The Christmas Piano Tree: What's Christmas without a tree? (A Kissing Creek novel Book 1) (17 page)

She took a deep breath and made her decision. “I promised the sergeant I’d make him some sugar cookies.”

“And spaghetti,” Jared reminded her, stretching out on the sofa.

The man didn’t waste time, did he? Still, he looked so pleased, so darn happy about what she’d said, she couldn’t help but feel giddy herself. Was that the biggest grin ever to light up a Christmas Eve? she thought, acknowledging his wide smile.

“You’re a lucky man, Sergeant,” said the sheriff as he swung open the front door. He gave a final look in her direction, his sad puppy eyes telling her he knew his luck had run out. “Kristen bakes the best cookies in town.”

Then, taking the cold, snowy wind with him, he was gone.

She waited for Jared to take her in his arms, she knew he wanted to, but he lay on the sofa, staring at her instead.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me staying?” Jared had to ask. “People will talk.”

She smiled. “You’re a hero, and I’m proud to have you in my home.”

“Is that the only reason?” he said, sitting up and edging closer to her, his hands going around her waist. She could see the hesitation, the questions he wanted to ask her but didn’t, the longing he didn’t try to hide.

She was never more sure of anything.

“Any woman in Kissing Creek would love to have her own Santa Claus on Christmas Eve,” Kristen teased, leaning over and putting her arms around his neck. He tightened his grip and she could barely breathe, but she loved it. She felt wanted, protected. “Besides,” she said, “Rachel adores you. She…” Then it hit her. “
Oh, my God, Rachel.”

It wrenched her heart to think about what her little girl experienced on this holy night, the confusion, the fear. She must be all mixed up inside, alone and still scared. How could she have been such an idiot not to go to her sooner?

She raced to the child’s bedroom and was relieved to find her little daughter snuggled up in her bed fast asleep, still wearing her hat and coat with Lulu Mae clutched to her chest. She smiled warmly. Could any mother ask for more?

When she returned to the living room with a glow on her face, she wasn’t surprised to find the sergeant stretched out again on her couch.

“I see you’ve staked your claim for the night, Sgt. Milano,” she said, fluffing up the pillow for him. He was a happy man, all relaxed and by the hungry look in his eyes, biting the bit for those sugar cookies she’d promised.

“Too bad I can’t convince you to join me,” he teased, putting his hands behind his head. He gave her a come-hither look, but she resisted.

“And sleep out here where it’s cold?” Kristen said, hands on her hips.

“I could keep you warm.”

“I bet you could.”

“I wish you’d try it,” he said with a tenderness that touched her in a different way. Eyes misty, she groaned. He wasn’t trying to be sexy or bold. He just wanted to hold her. 

It was tempting. He was big and strong and wonderful. A man who could be very gentle like he was with Rachel, or who would fight to the death for what he believed in.

She took a step back, thinking about how the sergeant had taken on that bank robber without any thought for his own safety. She wanted to push back his damp hair and soothe his brow with a gentle brush of her lips. She wanted to do a lot more to him, but she wasn’t ready to go there.

Not yet.

His next words, however, sent her heart racing.

“Thank you, Kristen,” he said in a quiet voice, “for trusting me. On everything.”

She nodded, not wanting to say too much. She couldn’t offer him anything more tonight, she thought, twisting her wedding ring on her finger, not that she didn’t want to. Kristen knew only that his pleased expression made her certain she didn’t want him to walk out of her life. All her loneliness and deep feelings were something she would have to deal with over time.

For now, she couldn’t say where this would lead. She didn’t even know what his feelings were toward her.

And she wouldn’t know until morning.

Seemed the sergeant was all tuckered out.

After she pulled out a clean sheet and heavy quilt from the linen shelf, she heard the sound of gentle snoring coming from the couch. How good that sounded to her ears. She stood there watching him, the glow from the Christmas piano making Jared look so peaceful. He was sleeping soundly.

Men are just little boys grown up
, she remembered Aunt Gertrude telling her when she had a fight with Scott over something trivial like hanging his wet socks on the radiator.
They need tender loving care.

