Chapter Eleven
The days were getting colder and Zach was feeling it in his bones.
He wasn’t used to the snow and had had some close calls on black ice in both his truck and walking along the sidewalk.
He endured the good-natured ribbing from his fellow crewmates because he knew if the roles were reversed, he’d be doing the same.
“How’s the event planning with Tilly Bloom going, Langley?”
Zach turned from his locker and smiled at his fire chief. “It’s going well. I’m headed over to her place now to work on it.”
The last thing he was going to do was let his boss know they still had so much to do and it was getting closer and closer to the event.
Work had been super busy for him, so he hadn’t been able to help Tilly as much as he’d hoped, but now that Thanksgiving had passed and he wasn’t covering for the guys who wanted to spend time with family, he could return his focus to the task at hand.
“Do you think it’s going to happen?” the fire chief asked.
It took everything in him not to snap at the man, but he was the boss, and as such, yelling at him wouldn’t be good for his employment record.
“I do. Tilly is working really hard. She’s kept me informed about what she’s done, and I’ve told her what I’ve done.
I know that she got word early today that all the permits for road closures, etc. , have been approved.”
“Good. I really do want to see Tilly succeed. She’s a good person.”
“That she is, sir. I don’t want to be rude, but is there anything else you need? Because I really do need to go.”
“There is. Because the event is fast approaching, I’ve got your next two shifts covered so that you’ve got time to put all your attention into this project.”
Zach blinked. “Thank you, sir. That will be a big help. I know Tilly will be pleased to have me around more.”
A big smile spread over the fire chief’s face. “Excellent. Good to hear the both of you are getting along so well.” He gave Zach a slap on the back. “See you in ten days.”
“You will.” The man walked off and he closed the door of his locker, picked up his bag, and hoisted it over his shoulder. He was eager to get to Tilly’s to tell her she had his undivided attention for the next ten days.
Not being able to see her since the day at her house where they’d almost kissed had been hard.
The brief moments of communication between them hadn’t made up for not seeing her in person.
So many times over the intervening days, in the dark of night on his shifts, he’d thought over the moment and wondered if he should’ve done things differently and kissed her.
Each time, though, he shut his thoughts down.
His reasons for not kissing her were valid, but he knew the more time he spent with her over the next few days, resisting her was going to be harder and harder.
He reached his truck, pulled out his phone, and fired off a quick text to let her know he was on his way and that he had good news.
His phone pinged with a response from her when he was halfway down the road.
He would look at it when he got to her place.
It had only taken going to one call-out where the driver had been texting and driving for him to discipline himself to ignore his phone anytime he got in his vehicle.
The drive to Tilly’s zipped by and, given that he’d had a busy shift and hadn’t gotten much sleep, he was surprisingly energized and ready to start some serious planning.
In all their conversations, he hadn’t asked if she’d heard from his mom, and she hadn’t said anything to suggest she had. The fact that she’d seen what his mother had done and how it had affected him still amazed him. That she understood how it hurt him only showed how caring she was.
What he didn’t know was if his mom was still her main target. She hadn’t said anything to the contrary, so he assumed she still wanted Kathryn. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Well, he was at her place now, and he could ask her.
Zach smiled after he opened his messages with Tilly and saw her thumbs-up. He’d learned that sometimes when she was busy, or distracted, that was her typical response.
Pulling on his coat, he carefully made his way to her front door, only slipping once on the ice that was hidden beneath the snow.
Before he could knock on the door, it opened, and there she stood, in black leggings and a fleecy red sweater that looked like it would be incredibly soft.
His fingers itched to touch it. Even in the casual outfit, she looked stylish and festive for the season.
He jammed his hands farther into his coat pockets.
“Did you have a good trip? And where’s my postcard?”
“Huh? I haven’t been away.” She knew he’d been at work the past few days. Where was this coming from?
Tilly giggled, the sound sweet, and he wanted to hear it more. “I know, but you slipped on your way up here.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s a comedian.”
Tilly bowed. “I try. Come in before you do yourself some serious damage.”
