A Christmas Affair: A Seaside Cove Romance (Seaside Cove Romance Series Book 1)

by Davies, Cora

  "Yeah, he deserved something alright," Eli said, still holding an ice pack to the side of his head. "He deserved a better beating than that for all the years of hell he's raised."

  "Deserved or not, you can't just go around punching people," Brian said. He lifted a box onto the counter. "You're lucky I was coming to drop these off."

  "What the hell is this?" Jack lifted the top of the box and cringed at the sight of Christmas lights rolled up in the bottom.

  "From Molly, she said she had extra," Brian said, then he whistled. "Oh, I understand now. Jeremy and Molly."

  "What? Nope, didn't even connect the two," Jack said wishing Brian would shut up. "Jeremy was asking for a knockout for many reasons."

  "Okay, cause from what Rachel tells me, the two got into quite the fight themselves tonight," Brian said smiling.

  "Drop it Brian, unless you want to start paying for your samples," Jack growled. Brian laughed, but did not bring the subject up again that evening.

  The rest of the night passed by fast, more customers than usual were in. Some had heard about the fight with Jeremy, and others were just escaping a house full of relatives. Jack deflected questions about the fight, but accepted larger than normal tips for knocking Jeremy out. When no one was looking, he dropped the tips into the Old Farm Dog Rescue collection box.

  He did not open the Christmas light box again until the bar was empty and cleaned top to bottom. He figured if he was going to get his permit, there was no reason why he could not hang a few lights. Maybe it would bring a few more customers over to his bar.

  He felt the adrenaline of the evening coursing through his body as he pulled a glove over his bandaged hand. A myriad of emotions flashed over him as he thought of Jeremy, Molly, Christmas, and the damn Dickens Village.

  Main Street was quiet, almost haunted in the silence at three in the morning. The only sound was the crunching of his boots on the snow as he lost himself in reliving the day in his head. Bit by bit he strung the lights around his front window and doorway.

  Headlights spilled down the road, and Jack turned to see who was driving by at this late hour. When the car got closer, he realized it was Molly's car, and he kept an eye on her face while she was careful not to look at him. Her car was out of view in a moment as she pulled around the back of her building.

  He turned back to the lights and worked at stringing them. Jack had been thinking about her all evening, ever since he found her with Jeremy in the storeroom. Lies. You've been thinking about her all damn day. She looked angry and beautiful all at the same time when he found them. How a woman could do that, he'd never know. His heartbeat quickened as he heard the snow crunching.

  "Nice lights," Molly said. Jack did not turn around.

  "Thanks, almost done hanging them all up," he said, fingers holding the last part of the strand in place as he opened another piece of the sticky Christmas light hanging goo.

  "Just one question though," she said, her voice quiet but playful.

  "Mmm?" Jack held the piece of goo paper he had just torn off in between his teeth.

  "Where is the outlet?"

  "Down there," he muttered around the paper.

  "So why do you have the plug way up there?" she walked over to him and pointed where the light plug was, a good ten feet away from the outlet.

  "Fuck." Jack let the paper flutter out of his mouth onto the ground. "I have to do this whole thing over again don't I?"

  Molly laughed and Jack's heart leapt at the sound.

  "I have a long extension cord that matches the color of the strand. You'll have to help me dig it out of my storage closet though." She titled her head, and smiled slightly. "I probably should have just stuck it in the box earlier, huh?"

  "I should be good at this," Jack said shaking his head.

  "Why? I have a feeling it's your first time hanging Christmas lights." Molly's delicate ungloved fingers traced the outline of the strands of lights.

  "Yeah, true, but it's not the first time I've had to plug something into an outlet. I mean, that should be the most basic of all basic man knowledge, right?" Jack gave her his best lopsided grin, the one she confessed in high school she loved. What are you doing? She's taken, and even if she wasn't, there is no chance for us. But when Molly smiled, Jack felt like he was hungry only for her.

  "Come on.” Molly walked toward her shop and as Jack followed closely behind her, he could smell the light scent of her shampoo. She smelled like lavender.

