by Ines Saint
Their eyes locked. Gone were the house, his brothers, and their deals. For the first time since they’d met, it was just them, and Holly wasn’t sure she wanted the space between them to be so bare. If she said she couldn’t really forgive him, they’d stay on course. Two people at odds.
“You remember that? I thought you were delirious.”
“I remember the feel of your hands on me, too.”
Unsure about where this new road they were taking would lead, she cleared her throat and looked for a way out of the intimacy. “So, that’s all you’d do, if you had five minutes to live? No praying or calling your brothers?”
“I think we’ve told enough lies during this game. If I had five minutes to live, right here, right now, alone with you, I’d kiss you again.” He let go of her hand and traced her lips with a roughened fingertip. “The way your upper lip curves up here in the corner? I’ve always had a big thing for that.”
Without thinking, she bit his roughened fingertip.
His eyes blazed, his hand snaked behind her neck, and he came down to devour her mouth. Her hands ran down his arms and she squeezed, feeling the hard muscles there and becoming even more riled up. She granted him immediate access, pulling him toward her, kissing him back with rough, forceful strokes. She moaned, he climbed on top of her, and she willingly sank into the seat, taking him down with her.
Someone honked a horn and Holly shot up, bumping her head with Dan’s. He cried out, but she ignored him and looked over his shoulder. A bunch of teenagers were in the car next to them, laughing and making smooching faces. Dan held his head, looked over at them, and began to laugh. Holly turned to hide her face from the kids, but she couldn’t help it, she laughed, too.
“This needs to stop,” she managed to say, wiping a tear from her eye. “We are not them.” She pointed to the teenagers. “No more.”
“No more,” he agreed.
CHAPTER 9
Holly informed her grandmother she’d bring Ella to her house two hours later than usual that Friday, so she could take Ella on her weekly tour next door. Though she was dying to see what Dan had accomplished in the house that week, she did not want to be alone with him after their kiss. She’d been reliving it all week, no matter how hard she tried to put it out of her mind. She told herself the memory was only getting her hot and bothered because she was so deprived. But when she tried picturing herself kissing anyone else, she knew it was the man behind the kiss that had her wanting to climb walls. Not even Frodo could get her that worked up.
Damn men who knew how to awaken the dead. The fact that she’d once disliked him with intensity didn’t help. Intensity needed an outlet, which explained the attraction. Or maybe it was a hormonal imbalance and there was some tea she could take to make it all go away.
Dan opened the door and Johnny was right behind him. She sucked in her lips in an effort to tamp down a smile. So, she wasn’t the only one who didn’t think it was wise to be alone. Dan knocked on Ella’s little purple hard hat and Ella smiled up at him.
Dan and Holly said hello without looking at each other, while Johnny picked Ella up and twirled her around a few times. “Uncle Johnny, stop!” she yelled, convulsing with laughter. Johnny put Ella down and hugged Holly to his side, dropping a quick peck on her cheek. Dan stared at them.
Ella pulled on Dan’s flannel shirt. “Mr. Amador, Mom said I’m not s’posed to bother you, but can I go to the room that was gonna be mine?”
“Sure. Call me Dan, and we’ll make it part of the tour.”
“Can I call you Uncle Dan because you’re Uncle Johnny’s brother?”
“When did you guys get all chummy?” Johnny asked.
“Dan has seen the error of his ways,” Holly explained.
“And he said her name is like a Santa elf!” Ella pointed out, as if that were the best thing about Dan.
Dan and Johnny laughed. Holly was not amused. Santa elf indeed.
The four of them went through the house, although there wasn’t much to see. The past week had mostly been behind-the-scenes work. The house was now rewired, plumbing had been fixed, and new drywall had gone up.
The room that would’ve been Ella’s didn’t hold much charm the way it was, unpainted and uncarpeted. “You have to paint it pink, with white stripes,” Ella instructed. “And Belle goes over there.” She pointed to the wall opposite the door. “Rapunzel there, and lots of shelfs there.” She pointed to the window.
