by Linda Mooney
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
About the Author
Tickle My Candy Cane
(Tales of the Blakeney Sisters, Book 2)
By
Carolyn Gregg
TICKLE MY CANDY CANE
Copyright © 2010 by Linda Mooney
ISBN 978-1-941321-30-0
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
Cover Art: Linda Mooney
Chapter One
It was starting to snow again. Tamberly stared out the window at the white flakes casually drifting downward. The sky had been threatening to dump more of the stuff all morning. It didn’t matter, though. Christmas was two days away. Today was the last day the market would be open before it shut down for the holidays. Fortunately, business had been brisk, which was a good thing. It kept her from thinking about...that.
A figure came up behind her to also gaze out the window. “Wow. Looks like Mr. Osbourne is just about sold out of trees.”
At her brother-in-law's comment, her eyes automatically shifted over to the large red and white striped tent set up on the market’s back parking lot. From where she stood she could see through the tent, all the way to the large travel trailer parked behind it. Mr. Osbourne lived in that trailer while he was in town every year he came down from Vermont to sell his trees. Yep, from what she could see, it had been a prosperous season for him, too. She could count the number of trees left on the lot on one hand.
She was about to turn away from the window when a figure emerged from the trailer and proceeded to head toward the side entrance to the market. At first she thought it might be Lyle, Mr. Osbourne’s son, who had come down with his father to help in the lot. But an unexpected gust of wind blew the cap from the man’s head, revealing a crop of yellow hair. At the same moment, a sliver of sunlight peeked through the dense clouds and highlighted the almost golden color until it shone. Tamberly sighed. All of the Osbournes had brown hair. That guy was definitely not an Osbourne. Wonder who he is? And why was he in the trailer?
“Are these the last of the pumpkins?”
“Yes,” she replied without turning around. She had no idea her voice had given away her melancholy until a hand touched her back.
“Hey, why the sad, sad voice, Tammy?” Rick asked with a slight chuckle. “It’ll be Christmas soon! And your birthday! You get a twofer, although I used to feel sorry for people who had to celebrate both on the same day.”
She only had to glance up at him with a weak smile for understanding to dawn on him.
“Ohhh. That. Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she sighed. Turning around, she walked over to the vegetable bins and began straightening the rest of the squash. She could sense the man watching her.
“It was stupid of me not to be more considerate. You’ve been waiting longer than anyone for Mr. Right to come along,” Rick commented.
“Hey, another year won’t kill me,” Tamberly said, trying to sound flippant but knowing she failed. She motioned toward the interior of the large barn-like structure that included the rest of the vendors. “Maybe we should start thinking of shutting down for the season. I can already see a couple of empty stalls.”
“There’s still an hour left. I don’t mind waiting.”
He was right, she admitted to herself. People who worked weekends often stopped by on their way home to see if they could get a last-minute bargain. Besides, there wasn’t anything else more urgent needing her attention. And it wasn’t like they had to travel a long distance to get home once the market closed.
“Damn.”
Tamberly glanced up at her brother-in-law. He was holding a bucket underneath the spigot at the back of the stall.
“What’s up?”
“Pipes are frozen up,” Rick said. “I wanted to start wiping off the counters while we had a lull.”
She understood what he meant. Some of the produce had left muddy residue where they weighed and packed the customers’ purchases. With people tracking in snow, the melt-off only added to the mess.
Walking over to the spigot, Tamberly reached down and touched the valve. “Okay. This won’t be a problem,” she told him, grasping the faucet where it curved downward. With deliberate motions, she stroked the upper portion of the pipe like she was milking a cow’s teat, pulling downward before grabbing the end again and moving downward. After a dozen pulls, she said, “Try it again.”
Rick turned the little wheel, and water gushed into the bucket. The man chuckled. “I’d ask you to teach me that trick, but I know it would be futile, considering I don’t have your gift.”
She gave him a small smile.
“Oh, and thanks again for stepping in and helping me here today,” he added.
“No problem.”
“No, I mean it,” he insisted. “With Kim having morning sickness and all.”
Her smile brightened. “Hey, isn’t that neat? I’m going to be an aunt! Bet you’re terrified about becoming a father.”
The man leaned in closer and whispered, “I think I’m more terrified about the prospect of being a father to another little witchlet or warlock-let, or whatever you call them. I’d be outnumbered, and I can’t defend myself now as it is!”
Tamberly laughed as they got to their feet, and Rick carried the half-full bucket over to the counter. “You have nothing to worry about,” she assured him. “If she has to, Kimmy can put a little spell on the baby to keep it from accidentally doing something. I know Daddy had to when we were growing up, just so Mom could have some peace of mind!”
