by Debbie Mason
“Where’s Mallory?” Gabe asked, shutting the door.
They shared a nervous glance, then Brooks pointed down the hall on his left. “In the loo.”
“Is she sick?” Gabe asked as he walked around piles of boxes to reach the boys. In his mind, she had to be at death’s door to have allowed her stepsons to play the music that loud.
“No. She said she was taking a bath.”
With a bottle of wine? he wondered. Not that he really blamed her but it certainly wouldn’t help her case if he were to find her passed out drunk in the bathtub. He nudged the boys out of the way and knocked on the closed door with light pooling beneath it. “Mallory?”
“She won’t be able to hear you,” Oliver said, and Gabe’s concern kicked up a notch.
“Why’s that?” he asked, fighting the urge to bust down the door.
“She has on her headphones.”
He didn’t know if it was Oliver’s British accent that made it sound like the kid thought Gabe was an idiot, but either way he was not a happy man. “They must be damn good ones for you to be playing your music that loud and for her not to shut you down.”
“Why would she? It’s still early.”
“Well, around here it’s just as much about consideration for your neighbors as it is time of day. You broke a noise ordinance. Next time you do, I’m throwing you in jail,” he said, because Diane had put him in a foul mood and this kid was testing more than his patience with his attitude.
Oliver looked like he was going to spout some smart-ass remark, but his brother tugged on his arm, then said, “I’m sorry, sir. We didn’t realize our music was that loud. We won’t do it again.” He held up his phone. “I’ll text Mallory. She has the phone with her in case we need her. She’s very responsible.”
Brooks reminded him of an older version of Teddy. They were the peacemakers in their families. And to a certain degree, like his boys, the threat that someone could come in and tear their family apart also hung over Oliver’s and Brooks’s heads. In their case, he was that someone.
“Thanks, Brooks. I appreciate it.” Sounds of water sloshing and then the thud of something hitting the floor came from the other side of the door. “Mallory, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’ll be right with you. I…ow. Ow, ow. Oh crap. No, no, no.”
“Mallory, what is it?” he asked through the door.
“I’m stuck.”
“What do you mean, you’re stuck?”
“My toe is stuck in the faucet.”
“Seriously? How is that even possible?”
“I don’t know. I guess I have a fat toe. I was trying to push up the lever to let the water out, and my foot slipped and my toe went up the spout and it won’t come out.”
“Try turning the water on high and see if the pressure causes it to release your toe.”
There was the sound of splashing, grunting, and then groaning. “I think it’s making it worse.”
“Okay, turn off the water. Do you have any butter or oil?”
“Yes, but I don’t know how that’s going to do me any good. I’m in here, and it’s out there.”
“Boys, do me a favor and find me some butter or oil in the kitchen.”
Brooks nodded and took off, while Oliver gave Gabe a narrow-eyed look before following his brother.
“Ah, Gabe, you’re not coming in here.”
“Unless you have a better idea, it looks like I am.” He hoped she did have a better idea. He might’ve fantasized about Mallory Maitland naked but the last thing he needed right now was having his fantasies about her come true. “Just cover yourself with a towel or something.”
His suggestion was met with more grunting and groaning, a couple of ows, and a son of a nutcracker.
He fought back a laugh. “Don’t hurt yourself trying to get your toe out. I promise I won’t look.” He bent over the lock. The boys arrived with a container of margarine just as Gabe got the door unlocked. “Are you decent? I’m coming in now,” he warned as the boys shared a look and then headed for their rooms.
“As decent as you can be lying naked in a bathtub.”
He paused with his hand on the knob. “Maybe I should get my mother-in-law.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Right.” The last thing they wanted was to give Diane the time and opportunity to figure out who Mallory was.
Gabe braced himself as he walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. The small space was warm and filled with the scent of lavender. He spared a glance for the woman in the tub. She was gorgeous, breathtakingly so. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and her skin was flushed and glowing. All of her skin except what was covered by a white towel was flushed and glowing. The towel was molded to her body, showing off her feminine curves and…
Face, look at her face. No, look at her legs. Not her legs, dumbass, her toes.
