by Donna Alward
“You can sleep on my couch,” she told him, hoping he couldn’t see the heat that had risen in her cheeks. “It’s the only space left, but it’s comfortable enough.”
“On your couch. You mean over there.” He hooked his thumb to the right, gesturing out the back.
“Yes, over there.” Her pulse quickened at the thought. She needed to keep this businesslike. Like everyone else, he was merely a casualty of the storm. Besides, he’d been out there trying to help people. The very least she could do was give him some food and a blanket for the night. Just because it was at her place didn’t actually mean anything.
“I guess it’ll have to do.”
The words were blandly said, but Lainey saw a twinkle in his eye. When Todd looked like that, it was hard to remember to resist his charm. Maybe he’d never asked her out, but he could flirt like a champ. Thank goodness he wasn’t wearing his uniform today. She’d have been a goner. There was something about a man all pressed and starched and official looking that made her weak in the knees.
“You,” she said, pointing a finger, “are incorrigible.”
“So they say.” He tilted his coffee cup—it was nearly empty. The clock in the hall chimed, over and over, marking the hour.
Lainey sighed, feeling suddenly weary. “Listen, do you want to join everyone in the parlor or anything? With the surge in guests I haven’t had time to finish everything and it’s ten o’clock. I’ve got make sure the rooms are done up and everyone has enough towels and stuff. Flashlights, too, in case the power goes out.”
“Let’s hope not. That’d be fun. Not.”
“We’ve got a generator. But I’d rather not have to worry about it.”
He lifted his cup. “I might have another of these.”
She reached for his cup and their fingers brushed, a jolt of electricity sparking at the simple touch. It sent butterflies winging around her stomach as she turned her back on him and fussed with the coffeemaker.
“I can get it.” He must have felt it, too, because his voice was quiet and a little rough. “Go do what you need to do, Lainey. You don’t need to entertain me. I’m just glad to have a place to hole up for the night.”
Hole up for the night. He’d be in her cottage. Using her bathroom, sleeping on her sofa. Lainey knew there shouldn’t be a shred of intimacy to it but this was Todd. When a hunky cop spent the night—even platonically—intimacy, even the awkward kind, was a given.
She left him there in the kitchen and busied herself in the remaining guest rooms, checking supplies and testing flashlights. She took extra blankets from the linen closet in case they did lose power and it got cold, and took the last fold-out cot out of storage and put it in the Captain’s Room for Mr. Sewell since one of the guests had now kindly offered the space.
She passed the landing and the railing decorated with spruce boughs and red velvet bows. As she stopped to straighten one of the bows, she caught sight of her naked ring finger. The one good thing to come out of the storm was that she was incredibly busy, and it took her mind off things. Namely, Christmas.
It had always been her favorite holiday, but this year she just couldn’t seem to get in the holiday spirit. Last year had been such a disaster that these days the goodwill to men and warm holiday glow just seemed to bring her down.
It wasn’t even that her heart was still broken. She’d moved on; started putting the pieces back together. It was more that the decorations and songs and sappy TV programs reminded her of how she’d felt last year. Of how much she’d hurt. Yes, it was the reminders that hurt now. She’d loved Jason with everything she had. He’d been The One. And a week before Christmas—a week before their wedding—he’d broken their engagement.
Now Todd Ricker was in her kitchen and for the first time in months she felt the delicious, unexpected stirrings of attraction. In a way it was scary as hell. Love hurt. But this wasn’t love; far from it. Besides, Todd didn’t do love, and that made her feel tons better. Because in another way, it came as a great relief to know she actually could feel like this again.
The closing of a door brought her back to the moment. What was she doing mooning over a bit of flirting when there was work to do? Back downstairs, she checked on the guests congregated in the parlor. The room was cozy and warm with a large Christmas tree in the corner. That afternoon, one of the guests had helped her carry the stack of firewood closer to the inn just in case, and a fire snapped and popped behind the grate. The two sisters were playing a cutthroat game of cribbage, and a few others had dug out the checkers board.
