Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The Christmas tree lot was well-lit. Gabby saw her mom blush noticeably. “Maybe if you ever came to church,” Dahlia said, “we might have run into each other.”
He grinned at the tartly worded retort. Then he held out his hand to Jason. “I’m Dave Langford. Thanks for helping these two lovely ladies find a tree.”
Jason rested the tree trunk on the ground and returned the handshake. “Happy to do it. You have a good selection. And a nice setup.”
Gabby held out the cash. “Seventy-five dollars for the seven-foot ones, right?”
Dave nodded. “Yep. And ten dollars from every tree is going to the town benevolence fund to pay for food baskets.”
Dahlia glanced at her daughter with a tremulous smile. Then she looked back at the man who seemed to be flirting with her. “That’s a lovely thing to do, Dave. No one should have to go hungry, especially not at the holidays.”
Gabby stepped closer to her mother, concerned. She was startled when Jason made the same instinctive move. Now they flanked the delicate woman, who was visibly shaken.
Jason touched Dahlia’s arm. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.”
Dave picked up on the odd moment. “Can I give you folks a hand? Will you be tying it on the top of your vehicle?”
Gabby shook her head. “Thanks, Mr. Dave. But you have a lot of customers. Jason’s SUV has a split back seat. We can fold down one side and slide the tree in from the rear. It won’t be a problem at all.”
“Okay.” He stepped out of the booth and stood in front of Dahlia. “Would you like to have dinner with me sometime this month?”
Perhaps he was extending this invitation in front of an audience on purpose.
Dahlia’s hands fluttered at her waist, fingers twisting. “I don’t go out much,” she said. “But thank you.”
He touched her arm lightly. “Just about anybody in this town can vouch for me. I’m harmless as a kitty cat. Think about it, Dahlia. Please.”
Another family came up to pay for a tree, and the connection was broken. Jason hoisted the tree onto his shoulder and followed the two women back to the car. The Fraser fir barely fit, but Jason was able to close the rear door.
Once again, the ride home was buffered by cheery carols.
At the house where Gabby had spent much of her formative years, they all piled inside. Fortunately, Dahlia relaxed. She chatted with Jason as he and Gabby wrestled the tree into a cast-iron stand with a water reservoir at the base.
The tree had fluffed out in the process. “You picked well, Mama,” Gabby said. “I like this one.”
Jason looked from Dahlia to her daughter and back again. “Do I need to get boxes down from the attic?”
Gabby assessed her mother’s mood. “It’s late,” she said, smiling. “We’ll wait until tomorrow to put all the ornaments on the tree. Thank you so much, Jason. I’ll call you around lunchtime maybe.”
Dahlia’s eyes widened, hearing the dismissal in her daughter’s voice. “Jason is staying here, isn’t he?”
Gabby held on to her smile. “We only have the two bedrooms. He’ll be more comfortable at a hotel.”
“My sofa is a gold-medal napping sofa.” Dahlia’s mischievous smile returned. She went to Jason and clasped his hands in hers. “I’d be honored to have you spend the night. Assuming you can cancel your reservation, of course.”
Jason hesitated. He looked at Gabby with a questioning glance.
She didn’t know what to say. This weekend was far too cozy already. If Jason walked out the door, she would have a chance to regroup. To remind herself of all the reasons she needed to keep a distance between them.
But Dahlia was having none of it. “Stay,” she urged him. “We can play a board game or watch TV.”
Gabby winced inwardly. Jason hardly seemed like the kind of man to play a board game on a Friday night. “I’d hate for you to lose your deposit,” she said. “Most places in town charge a one-night cancellation fee.”
Jason smiled at her in a way that made her knees wobbly. His sun-kissed hair gleamed. His blue eyes seduced her. “Honestly, I never got around to making a reservation.” He looked at Dahlia. “If you’re sure, Ms. Nolan, I’d love to stay here.”
Gabby started to panic. The prospect of a seminaked Jason Brightman sleeping a few feet away from her bed twisted her stomach with all sorts of feelings. None of them were negative.
Her mother was aglow with enthusiasm. “Perfect. You’re welcome to get the fire going again.”
“Mama.” Gabby exhaled. “We can do that later. And I don’t think Jason will want to sleep with the fire. Most people like a cool room at night.”
“Oh.” Dahlia nodded. “Of course.” She smiled at her visitor, the one who wasn’t related to her. “Do you enjoy Monopoly? Or gin rummy? I have Cokes and Moon Pies.”
Gabby groaned inwardly. Jason had the tough, toned body of an athlete. It was a good bet his usual diet didn’t include a lot of sugar and carbs. Even so, she saw him smile gently at her mother.
“Rummy and Moon Pies? It doesn’t get much better than that. Count me in.”
“Oh, goody.” Dahlia beamed and hurried away to the kitchen, presumably to get the table ready.
