Just One Kiss: A heartwarming Christmas romance (Whisper Lake Book 4) Read online

She sighed. "Nothing Kelly has done so far makes sense to me." She grabbed plates out of the cabinet along with some silverware. "Do you want to cut up some chicken? I'll throw the salad in a bowl."

  "Sure."

  While he grabbed a knife, she put the salad together. It felt strange to be making dinner with Jake, something she never would have imagined them doing together.

  He gave her a smile as he put slices of chicken on a plate. "I bet you didn't think tonight's trip would end up with us making dinner together."

  Clearly, he was still good at reading her mind. "Definitely not. If I hadn't gotten a flat tire, our paths might not have crossed at all."

  "Fate."

  "Which usually doesn't work in my favor. I'd prefer if fate brought me a winning lottery ticket, but it never seems to go that way."

  "I don't know about that. You could think of me as your winning lottery ticket. You're not stranded on the side of the road. You're not alone with Brett, because fate brought me to you."

  "Fine, I'm not going to argue with you."

  "That's a first," he said dryly.

  "Keep being annoying, and that might change."

  "I don't know how not to annoy you, Hannah. I take a breath and I make you mad."

  His words made her feel like she was being childish, which she was. She hated that she couldn't seem to get over being pissed off at him. She should be more adult about it. They lived in the same town. They had some of the same friends. She wasn't a heartsick teenager anymore. She was an ER nurse. She handled life-and-death situations without missing a beat. So, why did this man still throw her off her game?

  "Let's just eat," she said, taking the salad to the table. She moved back into the living room where Brett was watching a cartoon. "Do you want some chicken, Brett?"

  "I'm not hungry," he replied, his gaze focused on the television.

  "Are you sure you don't want a little more?"

  He shook his head.

  Since Brett had had cereal only a short time earlier, she decided to leave him be rather than force the issue. He was happy enough with the TV, so she'd let him keep watching. She could see him from one end of the kitchen table, so she took a seat there while Jake set a plate of chicken on the table and sat down across from her.

  After the first bite, she realized just how hungry she was. She hadn't had much lunch and that had been hours ago.

  "This isn't bad," Jake said with a pleased smile.

  "Not bad at all," she agreed. "There are cookies for dessert, if you still have room."

  "I always have room for dessert."

  She couldn't help but smile. "I remember the night you ate an entire apple pie because Micky bet you that you couldn't." Jake had never been able to say no to a dare. If someone threw a challenge in front of him, he was determined to conquer it, no matter what it was.

  "I won, but I felt bad afterward. I should have known better."

  "You knew better; you did it anyway. You like having a mountain to climb, even if it's just eating a pie."

  He tipped his head in agreement. "That's true. I like to push the envelope."

  "Which I hear you do quite often. Some patients I've treated in recent weeks have talked about some harrowing rescues by you and Brodie and others on the search and rescue team."

  "We've seen some bad crashes and some fairly stupid behavior. Not everyone conquers the mountain. Some people lose. Usually, because they didn't prepare."

  "You believe in preparation? I thought you were more of a wing-it kind of guy."

  "Not when it comes to battling nature. I respect the mountains and the weather."

  "You weren't always that way."

  "I grew up, Hannah. So did you. We're not the kids we once were."

  "No, we're not. How's your business going?" she asked, wanting to immediately derail what might be another trip back into their past. She preferred to stay in the present.

  "It's good. We've been very busy this season. I had to hire on some extra guides."

  "How big is your team now?"

  "Besides myself, we have six full-time guides and another four who work part-time, depending on the season. I have four other employees who handle the bookings and sell the limited amount of merchandise we carry in the store."

  "Why limited?" she asked curiously.

  "Because the focus of my business is the experience, the adventure. Gianna's parents already sell top-of-the-line equipment in their store, so I'd rather carve out my own niche. Plus, it's not that exciting for me to sell or rent skis. I'd rather show someone the thrill of coming down a virgin trail after the first snow."

  His words took her back. "You showed me that."

  He met her gaze, smiling as they shared that memory. "You loved it."

  "I did. I had never been on that trail before. I didn't even know it existed. It felt like we were on our own private mountain, like no one had ever been there before us."

  "And to think you were almost too afraid to go."

  "But you talked me into it. You always pushed me to go further than I wanted to go."

  "Wasn't it a good thing?"

  "Most of the time," she admitted. "But it was different for you, wasn't it? I didn't push you; I held you back. I wanted to keep your feet on the ground, and you wanted to fly."

  A frown drew his brows together. "It wasn't exactly like that, Hannah."

  She shrugged. "Maybe we remember it differently. Anyway, it sounds like your business is going well." She picked up her plate and carried it to the counter. The window over the sink rattled from the force of the wind.

  "I don't think we'll be able to go back to town tonight," Jake said, as he joined her at the counter.

  She didn't want to spend all night in this small cabin with Jake and a four-year-old, who was going to go to bed soon, but she also didn't want to risk taking Brett into a fierce winter storm. "I think we have to stay here," she agreed. "I'm sorry that my flat tire got you into this."

  "You know I'm not really sorry," he said, with a gleam in his eyes.