Todd wasn’t there, but she spent several minutes chatting, letting the guests know where she’d be in the night if anything happened. They checked the weather report and before long the first of the group decided to go up to bed.
Lainey took the tray of dirty cups and plates and went to the kitchen, expecting to see Todd there, but the room was empty. A strange, rhythmic grating sound came from behind the house and she peered out the window. He’d found a shovel and was clearing the walk between the main house and the cottage. She stopped and smiled for a moment. He was a good man when it came right down to it. Hardworking and honest.
But the last thing Lainey wanted to think about was romance. A relationship. She wrapped her arms around her middle and watched him in the dim circle of the porch light. Nope, she certainly wasn’t interested in a boyfriend. Scratching an itch with a guy like Todd, though? That thought had its attractions.
She was twenty-six. What was she going to do, stay celibate the rest of her life? That was hardly realistic.
Todd moved around to the front of the house, wading through the drifts until he was out of sight. With a sigh, Lainey put the dishes in the dishwasher, then went back to the parlor to set up the hide-a-bed and lay out blankets for the father and son. She wouldn’t go to her own quarters until everyone was settled.
Todd came back inside. His jacket and hat were covered in snow, his cheeks ruddy from the cold wind. Lainey took one look at him and knew it would be stupid to make him wait for her. She handed him the key to her door. “Go on over. I’ll be there soon. I’m just waiting for everyone to get settled, in case they need anything.”
“Are you sure?”
“Look at you. It doesn’t make any sense for you to take off your boots and coat and then have to put them back on again. Besides, you can turn on the TV, kick your feet up for a bit. I won’t be long.”
He took the key. “Sold.”
He opened the door again and Lainey called after him, “Don’t snoop through my stuff.”
His eyes snapped to hers, and she wondered how in the world they could seem like they were twinkling all the damn time. And why she had such a weird, fluttery reaction to him when she was far older and wiser than she’d been in high school.
“Now, Lainey, that would be an invasion of privacy. I’m offended you’d think I’d do such a thing.” He put a hand to his heart. “I’m a cop, after all.”
Her lips twitched. She walked over to him, not caring about the draft, and looked up into his face. Damn, he was handsome. “You forget, I’ve known you for a long time, Todd Ricker. I know you’d do such a thing.”
“Lainey.”
“I’m just glad it’s too cold for you to run my underwear up the flagpole.”
He nearly choked on his laugh and she raised an eyebrow. How the boys from the baseball team had gotten the principal’s underwear, no one knew. But they’d run it up the school flagpole on a Saturday and it had stayed there until the custodian had taken the rather large-sized panties down on Monday morning. It had never been proven who did it, but Lainey had known. It had Todd written all over it.
“Go on,” she said. “I’m not paying to heat the outdoors.”
With a mock salute he pulled the door closed and she watched him make his way to the guesthouse. Moments later the outside light came on over there, too, and she knew he was inside.
In her private space.
Despite her words, she
actually did trust him not to snoop. Because Todd had kept his sense of humor, but she knew one thing for sure. He’d grown up and acquired a sense of honor and duty, too.
It made for one hell of a potent combination.
Chapter Two
Lainey finally turned off the lights and headed out the back door to the small cottage. She loved her little space. It was close enough for her to get on-site if she was needed, but it gave her some privacy, too. She’d had Tom do the heavy renovations, but she’d decorated it herself last summer, choosing the colors and painting the walls and purchasing some new furniture.
The snow stung her cheeks as she hustled along the shoveled path. It wasn’t far, but even so she was covered with white when she turned the knob and opened the door. She closed it quickly, not wanting to let out the heat or let the snow blow in.
Todd was kneeling before her fireplace, jabbing at the flaming wood with a poker, and this time Lainey was guilty of checking out his ass.
