by Angie Wilder
She watched his black T-shirt ride up with the action, exposing a swath of his well-toned abdomen. She could reach out and touch him there, trail her fingers under his shirt. Or dip her caress below the waistband of his jeans. They were that way now, but the idea still caused her to blush. “I cooked dinner, Thai chicken soup. It’s made with coconut milk, red curry, mushrooms, and a little lemongrass.”
“Sounds delicious and spicy. The perfect way to warm up… Or almost perfect.” He gave her a toe-curling glance that implied there were other ways to heat him up, but his stomach growled and ruined the effect.
Emma laughed, reached for his hand, and said, “Let’s get you fed.” With their fingers laced, she led him to the kitchen. “You look extra happy this evening.”
“I am. Besides coming home to you, which makes me ecstatic, the team won.”
“Congratulations.” She picked up the chef knife and began julienning the fresh basil leaves she had reserved for finishing the soup.
Evan took down two deep bowls from the cabinet and placed them on the counter. “It’s something, Em. These kids had a rough start to the season, but it’s turning around.”
She paused in her chopping to admire the joy that danced in his eyes. “You love it.”
“I do. Coaching differs from playing. I wasn’t sure if I’d be any good at the position, but it’s working out, and I like it. It’s easy to get attached to these kids.”
“Now I wish I would have gone with and cheered them on. When’s the next home game?” As the comment passed her lips, her smile faltered. Winter break started tomorrow. There would be no more games before she left, her time in Hillcrest spent.
Evan stood at the stove and looked down at the soup. “January,” he answered, and his gaze cut to hers.
Emma stepped to him. With a gentle touch she rested her palms against the sides of his face and kissed him because she could. With a brush of her lips, she tried to tell him everything she was scared to say. She didn’t want them to have an expiration date. By how he deepened the contact, Evan must have felt the same. She would savor what they had for as long as possible. In January she’d have to go back to thinking with her head, instead of her heart. Tears were inevitable. The thought put a knot in her throat. When Evan’s mouth lifted from hers, she pressed her cheek to his chest. Her voice strained when she said, “The contract for my partnership came today.”
His arms tightened around her, and he placed a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s excellent news, Em.”
She nodded. It was, but… “I still need to read through the lawyer speak to verify it’s all in order.”
“I just signed one of my own, the partnership with Ted. If you want, we can study your contract together tonight.”
“Really?” She stretched back to see his face.
He wore a soft grin, no dimple. “Absolutely. And we must have celebratory Champagne. But just a little for you. I know how silly you become when you drink. And how horny you get.” His dimple popped out.
“Evan,” she groaned his name, protesting that last indelicate remark. When he angled to the refrigerator, she smacked him on the butt.
“None of that before dinner,” he teased as he pulled out a heavy-looking wine bottle from the bottom shelf.
“Do you always keep Champagne on hand?”
“Maybe.” He winked, and continued, “It’s the holidays. Besides, most of my cabinets and the pantry are still empty, so I’m in stock-up mode. The ketchup gets lonely.”
She glanced around his massive kitchen. It would require a family to fill the place.
“When do we get to eat?” he asked and poured the bubbly. It had a flowery label, and she was certain he’d had it on hand for her.
“As soon as you decide if you’d prefer the traditional Jasmine rice or nutrient-rich cauliflower rice.” Emma pointed at two serving bowls wrapped in foil positioned over the warming zone on the stovetop.
“What’s cauliflower rice?”
“Cauliflower diced into tiny pieces posing as rice. It’s low in carbs.”
“Why?”
Emma pointed across the room to the fat double chocolate chunk cookies stacked on the cooling rack. “That’s why. I’m saving my carbohydrates for the good stuff.”
“If that’s the good stuff, what’s the soup like?”
“It’s grain-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, peanut-free—”
“Perhaps we should stick with the cookies?”
“It’s also delicious.” Emma grabbed a spoon, dipped it in the pot, and blew on the rich, creamy liquid. “Taste,” she ordered and fed him the bite.
“Mmmm, you’re right,” he said and licked a drip that landed on his chin. “Do you promise the cauliflower won’t hurt?”
She smiled and ran her thumb over the stubble on his jaw, wiping away what he missed. “How about you keep with the normal sticky rice?”
“That’s probably the polite thing to do since you went to the effort to prepare both.” Evan grinned, neatly dodging the healthy alternative. “How about I try some of yours and next time, I’ll brave the cauliflower?”
Emma nodded and spooned up the bowls. The words “next time” ached in her heart. They were living in the minute but continued looking toward a future. One that put them hundreds of miles away from each other. “Sounds like a plan,” she said and pasted on a grin. “I promise the cookies are pure butter, sugar, and all that is divine. Nobody messes with my momma’s recipe.”
“That’s my girl.” He chuckled.
She set the bowls aside and wrapped her arms around him. “I like it when you call me your girl.”
“I do too, Em. I like it a lot.”
Evan opened the store’s heavy oak door and followed Kaley inside. Hillcrest’s historic business district was done up with all the holiday trimmings. Swags of greenery and red ribbons made a festive setting for last-minute shopping. Today’s outing was more pressing than rushed presents, and a basket of soap wouldn’t do the job. Evan needed the perfect gift for Emma and advice from his sister. He glanced at Kaley’s expression as he led her into the high-end jewelry store.
