Cole in My Stocking

by Jessi Gage

  “No. I’m good.” I laced my fingers with his and thought about Mom. After a while, I said, “I’m looking forward to getting Dad beside her, where he belongs. I think he’ll be at peace then.”

  Cole kissed the side of my head. “Glad you’ll be sticking around to see that happen in the spring.”

  I let the crutches fall to the ground and hugged him with both arms around his waist. “Me too.” I intended to be around for a lot of springs.

  I’d met with Rochelle, crutches and all, and she’d hired me on the spot. I would start next Monday. There were no residents at the shelter yet, since it hadn’t officially opened, but there was a lot of preparatory work to do. I couldn’t wait to get my hands dirty with the painting and scrubbing she had planned. Hopefully my knee would be up to it.

  Besides my landing a new counselling job, a lot had happened in the last week. Gonzo had made it through two surgeries and was still in intensive care. Once he recovered, he would be transferred to Rockingham County Jail to await trial, most likely without bail. Detective Vance had obtained a warrant and searched Gonzo’s home. He’d found Dad’s guns minus three of them that had likely been given to the safe cracker as payment. He’d also found a scanner set to the state patrol frequency. Gonzo wasn’t healthy enough yet to meet with his lawyer and be read his charges, but it sure looked like he’d been Brock’s accomplice in the burglary and arson of Dad’s trailer. The police were still looking for the safe cracker.

  As for the incident on Route 101, Gonzo claimed to have no memory of trying to hit Cole with his car. Whether that was true or not, his friend Billy had tattled on him and was planning to testify to reduce his own sentence for his part in trying to kidnap me. According to Billy, Gonzo had recognized Cole when they’d driven by, swung the car around to drive the wrong way on the divided highway, and aimed right for him. The whole while, he’d been grumbling about how Cole had arrested Brock and how I’d shot Brock and supposedly tampered with Dad’s will to screw over Tooley. Apparently in his drunken state, he’d concluded that Cole and I had it out for him and his friends. When he’d spotted Cole, he recognized an opportunity for some payback. Billy claimed he tried to talk Gonzo out of driving to Cole’s house after the hit-and-run, but I wasn’t buying that. Billy had clearly been on board with the plan to find that money when they’d been trying to get me into the car.

  I was just glad no serious harm had been done to either Cole or me and that Gonzo’s drunk driving hadn’t harmed anyone else. And I was glad Gonzo and Brock would be paying for what they’d done. There was no excuse for stealing, period, but they’d stolen from their deceased friend and had tried to steal even more. That was just despicable. They both deserved whatever sentences they got.

  The estate stuff was moving along nicely. I decided to sell the property and all Dad’s equipment to the buyer in Vermont. It would be simpler than selling everything piecemeal, and after everything that had happened, I was okay with simple, even if it meant a little less of an inheritance for me. Harold Glasby was working out the deal.

  In the meantime, now that we were both mostly mended, Cole was planning to help me sell Dad’s truck and Harley. I planned to use the money to pay down Dad’s credit card debt. After selling Dad’s property and gunsmithing equipment, I would be able to pay down all the medical bills. There would be a little left over to bring down my student loans and give me some financial breathing room. That would help with the move. But honestly, I would have made the move work no matter what.

  I couldn’t live away from Cole. He was my rock, my Officer Oakley. He was more important to me than everything I’d come to love about Philly. He deserved me stepping out of my comfort zone. He deserved my best, and I planned to give it to him.

  I let him hold me until the skin of my legs started to tingle with cold under my jeans. Then I put my hand on Mom’s headstone. “Bye Mom,” I said. “Dad will be here soon. And I’ll be back more often than I have been. I love you.” My throat got tight. I missed her so much.

  Cole picked up my crutches and put them under my arms. Back at the truck, he got me settled and went around to his side.

  “Ready to go home?” he asked when he got in.

  “Yeah, honey. Let’s go home.”

  Epilogue

  Mandy leaned on Cole’s arm as he walked her up his porch steps. He’d never get tired of her head resting on his shoulder or her arm around his waist. Thank God she’d said yes when he’d proposed tonight—he’d have this for the rest of his life.

  “This has been the best birthday ever,” she said as he unlocked the door and held it open for her. “Steak dinner, a new charm for my bracelet, and a shiny new ring.” She wiggled her fingers, admiring the one-carat round solitaire he’d slipped on her left hand after dinner. “A girl could do worse.”

  “Happy twenty-fifth, baby.” He pulled her to him for a kiss, hands shaping to her hips.

  She plastered herself along the front of his body and opened to him the instant he licked at the seam of her lips. Heaven. This woman was his own personal heaven.

  Every time their mouths met, he wanted to take her to bed and make love to her, but he was still determined to take things slow. Less than a month had passed since the night Gonzo had put them both in the hospital, and it had been a whirlwind. They’d both had some healing to do, Mandy had started her new job, and they’d moved her stuff up from Philly. Though they slept in his bed together every night, they hadn’t had a repeat of that one time on the couch when Mandy invited him to bring her off with his hand.

