by Skye McNeil
He reached over and smeared frosting on her cheek. “Probably, but I think you like me this way.”
She snatched the marshmallows and added one as a door handle. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Jared popped a red hot into his mouth and leaned close. “As it turns out, I would.”
His breath, now spicy from the candy, drifted over her already flustered face. “You’re distracting me.”
“Glad to hear it because I’m going to win tonight.”
Bobbi scrunched her nose but couldn’t respond since her mom cut in. “Two-minute warning. Finish those up.”
Squealing, she managed to snap up miniature candy canes and put them in place before the timer in the kitchen buzzed.
Grandma Jane tapped on the table. “Hands off! Time’s up.”
Wiping frosting from her hands, Bobbi stepped back and watched the three judges survey the varying types of gingerbread houses. Erin’s was a perfect replica of the one on the box. Of course. Jessie and Asher somehow managed to make a baby cradle out of the gingerbread. Too cute. The attempts by Daisy and Gretta made her hold in a giggle. Her cousins tried, Lord love them, but they weren’t artistic in the least.
“You have a little frosting.” Jared motioned to her face.
Using the back of her sweater, she scrubbed it off. “You put it there.”
He squinted his eyes. “Nope, you didn’t get it all.”
She tried again, but he shook his head.
“Here, I’ll help you out since I feel bad you’ll be in second place.”
Rolling her eyes, Bobbi stood perfectly still. His callused fingers on her cheek sent a shock through her body. He’d touched her before of course, but there was something erotic in the way he sidled closer to her. Heart pounding out of control, she tried to take calming breaths. Those didn’t help since when she inhaled, Jared’s musky scent filled her nostrils. The man was tormenting her.
“There, I think I got it all.” He licked his lips and then focused on hers. “Too bad I didn’t get any there.”
Bobbi’s eyebrows shot up at his low suggestion. “Why? What would you do if I had frosting on my lips?” she whispered, thankful the judging was taking longer than expected.
Tracing his index finger to her jaw, Jared met her eyes. The light green tint of his eyes sent her knees wobbling. He was much too handsome for it to be allowed by one man. Pair his perfect body with the husky tone in his voice, and she was all but gelatin under his gaze.
He moved closer and whispered, “I’d lick it right off. And I’d love every second of it.”
“Oh.” Butterflies filled Bobbi’s stomach at the sensual words. It shouldn’t have turned her on as much as it did, but all she wanted to do was shove him in a closet and kiss him.
“Not the response I was hoping for,” he teased.
Bobbi leaned over and replied, “Believe me, the one I said in my head was the one you wanted.”
Jared let out a hearty laugh just as the judges came to their decision.
“Congratulations, Jared. You’re the winner for this year!” the ladies said together. Claps rounded the room, but he wasn’t paying attention. He was too busy staring at Bobbi.
“I hope you’ll tell me someday,” he said under his breath and then waved like a monarch. “Thank you, thank you very much. I’ll be sure to—” he paused and looked at the gift card. “—give this to somebody who drinks coffee from this place.”
The two families laughed, and Grandma Jane snapped a photo of Jared with his prize-worthy gingerbread house. Studying it, Bobbi surmised his truly was the best. Everything about Jared was the best.
Chapter Six
It was just his luck. Wrapping presents were next on the Davis and Whitaker to-do list the next morning. Any other time, he wouldn’t have minded. Today, he was tasked with correctly tagging the wrapped items. A job he soon fell behind on when he discovered four women were doing the wrapping while another two handled bows and ribbons.
“You’re doing excellent,” Jessie teased, bobbing him on the nose. The pregnant beauty was one of the select few who got to sit and stamp the presents with a bow. The position suited her since doing much more would exhaust her.
He scribbled a name on the snowman shaped name tag. “Thanks, I think.” Pushing the present to the end of the table, he smirked. “I hope people can read my horrible handwriting.” He nodded toward Bobbi who was placing the bright colored packages under the faux Christmas tree. “One of you ladies should’ve done it.”