“You should go,” Gabby said. “This will be neither sophisticated nor healthy. And the sofa is lumpy. Why don’t you save yourself?”
He frowned slightly. “Are you a reverse snob, Gabby? For your information, I’ve slept on grass mats and sleeping bags out under the stars in the last eighteen months. I’ve eaten meals I couldn’t identify, and I’ve made it through not one but two bouts of food poisoning. Nothing about this evening with your mother is a problem. You’re the one who doesn’t seem to be having fun. Why is that, do you think?”
Before she could find a suitable retort, he paused just long enough and then took her face in his hands and kissed her right on the mouth. It was a tender kiss. One that wouldn’t be too embarrassing if Dahlia returned. But oh, the heat.
His lips moved on hers with confidence. She responded automatically, her lips clinging to his, her arms lifting to encircle his strong, warm neck.
Over the years, she had fantasized about kissing Jason Brightman. The reality was far better than anything she had imagined. He muttered her name under his breath and put one arm around her waist to drag her closer.
Now they were pressed together from shoulders to knees. She felt his unmistakable erection. She also noted the rapid beat of his heart. Though it might have been hers. Hard to tell. It was impossible to catch a breath.
A sound from the kitchen jerked them apart.
Jason was pale. “I didn’t know I was going to do that. I’m sorry.”
She stared at him. “Sorry for the kiss?”
“No,” he said. His laser gaze made her want to run far and fast. It had the heat and focus of a predator. “But I’m sorry I didn’t ask first.”
Gabby reached for every shred of nonchalance she could summon. “No apology necessary. It was nice.”
“Nice?” He glared at her now.
She made herself pat his impressive chest. “You’re a good kisser,” she said. “Besides, we can blame the mistletoe.”
He seemed confused until she pointed over their heads. Last Christmas, Dahlia had taped a sprig of plastic mistletoe to her living room light fixture. No one had ever removed it. The red velvet ribbon was a bit on the dilapidated side now.
“Ah.” Jason scraped both hands through his hair and removed his sweater. His shirt rode up for a moment, exposing a strip of his flat, tanned belly. He tucked the tail in quickly. “Your mother will be waiting for us. Let’s go play rummy. But I warn you, I’m good.”
The way he said those last two words made the uncomfortable heat in her midsection increase. Her thighs tightened automatically. It was impossible not to hear what he said with a sexual connotation. Had he been throwing out sexual innuendo? Or was he simply talking about a card game?
“I’m sure you are,” she muttered.
In the kitchen, Dahlia had been surprisingly efficient. Three places were set at her table. The small, rectangular piece of furniture was made of a light wood. Though it had a few scratches and dents, Gabby had always loved the beautiful antique.
Paper plates held the promised Moon Pies, and plain glass tumblers had been filled with ice and Coca-Cola. In the center of the table, a single deck of cards lay beside a note pad and pencil.
Dahlia sat down. “Come on, you two. I’m ready to play.”
Jason and Gabby joined her. After they took a few moments to sample the goodies, serious play began. Gabby liked playing games to keep her mother amused. It was soon apparent that Jason was a shark. He drew and discarded and in no time fanned his cards on the table. “I’m out,” he said.
Gabby stared at him. “You can’t even let my mother win?”
Jason smiled at the woman in question. “I’m sure Dahlia would take offense at that. Serious rummy players are very competitive.”
Dahlia nodded. “He’s right. The women at my church can get a little nasty, truth be told. But there’s nothing wrong with playing your best.”
In forty-five minutes, the game was over. Jason beat Gabby’s mom by fifty-five points. Gabby came in a distant third.
“That was so much fun,” Dahlia said, beaming. “We can play again tomorrow, but I’m off to bed.” She kissed Gabby’s cheek. “Good night, love.”
Jason heard Dahlia’s door close somewhere down the hall. He knew Gabby was feeling edgy after their kiss. Hell, he was too. Instead of flirting with her the way he wanted to, he kept his voice even. “If you’ll point me to the bedding, I’ll make up the sofa.”
“I’ll get it,” she said.
In only a moment, she met him in the living room carrying a stack that included a light blanket, two flat sheets, and a pillow already in a case.
“Here you are,” she said. “Feel free to use the hall bathroom if you want a shower. I’ll be out of there in fifteen minutes.”
And then she was gone.
The evening suddenly felt flat. Jason wondered why he had gotten himself involved in Gabby’s personal life. Ever since she told him the peanut butter story, she’d been on her guard with him. On the other hand, he genuinely liked her mother. And because he had done nothing but work on his fixer-upper for the last month, it was nice to have a change of pace.
It was impossible not to hear water running in the hall bathroom. It made him uncomfortable in more ways than one as he imagined Gabby—wet and naked—just steps away from him. His body responded to that image, and there was nothing he could do about it. He was wildly attracted to one of Cate’s best friends. If that wasn’t a recipe for disaster, he didn’t know what was.