Scott had needed her. And now Jared. And that made her happy.
Very
happy.

Kristen pulled off the sergeant’s boots, making him grunt loudly, and then covered him up with the heavy patchwork quilt. So much for temptation. She breathed out, knowing for certain the image of him homey and comfortable on her sofa would stay with her for a long time. It would be nice to have him come back here when he returned to civilian life. She could manage on her own, but there was something so wonderful about having a man like Jared at her side.

As if they were a family again.

Kristen let go with a deep sigh, and then took off her wedding ring and put it into her apron pocket. Tomorrow was a new beginning for them both. She knew now she could learn to love again just like Jared had learned to trust again.

Two lonely people finding each other on Christmas Eve.

Was there any better love story than that?

She smiled, and then planted a gentle kiss on his cheek before turning off the lights and going to bed.

Somehow, she knew Scott would approve.

Christmas morning in Kissing Creek dawned with a clear, blue sky and snow that sparkled like spun sugar. Fussing around the kitchen, Kristen was as nervous as a kitten testing its paws on fresh snow, but she didn’t let that stop her. When the first ray of sunlight peeked through her kitchen window with a cheery smile, she was already hard at work cooling a batch of sugar cookies, thin and crisp. Her body was humming with a new found joy and her heart warmed with something she hadn’t felt for a long time.

Harmony. Contentment.

A handsome soldier was sleeping on her couch.

Perfect
, she thought, adding blue sprinkles in a graceful swirl. Both the cookies and the man.

Jared hadn’t stirred all night, though she’d checked on him a few times along with Rachel, swearing they both breathed in unison as she jumped from one room to the other.

She couldn’t sleep.

Her nerves were eating at her, wondering what the day would bring. She so hoped the sergeant would notice she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring, but also understand she needed to take things slowly. Meanwhile, the cottage was abuzz with the sounds and smells of a happy baker at work. Pans and spoons and bowls. Vanilla and cinnamon.

Cinnamon because she loved the smell. It reminded her of Aunt Gertrude. She added cinnamon to everything, so it seemed only right to fill the kitchen on Christmas with the fragrant spice.

Kristen couldn’t stop smiling as she’d whipped up the dough, her spoon hitting the sides of the bowl with rapid strokes like a little boy drummer.

But it was the overwhelming aroma of butter-rich sugar cookies hot from the oven that woke up the sergeant. She didn’t hear him get up, not even a loud yawn. But she knew he was watching her. She looked up from the cooling sheet and her chest expanded. He stood there in the archway, arms folded, wearing nothing but his tight tank T-shirt stretched across his broad chest. Wrinkled pants. And barefoot. He’d plopped the red Santa cap on his head. His mussed-up dark hair and beard gave him a sexy, wild look.

He was the most gorgeous St. Nick she’d ever seen.

“I don’t know what tempts a man more,” Jared said lazily. “The smell of fresh baked cookies or you standing there with the sun in your hair.”

“Want a taste?” Kristen teased, taking a bite of the sweet, chewy cookie. His eyes shot to her ring finger. Bare. Thank God, he did notice. He grinned and rubbed his beard, his already happy smile getting bigger.

Her heart soared.

“Pretty lady, you don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“Oh, but I do.” She was no longer afraid of the way he made her feel. Kristen fed him the cookie and he finished it in one bite, smacking his lips. Gently, she wiped them off the crumbs in his beard, her fingers brushing his lips. His look was like nothing she’d ever seen before, a man hungry for a lot more than a cookie.

“The sheriff was right,” he said, beaming. “The best cookies in town, but one isn’t enough.” He grabbed another sugar treat and munched on it as happy as a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

Kristen made a face. What she really wanted was for him to munch on her.

Why are men so stubborn?

Do I have to throw myself at him
?

God knows, she was aching for him to hold her, touch her.

Without hesitation, she untied the red ribbon from her ponytail and smoothed down her hair. She wanted to look pretty for him on Christmas morning, so she’d fastened a holiday red apron with white lace trim over her blue jeans and white T-shirt. She pulled the apron ties taut to emphasize her waist, yearning for him to wrap his hands around her again.

