Chapter 14
Knox
All that’s missing is snow.
The fluttery softness of giant white flakes would have been icing on the cake of an evening that already neared perfection.
I have the ability once in a while to compartmentalize quite nicely.
I dealt with the Mike situation because it had to be done.
His behavior toward Everly boiled my blood, not to mention that I can’t have him acting the fool while stumbling around in LHS attire.
Seriously going to have to crack down on the policy about branded outerwear being for work hours only.
Rand likes the advertising, but guys like Mike could have the opposite effect.
Unpleasant business aside, the evening has been five-star. Everly is a great conversationalist, so great that every time she opens her mouth, I want to hear more. I want to learn more about her and what makes her tick.
On the subject of mouths, I want to kiss her, too.
If I weren’t driving and focusing on not to taking down any of the copious pedestrians this smalltown tree lighting has brought out like ants to spilled honey, I’d be staring at her lips and dreaming of pressing them against mine.
Sadly, Everly has to open the diner at sunup.
If not, I might have suggested finding a cozy spot to continue our conversation, or at least to seek out a neighborhood gone overboard with Christmas lights and crawl through it to extend our time together.
Her hand fills mine on the armrest, and I’m not ready to let go.
In front of the Wilkes home, I cut the engine. Gauging Everly’s openness to a goodnight kiss is tough. I think she and I are on the same page, but the last thing I want to do is push an encounter our relationship isn’t ready for.
But halfway up the sidewalk, on the fringe of the sweep of light from the glowing sconce by the door, she sways into my side, and the cold, dry air electrifies. I take both her hands and smile. She moistens her lips. Nervous gesture…or invitation?
Probably my guy brain reading things in—but I’m entranced. My fingertips skim her jaw. “Everly, may I—”
The solid wood door swings in on its hinges. “Oh, thank goodness you’re back! Knox, can you help us? Oakley is stuck in the attic!”
Everly
Mom’s frenzy brings a wave of panic, but as Knox and I trail her through the house and into the garage listening to her borderline incoherent explanation, I calm. Visions of skinny Oakley somehow wedged in the garage’s attic opening above the pull-down ladder don’t compute.
And indeed, it’s only the bulky box of Mom’s eight-foot artificial Christmas tree that’s lodged in the opening, trapping my sister behind it.
Oakley has her elbow on the box, her chin on her fist, and peers boredly over the cardboard.
Her gaze lingers on Knox in a way that makes me hope she’s not about to say something embarrassing.
“’Bout time you got back, sis.”
Mom knots her hands at her bosom. “I’m so behind with decorating, and you know your father has always helped with the tree, but this year, with him gone…I really thought Oakley and I could do it ourselves.”
“The box is wedged on something, and I can’t get it to go backward or forward now.”
“How long have you been up there?” I ask, sisterly merriment bubbling in my throat. This is far from the first fix Oakley has gotten herself into over the years.
Her phone pops into view above the box. Like a tree in the forest, the rings of tape circling it tell its age. “Fifty-two minutes.”
“Oh, my gosh, you should have called!”
“Yes, well, I didn’t want to interrupt you guys’ fun.” Sure enough, she launches an eyebrow waggle I’m going to smack her for once Knox is out of sight.
“I am indebted to your kindness, Oakley.” Knox lays one arm across his waist and executes a gentlemanly bow.
Oakley snickers. “You’re welcome. Now, if you could set me free, that would be awesome. The temperature up here is on its way down.”
He shrugs out of his coat and I take it from him. “Why don’t you scoot aside, Oakley.”
She does, while Mom flutters and jabbers about Knox hurting himself. Given the task at hand, his broad shoulders, and his solid frame, I can just about assure her that isn’t going to happen.
Firing off cautions, Mom is literally mid-instruction when the box pops into motion and is lowered to the floor. Without a break in stride, she shifts to telling mode, instructing Knox to please carry the bulky thing into the living room, like he’s the hired help or something.
Backing down the ladder, Oakley throws me an over-the-shoulder eyeroll. She folds up the contraption and raises the spring-loaded door. “Tell me about your date, sis.”
“Now?” Knox is two rooms away.
“Of course, now. I want all the deets.”
I plant my hand to my hip. “There would be more deets to tell if you hadn’t gotten yourself stuck in the attic.”
Her eyes bug. “He kissed you?”
I pinch my finger and thumb almost to touching. “This close when Mom opened the door.”
“Wow. Moving fast, isn’t he?”
I happen to know she’s got no room to talk.
“Did you learn much about him tonight?”
