by Jody Holford
“Read,” Emma said.
Kate smiled. Grace and Beth were giggling wildly over their cookies. “I’ll read to you,” she said.
She held her hand out for the book and Emma turned and stared at her a moment as if judging her suitability for the task. Then she slapped the book into Kate’s palm and wiggled her way onto her lap. Kate’s heart clutched impossibly hard as she inhaled the fresh scent of baby shampoo.
“Nothing is ever simple with kids,” Lucy said, glancing over at Beth and Grace. “But it’s worth it.”
Kate read a story about the different sounds animals make and Emma asked her to do it “again.” After the third “again,” Lucy pulled her daughter over to her lap.
“Let’s go color Santa pictures,” Lucy said.
Kate checked her watch and was about to go see how the girls were doing when her phone vibrated. Glancing up and seeing the twins had moved onto the coloring station themselves, Kate grabbed her phone.
Elliot: I seem to be unusually tired but can’t stop smiling.
Kate grinned as a sweet heaviness settled in her chest.
Kate: I know the feeling. We’re at a Christmas party at the rec center.
Elliot: Since you’re technically my babysitter, how am I supposed to get a date with you?
Kate laughed and checked on the girls again before she typed back.
Kate: I’m open to an afterhours date. At your house.
Elliot: Sounds perfect. Give the girls a kiss for me.
Kate: I will.
Elliot: I’ll take care of your kiss myself.
Kate wondered if it was too much to text back “swoon.” But that was definitely how she felt.
Lucy walked over, Emma fidgeting in her arms. “What’s that look?”
Kate blinked and stuck her phone in her back pocket. “What look?”
Lucy grabbed Emma’s coat and started wrestling her into it. Emma kept shouting “crayon,” which sounded more like “crown.”
“The oh-isn’t-he-dreamy-I-want-some-more-look,” Lucy said.
Kate’s face warmed and she looked toward the twins. Lucy stood up with Emma back in her arms.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought it would be like with you living with Officer Sexy Surfer,” her sister said.
“Shh.” Kate looked around but the kids were all engaged. Plenty of rec center employees were helping them and only a handful of parents had stuck around. They were chatting over in a corner. No one had heard, but still, her face was on fire.
“Is it a secret?”
“No, but it doesn’t need to be a public announcement either.” She hadn’t thought that far ahead and wondered whether Elliot wanted people to know.
Lucy shook her head but amusement tipped up the corners of her mouth. Emma started squirming to get out of her mom’s hold.
“I have to go. She needs a nap. Be good. Or safe. One of those. I don’t know if you can do both at the same time,” Lucy said.
Kate only grinned. “Pretty sure I can handle both.”
She gave Emma a kiss and waved as Lucy left. She let the girls do their thing, sticking to the sidelines, and watching them enjoy each of the activities. Perhaps they could do some of their own baking the next day.
In just a few days, Elliot and his daughters had woven Kate into their lives, making her a part of something she’d never experienced in quite this way. Her mind was wandering back to the night before, so when a hand touched her shoulder, she jumped.
One of the program coordinators stood at Kate’s side, her eyes suspiciously wet. Kate knew her from high school, but they hadn’t hung out in the same circle.
“Hey, Cole. You okay?”
She nodded, which was at odds with the tightness around her mouth and eyes. “Yes. Sort of. Listen, it’s crazy that I’m even asking you this. I’d be embarrassed or worried about offending you if I had any time for that, but I don’t.”
Kate half-grinned. “Sounds ominous.”
Hands wringing themselves into a frenzy, Cole spoke quickly. “We’ve been working on a Christmas play for a while now. It’s supposed to happen Christmas Eve. But our seamstress—she’s also the librarian—maybe you’ve met her? Anyway, she broke her hand last week and we’ve been frantically trying to find someone else to finish what she’s started.” She took a deep breath in and when she exhaled, the rest of her words came with it. “And design and sew the Sugar Plum Fairy costume.”
