Four Christmas Matchmakers

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  He ran his finger over her jean-clad knee with the same reverence he used when they made love. “They’re used to Shawn traveling a lot, so they don’t depend on him for every little thing. Just like they don’t depend on me for every little thing, either, because I’m not here 24/7, the way their mom usually is...and you have been.”

  Suddenly, it all began to make sense. “Except for yesterday, when I had to work,” Allison said slowly.

  He inclined his head. “Maybe that’s what their pent-up anger today is all about.”

  “Maybe.”

  She shifted all the way onto his lap and he wound his arms around her. His gaze drifted over her fondly. “Feel better now?”

  There was no disputing it. “You always make me feel better.” It was why she had missed him so much these last eight years.

  He scored his thumb across her lower lip. “You mean that?”

  Aware the fragility she had been feeling had faded, she gave him a look that spoke volumes. “Kiss me,” she invited softly, “and see...”

  With a grin, he lowered his head. Her breath caught and she closed her eyes. And then all was lost in the first thrilling touch of their lips. Yearning swept through her, and their tongues met in an explosion of heat and need, passion and tenderness. His masculinity was the perfect counterpoint to her femininity. His kindness a balm to her soul. A contented sigh rippled through her, followed swiftly by a lightning bolt of desire that started in her breasts and exploded like holiday fireworks deep inside her. He brought her closer still, sliding his palm down her spine and continuing to kiss her in a way that was both protective and possessive, and a second, even more powerful wave started to surge.

  Her spirits soaring, Allison reveled in their closeness. He tasted so good, like mint and man, desire and determination. He felt so good, too, so big and warm and athletically strong.

  Aware he wanted her as much as she wanted him, she surrendered to the seductive pressure of his lips and buried her fingers in the thick strands of his hair. Knowing it wasn’t physical need alone he was conjuring up, every time they made out like this, but a tidal wave of feelings, too.

  She had missed him so much during the years they had been apart. Missed being able to let down her guard and lean on him.

  Both for practical tasks, like help with the girls, and emotional things, too.

  He had alleviated the loneliness she usually felt during the holiday season. And helped her deal with how much she wanted that new job.

  Through it all, being sexy, steadfast and reliably tender in a way he never had been before.

  As he continued to kiss and hold her close, she knew she was falling for him all over again.

  And, more astonishing still, no longer sure she really minded.

  Was it possible it could work out between them this time? If they kept things casual, their expectations low? Allison wasn’t sure as their slow, sultry good-night kiss came to an end. All she really knew was that their babysitting stint would soon be over, and she did not want to let him go.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “It’s awfully cheerful around here,” Cade said the following morning when he walked in to see all smiles, and not a single pout!

  Allison looked especially gorgeous, in a Christmas-plaid button-up flannel shirt he recalled from their college days. Instead of her usual tailored wool slacks or skirts, she had on snug-fitting dark denim jeans and fancy red cowgirl boots. She had put her hair up in a loose twist on the back of her head, and tendrils escaped to frame her flushed cheeks and the elegant nape of her neck.

  “That’s because we got up extra early and were extra busy this morning,” Allison said.

  Resisting the urge to haul her close and press a string of kisses up the slope of her throat, he said casually, “I noticed!”

  Oblivious to the romantic nature of his thoughts, Jade and Sienna took him by the hand. “Come look at what we did!” they commanded, taking him over to the newly decorated “family tree” in the living room.

  It was filled with handmade construction-paper chains, felt ornaments and pictures of all four girls from each previous Christmas. The lower branches also held plastic-wrapped candy canes.

  “Mommy painted these while we were in her tummy!” Amber pointed to the wooden ornaments.

  “And we helped her make these!” Hazel exclaimed, gesturing toward an array of colored Styrofoam balls with uneven glitter application.

  “We wanted to put stickers on our tree,” Sienna explained, “but Mommy said they wouldn’t stick, so we put them on the Christmas tree skirt instead.”

  “Very nice,” Cade complimented.

  Allison joined them. She tucked her arm in his and slid her fingers around his bicep, reminding him how good it had felt when they’d been a couple. “I think so, too.”

  “Nobody has a tree like us,” Jade said seriously.

  Loving the feel of Allison snuggled against him, Cade wrapped his arm about her waist, bringing her closer still. “I would have to agree with you there.”

  Sienna left and came back with a plate holding three blueberry pancakes. “Miss Allison saved these for you, Mr. Cade!”

  Jade frowned. “But she wouldn’t let us put syrup or butter on it yet because she said you had to do that.”

  Cade grinned appreciatively. “Very thoughtful.”

  Allison clapped her hands. “Okay, girls. It’s almost time to leave for school, so everybody go upstairs and comb your hair and brush your teeth.”

  “Okay!” They scampered off.

  “Wow.” Cade carried his breakfast into the kitchen. He slid the plate into the microwave to reheat. “What a great start to the day.”

  Zeus ambled in and curled up in the corner.

  “I know.” Allison knelt to pet him. She looked up, ecstatic. “Amazing, isn’t it? Especially given how they felt about the tree we brought in initially.” She eased graciously upright.

