Love Inspired December 2013 - Bundle 2 of 2: Cozy ChristmasHer Holiday HeroJingle Bell Romance

by Valerie Hansen

  “So what was your favorite part?” Jake asked to keep the conversation going, his mind focused on the two in the car with him.

  “The big slice of cherry pie with vanilla ice cream at the end of dinner,” Emma said with a laugh. “I probably shouldn’t have had it, but it was delicious.”

  “Yeah, that was good, but racing across the field was my favorite part.” Josh’s voice slurred with sleepiness.

  “Mine was seeing where your mom worked and the different dogs being trained.” When there was no response from Josh, Jake peered at him through the rearview mirror. “He’s fallen asleep.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. He was up early practicing his self-defense moves and lifting those five-pound weights you gave him to use. He’s taking this seriously. I usually have to drag him out of bed in the morning.”

  “I’m giving him a new exercise each lesson, and he’s promised me he won’t do it until I tell him he’s got the right technique. I’ve been stressing that’s more important than how much he lifts.”

  “I’m sure Josh will follow your directions, but it wouldn’t hurt for me to see the exercises and the right techniques so I can keep an eye on it.”

  Jake came to a halt at the four-way stop sign and glanced at her, the way the streetlight angled across her features, throwing part of her face in the shadows, but not her eyes. They were trained on him. “That’s a good suggestion. But not only how he does it, watch that he doesn’t do it too much.”

  “Maybe I should take up weight lifting.” She raised her arm and flexed her muscles. “I doubt you can feel much there.”

  He reached out and squeezed gently on her upper arm. “It wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Is that your way of telling me I have no muscles in my arms?”

  “There’s a muscle somewhere in there.” He chuckled. “If you didn’t want me to tell the truth, you shouldn’t have asked.”

  Headlights from the car behind flooded the Ford. Jake pressed his foot on the accelerator and went across the intersection. Two minutes later, he parked in Emma’s driveway and started to get out of his car.

  “You don’t have to walk us to the door.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “This isn’t…”

  “What?”

  “A date.”

  “We didn’t think we were going to be gone this late. Your porch light isn’t on. I’m walking you to your door.” Climbing from the vehicle, Jake began to skirt around the front of the Fusion when Emma hopped out and opened the back door.

  A pungent, nauseating smell suffused the air. Rubbing his nose, Jake scanned the area.

  “What’s that smell?” Josh asked as he scooped up Buttons and trekked toward his house.

  “Don’t know. It seems to be coming from our…” Emma’s words sputtered to a stop. Her hand clasped over her mouth and nose.

  “Gross.” Josh mounted the steps.

  With his leg throbbing, Jake limped after Emma and Josh. “Stop, Josh.”

  The boy turned toward Jake.

  “Let me check everything out first. Come stand by your mom.” To Emma, Jake continued, “Give me the key to the house. I’ll turn on the porch light. It’s hard to see exactly what has happened.”

  Jake took the key from her trembling hand and headed toward the stairs, using the penlight he carried to scope out the area before him. Piles of trash and feces littered everywhere he shone the light. He gagged but kept moving forward to turn on the security lamp so he could inspect the damage.

  Chapter Nine

  Emma held her nose, trying to block the smell. Her stomach roiled. “Josh, go back to Jake’s car with Buttons and stay there.”

  “But, Mom—”

  “Please.”

  He stomped across the yard toward the Ford, mumbling.

  As he slammed the car door, the security light flooded the porch. Jake came out of her house, surveying the porch area. A frown carved deep lines into his face, and he locked gazes with her. “Do you think Josh can go to your neighbor’s while I clean this up?”

  “You mean while we clean it up.”

  “In a war zone, I’ve smelled some pretty bad things before. After a while, it won’t be as bad.”

  “I’ve changed diapers and cleaned up after my son got sick. We’ll do it together.”

  “Where are your trash bags, shovel, rake, broom, dustpan and plastic gloves?”

