much improved. She’d sucked on a throat lozenge as she got out of bed, pulled on her robe, and flicked on the bedroom light. Kash tapped on her door a few minutes after she’d wandered over to the window.

  As she stared into those inviting blue eyes full of warmth, pleading, and emotion, Celia knew he loved her as much as she loved him.

  Unhurriedly, he bent down, as though he intended to kiss her, but she gave him a push back. Afraid he’d catch whatever she had, she pressed her lips together. Besides, she refused to kiss him with menthol breath.

  Fr
antically clapping a hand over her mouth, she shook her head.

  A grin creased his cheeks. “I’m not worried about your germs, Celia. I hardly ever get sick.”

  When he tugged on her hand, she smiled and pointed toward the door. He pecked her cheek then sauntered across the room. “Fine, I’ll leave. Would you like to come downstairs for breakfast?”

  She nodded.

  “Great. I need to do a few chores first, but it should be ready in about an hour and a half.” A soft light glowed in his eyes as he observed her. “I’m so glad you’re better. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  The door clicked behind him as he left. Celia wanted to shout from the rooftops how happy she was to know Kash cared for her. Since that wasn’t an option, she gathered clean clothes from her suitcase and went to take a shower.

  Mindful of preventing another coughing fit, she left the bathroom door open a crack to keep the steam from building up. After she washed her hair and used her favorite body wash, she felt human again as she got out of the shower.

  Once she’d dried off, dressed, and applied a few swipes of mascara, she walked back into the bedroom to find a steaming cup of tea on the nightstand. She smiled as she took a sip of the honey-sweetened brew.

  With a returning sense of humor, she mused that Kash would make some lucky woman a wonderful Suzy Homemaker if she couldn’t talk him into being her husband.

  Thoughts of a future with him made her heart flutter as she picked up her notepad and pen then wandered downstairs.

  She looked around the big front room off the entry. Open beams overhead drew her gaze to the ceiling before traveling over the tall rock fireplace with a flat screen television mounted above the mantle. Bookcases flanked each side of the fireplace. A patio door opened to the side yard and picture windows on each side of it let in plenty of light. Three massive leather couches formed a U shape in front of the fireplace with a large red and white cowhide rug covering the floor in front of the couches. Accent tables made of reclaimed barnwood topped with lamps fashioned of rope completed the furnishings.