  "You're up late," he said, searching for conversation as he watched her long dark hair swish side to side with each step.

  "Yeah, I drove out to the shore to watch it snow over the ocean." She unlocked the door and stepped inside. She stomped her boots at the front door, and he did the same thing. "I try to never miss it when it happens. Even when it is storming in town, it doesn't seem to be always snowing over the water."

  "I've never done that." He watched as Molly flipped on a few of the light switches.

  "You've never seen it snow on the ocean? But your dad was a fisherman," she said pausing as she pulled an electric tea kettle onto the desk. "Do you want some tea? I am pretty much addicted."

  "Uh sure," he said as she pulled out two mugs and a box of tea bags. "I mean, I've seen it snowing on the ocean, but I've never driven out there just to watch it. I'd rather sit inside by a fire when it's snowing than sit outside in it."

  "I don't sit outside, I sit in my car," she said giggling. "I go there when I need peace and quiet. Time to think."

  He heard the crack in her voice and he wanted to ask what she needed to think about. Did it have anything to do with Jeremy's anger when he arrived at the bar this evening. For the first time Jack wondered if Jeremy had called Molly to tell her about the fight at the bar. What would he say to her?

  The silence stretched on as Molly fidgeted with the stereo. Finally, Jack spoke. "What did you need to think about?"

  Quiet Christmas music filled the store. "I've been feeling, different lately." She looked into his eyes and leaned forward, her elbows on the counter.

  "What do you mean, different?"

  "I don't know, I guess I've just been thinking about a lot of stuff lately, you know?" She rested her chin in her palm and relaxed her eyes. The blue was barely visible through her silted eyelids. "Everything, this town, my store, the Boughmans... us."

  "Us?" Jack raised his eyebrows. Had she been thinking about him as much as he had been thinking about her?

  "Back in high school, the prom." Molly shuddered slightly. Jack felt like she had struck him. Maybe she had not been thinking about him the same way he had been thinking about her. She was thinking people never changed, and she was probably still scared of him. And now after he struck Jeremy, it just gave her all the more reason not to trust him.

  "I should get that cord," Jack said his shoulders stiffening. The light tone he had earlier was gone, replaced by a steely edged one. He wanted to be alone, back in his bar, nowhere near Molly.

  He thought Molly looked sad, like he hurt her. It was like living those moments all over again. "Jack, can we talk about it, please?"

  "I've spent a lot of time putting that part of my life in the past," Jack said shaking his head. Molly reached out to touch his arm, and he pulled back. "Like you said earlier, we've all changed since High School."

  Jack saw the tears prick in Molly's eyes, and he hated that he was the one who caused that much pain for her. That much pain for Izzie. Moments he could never take back. The kettle began to whistle and Molly filled their mugs with the steaming water. "Let’s go look in the storage closet while these cool down a little."

  She began to walk towards the back room and Jack followed careful not to walk close enough to smell her shampoo again. It was easier to do inside with all the Christmas scents than it had been outside. They were in the storeroom together for the second time that day, and Jack's mind could not help but to drift to walking in on her and Jeremy earlier. His presence seemed to fill the room even tho
ugh he was gone. Jack felt his blood start to boil again.

  He looked down to his bandaged fist and decided after all this time, he would ask. "What do you see in Jeremy?"

  She threw open the closet doors and revealed piles of dusty boxes. "I'm going to pretend like you didn't ask me a question that is absolutely none of your business."

  Jack felt his neck redden as he realized what she said was true, Jeremy was none of his business. Until he came into Jack's bar causing a scene. Molly was talking, though Jack could barely concentrate on the words, and pointing at boxes for Jack to move. He lifted the boxes she indicated and set them outside the closet. She walked back into the closet, and dragged another box out.

  "Here, let me get that." He put his hands on her waist to gently guide her out of the way, and she flinched and jerked away from him. He regretted even following her back to her store, he should have just gone out and bought a green cord tomorrow. "I wasn't going to do anything. Just taking the box out."