When he heard Gabby’s bedroom door open and close, he took his own turn in the shower. The hot water was plentiful, but the bathroom was cramped and dated. One end of the shower rod was dangerously loose. Maybe he could repay Dahlia’s hospitality by fixing a few things around the property.
By the time he made it back to the living room, the well-worn sofa looked more appealing. Though he was physically tired, his mind wandered. He added a small log to the fireplace and lit a couple of matches. The room was plenty warm, but he had forgotten how nice it was to have a real fire.
He arranged the sheets and blankets and settled onto the cushions. Not bad. Unfortunately, he often slept naked in his own bed. His current attire—T-shirt and sleep pants—was too warm. But he couldn’t very well strip down in a communal room where anyone might wander in.
Finally he dozed off. It wasn’t a restful sleep. The old house creaked and popped, much like his fixer-upper. When his eyes opened for the third time, he decided he might as well not fight it. With his hands tucked behind his head, he stared at the ceiling and thought about Gabby.
What was he doing? Did he have a plan, or was he acting on impulse alone?
All he knew for sure was that he liked spending time with her. And he wanted her. That admission was disturbing, even if he was the only one who knew the truth.
He and Cate and Harry had some mending to do if their relationship was to survive for the long haul. Gabby had witnessed Jason’s worst moment. Even if she professed to forgive him for hurting her friend, she most probably had unresolved feelings toward him, and not the good kind.
Why was he inserting himself into her life?
Without warning, the object of his thoughts appeared. She wore a gray sweater over a white cotton nightie. Her feet were bare. She stood on the opposite side of the coffee table and faced him, her arms crossed over her chest. “I could hear you moving around. You aren’t asleep,” she said.
He sat up and yawned. “Nope.”
“You should have gone to a hotel. That sofa is a mess.”
“No,” he said. “It’s not bad. Do I make you uncomfortable? Why did you try so hard to kick me out?”
Gabby stared at him, looking vulnerable and beautiful and wary. He ached with lust that disturbed him.
When she didn’t answer, he repeated his question. “Why did you want me to go to a motel?”
Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath and then exhaled. “Because I didn’t want to do this.” She sat down beside him, took his face in her hands, and kissed him.
His brain struggled to catch up. But his body was faster. She smelled like lavender and sunshine. Her skin was incredibly soft. He tried to take charge of the kiss, but Gabby was a woman on a mission.
She slid a hand under his T-shirt and found the plane of his chest. “You are a beautiful man,” she whispered.
He cupped one of her bare breasts, caressing it through a thin layer of cloth. “Should we be doing this?” he groaned. He was hard already, so hard. And he was ninety percent sure there would be no second act.
Gabby whimpered when he rubbed her nipple.
With everything he had, he wanted to strip her naked and mount her on this dreadful sofa. The driving urge nearly pushed him over the edge.
At the last moment, though, his shredded self-control reminded him that if he wanted Gabby, he had to play the long game. This relationship was already complicated because of the past. If he botched the present, there would be no future.
He put his hands on her waist and eased her away from him. “I can’t screw you on your mother’s couch,” he said bluntly.
She blinked at him. Her hair was mussed, and her cheeks were red. It could have been heat from the fire, but he had a hunch she felt the same burning need that threatened to turn him into a selfish monster.
“I have a bedroom...”
The words came out as a soft whisper, but he could see on her face that she didn’t really mean them as a serious invitation. The little house had thin walls. They had already taken a dangerous chance. Neither of them was ready to explain this insanity to Dahlia. He knew that much without asking.
He brushed a thumb across her cheekbone. “All evidence to the contrary,” he said gruffly, “I do respect both you and your mother. I would never do anything to cause problems. As much as I want you, Gabby, I can wait.”
“Wait for what?” The confusion and yearning on her face nearly did him in.
He cleared his throat. It was dry and sandpapery. “I suppose I lied to you when I said I wanted friendship.”
“You did?” She frowned.
“Yes. Though not intentionally. At first, I thought you and I could hang out platonically. But now...”
“But now what?”
He shifted sideways so he could better see her face. Plus, it extended the no-go zone between them. “May I ask you a question?”
“Of course,” she said. But she looked suspicious.
“Do you remember that I asked you out one time—soon after we all arrived at UGA? Cate and I weren’t dating yet. You were my lab partner in an entry-level chemistry class. I thought you were fascinating. And incredibly smart. But you turned me down.” He grimaced. “I know this may sound like conceited-jock-speak, but I was shocked and a little hurt. So I never asked again. Though I’ve always wondered why you didn’t say yes. Given what just happened on this sofa, I’m even more curious. Why did you say no all those years ago?”
