Christmas Nights, Contemporary Romance (Diamond Creek, Alaska Novels Book 6)

by J. H. Croix

  He almost laughed. He didn’t want her to think all he wanted was sex, but it was hard not to think about that almost all the time with her. His body was like a tuning fork with her, attuned to everything about her. He forced himself to take a deep breath, trying to wrestle control of his body. Her leg slid against his again, sending another hot jolt of lust through him. Damn. He was in deep.

  Chapter 13

  “Danny! Back in your seat,” Janie called out.

  She watched as Danny literally bounced back into his seat from several desks over. She had to bite back a laugh. Danny was a little bundle of energy, but his good-natured attitude saved him from being an annoyance. She scanned the class, checking to make sure she had some semblance of attention from most of the students. “Okay, let’s vote on the marker color for the afternoon! Danny, you’re in charge of counting hands,” she said with a quick nod in his direction. Danny immediately wiggled his bottom in his seat and grabbed the small erase board and marker on his desk. “Hands up for red,” she announced. She quickly ran through the options for green, blue and yellow and then looked to Danny. “Okay, what’ll it be this afternoon?”

  Danny, his brown eyes alert, looked up. “Yellow and blue are tied.”

  “Okay, tie-breaker vote. Yellow?” she asked the room at large. Hands shot up. She gave Danny enough time to count and record the answer before moving on. “Blue?” Once Danny looked up, she arched a brow.

  “Blue! That’s my favorite!” Danny announced with a wiggle and a grin.

  One of her small tricks to keep kids engaged in class was her twice-daily vote on which color marker she used on the board. It was a tiny thing, but many tiny things like that helped her students feel included. She picked up her blue marker and moved onto the afternoon lessons for math and language arts. After the last bell rang and her students gathered their backpacks and scrambled out of her classroom, she sank down at her desk.

  One thing she loved about teaching was it kept her mind engaged, although today had been a day of almost constant distraction. She’d managed, but just barely, to pay attention. All day long, thoughts of Travis had feathered along the edges of her mind. The other night had almost consumed her, in more ways than one. There was the simple truth that she’d never lost herself with anyone the way she lost herself with him. It had been nothing but a blur of pure sensation and connection. Waking up beside him had been a slice of heaven she’d never imagined. She’d offered to make omelets for breakfast, and he’d surprised her by jumping in to help and demonstrating he was a more than adequate cook. He’d had to leave after an emergency call to a moose collision on the highway. She’d had her annoyances with moose over the years, but it was a first to be annoyed because they interrupted her morning with a man. Stella arrived home with Pansy in a bustle of excitement about her mini-shopping trip with her grandmother. Janie had somehow managed to collect herself and behave normally, all the while her body was still reverberating from the night with Travis.

  It was Monday now, and Travis had called twice and texted several times. He clearly seemed to get, without stating it explicitly, that ensconcing himself in her life with Stella wasn’t the simplest thing to do. Yet, he made it clear he wanted to see her. Soon. Often. She flushed straight through just thinking about the feel of him inside of her. She gave her head a quick shake and gathered the loose papers on her desk together.

  “Hey there, thought I’d find you here.”

  Janie glanced up to find Tess Winters at the doorway. “Hey Tess! What brings you here?”

  Tess was a newer friend since she’d only moved to Diamond Creek a few years ago, but they’d gotten close. She’d helped Janie organize a school fundraiser the first month she officially moved to Diamond Creek after falling head over heels in love with Nathan Winters. They’d become fast friends then. Janie appreciated Tess’s no-nonsense, practical approach to life and work, and her sly sense of humor. Tess stepped into the classroom, swinging her purse from her hand. “Oh, I had a meeting with Nancy about organizing the annual fundraiser for the music program. Seeing as the bell just rang, I figured you’d still be around.”

  Tess plunked down in a desk across from Janie’s, her petite frame looking large in the small child-size desk. She brushed a honey-brown curl out of her eyes and met Janie’s gaze. “What’s up with you? We need to get together for dinner soon.”

  “How about tonight?” Janie asked, startling herself. Her question wasn’t unusual, but she was taken aback by the urgency she felt inside. She was desperate for some feedback on the doubts rampaging through her about Travis.

  Tess pulled her phone out and quickly texted someone. She set it down on the desk with a smile. “Just texted Nathan to tell him he’s on his own for dinner. How much you wanna bet he goes over to one of his brother’s for dinner now?”

  Janie chuckled. “Not worth the bet because that’s almost a guarantee, right?”

  Tess threw her head back with a laugh. “Yup. He’s actually pretty decent around the kitchen, but he’s got two sisters-in-law who are phenomenal cooks, so it’s a win if he stops by for dinner. Anyway, let’s do an early happy hour. I’m not up for anything late because it’s too damn cold out.”

  “Me neither. Sally’s?” Janie asked, referring to a local favorite restaurant and bar.

  “Perfect. You ready or do you need a few minutes?”

  Janie slid the papers into a file folder and put them away in her desk drawer. “Ready,” she said as she stood and pulled her coat off the back of her chair.

