Chapter 3
Kennedy
The glow of light at the window signaled it was the beginning of the day. I threw on my favorite robe and stepped to open the curtains. The view from my parent’s room, aka the red room, was spectacular. It had snowed again, a fresh blanket covering everything.
“There goes a run down to the Perky Bean.” My only option for coffee now was to learn how to work Gran’s percolator.
The house was silent as I ventured downstairs, the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room highlighting a winter wonderland outside.
Pausing, I smiled. Even during the bad times, Christmas had always been special in the mountains.
I padded my way into the kitchen, turning on as few lights as possible.
From a lower cabinet, I pulled out the tall, silver percolator.
At least it was electric and not one I had to use on the stove.
I grabbed the coffee from the cupboards above the stove, smiling at the label, and inhaled the scent of my favorite Christmas blend.
I may not have been able to make it into town, but Gran had made sure I could still have my favorites.
After unlocking my phone, I pulled up a how-to video and paused it.
I could learn anything on the internet these days.
In one of the drawers, I found the milk frother I’d bought two years ago so I could make my own cappuccinos and fancy coffee drinks.
My elbow hit the pot as I moved, making it rattle.
The lid popped off, slid across the counter, and fell to the floor with a loud clang.
I winced at the sound. So much for being quiet, I thought as I bent over to pick it up.
“Now that’s a pleasant sight to wake up to.” Jack’s sleep-rasped voice startled me.
“Ahhh!” I jumped, the lid flying out of my hand and landing on the floor once again. “What the hell are you doing?” My gaze snagged on the pair of gray sweatpants and a navy-blue T-shirt he was wearing. Look at his eyes, Kennedy Lee!
“I was working in the living room and came to see what all the noise was about.” His cocky half smile did something to me. “Walking into a gorgeous ass on display was worth being dragged from my work.”
After retrieving the lid once again, I rinsed it off in the sink. “You can turn right back around and go back where you came from.” I hadn’t seen him when I had come down. I could already tell Jack was going to be a thorn in my side.
He ignored my words and joined me in the kitchen, walking behind me to the counter where I had set the percolator.
The heat from his body caused my belly to do a flip.
His snort pissed me off. I dried off the lid and turned to get back to work on my coffee.
Jack stood there looking down at my phone.
“A how-to video? Seriously?” He raised an eyebrow.
“You can learn anything online, and I don’t have one of these dinosaurs at my house.
After last night’s snow, I don’t want to chance driving down the mountain, so yes, a how-to video.
” I pushed past him, brushing against him in the small area between the counter and island, and started the video.
I did my best to ignore the tingles racing through me at that small touch.
I followed the person’s instructions to a T, as Jack leaned against the kitchen island and watched me work.
The basket and lid weren’t settling back into place well, and I couldn’t figure out why.
I finally just pushed things together until the lid stayed in place, plugged it in, and pressed the on switch.
It took only a moment for the contraption to start.
I smiled to myself as it rattled and sputtered.
I thought I had conquered the tall silver pot from hell, until it started moving across the counter.
It continued to get louder and then started screaming.
Jack jumped beside me and pulled the plug from the wall.
“Are you trying to kill us?” He laughed.
“No, I was making coffee.” I crossed my arms, covering my body’s reaction to his still-raspy voice.
“That was not making coffee. Here, let me.” He grabbed my hips and moved me a couple of inches away.
I stumbled over my feet in shock, but his firm grip kept me from falling.
The heat from his hands went straight to my girly bits.
Shaking my head, I tried to ignore the pulsing need between my thighs and opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out.
I could still feel the heat from his hands when he moved away.
“Let me make your coffee. I learned how to use one of these on a retreat a couple years ago.” He deftly went to work emptying, cleaning, and setting things up the proper way.
He added the coffee grounds and the water and put it all together before he plugged it in and turned it on.
This time the only sound was a quiet psh psh psh.
I watched him move fluidly through the kitchen, checking cupboards until he found what he wanted.
He pulled down two mugs, grabbed the milk from the fridge, and moved the sugar dish from beside Gran’s kettle.
He filled the frother and turned it on before he turned back toward the fridge and pulled out the bottle of caramel sauce.
“I’m sorry about yesterday. I forgot you’d be joining us for Christmas,” I said.
“No worries. Harrison didn’t want me to spend it alone, and honestly, neither did I.”
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen as I processed him spending Christmas alone. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. That scent put a smile on my face and wiped away the annoyance I held for both me and for Jack.
“You should smile more,” Jack whispered.
I opened my eyes and found him only a step away, holding up a large cup of coffee.
It looked like something Dixie would make down at the Perky Bean.
I raised an eyebrow as I took it from him.