Kate felt her eyes widen. She could do some costumes; it was hardly a big deal, yet the woman looked pale, like if she squeezed her hands together any harder, she was going to cut off circulation. Kate reached out and put her hands on both of Cole’s.
One of Cole’s tears leaked and she pulled a hand away to brush at it. Her blond hair hung to her shoulders, and Kate thought the style suited her face. “You’re a big-shot New York designer. I can’t believe I’m asking you this. I’m sorry. I know you probably—”
Kate cut her off with a hand in the air. “Stop. Please. I’m hardly a big shot. Least of all in New York. I love that you’re putting on a Christmas play here and I’d be happy to help.”
Before Cole could express the gratitude that was written all over her face, Beth tugged on Kate’s sleeve.
“I want to be in a Christmas play,” she said.
Grace joined her sister, taking Beth’s hand. “Me too!”
“Can we, Kate?” Beth asked.
Kate winced and looked at Cole, who kneeled down and looked at the girls. “We definitely need more fairies for the dream sequence. Would you like to do that?”
Both girls jumped up and down, but only Beth answered. “We’re perfect fairies. Can we, Kate?”
Kate looked at them, then back at the much-happier woman. “We have to check with your dad.” Turning to Cole, she asked, “Is that okay? I’ll talk to Elliot tonight, and if you want to drop off the costumes that have been started, I should be able to get through them fairly quick,” Kate said. She paused. “How many costumes are we talking?”
“There are six dresses that still need the final stitching, a nutcracker costume that has been cut out but not stitched, and the sugar plum fairy,” Cole said. She stood but glanced down at Beth and Grace who were dancing around, hand in hand. “And two back-up fairy costumes.”
Kate nodded. “Okay. It’s eight days until Christmas. I can sleep after, right?”
Cole’s face fell, and Kate rushed forward, giving the woman a friendly hug. “I’m joking. It’s fine. Drop the costumes off tonight. Give me your phone number, and I’ll text you the address.”
Now she smiled, all traces of tears gone. “Come on, Kate. You think there are any single women in this town that don’t know where Officer Peters lives or that it hasn’t spread through town, with some envy I might add, that you’re living there now?”
Kate laughed. Right, of course they knew where he lived. This was Angel’s Lake. It wasn’t that big, and Elliot definitely stood out. In more ways than one. He was well known for pitching in around the community, even dropping in to the rec center frequently to play games of pick up ball with some of the teens. He was more than looks—he was kind and sweet. Funny and sexy. Kate’s belly danced as she remembered the night before. No time for that. But there’ll be time later.
Chapter 12
Elliot tried to cover his yawn, but Kate smirked as she walked back into the kitchen from the porch.
“Busted,” she said, making him smile. Fuck, she just had to breathe and he’d smile.
Her arms were loaded with dresses and fabric. He took it from her and set it on the table he’d just cleared. The girls hadn’t wanted to go to bed tonight, but once their heads had hit the pillows, they’d both been out. The excitement and activity of Christmas and Kate moving in with them was catching up with them.
“What’s all this?” Elliot asked, running a hand down her dark hair as she inspected the fabric. He still couldn’t believe she’d been in his bed the night before. Nothing in his previous experien
ce compared to being with Kate. He’d never felt so completely connected, physically and emotionally to any other woman. He hadn’t even known he was missing that depth of connection. He was starting to realize why nothing had worked out romantically in the past the way he’d planned, why nothing had dug in and held on: No other woman had been Kate. The thought scared him, but that didn’t make it any less true.
“There’s a Christmas play at the rec center, and their seamstress broke her hand,” Kate said.
Elliot had been walking back to the station with coffee when that happened. “Right. Milly McCreary. I don’t think I knew she was a seamstress. I know she runs the library and she slipped going up those stairs,” Elliot said.
Kate’s eyebrow arched. “Sometimes I forget how small this town is.”
