Chapter Forty-Five

Kate

 

Christmas Eve.

Normally, I’d sleep in, but I didn’t want Jane alone. She’d start trying to do too much, she couldn’t help it. At least their tradition was to go out tonight and cook tomorrow.

My goal today was to get as much food done that could be made ahead as possible so tomorrow was stress free and relaxed.

I came downstairs to find her putting Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the oven.

The motherly index finger came out. “Don’t start on me—this is only popping a tube and laying them on a cookie sheet.”

“I didn’t say anything.” Thought it, but didn’t speak it out loud.

“Good. Coffee?” She’d started that, too.

“Did you make decaf?”

“No.”

“Then remember you can’t have any.”

Another scowl. Teachers lived on coffee, so this might be her hardest adjustment. “What’s all that crap in my freezer?”

“Healthy dinners that fit your new diet. You’ve got a week’s worth of lunch and dinner or two weeks of dinner in there.”

“Bad enough Sam brought a vegetarian plate last night,” she grumbled.

“We love you.” I kissed her cheek. “Let us help you heal.”

A sigh. “I need to go put my face on while those bake.”

“Okay.”

The stair climb looked like less effort this morning. Small victories.

Humming to the radio, I started slicing corn kernels off a cob. The rolls halfway baked, the downstairs smelled amazing. Mmm, cinnamon and carbs.

The doorbell rang.

Who the heck? Sam always let himself in.

Dried my hands and went to the door.

“Surprise!” Sonya said.

My jaw dropped.

With Pete behind her.

My eyes teared up.

“Oh my God!” We made an embarrassing display of hugging. I’m not crying, you’re crying. “What…how…?”

Sonya looked smug. “Your eastbound flights might’ve been down, but westbound wasn’t.”

“I smell cinnamon. Got a downstairs bathroom?” my brother asked.

“Uh, yeah, off the kitchen.” We stepped aside to let him through.

“Kate, you’re letting all the heat out. Where are your manners? Let them in for God’s sake,” Jane barked at me.

I spun to her. “You knew. You made sure I got the door!”

She shrugged. “Sam said there was a possibility of guests, but didn’t say who. I trust his judgment, ex-wives not withstanding. Young Mister Carson, the toilet is this way.”

Pete wheeled past us to follow Jane into the back of the house.

Sonya was still grinning ear-to-ear. “Your face. You had no clue. I should’ve been filming.”

“Shut up.” I closed the door.

“Shame Yearbook Hottie isn’t here. This is really all his doing.”

“What?” My stomach hit the floor.

“He contacted us Friday night and sent us tickets, just like you said he offered.” Her voice dropped. “You seriously need to thank him.”

“Stop wiggling your eyebrows, perv.” The oven timer dinged. “Excuse me.”

I hurried to grab the rolls before we got distracted and they got tough. It gave me a moment to breathe through the tears threatening to fall.

I had my family.

Here.

Within Jane’s shiplap-covered walls.

Courtesy of Samuel Cord.

“Wait, who’s taking care of Otis?” He was never supposed to be separated from my brother.

Sonya winced. “He’s in the car. We didn’t know if dogs were allowed in—”

“Don’t be silly, he’s a service dog, right?” Jane said.

“Yeah.”

“Then he knows how to behave and I’m not allergic, so scoot.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Sonya hurried to do as ordered.

I’d never seen that before. “Mama Jane, you seriously amaze me.”

“Teacher voice.” She winked. “Check on your brother. I’ll serve the rolls.”

Now it made sense why there was more food and coffee than the two of us would consume, let alone the sugar.

The downstairs bathroom was in a hall with the pantry. I knocked on the door. “Can you maneuver alright in there?”

“Don’t need help, Kate.”

“Breakfast is ready.” I moved away before he swore at me.

Dog nails clicked on the hardwood floor and I heard Otis’ snuffles. He was looking for Pete. The dog jogged past me to take his post outside the bathroom.

“Smart dog,” Jane said.

“He doesn’t leave Pete’s side.”

“Except when we’re in the bedroom,” Sonya said. I plugged my ears.

Winking at me, she bit into a roll.

Pete wheeled in. Jane poured coffee.

“Nice town you guys grew up in,” Sonya said. “Seems a bit boring, though. They actually had hotel vacancies.”

“It’s the ‘burbs. We’re not next to any attractions,” Jane said. “Go take a look around Disneyland—another couple decades and it’ll look like L.A.”

“I hope not!” A seriously disturbing thought.

“Ooo, can we go to Disneyland?” Sonya asked Pete.

“Seriously?”

“What? I’ve never been to either of them.”

“It’s Christmas, crazy woman,” I said.

“They’re open, right?”

“Every day of the year,” Jane said.

“Not helping,” I said. She grinned.

Her mood had improved with company. Hmm.

“It’ll be too crowded,” Pete said. “We’re here for Kate.”

“You two are way too practical.”

Sonya made us have fun once in a while, but we kept her grounded. And accountable. I taught her to budget after she almost missed rent the first month we lived together.

