Christmas Kisses: An Echo Ridge Anthology (Echo Ridge Romance Book 1)

by Lucy McConnell

  Kaya stopped, waiting until he looked back at her, wanting him to see her eyes when she responded. When he looked at her, a little embarrassment showing in the set of his mouth, she said, “I think you're pretty amazing, and I don't just mean your art. You, all the way around.”

  “When I'm not being a gruff jerk, you mean?”

  She smiled, remembering that first day. “Yeah, when you're not being a jerk, but I never see that guy anymore. I think he was just frustrated and upset. I can understand that.”

  “Thanks.”

  She let that hang in the air for a couple of seconds before changing the subject— she didn't want to choke up in front of him. “How much farther do you want me to shift this?”

  He smiled and they got back to work.

  The students and a bunch of parents, along with Reese, swarmed the place a few minutes later, carrying in displays and art alike.

  “I can’t believe this.” Reese took in the chaos around them. “Clark is so excited that the show is going to be in a real art gallery. Jonah must be pretty great.”

  “He is.” Kaya looked over and saw him talking with a couple of students, smiling and laughing. “He’s excited to be able to give them this opportunity.”

  “I’d hold onto that one if you can.” Reese shot her a knowing look before heading over to join her brother.

  “Oh, I plan on it.” Kaya basked in the warmth that radiated through her every time she thought of Jonah Owens.

  Natalie and Jonah had already discussed the layout and went to work directing traffic and giving orders. It was amazing, seeing the whole project come together. Kaya helped wherever they needed her and answered the phone half a dozen times in the next two hours, then, after the students had left, watched Natalie put tags on the winning pieces.

  She knew when everyone arrived the next morning for the show, there would be a lot of excited teens.

  JONAH RANG UP ANOTHER SALE that evening and offered to carry the purchase out to the man's car, but the customer, John Dolinger, said he'd take it himself. Jonah held the door for him, then turned to greet Evelyn, Shyanne and Chad who were walking into the gallery. “It's great to see you here. I'm so glad you could come.” He shook all three hands, making the children grin at being treated like adults.

  “Thanks, we decided we needed a night out, and since we heard on the radio that you're hosting the high school show, we decided to make the trip up to see your gallery.” Evelyn looked around, pleasure in her expression. “I bet it was fancy on Thursday night for the grand opening.”

  “I froze the extra refreshments, if you guys would like some after you look around.” Jonah genuinely liked the kids, and he felt empathy for the single mom, trying to handle two disabled children on her own. It had to be difficult. “I have a surprise for you, too.”

  “You do?” Evelyn's brows lifted.

  Chad practically vibrated with anticipation, “Do you have a surprise for me, too?”

  “It's for all of you.” He hoped it was a good surprise as he led them back to where he had hung the depictions of Evelyn's kids.

  “Is that me?” Shyanne stared at her face on the watercolor. “It's not, right? She's way too pretty.”

  “It's absolutely you, and I think I should have tried again. She's not nearly as pretty as you are.” Jonah gave her a quick pat on the shoulder.

  “It says it's on hold.” Chad looked at him. “The picture of me is on hold.” He stared at the drawing, his brow furrowing.

  “They both are. I wanted to make sure you got to see them. You want to know a secret?”

  “Yeah, what is it?” Chad was not using a quiet voice, by any means, but Jonah wasn't worried about it.

  “I haven't been able to paint for a long time. Over a year, but then I saw you guys, and you're both so special and so excited about Kaya's animals, and I just had to draw and paint again. I couldn't help it. It's like you're my muses.”

  “Your amuses?” Chad asked.

  “His muse, like his inspiration,” Shyanne said with an air of hauteur. “That's really cool. Mom, can you buy them? I want it so much. There I am with Morning Star. She's so pretty.”

  He'd had to go onto Kaya's website to get a picture of the goat, or he wouldn't have managed to get the drawing right. As it was, he'd had to remember Shyanne from memory, and the image wasn't nearly as good as if he'd had a photo to work off of. Chad was only marginally recognizable, which was part of the reason he had drawn him partially in silhouette. “They aren't as true to your kids as I would have liked, but I only met them twice,” he said to Evelyn.

  “I think they're still remarkable.” She sniffed softly, then waved her hands at the children. “Go look around at everything. Don't touch anything, and don't goof off.”

  “Yes, Mom,” Shyanne said, and wheeled off. Chad had to be told a second time, before he ambled off.

  “He's going to be dead bored in three minutes, isn't he?” Jonah asked.

  “Yep. I brought a graphic novel for him.” Evelyn patted her large, red purse. “The paintings really are fantastic. I would love to buy them, but unless I get a job, even part-time, I don't know if that will happen.”

  He had wondered how that was going. “What about the house?”

  Tears formed in her eyes. “I need to work if I'm going to get a mortgage. I've had so many problems finding anything that will work around their school schedules and appointments. I love that house, Jonah, I just don't know if I can do it.” She rubbed a knuckle under her right eye, catching a tear. “Unless you're hiring.” She let out a soft chuckle.

  Jonah stared at her for a moment. “Do you have a background in art? How about retail?”