Pulling her attention from the dresses, Elliot wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hard to forget when you’re here, isn’t it? Speaking of which,” he said, trailing off.
She’d been pressing small kisses to the underside of his jaw but when he stopped talking, she leaned back. “Speaking of which?”
Elliot’s heart hammered too hard. Why the hell was he nervous? “Won’t take long for this to get out.” He gestured between them.
Kate’s lips pursed up as she considered it. “I suppose that’s okay. I mean, unless you’re not okay with it. If you want to protect the girls I understand.”
“Protect the girls?”
She shrugged right out of his embrace. “You know, from rumors, or if this doesn’t work out. I mean, it’s kind of sudden and you’ve just gotten them back with the intention of not letting them go again. Oh, speaking of the girls and the play—they have small parts. I hope that’s okay. And I didn’t tell anyone about us. I mean, Lucy, but she doesn’t count. Plus, she more guessed than was told. I don’t want you to feel like you have—”
Elliot’s lips twitched with the need to laugh. He pressed his fingers to her mouth. God, she’s adorable.
“I don’t know what you’re going to say but you should stop. First of all, we could stand still on the lawn and rumors would still fly. That’s the beauty of small towns. It’s not sudden when you consider we’ve known each other for years and while I never acted on it and neither did you, I’ve been attracted to you for every single one of them. You are by far the best female influence those girls have had, other than the other women in your family. I don’t care about rumors; I care about my girls. And you.” So much about you. He wanted to say more: How he’d never wanted to be with anyone the way he did Kate. How she made everything better. But he couldn’t tell her all that he felt right now. If he gave her everything that was still waiting inside of him to be said, the emotions barrelling through him, he might scare her, or worse, push her away. The progression of his feelings was on warp speed. He’d gone from zero to ninety without blinking from the moment he’d touched his lips to hers. But she had so much going on and his life was always going to include Beth and Grace. It was a lot to spring on a woman when he hadn’t even taken her out on a proper date yet.
Her chest rose and fell in deep breaths. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, still looking at him. Was she uncertain? Should he tell her he was one hundred and ten percent in? He’d support whatever she wanted to do—run her own boutique, design clothes from home—whatever she wanted. As long as she stayed. It was like when he embraced the idea of being done with Gina’s bullshit—when he decided that he was going to firmly plant his family all in one spot and get it right—everything had settled exactly as it was supposed to. And Kate had taken root in that spot with them. Without her, it just wouldn’t feel right.
“Kate?” She was killing him with her silence.
“It seems too easy,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.
A smile settled in his heart as firmly as it did on his face. That was her biggest concern? “You’re right.” He crossed to her, took her hands, and pulled her close. “It’s easy because it’s supposed to be. People convince themselves it’s supposed to be hard, but it shouldn’t be. I mean, it will be. There’ll be fights and days that just suck all the way around, but at the core, when two people care about each other, it shouldn’t be hard. The relationships we’ve fought for? The ones that seemed too hard? Maybe they’re hard because they weren’t meant to last and we just didn’t want to see that.”
Kate watched her fingers play with the buttons on his shirt. “That’s quite… philosophical.”
Elliot laughed and tipped her chin up with his hand. “I wouldn’t know. I slept through Philosophy 101. But I don’t want you to run because it’s too easy or because it’s too hard. So why don’t we just take what comes? Together.”
She was nodding even as she went up on her tiptoes. “That sounds reasonable.” Her teeth nipped at the underside of his jaw and her nose brushed up against his neck. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave him a gut-twistingly sweet smile. “You’re a puzzle.”
They breathed each other’s air, their lips almost touching. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Now she giggled and the sound shot straight to his gut, making desire coil tightly inside of him. He ran his hands down to her waist, pulling her tighter as she answered.