Bringing it to my nose, I caught the hint of caramel and vanilla wrapped around the core scent of the coffee.
I took a sip and moaned as it slid down my throat. This rivaled the amazing creations Dixie made. With another sip, I confirmed it wasn’t a fluke.
“Do you moan at just any cup of coffee?” The heat in his eyes took my breath away.
I couldn’t deny it. “Not any cup of coffee, only the most orgasmic kind. This is the best cup I’ve had outside of the Perky Bean. Were you a barista in another life?” I tipped the mug to my lips again and slowly wiped the foam from my upper lip with my tongue and grinned.
“Coffee shop on campus at college. My scholarship only covered tuition and books. If I wanted to eat, I had to earn my own money.” He lifted his own cup to his mouth.
Oh, the things I could imagine those lips doing that would be more productive than sipping on coffee. My body heated, and I felt a blush rising up my neck. I shook my head, trying to clear out the dirty thoughts.
I finished my cup and set it by the sink. “Thank you for this.”
“You want another?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” I smiled before turning toward the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Jack asked.
“Don’t mind where she’s going.” Gran’s voice arrived around the corner before she did. “Morning, my sweet girl.” Gran hugged me quickly. “Go get dressed. You have any work to finish before you shut down for the holiday?”
I loved how compassionate Gran had always been.
She understood my need to work on a few things, but she also encouraged my need for a break.
The first two days after I arrived were the only days I could do any work.
After that, if I was caught checking work emails or writing a small piece for the Norina Times or talking with the editor in chief, Darrell Buckley, I would be put on dish duty for every meal through Christmas dinner.
The same went for the small publication I wrote for back in the city.
Any work could only be done before her deadline.
“Yes, ma’am, not much though.” I kissed her cheek and continued upstairs. I quickly dressed and grabbed my work bag before heading back down.
Harrison passed me on his way downstairs. “Jerk,” he mumbled playfully.
“Asshole,” I replied without missing a step.
I found a fresh cup of Jack’s caramel dream waiting for me on the counter when I returned, but no Jack in sight.
Gran hummed along with a song playing in the kitchen.
Moving to the dining area to set up, I could still see her working.
I loved how open the space was. Her presence consistently made me happy.
“Where did Harrison and Jack go?” It was simple curiosity and nothing more, I told myself.
“Oh, I sent them out to split some more wood for the fire. We’ve got another storm coming in, and I want to make sure we are stocked and ready for it.”
I would drop everything to help Gran. “Do you need me to do anything?”
“No, dear, you finish what you need to so you can focus on the family for Christmas.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Smiling, I settled in and opened my laptop. She was old but still ticking—and the one I wrote my first article on. I couldn’t bring myself to part with her yet, even though most of the letters had worn off the keyboard long ago.
I only had two emails, which surprised me.
One was from Sandra, my editor-in-chief at the magazine, who wanted me to write up a fluff social page piece about the mayor’s wife bringing their dog to the library.
This was nothing new; she’d been taking him in for the past two months, and both the kids and adults loved it.
I shook my head and moved to the next email.
I’d just tell Sandra that the snow had cut communication from the cabin.
The second email was from an anonymous person but contained serious allegations.
Whoever the source was, they’d shared that the hospital in Norina was involved in some big conspiracy.
Opioids were going missing at an alarming rate.
I pulled out my notepad and made lists of things to research and people I could contact to check out the lead.
The noise of a door opening and boots being stomped brought me out of my fugue.
I had gone down a rabbit hole of researching the hospital, pain management clinic, and any doctors or staff who had access to the pain medication cabinets throughout the hospital and pharmacies.
I had four pages of notes, phone numbers, names, and the most popular opioids bought on the black market.
I glanced up in time to see Jack walk in behind Harrison.
They took their boots off and put them in the black shoe tray Gran kept just for that reason.
Jack carried his jacket in hand. His shirt was clinging to him, and as he hung his coat on the hook, it rode up.
.. just enough to give me a glimpse of a tattooed and toned set of obliques.
I licked my lips, wondering how far up and down his tattoo extended.
My nipples hardened at the thought of licking every line of it, teasing him as I went.
Heat rushed up my neck, and I quickly looked back at my computer and notepad.
I did not want to get caught drooling over him.
I wiped at the corners of my mouth to make sure there was no evidence.
“Focus, Kennedy,” I whispered to myself.
I had sent a quick reply to the anonymous emailer, asking for more information or a meetup to discuss what they knew.
I refreshed my email box to check if they had replied yet.
I growled in frustration both at the lack of reply and my reaction to Jack.
I ran one hand through my hair and rubbed my forehead with the other as I fell back into my research.