She could barely breathe with the apron squeezing her ribs so tight. Or was it because she couldn’t catch her breath wondering, hoping he would kiss her.

Her cute cherry pie outfit did the trick.

Jared took one long stride toward her and slipped his hand through her long hair and pulled her close to him. Kristen sighed. She found great comfort in him running his fingers through her hair. She purred in low, soft tones.

“Damn it all, Kristen, I know I don’t have the right to say this, but I’d like to come back to Kissing Creek after I leave the Army.”

“Are you sure, Jared?” she said, her pulse racing overtime. “We’re just a little town surrounded by the Kentucky woods, but with a big heart.”

“And the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen,” he said with a soulful look in his eyes that did nothing to slow her pulse. He told her about his plans to open a small auto repair shop in town. “Then I could get to know you and Rachel better.”

“I’d like that, Jared,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. She’d waited to hear him say the words, prayed he would, but she never imagined the wild emotions raging through her when he did. The tingling down to her toes, the stirring in her belly that made her dizzy.

“You’ve given me back something I lost in the war,” he said honestly, no apology in his voice for untying her apron and stroking her back, his fingers digging under the waistband of her jeans.

“
Me, Jared
?
” she asked, sensing his feelings sparred with his manly pride. His touch against her bare skin was unbelievably delicious. She arched her back and leaned into him, his skillful fingers arousing her to the point that she almost forgot Rachel would be waking up soon.

Oh, please God, not yet.

Give me another minute with him touching me, making me feel loved again.

“Yes, you. I came home broken by war,” he admitted through clenched teeth. “Unable to believe I could live my life. Like I stood out in a crowd everywhere I went, people watching me, judging me. So I hid. Isolated myself, refused help. I stayed away from my family because I didn’t want to burden them with my problems. I felt forgotten, alone, but not anymore.” His mouth was dangerously close to hers. “You’ve shown me that family can help you heal.”

He hesitated and Kristen had the notion he was having a hard time saying what was on his mind, a tumult of emotions and thoughts twirling around inside him. She understood. Yes, there was obstacles they must face together, but didn’t he know she needed him as much as he needed her?

She had to make him understand they were two people caught up in a sense of loss that tugged at them both, and a little girl’s strong belief that Santa would bring her daddy home.

So strong it had taken the magic of the Christmas piano tree to heal the child’s heart.

Jared had made that happen and she’d always be grateful to him. Rachel would have died out there in the snow if he hadn’t found her.

Not to mention the unthinkable when the bank robber held them hostage. She still got shivers just thinking about it.

“You saved Rachel and me from that horrible man, Jared. You’re a hero,” she said softly, leaning against his chest and wrapping her arms around him. It felt so good, so right.

“Am I?” he asked more to himself than her. “People say we’re heroes, but at the end of the day, the men and women who didn’t come back are the real heroes. They made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.” He paused, giving them both a moment to remember Scott.

Husband, best friend, father.

Knowing his shadow would always be there, reminding them of the past but also guiding their future.

“I’m proud to be a soldier,” he continued, “and I’ll always have that sense of brotherhood and strong discipline to guide me, but I’ve found where I want to be…if you’ll have me.”

“Have you? You’re a good man and a fine soldier, Jared, the best,” she whispered, her voice low and husky. “I can’t think of anything I want more.”

“Kristen, darling…”

He kissed her as she’d dreamed, but this time with a hunger that caught her off guard. His mouth possessed hers, gently at first, his beard tickling her in that funny way of his. Then he wanted more and she gave of herself willingly without restraint. Clinging to him and wanting so to entwine her arms around him and never let him go.

A soft, raspy moan escaped her lips when he reached up under her T-shirt and cupped her breast in his hand, daring to peel back the crinkly lace on her bra and seeking out her nipple. She moaned louder when he squeezed her hard bud between his thumb and forefinger, a spiral of pleasure racing through her. She didn’t want him to stop, her need so real, her hunger so long denied it was an ache that had her gasping for breath.