“Ella, remember this won’t be your room, sweetie.”
“I know, but it looks ugly. I’m telling him how to make it pretty.”
Dan’s mouth curved up. “You’re identical to your mom in more ways than one. Do you have a binder you want to show me, too?”
They moved on to the master bedroom, which Ella and Johnny hadn’t seen.
“You took Holly’s advice?” Johnny asked, pretending to be shocked.
“How would you know?” Dan asked.
“You’re not the only one who’s been subjected to her binders.” Holly punched his arm.
“Holly and I have come to a few agreements.”
Later that evening, Holly dropped Ella off at Grandma Ruby’s and headed toward Huffy’s. When she looked down at her clothes, though, she felt less than exciting. She switched directions, went home, showered, put on fresh perfume, a long, form-fitting red sweater, a pair of tight skinny jeans, and knee-high, high-heeled boots. Her hair was always loose around her shoulders or pulled back in a ponytail, so she tried something new and held it back with barrettes. It was getting colder, so she threw a winter coat on and left.
It was a beautiful night for a stroll. Walking always gave her perspective. Bright stars and a half moon outlined almost-bare branches reaching up to a cloudless, deep blue sky. She ran into Sherry along the way. “Is that makeup?” The older woman peered into her face.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Um, well, I guess I want to feel attractive.”
“Why?”
“No specific reason,” she answered.
Sherry smiled. “Don’t stay out too long. The forecast called for early snowfall and those heels aren’t great for walking on ice. Ask Rosa, that’s how she broke her hip the first time.”
Holly sighed. Sherry was right. How stupid would she look wearing heels when the weather had called for snow? She would’ve turned back if she wasn’t almost there. “I’ll be careful,” she said.
Sherry studied her. “Please be. I don’t want you breaking anything at all,” she said before walking away.
Dan was onstage, feeling more alive inside than he had in years. Playing with his brothers had always been one of his favorite things to do in life. Playing on a small stage to a friendly, familiar crowd felt as close to home as he could get.
Maybe he could manage two visits a year. It hadn’t been too bad, so far. Just a few uncomfortable moments here and there. That was manageable.
His favorite riff came up. Rhythm and melody took over. He looked up at Sam and they shared a familiar look: if it felt this good, it sounded good.
Then she walked in. He sucked in a breath, and almost missed a cue. He snapped his head away, but he couldn’t get what he’d seen out of his head. Holly looked good enough to devour.
Holly made a concentrated effort not to look at Dan as she walked across the tavern toward a booth where Leo, Marty, Emily, and a few others were enjoying wings and beers. She said quick hellos, sat down, and finally allowed herself to look at the stage. She didn’t know why she was nervous about it, but she was.
Johnny played to the crowd, and the crowd loved his antics. Sam, as usual, dominated the stage without trying. But Dan . . .
Dan was the one she couldn’t take her eyes off. There was a quiet freedom to his performance, and it was pulling her in. “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen. It suited him. Maybe that was his recent appeal. Males in perpetual states of unrest were all she knew. It wasn’t at all what she wanted, but it was familiar.
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br /> No longer angry at him, she allowed herself to admire him. Rugged features, clear, beautiful eyes, and strong, lean body. Dan looked at her then. The room was dark and the distance between them enough to make her feel safe. He nodded once, and without really thinking about it, she mimicked him. The song ended and Sam went to say something to Dan. He looked away, and though it made no sense, it seemed symbolic he’d looked away first.
He’d flip the Craftsman, help Sam out, and leave. This attraction meant even less to him than it did to her. To him it was just another kiss. To her it was just a kiss, too, but he was only the second man she’d ever kissed. She’d remember; he’d forget.
“This is the one song we’ve always agreed on,” Johnny spoke into the mike. A few people laughed. The beginning chords of “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas came on.
