Meet Me Under the Mistletoe Read online

  11

  “This is your reward for helping me regain my sanity after the natural disaster known as Bailey. Let me know what you think.” Jake lowered the bowl of chili to the table. He’d overfilled it, so he needed to be careful the chili didn’t spill over the edges. “I’ll have you know this is prize-winning and earned a blue ribbon in the county fair last year.” Normally, he didn’t boast, but it was the one thing he could make from scratch, and people seemed to like it.

  “I’m impressed,” Julia said. “It sure smells good. Do you have any crackers or do you think that somehow detracts from the true flavor?”

  “Not at all. I think I might have some,” he said, opening a cabinet and holding up a bag. “Oyster crackers OK?”

  Julia nodded. “Perfect. Thanks.”

  “How about grated cheese? Some people like that in their chili, too.”

  “The crackers are all I need.” She stopped him when she saw him pull out a bowl. “Leave them in the bag. No need to be fancy.”

  “My kind of woman,” Jake said, sitting across from her. He shook his head. “I mean you’re—”

  “Relax. I know what you meant. Aren’t you going to join me and have some, too?”

  “I will, but I want you to try it first. Let’s pray.” With a small smile, Julia bowed her head while he said grace. He’d like to enfold her hand in his when they prayed, but that would only be an excuse. No, it wouldn’t be a good idea.

  Julia daintily sipped from the spoon. “It’s very good,” she said, sampling another, bigger spoonful. “It’s spicy, but—” In the span of a few seconds, her face flushed, and she dropped the spoon back into the bowl, splattering some of the chili before fanning her face with one hand. “Are you trying to kill me?” She sputtered and thumped a curled fist on her chest before gulping down her entire glass of water.

  All Jake could do was sit and stare—and force his mouth closed. No one—not even kids—had shown such an adverse reaction to his chili.

  “This is award-winning?” She finally came up for air. “Do you have milk?”

  Jake tried not to scowl. “Yes, to both questions.” He pushed the chair back and grabbed the glass. Opening the refrigerator, he pulled out the half-gallon of milk and poured some in her glass.

  “How is that possible?” Julia said, coughing some more as she reached for the glass still in his hand. She downed half the milk before stopping. “I mean,” she rasped, “how could the judges give it an award if they’re all dead?”

  Jake bit his tongue not to say something inadvisable. Get over it, man. She’d helped him to the point of getting on her hands and knees and scrubbing to remove the stain from the throw rug, and she’d promised to repair the curtains. For her willingness to help alone, Julia deserved her own blue ribbon. When he’d come downstairs after a quick shower with Bailey in his arms, she’d gone nuts over the puppy. He enjoyed her enthusiasm and—for the briefest of moments—wished she could stay forever. Considering Bailey was now slumbering away at Julia’s feet, the feeling was mutual. He had to admit, his little canine friend had good instincts.

  “I’m really sorry, Jake, but that’s the spiciest chili I’ve ever had. I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food.”

  After returning the milk container to the refrigerator, he dropped back into his chair. “Are you OK now?”

  She gave him a sheepish grin. “I think so.”

  “Tell me something. Why milk?”

  “It neutralizes the acid in spicy foods.”

  The corners of his mouth upturned. “Good to know. So I suppose you generally avoid spicy foods or else you drink a lot of milk, right?”

  “Yes, to both questions. Forgive me, please?” When Julia batted her long eyelashes at him, he’d forgive her anything.

  “Stop it,” he said, fighting the urge to laugh. “Those puppy dog eyes remind me too much of Bailey, and I can’t refuse her, either. Wait a second. That didn’t come out quite right.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. It sounded fine to me.”

  Changing the subject would be good. Jake cleared his throat. “Tell you what, considering I don’t have much else to offer you here,” he said, meaning that in more ways than one, “I’m taking you to Sue’s Pie Kitchen for some safe, homogenous, spice-free grub. Not that I’m making a blanket statement about Sue’s cooking.”

  Julia feigned offense. “Excuse me? Do I seem like the kind of girl who eats grub? And I wouldn’t exactly say you have nothing to offer.”

  He raised a brow. “Let’s go then.”