“Nah, this is more fun,” Asher said from his spot beside Jessie. “Puts a bit of mystery in opening them up.”
Jared shrugged and grabbed the next item to be processed. Since the gingerbread house competition, Bobbi hadn’t been as cold toward him. Still, she scowled at Erin as much as possible. He doubted either would confront the other, but he couldn’t be positive. Standing, he went over to where Erin was wrapping. “Hey, can I steal you really quick?”
Erin laid down the scissors. “Sure. I think I’ve earned a break.”
Guiding them over to the kitchen, he waited until they were clear of eavesdropping ears before speaking. “So, has Bobbi talked to you about me at all?”
She glanced over at her cousin who was currently reorganizing the presents. “Nope. It’s a little funny too. She’ll just glare at me. Can’t say it’s abnormal for the two of us, though. We’ve never been very close.”
“All right. Well, if she does—”
“I’ll play it up,” Erin filled in and patted his chest. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve played a flirt before.”
“Yeah, that’s what concerns me.” He met Bobbi’s apprehensive blue eyes. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay away from her.”
Tilting her head to the beam above him, Erin sighed. “You love her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then this will be hard to accept.” Before Jared could ask what she was talking about, Erin’s lips covered his. He shouldn’t have kissed her back, but the echo of gasps in the cabin spurred him to anyway.
When she tried to slip her tongue between his teeth, Jared pulled back and tried not to shove her. “What the hell?” he seethed under his breath, glaring at her.
Erin shrugged and pointed up. “Mistletoe.”
Following her finger, he wiped off his mouth. “Best excuse for a kiss, huh?”
“Yep, now let’s watch what she does.” She turned them toward their families. All eyes were on them. The only ones who mattered in his mind were Bobbi’s. Her baby blues were a mixture of anger and agony.
“Well, I guess somebody found the mistletoe,” Grandma Jane snickered, turning back to her knitting.
The rest of the Davis and Whitaker family went back to their tasks, but the damage was already done. He succeeded in pissing Bobbi off. And now we wait.
»»•««
Later in the day, Bobbi convinced her cousins to go out on the snowmobiles. The recent snow was her main reason, but seeing Jared kiss Erin was too difficult to wipe from her memory without any assistance. To her surprise, a group of Davis-Whitaker headed out in the snow flurries with a promise to Grandma Jane and the parents to return before the evening meal. It would’ve suited her just fine to ride around all day, but when they reached St. Elmo, her cousins decided they hadn’t had enough fun in the snow yet. Snow angels dotted the ground in the first five minutes followed by a lopsided snowman courtesy of Jessie. Bobbi helped decorate the cute snowman while Jared and Asher dug out a snow fort behind a fallen tree. The impromptu snowball fight couldn’t be helped, but after Erin got hit in the face with an ice ball, the festivities came to a screeching halt. She didn’t feel bad for a minute, though she’d rather have thrown the ice instead of her unsuspecting brother-in-law. Leaving her finicky cousins behind, Bobbi trudged through the deep snow until she reached the overlook. Timberline sat nestled between tall trees below, and the frozen lake glistened in the patchy sunlight. Steady snowflakes drifted from
the fluffy clouds overhead, their chill stinging Bobbi’s cheeks the longer she stayed stationary. Inhaling deeply, she grinned at the scenery around her. The remnants of St. Elmo were stunning in this light. Snow dusted the buildings’ rooftops, and a few homemade wreaths hung from the front doors.
“It’s beautiful,” Jared said, somehow beside her.
Damn man is a freaking ninja! She glanced over at him. “Yeah, it is.” She pointed her gloved finger toward the buildings. “This place is my favorite at any time of the year, but St. Elmo seems better in the cooler months. Maybe it has to do with imagining how the miners somehow survived here in the brutal cold.”
Jared snagged her hand and tucked it between his large ones. “I know how you feel.” He squeezed her hand and winked. “Winter in St. Elmo is suddenly one of my favorites. Then again, it could be the company.”