He dragged his forearm across his sweaty brow. “It’s warm in here, isn’t it?”
“Not really. I’m actually cold.”
He knew that already. The white towel wasn’t only molded to her incredible curves. It was practically see-through. He sat on the side of the tub with his back to her and removed the lid of the container he held.
Scooping out a glob of margarine, he placed the container on the floor. “So what were you listening to?” he asked as a way to distract himself from her shapely long leg and delicate foot with the sexy, siren-red painted toes.
“My book.”
He glanced at the bamboo bath tray on the tiled floor. There was a glass of red wine with a lipstick stain near the rim and her phone. No book. She must’ve been listening to one on her phone. If it was the same one she’d been listening to earlier today—the one they’d all gotten a preview of when she started up her car at the diner—maybe she was flushed for an entirely different reason. The thought had him shifting uncomfortably on the edge of the tub, and he nearly fell in.
“I’m sorry about the boys playing their music so loud. They won’t do it again, I promise. I know how bad me locking myself in the bathroom with a glass of wine and my book looks, especially when the house is in shambles. I can’t even promise it won’t happen again. Sometimes I just need a few minutes to decompress. And a glass of wine, a steamy bath, and a book help me unwind.”
So he’d been right about the book. Do not think about the book, he told himself when he began feeling a little flushed himself. Naturally, the book was all he could think about now. The book and the fact that Mallory had been married to a man she’d never had sex with. He swore at himself in his head for letting his mind go there and bent over her foot.
“We all need to de-stress once in a while,” he said in an attempt to alleviate her guilt and distract himself from thinking about the fact that he was slathering margarine on her feet and toes. Why the hell was he spreading it on her feet and toes? It was her big toe he had to unstick. Her big, fat toe, he thought in an effort to make himself stop admiring her sexy toes.
“What do you do to alleviate your stress?” she asked, sounding breathless.
Not surprisingly, the first thing that popped into his head was Have sex. It used to be how he relieved stress. His favorite way to relieve stress, actually. But he hadn’t had sex in three years. Almost as long as Mallory. Except, maybe she had. “Go for a run. Work on my car. Play football with the boys or binge-watch Netflix.”
She squirmed and released a tiny gasp. He looked down at his hands. He was massaging her calf. “I just, uh, thought that might help relax your foot.”
“That was a good idea. A very, very good idea,” she said with an audible swallow. He glanced at her, and she gave him a weak smile and fanned her face. “You’re right. It’s getting really warm in here.”
Their eyes met and held like they had that day last July when he first saw her in Highland Brew. His pulse began to race and the sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears. And then he thought he heard one of his sons calling for him from a long way away.
>
Before he realized his son actually was calling for him, Teddy burst into the bathroom, and his eyes went wide. Mallory gave a panicked squeak, and Gabe let go of her leg like he was a vegan who’d been caught with a rack of BBQ ribs in his hands. Twisting at the waist, he made a grab for the shower curtain to yank it closed, but it slipped through his fingers like a greased pig, and he fell backward into the tub.
“I found him, Grandma!” Teddy dragged in a puff of his inhaler. Then he yelled, “He’s in the bathtub with Mallory.”
Chapter Eight
It was perfectly natural to glance out one’s kitchen window at eight in the morning but it didn’t feel perfectly natural to Mallory. She was trying to avoid a face-to-face with her hunky next-door neighbor when she made her garbage run. Conveniently, or inconveniently—it depended on your point of view—her kitchen window faced his. At the moment, she was leaning toward it being convenient.
After his youngest son announced to his grandmother, not to mention Mallory’s stepsons, that Gabe was in the bathtub with her last night, she wasn’t particularly eager to see Gabe this morning. Teddy either, despite him being a sweetheart. The little boy had no idea how his innocent words could be misconstrued.