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  Jake followed her gaze to Bailey. “She looks so peaceful. I’m sure she’ll be fine until I get home.”

  Without another word, Julia scooped Bailey in her arms and planted a kiss on her head. She carefully deposited the puppy in her crate and latched the door. “I’m only doing this because I love her, and it’s for her own protection. And yours.”

  “I’ve got a lot to learn,” he said with a deep sigh. Still, he gave into his grin as he followed her to get their coats. The best thing about Sue’s Pie Kitchen? It was a public place. Considering Julia ignited every sense in him—and then some—getting out of the house was the best thing they could do. “Safety first,” Jake said under his breath as he closed the door behind them.

  12

  “Come on down, Gertrude. A little cooperation would be good here.” Jake shook his near-frozen head. Big snowflakes fell around him, blanketing the hard ground with its few inches of existing snow. The wind chill was near zero, and Mr. Picasso’s cat wouldn’t budge from the tree. How that feline climbed up those frozen, leafless boughs, Jake would never understand. Probably to spite him, ornery old creature that she was. Now she was settled on a limb and seemed perfectly content as she stared at him, blinking lazily.

  “Need some help?”

  Lord, this can’t be happening. Not twice in the same day. Earlier in the morning, Julia had seen him escorting a group of senior ladies across the street—from Martha’s Bakery over to the health center for their water aerobics. He did it every Wednesday morning. Hardly heroic actions, but he was thankful it’d been a relatively quiet week in terms of emergencies. Jake blinked away the snow stinging his eyes. “Sure. You’re good with pets. Any idea how I can lure this stubborn cat back down?”

  “I think I might.” She pulled a bright green ball of yarn from her jacket pocket and smiled. “How about this?”

  “I imagine you’re handy to have around in a scavenger hunt, but I’m not even going to ask how you happen to have that in your pocket. Let’s give it a try.”

  Julia put the yarn on the ground and started to unroll it. No sooner did Jake open his mouth to coax the cat down than she was purring in Julia’s arms. Contented traitor. In that moment, he noticed how much Julia’s smile resembled Dylan’s as she stroked Gertrude’s black fur. Stooping to retrieve the yarn, he handed it to her.

  “Thanks,” she said, pocketing it. “Where do we take her now? Which Starlight resident is this lady’s owner?”

  “Picasso owns her, but trust me. Gertrude’s no lady.”

  A few large flakes landed on Julia’s lashes. “Picasso?”

  “Yeah. He paints, too. Imagine that. He lives right over here.” Jake started walking and Julia fell into step beside him. The bitter cold didn’t seem nearly so bad with her so close.

  Julia was quiet for a moment. “Now I remember.” She stopped walking and faced him. “The name Gertrude. I thought, ‘Who gives a cat a name like that?’”

  This woman grew more enchanting every minute he spent with her. “And what did you remember?” He knew the answer, but wanted to see if she was correct.

  “Gertrude Stein, Pablo Picasso’s longtime patron. He painted her portrait, and she showcased his work in Paris.”

  Jake couldn’t hide his admiration, but he needed to keep moving. “Are you an art lover?”

  She laughed. “Not of Picasso’s work. But Gertrude introduced P
icasso to Henri Matisse, and he’s more my style.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” He had no clue what he was saying but wanted to hear her voice and catch another glimpse of that inviting smile.

  “Part of Hannah’s nesting phase is knitting,” she said. “Booties, sweaters, you name it. Her current project is a Christmas baby blanket, and she needed more yarn. I was headed over to the store to pick it up. You have to know the lot number to match the dye—”

  “I didn’t ask,” he said with a wide grin.

  “He says to the woman with the rescued cat in her arms.”

  Witty and gorgeous. And taken. Jake wanted to shout, “Why, Lord?” and raise his hands to the sky, but forced his mouth closed and led the way.

  Ten minutes later, they came back outside. “Imagine seeing Miss Caroline here at Mr. Picasso’s house,” Julia said. “Are they sweet on each other?”

  That made him laugh. “I don’t know if sweet’s the right word. It’s more a mutual insult thing. But, yeah, I think it’s their weird, unique way of courting. He insults her coffee on a regular basis, and she insults his attempts at painting.” Julia’s brilliant smile made everything right with the world.