Right now, I didn’t care what we did as long as it was together. I should call Sam, but preferred to sit here, catch up, and bask in having my family face-to-face. He had to expect it, or he’d be here to see me surprised, and it meant a lot he gave me this space.

I owed him big time, and not just monetarily.

After finishing all the rolls, we took the rest of the coffee into the living room. They admired the tree. Complimented Jane on her home. She told a couple old stories about us.

This is how it should’ve been if we’d had a mother that cared.

In an ideal world, Pete and I would be introducing Sonya to our parents.

You can’t take anything for granted.

When Sam finally showed up at noon, I yanked him outside, closed the door, and kissed him, a short press of my lips. “Thank you.”

His hands landed on my hips. “You can thank me like that any time you like.”

My cheeks warmed. “Wasn’t trying to start something.”

“I’m teasing, Kate.”

“Why? Those tickets must have cost a small fortune.”

“I wanted to see you happy.” Foreheads touching. “I think about it more than I should.”

My heart pounded in my chest. “Sam…I can’t be what you’re looking for,” I whispered.

Cupping my jaw, his nose nuzzled mine. “What are you so afraid of?”

Teasing a kiss without kissing.

Tingles of anticipation raced up my spine.

Why wasn’t he kissing me?

His lips were right there, why—oh. Kate, it’s your move. “Why do you tempt me?”

“Because you want it as much as I do.”

But he released me.

Sam wanted to be chased.

Caught.

Won.

I’d have to cross the other ten-percent of the divide.

Could I get past the real-world barriers to taking a chance with him?

It was clear his attraction wasn’t only physical and that made me nervous. Who buys plane tickets for the family of a woman they’re not married to?

Samuel Cord, the sweetest man I’d met in a long damn time.

He opened the front door and entered the house, the chatter of excited toddlers breaking the spell. I fell back on the mantra that had saved me from anxiety attacks for years: be present.

This moment was about Sam and the kids meeting Pete and Sonya.

Candace seemed in awe of Sonya’s wild curls and Jordan had gone straight to Otis. Service dogs weren’t normally there to pet, but Otis was super gentle. It helped that Jordan wasn’t the type of toddler to yank a dog’s ears.

“You might have to get a dog now,” Jane teased Sam.

Jordan was completely enamored, staring with wide brown eyes as he lightly stroked Otis’ head. I’d never seen such a gentle baby.

He might have a future as an animal rescuer one day.

Candace was too busy admiring Sonya’s jewelry to notice a dog was in the room. Such a girly-girl. Jane and I didn’t wear much, so in contrast Sonya was pure bling.

She was fearless and dressed accordingly, never shying from attention. One of the reasons we got on so well was we were never in competition like so many women are. I dressed for comfort outside of work and she wore what made her feel good.

My brother sure didn’t mind. It took me a while this summer to get used to him checking out my best friend’s assets in blatant ways.

“So you’re Sam.” She stood and offered her hand. Her gaze traveled up and down the length of him. “The yearbook didn’t do you justice.”

She also couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

His brow arched. “Beg pardon?”

“No pardon needed, honey.” She winked. I face-palmed. “Kate once showed me her yearbooks. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

His head swiveled to me. “Really?”

Oh, God, he was going to milk this.

“You know what? I never finished prepping that corn.”

Retreating to the kitchen and the sanctity of vegetables.

Wasn’t long before Jane joined me. “They tease you because they love you.”

“But I don’t have to listen.” Chop, chop, chop.

She chuckled. Started peeling carrots. A lot of peeling to do today.

Everything would be prepped or cooked ahead except the turkey and the green beans. Good thing there was a double oven. When Sonya wandered in for a coffee refill, I put her to work peeling potatoes. It freed Jane to start her pie.

Once that was in the oven, Sam made her sit and rest, joining me in peeling and chopping sweet potatoes. “She’s happy having a full house.”

“Regretting it, yet?”

He laughed. “Should I?”

“Maybe. Day is still young.” Dumped my cubes in the baking dish. “Will Jordan eat any of this?”

“Maybe.” A shrug. “I never know when he’ll try something new.”

He filled a large pot with water to boil the white potatoes to mash. His forearms flexed moving the weight onto the stove.

A man with his sleeves rolled or pushed up was hot, at least with those arms.

Heh…really wasn’t in my twenties anymore. That Kate thought metal band tees and biker jackets were the shit. Nothing against a leather jacket, but oy.

I didn’t have a clue.

The bad-boy-loving me was firmly in the past now.

Suits were sexy, but the tie loosened and top button undone was even sexier.

Something about a well-dressed man being a little mussed…

I couldn’t be the only woman that worked for.

But he liked a public version of me, a projection that hid a lot of flaws and painful memories. A past most people wouldn’t understand.

He was a Boy Scout.

Freakin’ Clark Kent.

A pillar of his community.

Too good for me.

Why couldn’t he have shown up to that reunion fat and bald?