A Down-Home Country Christmas (5 page)

Chapter 5

“Hello, hello! Look what I’ve brought.” Claire’s voice rang out and Holly turned to see her sister walk in, carrying a cooler. Tim followed behind her with two huge boxes stacked in his arms. “Food from The Aerie!”

Cheering erupted from the hungry workers, and the workbench was cleared in record time to hold the gourmet feast. As Claire and Holly set out the platters of crunchy fried chicken, truffle-infused French fries, and creamy spiced coleslaw, along with cornbread muffins and apple turnovers, Claire said, “What happened to my shy, retiring little sister? You’ve mobilized a whole battalion here.”

Holly shook her head. “I just mentioned what happened to a couple of people, and they all showed up. It wasn’t any great skill on my part.”

Claire put down a pile of napkins and gave her sister a hug. “You made people care because you did, Holl. That’s an amazing talent. And Tim tells me you’re running the show. Go, little sis!”

Robbie’s friend Pete snagged a plate while he surveyed the spread. “I shouldn’t say it but sometimes I’m grateful to that bear that attacked Adam Bosch’s dog. If Dr. Tim hadn’t saved the dog’s life, we wouldn’t be eating gourmet take-out from a restaurant where you can’t even get a reservation for the next two years.”

Claire nodded. “Now that Trace is okay, you’re allowed to say it, but not in Adam’s hearing.” She sighed. “I wish Adam would come down off his mountain along with his food. I worry about that man up there all alone.”

“He’s not exactly alone, seeing as folks use helicopters to get to his restaurant every night,” Pete said.

Holly thought of the sense of isolation she’d felt when she’d been married to Frank. She could be in the midst of a flock of girlfriends or at the family Thanksgiving dinner and still feel she didn’t have a friend in the world. “Just being around a lot of people doesn’t keep you from being lonely.”

Claire gave her shoulder a squeeze, and Holly felt tears burn behind her eyelids. “I’m going to take some food to the guys working on the stable.” She grabbed a platter and randomly piled an assortment of food on it.

Her sister handed her some paper plates as she murmured, “I can’t decide if Robbie looks better in his uniform or in a pair of tight jeans.”

“You’re a married woman.” Holly gave her sister an elbow in the ribs as she passed her. “But I can’t decide either.”

Holly stepped out of the brightly lit workshop into the near darkness of the barn. The stable repair crew had set up temporary lights at the far end, so she headed in that direction. Only Robbie and Paul were still working there, and she slowed her pace to admire the two men bathed in the brilliant floodlight. Robbie’s hair was gilded nearly blond while Paul’s dark head picked up auburn glints. Paul was whipcord lean, while Robbie retained the defined muscles he’d developed as an athlete.

Robbie had shed his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves so she could see the line of tendon and muscle flex in his forearms as he hammered the supports together. The pull of his shirt fabric across his quarterback’s shoulders fanned the flicker of heat deep in her gut into a full-on flame.

She came to a halt in the shadows as she fought against the intensity of her reaction to Robbie. She needed to get a grip on herself before she tried to carry on a normal conversation with the man who made her want to run her hands over every inch of his skin.

As she paused, Robbie stopped hammering to wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. Paul spoke into the sudden silence. “John LeGrande called to say he owes me a favor. Which is interesting since I thought I owed him one. That must have been one hell of an interview you gave them.”

Robbie shrugged.

Paul leaned against one of the barn’s wooden support columns and gestured toward the half-repaired stable. “You know you won’t find this in Atlanta. Folks are nice enough down there, but they don’t fix each other’s nativity scenes.”

Robbie flipped his hammer end over end and caught it again. “I’m willing to take that trade-off. LeGrande says I can make detective in ten months.”

Robbie was leaving Sanctuary.
It felt as though her bones were dissolving, making her knees rubbery, as the knowledge seared through her.

“Ten months from when?” Paul asked.

“I start February first. That’s when they have the budget for the new position.” Robbie reached out to shake Paul’s hand. “Thanks for putting me in touch with the right people, and for the recommendation.”

He began to pivot in her direction, so she forced the wobbling corners of her mouth into a false smile and gripped the edges of the platter so hard her knuckles went white. “Hey, you working men,” she squeaked, “I brought some fuel for your muscles.” She lifted the tray to chest height in hopes the food would distract them from her lack of composure.