  “Then it must be love. He’s painting Caroline’s portrait, you know.” The new layer of snow was already a couple inches thick, and Julia formed a small snowball. Taking aim, she tossed it his way.

  “Not bad.” Jake dodged it, relieved the effort didn’t hurt much. “But you need a little more velocity behind it. I’m on duty or I’d retaliate.”

  “Why can’t a man say speed instead of velocity? Is it always about sports?”

  “Huh? Here’s one for you: why can’t a woman say what she means?”

  “Huh?” Julia shook her head.

  “What?” The corners of Jake’s mouth quirked, and they stared at one another, snow falling all around them. Julia stretched her arms wide and twirled in circles. He could only observe, completely entranced. “Wanna make snow angels?”

  “Maybe another time,” Julia said with a sigh. “I have someplace I need to be after I get the yarn for Hannah.”

  “And I’m supposed to be on duty. How do you know he’s painting her portrait?” Jake walked beside her. He didn’t know where she was going, but it didn’t matter. “I saw the easel in the corner of the living room, but it was covered up.”

  “I could still see the bottom of the painting,” Julia said. “It was red and green with little dancing reindeer along the bottom. The same sweater Caroline’s wearing today. And, as much as I hesitate to say this, the firehouse is in the opposite direction.”

  “My compliments to your mighty powers of observation, Miss Sinclair, in more ways than one.” Jake made a big show of bowing before her then straightened to his full height, feeling a slight pinch of pain. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. Again,” he added, watching as she kicked up snow. He did the same, and they shared another grin.

  “Not a problem. I’m glad to help. Actually, those prancing reindeer reminded me of something else. I have to get over to the fitness center now,” Julia said in a sing-song voice, calling to him over one shoulder. “I promised to help out with the next session of senior swim. I’ll see you later, Captain Marston.”

  Jake’s pulse raced, and his head throbbed. I’m burning those stupid reindeer shorts tonight. Either that or he’d give them to Bailey as a special gift and let her tear them to shreds. If he had half a brain left, he’d call Julia’s name and then pelt her with a well-aimed snowball, but all he could do was stand and stare. And wonder how he might crash that senior swim. Shaking his head, he picked up speed, but his smile lasted the entire way back to the firehouse.

  13

  Jake and Dylan finished arranging the tables for the soup kitchen and then helped Roger Tanner set up the coffee and hot water pots. As they talked and joked like usual, pouring lemonade and iced tea into foam cups, Jake stole a few glances across the room at Julia. The night before, he’d had a heart-to-heart with Bailey and promised her she was the only girl for him. He needed to stay away from Julia during the rest of her visit if he wanted to keep his heart intact.

  Still, his gaze strayed back to her. This whole Julia embargo would be a lot easier if she wasn’t so fabulous in every way. He sure never wanted to sift his fingers through a woman’s hair. Until now. He’d never ached so badly for a woman’s kiss. Until now. The things she conjured in his mind were unprecedented, and he didn’t know how to handle them.

  “Jake?”

  “Huh? Sorry,” he said, turning toward Dylan.

  Taking him by the arm, Dylan steered him aside. “Get a grip, buddy. People are starting to talk.”

  “So, sue me,” he snapped. He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “You never told me how gorgeous she is. And sweet. Kind. Witty. Generous. Pick an adjective. Besides, doesn’t she have to go back home soon to her doting fiancé?”

  “She’s going back to Cedar Rapids on Friday, but she’ll be back a few days before Christmas. We’re hoping the new baby will make her—or his—appearance by then, too. Look, it’s not like it’s my job to tell you to stay away from my sister because she’s pretty and is supposed to have a guy back home and you sort of have a girlfriend but no one really knows where you stand.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jake knew Dylan well enough to know there were unspoken words hanging in the air between them, words that could make a difference. “Be straight with me. What aren’t you telling me?” For one thing, he needed to keep talking so the sadness he felt over Julia leaving town wouldn’t overwhelm him. He found it hard to believe his feelings for someone he’d only known a few days could be so all-consuming, but there was no denying his strong attraction. Lord, why now? Why a woman I can’t have?

  “Sorry. Can’t do it this time,” Dylan said. “Not my place.”