“Nothing bad. Just, you look like a sexy surfer, you’re a tough-as-steel cop, but you’re soft and sweet with your girls. You’re funny and thoughtful, but completely serious and hard to read sometimes. You’re easygoing but like to be scheduled. You’re like both sides of a coin.”
His mouth touched hers, a whisper of a kiss, just a tease, then he pulled back, even though he felt her lean into him. Turning her, he walked her back to the living room in slow steps, kissing her on the way and loving the feel of her hands funneling into his hair.
“So what you’re saying is I’m basically the whole package?”
Kate’s laughter tied him up inside; he wanted to be the only one to make her laugh in just that way. He’d never thought much about the way a woman laughed. But when Kate did, it was like she opened up and pulled him in, and he didn’t mind being stuck there for good.
“Yes, Elliot Peters, you are definitely the whole package.”
He swung her up into his arms and dropped with her onto the couch. “Back at you.”
Kate’s fingers tugged and pushed as she stitched one of the dresses, laughing at the Christmas movie they’d chosen. Elliot returned from the kitchen, put a glass of wine beside her, and took a drink of his beer before setting it down. He didn’t know how she could watch the movie and work on the dress at the same time. Carefully, so he didn’t bump her, he sat down on the corner of the couch. She looked at him, smiled, and stopped sewing to sip her wine.
“Thanks. Why are you looking at me like that?”
Elliot picked up his beer again, just so he had something to do with his hands so he didn’t reach out and touch her while she was busy. The need to touch her felt like a living part of him.
“Like what?”
Setting her wine down, she went back to sewing. “Like you’re not quite sure what to make of me.”
“I was just thinking I should take you out. We’re already sitting at home watching a movie like an old married couple, you with your sewing, and me with my feet up on the couch. Or they would be if you didn’t have dresses everywhere,” he said, gently teasing.
Kate laughed and set the sewing down on the ottoman in front of her. Clearing loose strings from her lap, she moved the scissors and pincushion, and then shifted closer to him.
With her thigh touching his, she reached out and took his hand. She traced her fingers over his palm and a shiver rode up his spine. Since when were his hands so goddamn sensitive? Since Kate.
She turned and smiled at him, tucking one knee up on the couch so they were facing each other.
“Can I tell you something?”
Elliot shifted his body and clasped her hand in his. “Anything. Always.”
“I like dating,” she said.
Elliot’
s heart stuttered. She meant him right? “Me.”
Kate tilted her head. “What?”
“You like dating me,” he said, hoping his voice wasn’t shaky. He couldn’t do the whole let’s-see-other-people thing. He didn’t want to push her or overwhelm her, but he didn’t want to share either. He didn’t know what the future would bring, but he wanted to give this relationship with her his—their—focus. They couldn’t do that if they were dating other people. And he didn’t want to date other people. Did she?
“Yes. Yes, I think dating you would be lovely, even though we technically haven’t been out on a date.”
Elliot took her other hand and tried to keep his voice even. He should have found a way to take her out. Maybe he could ask Lucy and Alex to babysit the girls. Just because they’d known each other forever didn’t mean she wouldn’t want all the little things she deserved. Candlelight dinners and actual dates.
“Elliot?”
He blinked. “What?”
Kate pulled one hand from his grip and touched his cheek, running her smooth palm over the rasp of a day’s growth. “Why do you look upset?”
“I know I haven’t taken you out yet. Even wanting this, it surprised the hell out of me how fast we happened. But I’m all in, Kate. I only want you. Do you really want me dating other women?”
Kate’s eyes widened and froze. Then she blinked, several times. “What? Uh, no. No I do not. Is that where you thought I was going with this conversation?”
It was his turn to freeze. Sometimes shutting up really was the answer. “You weren’t trying to tell me you want to date other guys?”
Kate went up on her knees and resettled herself so she was sitting in his lap. One of his hands went to her back and the other rested on her thighs. Her thin cotton pants couldn’t contain the heat of her skin and he wished there was nothing between them. And that they weren’t having this conversation.