“Lady, you are a sight for sore eyes.” Paul strode forward to take the platter from her.

She wasn’t looking at him, though. Her attention was on Robbie, who was scanning her face as though she were a witness whose honesty he was weighing. He must be trying to decide whether she’d heard the conversation and might spill his secret to the rest of the town. She kept her mockery of a smile in place as she thrust the paper plates in Robbie’s general direction. “You’ve got a lot to get done in a short time, so I won’t stay here and bother you.”

She spun on her heel and somehow managed to reel back to the workshop. Stepping inside the door, she tried to bring her focus to the project at hand, but her thoughts kept circling back to Robbie’s unwitting revelation. She stood with her arms crossed, rubbing her hands up and down her biceps as she shivered and wondered why his upcoming departure was hitting her so hard.

Claire appeared at her side. “Holly, you look like you’ve seen a ghost. What’s going on?”

It took a moment for Holly to focus on her sister’s words. Once she did, all she could manage was to shake her head.

“Come on.” Claire took her wrist and towed her toward the shed’s outdoor exit. “We’ll sit in my car to keep warm.”

Claire hustled her along the edge of the farm road to where her SUV was parked. Holly climbed in the passenger seat and tried to pull herself together as Claire punched the heat on full blast.

“It’s none of my business really,” Holly said when Claire swiveled sideways in her seat with that
tell me everything, sister
look. “I just overheard something I shouldn’t have and it gave me a bit of a shock.”

“Well, it becomes
my
business when it upsets my sister.” Claire flicked her long, dark ponytail over her shoulder. “Is it about Robbie?”

Holly realized the awkward position she was in, knowing a secret she shouldn’t. She nodded. “But I can’t tell you what I heard. It’s not public knowledge.”

Her sister gave her a serene smile and waited. Claire had helped her take back her life after Frank abused her and stole all her money. Holly owed her the truth. She fidgeted with the zipper on her sweatshirt. “Robbie’s taking a job in Atlanta. It starts February first.” A cry of denial tried to wrench itself from her throat. “Claire, I didn’t know how much I’d hoped for something with him until I found out he’s leaving.”

Her sister took Holly’s fidgety hands in her own. “I know you’re grateful to him for protecting you from Frank.”

“It’s not gratitude when you want to rip his clothes off.”

“Oh.” Claire released her hands and leaned back against the car door. “That kind of something.”

Holly dropped her hands in her lap and stared down at them. “It’s not like we’ve ever even had a date, so it’s ridiculous for me to feel this way.”

“You can’t stop yourself from
feeling
. What you have to figure out is whether to act on it or not.”

“Of course I’m not going to act on it,” Holly said, jerking her gaze to her sister. “I’m not ready.”

“For what?”

“To give a man a say in my life,” Holly said. “I need to figure out how to be on my own first. To show Brianna and Kayleigh how to live as an independent woman.”

Claire gave her a quizzical look. “I thought you wanted to get him naked, not hand over your life decisions to him.”

“I, but—.” She’d never even considered just having a physical relationship with Robbie. He seemed like too honorable a guy for that kind of fling.

“I’m not telling you how to live your life,” Claire said, “but everyone can feel the sizzle between you two.”

“They can?” Holly shook her head. “I don’t feel very sizzling since Frank.”

“I know that creep did a number on your self-confidence, but I’ve seen lots of men get a gleam in their eye when they look at you.”

Tears threatened. Frank had cheated on her when he traveled for his job. When she found out, he told her it was her fault for being so boring in the bedroom. Robbie might think she was pretty, she didn’t trust her ability to hold his interest in that way. She couldn’t admit that though, even to Claire. “But what kind of example is that for my daughters?”

Claire sighed. “You are the best mother in the world, but even the most perfect mothers need to have some grown-up fun or they will set a very bad example for their children by losing their minds. You just have to be discreet. And I’ll help you.”

“What do you mean?” Holly had a vision of Claire guarding the bedroom door as she and Robbie climbed under the covers.

“I’ll babysit. The girls can come over to spend the night with me.” Claire thought for a moment. “This Saturday.”

