Chapter Nine
Jade strolled down Main Street, watching snowflakes shimmer in the glow of the streetlights beneath an ink-black sky while shoppers flitted in and out of the many shops open late for the weekend. Volunteering and helping care for Grandma Bertie kept her busy from dawn to dusk, but the nights continued to stretch out long and sleepless.
I should have known going cold-turkey with sex would have consequences. She had foolishly given into her curiosity about Ben, and now she was paying for it.
He hadn’t called.
She stopped at a storefront window of enchanting nutcrackers. They cheered her, grounded her once again in the reason she was home: To renew, recharge, and refocus.
I’m not here to get involved with my ex-neighbor for the month.
On the move again, she hummed to the beat of “The Little Drummer Boy”, swaying her shopping bags back and forth in the frosty air. She smiled when she saw the man on the corner in red velvet and a fluffy white beard ringing a shiny gold bell. She pulled out her wallet and deposited a few bills into the red metal bucket next to him. “Have a wonderful Christmas.” The bells’ chimes and the man’s thanks added to her feeling of goodwill. She tipped her head back once more and gazed at the heavens.
And then she was falling, knocked sideways, her humming cut off by a frightened squeal. Sadie? Her shopping bags flew out of her hands, her legs tangling in the leash as the large dog double-backed. And who was at the other end cursing a blue stream that could peel paint?
Ben.
The guy she determined to avoid yet continued to bump into—and quite literally tonight.
Strong arms reached out, catching her before she smacked her head on the sidewalk. Thank God.
“Sadie. Bad girl,” he said. His eyes were filled with concern and something else, something that made her heart skip a beat. Maybe three. Burr-rum-pum-pum-pum. A girl could get lost in those evergreen depths.
“You all right?” He brushed hair out of her eyes. “You’ve got a weird look on your face.”
She blinked. “I’m fine.”
He rose.
Her world swayed as he brought her vertical with him. She looked around. “My bags.”
Ben loosened his grip around her waist but didn’t let go. “I’ll replace anything that’s wrecked.” He frowned at the dog now lying next to them on the sidewalk littered with Christmas presents then shrugged. “Guess she’s excited to see you.” He moved his hands to her shoulders and squeezed gently. “I don’t blame her.”
“If you missed me so much, why didn’t you call?” Jade pulled out of his embrace and crouched beside Sadie. “It’s okay, sweetie.” She gave the repentant creature a reassuring pat. “I wasn’t paying attention either.” She looked up at Ben, now holding her retrieved packages.
“I guess you didn’t receive my messages.”
“Uh, no.” Mom. Shit. “How about I give you my cell number?” she asked without thinking. Double shit. She rose, wiping her hands on her jeans.
“I’d like that.” He handed her the bags and picked up the leash handle. “Hungry? We were on our way to Main Street Café.”
Burr-rum-pum-pum-pum. Me and my drum. What could be more pertinent to the season than milk and cookies? She couldn’t say no. “Well, I did hear that their chocolate macadamia bars are absolute heaven.”
Ben patted Sadie and laughed. “Then what are we waiting for?”
The three of them walked to the little café at the next corner.
Jade stepped inside behind Ben and Sadie, her mouth watering from the blended aromas of coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg. She pulled off her mittens—she’d misplaced one of her gloves again—and unfastened her coat as she peeked around Ben to view the dining room on their right.
Uh oh. Almost every holiday-plaid-covered table in the room was occupied. What had she been thinking? There was sure to be a friend or two of her parents seated at one of them. She groaned, wishing for the first time in her life that she wasn’t a younger replica of her mother.
Ben turned and grinned at her. “Looks like we’re in luck.” He pointed to a table being cleared. It was a cozy, romantic spot, nestled in a corner between a window overlooking the street and the fireplace on the adjoining wall.
“Uh.”
Ben eyed her, his grin fading. “What’s wrong?”