“Of course. We talked all night.”
“Anything specific?”
I pull my brow down at her tone. “Like what?”
“IDK. Did he tell you anything interesting about himself?” Something indefinable has infiltrated her manner, like she’s pumping for something specific.
Whatever. Oakley is always alone on her own wavelength, so I tell her about the encounter with Mike and the other guy.
“So Knox went all tough guy?” Her blonde hair skims the shoulders of her sweatshirt. “Just because some coworker was drunk?”
“Well, the guy was wearing a jacket with the company logo. Knox says it makes the rest of them look bad.”
Her cheek gets sucked into her teeth. “Still seems awfully proprietary. You know, for a lowly employee and all.”
“Maybe, but he mentioned something about knowing his boss since he was a teenager. I guess after working for the company so long he takes things personally.”
Oakley folds her arms like she’s cold, but also with a hint of attitude. “Who’s his boss?”
“A man named Cliff—who, get this, is dating Marlene.” I wiggle my eyebrows. Marlene’s never ending trail of date-ees is legendary.
Oakley’s follow-up isn’t what I expect. “Knox said this Cliff guy is his boss?”
I have a date waiting for me in the house. “This sure is a lot of questions, Oak. I need to get inside. There’s no telling what Mom is saying to him.”
Her fingers snag my coat’s cuff. “Wait a sec. Did Knox say this guy is his boss or not?”
“Cliff? Yes.” I mentally flip through my memory files. “Well…I think he said it.” I shake my head. “I can’t remember, but it’s obvious. He’s a lot older and has that air about him.”
Oakley is acting strange, weirdly obsessing over irrelevant details—and all while Knox is in my family home, alone with our mother. Seriously, that’s disaster waiting to happen.
When I’m right, I’m right. I end Oakley’s inquisition by returning to the warm house. Mom has cornered Knox beside the fireplace, where he’s set the enormous box in the open spot she cleared during our date.
“Thank you so much for getting the tree down, Knox. We were planning to set it up last weekend, but Everly was horribly grumpy last Sunday after work, so we postponed things.”
Leave it to a mother…
Knox’s grin deepens.
His hands are in his pockets as he listens to more of Mom’s ramblings. He grins and nods along as if he hasn’t a better way to spend his time.
A patch of cobwebby material tarnishes the shoulder of his coat. I get two sweeps of palm across the spot when I realize what I’m doing. Knox smiles down. Little lines crinkle with charm around his eyes.
“Um, sorry.” I flick my finger in an up-and-down motion. You picked up some attic dust…”
“Not a problem, Ev.” He flashes me a wink.
In front of my mother. Bold move, dude.
A smile holding an alarming edge tips Mom’s mouth.
“Everly, I’ve invited Knox to join us for lunch tomorrow, and then we’ll decorate the tree.
” She flits a goofy smile at my date. “We can’t decorate without Christmas music, but I did agree to allow the Kansas City game to play on mute while we work. ”
I’m floundering suddenly in an alternate universe. Tree decorating is a near sacred ritual for Mom, and she hates football. Not only that, how dare she invite my date on a…date…without asking me first?
“I’ve agreed, if it’s alright with you?” Knox’s voice contains a pleasant rumble. From what he’s said, I imagine he’s eager for any chance to get out of a boring motel room.
“Of course. Please come.”
Mom beams. “Wonderful. We’ll start at three o’clock. That’ll give you time to get home from work and get cleaned up.” She finishes off with a sniff, as if she can smell a day’s worth of diner stink on me even now.
Knox is grinning like a monkey who happened upon a banana as I take charge of the situation and guide him to the front door. Mom trails along, laboring under the misguided perception that the wrap-up of my date requires her presence.
Laying my hand on Knox’s sleeve, I turn and smile pointedly. “I’ve got it from here, Mom.”
I sigh heartily as I close the front door behind me, finally separating Knox and me from the pair in the house. “I’m sorry about my mom. You don’t have to decorate our silly tree.”
He cups my elbow, and his thumb sweeps tiny circles along my sleeve. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His thumb stills. “Unless you don’t want me to come?”
Our eyes latch, the energy zinging through the connection a two-way street. My throat is dry as I struggle to swallow. “I want you to.”
“Good.” His dimple inches out. “Because I want to.”
Okey dokey, lots of wanting going on around here. Does Knox have any idea his smile has the uncanny ability to blindside a girl with its abrupt shifting into movie star charm?
His touch at my elbow draws me closer. His gaze falls to my lips, lips that are beginning to tingle with anticipation.