“But it’s only five days from now and I don’t know what Robbie’s plans are for Saturday. He may already have a date.”

“So find out and get back to me.”

“But I can’t ask
him
out. I mean, he’s a man.”

Claire gave her a look. “What century are you living in?” Then she relented. “Offer to cook him dinner as a thank you for fixing the manger scene.”

“But a dozen people helped.”

“It’s just a ploy. He’ll get the message.”

The car’s heat felt scorching, so Holly unzipped her sweatshirt. Did she want Robbie to get the message? What if he had no interest in her that way? What if it ruined the friendship between them? “It seems risky.”

“Sweetie, you lived with an abusive husband.
That’s
risky.” Claire’s expression softened. “I just want to see you happy again.”

“But I am happy. My children are the joy of my life. Thanks to you, I own my house. I have a steady job and plenty of friends.”

Claire shook her head. “You need someone to love you so much, he will put you first in his life.”

“Well, that won’t be Robbie, because he’s leaving.”

Claire looked out into the darkness, her mouth set in a grim line. “I was once where you are. I couldn’t imagine ever making myself vulnerable to a man again, but I met Tim. And my whisper horse Willow showed me how to trust, even after you’ve been hurt.” Claire brought her gaze back to her sister. “Think about it, Holly. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life wondering what you might have missed.”

Chapter 6

Holly surveyed the arrangement of the refurbished manger scene on its outdoor hill. A crew of cops had brought everything down in a pickup truck, set up the stable structure, and left Holly, Robbie, and Julia to arrange the figures. “What do you think, Julia? Should Mary be a little farther to the right?”

The artist tilted her head, debating. “Maybe if you shift the shepherd left and Joseph farther forward…”

With a dramatic groan, Robbie picked up the shepherd he’d just placed and moved it a foot to the left.

Julia shook her head. “No, it’s better where it was.”

Robbie narrowed his eyes at the two women, but one corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Are you messing with me?”

“Maybe,” Holly said.

“It’s just that you look so good in that uniform of yours,” Julia said. “We want to enjoy the view a little longer.”

Holly could feel the heat in her cheeks as Robbie put down the wooden figure in its original location with a huff of a laugh. Brianna and Kayleigh had stayed in the barn to see Noël, which meant Julia’s well-known frankness had no constraints. Of course, Holly had been thinking something along those same lines.

Robbie picked up a sledgehammer and pounded the stakes into the ground to hold the shepherd in place. The power of his muscles and the torque of his body drew her eye like a magpie to a sparkly button, and sent a shudder of pure longing through her body.

She wished she had the nerve to follow Claire’s advice. But despite the show of strength she put on for Brianna and Kayleigh, she still felt as though she were made of glass as thin as her Christmas tree ornaments. If Robbie rejected her, she was afraid she would shatter into razor-edged shards that were impossible to put back together.

He finished sinking the last stake and slung the hammer over his shoulder while he checked the stability of the shepherd.

“He’d make a great model for Thor,” Julia murmured, as he sauntered toward them, his stride fluid and assured. He seemed neither self-conscious about nor flattered by Julia’s appraisal, which made Holly happy.

“What’s the verdict?” he asked, coming up beside Holly and turning to take in the nativity scene. Before Holly could answer, he gave an admiring whistle. “No need to ask. It looks better than it ever did before.”

“The fresh paint makes it brighter,” Holly agreed, warmed by an inner glow at his praise. “And we moved a couple of the figures to different spots. I hope Grady won’t mind that.”

Robbie shook his head. “Grady will be grateful you’ve given him back Bess’s pet project.”

Restoring the manger scene had set back Holly’s own Christmas preparations by two days, but when she looked at the vividly robed figures gathered around the new baby on his bed of straw, she was certain it had been worth it. Like all great traditions, this nativity scene brought the folks of Sanctuary together, weaving shared bonds of community around the hearts of people from all walks of life.

“Grady and the girls should see this,” Robbie said.

“I’ve got to get back to my studio,” Julia said. “I have a show coming up and I’m behind.”

“I didn’t mean to take you away from your work,” Holly said with a flash of guilt.

Julia waved away Holly’s concern with a grin. “I’m always behind. Just ask your sister.”