Leo chuckled. “They’d fight every day after school over which song they’d practice first, and this is the only one they ever agreed on.”
“ ’Cause they were wayward and they knew it,” Marty chimed in.
“That can’t be why. They’re not that deep,” Leo said.
Holly tried to smile and join in on the fun, but she sensed Dan’s eyes on her again, and she refused to look at him this time. A few other regulars joined their booth, and the first school dance the brothers played came up. Holly listened but had nothing to add. They were her friends, but she didn’t go that far back with them.
Emily didn’t go back that far, either. Leo had brought her to live in his hometown months before Holly moved back. But Leo kept whispering in her ear, as if he were filling her in on things, and she’d then laugh along with everyone else.
The song ended and the brothers packed up. Another band began to set up, and Sam, Johnny, and Dan joined them. Johnny squeezed in next to Holly, and Dan sat across from her. She did her best not look at him and mostly succeeded. But she was aware of him.
Boy, was she aware.
Old stories were tossed around and laughter dominated the evening. Everyone was bright-eyed with fun memories. For the first time in years, Holly felt out of place. A big part of it was that she was trying too hard not to look at Dan, which meant she wasn’t acting in a natural way.
“So, why don’t you actually practice law?” Marty asked Dan after a while, when the conversation had turned to the cities where Dan had lived.
“Turns out I like the part people hate most. The grunt work. And the lawyers I partner with are good guys.”
“You know Dan never was one for the glory,” Johnny said. He said it casually, but there was a note of pride there.
Seeing him onstage with his brothers and hearing his friends talk about him with undisguised affection was a revelation. He’d said he’d had a good life and she believed it. It hit her that he had been right; she’d felt bad for him because of his mom and Marianne, but his life was about a lot more than that. The sum of all parts.
She glanced over at him and their eyes met and held. Could he sense how invested she was in the things that were being said about him? She disconnected her gaze and motioned for Johnny to move. “Well, I’ve got a long day tomorrow, guys.”
“You got all dolled up just to stay out for less than two hours?” Johnny teased.
Her face burned.
“Does this have anything to do with Ella begging for a little brother or sister? Are you on the prowl?” Leo kidded.
Holly kept her gaze fixed on the table. It wasn’t their intention to humiliate her, she knew. If Dan Amador hadn’t been sitting in front of her, she would’ve laughed both comments off with her usual honesty.
She lifted her eyes and forced a smile. “I was a little bored with my appearance and I decided to play dress-up, like Ella.” Everyone laughed and she was free to go.
“I’ve got to get going, too. Do you mind giving me a ride? I came with Johnny and my car’s at the Craftsman.” Dan looked up at her.
“Oh, I walked.”
“Do you want me to give you a ride?” Sam asked. “It’s thirty-four degrees out, and that’s at least a mile-long walk.”
“I’m no sap, I can take it,” she replied.
“Hey, you calling me a sap?” Sam asked.
Holly shrugged. “If the parka fits . . .”
Sam pretended to be wounded.
“I’ll walk you home, since I’m heading in the same direction.” Dan got up.
Holly could feel both Sam’s and Johnny’s eyes on them, but how could she refuse to walk with him if they were heading in the same direction? And how could she refuse when her body was buzzing at the prospect of being near him? She wanted to control it, but she had zero practice in this sort of self-control.
“You kids have fun.” Johnny lifted a beer in their direction.
Once their coats and gloves were on, Dan opened the door for her and they stepped outside.
“First snowfall!” Holly stuck her hands out, and tried to catch a few fat, fluffy flakes. “The weather here is so unpredictable. It’s part of the adventure.”
“You came to Dayton, Ohio, looking for adventure?” he teased.
“That’s a first.”
“I guess it depends on your definition of adventure.”
“Discovering new things,” he said.
“Did you know yesterday that it would be snowing tonight?”
He shook his head from side to side.
“And you don’t know what it’ll be like next week. Last year, we had an Indian summer. So there you go. Every moment is a new thing,” she said.