His question gave her an idea. It was naughty not nice, but she was desperate. She couldn’t take the risk. “It’s—it’s just that, well, suddenly I’m not feeling well.” She pressed her palm to her head. “Maybe I’m a little more shaken up by that fall than I realized.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He muttered something under his breath. “I knew something wasn’t right.” He fastened his coat and shuttled her out the café’s front door, back into the night air. He peered at her. “Are you nauseous or dizzy?”
“No, it’s just a little headache. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I just want to go home.”
His voice was take-charge. “Here’s what we’ll do. The Starling Clinic is closed but we can contact the doctor on call and give him your symptoms. Worst-case scenario I’ll drive you to Lake Placid. They have an overnight ER, or at least they did last I checked.” He took out his phone and held it up as if checking the number of bars. “Are you sure you’re not dizzy?”
She put her hand on his arm. “Please don’t call anyone. I’m fine.”
“If you were fine, we’d be enjoying hot cocoa and gourmet cookies beside a crackling fire instead of standing here on the cold sidewalk.” He sighed. “But we’re not. So let’s go.” He reached out a hand.
She lifted her shopping bags. She couldn’t let him think their relationship was headed anywhere. She could understand why he’d gotten the wrong idea. She’d been as into those two kisses as he had been. She turned and began the long walk back toward her mother’s car. She paused mid-stride and winced, a sharp pain in the middle of her forehead.
Serves me right for fibbing.
Ben was by her side in an instant. “This is nonsense. I’m taking you to the ER in Lake Placid.”
She started walking again, faster now. She had to reach the car. She couldn’t let him near her or she would be consumed by curiosity once more. “No, really, I’m fine.”
“You keep saying it but you don’t look it. You’re so pale.”
She arrived at the Subaru. Thank goodness. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m feeling better already, must be the fresh air.” She took the keys from her purse.
Ben’s tone was adamant. “If you insist on driving, I’m following you. If you feel ill or dizzy at any point, pull over. I’ll be there to take care of you.”
“You’re not going to budge on this, are you?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“All right.”
He settled her in with the shopping bags before issuing his final orders. “Wait here. Oh, and give me your cell number like we talked about. I’ll call and check on you later.”
She gave him a feeble smile and nodded, giving her number to him so he could add her to his contacts. All the while, she watched the streets for signs of nosy townspeople.
“I’m going to call you now so you’ll have my number. Cell service is pretty reliable between my parents’ and my house, so we should be fine.”
He followed her home, waited until she was safely at her parents’ door before driving away.
Gigi met her at the door. “Was that Ben Stephens’ truck I saw?” her mother accused. She looked at Jade’s bags. “Did he go shopping with you?”
She closed the door. “I’m not in the mood to answer twenty questions tonight. I have a headache.” She’d just lied to a man she liked, all because of her mother’s opinion of him and her past mistakes. Both, which had nothing to do with him in particular. She walked to the coat closet. “His parents live next door.”
Gigi followed. “He wasn’t out front before you arrived, and he called here twice today, leaving messages for you.” A hand fl
ew to her throat. “Tell me you two didn’t go out.” Her voice rose. “Please tell me you aren’t seeing him.”
Jade set her shopping bags on the floor. “Of course I’m seeing him. We both volunteer with SLP.” She took off her coat and hung it into the closet, tossing her mittens in as an afterthought.
Her mother picked the mittens off the floor and handed them to her. “Why would you do that?”
“It’s not a big deal.” Jade tucked her mittens into her coat pockets. “We worked together one day. She gave her mother a quick hug. “I’m sorry for not telling you. I didn’t want you to worry. But you need to trust my judgement.” She closed the closet door and pressed a palm to her forehead. “And relay my messages.”
As expected, the request fell on deaf ears. Her mother paced, pointing at her with an accusing finger. “Jade Emily, I’ve warned you about that man already. He may mean well but I don’t trust his judgement. Look at Jeremy.”