  "No," She shook her head. "It's not you Jack you're fine, it's just earlier today..." she trailed off and walked out of the closet.

  Jack grabbed the box and walked into the storeroom. The box was labeled "Christmas Misc". He was surprised she did not already have the stuff in this box out with the rest of the Christmas junk she had all over the store.

  "Earlier today what?" Jack asked, but she did not answer, instead she took a box cutter and slid a line down the tape keeping the box closed.

  "Yep this is the one," she said brightly as she began to dig through the items in the box. She came up with a green cord. "Help me put the other boxes back? We'll leave this one out front in case I need something from it again."

  After he finished stacking the boxes back in the closet, he turned around and put his hand out of the cord. As she placed it in his hand, her fingers gently turned his hand over in her palm. Her touch sent electric currents through his body; he felt like he needed to get out of this building as fast as he could. His feet seemed to not be working though, instead they felt as though they had been glued to the floor.

  "What happened?" She asked tenderly as her fingers stroked the back of his hand. A mix of emotions washed over him as he wanted to take her away from Jeremy, but at the same time he knew he had no right. Jack was careful to keep all emotion off his face.

  "I'll ask you again, what the hell is it you see in Jeremy?" Jack said touching her check with his other hand.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jack's calloused hand on her check made Molly want to melt into the carpet. Her body tingled in places she did not even realize could be aroused. She bit her bottom lip, knowing that bite always made Jack reach out and lose control in high school. Did she want him to lose control right now?

  I don't know.

  Molly's other finger stroked the bandage and she remembered Jack's question, and her own about his injury. "Jeremy did this?"

  Jack chuckled softly and dropped his hand from Molly's face. "Jeremy's face did this."

  Molly backed away from Jack and pushed into the main room of the store. Her body shook slightly, and her mind spun. "You hit Jeremy?

  "He plowed into the bar with some of his friends. They had a lot to drink, and were causing a scene." Jack stopped for a moment and Molly thought he seemed to be contemplating how much to tell her. "Eli and I got into it with Jeremy and one of his buddies, right before Brian broke it up."

  Molly shook her head and took a sip of her tea. She did not like the idea of Jack fighting, he had such a temper in high school. Not that she had a problem with Jeremy getting punched. Had he punched Jack, too?

  "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Molly asked, trying to keep the concern out of her voice, but failing miserably.

  Jack looked at her, and she thought she saw her own concern mirrored on his face. Did he know what Jeremy did in here earlier? No, she had only told Rachel, and Rachel would not go running over to Jack to tell him. She might run to Brian, but Brian would not tell Jack. It was completely unrelated to Molly. Just drunk guys fighting with the bar owner.

  "No, he didn't hurt me," Jack said taking a step closer to Molly. "He tried though. He was pretty mad when he got to the bar, it wasn't that long after I left you guys."

  Molly took a deep breath. She was not ready to tell anyone else about Jeremy. After talking to Rachel tonight, she finally accepted that Jeremy’s stress was no excuse for the way he had been acting. She was through with Jeremy. But, she felt like she should tell Jack something about why Jeremy came into his bar looking for a fight.

  "He was getting on me about my store, saying it was a waste of time and money. Then he called the Dickens Village stupid. He said volunteering to Mrs. Claus is a waste of my time. And that no one will volunteer to be Santa because I am insane and high strung."

  Molly turned away from Jack just as she held the tears back from spilling over the bottom of her eyelids and streaming down her face. She was careful not to take a deep breath; she was afraid if she did, she would betray her emotions.

  "I'll be Santa."

  "What?" Molly snapped out of her thoughts about her fight with Jeremy, and turned to Jack. He raised his hand to her tears that had spilled over anyway, and wiped them off of her face. "Are you serious? You aren't just kidding around are you? Because you aren't exactly who springs to mind when I think holly jolly Christmas."

  "Do you want a Santa or not? Because it looks like I’m the only one offering," he said gruffly. His tenderness betrayed him though as he stroked her wet cheek.

  "But we just figured out a way to make you money this season, you'll have to close shop on the weekends," she said.

