Winter Wishes

by Fern Michaels

  For one, he probably missed this part during the holidays. No doubt he and his wife had shared things together, like picking out a tree and having a Christmas dinner or going to parties.

  Second, he didn’t hesitate to jump in and try to make her holiday brighter. He knew she’d lost her father and she figured Knox didn’t want her to feel alone during this time of year. He was already a friend—that most important title he assured her was all they could be. She could honestly use more friends like him; she just wished she didn’t fantasize about kissing him so much.

  Surely this guy had a flaw. Could someone seriously be this attractive and this giving? It was such a shame he wasn’t looking for more and their past wasn’t so confusing and delicate. What was the protocol here? She was completely out of her element and she figured Knox was as well.

  Ruby would love to see him again, and maybe see if anything could progress beyond a friendship. But even if he was looking to date seriously again, most likely he wouldn’t want to get serious with the woman who had cared for his late wife.

  Friends might be the best zone for them to stay in, especially considering he wasn’t staying in Haven. Ruby had never gotten involved with a patient before, or the family member of one. Now was not the time to start.

  “Sorry about the mess,” Knox stated as he continued to unwrap items from the totes. Ornaments and tissue lay on nearly every stationary surface and littered the floor. “I’ll pick everything up when I’m done.”

  Ruby gently placed the cutouts on another cookie sheet. “Don’t worry about it. One of my dates had to clear all the empty beer cans off his couch when he invited me to dinner. He hadn’t told me dinner was at his house and he was making me a frozen pizza.”

  With ornament in hand, Knox stilled. “You’re kidding.”

  “Oh, I so wish I was. I’ve had some dandies and they all wonder why I don’t go for date number two.”

  Knox stepped over the tissue to hang another ornament on the tree. Then he walked around to the side and bent down to plug the lights in. Instantly the room was illuminated, and between that, the aromas filling the house, and the music he’d obviously switched to, it was starting to feel like Christmas . . . just like before. She had missed her house feeling cozy and the promise of Christmas joyfulness. Having Knox here was almost too much, like life was showing her what she could have . . . but not right now and not with this man.

  For the time being, she wasn’t sad, she wasn’t worrying about how she’d get through this first holiday with no family. She decided to stay in this moment because this was exactly what she needed.

  “Just how many bad dates have you had?” he asked, reaching into the tote.

  Ruby laughed and wiped her hands on her apron. “You don’t have that much time on your hands. Let’s just say I’m going to be alone if all that’s out there is guys who expect me to pay for their dinners, guys who wear their best NASCAR T-shirts on a first date, or guys that expect me to be the dessert when they can’t even get my name right.”

  Knox propped his hands on his hips. “What kind of people do you agree to go out with? And who are the so-called friends setting you up?”

  With a laugh, Ruby circled the island and opened another tote. “Oh, I’ve started screening heavily now. Which is why I hadn’t been on a date in months before you. Trust me, Jax was threatened within an inch of his life if you turned out to be a troll.”

  Knox flashed that dimpled grin. “And is he safe? Have I proved I’m not a troll?”

  Ruby cocked her head and grinned. “You’re not too bad. If you hang that wreath on my door, I’ll give you an extra cookie and see if Jax will deduct some on the rental of your monthly hangar fee.”

  “I’d put the wreath on the door anyway,” he countered, then sent her a wink that had her toes curling into the plush rug. “But I’ll take that cookie and you’re more than welcome to try to haggle that fee down.”

  While he worked on the decorations, Ruby felt it best to keep her space and finish up the dessert. It was nearing eleven and she had no idea when he was leaving, but she wasn’t ready for him to go. Even with the sexual tension and the giddiness in her belly, she wanted this night to go on forever. Even if nothing intimate came from this, she was having the best time. It had been far too long since she’d had a rush of desire like this.

  Come to think of it, she didn’t know if she’d ever been hit this hard, this fast, with the power of another man. And it just so happened to be Knox. What were the chances of that?

  Ruby was well aware Knox had thought about kissing her earlier. She’d seen that flare of interest in his eyes. But what had stopped him? Was it because she’d been Lydia’s nurse? Was it because he truly wasn’t looking for more? Maybe he only saw Ruby as a friend and had just gotten caught up in the moment.

  Ruby wasn’t one to play games or do that flirting that hinted she wanted something more. If Knox was interested in more, he’d let her know.

  But that wouldn’t stop her from wishing or wondering what his lips would feel like on hers. She was human, with needs and desires she tried to control, but sometimes she had no choice but to go along with her mind . . . her heart.

  The front door closed and Knox came back into the kitchen. “It’s getting colder out there.”

  “You’re just in time to warm up with cookies, then.”

  She grabbed a pot holder and opened the wall oven just as the timer went off. After pulling out one pan, she slid another one in and reset the timer. Hopefully these turned out better than last time she attempted her mother’s recipe, a few years ago.

  “Do I have time to ice them or are they going straight to your mouth?”

  Knox took a seat at the counter. “I’ll make time for icing.”

  “They need to cool a little before I get them off the pan. Plus, the icing would just run off if I put it on now.”