  Tess followed her over to Sally’s, a short drive from the elementary school. With a chilly wind gusting across the parking lot, they jogged inside together, a swirl of air following them through the door. Sally’s was in an old renovated barn. The kitchen was in the center of the space with the bar and an area for live music on one side and the restaurant on the other. Janie and Tess snagged the last booth available.

  Once they were seated and had ordered drinks, Tess looked over at Janie. “What’s up? You seem, I don’t know, worried about something.”

  Janie leaned back with a sigh. “Can’t we start with some small talk?”

  Tess’s ginger eyes crinkled at the corners with her laugh. “Nope. I know you too well.”

  “Okay, fine. I’ve been seeing Travis Wilkes and I don’t know what the hell to do about it.”

  A slow smile spread across Tess’s face. “I heard you went to dinner with him, so I was wondering what was up with that. Travis is a good guy, and he’s pretty easy on the eyes. Maybe you should just relax and see what happens.”

  Janie rolled her eyes and started to reply when their waitress arrived with their drinks. After she served them and took their dinner order, Janie took a sip of her wine and glanced over at Tess again. “You know I don’t really date, so it’s kind of a thing that I’m seeing anyone. At all.”

  Tess nodded. “Right. I know you haven’t dated anyone the whole time I’ve lived here. I kept meaning to ask why, but you seemed so okay with it all that I never got around to it. Don’t suppose you could clue me in on why?”

  Janie realized that even though she and Tess were close, Tess didn’t know about her mother’s history and Janie’s painful brush with Randy’s fist. Come to think of it, she’d never really spelled out to anyone why she avoided relationships. It had been an unconscious choice at first and then after a few attempts at dating, she’d realized she didn’t think it was worth the worry and bother. Sex hadn’t been unpleasant, but it hadn’t blown her away either. Except for the other night with Travis—she was still reeling from that, little shocks rippling through her body whenever she thought about it. She looked over at Tess and gathered her thoughts.

  “It’s old an old story, which is probably why you haven’t heard it, but my mom’s boyfriend after my dad died turned out to be an abusive jerk. She didn’t manage to get away from him until he broke my jaw.” When Tess eyes widened, Janie gave a shrug. “It was awful, but I’m fine and he’s long gone.
But I guess it made me think relationships weren’t worth it. I mean, how do you know who’s worth trusting? When my mom started dating Randy, he seemed like a decent guy. By the end of it all, she barely left the house, and he hauled off and punched me for talking back. I prefer being independent to worrying about relationships.”

  Tess’s eyes were bright, but steely. “Look, nobody should have to go through that.” She paused as if considering her words. “I get it. I totally get why you might think it’s the smart choice to avoid relationships. I’m not one of those people who thinks everyone needs to pair up, but if your choice to be alone is to avoid something, then it’s not really a choice. There are no guarantees. Ever. But I can tell you Travis isn’t that guy. He’s been friends with Nathan for years. There’s all kinds of things I don’t know about him, but I’m damn sure he’s not an abusive jerk.”

  Janie stared over at Tess and absorbed her words. Intellectually, she knew Tess made sense and it was what she’d tell a friend if the situation were reversed. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, idly spinning her wineglass in her hand. “I get it and just the fact I went to dinner with Travis more than once should tell you I’m trying not to let that weird logic get in the way. I guess I just don’t know what the hell to do. All this time I was okay alone because no one ever came along and made me want more.”

  Tess arched a brow. “Aha. So that’s it. Well, I can’t talk reason to you on that,” she offered with a soft laugh. “I was half-crazy when I met Nathan. You didn’t meet me until after I got over being ridiculous over him. All I can say is hang in there. Maybe it helps if I mention I think Travis is about as worked up as you.”

  “He is?” Her heart gave a swift kick.

  At Janie’s question, Tess burst out laughing. “Oh, you have it bad!”

  Their waitress arrived, quickly served their burgers, topped off their drinks and spun away. Janie was relieved to have a moment to get her blush under control. After she had a bite of her salmon burger, she looked across the table at Tess. “So what do you mean by that?”

  Tess finished chewing and took a sip of water. “He was over at our place the other week and when I guessed you were the woman he had dinner with, he got all flustered. Nathan mentioned last week that he thought Travis was serious about you and had no idea what to do. They’re pretty tight, and you know Nathan, he’s always teasing. I’m sure he gave Travis some grief about you, and Travis must’ve gotten worked up over it.”

  Janie’s heart gave a little spin to think Travis might be as rattled as she was. She took another bite of her burger. Tess nibbled on a sweet potato fry and looked over at her, a gleam in her eyes. “So you like him. A lot,” she said flatly.

  Janie’s cheeks heated—again—before a giggle escaped. “Obviously I do. I didn’t manage to avoid dating for years without finally giving into someone I don’t like. That’s the whole problem. I like him. A lot.” Her words startled her. They were quite true—that itself was shocking for her. She’d come to value her independence and hadn’t ever considered it a form of avoidance. Maybe it wasn’t. It was just that she wasn’t used to being this drawn to a man and feeling so vulnerable inside.