He chuckled. “Well, it looks like it’s been snowing for a while now. I’d say we’ve got at least two inches.” Dan looked down at her, his eyelashes catching a few flakes. “Can you believe I haven’t seen snow in three years?”
“You sound as if you’ve missed it.”
“I guess I have.”
Something in his voice tugged at her heart, and she looked away, glancing up at the soft, glittering snowflakes. “They look like tiny stars coming down at me.”
“Why? Do you have astigmatism or something?” he teased.
“I have an imagination. You should get one.”
He looked around. “The town always did look like it came straight out of a Dickens novel when covered in snow like this. I guess in your mind it’s covered in stars?”
“That sounds pretty.” Holly smiled to herself. She buried her gloved hands into her pockets and crossed the parking lot, Dan matching her steps. Her heels clicked on the pavement, and the occasional car swished by. They were careful not to bump arms, and they were careful not to look at each other.
The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, but the tension was palpable, and Holly didn’t understand it. They’d been fine that afternoon when they’d toured the house with Ella and Johnny, and they’d found plenty to talk about on the way home from Charleston, despite the kiss. “You, uh, looked like you were enjoying yourself onstage with your brothers,” she said.
“I was.” He looked down at her again and her insides felt squishy. His lips were chapped, but she knew they’d feel good on hers just the same. Rough, in need of warmth. She tore her gaze away.
“Why were you unhappy tonight?” he asked.
“I wasn’t unhappy. I was in a strange mood, I guess, but I wasn’t unhappy. I feel better now.” She breathed in. “It smells like Christmas, even though it’s still five weeks away.”
“It’s all these pine trees, and don’t change the subject. It was me, wasn’t it? I made you feel awkward. They teased you in front of me because they don’t see me as a stranger, but you do.”
“I wouldn’t call you a stranger. But everyone at our table tonight was either a Spinning Hills original, or married to one, and I felt a little left out. Silly, really.” She glanced over at him again. His long, black wool coat was elegant, but the man underneath looked tough. It was a great look for him. But she didn’t like the direction her thoughts kept taking.
“You look nice,” he said. The tiny compliment made he
r pulse race. She was being way too pathetic.
“You know, you didn’t have to walk me home tonight. I’m a big girl and Johnny already knows we’re good.”
“I’m walking you home because I’m heading in the same direction.”
“Do you like spending time with me?” she asked when they reached Star Springs Park, knowing it would get his hackles up. Maybe she could even get him to insult her again. It would be better for her than his current behavior. “Because I’m beginning to think you like spending time with me.”
“Do you know what snow that’s not too wet and not too dry is good for?” he asked.
She eyed him. “Don’t you dare.”
He scooped up some snow, and Holly quickly found cover behind a nearby tree, stooping to grab some snow and try and pack it as fast as she could. She waited. His footsteps stopped on the other side of the tree. She giggled and clapped her free hand over her mouth. It had been years since she’d giggled.
The sound of a boot crunching on the snow spurred her into action. She stepped away from the tree and hurled her snowball without looking. It landed on his face. She backed up and tried to get away, but he grabbed her arms and held her close, “Surrender or eat snow,” he sputtered.
Looking for a way to distract him, she focused on his warm breath. “I bet you taste like barley and hops.”
Stunned, he looked at her mouth. Her breathing picked up, and heat spread from her chest to her limbs. “I’m kidding. I only said that to distract you.”
“So you’d rather eat snow?” He lowered his head, his lips hovering over hers. Beer had never smelled so enticing.
She took a step back, afraid of how her senses were spinning out of control. “If you kiss me again, I swear I’ll tell anyone who wants to buy the Craftsman that a triple murder took place in it, and that the killer, who’s obsessed with the house, has never been found.”
“I’m not going to kiss you. We agreed that was crazy. I wanted to distract you, too, and man, did it work.” Next thing she knew, she had a snowball smashed into her mouth.
