By Firelight

by Janice Maynard

  “Have you thought about what you’ll do next?”

  It was a valid question . . . and very logical. She fought back the panic that crept in at odd moments. “Well, I guess I’ll start sending out résumés. But the economic climate is still tough.”

  “Surely your credentials are impressive.”

  “Maybe so, but a major hotel can hire someone straight out of college, and even train them, for a much lower salary than what I was being paid. It’s a very competitive market.” She had busted her ass to make it to the top. Now she wondered why. Her job hadn’t filled the holes in her life. But sheer “busyness” had allowed her to pretend.

  Daniel stood up and squeezed her shoulder. “I promise not to rub Christmas in your face anymore, Hallie. And I also promise you there’s a great job somewhere just waiting for a woman with your talents. The New Year is right around the corner. Time for new beginnings, new adventures.”

  He shrugged into his coat as he spoke. Hallie took his words at face value, but were his eyes telegraphing an even more personal message? She stood up and wiped her hands on her jeans, feeling awkward and painfully self-conscious. “I guess I’d better make a grocery run. Hazel even has lists for that, thank goodness.”

  He smiled at her. “You’ll be fine. Remember, it’s only breakfast. You don’t have to entertain them twenty-four-seven.”

  She nodded, fighting the urge to beg him to stay. She was a competent professional. Fifteen guests. That was nothing. She could do this with one hand tied behind her back.

  * * *

  Two hours later, she huffed and puffed as she carried the last of twelve grocery bags into the house. Putting everything away in an unfamiliar kitchen took another half hour. She ate lunch standing up—a banana and a cup of yogurt—as she pored over the recipe book that was to be her lifeline for the next two weeks.

  According to Hazel’s notes, blueberry apricot muffin batter could be prepared today, kept in the fridge, and simply ladled into muffin cups and baked in the morning. That didn’t sound too bad. But the scary thing about such a plan was . . . what if they didn’t turn out?

  Hallie decided to make a small batch right then and there to be sure she was on the right track. By the time her slightly burnt muffins were out of the oven and cooling on the counter, the kitchen looked like a war zone. She hadn’t intentionally made a huge mess, but how could one bake from scratch and be neat?

  The oven must be a bit hot, so she made a mental note to adjust the temps on the recipes. Or maybe she had set the temperature wrong to start with and not realized it. Because surely Hazel’s recipes were calibrated for her own equipment. Oh, dear . . .

  She tried one of the freshly baked muffins. After she pinched off the dark parts, they weren’t half bad. She flipped the remaining muffins out of the pan, put them in a plastic container with a lid, and tucked them far back into the refrigerator. You never knew when an emergency stash of muffins might come in handy.

  When she glanced at the clock, she squeaked in alarm. It was already one thirty. Quickly, she filled the sink with soapy water and cleaned the bowls and utensils she had dirtied. She wanted the dishwasher to be free for tomorrow morning’s dishes, and this wasn’t a full load. No point in wasting water. In another twenty minutes, the countertops were gleaming once again.

  She dashed to her room and put on black slacks and a royal blue sweater. She doubted she would feel the need to dress up every day, but first impressions were important. She didn’t want to let Hazel and Roy down. This B&B was their livelihood.

  When everything was in order, she sneaked down the hall to peek into Daniel’s room. His and hers were the only ones on the main floor, along with the large, open kitchen/dining room, the small living room, and a modest-sized TV/game room, which must come in handy this time of year.

  Upstairs were four bedrooms with accompanying bathrooms. Each room had two double beds. The group checking in today was sleeping four to a room, information Hallie now possessed because she had finally perused the reservation book.

  Daniel’s room was neat as a pin. A leather jacket lay over the back of a chair. A popular crime novel rested open and upside down on the nightstand. Other than that, there were no personal signs of his occupation. She stood immobile for a long moment, picturing him in bed, the sheet tucked decorously at his waist, his broad, muscular chest bare. Did he sleep in the nude? The muscles in her thighs clenched. It wasn’t difficult to recognize the pull of sexual arousal for what it was. She’d been living like a nun for months. Suddenly, all she could think about was sex. With Daniel.