She felt her cheeks heat and hoped the wind burn from the snowmobile hid the blush. Meeting his green eyes, Bobbi wondered how it’d feel to kiss him out in the open for the world to see. A snowflake landed on the dark stubble on his chin. When one landed on his lips, it melted within seconds. She shook her head and looked away, but it did little to dissuade the ideas circling her mind. For a long minute, they stood there gazing at the wintry glory of the snow-covered mountains. It was nice to just be present and not worry about anything except whether she’d be able to feel her toes later in the evening.
“Hey, you two, we’re all heading back,” Asher called.
Startled, Bobbi yanked her hand free at the interruption of their contented silence.
“I suppose we should too,” Jared said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
“You’re right.” She didn’t wait for him to respond. Shaking her head, she picked up her pace and made it to the group of family members before she could think twice about how much she wanted to kiss Jared a mere minute ago.
Joining her cousins, she dove into the conversation. After arguing with Daisy and Gretta for ten minutes about which route was the fastest to the cabins, Bobbi held out her right hand. “We’ll split up. Whoever is last has to do the dishes tonight.”
Both cousins nodded and shook the outstretched hand. “Deal.”
She smirked. “I’ll enjoy sipping my brewsky while you guys slave away.”
Asher stepped in. “I think Mina and I are going to bow out. I don’t want premature labor in the mountains with the closest hospital more than an hour away.”
All four glanced at the pregnant editor. Her face was scrunched in pain, and she massaged the small of her back. The obvious waddle didn’t appear comfortable either. Apparently, pregnancy wasn’t all butterflies and unicorns as society led the public to believe.
“All these bumpy roads are killing my back,” Jessie informed, resting her gloves on her large belly.
“And, I’m freezing, so I’ll head back with them. I didn’t exactly pack for high-speeds,” Erin said to her surprise. Her cousin was never one to back down from a race.
Daisy jingled her keys. “Then it’s on. Gretta and I against you and Jared.” She glanced up and down the Ranger, undressing him with her eyes. “You ready to get whooped, Army boy?”
Jared positioned his goggles over his eyes and clapped. “I’m riding bitch, but I guarantee we’ll kick your ass. Ranger style.”
Hands were all a sudden around Bobbi’s waist and lugging her to the snowmobile. She wouldn’t admit it to him, but she liked the possessive nature especially when she was the object.
“Come on, Bobbs. We have a race to win.” Jared settled snug behind her and Bobbi felt her pulse skyrocket.
“Um, okay.” She pushed into gear and did her best to ignore the way his hands clung to her hips. His large palms snuck beneath the marshmallow-like coat, and she let out a shaky breath. “Focus.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” She nodded to Daisy and Gretta, who revved their engine in turn.
Acting as the flagger, Asher dropped his hat to the snow, and they were off. Snow sputtered under them as the machine lurched to life. Her swift start made him grip her hard when they reached the first of many hills. Since they were traveling the back road instead of the normal trail, she lost sight of her cousins among the dense trees. They glided along the usually rocky path with more speed than she’d use any other time. She was caught between wanting to win the race and loving the ideal way Jared’s chest felt pressed against her. She could get used to this sensation fast. His breath hit the back of her neck, and goosebumps scattered down her spine. Yeah, too fast.
“Watch the turn,” he warned above the snowmobile’s roar.
Focusing on the obstacles, she navigated around a fallen tree and jagged rocks as well as an expert. The view was to die for, and if she wasn’t careful, they would slip off the edge and down the ravine. They rode in silence for five minutes before she took a curve too fast, and Jared pulled her tight against him. She righted the steering wheel and straightened their path.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to get rid of me,” he teased, squeezing her waist.
“Maybe I am.”
His voice rumbled along her spine. “Now why would you want to do such a horrible thing?” His gloves slid higher until they were just below her bra.
Gasping, Bobbi hoped the sound was drowned out by their whizzing speed. The skis hit an ice chunk, momentarily distracting her from Jared’s intimate positioning.