Anyway, she hoped Gabe was able to explain what had happened to his mother-in-law better than Mallory had been able to explain it to Oliver and Brooks. She’d stammered and stuttered through her explanation as to how Gabe had accidently fallen on top of her in the bathtub, only to discover they had zero interest in what she was saying. They still weren’t speaking to her.
Not that they were ever overly chatty to begin with, but they were less so now that she’d told them the truth about the night their father died.
A jaw-cracking yawn overcame her. She’d been up since three in the morning. In the past few years, she’d developed insomnia. She’d believed the sleep disorder was a consequence of getting up at all hours of the night to care for Harry. After he’d died, she’d expected to return to her old sleeping habits, but it hadn’t worked out that way. No doubt the stress of dealing with Marsha and Blair was a contributing factor.
But last night it was Gabe who had her tossing and turning in her bed, and in her dreams. Which were brief but explicit. She knew why, of course. Just as she knew why Gabe trying to free her big toe from the faucet had turned into a sexually charged moment.
Okay, the margarine part wasn’t sexy at all; it was just gross. But having Gabe’s big hands on her was completely fantasy-inducing and sort of dreams-coming-true, too, she supposed. After all, he’d been playing a starring role in her book fantasies since last summer.
They’d even had another one of those eyes-meeting, breath-stealing, sweep-you-off-your-feet moments like they’d had the day they’d first met at Highland Brew. And honestly, if things were different. If Gabe wasn’t the person who would decide the fate of her and the family she hoped to make with the boys. If he wasn’t the father of three boys, even if they seemed like very sweet boys, she’d want to explore just what those breath-stealing moments were all about.
They felt special, like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. Then again, special didn’t always turn out the way you’d think. Harry had made her feel special. So had her mom and her dad. She didn’t really trust special anymore.
She yawned again, then worked on knotting the overstuffed garbage bag. Instead of tossing and turning for a few more hours, she’d decided to do something constructive and had gotten up to unpack the rest of the boxes and tidy the house. Abby had been right: the brick bungalow on Reindeer Road needed some TLC. But Mallory liked the feel of the place. She didn’t think it would take much effort or, more importantly, much money, to make it feel like home.
Now that they were settled, and she’d gotten her confession out of the way, it was time to move forward with her plan. This was bigger than her weekly meetings with Gabe, bigger than the inconvenient feelings she had for the man, even bigger than the threat hanging over her head that she’d lose the boys. Because if she could change Brooks’s and Oliver’s minds about her before Christmas, she truly believed everything else would fall in place.
Humming “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” she looked out the kitchen window to ensure the coast was still clear. It looked like the Buchanan family was still in bed so she was good to go. Garbage bag and car keys in hand, she headed for the side door.
As soon as she stepped outside, a brisk mountain breeze swirled by, carrying with it the faded leaves that littered the backyard and the smell of pine. Shivering against the cold, she huddled deeper in the gray fleece sweatshirt she wore over her leggings and then fast-walked in her UGG slippers to the wooden garbage bin against the side of the house. After depositing the garbage bag inside, she rubbed her hands and took a quick look around.
Abby was right about something else. The area really was a nature lover’s paradise. It was like they’d plopped the houses down in the middle of the forest. Mallory didn’t remember the development being here. Then again, she didn’t remember a lot about Highland Falls. For years she’d done her best to lock the memories away. It was easier to pretend that she’d never had a mother and father who loved her than to remember how much it hurt to be taken from everything she knew and for her father to abandon her.
Another gust of wind rattled the naked tree branches and the quaint yellow shutters that framed the windows, reminding her why she had her car keys in her hands. She’d been too tired to unload their winter gear from the trunk last night. She also needed her phone charger, she thought as she walked to the car. She opened the driver’s-side door and leaned across the seat to unplug the cord. Then, remembering she’d left some homemade energy balls in the glove box, she slid into the driver’s seat to open it.
“Where are you going?”