  “Retail, yes. And some business classes. Before Shyanne was born I actually was assistant manager at a dress shop. I don't know a huge amount about art, but it looks like you have quite an eclectic collection, and I'm not talking about the high school stuff.”

  Jonah weighed his options and gave himself a few second to see how he felt about it. “Have you done any bookkeeping?”

  “A lot, actually.”

  “How much do you have to earn in order to qualify for the loan?”

  “About seven hundred a month.”

  Jonah quickly did the math. He could manage to hire her for fifteen hours most weeks, especially if he was going to be painting again. “How about if we start you at thirteen an hour. That's about fifteen hours per week. We can flex around your kid's schedules starting when they go back to school after the holidays.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. I am. I have a good feeling about you and your kids. And I know my gram would like you. She might want to meet you first, if you don't mind going by to meet with her tonight. She's in a rehab center after breaking her hip.”

  Evelyn smiled so brightly, she outshone the light on the paintings of her children. “Do you think I could work off the cost of the paintings?”

  “The one of Shyanne becomes yours as soon as you sign on the contract, even if things fall through and you don't buy the house. Consider it a signing bonus. I can work something out with you for Chad's.” He quoted a price and terms and she agreed, happily.

  Jonah called his grandma to set up the visit. It seemed most everything was working out after all.

  THE HIGH SCHOOL SHOW WAS DONE and over Wednesday night, and Jonah was pleased with how it went. He'd spoken to the two top high school artists about distributing their winning art as prints, both were enthusiastic about the prospect. Reese’s brother Clark was one of them, which had pleased Kaya, giving Jonah even more satisfaction.

  Most of the high school pieces were gone by the time they closed the doors. The teacher said she'd swing by for the rest the next day.

  He'd had a lot of people come through who hadn't realized the gallery had opened yet, despite his best efforts at publicity the previous week. He had agreed to host the exhibit for the kids, but the side benefit for the business wasn't bad. He'd even sol
d a few pieces because of the exhibit.

  Everything finished up by seven that night, and he locked up, heading to the back room for the package he had wrapped early that morning and exited out the back door.

  Jonah arrived at Kaya’s to see the barn lights still shining, with only the porch and driveway lights on at the house. There were no strange vehicles in the back drive, so her last clients must have been gone. His stomach jumped like disturbed grasshoppers and his palms felt a little clammy, despite the cold. He grabbed the large package and went to the front door, leaving it on the covered front porch.

  Going around to the barn, he could hear the goats bleating. He opened the door to find Kaya stroking the muzzle on one of the horses, talking to it in low tones. Jonah couldn't understand the words, but he understood the love. How had he not seen that from the beginning, the way she loved and cared for them, how important the animals were to her? Sasha, the enormous white dog, walked over to greet him. He cleared his throat to alert Kaya to his presence.

  Kaya didn't jump or show any surprise at his appearance. “Hi, I wondered if it was you.”

  His brow lowered in surprise. “You knew I was here?”

  “Sasha alerted me a minute ago, but she didn't seem nervous, so I knew she knew who it was. She's very quick to learn the sound of people's vehicles.”

  She crossed the barn to him. “I didn't expect to see you tonight.”

  “I didn't expect to come. I was going to wait a couple of days, but then I just couldn't.”

  Her lips curved up as she slid her hands around his waist. “That sounds promising.” She wore her coveralls, insulated to keep her warm since the temperatures had plummeted again. She was still beautiful, no matter what she wore.

  “Do you need any help out here?” He wanted to make sure he had her undivided attention when they went inside.

  “No, I'm done. I was just telling everyone goodnight.”

  His arms went around her shoulder, pulling her closer, enjoying the unhurried moment. “Is that something you do every night, come say good night to them?”

  “Absolutely. The chickens just get a group greeting, though, I generally count heads and call it good. They're already sleeping when my sessions end.”

  “That's how it goes sometimes. I'm sure Belle appreciates not being disturbed.”

  Kaya nodded. “I'm sure she does.”

  He leaned in and kissed her, their lips meeting softly at first, lingering, testing. He dragged the moment out, enjoying himself before stepping back and taking her hand. They headed for the outside door, pausing while she flipped off all but the outside motion-sensing lights. Sasha joined them outside the barn, set to do her job of protecting everyone for the night.

  Jonah gave her head an extra rub before he and Kaya entered through the back door of the house.

  “Would you like some cocoa and gingerbread cupcakes? I need to clean up for bed soon, but I can sit with you for a while and take some time to unwind.”

  The anxious excitement that had been percolating inside him since deciding to come increased as he headed for the front. “I left something on the porch.”

  When he came back, she was already putting milk in a double-boiler. “What's that?”

  “It's for you. I've been working on it for a few days now.”

  Kaya's face brightened. “Is it one of yours? I'd love to have one of your paintings.”

  He hoped she felt the same way about the rest of the things he wanted to say. He took the seat she gestured him to at the table while she brought over the ceramic mugs and cocoa mix, along with a half-empty bag of mini marshmallows. She set a few cupcakes in a bakery box from Fay’s Café. “Do you have cocoa a lot?” It was a nice thing to have in common.