  He watched her walk across the kitchen, taking in a brief but pleasurable glimpse of her slender waist and full breasts. “It’s no wonder they didn’t like your perfectly ordered tree if that—” Cade angled his head “—was actually what they were coveting.” He took his plate and sat down at the island.

  Allison handed him silverware, butter and syrup, then got the lunch bags out of the fridge. Mood turning abruptly sentimental, she raked her teeth over the luscious softness of her lower lip. “I guess I’d forgotten all the stuff my mom and I made that we hung on our tree when I was growing up,” she ruminated softly.

  To his pleasure, the blueberry pancakes were as delicious as they looked. “Do you still have any of it?” he asked curiously.

  Allison frowned at the sudden sounds of roughhousing on the second floor. “I think so. I’ll have to look.” She strode to the stairs and called up, “Girls, stay on task!”

  “Okay, Miss Allison!” they shouted back.

  Wild giggles followed.

  Cade put his dishes in the dishwasher, aware all over again what a good mother she would make one day. “What do you think they’re up to?” Clearly, she had some idea.

  She tilted her head and the gentle movement brought the subtle drift of her perfume. “I think they were going to try to make their hair look funny this morning. At least that’s what they were whispering about when they were decorating the tree.”

  “Let me guess.” He mugged comically. “They think you don’t know.”

  Rolling her eyes, she explained wryly, “I’m a grown-up. And a mommy stand-in, to boot. Therefore clueless.”

  The moment drew out, making them feel more like parents than ever. Even though their stint as the babysitters for the quadruplets was nearing an end.

  Seeming to realize that, too, she stiffened in a way that made him wonder if she were going to miss the special moments like this as much as he was.

  Th
ere was no clue in her dark green eyes. She cleared her throat and continued cheerfully, “Speaking of grown-up things... Are you ready for the interview this morning?” She bent over to put the syrup and the butter back in the fridge. It was a nice view. A very nice view.

  Cade tried not to think about the scrutiny to come. “Yep,” he said, figuring he would either get the job or he wouldn’t. Worrying wouldn’t change anything. “What about you?” Noticing some of the breakfast-table chairs were askew, he set them right. They were sticky, too. “Did you get any more tasks in?” He went to get a paper towel and the spray cleaner.

  Allison nodded and busied herself wiping down the counters. “They want to see two more blog posts in the next twenty-four hours. The first, a light holiday meal prepped at home. The next, a Dos and Don’ts for Holiday Decorating.”

  Finished, Cade tossed the paper towel into the trash. She did the same. “They’re really upping the pressure,” he noted, looking down at her.

  Her usual confidence shone through. “Not to worry. I’ve already got a few ideas for both. I just have to go home and get started.”

  The girls came running down the stairs in tandem, their hair thoroughly moussed and sticking out all over. Looking at them, Cade and Allison couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Take our picture so we can send it to Mommy and Daddy!” Amber demanded.

  “Yeah,” Hazel joked, doing first cartwheels and then somersaults across the living room, “tell them we’re all ready to go to school!” She dropped to the floor and propped her legs in the air, bicycling away.

  Allison took it all in stride. “Okay,” she said, “but then we really have to finish getting ready and get to school...”

  * * *

  “You know I’ve got this,” Allison said, minutes later as she escorted the girls out to Sarabeth’s Suburban. “If you need to go...”

  Cade knew they only had a few more days left jointly caring for the kids. He didn’t want to miss a minute of it. “No, I have time,” he said.

  Drop-off went smoothly. Aware how familiar and right this all felt, Cade drove back to the house where both their vehicles were parked. Allison’s in the driveway, his at the curb.

  She touched his arm as he was turning off the ignition. “Hey,” she said softly, her eyes going all serious. She drew a deep, bolstering breath. “Good luck today.”

  “Thanks,” he replied, glad she was on his side. He had missed her love and support.

  She leaned over to kiss him sweetly, tenderly. He gathered her close and deepened the kiss. His body surged to life. “Good thing I have somewhere to be,” he said gruffly. “Otherwise...”

  She laughed softly. “Same here, slugger. Same here...”

  Cade left reluctantly and headed for the Laramie County School District administration building. It was early, but the superintendent, athletic director and school board members were already there.

  Everyone was serious, and they got right down to business.

  “We’d love to have someone of your talent and experience, but we have to know—” the superintendent was stern “—are we going to be able to trust you with our kids? And know that you’re making the right decisions for them and their futures? That you don’t just want to play—and win—at all costs...?”

  That attitude, Cade knew, was what had caused the loss of his relationship with Allison. He wasn’t going to repeat it again. Nor would he sugarcoat the reality of the sports world. So he told the assembled group the truth. And fielded a grueling series of questions from them for the next three hours. Some of which were fair. Some of which, well, he didn’t think they had a right to know. He answered them all anyway.

  When the inquiry was finally over, he went down the line, shaking hands with everyone in the room. “When will you decide whether or not I’ve got the job?” he asked before heading out the door.

  “Early next week,” the superintendent said.

  He nodded, feeling emotionally wrung out and physically all wound up. “Fair enough.”