Gabby stared at him, her face even redder now. Her expression was mortified and aghast. “I didn’t know you remembered that day,” she muttered.
“I remember,” he said firmly.
She got to her feet and paced the confines of the living room. Her steps couldn’t take her far. “At that point in my life, Jason, I had never even been out on a date. Not one. So I was scared to death when you asked me. Even as young as you were, you already had a reputation on campus at UGA. You were one of the popular kids.”
He bristled. “That’s bullshit.”
“No,” she said carefully. “You know it’s true. Cate went out of her way to get me into Zeta Zeta Pi and make sure I was a part of things. But inside, I was still the bashful, dirt-poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks in Blossom Branch. You were a shiny meteor streaking across the sky. I thought you’d made a bet probably. With some of your friends. To see if you could date the weird kid. I had no self-esteem at all. Well, in academics, a little. But none when it came to my femininity.”
He shook his head slowly. “I had no idea. I’m sorry, Gabby. I should have asked again. When you’d had a chance to spread your wings.”
Her shoulders lifted and fell. “At eighteen, I was so backward emotionally. Maybe you didn’t know this—Cate and Leah and I weren’t really friends in elementary school. Our lives were too different. But when we all three ended up at UGA, we bonded during freshman orientation over our Blossom Branch connection. I had all my issues, and Leah was so dreadfully shy. Cate saved us. Literally. We never would have been so happy in college if she hadn’t taken us under her wing.”
“She’s an incredible person,” Jason said quietly. Once again, he felt the lash of regret. Even knowing that everything had turned out for the best, the burden of guilt was heavy.
“We should get some sleep,” Gabby said.
He stood as well. “Where does this leave us?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t had much experience with healthy adult relationships. I always assumed I’d be single and happy.”
“With a cat?” He grinned despite their heavy discussion.
“A dog,” she said firmly. “Maybe a basset hound. I love their morose disdain for life. A pet like that wouldn’t expect much from me.”
“Ah.” He rolled his shoulders. “For what it’s worth, I don’t have much depth in the relationship department either. My parents have been unhappily wed for decades, and you know how my one engagement turned out.”
“So you’ll travel the globe, footloose and fancy-free?”
“Traveling the globe palls with no place to come home to...or no one,” he said. “I’ve discovered that already. Besides, I’ve been rethinking the nomadic lifestyle. It may not be what I want after all.”
“I see...”
He took three steps and pulled her into his arms, the top of her head tucked beneath his chin. “We could use each other for practice,” he said.
She chuckled against his chest. “That’s depressing as hell. You’re assuming we’ll crash and burn, and you’re not wrong.”
“Or something extraordinary might happen.” He stroked her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. “We might beat the odds.”
“I told Cate and Leah years ago that a woman should look out for herself and not depend on a man to save her.”
“What if we save each other?” he asked, deadly serious and hovering on a knife-edge between hope and despair.
She tugged free of his embrace so she could see his face. “Could we keep it a secret? Seeing each other, I mean. That way, if it fizzles out, no one will feel sorry for us.”
He saw from her eyes that she was making a serious suggestion. But he wasn’t willing to hide. He’d done enough of that in the last eighteen months, metaphorically at least. “I don’t think so, Gabby,” he said. “We’re two grown-ass adults. It’s the holiday season. If ever there was a time for hope and new beginnings, this is it.”
She studied his face. “Can I think about it?” she asked. “I’m not being coy. I’ve always been the kind of person to make lists of pros and cons. To mull things over. This is important to me.”
“It’s important to me, too.”
“I’ll be your friend, no matter what,” she said.
Jason shook his head slowly. “I don’t think I can do that. When I saw you in that coffee shop, something happened to me. I thought we could be friends. I wanted that at the very least. But now I don’t think it would work. Apparently this is going to be all or nothing.”
She rolled her lips inward, staring at him with a look that was equal parts hope and resignation. “No pressure,” she said. “Are you sure about that?”
He locked his hands behind his neck, stretching his back and spine to relieve the tension. “I nearly took you right there on the sofa. It was a close call, Gabby. And you feel it, too, or you would never have left your bedroom.”
She smiled at him faintly. “Fair point.”
“Go,” he said starkly. “Get out of here.”
“One more kiss?” she whispered.
The naked yearning on her face echoed in his gut. “One kiss.” He would have given her anything, but perhaps it was best she didn’t know that. Not yet.
When he dropped his arms, she curled her fingers in his and leaned in to meet him halfway. Their lips met, and the world stood still. Jason could hear his heart beating in his ears. The scent of woodsmoke and evergreens was a powerful aphrodisiac. Maybe the evocative smells reminded him of a boy’s excitement on Christmas Eve.
Was he so desperate for her because of his long dry spell? Or did Gabby give him something no one else ever had?
She broke the kiss first and stepped back. “Good night, Jason.”
And then she was gone.