“Thank you!” Holly called as Julia headed off toward the motorcycle she’d roared up on earlier. Turning to Robbie, she stuck her hands in her pockets and scuffed at the snow. “You probably need to go too.”

“No, I’m good.” His voice held something that made Holly look up at his face. The color of his eyes seemed more intense than usual, and a sharpness around his jaw suggested he was holding himself in check in some way. She thought his gaze dropped to her lips, but then he gave her a friendly smile, and she decided she had imagined the whole thing. “Let’s head up to the barn. It’s tough going through the snow so I’ll give you some help.” He extended his gloved hand to her.

She pulled her hand out of her pocket and put it in his, watching as his fingers closed around hers and feeling the strength of his grip down to her bones. They crunched across the snowy field side by side, their breath coming out in puffy little clouds. The sun was dropping behind the mountains, washing the snow with pink.

She kept her gaze on the gate, but in her peripheral vision, she could see Robbie’s long, athletic stride. The power he radiated made her feel safe, even as it sent ripples of excitement shimmering over her skin.

It was a moment she wanted to stitch into her memory so she could take it out and snuggle into it after he was gone.

Claire’s words floated back to nag at her. Would this moment be enough or would she regret not trying for more?

She opened her mouth, but no words formed, so she closed it again.

As they reached the gate, Robbie tossed the hammer over the fence post before he stepped in front of her, taking hold of her other hand as well. She swore she felt the heat of his gaze as he scanned her face. She tilted her head up toward him in a subtle invitation, but all he said was, “I know you don’t want to hear it, but you saved something important to the whole town.”

She waited, willing him to give her some signal that he admired more than just her civic spirit. She might have even swayed toward him just a bit with her lips slightly parted.

He squeezed both her hands and released her to swing open the gate.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and stomped up the road before he could latch the gate behind them.

Darn the man for refusing to give her any help at all!

* * *

“Mama, can we take Noël down to the nativity scene?” Brianna asked. “She’s going to be in it so she should get to see it.” She and Kayleigh stood on a hay bale just outside Noël’s stall, petting the donkey’s neck and head.

“You just want to spend more time with that donkey,” Holly said, parking her hands on her hips. The donkey’s eyes were closed, and she could swear the creature wore an expression of total bliss.

Brianna nodded. “She’s really sweet. She would never bite anyone.” She shifted her gaze to the man standing beside Holly. “Isn’t that right, Captain Robbie?”

“Well, she’s never bitten me,” Robbie said, “but animals can be unpredictable.”

Brianna was far too perceptive, and Robbie was being too kind. Holly was
not
going to look like a coward in front of them. She unlatched the stall door and walked in, stretching out her arm to pat the donkey’s neck. Noël’s fuzzy coat was soft and springy. The donkey turned to look at her, so she yanked back her hand and took a quick step away. She nearly collided with Brianna and Kayleigh, who had seized the opportunity to follow her into the stall.

“Can we take her with us, Mama?” Kayleigh chimed in, opening her eyes wide in her best pleading look.

“It’s pretty hard to refuse those two,” Robbie said, his expression one of appreciation as he joined the crowd around Noël.

“You’re not helping.” Holly slanted a wry look at him before turning back to her children. “We can’t take Noël out of the stall without Grady’s permission, so I’ll have to go ask him.”

“He should come see the nativity scene too,” Brianna pointed out.

Holly nodded and turned to leave the stall. The donkey suddenly swung her rear end around, banging into Holly so she was knocked full-length against Robbie.

“Oof!” she gasped, as her body and his collided. His arms came up around her when she grabbed at his jacket for balance. It was like being surrounded by a warm, breathing oak. She felt desire rip through her as her breasts were crushed against his chest and their thighs slammed into contact.

She hadn’t been in a man’s arms since Frank left, but she hadn’t felt the loss until now. A great yearning swirled in her belly and she glanced up to read Robbie’s reaction. As she met his gaze, she felt his arms tighten around her. She expected him to smile or toss off a joke, but he just stared down at her.

“What on earth got into that donkey?” Holly said, pressing her weight backwards to break his hold. For a long moment, his grip didn’t loosen.