Jade headed toward the downstairs bathroom off the kitchen. “Ben followed me home tonight because I’d fallen and wasn’t feeling well.” She stepped back. “In my opinion, those are the actions of a kind man, not one with no judgement.”
Her mother followed her, her tone turned anxious. “You’re hurt? What happened?”
Jade entered the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. “I was shopping on Main Street when Sadie accidentally—” She stopped. She was about to prove her mother’s point, but Ben hadn’t been the only one at fault. She hadn’t been watching where she was walking. She grabbed the bottle of pain reliever and popped off the lid.
A vein pulsed at Gigi’s temple. “If his dog was to blame for your fall, of course he followed you home. He knew if anything happened to you we’d sue his ass.” She handed Jade a paper cup off the shelf. “I don’t blame the dog. He should have left her home. Look what happened to you.”
“Yeah, look what happened to me,” Jade responded, sarcasm dripping off her words. She popped two pills in her mouth, and washed them down with a swig of cold water. “I’m fine. I have a headache, but it’s totally unrelated to the fall. I didn’t even hit the ground. He caught me, for goodness sake.” She lowered her voice and exhaled, walking her mother to the bottom of the stairs. “Please let’s stop the melodrama. I’m not sixteen, and I don’t agree that Ben Stephens followed me home because he was afraid of me suing.” She took a deep breath. “In fact, I believe he likes me.”
“Jade Emily, he has a girlfriend.”
She shook her head. “Not anymore.”
“Well, that’s news.” Gigi paused. “What are you going to do about it?”
Jade turned to walk up the stairs. “Nothing. I’m leaving, remember?”
Now there was a smile in her mother’s voice. “Yes, you always were smarter than Jeremy when it came to the big picture.”
In her pink-walled bedroom, Jade walked to her dresser and gazed at the stranger in her mirror. He likes me. She hates him. He wants me. She loves me. He wants to take care of me. Can I trust him? She moved to her bed and sat on the edge in the dark quiet. Nothing but the ticking of the clock on her nightstand and the muffled sound of her grandmother’s TV in the next room. It was going to be another toss-and-turn night.
The least she could do after making a total mess of the evening was to call Ben and let him know she was feeling better.
Ben unloaded the contents of his shopping bags onto his kitchen island. He stacked the new ornament boxes on the others in the living room and placed the cookbook for Mom and electronic gadget for Dad on a shelf in the hall closet then returned to the kitchen to examine his one impulse buy. According to the label, the jar’s contents should smell like evergreens and freshly fallen snow. Yeah, right. He opened the jar’s lid and sniffed. Okay, well maybe. It definitely smelled like pine mixed with spearmint.
He set the jar on the windowsill above the farmer’s sink. His ancestors had performed the very same ritual, lighting candles during the holiday season to welcome loved ones to their hearth and home. His candle in the window would have an additional purpose—to welcome weary travelers.
Or more to the point, one weary traveler in particular.
He held up the lighter and paused, looking at Sadie. “What do you think, girl? Should I do it?”
She barked and thumped her tail.
He nodded. “I agree. Can’t hurt.” As a scholar of history, Ben was cognizant of the passage of time. Life was short. He knew what he wanted and he was ready to move forward.
Jade, on the other hand, needed more time. That was painfully obvious after tonight’s debacle. He’d gone over the fall in his head again and again. She hadn’t hit her head. She wasn’t feeling well for a different reason. The lilt in her voice on the phone a few minutes ago proved his suspicion.
She had been afraid of what other people would think.
Or worse, she’s afraid of me.
He leaned forward and clicked the lighter. Flame licked out to touch the waxy wick. It sputtered and died. He clicked the lighter again. This time the flame caught and held. He stood back and watched the yellow glow reflect off the windowpane into the darkness beyond. She might not stay, but if he played this right, she might gather her courage and give their relationship a chance to grow.
Jade navigated the icy cement walkway to the church parking lot, her parents and Grandma Bertie having walked ahead after Sunday service while she finished the Nativity Pageant practice in the church hall with thirteen rowdy children.