  “You know, Shakespeare is easier to figure out than some guy who can’t tell it like it is. Friends help friends. Remember that.”

  “Jake, don’t push it. Go talk to Julia. Maybe you’ll figure it out. Or she will—you both will.” He waved his hand in the air. “Ah, skip it. I’m just glad I’m married.”

  “Maybe I will. Talk to Julia, I mean.”

  His best friend took off for the kitchen. A few seconds later, Dylan cornered his wife, whispering in her ear. When Hannah glanced at Jake then over to Julia where she talked with Angie and Henrietta, he didn’t have to stretch his imagination much to figure out what they were discussing. Oh no, not Henrietta. Better to ward off that conversation. No sense in inviting trouble.

  “Julia?” he called.

  “Yes, Jake?”

  “I think Hannah needs you in the kitchen.”

  “Oh, sure.” Excusing herself from the ladies, she followed him.

  He hurried ahead of her into the kitchen. “Julia’s coming to help you. Give her something to do,” he whispered to Hannah. It came out more a hiss as he passed through to the adjacent room and pulled out a totally unnecessary folding chair so he’d have something to show for his stupidity. What on earth is wrong with you? You’ve gone mental.

  Jake helped serve the meat alongside Dylan, but his friend was surprisingly tight-lipped, so he chatted up Don Hendrickson instead. They shared an animated conversation about everything from the upcoming fishing season to the rising price of oil and holiday tournament predictions for the local basketball teams. Every time he heard Julia’s laughter, Jake smiled. Oh yeah, he was falling hard.

  Eating in the kitchen after the small crowd had been served, Jake participated in a discussion with some of the other men about the new chain auto parts store buying land outside Starlight. He noticed how Julia sat with little Sammie and her mom. She leaned close and listened, and then she prayed with them, holding their hands, heads bowed. Feeling like an interloper, Jake focused on the current topic of conversation.

  A couple of hours later, most of the other workers had departed, and he stood at the sink beside Julia while she washed and h
e dried. Hannah and Dylan were scheduled for that duty, but Hannah was tired and needed to go home and rest. He’d be an insensitive clod if he refused to help under those circumstances. Two things he’d learned: you don’t challenge the Almighty, and you don’t question a woman—especially a pregnant one.

  “Jake, do you mind if I ask what happened with Nicole the night she came back to Starlight?” Julia handed him a pan.

  The question surprised him, and he concentrated on drying the pan. “You mean the night we met?”

  Her cheeks flushed with color. “Right.”

  “We talked a few minutes and then met for coffee at Barney’s the next night. Basically, Nicole left the door open on the relationship. And then she left town. Again.”

  Julia glanced up at him briefly but then grabbed another pan and submerged it in the sudsy water. “Were you engaged to her?” She concentrated on her task.

  “No, but it was headed in that direction for a while.”

  Julia ducked her head and furiously scrubbed caked-on food. “Forgive me. I shouldn’t be asking you such personal—”

  “I don’t mind telling you,” Jake said, wanting to reassure her. “Nicole doesn’t want to marry a firefighter. Too much danger, she said.” No matter what she says now. “I tried to convince her the odds of getting hit by a car in front of my house were greater than me getting killed in the line of duty.”

  “Didn’t you fall through a burning staircase?”

  Jake sighed. “Yeah, well, there was that. The thing is, I don’t think Nicole would be happy settling down here in Starlight. The stars in her eyes are too bright. Big city life and the opportunity to be a TV anchor are too irresistible, and I can’t hold her back from that dream. I need a woman who wants the simpler things in life.”

  Jake leaned against the counter, arms crossed, waiting until she rinsed the pan and placed it on a towel. “She has to accept that being a firefighter isn’t simply a job. It’s a chosen lifestyle with unfair demands that can sometimes take me away from my family. The pay’s not great, and I might have to take on a second job. I’ll spend a third of my life with the guys at the firehouse, and I’ll see things that could break me emotionally.” Jake noticed Julia pause her work. Although it appeared she listened, she didn’t look at him. “But they won’t break me because of the faith I have in Christ and the hope I cling to every single day.” He blew out a breath. “I don’t know how I could do it otherwise.”