Mercy, he was hot. Always had been. He was tall, a good six feet, with dark hair and brown eyes that were warm as melted chocolate and twice as sinful. Being a cop in a place as small as Jewell Cove wasn’t all that physically demanding, but it was obvious he kept himself in good shape. Today, off duty, he wore jeans and a plain black hoodie. Even so, the slim line of his hips and the width of his shoulders were evident.
“I thought I’d build a fire,” he said, picking up a small log and placing it on the flames that were licking along the smaller bits of kindling he’d arranged.
Lainey finally moved instead of staring, and took off her coat and boots. After they were stowed away, she shivered. “I forgot I’d left the heat down,” she apologized. “Sorry about that.” She’d turned the heat down during the day and hadn’t been back over since the storm started and people had begun arriving.
“No problem. This gave me something to do, anyway.” He hadn’t turned on the TV or anything. The room was completely quiet other than the odd snap from the fire.
“Do you want something to drink?” She smiled, reminded herself to relax. She’d known Todd for years. And yes, she’d had a big crush on him back in the day but nothing had ever happened between them and it wouldn’t now either, right?
“I wouldn’t say no.” Todd brushed off his hands and stood, sending her a smile. “It’s been a long day. For both of us, I expect.”
She went to the kitchen—really just a working area off the main room—and opened a cupboard. “I don’t have an extensive liquor cabinet,” she said, rooting around. “There’s some vodka here, I think. And something pink … God, I think Cindy brought this over in the summer.” She found a square-ish bottle and took it out. “Aha. And whiskey. That might do the trick on a cold night like tonight.”
“Works for me.”
She took down two short glasses. “Ice?”
“Please.”
“Mix?”
Lainey nearly laughed when he looked horrified at the idea. “Okay then.” She poured a couple of fingers’ worth in each glass and went back to the living room, then handed him a glass before sitting down on the sofa.
He sank down beside her, not too close, but not at the opposite corner, either. Her pulse throbbed at her wrist at the simple nearness of him. She lifted her glass for a sip, hoping her fingers weren’t shaking. It wasn’t like her to be nervous like this.
“Don’t you want to toast?” he asked.
“Oh.” Heat rushed to her face. “Well, go ahead.” She smiled brightly.
He thought for a minute, his brow puckering in the middle, while Lainey wondered what the heck he was thinking. Then his face brightened and he smiled at her and lifted his glass.
“Here’s to the girl who lives up the hill. If she won’t, her sister will. Here’s to her sister.”
He winked, saluted with his glass, and took a healthy drink while she burst out laughing.
“Where in the world did you hear that?” She sipped at the amber liquid, felt the warmth of it slide down her throat and into her belly, leaving a fiery trail.
He shrugged. “Have you met my grandmother? She’s got a saying for damn near everything. I always think I’ve heard them all and then she’ll come out with another one.”
Lainey relaxed against the sofa cushions. That was what made Todd so dangerous. It wasn’t just the looks. The true sexiness came from his sense of humor and how he seemed to put everyone he met at ease. She’d been home for five minutes and she already had a drink in her hand and her guard down. “Cheers.” She saluted with her glass. “It’s been a long day.”
“Amen to that.” Todd took another drink. “This isn’t half bad. And look at you, drinking it straight.”
“Because I’m a girl?”
He laughed. “You are? When did that happen?”
She swatted at his arm and his laugh settled around them, warm and sexy. Oh my. Maybe whiskey to ward off the chill wasn’t such a good idea. Because things were feeling warm all right …
They sat in the quiet for a few minutes, both of them sitting back with their heads against the cushions. Todd turned his lazily to look at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Hey, Lainey? How come we never dated, huh?”
Inside she felt like her tongue was about to be tied into knots and butterflies swooped and swirled in her stomach. But that was inside. Outwardly she kept her composure and looked back at him. “Probably because you never asked me.”
“Hmm. Clearly an oversight on my part. You’re not as scary as you used to be.”
She snorted. After all this time, she doubted he was really interested. Just because she felt like a silly girl around him didn’t mean she’d lost her mind. “Me, scary? What’s the matter, have you exhausted the inventory in town?”