They neared the outskirts of Timberline, and she spotted her cousins rounding the bend. Cranking the throttle, she pushed them in the lead. Bobbi’s face spread into a wide grin at the looks on Daisy and Gretta’s faces. The Davises were a competitive bunch, and no one liked to lose.
As they swept the next corner, the grinding sound of the track caught her ears. This particular model had issues with the rear suspension, but this time it sounded different. She needed to take a look before things got worse. Trying to swerve toward a soft crash site, Bobbi yelped when the snowmobile veered right and slipped off the path and down the slick ravine.
Jared cursed behind her and grabbed for the brake. “Damn thing is broken.” He pulled the engine stop button, which only turned off the sled instead of halting their descent. Bailing off the side was the smartest move, but also impossible given their position.
Closing her eyes, Bobbi felt the skid and then was airborne for what felt like hours. The hard thud and cracking forced her eyelids open. Dammit. She’d landed on the lake. Judging from the location, she also tumbled a few times on the way there. A sharp pain from her arm made her wince, and she hoped it wasn’t serious.
“Shit! Bobbi, are you all right?” Jared’s voice called from the banks.
She scanned his burly frame from head to toe. Other than favoring his right leg, he looked unharmed. Bobbi pulled up her sleeve and saw a trickle of blood. A bandage would fix her up in no time. “I’m fine.”
Groaning from beneath her made her pause the smile on her face. Ice skating on this lake wasn’t something the Davises did until much later in the season. “Okay, maybe not.” She wiped away the snow next to her and reviewed the cracks in the ice.
More cursing from Jared reached her. “Stay put,” he demanded from shore. “And try not to move around too much.”
She pushed up to her knees, head pounding from the fall and her new predicament. “Not planning on it.”
Jared yanked off his goggles and shuffled around the snowmobile, pulling items from the black box on the back. Good thing Grandma Jane insists on keeping those on there.
She heard the stall of another engine and glanced up to see Daisy and Gretta on the bridge, faces ashen. “At least it’s not a cave,” Gretta shouted.
Bobbi winced and was glad Jared didn’t question the comment. “Yeah, a good thing,” she called back. Reliving one of her worst nightmares would have to wait. The chill from the snow and ice was filtering through her body faster than she expected.
Turning her attention back to Jared, Bobbi had to ad
mit he was fun to watch despite the circumstances. He was in soldier mode. All movements were quick and methodical as if he’d done this hundreds of times.
After he tied a thick rope to the back of the machine, he held up the other end. “Think you can reach?”
“Depends. Are you part cowboy?”
He didn’t smile at her attempted joke. She didn’t blame him. The scenario was a tad more serious than either of them let on. If the ice gave way, she was toast. Well, an icicle to be more exact, but not a good outcome either way.
Jared lassoed the rope over his head like the hero in a bonafide western and tossed it toward her. It landed five feet to her left. “Not bad, but we’ll work on your technique.”
“Bobbi, be serious for five seconds, please.”
She crawled toward the rope. “All right, all right. Just trying to lighten the mood.” When she was closer, she stood and took a step. Angry crinkles scattered at her act.
“Careful,” he cautioned.
Licking her lips, she slowly slid her boots across the top of the lake.
“There, much better.”
Bobbi scowled at him and instantly wanted to smack him. She knew what she was doing. It wasn’t the first time she’d meandered onto thin ice up here. Except, most the time, she could easily jump to shore even if the ice broke.
It took longer than she wanted to admit, but she finally reached her rope of salvation. “Tada!”
“Good. Now loop it around your waist, and I’ll guide you in.” Jared pushed up his hat, and she noticed his brows scrunched together in worry.
After completing her task, Bobbi held up her hands. “I think I’ll be fine. It looks thick enough.”
“Slow and steady.” His voice held warning as she stepped toward him.
“See? I’m good.” She sped up her feet when more creaks grunted around her. “Aw shit,” she managed as the ice beneath her boots gave way to a watery grave. She panicked and tried to hop away from the sinking chunk.
“Bobbi!” Jared’s voice met her ears before the frigid water took control of her life. She gulped in water as her heavy clothes dragged her under the surface.