  That was fine with him. In fact, it was mostly at his insistence that they’d been keeping things light in a physical sense. Sometimes Mandy seemed ready for more, but he wanted to be absolutely sure before he took her to bed to claim her body.

  This woman was going to be his wife. She was the love of his life. Not only had she been put through the emotional wringer the last couple of months with losing her dad and all the changes in her life, but her previous experience with sex was about as terrible as it could be. He wanted to be sure that with him, her experience would be as close to perfect as he could possibly give her. He wanted to erase every bad thing that had ever happened to her. He wanted to show her with his body what he felt for her in his heart. All that seemed too heavy to rush.

  So he’d been biding his time, watching her closely, hoping he’d somehow know when the time was right.

  Mandy drew back from the kiss. He loved when she looked at him that way, with heavy lidded eyes and bee-stung lips.

  “You’re so beautiful, honey. I’m a lucky man.”

  She smiled. The rosy color of her cheeks darkened as she lowered her lashes. “Thank you for the wonderful night.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I’m going to head up and get ready for bed. You coming? We both have an early morning tomorrow.”

  Tomorrow was his second and last day on a light week. He had a six a.m. start, and Mandy had to be at work by eight. “Sounds good. I’ll be up in a few.” He was just going to open the mail that had piled up on his kitchen table and pay a few bills, give her a chance to wash up and climb in bed before he joined her.

  She backed away from him, drawing his arm away from his body with their linked hands. With a final, playful smile, she let his hand go and trotted up the stairs in her sexy dress and heels.

  It took all his willpower not to run after her and strip her out of that dress the second they made it to the bed. It’s not time yet. You’ll know when she’s ready.

  Sitting down at the kitchen table, he loosened his tie and laid his hand on the pile of mail. Right on top was a personal check with Mandy’s signature on it. Woman was trying to pay him rent. He ripped the check in half. They weren’t roommates. They were engaged, soon to be married. They were talking about this May. He’d suggested February 1st, which was three days away, but Mandy had nixed that. She’d suggested May because she loved springtime, and since he’d already de
cided he was going to give her everything she ever asked for, he’d agreed to a springtime wedding. Once he helped her pay down her student loans, they could talk about sharing expenses. Maybe.

  He wrote a few checks and set some papers in the to-be-filed pile. Then he headed upstairs to curl up with his girl.

  When he walked in the bedroom, he almost had a heart attack. Mandy was lying on the bedspread in nothing but an emerald green and black bra and a scrap of matching, lacy underwear. Her body was winter pale and lean, and she was lying on her side with her knees slightly bent and giving him a come-hither look with those gorgeous eyes.

  “I thought about putting on my birthday suit for you,” she said, “but I thought you might like unwrapping a present for yourself tonight.”

  He just about swallowed his tongue at this sexy-as-hell surprise. All the blood left his brain and went south.

  “I’m ready,” she said, and he knew what she meant.

  It’s time.

  Yanking off his tie, he went to her. It was time to make Mandy his. All the way. Forever.

  A note from the author

  Thanks so much for reading Cole in My Stocking. I hope you enjoyed it. This novel is the third in my Blue Collar Boyfriends series of stand-alone contemporary romances, each with a unique paranormal twist. As the series title suggests, these novels feature heroes who are rough around the edges but tender when it counts. The first in the series is Reckless. Second is Jade’s Spirit.

  If you’d like to receive email updates when I have a new release available, you can subscribe to my newsletter at http://jessigage.com/, or follow me on Twitter @jessigage, or like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jessigageromance.

  Reviews make my day. Whether positive or negative, reviews help an author immensely. Please consider leaving an honest review at Goodreads and/or your favorite retailer.

  About Jessi Gage

  Jessi lives with her husband and children in the Seattle area. She’s a passionate reader of all genres of romance, especially anything involving the paranormal. Ghosts, demons, vampires, witches, weres, faeries…you name it, she’ll read it. As for writing, she’s sticking to Highlanders and contemporaries with a paranormal twist (for now).

  Jessi can often be found having coffee at one of the many neighborhood coffee spots she frequents, or indulging in sweets with The Cupcake Crew, her wonderful critique group. The last time she imagined a world without romance novels, her husband found her crouched in the corner, rocking.

  Find Jessi at http://jessigage.com/, at her blog at http://jessigage.wordpress.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jessigageromance, or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jessigage. To send her an email, visit her website and use the contact form at http://jessigage.com/Contact.html.

  Excerpt

  If you enjoy contemporary holiday romance, check out

  Kissing Santa (A Novella)

  By Kylie Gilmore

  Samantha Dixon is about to confess her most secret, romantic Christmas wish to Santa. Heck, what’s she got to lose with her disastrous romantic history? Like that player from her horrible blind date last week arranged by her mother. Only guess who’s Santa?

  Rico del Toro loves women. So one bad date with the beautiful Samantha in a string of many, ahem, successful evenings is no big deal. But when a friendly favor playing Santa unexpectedly lands Samantha on his lap for a romantic confessional, he’s intrigued. He’s never heard a woman open her heart like that before.