Mallory nearly jumped out of her skin. Pressing a hand to her chest, she turned to the little boy standing behind her. “Teddy, hi. Where did you come from?” He wore a navy winter jacket, knitted red hat and mittens, and a pair of snow boots with what looked to be red flannel pjs underneath.
He jerked his thumb at the back of his house. The Buchanans lived in a gorgeous Craftsman with a lovely porch at the front and an even lovelier screened-in deck at the back.
“I thought I saw one of Santa’s reindeer in the woods, and then I saw you.” He gave her a hopeful smile. “Did you see a reindeer too?”
“No, I didn’t, but I wasn’t looking. I was putting the garbage out. So maybe Rudolph or Dasher are in the woods. But it’s probably best if you wait for your dad before checking it out.” She looked around. “Does he know you’re outside?”
“No, but it’s okay. He was on the phone in his office.” He lowered his voice in a conspirator’s whisper. “My dad and brothers don’t believe in Santa.”
She widened her eyes in pretend horror. “Really? That can’t be true. I bet they do. They’re just trying to be cool. Oliver and Brooks are the same.”
“Do you believe in Santa?”
“Of course I do.” She smiled. He really was the cutest little boy she’d ever seen. She had a feeling he’d grow up to be a heartbreaker. He was the carbon copy of his father.
Teddy leaned in, peering at her as if he’d find the truth in her eyes. Whatever he saw must’ve convinced him she was a true believer because he rewarded her with a big smile. “I’m glad you moved here.”
“Me too.” This time, if he were to look closely enough, he’d be able to tell she was lying.
The last place she wanted to live was next door to a man who’d be watching her and the boys’ every move. Last night was a perfect example of how detrimental their up-close-and-personal living arrangements could be. Which she’d shared with her matchmaking best friend as soon as Oliver and Brooks were out of earshot. Abby swore her choice of the house on Reindeer Road had nothing to do with matchmaking. The Highland Falls rental market was extremely tight, and Mallory’s budget made it that much tighter. A quick search on her phone had proven that Abby
was telling the truth.
“Where are you going?” Teddy repeated the question he’d first asked her.
“Nowhere.” She held up her phone cord and the container of no-bake white-chocolate-and-cranberry energy balls. “I forgot I’d left these in the car, and I need to get our winter stuff out of the trunk.”
“My brothers think your car is pretty. They think you are too. So does my dad.”
Heat rose to her cheeks. This is exactly why she hadn’t wanted to run into this adorable little boy. She smiled. “That’s nice. I should probably—”
“Are you married?”
“I was, but my husband died.”
“That’s too bad. My mom died too. She was my dad’s wife.”
“I’m sorry your mommy died, sweetheart. Mine did too. It’s hard, isn’t it?” She didn’t like to think about her mom. Mallory’s life had imploded the day she died.
He shrugged. “It’s harder for my dad and brothers. I don’t really remember her. Just from pictures. She was really pretty too. And nice. My grandma misses her a lot. I think that’s why she’s an old battle-ax.” He made a face. “That’s what my brothers call her, but don’t tell my dad. They only said it cuz she’s kinda mean to them and that makes my dad mad. But he can’t get mad at her or she’ll take us away from him.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t, Teddy. Adults say all kinds of things they don’t mean.”
“She meant it. She even talked to a lawyer. But don’t tell my dad; he doesn’t know. I heard her on the phone. She thinks just cuz I’m only five I don’t understand stuff, but I do. But it’s okay cuz I made a plan.”
Mallory couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt heartsick for Gabe and his boys. This was so much worse than her situation. It was obvious Gabe’s sons adored him as much as he adored them. She was furious on their behalf, and concerned for Teddy. A five-year-old shouldn’t be coming up with plans to save his family. He should be thinking of holiday parades and lists for Santa.
She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Plans are always a good idea. But I’m almost positive you have absolutely nothing to worry about, Teddy. I don’t know your dad all that well, but I’m sure he’ll—”