  His gaze met hers across the counter. That penetrating stare from those striking blue eyes had her feeling way too much, when there was obviously nowhere this could go. He’d made that clear.

  Why, why, why did he have to have such power over her emotions? And how was he able to do such things when he’d not done a single thing?

  “Dance with me while we wait.”

  His request caught her off guard. “Excuse me?”

  Knox came to his feet and rounded the island, coming within a breath of her. “Dance with me. We’re still on our date.”

  Ruby stared up at him, more than ready to have his hands on her, his arms around her. “To Christmas music?”

  “It’s a slow song and just instrumental. We’ve got the time, right?”

  Who was she to say no to a hunky guy asking her to dance in her kitchen? This was by far the best blind date, or any date for that matter, that she’d ever had.

  But, didn’t dancing in the kitchen barefoot resemble something utterly intimate and . . . well, sexy? Because she was feeling like they were pushing the envelope of this friend zone and about to bust into the next level.

  Pulling in a breath, Ruby reached out and wrapped her arm around his waist as he clasped her other hand in his. The second they were torso to torso, every single nerve ending in her sizzled. As corny and ridiculous as that sounded, there was no other way to describe the sensations spiraling through her.

  Knox’s large hand covered her back, making her feel feminine and protected. There was something so attractive about a man who possessed such power without throwing it around and shoving it in your face. Or maybe she found him so alluring because he was showing her with his giving actions just how good a man could be. He was proving to her that good guys still existed.

  But he wasn’t for her.

  “We didn’t get to dance at the restaurant, either,” he murmured, his breath falling on her cheek. “I feel like I owe you another date.”

  Ruby was so glad he couldn’t see her face because she was positive her smile was utterly ridiculous. After a moment, she eased her head back to look
him in the eye as they continued to sway.

  “Are you asking me out again?”

  Knox tucked their joined hands against his chest. “Would you say yes if I was asking?”

  “Is this as friends?”

  Knox’s lips thinned, the muscle in his jaw ticking. “That’s all it can be.”

  Disappointment coursed through her, but she kept her emotions hidden. “Then I’m saying yes if you’re asking.”

  A slow smile spread across his face as he continued to lead the dance. “I think this is going to be a Christmas to remember.”

  * * *

  “I’m pretty sure we cannot do any more decorating.” Ruby pulled her coat tighter around her and stared up at her house. “This is much more than I ever thought you’d do when you volunteered.”

  Knox shoved his hands in his pockets as he stood beside her, admiring their work. “Oh, there’s always more decorating. Lydia used to string garland and lights on every doorway, around every spindle, across the mantel. Basically anywhere she could. We didn’t need to use actual lights during the Christmas season.”

  “I used to be like that,” Ruby murmured, recalling just two Christmases ago. “She sounds like she was an amazing lady.”

  “She was,” Knox agreed. “It was nice to decorate again. I clearly didn’t do much of that in the Navy and, honestly, I haven’t done any since Lydia and I had our house. Our last Christmas together was in the hospital.”

  So maybe he wasn’t saving her after all; perhaps they were healing each other. This was just another step in the process of moving forward.

  “There are stores still open if you want to go get more lights or anything,” he suggested as he glanced over. “We didn’t do your back porch yet.”

  She turned and smacked his arm. “It’s one in the morning.”

  That grin he flashed her way never failed to thrill her. “And here you just thought you were getting dinner.”

  Yet she’d gotten so much more. Dinner, homemade cookies, her house decorated, a toe-curling dance, and a man that she never expected in her life.

  When she wrapped her arms around her waist, Knox pulled her against his side. The gesture was so simple, yet so intimate. They’d spent the entire evening together and now . . . well, probably they were drawing this memorable date to a close. What else could they do?

  Okay, well, there was plenty they could do, but what else could they do and still keep this friend status in line?

  Ruby turned her head slightly, inhaling that masculine scent, something woodsy from his cologne combined with the leather from his jacket.

  “Are you smelling my armpit?” he asked.

  Busted. Ruby cringed.

  “Not your armpit.” Not exactly. She couldn’t help she was shorter than him and that’s just where her face landed. “Whatever that cologne is, it’s pretty amazing.”

  Knox chuckled, his body vibrating beneath her cheek. “I didn’t realize you enjoyed it so much.”

  “I didn’t either until I snuggled you,” she laughed. “This is a little embarrassing, so let’s pretend the last ten seconds didn’t happen.”

  Knox eased back and turned to grip both her shoulders. The lights from her house illuminated his face and the bold blue of his eyes. Yeah, she never wanted him to leave, to bring their date to a close. Time seemed to stand still for them and she wanted to hold on just a little longer.

  “I don’t want to forget a second of this night,” he told her as he stepped into her. “This has been the best time I’ve had since coming home.”

  Ruby couldn’t help but laugh, probably more from nerves and arousal than actual humor. “Manual labor and having your date get a whiff of your armpit? You clearly need to get out more.”

  “I plan on it.” His hands moved to frame her face. “I’m taking you out again.”

  “Maybe to a restaurant where the fire department doesn’t have to be called,” she joked.