He looked down at the porch he stood on. Not a speck of snow or ice was visible. “How could I hurt myself here?” he countered and stepped over the threshold, inhaling her musky scent as he did so.
“Well, you could’ve tripped over the step into the house. Anything is possible. I think I’ll have to call you Mr. Clumsy.”
He laughed at her teasing and sass. The yearning to come home to someone and joke around like this grew inside him. But he suspected it would only be as much fun as this if it was Tilly he was coming home to and not someone else.
Knowing it was a mistake, but not caring, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her up against his chest. “Mr. Clumsy, huh?”
Her eyes widened and her breath became choppy. This close, the gold flecks in her eyes were bright. He flicked his gaze down to her mouth and found it parted, her lips shiny from the gloss she wore.
“Tilly?” he asked in a whisper, unable to resist her any longer.
“Please.” Her response was breathy, and his body reacted to the sound, desire swarming around them like buzzing bees.
He took his time lowering his head, giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted to.
She closed the distance between them. His eyelids lowered as the sensation of her mouth on his hit him.
It was even better than he’d thought it would be.
Her lips were soft and plump, and she tasted like strawberries.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, the strands silky soft beneath his touch. Her arms closed around his neck, enabling him to change the angle of the kiss, deepening it.
After this first taste, he was addicted, and he didn’t want to give the addiction up. Everything about Tilly had him feeling alive, as if anything was possible—even repairing his relationship with his mother—maybe.
Slowly he pulled away, not wanting to break the kiss, but knowing that if he didn’t, he would start to want to do more and it was way too soon for them.
The expression on Tilly’s face was dreamy and contented, and he expected he looked the same too.
“I think I should tease you more often if that’s what happens,” Tilly said after a few seconds.
“Maybe.”
Her hair floated around her face, and he pushed it back, curling it over her ear.
As much as he tried to deny it, this was what he wanted.
He wanted to be welcomed home. Wanted to have someone special waiting for him, ready with a kiss and a hug, especially if his shift had been particularly harrowing and he needed the human connection that could heal the hurts his job brought.
She smiled up at him and took him by the hand. “Come on. I fixed you something to eat. I’m betting you’re hungry.”
“Why does it seem like you’re always feeding me?” he asked as he sat at the table and saw the toasted panini packed with deli meats, tomato, cheese and avocado. His stomach grumbled in appreciation.
“Because I am,” she finished with a wink. “Seriously, though, I don’t mind giving you something to eat. You’re helping me. It’s a lot, especially after all the hours you’ve worked recently.”
Zach picked up the sandwich and took a big bite. He bit back a groan. “This is really good.”
“Glad you like it. Let me get everything I’ve done over the last few days, and we can go through it after you’ve eaten.”
If it wasn’t for the slight tremor in her hands, Zach would’ve thought the kiss they’d shared hadn’t affected her as much as it had affected him. He’d grabbed the sandwich because if he hadn’t, he’d have grabbed her for another kiss.
Tilly returned, but instead of the folder she’d been using, she’d upgraded to a binder, the type he’d used in school to hold all his work in. “Looks like you’ve been really busy.” He wiped his hands on a napkin.
“I printed off copies of everything we’ve sent and the permits so we have a paper trail, as well as a digital trail. You can never be too sure. Something could happen with my computer and then I’d lose everything.”
“Is your computer unreliable?”
“Oh no, it’s only a year old. I use it for my data entry work, so it’s reliable. I’m just being cautious.”
The underlying message was there—she wanted to ensure she had everything covered because she wanted the event to be a big success. Not to mention, she had proof that she was doing what she’d said she would.
“Show me what you’ve done.”
Over the next hour, they went through the lists of items that had been completed and those that still needed to be done.
She’d spoken to most of the local businesses, and they were all keen to be part of it.
There were only a couple of more that she needed to speak to, and the route for Mary and Joseph’s journey could be locked in.
Copies of approved permits were attached to the applications. The list of people who were playing the various roles was checked off with only two more positions to be filled—that of the shepherds.