  "No." He dropped his hand from her face and cleared his throat. "Eli is helping me out, and Santa's workshop is just three times a week during the daytime right? I won't be away from the bar that much. Besides, I owe you for the permit idea."

  "Thank you! Thank you!" Molly was so excited she leapt and threw her arms around Jack's broad shoulders. "It's just like when Scrooge brought food to the Cratchit family!"

  Jack laughed. "Am I really that terrible?"

  They seemed to be lost in a moment, away from Jeremy, away from prom, away from the sadness that had enveloped them the past ten years. He put his arms around her and lifted her up returning her hug. He squeezed so hard, but she felt secure, not threatened. Nothing bad could ever happen to her if Jack just always held her like this. She could smell her lavender shampoo as it merged with his own woodsy soap.

  Molly rested her cheek against Jack's, feeling the scruffy stubble on his face as against her chin, softer than she imagined it would be. He slowly lowered her back to the ground, but did not let go. Neither did she.

  Molly leaned her head back but did not pull her body away. She looked up at him until he met her eyes. She said quieter this time, "Thank you."

  Relief washed over her as she realized she would not have to beg anyone to be Santa to her Mrs. Clause. Her heart soared in the joy she felt knowing she would get to spend so much time with Jack over the next few weeks. She dropped her arms from around his neck, and let them hang loosely around her sides. He slowly let go of her, letting his hands trail along her back slowly and across the sides of her waist, before dropping them back down to his side.

  She felt herself tingle all over as his hands touched her. Without his connection on her body she felt an aching longing for his hands to be back on her. Molly wanted Jack’s hands all over her body, and she flushed as she realized she could imagine his hands trailing down her back, over her butt and to her legs. She wanted him to explore her body in a way she had never fantasized about any other man doing.

  She bit her bottom lip and watched as something primal passed through Jack’s eyes. She reached up for him, and he brought his face closer to hers. He stopped just inches away as an emotion she did not recognize slammed down over his eyes. His body tensed and he pulled himself away from her.

  "What happened?" She said hearing her voice as it came out breathless.


  "You guys had a fight, but you didn't break up did you?" He pushed the loose hair back from her face again.

  "What? Jeremy? We're through," she said.

  "So you did break up?" Jack asked stepping away from her and heading toward the door.

  "Tomorrow," she said as she tried to wrap her mind around what almost just happened.

  "I don't mess around with women who are taken," Jack said firmly. Suddenly Molly realized what had changed, why he was leaving. Jack was still mad at her for thinking he could have done those things in high school to Izzie. He still blamed Molly. Could anything she ever say make a difference?

  Jack shrugged himself back into his jacket and picked the cord up off the counter saluting her with it. "Thanks for the cord, send me over the info about what I have to do for the Santa thing."

  "Jack-" she started.

  "Good luck with Jeremy, let me know what you decide to do," he said.

  "I don't have to decide anything," she said letting the confusion seep into her voice. Had she really read the situation wrong? What about earlier today, before Jeremy got back and Jack caught her when she fell off the stool? She knew she did not imagine that. The moment in the hallway after the Dickens Council meeting. It could not have been all in her head.

  Molly walked over to the door locking it, and watched as Jack crossed the street. "He's still mad at me."

  Chapter Fourteen

  College, Fall 2007

  "Izzie, you need to go back to your dorm," Molly hissed into a yell. She looked down at the small but heavy cage she was carrying. There were four shaking bunnies inside. They were supposed to be her priority tonight. She had liberated them from the science building, and was going to meet with the rest of her animal rights group. She could not leave a drunk Izzie running across the quad in a mini skirt and tube top though.

  She had been surprised when she found Izzie out here, and at first thought the girl was on a fun night mission as well, but quickly learned that was not the case. Izzie had changed so much since leaving high school. The once happy cheerleader had started dressing in very revealing clothing and lost more weight every time Molly saw her. It was like Izzie was trying to disappear. She was depressed, and every time Molly tried to ask her about it, Izzie blew her off.