  She didn't know what to say to that, so she said, "Can you handle the dishes? I want to spend time with Brett."

  "I can do that."

  She moved into the living room and sat down next to Brett. The little boy immediately snuggled up next to her. She put her arm around him, feeling a rush of tenderness for the small child who shared her blood. She would protect him and love him until his mother came back. She sent up a silent, pleading prayer that that would be soon.

  After Jake cleaned up the kitchen, he came into the room, chomping on a cookie. He sat down in the armchair adjacent to the couch and they watched the cartoon together.

  When it was over, Hannah couldn't help but notice that Brett was looking very sleepy. Glancing at her watch, she realized it was after eight.

  "Bedtime," she said.

  "Are you going to sleep in the bed with me?" Brett asked.

  Since there was only one bedroom in the cabin and one bed, her choice was Brett or Jake. She was definitely going to pick Brett. Jake could take the couch.

  "I'm sleeping with you," she told him.

  "Okay," he said happily.

  She took his hand as they got up and headed into the bedroom. She found his PJs, which were on top of the clothes in the suitcase. All of the items in the case seemed to belong to Brett, which made her wonder where Kelly's clothes were. She helped Brett change into his pajamas and brush his teeth, then tucked him into bed.

  "Are you going to sleep now, too?" he asked her.

  "I'll be in soon."

  "Can you tell me a story?"

  "A story, huh? What kind of story?"

  "Do you know the one about the little girl in the balloon? She wanted to fly far away and have adventures."

  Her heart flipped over at the mention of Kelly's favorite story, one which Kelly had shared with her many a night. Even as a child, Kelly had wanted to fly high and far away.

  "I might remember part of—" She stopped abruptly, real
izing Brett was already asleep. She blew out a breath of relief, because she didn't really want to relive that story.

  She got up and turned off the light. She left the door ajar and then returned to the living room.

  Jake was on the couch now. He had turned on the news, but he muted the sound when she appeared. "It's supposed to snow until midnight. If it clears after that, we should be able to get back to town in the morning."

  "Good." She sat down on the couch, keeping some distance between them.

  "You look a little more stressed than you did a few minutes ago. Why?" he asked curiously.

  "It's silly. Brett asked me to tell him a story, and it was Kelly's favorite tale about a girl in a hot air balloon who flies away from all her problems."

  "Sounds like your sister lived that story."

  "She did fly away, but I have no idea where she's been living all this time. I have so many questions. What does she do for money? Who is Brett's father and where is he? And most importantly, why did she come back to Whisper Lake now? And why didn't she just ask me to help her?"

  "Maybe she wasn't ready for you to see her, or she thought you might say no."

  "I wouldn't have said no. But it does amaze me a little that even though she abandoned me and Tyler that she thought I would instantly step up for her."

  He smiled. "It doesn't surprise me. Anyone who knows you, Hannah, would know that you would step up. That's who you are. You've always been that girl, even before Kelly left. And since then you've been taking care of everyone in the family."

  It was nice to know that Jake could see the burden she'd been carrying, and she was a little touched by his description of her.

  "Kelly knew you wouldn't turn your back on Brett," Jake added.

  "But she was still afraid to ask or to explain. She should have done both."

  "I don't disagree. But it is what it is. And no matter what you think about Kelly, you're already in love with Brett."

  She smiled at his words. "I am. He's adorable."

  Jake gave her a soft smile. "He is."

  Under the warmth of his smile, she felt her anger toward him weaken, which scared her. Anger was what kept the wall up between them. But did she really need that wall? It wasn't like anything would happen between them ever again.

  "What are you thinking?" he asked, giving her a speculative look.

  "That I'm tired."

  "You should go to bed."

  "Not that kind of tired."

  "Then what kind of tired are we talking about?"

  "I'm tired of being angry at you," she confessed. The words had no sooner left her mouth than she wanted them back, but it was too late.

  Relief filled his gaze. "Well, it's about damn time."

  "I'm not saying I forgive you," she added quickly. "I just don't want to work so hard to avoid you. It's exhausting."

  "Then stop, Hannah. What do you think will happen if you don't run out of every room I walk into?"

  "I don’t know, Jake. That's why I run. I don't like unpredictable situations. And you—you are the most unpredictable person I've ever known. You were my best friend. You were my first love, the first guy I had sex with, and three days later, you stood me up for the prom, cheated on me in a very public way, and humiliated me in front of the whole school."

  With every word, the frown on his face deepened, as well as the regret in his eyes.

  "I know I hurt you, Hannah. I was a seventeen-year-old kid, and I made a huge mistake. I've wished a million times that I could turn back time and do that night over again. But I can't."

  "No, you can't," she agreed. "I thought we had something really special, but I was stupid."

  "You weren't stupid. It was special until I messed it up. But I'm not that kid anymore, Hannah. You have to let me grow up. You have to see me for who I am now."

  "Why? Why do I have to do anything?" she challenged. "Why can't we just not speak, not see each other, not relive some of the worst memories of my life?"