  He had made his bed already, which left little for her to attend to other than running the vacuum and putting a quick shine on the bathroom surfaces. She resisted the entirely inappropriate inclination to open all the drawers. Her curiosity about Daniel would have to be answered the old-fashioned way, with conversation and the passage of time.

  After tucking away all her cleaning equipment in the hall closet, she fought the urge to linger. She was pretty sure she could catch a whiff of Daniel’s woodsy aftershave. Too bad he had to go to work. Having him around was comforting. Which made no sense at all, because they had just met. Clearly, she was feeling adrift due to the newness of her situation. Once she settled into her routine, Daniel would seem like any other guest.

  Ha. Fat chance. Not a man who kissed like he did. She didn’t have loads of sexual experience, but she knew how to recognize when a guy was interested.

  Plus, Daniel had made no secret of his attraction to her. A two-week fling was not her usual style, but perhaps sex was how people in Alaska made the most of the long winter nights.

  She still had a smile on her face when the doorbell rang at precisely three o’clock. Showtime . . .

  * * *

  Hallie had her welcome speech all prepared. But the moment she opened the door, she was engulfed in an overload of excited conversation, a blast of cold air, and an enthusiastic hug from a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Paula Deen.

  The leader of the pack, the bright-eyed, casually dressed matriarch of the crowd, released Hallie from a bone-crushing embrace and beamed. “I’m Robbie Denman, and we’re tickled pink to be here. It’s really Roberta, but no one calls me that.”

  As Daniel had warned, there were fifteen in all. Robbie and her husband had one young teenage boy. Robbie’s two adult brothers had wives and four elementary-age kids between them. Robbie’s sister and brother-in-law had a pair of eighteen-month-old twin girls.

  Bringing in the luggage and getting everyone settled into their assigned rooms was like herding cats. The children weren’t bad.... In fact, they were remarkably well behaved considering they had just endured a long plane ride. But kids will be kids, and their boisterous energy filled the house with an almost palpable excitement.

  Hallie had picked up some packaged gingersnaps and “just add water” hot chocolate mix, so when her guests were busy exploring their rooms and the house, she quickly set out an impromptu snack. It wasn’t promised in the B&B brochure, but traveling was exhausting, and she wanted the extended Denman family to feel at home.

  They exclaimed over the decorations, declared themselves in love with the town of North Pole, and gobbled up the refreshments in short order. Robbie shooed the kids off to the game room with the men, and she and the other three women settled in the living room with Hallie.

  Robbie sighed and leaned back in a recliner. “Lord, I love this family, but getting through airports these days is a real bitch.”

  Hallie hid a smile and curled into a comfy overstuffed chair. “So, I’m curious, Robbie. What made all of you decide to vacation in Alaska at this time of year?”

  Robbie’s eyebrows went up. “Didn’t Hazel tell you? She sure told me all about you. Losing your job, you poor thing, and your mom. I vote we adopt you as part of our family. What do you say, girls?”

  Even before the other three chimed in with assent, Hallie realized that keeping a conversation on track was going to
be a challenge. She smiled gamely, touched by a stranger’s openness and kindness. “I’d be honored,” she said slowly. “But really . . . why Alaska?”

  For a moment, Robbie’s air of cheerfulness slipped, and she looked ten years older and measurably sad. She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “My boy Timothy is the oldest of all our crew. He enlisted in the army the day he turned eighteen. That was six months ago. Now he’s stationed at Fort Wainwright.”

  “I see.”

  “There’s never been a Christmas when we haven’t all been together. It just didn’t seem right, him being so young and so far away from home. He’s being deployed overseas after the first of the year, so we all decided to bring Christmas to him.”

  Hallie’s throat was tight. “But how will that work?”

  Robbie shrugged. “We’re here for two weeks. Whenever he has time off, we’ll be ready to do things with him. And once he knows his schedule, we’ll plan our Christmas celebration. It’s not much, but at least he’ll know we’re close by.”