  But if this Santa wants a second chance, he’ll have to rethink his womanizing ways and convince her that he is the perfect package.

  Kissing Santa Excerpt:

  Samantha walked over and plopped down on Santa’s lap. She took comfort from the fact that she couldn’t quite see Harold’s face under the hat, wig, and huge beard. She focused on a pretty snowflake decoration across the room. It was almost like going to confession with Father Jensen, very private, just the two of them. The cafeteria was nearly empty now, except for a few volunteers cleaning up. Even the elf had taken off.

  “Oh, Santa, I know it’s silly, but I always dreamed of a sweet romance like you read about in books and see in the movies. It just doesn’t seem to be happening for me. And believe me, I’ve tried to move things along.” She sighed. “It just seems like everyone’s already married or gay or divorced with a lot of baggage. I just want to meet my Prince Charming, you know?”

  At Santa’s continued silence and good listening, Samantha confided all the heartache she’d endured over the last two years due to her failed romance attempts. First she told him the worst—the Tim Johnson affair—just to get it off her chest and explain what started her on her quest for romance. Then she moved on to the day her hair and makeup were ruined in the August heat while she waited for a mysterious Mr. Hunk to arrive on the scene to change her flat tire (and yes, she confessed, she’d let the air out on purpose) and how a toothless old lady had arrived instead to inform her she had a flat. She’d had to change the tire herself, ruining her white skirt and new heels. She told him of the British hottie who moved in next door to her parents’ house that looked a little like Hugh Grant—she’d loved him in Bridget Jones’s Diary—and just when she was thinking they might really be moving from borrowing sugar (she had a huge stash now) to actually hanging out, his boyfriend showed up.

  She sighed and continued on with the advice she took from her friend to look for someone at a wedding and how that had turned out to be a second cousin she’d never met. “Luckily my mother told me before things moved off the dance floor,” she whispered.

  Santa merely grunted, so she went on. “Online dating was horrible. All those men cared about was my…well, let’s just say it wasn’t working out.” She blew out a breath. “I have a huge hammer collection from all my trips cruising the aisles of Home & Tool for an eligible bachelor. I could never use them all.” She shook her head. “Besides, those guys are all married.” She straightened, suddenly indignant. “And the worst, my mother tried to set up an arranged marriage with this total player who was too handsome for his own good. He was all—” she waved her hands in the air “—look at me! Don’t you want some of this sugar? And I was all, get away from me, you phony! The lines that came out of this guy’s mouth! If my mother had known what he was really like…” She exhaled sharply. “Don’t get me started on my mother.”

  Finally, she wound down.

  “This was all my niece’s idea,” she said with a rueful laugh. “Since I’m here…my Christmas wish is to meet a handsome, smart, charming man that will just make my head spin with the happiness of true love." She warmed to her topic. "Make him be someone who brings me flowers and candy just because, writes poems for me, serenades me, and likes to hold hands while we go shopping, ice skating, or maybe even walking along the beach." She let out a dreamy sigh. "I guess that's too much for one Christmas wish."

  Santa’s voice went low and husky. "I'll see what I can do."

  Her eyes flew to his, and she took a good look at the guy she’d just spilled her guts to. He smiled, and her hand went to her throat. This man didn’t have wrinkles, pasty white skin, and blue eyes. This wasn't Harold! This was someone much younger with caramel skin and brown eyes behind those spectacles.

  Santa was coming on to her!

  She leaped off his lap and jabbed a finger at him. "You're Santa. You can't pick up women. You're married to Mrs. Claus."

  Dear Lord, what had she just told this complete stranger? Her cheeks burned.

  The Santa-Harold imposter stood and raised his palms. "I'm off duty. You want to get a cup of coffee?"

  She whirled and hurried over to her niece. "Come on, Gabriella, we're going."

  "Bye, Santa!" Gabriella called. "Merry Christmas!"

  "Ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas, Gabriella! I'll make sure the elves know about your Christmas wish and yours too, Samantha!”

  She froze. Omigod. He knew her name. She’d never said her name. An
d that voice. Her mind quickly put the pieces together, that beautiful caramel skin, the brown eyes. It was her horrible blind date—Rico.

  She took Gabriella's hand and speedwalked to the parking lot. Samantha had never been so embarrassed in her life. She buckled her niece in, muttering to herself about the nerve of some guys.

  They drove home, and Samantha prayed she never, ever ran into that Harold imposter again.

  Want to read more? Kissing Santa is out now!

  Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQB7LM6

  Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kissing-santa-kylie-gilmore/1120421304?ean=2940150716414

  iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/kissing-santa/id916317374?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

  Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/kissing-santa-4

  Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=f8F8BAAAQBAJ

  All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-kissingsanta-1636488-177.html

  Places to find Kylie Gilmore on the web:

  Website: www.kyliegilmore.com

  Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/KLQSX

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KylieGilmoreToo

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/KylieGilmoreToo

  Cole in My Stocking

  Copyright © 2014 Jessi Gage

  Cover by The Killion Group, http://thekilliongroupinc.com/

  Edited by Piper Denna

  ISBN: 978-1-941239-06-3

  November 2014

  eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.