  "Because we live in a small town. We hang out with the same people. And because we used to be friends, best friends. Don't you ever miss that?" he asked. "Because I do. I miss talking to you. I miss seeing your smile. I miss your wry humor and how funny and sarcastic you can be. But mostly I just miss being part of your life."

  She felt the ice around her heart melt with his words. She did miss him, but she couldn’t admit that. That would take this conversation in the wrong direction.

  "You asked every single one of our friends to donate money for your booth for the winter carnival, but you didn't ask me," he added.

  "I can't believe you're annoyed because I didn't ask you for money."

  "Well, I can't believe you're annoyed every time I breathe, so there we are," he retorted.

  "We shouldn't have started talking about the past," she said. "There's no point."

  "Maybe there is a point."

  "What could that possibly be?"

  "You need to get your head out of the past, and I know how to make that happen."

  "You don't—" she began, only to have her words cut short with a shocking kiss.

  She didn't know what to do, how to react. Her brain was telling her to push him away, but as his arms came around her, as his mouth moved against hers, she couldn't think anymore; she could only feel. This was Jake. And the taste of his mouth took her back in time.

  She suddenly remembered everything: the heated demand of his lips, the feeling of being swept off her feet and enveloped in a storm of desire and passion.

  But this kiss was also different. Jake was a man now, and she was a woman who knew what she liked, what she wanted. Their tangled dance of tongues became a new adventure, a delicious melding of the past with the present. And she wanted more. She wanted to pull off his sweater and push down his jeans. She wanted to see him, touch him and taste him.

  Her pulse pounded with the depth of her need. It was terrifying. This was why she'd avoided him for so long, because deep down she'd known the fire simmering between them could quickly get out of control. She had to stop. She had to push him away.

  Finally, she found the strength to break the kiss, to slide down the couch, to put some much-needed space between them.

  But it was still too hot. Her face was burning. And Jake's dark eyes were filled with a tempting promise of all the things she secretly wanted. "Why did you kiss me?"

  "I wanted to get you out of the past," he said. "And you kissed me back."

  "Only because you surprised me."

  "That surprise lasted for several minutes."

  "Well…" She found herself without any words.

  "Well," he echoed. "It's not often you can't think of something to say."

  "I'm going to bed." She got up and moved around the couch, then turned back to face him. "Don't do that again, Jake."

  "I won't. Unless you ask me to."

  Her stomach flipped over at that comment. "That will not happen."

  "We'll see."

  "You know one thing that hasn't changed, Jake? You're still cocky."

  "And you still like it."

  She really wished she could have had the last word, but escape was a bigger priority. She walked into the bedroom and closed the door, her heart still beating out of her chest.

  He had surprised her, but she had kissed him back. Maybe they'd both wanted to see if the sparks were still there. Now they knew. The sparks were definitely there, and they were dangerous.

  Jake had said he wouldn't kiss her again. It would be up to her. Which meant she was safe—at least from him. She wasn't so sure about herself.

  But she needed to stop thinking about Jake and start thinking about the other male currently in her life—the little boy sleeping peacefully in front of her.

  She took off her shoes and stretched out on the bed, pulling the heavy blanket over both of them. It was warm and toasty in the cabin despite the storm raging outside.

  At her movement, Brett snuggled up against her and she put her arm
around him. He immediately quieted, falling back to sleep. He trusted her. And she did not want to let him down.

  She might be furious with her sister, but not with this little boy. He was an innocent angel, and she would do everything she could to keep him safe.

  As the warmth of Brett's small body seeped into her soul, she closed her eyes, and the exhaustion of the day caught up to her. She didn't want to dream about anything, especially Jake, but there were other images sweeping through her mind.

  Kelly with her long blonde braid and laughing smile around the living room using a hairbrush as a microphone, making up games as she watched over Hannah and Tyler. She'd been their babysitter a lot of times, not that she ever should have been. As soon as their parents would leave, Kelly would usually sneak a friend in, or take them on a walk to the corner store, which they were not supposed to do by themselves. And that was before Kelly got a driver's license.

  Once Kelly had access to the car, she and Tyler had been Kelly's unwitting chaperones on cruising nights to boys' houses. But even when Kelly was breaking the rules, she was also fun. She made up games and helped them build forts out of pillows, blankets and chairs. She had an imagination that wouldn't quit.

  Hannah felt an ache even in her dreamy state. She'd loved Kelly so much. When she'd gotten old enough to know better, she'd realized that sometimes Kelly made mistakes; sometimes her reckless attitude was too much. Sometimes the fights between her mom and Kelly had been so over the top, she couldn't believe what either of them were saying.

  She'd tried to mediate between them. She'd loved both of them with all her heart, and Kelly had been her sister…until she wasn't.

  It had been much more difficult to hold onto the love, especially as the years passed, as she had to raise Tyler and keep her mom sober. She'd thought how Kelly might come back a million times, but it had never been like this.

  Brett moved in her arms. "Mommy?" he questioned.

  She tightened her embrace. "Go to sleep. You're safe."

  He was instantly reassured and why wouldn't he be? She'd just said the same thing to Brett that Kelly had said so many times to her when she'd gotten scared in the middle of the night, and she'd turned to her big sis for comfort.

  Kelly had probably said the same thing to Brett.