She didn’t seem surprised. “This place is crowded. Is it a rule that guys have to wait until the last second to shop?” Kaley muttered and elbowed her way toward an open spot at the counter.
The Saturday before Christmas had a disproportionate number of male shoppers. Or maybe that’s the way it always was when shopping for jewelry. It was new terrain for Evan. He hadn’t crossed this threshold before, not even for the woman he’d dated for over two years. That said something about his past and his present…but what about his future? “I’m not in a hurry.” He was stressed. Em had him over his head in all the best ways. Except one. The problem called California. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. There was no good solution.
That very first morning, when Em had greeted him at the door wearing his jersey, he should have pulled her into his arms and not let her go. Emma was home for four weeks, and two had passed before he’d woken up and made his move. The last week had flown, filled with private stolen moments together. They’d done their best not to fall into each other’s arms in front of their families. Late into the night, they had talked on the phone, and when Em’s voice was heavy with sleep, he wished to hold her, snuggle her through the night. Evan felt guilty he hadn’t noticed the attraction years ago. It took Kaley’s meddling to give him the courage to pursue Emma, but now what? He went to the jewelry store, searching for an answer.
In the center of the room stood a slender Christmas tree topped with a bejeweled Eiffel tower. The irony wasn’t lost on Evan. Emma had gone to Paris with friends and returned home determined to put her heart into her career, not a relationship. But what about them? Unspoken words were in Emma’s kisses, in her touch, and the way she looked in his eyes. They were more than frisky friends. The depth of their desire was evident, whispered in a hundred little moments, like when she wiped soup from his chin, and they stood in hi
s kitchen too scared to talk about January.
Kaley leaned her hip against the counter, waiting on him. “So what are we shopping for, earrings, necklace…?”
He turned his attention away from the tree. “I’m not certain. That’s why you’re here.” He wanted a gift Emma would cherish, that let her know, without words, that she owned a piece of his heart.
“Price?”
“You advise me. I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing, I just don’t want to mess up.” Last night Emma had rested her head on his chest and said, “I like it when you call me your girl.” He’d wanted to beg her to stay. Ask her to be his.
“Bling is a sure thing.” Kaley leaned over the counter. “This necklace with the heart is pretty. Does it say too much?” She pointed at a simple gold one.
From down the line of cases, the diamonds drew his gaze. “Hearts are good.” He nodded, feeling lost. He needed Kaley’s help, so he better give her something to go on, to understand this situation that he struggled to define to himself.
“So you two are a couple?” She gave him a smug grin.
Couldn’t she see the problem? He hung his head and said, “I don’t know what we are. Yesterday, when I returned home from hockey, Emma was at my place…”
“And?”
He loved her there. To arrive home to Em dressed in those tiny yoga pants with her warm kisses, forcing cauliflower on him and cuddles night after night. “I don’t want to lose her.”
“Emma is into you, Evan. I saw you two Tuesday during the Wild game hiding your hand-holding under the popcorn bowl. I’m shocked you flew under the moms’ radar.”
He nodded. He almost wished they had gotten caught. He wanted the bigger picture.
Kaley reached toward the back row of the display. “This simple gold design Emma could put on with any outfit. This ruby one here”—she pointed—“might not match with everything, but it makes a bigger statement. If that’s what you’re getting at?”
“I’m not interested in rubies.” Not if they didn’t go with everything. He preferred a treasure she’d never take off.
“Okay. Then…?”
“It needs to symbolize how I feel. It wouldn’t be right if I told Emma how I wish she wasn’t leaving for California. To ask her to give up her dream job. But if I did tell her, do you think I would have a chance to convince her to stay? Can I compete with California?”
“Compete?”
“Em and I are…” He grappled for words and started again. “This is big, Kaley. It’s good with Emma. Better than it’s ever been.”
“Are you in love?” Kaley fixed her gaze on him.
“It’s only been one week.” He shrugged, not ready to label the sky blue, the grass green, and Emma the love of his life. “I helped Em read over the contract yesterday. The amount she’s forking over to buy into this practice, the number of zeros, I thought they were taking advantage of her until I saw the estimated return on investment.”
“Well, her cost of living is through the roof. It’s Beverly Hills after all. So if you scale the numbers against her expenses…?”
“To match her pay, I’d have to do those underwear billboard ads.”
“Hello, hockey star with the big beautiful house and padded bank account? I don’t think your situation has anything to do with income.” Kaley pointed to a necklace with a huge sapphire and lifted a brow.
Evan shook his head. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that the paperwork made it real. This partnership is top-tier, and it’s tailored to her specific wellness training. How can I compete? I’ve stalled on the clinic’s new hire because I want Emma.”
“My god, Evan.” She stared at him. “You need to tell her how you feel.”
He glanced down the counter and swept his hand out, indicating the gift options.
Kaley crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, “In words.”
“What if I’m not enough? I wasn’t for Heidi.” Except he’d never experienced the bone-deep connection to his last girlfriend that he had with Em.
