CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Raina
It was Christmas Eve day, but already the sky darkened, and while the wind died down some over the last couple of days, the rain did not. We were experiencing what the meteorologists called an “atmospheric river.”
It took us no time at all to get back into a routine—Marco, my cousins, and me.
This was technically our off-season, but there was always something to do on the property. We had wine box subscriptions to fill, orders to ship out, and regular maintenance on the property.
Naomi was our resident “handywoman” taking care of things that needed fixing. She couldn’t always do everything, but she was our go-to person before we called for an off-site professional.
At the moment, she was on her back with half her body under my kitchen sink because when I went to take out the garbage this morning, there was a giant puddle of water where I normally kept my cleaning supplies. Marco was busy upstairs playing video games with Damon, and Naomi’s son, Austin.
“I don’t think it’s the pipe,” my cousin said, scooting forward on her butt until her body was all the way out.
She almost always wore overalls of some color and variation.
Today she wore dark-green corduroy ones and a long-sleeve red top underneath.
“I think it’s the detachable nozzle up here.
” She stood up and reached for the sprayer from the faucet, turned it on, and flicked it to the shower mode instead of direct.
Water dribbled down the extendable flexible hose, then we both crouched down and, sure enough, droplets slowly formed a new puddle under the sink.
“So what do I do?” I asked her.
“You’ll need a whole new faucet system, I think. I’m sure the hardware store has some. Otherwise, we’ll have to wait and order it.”
“What do I do in the meantime? I need my kitchen sink.” Even though I wasn’t preparing our big Christmas dinner—that task was always taken on by Gabrielle—I still needed my sink.
“You can still use it,” she said, shutting off the water after she stood back up.
“Just put something underneath to catch the water. A towel, or a small bucket. And keep an eye on things. Don’t let it get too full or too wet.
This is always a shit time of year for repairs and stuff.
Crappy weather, extended closures.” Her face conveyed that she understood my frustration.
I closed the cabinet under the sink after placing a small stainless steel bowl to catch the drips. I wasn’t going to bother putting all the cleaning supplies back.
“So,” she said, wiping her hands on her pants, “haven’t had a chance to chat with you since you got back. How was your time on Wayman?”
I rolled my eyes and made my way into my living room. “You haven’t had a chance to chat with me , but I’m sure you bent Danica’s ear until she asked you to leave.”
Naomi’s green eyes glittered. She also didn’t deny it.
We sat down on opposite ends of my sofa, tucking our legs under us.
“I just find it really … ironic? Maybe that’s the word?
That of all the people in the world for you to get stranded with and have to share a room with, it would be that snack of a man, and your enemy of enemies, Jagger McEvoy. ”
I hadn’t told anybody that we also shared a bed, because the questions would be endless.
“It was fine,” I said with a dismissive headshake. “He’s not nearly as unbearable as I believed him to be in the past. He proved to be very … useful. He chopped wood for the fire when the power went out.”
Naomi rolled her lips inward, trying to stop herself from smiling. “Very ‘useful,’ hmm?”
Rolling my eyes, I basically told her to fuck off with my headshake. “Anyway, thank you for helping watch Marco in my absence. I love that we all have each other’s backs.”
“Of course. We love him and we love you. We’re fam—”
She was interrupted by a sudden knock at my door.
Besides bedroom doors, we never knocked on anybody’s front door on the property, at least not family members. Seasonal grape-picking staff was a little different. I gave my cousin a curious look as I got up from my cross-legged position on the couch and went to the door. All she did was shrug.
Unfortunately, there was no peephole or windows on the side to look through to see who was there. I had to do it the old-fashioned way and yell. “Who goes there?”
“Here goes Jagger McEvoy.”
My mouth dropped open, and I glanced at Naomi.
Her brows flew up to her hairline, and her jaw hung loose as well.
“Go away.”
“What? Why?”
I growled and glanced back at Naomi who looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “What do you want?” I asked, still not opening the door.
“I came to check to see if you have lice?”
I swung the door open faster than lightning. “Lice? Did you get lice from the B&B?”
His grin instantly made my panties damp. Damn him. “No. I just wanted to stop yelling through the door.” He glanced inside a little and waved at Naomi. “Hey, Naomi.”
All smiles, Naomi waved back, tucking a thick, curly strand of her dark hair behind her ear. “Hi, Jagger.”