“Ouch.” He got up and retrieved the bottle from the kitchen counter, brought it back, and added a splash to his glass before putting it on the coffee table in front of them. “Jeez, I’m not that much of a player.”
A smile twisted her lips; a silent laugh. “Of course you’re not.” She added the tiniest bit of whiskey to her glass, too.
“Hey. That’s sarcasm.”
“Oh, well done!”
“That was, too,” he mumbled.
She snickered.
“Okay, smarty-pants.” He sat up a bit. “You said because I never asked you. Does that mean you would have said yes if I had?”
“Only in a weak moment,” she fired back with a cheeky grin, feeling immensely proud of how quick on the draw she was tonight. What were they doing? Flirting? Passing the time? What would happen next, a game of Truth or Dare? Was it wrong that she hoped so?
Todd looked around her small living room and tilted his head a bit, then looked at her curiously. “Hey. I just realized something. You don’t have any Christmas decorations in here.”
And just like that, the whiskey soured in her stomach. “Gee, would you look at the time,” she replied drily, turning her wrist to look at her watch. Only she wasn’t wearing one because like most people, she relied on the clock on her phone.
“Interesting.” Todd relaxed and crossed one ankle over his knee, holding the glass negligently. “I think what we have here is a big ol’ Scrooge. Or Grinch.” He grinned. “Naw, you’re too cute to be a Grinch. And you’re not even green.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“But I’m right, aren’t I? Just what have you got against Christmas, anyway?”
She gulped some of the whiskey, letting the heat burn the back of her throat. She really didn’t want to talk about Jason tonight. It was bad enough she’d spared him a thought earlier.
“You were at the inn. There are lots of decorations over there. There’s even a big Christmas tree in the parlor. But wait … you didn’t go in there, did you? You were being antisocial.”
He frowned, and her little jab didn’t deter him in the least. “The inn isn’t here, though, is it? Of course you’d decorate for guests. But you don’t have a tree, and here i
t is, the … what date is it today, anyway?”
The whiskey was starting to take a toll, softening the edges of her mind. She had to think for a moment. “The twentieth.” She frowned. She remembered last December twentieth very well. That was the day she’d taken her wedding dress back to the store. There was no way she was going to leave it hanging in her closet.
“That’s right. December twentieth and no tree. No lights. No … you know, those big red flowers. Or pine boughs. Or presents.”
“Nothing wrong with your powers of observation, Officer Ricker. When do you make detective?” She made her voice syrupy sweet, hoping to distract him from his line of questioning. Her engagement wasn’t some big secret in town, but she didn’t necessarily feel like talking about her ex or how he’d ruined Christmas for her forever. She took back all the nice thoughts she’d had about Todd being a cop. He was far too observant and nosy right now.
He leaned forward now, peering into her face. “Come on, Lainey. It’s almost like you don’t do Christmas. Not even a little tree. You’re not Jewish or anything, are you?”
“No, I’m not. I just haven’t been in the mood this year, that’s all.”
She got up from the sofa and went to the kitchen, took the last gulp of liquor, and put the dirty glass in the sink.
It was time to get Todd a blanket and a pillow and go to bed.
She marched past him to go back to the door, then reached inside her coat and took out a small bag. “Here,” she said, tossing it toward him. “Emergency packet. We keep them in a cupboard in the main house.”
He removed the tape from the bag and peered inside. It contained a foldable toothbrush, travel-sized toothpaste, little bottles of body wash and shampoo and mouthwash.
“Hey, thanks,” he replied, finishing his drink. “This is handy.”
“I’ll get you some blankets and stuff.”
She disappeared into the bedroom, went to the closet and got out a spare quilt and a soft pillow. The living room would stay warm, particularly if Todd put another few logs on the fire. When she marched back out, Todd had put his glass in the kitchen and was now standing in front of the fire, one hand on the mantel, staring into the flames.