  After she told him the location of each item, she hurried to the car. “You’re going to stay with Miss Baker for a while.”

  “This is Liam’s doing.”

  “We’ll talk about that later.” She rang her neighbor’s doorbell, and when Miss Baker answered, Emma explained to the older woman what had happened.

  “You know I thought I heard some racket about half an hour ago—like dogs getting into my trash can when I leave it out, except that tomorrow isn’t trash day so it wasn’t out.”

  “Did you look and see anyone?”

  Miss Baker shook her head. “I was watching my favorite TV show, and it was getting to the good part. Sorry.” She stepped aside to let a pouting Josh into the house. “I baked some snicker doodles today. Want any?”

  Josh looked back at Emma then said, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “It may be a while.”

  “Hon, don’t worry about Josh and me. We’ll be fine.”

  Emma rushed back to her house as Jake reappeared on the porch with all the cleaning items. The obnoxious smells bombarded Emma’s senses, but the quicker they took care of this mess, the faster she could breathe clean air again. Jake took out his cell phone and shot some pictures of what had been done, then he placed a call to the police.

  When he hung up, Emma scanned the piles of rotten food mixed in with what had to be a bag of manure dumped throughout the trash. “Someone went to a lot of trouble.” On her porch wall, she spied words she wouldn’t repeat spray-painted across it. That would be the next thing she dealt with.

  “Yes. This isn’t a prank but pure rage and intimidation.”

  “What are we going to do about Liam and his buddies?”

  “Although we don’t have any proof it was Liam, I’m going to tell the police about the boy and the motives he might have for vandalizing our houses.”

  “Should we wait for the police to come?”

  “Yes. They’ll be here shortly.”

  “I’ve run out of things to do about those boys.” Frustration and anger overwhelmed her. She didn’t like feeling that way, but she couldn’t stop the emotions demanding release.

  Jake took her hand and led her down the steps. “Let’s put the dogs in your backyard. I could use some fresh air.”

  The feel of his fingers wrapped around hers soothed some of the fury building in her. As they crossed her front yard, the smells lessened.

  Jake slipped his arm around her shoulders and pressed her against him. “We’ll find a way to deal with the boys. I hope the officer will pay Liam and Sean a visit tonight to find out where they’ve been.”

  “They’ll retaliate against Josh.”

  “They’ll try, but I’m going to work with Josh and his friends. We aren’t going to make it easy for Liam and Sean to get back at them, and every time they harass us, we’ll call the police. I know a couple of officers I went to school with when I lived here. I’ll involve them if I need to.”

  When he said we or us, her tension eased a little more. She wasn’t by herself, trying to figure out what to do. And she also had the Lord. There were many times in history His people were harassed and threatened, and He came to their defense. Please help us, God. Not just for us, but for Liam and Sean. It’s time to turn their lives around.

  Emma scooped Buttons into her arms while Shep walked beside Jake. At the gate to her backyard, she put Buttons down and the dog hurried away, but the German shepherd didn’t want to leave Jake’s side.

  In the stream of light from her kitchen window, he smiled at her. “I guess he doesn’t care that the place stinks.”
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br />   “Think about those cadaver dogs who work with the police looking for dead bodies. If they don’t mind that, the porch won’t be a big deal for Shep.”

  Jake’s laughter shivered down her—a wonderful sound she hoped to hear more and more. “And their sense of smell is much better than ours. To each his own, I guess.”

  His presence made her forget for a few minutes what they needed to clean up. He moved nearer and framed her face with his hands, the look in his eyes soft, appealing. “I had a nice time today. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but I was comfortable at the ranch. I enjoyed meeting Abbey and Dominic. Madi and Josh are fun to see together, playing, kidding each other. Almost like brother and sister.”

  Warmth suffused her face from his caress as he brushed her hair back, his fingers combing through the strands. “I like to feel this,” he said. “Until lately I didn’t realize how calming a touch could be.”