“Oh, yes…” she sighed softly, her voice husky with desire, her hip firm against his, tempting him further.

Too tempting. She felt him stiffen.

“I want you in my life, Kristen, but not this way,” Jared said, pulling down her T-shirt. His face was ashen. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not.”

A growl came from the back of his throat. Her eyes widened. Thank God he’d stopped before she exploded into so many sensations she would have asked him to make love to her on top of the kitchen counter, their passion for each other crunching her sugar cookies into crumbs.

His need rivaled hers, making neither of them think straight.

Oh, God, he was as hungry as she was.

That daring thought made her wiggle her toes, dream about all kinds of wonderful things they could do to each other, starting with kissing and hugging and ending right back on top of the kitchen counter.   

Wouldn’t a warm, comfy bed be better
?

Maybe so, but that didn’t solve her problem. What was she going to do? She’d told him the truth, that she wasn’t sorry for wanting him. But he was right. This wasn’t the time. Not because of Scott. Kristen knew in her heart her husband would want them both to be happy. But because they both had jobs to do.

Jared needed to get his treatment finished and she had to take care of settling her back mortgage payments with the help of Aunt Gertrude’s savings.

That made her smile. Her a
e
unt would have adored Jared and she could hear her in her mind prodding her not to let him go.

Ever.

Not to mention the fact they both wanted their relationship to be right for Rachel. Her little girl would need some time to understand that her mommy was falling in love with this amazing man.

She slowed down her breathing as he held her tight, rubbing the back of her neck with his hand while he fought for control. She sighed breathlessly. He made her feel loved and she wanted to do the same for him. It wasn’t just the sex she wanted. It went deeper than that. Painfully deep, down into her soul. A primal connection she couldn’t explain, not even to herself. In time, she prayed she could.

She felt her lips quivering. She could barely speak, her mouth bruised, her body burning with fever.

“I wish you could stay,” Kristen said, wanting him so much she didn’t care about being sensible. Thank God the man had more resistance than she did.

“Me, too,” he said, taking a deep breath as he fought to keep control, “but I’d better be heading out before they send the troops looking for me.”

Jared kissed her again, this time his kiss was tender.

Loving.

Finally, he let her go.

“Do you need bus fare to get back to the VA hospital?” she asked, her hands trembling as she wrapped up a batch of sugar cookies for him to take along. No, he insisted. This military man had more pride than she imagined. He wouldn’t even let her drive him back to town.

To keep the gossip at bay
, he said, putting on his boots and field jacket and getting his gear together. He decided instead to trek over to the local bus stop down the road.

“By the way, I haven’t forgotten you owe me a spaghetti dinner,” the sergeant said, brushing her lips with his. He cupped her chin with his fingers and stared at her for a long moment. A dreamy look in his eyes she’d always remember.

“With or without meatballs?” she had to ask, teasing him.

“For your meatballs, I’ll walk back to Kissing Creek if I have to.”

“I’ll be here, waiting,” she promised.

Jared grinned at her. She loved the sexy twinkle in his eye. Nothing more needed to be said. Not now. Someday soon they’d be ready to know each other, to explore their seething passion simmering below the surface. Knowing that day would come would get them through the tough times ahead.

He squeezed her around the waist, making her tingle inside, and with that he left, trudging through the piles of freshly fallen snow covering the country lane, a wayward breeze at his back.

Kristen watched him leave, noting his determined swagger, his tall frame, and broad shoulders. A man with a purpose. She couldn’t help but remember seeing him for the first time when the day was dim and gray. Like her heart. Now the sun was shining, casting a warm vanilla glow over her and making her feel good inside.

“Mommy, Mommy,
Santa came
!
”
she heard Rachel calling out to her.

That snapped her back to reality in a warm, wonderful way. She’d almost forgotten what day it was, so wrapped up in love she was for her soldier. Earlier she’d scattered the presents she’d bought for Rachel around the piano tree. Bless her heart, the child sounded happy and excited as a kid should be on Christmas morning.