by Kimi Flores
My gulp could be heard from a mile away. I stood up straight and backed out of the closet. “It’s up in the master bedroom.”
Nonchalantly, she followed me out, shut the door and began to make her way upstairs like we hadn’t just had a moment. Maybe we hadn’t, who the hell knew. I was so out of practice when it came to connecting with a woman I was attracted to.
Shrugging, I let her take the lead as we stepped up the stairs until we came to her open bedroom door.
“I haven't noticed a thermostat in here.” She stood in the middle of the room and surveyed the walls. “Is it in the closet in here, too?”
I gripped the bedroom door and pulled it halfway closed. “No, it’s right here.”
She got closer once more, enticing me with the same scent that seemed just as concentrated up here as it was in the closet. I glanced past her and noticed her made bed, covered in pillows. I couldn't hold my tongue. “How many of those do you actually sleep with?”
Turning her head quickly, her chestnut colored hair flipped over her shoulder and she let out a tiny giggle. “Only three, but the bed looks a lot cozier with all of those pillows on top. Sometimes before I go to sleep, I stand over the bed and do a face plant into them before throwing them off for the night.” She looked to the side and shook her head like she couldn’t believe she’d just spontaneously shared that.
I reached out and lifted her chin until she was staring at my face with a bewildered look in her eyes. “Hey, don't be embarrassed with me. I do all sorts of silly stuff to remind myself that I’m not as old as I feel sometimes.”
A sweet smile appeared when she asked, “Care to share what some of those silly things are?”
I chuckled. “Well for starters, before I came over last night, I shoved a handful of those marshmallows in my mouth and tried to whistle. Cass caught me and said I was weird, but I know she wouldn’t want me to be a stuffy old man, either.”
“Not bad.” She bent her fingers, gesturing for me to keep them coming. “Give me another one.”
Scratching my chin, I asked, “Do snow angels count?”
Tilting her head to the side, unsure, she tapped her cheek. “I don't know. I’ve never done that so I’m not sure how silly it is.”
Rubbing my hands together, I threw down a challenge, “Oh, we are definitely doing that then.”
Grimacing gleefully, she fine-tuned her pleading voice. “Give me just one more. Please?” The last word went up an octave.
I frowned playfully. “Hey, you only told me one.”
She stepped back and scrunched her lip to the side as though she was thinking. “I—no, that’s not silly.” She thought harder, but I signaled for her to tell me anyway. “Ummm—I accidentally picked up a video call when I was on the toilet the other day.”
Laughing, I lost it and bent forward, holding onto my stomach. “Well, I didn’t expect that.”
She smacked my shoulder. “It’s not that funny.”
I was shocked she’d shared such a private story, but I couldn't stop laughing. “Oh, yes it is. Who was the lucky caller?”
“My five-year-old niece, thank God. She’s constantly sneaking away with my sister’s phone, so I got out of the call by asking if her mommy knew she was calling me.” Puckering her lips, she swung her arms behind her back. “Now that I’ve shared an embarrassing story, tell me one of yours.” There was a little glint in her eye like she was anticipating my answer to her question.
I shook my head. “No way. We agreed to share silly things we do, not embarrassing stories.”
“Fine.” She stuck her lip out, pouting.
I straightened and, without thinking about it, whispered close to her face, making my point with a wink. “Unless you want me to bite that lip, you might want to pull it back in.”
She jumped back and stuttered while pointing to the thermostat. “The heat, you were going to give me heat,” she sputtered, then corrected, “I mean, show me how to get heat. You know, the floor heat.” Her cheeks were a sexy shade of red.
I would have loved to keep teasing her, but she was so flustered I figured I’d give her a break. Now that I knew I made her just as nervous as she made me, I’d have to figure out my next move. Then again, I was so out of touch with my romantic skills, I’d have to consider maybe leaving things as they are.
Pushing the same exact buttons I’d pressed downstairs, I showed her the process all over again. She stayed behind me this time and peeked over my shoulder. Once I was done, she moved further into the room until she was sitting on the corner of her bed.
The curtains behind her filtered in just enough light to catch the highlights in her hair, confirming that she was a pure vision of beauty. And she wasn’t even aware of the power she had over me.
She tugged nervously on the sleeve of her sweater. “Are you going to the basketball game next weekend?”
I had to clear my throat. “Yeah, I planned to see if you wanted to join me. How’d you hear about it?” I paused, my fingers still on the thermostat's button. “Oh wait, you just came back from the market, didn’t you? I should’ve known there was no way you wouldn’t have heard something before I had a chance to ask.”
She scooted back a bit and pulled up her legs until they were crossing her lap. “I ran into an old friend there and she asked if I was going.”
I leaned my shoulder against the wall. “Oh really? Who’s your friend?” An unwelcome feeling settled in my chest and I didn’t care for it at all. It was that same feeling you got when your best friend introduced you to their other friends. It’s not that you aren’t happy that they know other people, but you wonder where you rank in their world if they have options to hang out with anyone besides you. Which was all completely ridiculous. I was a grown man; I wasn’t in high school anymore.
“Jaime Anderson.”