  “It's a good way to warm up after working outside, especially since it's too late to have coffee when I have to be up so early.”

  They shared small talk while they prepared their cups and poured the hot milk when it was ready.

  Jonah took a sip of the creamy mix. He was surprised at how great the goats’ milk was in the cocoa. “This is terrific.”

  “Surprised?”

  “I thought it would taste funny because of the goat's milk.”

  “Depends on the goats, mostly. The right breeds just taste like milk.” She shot him a wink.

  “Right. I guess that makes sense.” He was stalling for time. They'd never talked about what they were or where they were going. He worried he was rushing things, but at the same time, he couldn't put it off any longer. He just had no idea where to start.

  As usual, she made it easy for him. “So what's in the package? Obviously it's framed.”

  “Go ahead and open it. I know it’s a couple days early.” That was a good place to start. Wasn't it why he'd brought it?

  “You're not going to make me wait until Christmas?”

  “No, I couldn't take the waiting.” They shared a smile over their mugs. He set his down and pushed the painting toward her. “Go ahead.”

  Kaya put down her own mug and lifted the package to the table beside her. She paused for a couple of seconds, as if letting the anticipation build, then tore a big piece of the paper away, revealing a painting of herself on the ice at Chickadee Lake. She was suffused in the soft glow of a nearby pine tree, which had been strung with colored lights, and a light from somewhere nearby, silhouetted her against the night sky. She looked happy and bright and beautiful, just the way he thought of her. Kaya ripped back the rest of the paper, so she could see the entire thing.

  She stared at the painting for a long moment. Prolonging his agony of wondering what she thought.

  “Say something or I'm going to have a heart attack,” Jonah finally broke the silence.

  “Wow. Seriously, this is so beautiful. I can't believe you painted me. It's fantastic. And very, very flattering. I know I didn't look half that good.” She didn’t take her eyes off of it. Her fingers traced over the thin plague at the bottom. It read One Winter’s Night.

  She liked it. Jonah didn't know why that was such a relief. She'd liked the other paintings he'd done, but this one mattered more.

  When Kaya looked up at him, there were tears glistening in her eyes. “I can't imagine a more perfect gift. Thank you.”

  “No, thank you.” He took her hand, studying every nuance of her expression. “I thought painting was behind me. Honestly, it's been so long, and I just hadn't even felt like picking up a brush in over a year. I'd tried a few times, but I never got that rush, that inner demand to do it until now. I know that's all you.”

  “No it's not, it was just time—”

  He couldn't let her think that. “No, it really wasn't. It was you. I thought after Janet that relationships just weren't worth it. I couldn't stand to be in that kind of pain again, but looking back, what we had was worth it even though it hurt when I lost her. And I know that what you and I have is worth the risk. I know we haven't really known each other long. I know I haven't always been great to deal with, but I haven't felt this way... ever.”

  The tears were streaming down her cheeks now and he worried they didn't mean what he hoped they meant. She didn't speak for a long moment, so long he couldn't stand the quiet any longer.

  “I know you deserve poetry and beautiful words, but I'm not good with words, I'm good with paint, so I hoped it would speak for me. The fact is, I love you. I'm in love with you. I didn't expect it, but I knew it that night, on the ice, and the feeling has grown every moment I've spent with you. I'll understand if you don't feel the same way.”

  Kaya put her finger over his lips, making him stop. She sucked in a ragged breath and finally spoke. “Your painting spoke volumes, and your words are practically poetry on their own. I love you too. I love how you take good care of your grandma, and how you gave a struggling mother a job so she can buy a house that will make her life easier.”

  He broke in, “A house I was selling, so that wasn’t exactly selfless.”

  “Shush.” She paused ju
st long enough to be sure he wasn’t going to interrupt again, then plunged on. “I love how important art is to you, and how you've gone out of your way to help new, struggling artists. I spoke with Corra for quite a while about how you helped her out. I love that you paused, even though you were busy and were tight on funds, to buy gifts for a couple of children from the Hope Tree. And that even though you probably didn't want to see my face after the chicken at the rehab center, you hired me anyway.”

  He shrugged, actually feeling embarrassed. “I was desperate.”

  Kaya huffed and gave him the stink eye. “And apparently you can't take a compliment.”

  Jonah laughed and pulled her close, kissing her to end the parade of compliments. Things wouldn't be perfect, but he knew they could make it through anything. “To think I almost turned you away when you came to the door for the job.”

  “I'm glad you didn't.”

  “Me too.” He kissed her again.

  Fay’s Gingerbread Cupcakes

  3/4 Cup butter, softened

  1 1/2 Cups sugar

  3 eggs

  3/4 Cup milk

  3/4 cup molasses

  1 1/2 tsp vanilla

  1 Tbsp baking powder

  3/4 tsp salt

  2 1/2 Cups flour

  1 1/2 tsp ginger

  3/4 tsp cloves

  3/4 tsp cinnamon

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  Mix the flour, baking powder and spices in a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter, sugar and eggs, in a mixing bowl then mix in the milk, molasses and vanilla. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients while mixing. Fill cupcake liners half full and bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Frost with your favorite vanilla or cinnamon frosting.