Rick grabbed a sponge and dipped it into the bucket. He gave a melodramatic shudder. “Ooh! I don’t suppose you could warm this up a bit, could you?”
In answer, she dipped her fingers into the frigid water and stirred. Within seconds, steam started rising from the surface.
“Thanks again.”
“My pleasure.”
The sound of someone clearing his voice drew their attention to the outside of the stall.
“Yes, sir? Can we help you?” Rick started to gravitate toward the potential customer when Tamberly waved him off.
“You clean. I’ll take care of him,” she murmured.
Rick gave her a knowing smile. Of course she would want to be the one to handle the young and perhaps single men coming to look over what they had to offer.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Tamberly pasted a polite smile on her face and approached the gentleman, who was drawing his knit cap off his head as she approached. The moment she saw the mass of dark gold hair, she knew who he was.
“I heard you had some apples left?” the man inquired.
/> She stood rooted to the spot. His features were strong, almost aristocratic, but she was mesmerized by his intense blue eyes. Underneath the glare of the market lights, he almost glowed.
“Uhh, miss?”
Tamberly suddenly realized she was staring. “Uhh, apples. Yes. Yes! We have a few left, but I’m afraid we only have Winesap and Granny Smith.”
“That’s perfect,” the man nodded. “I was going to make a pie for the holidays, but I got busy and totally forgot about it until a few minutes ago. So I thought I’d come over here to see if there were any I could buy, instead of having to trudge into town to the supermarket.” He looked back and gestured down the row of stalls. “No one else had any, but that nice lady over there with the canned stuff said you might have a few left.”
It was an effort to make herself go over to the bin where the apples were located. Snatching a brown paper sack from the pile, she shook it open and quickly placed the last of the fruit inside before taking it over to the counter.
“There’s nine nice-sized ones. It’s all we have left, but they should be plenty for at least one pie.” She paused, then added, “Did you say you were going to bake?”
The young man grinned as he reached into his rear pocket for his wallet. “Yeah. How much do I owe you?”
“You cook?”
“Working on it,” he admitted. “I spent the last three years at the culinary school in New York. Right now I’m looking for a full-time position at a restaurant back home. When Uncle Morris got sick, Lyle called me and asked if I’d help fill in for the rest of the season.” He shrugged and pointed to the bag. “How much?”
“No charge.” The words were out of her mouth without her being aware of what she said.
“Seriously?”
Tamberly swallowed hard. “In exchange for a piece of that pie, Mister...”
“Jonathan,” the man said, holding out a hand. “Call me Jon.”
She took it, and sparks literally leaped from his fingertips to hers. She yelped softly at the shock, and the both of them laughed nervously.
“Let’s try that again,” she said, holding her hand out again. This time when his warm fingers closed over hers, it was as if the world came to a sudden, screeching halt.
“And you are?” Jon prompted.
“T-Tamberly. Friends call me Tammy.”
“Nice to meet you, Tammy, although I have to admit that Tamberly sounds more exotic. And as for that slice of pie, it’s a deal! How can I get it to you?”
Tamberly felt her mind go blank at the request. In fact, her whole body felt as if it had gone numb. Relief swept over her when Rick suddenly shoved a note pad and pencil across the counter, bumping them against her hand to get her attention. She gave him a grateful smile and quickly wrote a phone number on the pad.
“Here. Here’s the number at the house.” She tore off the sheet and held it out to him. Jonathan took the paper, brushing her fingertips once more in the process before glancing at it, then folding it to place inside his wallet. Wallet and paper were returned to the back pocket of his jeans.
He nodded. “I’d love to stay and talk some more, but I have to get back to the lot. It was nice meeting you, Tammy. Thanks again for the apples. See you soon!”
He turned and strode back down the midway, toward the entrance. She watched him go with dazed eyes. It wasn’t until he was gone from sight that she finally remembered to say, “You’re very welcome.”
Chapter Two
Her fingertips continued to tingle from the contact. Tamberly stared at them in amazement, running her thumb over the tips. A shiver went though her, and she glanced up at the walkway. At the last second she remembered to rush over to the window to see if she could spot him. Fortunately, she managed to catch a glimpse before he disappeared into the trailer.
“Tam?”
“What?” She turned around to see Rick grinning at her.
“You have a funny look on your face.” He cocked his head, adding, “I think you’ve just been hit with a hard case of the heart call.”
She started to protest when a voice echoed in her head. Call me Jon. Another shiver went through her, but this time she felt her lower abdomen contract. A slow heat was building up between her thighs—an uncomfortable but also delicious sensation she had never experienced before.
“Yep. I think Mr. Apples just found your core.”
Tamberly gave him a wishful look. “Don’t tease me, Frederick.”