“Hmmm. I don’t think I’ve met her, which is weird since there aren’t many employees there.” As I was trying to figure out who the friend was, pieces started clicking together and I snapped my fingers. “Wait, Jaime Williams is the manager, could it be her?”
“Probably. I didn’t even check to see if she was still single.” Scratching her head, she seemed to chastise herself for not asking about her friend’s marital status.
“She’s really nice. Cass and Jaime have struck up a friendship since Cass is at the market whenever she visits me.” I felt like such a jerk for being relieved to find out her friend was married—and a woman—who was usually preoccupied by her husband and their business, on top of her job at the market.
“When she visits? I thought she lived with you.”
I paused. What? Oh, she’s referring to my daughter. “No, she lives in Santa Rosa; that’s where my kids were raised and the location of our office.” Moving the door back against the wall, I took a couple of steps into the room and shoved my hands in my pockets. “She worries about me being out here all by myself. I’ve reminded her repeatedly that you’re never alone when you live in a one stoplight town. Similar to the community we lived in Santa Rosa, everyone here keeps tabs on each other to make sure we’re all doing okay.”
Rubbing her hands on her bent knees, she said, “That’s what she told me.”
I raised an eyebrow. “She spoke to you about me?” Now I was really curious as to what my daughter had shared.
She pursed her lips, seeming to pick out what she wanted to share with me. “She only said she worried about you. But that’s pretty normal. My dad was concerned about me being out here alone when we looked at this place. Besides co-workers, I didn’t really have a lot of friends in Tucson either, though. We’d go to happy hour every so often, but other than that, I didn’t get out much so I’m used to being alone.” Her voice sounded hollow, void of any real emotion as she talked about going out with coworkers.
Part of me was surprised about that because she seemed to enjoy the time she’d spent with Cass and I, but when I thought about how guarded she’d been initially, her statement made sen
se. Most people wouldn’t bother putting in the effort to get past someone else’s barriers. I hoped she didn’t mind, but her time alone was about to change.
“Well, once it starts really snowing, we won’t be getting out much either.” With a flirty smile, at least I hoped it was, and a wink, I added, “Good thing we have each other now, huh?”
My favorite shade of red blanketed her face as she got up, walked past me with a shy smile and offered, “How about some lunch?”
Intrigued by her change of subject, I followed her downstairs and into the kitchen.
She pulled her freezer door open to expose its contents. “I hope you don’t mind frozen food, because I am no chef.”
I wasn’t a chef either, but was she kidding? I hadn’t eaten some of those things since I was a teen, and even then they’d been only to tide me over after school and before dinner.
The last thing I wanted to do was insult her, but I had a much better idea. “Actually, Cass left a bunch of food behind. Why don’t we eat that up before it goes bad?” I hoped she’d agree because there was no way I’d turn down a lunch invite from her, but I really didn’t want to eat frozen burritos smothered in canned chili and topped with processed cheese.
“What do you usually eat when Cass doesn’t leave leftovers?” She closed the door, and I was relieved we were not going to be dipping into her frozen stockpile.
“Lots of pasta and I grill killer burgers when the weather permits.”
She walked over to wipe the ice from the freezer off her hands and toss the towel in the sink before turning to me with a megawatt smile. “Then I’ll look forward to one of those burgers. But for now, I don’t have the willpower to refuse that girl's mouthwatering food, and this time we can eat it without the ambiance Duke created.”
Smiling to myself, I led us out of her house and up my front steps. Besides her frozen feast, I had no will power to turn down anything she’d offer me right now.
Chapter Seven
Tess
“Damn, look at how far these are from the rec center.” Elliott pointed to the line of parked cars along the street. “Sorry, I should’ve suggested we leave sooner.” He winced over to me. “Would you like me to drop you off at the entrance or do you mind taking the hike with me?”
“I don’t mind walking.” I watched the approval in his eyes, like I’d given him the answer he’d hoped for.
Pulling up to the curb, he peeked out the window. “Are you sure? We’ll probably get rained on either walking there or on the way back.” Well, he was a gentleman, I’d give him that, but I didn’t need him going anymore out of his way for me than he already had.
“I’m sure. It might be fun walking in the rain, jumping in puddles with my new boots.” Between job hunting and spending my late afternoons and evenings with Elliott this past week, I’d gone shopping for a few warmer items with Jaime. My feet were nice and toasty in my new boots.
“Another silly thing to add to our list?”
I suddenly felt all warm and fuzzy about him saying ‘our’ list. “Exactly.”
Once out of his truck, our feet squished along the soggy grass until we got to the rec center. Scanning the inside, I observed, “You weren’t kidding. It looks like the entire town showed up—and that Christmas exploded in here.”
A mixture of cinnamon, apple cider, caramel, and pine filled the large space as holiday music played in the background. Several lit Christmas trees lined three of the four walls, while ornaments and wreaths hung from the ceiling with fishing line. Craft and food booths filled every bare spot along the last wall. And there were different styles of garland strung all over the room.
“Did Santa and his elves come in and puke Christmas spirit all over this room?” The question slipped past my filter before I could stop it, but this was a bit much.