  Tess finished off her burger and took a sip of water, followed by wine. “Honestly, I hadn’t thought about the two of you together, but now that I have, I’m glad to see you’re not chasing him off. Travis is one of the good guys. I don’t spend much time thinking about Nathan’s friends, but Travis is the kind of man worth waiting for. He’s nice, he’s smart, he’s a good friend, and even if he’s not my cup of tea, he’s damn sexy.” A sly smile followed her last comment.

  Janie burst out laughing before sobering. “Well, I guess I’m glad you can vouch for him.”

  Tess leaned forward. “Seriously. Maybe he hasn’t had any serious relationship I know about, but as far as the kind of friend he is, he’s rock solid. Aside from his brothers, Travis is probably the only guy I know who Nathan would call in the middle of the night if he needed something. No doubt in my mind, Travis would be there for what he needed. Plus, seeing as he’s an emergency responder, he’s super helpful in dicey situations.”

  “I know. He fished me out of the bay. That’s how this whole thing started.”

  Tess grinned. “Oh right. Forgot all about that.”

  Their waitress arrived to check on them after which the conversation moved onto less emotionally fraught territory for Janie. Later that evening, Stella sprawled on the couch with Pansy curled up beside her, and Janie fed another log into the fireplace. She stood and looked over at Stella, her heart squeezing a little. Her small family felt like a hard won battle. Stella had been so prickly and guarded at first. Yet now, several years past her adoption, it felt as if she’d always been Janie’s daughter. While Janie adored her own family, the short years with Randy in her mother’s life had made her yearn for nothing more than peace in her home. She believed Travis was trustworthy, yet she still wasn’t so sure what it might mean to let him into her life.

  Chapter 14

  “Hey Trav!” Ben called.

  Travis glanced up from where he was waiting in the cherry picker, the bucket mounted to the lift on the fire truck. The crew had been called to a fire at a residence on the far side of town. They’d arrived to find all of the residents safe, but the daughter had been crying and nearly inconsolable over her dogs trapped upstairs. He and Ben had volunteered to try to save them. The fire had started in the woodstove, which happened to be beside the stairs. As such, the only way to get upstairs to rescue the dogs was with the handy cherry picker. Travis had already crawled in and pulled one dog out. The dog in question sat panting by his feet in the cherry picker, while Ben was now returning with the other dog.

  Travis adjusted the controls on the cherry picker and eased as close as he could to the other window. Once he was within reach, he leaned over and carefully lifted the dog from Ben’s arms. As soon as he had the dog in the bucket, Ben crawled through the window and joined them. Travis silently thanked the stars for the two dogs being calm enough to make the rescue manageable. After they were lowered down, he climbed out to have Ben pass the dogs over. One by one, the dogs were set on the ground and ran straight to the little girl, two wiggling black bundles of joy. The fire had largely been put out by this point, so Travis helped the crew finish up.

  When he turned to head to the fire truck again, he stopped when he felt a small tug on his leg. He looked down to find the little girl looking up at him with wide brown eyes. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, but nothing other than joy shone in them now. “Wiggly and Squiggly say thank you,” she said solemnly.

  Travis knelt beside her and reached out to stroke his hands over the dogs, both of whom were glued to the little girl’s side. “No problem. We knew we could get them out safe, and here they are. How are you doing?” he asked, his eyes coasting over her. She was practically swallowed up in an adult’s jacket, likely borrowed from someone once the family got out safely.

  “I’m good! Daddy says we have lots of work to do before we can move back in, but no one got hurt and that’s all that matters.”

  “You’re absolutely right about that. Let’s go find your parents,” he said as he stood and held a hand out.

  A while later, he stepped into the shower at the fire station and sighed as the steaming water ran over him. He was on duty for another few hours, but he needed to wash off the grit and grime from the last fire. Janie had been dancing through his thoughts for days and sashayed into his mind just now. The other night with her had taken him places he’d never been, nor considered possible. He forced his thoughts off of her. The last thing he needed was to start fantasizing about her while he was showering at work. Moments later after he’d barely finished getting dressed and was lacing up his boots, his radio buzzed. The police were calling for the ambulance to respond to a domestic dispute. He snatched his gear and raced downstairs, climbing into the ambulance beside Ben at the last second.

  “Thought you
might miss this call,” Ben commented as he turned on the siren and sped down the highway.

  “Almost did, but I’m here,” Travis replied. “Know anything about the domestic dispute?”

  At that moment, their radios sounded in unison, first repeating the address. What came next sent a flash of anger through Travis, so raw his fists clenched unconsciously. “Police are apprehending a Randy Price. Sixty-year old Caucasian male with known history of violence and criminal record. Most recently arrested for a domestic assault in Fairbanks. Reportedly fled the area. Call came in an hour ago from his girlfriend who reports he assaulted her and locked her in the shed. Police responded and Mr. Price had an altercation with one of the officers. Both sustained injuries.”

  Travis’s chest tightened and his anger ran from cold to hot in a flash. “Let’s get there,” he said, his voice low.

  Ben glanced sideways. “On the way, pushing seventy right now, so hold tight,” he said as he rounded a curve in the highway and turned onto a winding road leading up a hillside.