  He called Allison the moment he climbed into his pickup truck. “Had lunch yet?”

  “No.” Her voice was soft, curious.

  “Want to go out?” he asked gruffly, hoping she wasn’t too busy with work to see him.

  To his relief, she didn’t even hesitate. “Why don’t you come here?”

  Relief coursed through him. “Be right there.”

  Ten minutes later, he was walking in. Allison’s dark brown hair had been brushed into a sleek shoulder-length bob and she was dressed in what he had come to think of as her work clothes. Today, it was a pretty cranberry dress with three-quarter-length sleeves. The knit fabric clung to her supple curves. Matching pumps set off her spectacular legs.

  A beautiful salad was perfectly staged on the center of the dining table. Her camera and video recorder were both nearby. The table was set for one. “Am I interrupting?”

  She shook her head, looking as glad to see him as he was to be there. “I just finished the first blog posting,” she said.

  Which had been something about a meal for one, he remembered.

  “But not to worry. There’s plenty to share.”

  He could see that. He took off his sport coat, loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. “A perk of the job, I guess.”

  She smiled at him. “Sometimes.” She handed him another place setting and then went back to pour two iced teas.

  He put his plate opposite hers. “Does it ever feel too much?”

  She breezed back. Their fingers brushed as she gave him his beverage. They clinked glasses in a silent toast. “First, I normally set my own schedule. So I’m in total control of the workload.” She sipped. “Second, I try to stay ahead of the postings. That way if I have a day where I can’t get something finished, I still have something new to put up for the readers.”

  He grinned. “You’ve always had a gift for making things work, no matter the hardship.”

  “Except us.” She clapped a hand over her lips the second the words were out. “I’m sorry.” Clearly aggravated with herself, she averted her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t know why I said that.”

  “I do.” They needed to talk about this. He waited until she returned her gaze to his. “Maybe we didn’t try hard enough...”

  A long moment passed as she considered that. Finally, she released a long, uneven breath. “And maybe that was the way it was meant to be, at least then.”

  Maybe. But now, he vowed, would be different.

  She smiled and pushed on, directing the conversation to what he’d really come there to talk about. “How did your job interview go?”

  He helped her with her chair, her kindness a balm to his soul. “Not as well as I’d hoped.”

  She served him a generous helping of field greens, topped with crisp apple wedges, toasted pecans, cranberries and luscious slices of grilled chicken. “Why not?” she asked, indignant, handing over a crystal decanter of homemade poppy seed salad dressing.

  He added a light amount, then watched as she did the same. “They’ve heard the rumors that I lied about my recovery so I could pitch in the playoffs.”

  Her delicate brows knit. “But you saw an orthopedist recommended by someone on the Wranglers management team! You were cleared to play. Medically, as far as the second injury went, it was a situation that could have gone either way.”

  It felt good to have her defending him. “I know. And I told them that,” he retorted gently.

  Allison picked up her fork. “But...?”

  “They don’t want to see any of the kids in the district being encouraged to make a similar wrong decision.”

  “You would never do that.”

  He liked it when they talked like this. It made him feel closer to her. “You’re right,” he confided, matter-of-fact. “I don’t want to see anyone else endure a
career-ending injury.”

  “Do the people interviewing you for the position understand that?”

  “I hope so.” Cade wasn’t surprised to find the salad tasted as perfect as it looked. “I really want the challenge of figuring out the best way to work with and inspire kids. The way I was inspired, early on. Especially when I was a foster kid.”

  Allison regarded him curiously. “What do you mean? Did you have a special coach?”

  Cade nodded. “Coach Randy. He was barely out of college. A volunteer at the local boys club. He didn’t have a lot of innate athletic talent himself. Not like some of the coaches I had later on. But he threw me a lifeline. Helped me see that even though I had lost my folks, and was having a really hard time in foster care, that I could still play ball and be part of a team. Practice. Get better. He taught me to look on the bright side. That hard work and discipline do pay off.”

  “Well, you certainly have those traits in spades.”

  Cade warmed at her praise. “Now all I have to do is figure out how to pass them on...”

  “Well, that should be easy.” Her lips took on a determined slant. “All you have to do is be yourself.”

  Aware she was beginning to get a little too worked up on his behalf, which was something he certainly hadn’t intended, he reached over and took her hand in his. Appreciating how pretty and sexy she looked in the soft afternoon light, as well as how much he wanted to make love to her, he teased, “Flattery will get you everywhere, Miss Allison.” At least everywhere he wanted them to go.

  “It’s not flattery,” Allison huffed, oblivious to how much he wanted her in bed, beneath him. “You’re really good with people, Cade! You love baseball. And you know the beauty and the ugliness of the sports world.” She twined her fingers more intimately with his. “Who better to guide the kids who think they may want that as a way of life?”

  Cade’s body hardened. “I should have taken you with me. You could have acted as my agent.”

  She sat back abruptly, squaring her shoulders in a way that lifted, then lowered the luscious curves of her breasts. Vibrant pink color flooded her cheeks. “High school coaches don’t have agents!”