  His hand slid over her cheek. “Maybe I’ll just cook for you at my place. Something a little more exciting than a frozen pizza.”

  When his eyes darted to her lips, the knot in her stomach tightened. “Are you getting ready to kiss me?”

  “Thinking about it.”

  “I thought we were friends,” she murmured as he continued to close the gap between them.

  “Oh, I’m feeling friendly.”

  The next second his lips slid over hers. There was no rush, but the potency was no less powerful. Knox framed her face with his hands and completely took over every part of her with just one simple kiss.

  Simple? No. How could standing on her sidewalk in the middle of the night kissing a man she hadn’t seen in six years be simple? This night, this man couldn’t be summed up with such a tame word. Everything about this situation was complex and confusing . . . yet oh so glorious, and she didn’t care about the red flags waving around in her head. Knox was finally kissing her and she couldn’t get close enough.

  Knox shifted, his body molding against hers as he secured them even closer together. His lips continued to stroke hers as he lifted his head and changed his angle. Ruby gripped his shoulders and willingly opened for him. It had been such a long time since a man made her ache this way, made her want things she figured were never going to happen for her.

  With his hands still on her face, Knox eased back and rested his forehead against hers. Was he trying to catch his breath, too? Because she was pretty sure she didn’t breathe through that entire kiss. Not to mention the fact she needed to continue leaning on him just a moment longer, until her legs were stronger.

  “What about that friend rule?” she asked, hating that her thoughts slipped out of her mouth.

  He let out a clipped laugh as he lifted his head to look in her eyes. “I’m still not looking for anything, especially because I’m probably not staying here. It wouldn’t be fair to lead you on, but, I enjoyed our night and the kiss. I wouldn’t mind kissing you again. Is there a label for that?”

  “Confusion?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

  Knox dropped his hands to her shoulders, a much less intimate stance. “If this is too back and forth for you with the attraction and me telling you there can’t be more, I would completely understand if you don’t want to see me again.”

  Ruby shook her head, amazed he would even think such a thing. “Considering the insane dates I’ve had, I’ll take your friendship and the kisses. I’ll even take the kitchen fire.”

  Stepping back, Knox shoved his hands in his jacket pocket. “At least I rank above the guy who made a frozen pizza. My ego would be crushed if he beat me.”

  “Trust me, you rank above all the blind dates I’ve ever had.”

  “So you’re not uncomfortable considering . . .”

  Ruby crossed her arms over her chest. “I was when you first showed up, but it’s interesting how our lives circled back around. I’m glad you’re getting along so well.”

  “There was a time when I wasn’t,” he admitted, turning to look at her decorated house once again. “But, that’s a story for another time, and I’d say we both need to get to bed.”

  “Wow, you jump from friendship to a kiss to the bed.”

  Knox threw her a side eye. “Separately,” he amended. “I’m beat.”

  Ruby stifled a yawn and realized she’d been fine until just now. “So, when are you cooking for me?”

  Knox shrugged. “Later today?” he suggested with a laugh.

  “I’m off the next two days, so that works for me,” she told him as they fell in step beside each other back to the house. “What should I bring?”

  “Just yourself.” He didn’t hesitate in his response. “I’ll take care of everything.”

  She started to reach for her front door when he stepped in front of her and opened it for her, gesturing her inside.

  “I can’t get used to this,” she muttered as she went in. “Cooking me dinner, opening doors, decorating my house, and carrying heavy totes.”

  �
��You should get used to this because when I’m gone, you better expect your guy to be a gentleman or he’s not worth your time.”

  When he was gone. Yes, that reminder needed to stay in the forefront of her mind to avoid heartache on down the road. Ruby was starting to see exactly what type of gentleman was worth her time, but he wasn’t a long-term guy. Ruby settled into the notion that she was just going to have to enjoy Knox while he was here. Besides, it wasn’t like she wasn’t busy herself, right?

  But this evening only solidified the fact that she did indeed want more. She wasn’t filling the void from her family she’d lost. She had always wanted a family of her own.

  Christmas was a time for miracles . . . so who knew what the next few weeks would hold.

  Chapter Four

  Knox jogged through the park and was just about to start cooling down when he spotted a familiar woman with an unfamiliar, feisty, oversized dog by the fountain.

  His first instinct was to go to her aid, but then he started laughing. The dog jumped up, placing his bearlike paws on Ruby’s shoulders, and proceeded to lick her face like she was his very best friend.

  Crossing the paved path, Knox began laughing even harder before he reached her. Ruby’s head snapped in his direction.

  “He’s new to the shelter,” she explained, dodging the slobbery kisses. “And he’s very loving.”

  Ruby’s hands were full of chocolate fur and she seemed to love the mammoth as much as he loved her. Knox pulled in a deep breath of crisp air. He’d gotten in about ten miles and really needed to get home and shower, but suddenly he wasn’t in such a hurry. His errands could wait. Since leaving her house last night—or early this morning—he’d thought of her more than he should.

  “What’s his name?” Knox reached up to pat the dog’s head and was greeted when the dog turned to prop his paws on Knox’s shoulders.

  “Chance.” She tried to pull him away, not having much luck. “Sorry, Knox.”