  Neither had she. Emma wanted to melt against him, cling to him. Somehow she remained upright, but his nearness was quickly unraveling her composure. Her heartbeat hammered a mad staccato against her rib cage. Her breathing became shallow, her total focus on the man only inches from her. She wound her arms about him to steady herself.

  Slowly, almost hesitantly he bent toward her mouth and claimed it in a kiss that rocked her. This man who had been a soldier, capable of taking care of her, protecting and defending, gently possessed her with just a touch of his lips against hers.

  She didn’t know how long she would have stayed there at the side of her house enfolded in his arms, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers if Shep hadn’t barked. She blinked, dazed, trying to orient herself to the here and now.

  Jake’s arms slipped away from her. He leaned down and whispered, “The police are here.” The words flowed over her cheek.

  “Police?”

  “Yes, Emma.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead and began limping around to the front yard.

  She watched him, reliving every second of the past ten minutes. Step by step. Touch by touch. She sagged against her house for a moment, composing herself before heading over to talk with the police. The trash on her porch didn’t bother her nearly as much as before, not when she thought about the kiss Jake and she had shared.

  *

  Jake sat at Emma’s kitchen table, needing to go home and take a long, hot shower to rid himself of the stench. He would when she came back from talking to Josh and making sure he went to bed. Nursing a cup of coffee, he replayed kissing Emma and wondered where in the world his brain had been. No good would come of starting that kind of relationship with her. She deserved a whole man. He wanted her friendship—and he wanted much more.

  How would he back away from a woman who had come to mean so much to him? Lord, any suggestions? One that won’t hurt her.

  Nothing came to mind—except the touch of her mouth on his. If Shep hadn’t barked, he would never have known the police had pulled up.

  Although her footsteps were faint sounding, he heard her coming. He finished the coffee in one long swallow and rose.

  “Did Josh finally go to sleep?” Jake asked when Emma came into the kitchen.

  “Let’s say he acted like he was, but I won’t be surprised if he’s still up. He had a hundred questions about what the police said, what to do about Liam and Sean. A few I could answer. Most I couldn’t. I doubt the police can do much.”

  “At least the officer’s going by both boys’ houses to find out where they have been in the past few hours.” Jake took his empty cup to the sink.

  “I thought I would go around the neighborhood tomorrow and see if any of my neighbors saw something. I think from what Miss Baker said, I know what time this happened.” Emma crossed the room and went into the garage.

  Jake followed her and stood in the doorway, watching her kneel in front of a cabinet and search it until she found a can of paint and a brush. “What are you doing?”

  She glanced up. “I’m going to paint the porch.”

  “Now?”

  “I can’t have people see what’s written on the wall out there.” She rose.

  “Get another brush. I’ll help you.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  “No, but it’s late. If I help, it’ll be done twice as fast.” Jake covered the space between them and took the can and brush. “I’ll be out on the porch.”

  She started to reach for the items in his hands. He turned away. “Jake, please go home. You’ve done enough. I noticed how pronounced your limp is. You’re tired.”

  He peered back at her. “And you aren’t?”

  “This is my house, not yours.”

  “You helped me. Let me do this for you.” I need to be needed almost came out of his mouth, the thought taking him by surprise.

  “Fine, but all we have to do is cover the offensive words. Josh and I can do a proper job tomorrow. I’ll have to go to the store and get some more paint. We don’t have enough left in that can to redo the whole porch.”

  Jake hobbled toward the foyer, still stunned by what he had almost said. True, in his former life that was one of the things that had driven him: to serve and protect. But after what happened to him, he’d buried that deep inside because that meant putting himself out there with people in situations he couldn’t control. The thought sent shudders down his body.

  At the front door, hand on the knob, he closed his eyes, tensing for what often followed—the shakes, the sweating, the fast heartbeat, the gasps for air. Shep rubbed against his good leg. Jake peered into the brown eyes of his service dog. He sat with his head cocked as if he needed Jake to pet him, when in reality it was the other way around.