I glared at him. “Not funny. What do you want?”
Still possessing that dimpled smile and those sparkling, playful eyes, he wasn’t at all discouraged by my frosty greeting. If anything, he seemed motivated by it. He lifted up a small, red gift bag. “This is for you.”
“I don’t want it.”
“Raina,” Naomi chastised. “Don’t be rude.”
“I don’t need a gift. That’s not—”
“For fuck’s sake,” Jagger rumbled, reaching forward, grabbing my hand, and pushing the handle of the bag into it. “Stop being so difficult. It’s not like it’s the fucking Hope Diamond.”
Naomi snickered.
Glaring at him, I used two hands to open the bag, first pulling out a pair of … underwear.
“What the fuck?” I growled at him.
“They’re yours before you go all weird on me.
Because we did our laundry together at the B&B, your undies got stuck by static to the inside of my sweater.
I found them today when I pulled on the sweater.
Thought your might like them back. That way you don’t go accusing me of stealing them because I’m some weird underwear thief pervert. ”
Naomi snorted. “That was very kind of you, Jagger.”
He glanced at her and nodded. “I thought so.”
There was still something else in the bag. I put the underwear—floral bikini briefs—back into the bag, and pulled out an adorable, squat little cactus plant with a sparkly red ribbon tied around the rim of the silver planter.
“I was at the grocery store earlier, saw that, and it reminded me of you,” he said, like it was no big deal or anything. The hint of embarrassment in his tone had a smile threatening one side of my mouth.
I glanced up at him.
“Strong and prickly,” he finished. “And …” he glanced into my house again, his cheeks getting pink, “cute.”
“That is the sweetest freaking thing ever,” Naomi said, swooning.
“You’re sure it’s not because I can withstand neglect and birds shitting on me?” I spat back, too flustered by his kindness and gift to say anything nice.
“ Can you withstand neglect and birds shitting on you?” he asked, that telltale charming grin still on his face, which of course brought the dimples out to play, disarm, and distract.
“Be nice, Raina,” Naomi lectured.
I shot her a glare, then quickly ushered Jagger outside, shutting the door behind me. Fuck, it was cold. I hugged my arms around my body. “What’s the meaning of this, McEvoy? We don’t give gifts to each other. We barely tolerate each other.”
He rolled his deep-blue eyes behind his round glasses.
“The meaning of this is what it is. I brought you back your underwear. I happened to see a plant that reminded me of you. Dangerous, but adorable, and figured, why the hell not? It’s Christmas Eve, we have a new truce, and maybe the little cactus who brings her own steak knife to a restaurant would appreciate a little cactus. Am I wrong?”
I held the stubby, spiky thing up. It really was adorable.
And I did love plants. Plants as gifts were my love language.
Marco always bought me plants, brought me flowers, and when he was younger, would even draw me pictures of flowers.
Even though he preferred to draw monsters, lizards, and Pokémon.
I always gave plants and flowers as gifts too.
My ire softened. “It is a very nice cactus. And I do love plants.”
“There you go,” he said, slightly exasperated. “Don’t read more into it than that.”
Was there more to it than that though? He could have just as easily not brought me my underwear and simply tossed them. I didn’t even clue in to their absence.
We stood there in awkward silence now—me cold, him shifting back and forth on his feet. “Is that it?” I asked.
Having shoved his hands into his pockets, he nodded. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“All right. Well, thanks.” My hand landed on the doorknob.
“Merry Christmas, Raina.”
I smiled at him, unable to control that little flip-flop in my belly. “Merry Christmas, McEvoy.” I headed into the house and shut the door behind me, giving Naomi a sharp glare before she opened her stupid mega-grin.
She followed me to the kitchen. “Well, that is the most precious thing in the world. Does he know your love language is plants as gifts? Did you guys talk about that?” She gasped. “Oh my god, was that part of your pillow talk ?”
I placed the cactus on my dining room windowsill among a menagerie of other happy plants and succulents. “Hello, everyone,” I said, ignoring my cousin. “You have a new friend here. I want you to all make …”
“If you don’t name that cactus ‘Jagger,’ I will never forgive you,” Naomi said, cocking her hip into the counter and crossing her arms over her chest.
I growled at her and glanced skyward for some patience. “I want you to all meet Jagger. Make him feel welcome. Let him know the watering schedule and don’t hog the sunlight. There is plenty to go around.”