“See you on Wednesday. Thanks for help with my lines.” Kendra, one of the seven-year-olds in Jade’s group, skipped past, holding her mother’s hand.
Jade waved to the mom and smiled at the little firecracker. “Your mom has my number if you need more help.”
The little girl giggled and looked past Jade’s shoulder. “Okay.”
Jade turned to find Ben standing behind her. “You’re in charge of the Children’s Pageant too?” His gaze roamed over her.
She unfastened the top of her coat. What was it about his voice that made her libido kick into overdrive every time he uttered a sound? They stood outside a church, of all places. “Hannah and I are co-directors. It’s fun working with the kids, plus it gives me a chance to be with Maggie and Mitch.” She kicked a chunk of ice at the edge of the walkway with the toe of her boot.
“I’m happy you’re feeling better.”
She stared at the snow.
“Would you be up to going skiing this afternoon?”
She stilled. “Aren’t the mountains crawling with tourists on weekends?”
“Not for cross-country.” He smiled. “The trails I’m thinking of are beautiful, and we’ll have them all to ourselves.”
She glanced toward the parking lot. “Where’s that?”
He explained and then added, “Bring the twins if you’d like.”
“Thanks for offering, but Mitch has hockey practice and Maggie dance.”
“Tuesday, then?”
She stuffed her cold hands into warm coat pockets. Ben made her feel alive and happy, took her mind off an uncertain future. Ah, what the heck? It was the holiday season and she deserved a little fun. They both did. “Actually, I’ll go with you today. I’ve been feeling cooped up and skiing sounds like a great activity to shake off cabin fever.”
He grinned and glanced at his phone. “Pick you up at two?”
“How about I meet you at your place? I have other errands in the evening.” She began to walk to the car.
His voice followed her. “Don’t be late.”
Chapter Ten
Ben planted his ski poles in the snow and propelled forward, using the last bit of his energy to move forward on the level trail cutting through the woods that encompassed a bulk of his property. He arrived, out of breath, at the edge of the trees, and stopped at the top of the large hill in view of his house. The sun shone there, causing the pines to cast long shadows. They had been out for at least two hours.
He bent down, his head rest
ing against his knees and fingertips brushing his skis. After a few moments, he stood and twisted around to watch Jade coming around the last bend. She was breathtakingly beautiful in her element, cheeks and nose tinged red from the cold, her mouth determined, exhaling white puffs of breath. She glided next to him, caramel eyes flashing at him, damp curly tendrils of blond framing her flushed face beneath her wool hat. “That was incredible,” she panted. “Did you see that deer peeking at us through the trees? And the red fox that crossed the trail?” She crouched down, resting her butt on the back of her skis. “I can’t even count how many rabbits I saw.” She grinned up at him.
“So I guess you never want to do this again?” he teased.
She scrunched her nose. “Oh my goodness, I could get used to this kind of exercise. I almost forget I was working so hard to keep up.” She used her poles to push herself back to a standing position. She wobbled. “Oh, wow, a little dizzy.”
He reached out and wrapped his arms, poles and all, around her, steadying her. “You okay?”
She peeked up at him. “Yeah, everything went gray for a second. I must have stood too quickly.” She moved to back away.
“Just relax here for a second.” He repositioned himself so they faced each other, her skis between his.
She glanced up with a drowsy smile. “That’s nice.”
Her body was sweet and soft against him as he rested against her silky hair. “That was quite a workout for a beginner.” He squeezed her and she snuggled closer. “You did great.”
Next thing he knew he was picking her up, bringing her face even with his and kissing those lips he couldn’t get out of his mind. So much for waiting. She was mint and heat and plunging desire, her tongue tangling languidly with his. He couldn’t get enough.
I have to stop. She needs time. This isn’t skiing. I need to let her set the pace.
He lifted his head, slowly sliding her down until her skis touched the snow again. “Feel better?”
A Light in the Window Page 7