  Hallie nodded, wondering what it must be like to grow up as part of such a large, fun-loving, loyal family. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. The inn is yours for whatever you want to plan. I wish we had a bit more space, but we’ll make do.”

  Robbie’s grin was fierce. “You bet. And we won’t trash the place, I promise. We didn’t have much room in the luggage to bring gifts, so we’ve got to get cracking tomorrow on some serious shopping . . . and, after that, wrapping. This will be one hell of a celebration. You wait and see.”

  Three

  Daniel opened the front door and listened. There were no cars in the driveway other than Hallie’s. Had something gone wrong? The silence was absolute. He tossed his briefcase and the other stuff he was carrying on the table in the foyer and peeked into the living room. Hallie was asleep, curled up in a chair with an afghan, her hand tucked beneath her cheek.

  He smiled and went to sit on the sofa, content to watch her sleep. Work had been a bear today, but he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Hallie Prentiss. In fact, he might go so far as to say he was obsessed with her. Which was alarming and confusing at the same time. By the time he hit thirty-four last year, he had long since given up a taste for one night stands.

  He’d had two long-term girlfriends in the past five years, and both relationships had ended amicably. He liked women. He respected women. But it hadn’t really struck him until this very moment that since being in Alaska he’d been mostly celibate.

  Early on there had been a waitress in Fairbanks who’d invited him for a couple of overnights. They had both been lonely, and the sex had been more utilitarian than fireworks. Eventually they had decided friendship was more their speed. Lately there had been no one.

  Like Hallie, Daniel had let work fill his life. Was his intense reaction to her the product of a long dry spell? Or was this a case of love at first sight? He snorted inwardly. Lust, maybe. That he could guarantee. Just looking at her made him hard. But he was convinced it was more. He didn’t understand it, couldn’t analyze it. Hallie Prentiss had knocked him for a loop. And he didn’t know what he was going to do about it.

  She was here for a short run, so Daniel’s opportunities were limited. He wasn’t accustomed to giving up, even when a project seemed like a lost cause.

  Her sock-clad foot stuck out from under the afghan. He tugged on her big toe. “Wake up, Hallie.”

  She stirred and murmured. The afghan fell to her knees. She opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. “Daniel?”

  He grinned at her. “Well, it’s not Santa—not this time.”

  She shoved her hair from her face and sat up. “What time is it?”

  “A little after seven. Have you eaten dinner?”

  She arched her back and stretched. Holy heaven. Those breasts were spectacular. He forced himself to look at her face, all flushed and rosy cheeked. He could eat her up with a spoon.

  He decided to ask again since she seemed to be in a sleep-induced fog. “Dinner, Hallie?”

  She tucked her hair behind her ears. It was down this evening. Daniel was glad. The casual hairstyle made her look more approachable, more open to flirting.

  She smiled slightly. “I could eat.”

  He fetched a bag from the foyer. “I picked up burgers on the way home. There’s one for you if you want it.”

  She brightened, throwing off the last of her drowsy haze and scooting to sit beside him. “You’re a wonderful man. I’m starving.”

  And just that easily, they were eating and chatting like they’d known each other five years instead of five minutes. He swallowed a bite of burger and wiped his mouth. “So, did everything go smoothly when the big group checked in?”

  “Oh, yeah. Though it was like a zoo.” She chuckled. “They’re a charming family, but it was kind of overwhelming for a while this afternoon. Did you know they’re here because their son is at Fort Wainwright?”

  He nodded. “Hazel filled me in. I thought it was a great story. Christmas reunion at the North Pole and all that. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the local networks picked it up.”

  Hallie stopped cold, a French fry halfway to her mouth. Her face lit up. “That would be wonderful promo for the inn.”

  “Yeah it would.” He couldn’t help grinning. Despite her modesty, Hallie had unerring instincts when it came to running a business large or small. She was smart, and she was focused. He was pretty sure she would make a success out of anything she tackled.

  He discovered that she liked pickles, hated mayo. They shared greasy fries. She wiped a blob of ketchup from his chin with her finger. And then he shocked them both by groaning when she did it.