Finally, his lips tipped up into a smile that seemed strained and he released her. “Guess she thought her stall was getting too crowded. I’ll go rustle up a lead line.” He was out the stall door before Holly could thank him for catching her.

Holly rubbed her hands on her thighs, as she tried to decipher her reaction and his.

“Are you okay, Mama?” Kayleigh asked.

“Noël didn’t mean to hurt you,” Brianna said.

“I know that, sweetie.” She yanked her thoughts back to the children. “I’m fine.”

A lie.
She was reeling from feeling Robbie’s hard, male body against hers. Their stroll across the snowy field had been something out of a sweet romantic comedy. The way she felt now was dark and primitive and so potent she could barely think straight.

“Let me go talk to Mr. Boone,” she said.

When she walked out of the barn door, the winter air smacked into her like cold, hard reality, blowing away the sensual haze she’d been wrapped in. It was better this way.

She knocked on the side door of the house again and waited. She knew Grady was there because they’d checked in with him before they’d started setting up the nativity scene. It took a long moment before she heard footsteps and the door opened.

“Evening.” The light behind the old farmer cast a gleam on his bald head and glowed on the yellow stripes in the plaid of his shirt.

“We finished the nativity scene, and we thought you’d like to come see it,” Holly said.

Grady seemed taken aback. “Does it look any different?”

Holly had to be honest. “It has fresh paint, and we shifted a couple of figures.”

“I reckon I’ll see it tonight when I put the animals out,” Grady said.

Holly felt a little thud of disappointment. “Well, okay.” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “Would it be all right if we took Noël down to see the scene? The girls thought she—” It sounded ridiculous to say the donkey would want to see the place where she’d be on display. “She might like the exercise.”

A cloud of guilt passed over Grady’s face. “The little girls are going to see it?”

Holly nodded.

“Well, since they worked on it, I guess I should go take a gander.” He turned away from the door. “Come inside while I get my boots on.”

She stepped onto the cracked green linoleum of the mud room as the old farmer plunked down on a bench and pulled off his slippers. Lying on top of a small chest of drawers by the kitchen door was a partly completed baby blanket still on the knitting needles. It looked as though his wife had laid it down there before she died, and Grady hadn’t been able to throw it away or even move it. Holly’s chest tightened with sadness as she reached out to brush her fingers over the soft stripes of mint green and pale yellow.

She caught Grady watching her and pulled her hand back. A deep blush climbed his cheeks as he bent over to yank on his rubber Wellington boots. “I make ’em for that Project Linus,” he said gruffly. “For babies in the hospital.”

“
You
made it? I thought—” Holly stopped herself. “It’s beautiful.”

Grady pushed up from the bench and reached for his jacket. “Bess taught me how to knit when she got sick because she’d promised six blankets and had only finished four.”

Holly tried to picture Grady, in his flannel shirt and rubber boots, going to the yarn store and choosing the skin-caressing yarn in baby-appropriate colors. “It’s wonderful of you to carry on her work,” she said, thinking how very little anyone knows about the private lives of the people around them. Everyone had thought she and Frank had a wonderful marriage. Only Claire had been able to see behind the façade, and that was because she had insisted on helping Holly daily when she had been so ill with Lyme disease.

Grady shrugged and held the door open for Holly. “It makes watching the television less of a time waste.”

As they started across the road toward the barn, Holly tucked her hand around his elbow. “You know, Grady, I think you’re just pretending to be a curmudgeon.”

The old farmer didn’t say anything, but he bent his arm so her hand rested there more comfortably.

* * *

Robbie felt a ping of jealousy when Holly walked into the barn escorted by Grady Boone, smiling as though she and the old farmer had just shared a private joke. It took him back to the walk across the field with Holly. He’d wanted that field to go on for miles, with her tramping along beside him so close he could hear the intake of her breath as the cold made her gasp slightly. He could feel the shape of her hand in his and watch the way the setting sun brushed its light over her cheeks and dark hair.

But that was nothing compared to the lust that had walloped him when that blasted donkey had shoved her soft, warm body right up against him. Once he got his arms around her, he had to fight the temptation to pull her down in the straw, cradling her body over his while he tasted those soft lips he dreamt about in ways that forced him to take a cold shower in the morning.