He laughed, “Yeah, they go a little overboard on the decorations. If everything’s the same as last year, the trees, garland and anything hanging from the ceiling, as well as all the items on that back table, are all part of the auction.” He pointed to a large area behind the last booth. “You write down your bid and if you win, the items will be delivered to your house tomorrow and all you have to do is hand over a check. There are also plenty of things for sale and since most Hope Falls’ merchants participate, I say it’s the easiest way to get your Christmas shopping done.”
Driving through town this past week, listening to classic Christmas tunes, I’d slowly begun to get into the holiday spirit, but I still hadn’t put up any decorations. Something about being in this place made me sad that my home was still so plain. Even if it was just me, I was home all the time now. Why couldn’t I add some Christmas cheer?
I scanned the room, making a mental note of everything I wanted to bid on, when my eyes landed on the most beautiful wreath I’d ever seen. Evergreen limbs were shaped around a wire ring, poinsettia blooms mixed with small pinecones and holly berries placed strategically to bring out the subtle greens and reds brilliantly. With a plaid brown bow on the bottom, it would match flawlessly with the living room decor.
“That would be perfect above my fireplace.” I pointed to another wreath, but that one was a little more fun and looked like it was made of white mesh, red wire and red shiny balls with a pom pom on top in the shape of Santa’s hat. “I definitely want that for my front door.”
“Well, let’s go put in a bid then, but be warned.” His voice dropped to a discreet volume, and I almost felt like we were co-conspirators. “There are a bunch of women here who wait until the last minute so they can outbid everyone else like it’s a competition. I helped out at one of the bingo nights last year, but the competitive nature of some women in this town almost caused us to call in the National Guard,” he snickered. “Who knew a gallon jar of change was worth causing a riot? A word of advice, don't say B9 out loud and you’ll be safe.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his comical expression.
We found the sheet and I added an additional fifty bucks to the last bid on the larger wreath, then crossed my fingers that I’d get it. Scanning the sheet, I added my name to several other items, including the Santa wreath, one of the Christmas trees that already had lights strung through it and a few ornaments.
Putting the clipboard down with a grin, I rubbed my hands together, “Okay, I’m done.”
I caught Elliott leaning in talking to the girl behind the table and something stabbed in my chest when she giggled in return. He turned his head as she whispered in his ear and he nodded.
Why was my gut suddenly twisting? Of course she was flirting with him. He was handsome, sweet and extremely friendly, and we were only friends—right?
“Finished?” he asked, seeming to finally realize I was just standing there staring at them.
“Yep. All done,” I huffed, hating that I wasn’t able to hide my annoyance. At least he didn’t seem to notice.
“Great,” he said enthusiastically, “let’s get in line now before Sue Ann runs out of those pot pies.” He pulled my elbow until we were standing in line behind a woman with an obnoxious Santa hat with lights that blinked off and on. If she turned around and was wearing a lite up Rudolph's nose, I wouldn’t be responsible for my reaction.
Man, I really did need to reel in my irritation, but then every Christmas needed a Scrooge.
“Everything alright?” Elliott asked, looking confused about my sudden mood change.
“Yeah, just hungry.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “All of the sweetness in the air is making me feel a bit off. Once I get some real food, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” I glanced over to the girl again and saw her flirting with the next guy.
Elliott seemed to notice where I was looking and said, “That girl. If I was her father, I’d be sitting by the front door with my shotgun.”
“Hmm?” I turned my attention away from her, suddenly all ears. “What do you mean?”
“She’s a sweet girl, but she flirts way too much and gives guys around here the wrong idea
.” He shook his head disapprovingly.
“Really? You didn’t seem to mind a minute ago,” I muttered, the sarcasm dripping from my words.
He snickered, “You’re kidding, right? She’s younger than my oldest daughter.” Now he directed his disapproving look at me. “I’m beginning to question what sort of impression you have of me because, I’m not that guy.”
Maybe I’d misread his friendliness with her, but besides that, why did I care? “I’m sorry,” I said apologetically. “I know you aren’t that kind of man. I’m just trying to adjust to things here.” I put my hand on his arm and gave him a small smile. “Have you ever seen that show where they lock a bunch of people in a house for three months? Each week someone is evicted and everyone is always watching over their shoulder for a blindside. The house is full of lies, betrayals and disappointment and they call that game play. Well, that’s how this feels, like I’d just been evicted from a place I had to watch my back in, then I’m thrown into society with the expectation that I should fit right in immediately. I just need time to find my place.” Holding out my pinky finger, I smiled and wiggled it. “I pinky swear to never doubt your honor from this point forward. Deal?”
Holding his up, he amended, “And pinky swear to take all of my advice, and allow me to teach you how to make the perfect snow angel.”
I closed one eye and gave him a coy look. “Well, not all your advice. I’ve got some wisdom myself, you know.”
His eyes became soft. “I don’t doubt it.” We shook our connected fingers up then down before letting go.
By the time it was our turn to order our food, I was salivating. The aroma was almost too much.
There were two women behind the table ready to wait on us. The one woman that I recognized as Sue Ann, beamed with excitement as she said, “Well, hey there, Elliott. What can I get ya tonight? Turkey, chicken, beef or veggie?”