  The atmosphere went from lighthearted to intensely erotic in the blink of an eye. He felt himself go red. “Sorry about that,” he muttered. “That burp got away from me.”

  Hallie sat back and studied his face, her eyes wide. “That wasn’t a burp,” she said slowly. After a moment of dead silence, she leaned forward and found another spot of ketchup she had missed. This time she removed it with the tip of her tongue.

  The second groan was what it was.

  Hallie laughed softly and whispered against his lips, “I find you incredibly attractive, Daniel Reynolds. I really do.”

  He rested his forehead against hers. “Well, that’s a damned good thing, because I’ve been a goner pretty much from the first second I laid eyes on you.”

  His enthusiasm seemed to please her.

  She put her hands on his shoulders and ran them down his arms to his wrists. She linked their fingers and sighed. “I don’t usually rush this kind of thing, but I have a feeling that with a houseful of guests, any opportunities to be alone are going to be few and far between. So what do you think . . . your room or mine?”

  Her humor relaxed him. Hallie wasn’t making a big deal about this. She was a sensual woman who wanted him like he wanted her. It was the perfect situation.

  His gut warned him that he might be getting in over his head, but he ignored it. Hallie Prentiss was going to be naked and under him in the next few minutes. It was a wonder his brain didn’t explode.

  * * *

  Hallie watched herself and Daniel as if they were actors in a movie scene. She had just initiated sex with a man she met yesterday. What in the heck was she thinking?

  She stood up, and he took her hand. Before they could take more than a single step in the direction of her bedroom, the front door swung open with a crash. Bodies and voices filled the foyer along with a swirl of frigid air. One of the children, a freckle-faced girl with braces and pigtails, ran toward Hallie.

  “Can you believe it, Ms. Prentiss? It’s snowing!”

  Soon Daniel and Hallie were surrounded by the entire extended Denman family, including a skinny, clean-shaven young man in army fatigues. Robbie had him by the arm and drew him toward Hallie. “This is my boy, Timothy, Ms. Prentiss.” She beamed with pride.

  The still-wet-behind-the-ears soldier looked sheepish. “Ni
ce to meet you, ma’am.”

  Hallie introduced Daniel, and before long it was like a family reunion that included Daniel and Hallie.

  At one point, her gaze met Daniel’s across the room. They exchanged rueful smiles before he was led away by one of the men to play air hockey. Hallie was soon occupied helping the women e-mail a brand new photo of Timothy to an elderly grandparent who had not been able to make the trip.

  Before you could say “mistletoe,” it was almost midnight. The children had been put to bed a few at a time. The adults held out longer, but eventually the exhausting day of travel wore them down.

  As the last good-nights were spoken, Hallie and Daniel were left standing together in the living room, almost in the same spot they had occupied when they were interrupted earlier.

  Hallie yawned hugely and was mortified when Daniel laughed out loud.

  “I get the hint,” he chuckled. “Our time will come.”

  She wanted him, she really did. But she was dead on her feet.

  He didn’t drag it out. Instead, he kissed her briefly and then held her for a long moment. He was hard and ready. His erection pressed against her abdomen. But he didn’t ask for anything more.

  He kissed her nose. “Tomorrow’s your first big morning. You need your rest, Hallie. Don’t worry. We’ll have plenty of time for us.”

  But would they? Hallie fretted about the answer as she got ready for bed. Already, her two-week stint was down to twelve days. The Denmans were to fly home on Christmas morning, followed soon after by Hallie. Would she and Daniel be ready to say good-bye to their holiday flirtation?

  Grumpy from unappeased desire, she showered quickly and tumbled into bed. She tried to imagine Daniel lying on the mattress beside her, but the image wouldn’t come into focus. She was still lamenting their interrupted evening when she fell asleep.

  * * *

  Hallie’s alarm went off at six a.m. She slapped at it halfheartedly, pulled the pillow over her head, and dozed off again. When the shrill beep sounded a second time, it hit her. Breakfast. At eight sharp. For seventeen people.