“I’m not teasing,” Rick said. “I remember the way Kim looked at me those first few times, before she took me out to the pumpkin patch to give me the sex hex test.” He pointed a finger at her. “You looked the same way when Mr. Apples was here.”
“His name is Jonathan.”
“His name is future brother-in-law,” Rick laughed. “If you don’t believe me, wait until we get home. I’ll bet you a dollar to a doughnut everyone will immediately notice the difference in you.”
He was right. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, even if she chose to deny it, the rest of her family would pounce on her with a million questions.
Especially Daddy. Daddy would know without a doubt.
Suddenly, staying the last hour until the market actually closed no longer felt important.
“Rick, let’s go home.”
“Already ahead of you, Red,” the man chuckled, and disappeared out the back door of their stall with a load.
No more was said of the encounter as Rick drove them back to the Blakeney home located on the outskirts of town. The snow had stopped falling, leaving a light blanket of pristine white over everything. As they approached the two-story farmhouse, Tamberly was delighted to see rows of multi-colored lights lining the picket fence suddenly come on, twinkling their invitation.
Rick pulled into the gravel driveway the same time the rest of the Blakeney clan filed out onto the porch. The girls were at the gate by the time he put the truck in park, and the passenger door flew open amid squeals of delight.
“You have to tell us everything!” Penny ordered, giving her big sister a hug.
“His name! What’s his name!” Amy asked, giving Tamberly’s hand a squeeze.
“Jonathan,” she managed to answer as her sisters literally dragged her into the front yard and toward the house.
Immediately they all went silent as Manderly Blakeney walked out onto the porch and stood staring at his eldest child with his dark, intense stare.
This would be it. He would let her know whether or not her heart call had been true. His would be the final word.
In the past, whenever her sisters had sensed the change in her, he had been the one to tell her that her human half had deceived her. That the young man she believed was meant to be her forever love was not the one, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the lad’s company until he or she decided to part ways.
Tamberly pressed her lips together. She wanted to tell him this time felt different, that Jonathan was different, but something inside her hesitated. What if he gave her another shake of his head? Dread like a black cloud enveloped her heart, and for the first time in her life, Tamberly feared his answer because she knew now, beyond all doubt, that Jonathan was her true heart call.
Slowly, she detached herself from her sisters and approached the porch, pausing at the foot of the short set of steps. For several seconds her father looked at her, but she never wavered, never broke away from his all-seeing magical gaze.
A wide smile broke across the still-handsome face, and Manderly opened his arms to her.
Tamberly never heard her sisters’ screams of joy as she ran up the steps and flew into his warm embrace. She had no idea she was crying until her father’s gruff voice gently admonished her, “Those had better be tears of joy. My little Tam, my sweet Tamberly, this holiday season will be your most glorious.” He placed a loving kiss on her forehead, then waved a hand at the others watching in the yard. “This calls for a celebration!”
Without waiting for them, Mande
rly led his daughter back into the house. The rest immediately followed as the snow resumed falling.
Tamberly was given the overstuffed chair nearest the fireplace. A mug of warm cider was shoved into her hands, and the girls seated themselves on the rug nearby to hear her story of who the young man was. Tamberly noticed how Rick and Kimmy snuggled together on the couch. The couple gave her identical knowing smiles, which she returned.
“Okay, sis. Time to give it up,” Sandy ordered. “We need details, and we need them now!”
Laughing, Tamberly shook her head. “There isn’t much I can tell you except his name is Jonathan, and he bought some apples from us.”
“That’s all?” Penny admonished.
Amy agreed. “You’re holding back from us. You can’t fool us, remember.”
Kimmy broke in. “I don’t think she’s holding back. I think right now she’s a bit overwhelmed by the heart call.”
“Oooh! That means she’ll be giving Jonathan the sex hex test soon!” Amy announced. The rest of the girls giggled in response, and Tamberly felt her face flush as red as her hair.
“Where is this young man from?” Manderly inquired from his lounger.
She shrugged. “I...I don’t know. He’s working on the Christmas tree lot behind the market. I’ve never seen him before today. I remember he said he was helping his uncle out because Mr. Osbourne was sick.”
“Specifics, girl.” Penny waggled her fingers in a “come here” motion. “I want to know details like height, weight, hair color.”
“He’s blond, with blue eyes.”
“Blond? Sure doesn’t sound like an Osbourne to me,” Sandy piped up.
“Yes, but don’t forget, Mr. Osbourne has an older daughter from his first marriage who is living in Massachusetts.” Manderly nodded. “Last I remember, she’s old enough to have a son Jonathan’s age.”
“I don’t think he’s from Massachusetts,” Tamberly replied. “He said he had been attending a culinary school in New York.”