“What are you talking about? Heidi didn’t want to move to Hillcrest, so you dumped her.”
Evan rubbed the back of his neck and confessed, “That was convenient timing. Truth is, when I got benched, she lost interest. She had herself a new player by the end of the season.”
“That’s terrible! And you weren’t benched, you were injured. Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“Everyone was worried enough about me. I couldn’t take any more pity.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“At the time, it was easier keeping my situation to myself.” Evan studied his sister as she placed a palm over her stomach. “I’m sorry, Kaley, I’ve been selfish today. You want to talk about your situation?” She was pregnant and lying about the baby’s father.
Kaley frowned and looked down at the curve of her belly. “Emma told?”
“She’s worried about you. We both are.” He watched Kaley twist her fingers, and he feared she was going to shut him out.
“I’m not sure that waiting to tell the father was the right decision,” Kaley said and shrugged, seeming lost. “But I couldn’t break things off with Mark while he was overseas, on a dangerous mission, and I didn’t want to start up a new relationship until that one ended. Now that he’s back on US soil, I broke it off with Mark last night. That conversation was awful, but waiting to tell the father has been breaking my heart. I plan to come clean, soon, before Emma has to return to California.”
It was hard to swallow that his sister was pregnant from a one-night fling. “If this guy—”
“Don’t worry about the baby’s dad. I don’t know how he’ll take the news, but I promise you he’s a great person. Besides, today we are focused on your relationship. Your situation is more complicated than a common pregnancy scandal.” Kaley grinned and nudged him with her elbow, trying to lighten the mood.
Relationships were complicated. It would be simpler if he weren’t in love with Emma. Evan moved in front of the display case of diamond rings.
Kaley’s eyes grew round. “What are you doing?”
“Going crazy,” Evan muttered. He had to get his head on straight before his heart won over. He ran a hand through his hair while his attention bounced from case to case. “The necklace with the diamond heart is nice…” He shifted away from the rings. “Would that get much wear?”
“Evan, you moved to the wedding display. The engagement rings! Are you ready for that?”
16
Emma knew why Evan came to assist. The two of them squeezed in every minute they had available to be together. They were living in the now.
Sunday afternoon, two days before Christmas, Kaley had the families working shoulder to shoulder in her mom’s kitchen over her fun “holiday craft,” as she’d put it, an impressive gingerbread centerpiece that Kaley planned to photograph for use as a background to her dessert menu on the catering website. Earlier, the dads had slipped out of the room to lay low in the den. As the rest of the groups’ effort wound down to the last few walls, Evan squinted at the scribble Kaley had provided as a blueprint. The gingerbread structure wasn’t the typical house, but rather a charming country church that took up the better part of the Heartley’s kitchen table. The moms continued to mix frosting while Kaley and Emma cut the final pieces of dough into the required shapes. To Emma’s surprise, Ben had shown up to help. He worked with Evan to glue the parts together with royal icing.
Emma went to stand at Evan’s side and studied the few ginger shapes that remained on the cooling rack. “Those are for the steeple.”
Their gaze met, held for a minute in a private exchange that required no words. Though there was one word that lingered on the tip of Emma’s tongue. Love.
Evan lifted two square cookie frames and held them in place. “Like this?”
She did the same, adding the other two sides of the bell tower. “Like this.” It was no accident how her fingers brushed his while Ben secure
d the sections with the frosting.
With the room’s focus on the project, Evan gave her a wink. They had honed their practice with these warm under-the-radar flirtations. Each secret look caused her heart to flutter more than the last.
She had to find an opportunity to catch Evan alone. They needed to talk. California weighed heavy on her mind. Emma wondered if he was okay with a brief holiday affair or if he wanted more. It was a lot to ask of a man’s intentions so soon. She loved him. Always. But now the feeling had blossomed into this constant tightness that filled her chest. She needed to keep strong if this romance was only for fun. If it was more, that would make a giant mess of her career. She didn’t wish to be another fool who dumped her goals for a man. In Paris, more than one of her girlfriends had claimed that mistake. But for Evan… Please don’t let this be a fling… But was there another option?
“This will be awesome, you guys!” Kaley dusted the flour off her hands as she crossed to the table. “Once the shutters and chapel doors are baked, we’ll be ready for decorative frosting and all the trimmings.”
With the sections in place, Emma lowered her hands. “The steeple makes the design. What are you going to use for the church bell? We should hang something inside this opening here.” She pointed to the hollow framed box they’d just assembled.
“Oh, I like that. I’m not sure. Something small and gold or sparkly. Maybe a heart? I chose a church to appeal to winter wedding brides.”
Emma’s momma wiped her hands on a dishtowel and said, “I have just the thing.” She slid the diamond off the ring finger of her right hand, where she wore the wedding band passed down from Great-Grandma Gains. “Use this for the picture.”
Kaley held out her palm. “Are you sure?”
“It’s Ben’s for when he’s found the right woman, but I’m positive he won’t mind.” Emma thought back to how Kaley had wondered if Mark—make that the baby’s real father—would offer her an heirloom engagement ring.
Kaley stared at Ben, her free hand passed to her belly, and her cheeks turned pink.