  Sticking the paintbrush into his pocket, Jake hooked the can’s handle over the doorknob then bent over to pay some attention to his dog. When he finally rose, he snagged Emma’s gaze as she stood back, watching and waiting. The kindness in her expression reached out and took hold of him as though they were embracing again.

  All tension faded.

  She came toward him. His throat closed at the inner beauty pouring from her. She made him want more than ever to be well. To be the man she deserved.

  He opened his mouth to say something but no words formed in his mind. He just stared at her bridging the distance between them.

  Emma smiled, radiating joy. “I appreciate your help. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d come home and found this without you here. Thanks.”

  Still no words for her came into his thoughts.

  “Jake, are you all right?”

  He nodded.

  Tiny lines creased her forehead. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Sorry. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are.”

  “Me?” She glanced down at her jeans and shirt covered with filth from the cleanup.

  “Yes.” He released a long breath and pivoted to open the door before he kissed her again. “When you pick up some more paint, buy a couple of motion-activated security lights. I can install them for you tomorrow.” He glanced back at her and grinned. “Let’s get those words covered up so we can clean up ourselves.”

  *

  Sunday afternoon when Emma saw Jake carry the ladder out of her garage, she froze in midmotion, painting the porch wall. She remembered driving up to the house and finding Sam on the ladder and before she could ask him to get down, watching him turn to see her pulling into the driveway. Then in the blink of an eye he was falling.

  Emma squeezed her eyes shut, trying to wipe the memory from her mind forever. But she would never be able to because she had to live with the guilt. Why had she mentioned getting someone to put up Christmas lights?

  The paintbrush slipped from her numb fingers and crashed onto the tarp-covered porch.

  “Mom, you got paint all over you. And you thought I was gonna be messy.” Josh laughed and continued working on his section.

  She was thankful her son wasn’t looking at her because her hands began to tremble. She clasped them together and ma
rched toward Jake. “I want to put up the security lights.”

  “Do you know how?”

  “No, but I’m sure I can figure it out.”

  Jake frowned. “Why should you when I do?”

  “I don’t want you to use the ladder.” There, she said it. She couldn’t tell him why; she wouldn’t tell anyone.

  “My leg is perfectly all right. I’m capable of climbing up and down this ladder.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “I saw how you were limping after the long day yesterday.”

  He moved close to her—too close. “And I rested it last night and this morning. I’m fine,” he said firmly.

  “I don’t think we need a light over the garage. We have one on the porch. That should be enough.” She tilted up her chin and dared him to disagree.

  “Its range doesn’t cover this part of your yard. You need both of them. What’s this really about?” His gaze drilled into her, straight to her heart. “I can do this, Emma.”

  She looked down. “These lights probably won’t deter those boys, anyway.”

  “I’m asking again what’s really…” Silence electrified the air for a few seconds. “This is about your husband falling off a ladder, isn’t it?”

  She nodded, finally reestablishing eye contact with him. “Please find another place to put up the security light besides over the garage.”

  He clasped her arm, his eyes soft. “I understand. I didn’t think about that. You’ve got a small ladder. How about I put it on the side of the garage? I’ll only be a few feet off the ground. That’ll still cover your whole front yard.”

  “Okay. Thanks for understanding.”

  “Of course.” Those soft eyes roamed over her face, lingering for a long second on her lips.

  Instantly, the picture of her and Jake kissing yesterday replaced the one of her husband falling off the ladder. Heat flashed through her. She backed away. “I’d better get back to work so we can finish today.” She still couldn’t look away as she took another step toward the porch.

  Finally, he did, picking up the tall ladder and going back into the garage.

  Emma put her hands to her face, her cheeks hot beneath her palms. When she looked toward her son, she found him staring at her with a grin on his face. She hurried to occupy herself with completing the job and keeping her attention on her task—not Jake.