Judith Gilbert - The Mistletoe Affair

“I know. That's what I fell on the other day.” She shook her head. “You had your mind made up that I had vertigo. Sorry about yelling at you when you were so close."

He half-turned, his hands rising in a pose of self-defense. “Okay, okay. Truce. I want to eat those cookies-not dodge them."

“We got to decorate,” Matt said, grabbing candy and green icing. He spread it on top of his cookie Christmas tree, and leaned over to Jared. “Remember, do ‘em and eat fast."

Jared popped a freshly decorated wreath into his mouth. He took a deep breath. “Nothing smells better than this kitchen.” He glanced over at Katherine and winked. “Well, I stand corrected. I can think of one thing that beats it, hands down."

“What?” Matt asked.

Her face heated as she immediately chimed in. “Chocolate."

“Quick recovery,” Jared said with a chuckle.

“Anyone for chocolate milk?” she asked, passing out glasses and filling them.

Her gaze moved to Jared. He took a sip of milk. “I can't go a day without it,” he teased, invoking her unintentional double entendre from last night. “Matt asked me to take him Christmas shopping. We'll go to the local mall. Is that okay?” he asked, setting the glass down.

Matt pushed his nose between them and peered up at her. “I gotta get something for Dad, so can Jared take me, please?” He steepled his hands into a pretty-please.

She nodded her head. “Yes."

Matt started to chatter about all the presents he wanted for Christmas. Katherine glanced at Jared and found him watching her with that close scrutiny that should make her want to throttle him, but instead sent little fissures of warmth across her belly. In an effort to avoid his gaze, she looked down at her watch, surprised to find another two hours had passed. She hadn't even noticed the time passing. Disconcerted, she lifted her head to find Jared still watching her. “Did everyone get enough cookies?"

“Thanks. I've had plenty,” Jared said.

“Me, too.” Matt said. He yammered on in the background, squishing jellied candy into small, flat pancakes between his fingertips, which looked like they'd been dyed bright shades of red and green.

“I'll leave a dozen out to eat later on.” She filled plastic containers with the remainder and placed them into the freezer. She tossed another glance at Jared. “Matt, please wash your hands upstairs and pick out a story for me to read to you. I'll be up in a few minutes to run your bath."

She turned to Jared as she finished drying her hands after Matt sped up the stairs. “He has ten dollars to shop with. I hope you don't mind keeping up with what he spends. I'll reimburse you.

“That won't be necessary. This is something I want to do for Matt. It has nothing to do with you."

About to argue, she shrugged instead. She couldn't argue with every man she encountered over every little thing. “Have it your way. Thanks. I wrote down a few small items to consider for my mother and included the sizes.” She handed him the paper. His hand touched hers, his thumb playing havoc with her concentration as it gently rubbed back and forth across her index finger.

“What do you want for Christmas, Katherine?"

She pulled her hand back, annoyed to find it trembling. “Nothing special. Anything Matt picks out will be great.” She picked up a pen and paper. “I'll write my glove and belt sizes down."

He shook his head, his eyes darkening. “I know your size-top to bottom."

A chill danced up her spine. Her breathing quickened as she felt the sensual pull of her awareness of him. The pen clattered to the floor. Jared retrieved it for her.

“Tell Matt I'll pick him up tomorrow morning around nine, if that's okay.” He winked and sneaked another cookie before heading for the door.

“That's fine.” She watched him leave, her palm pressed against the countertop for support, her knees trembling. She slid down onto a stool, picked up a dishtowel and twisted it in her hands. She stared at the chaos of frosting and candy on the table, seeing nothing but Jared's slow smile.

Five minutes later, she heard a car pull into the driveway. She peeked out the window and recognized Paul's Porsche. He removed the tarp from his trunk and covered his ‘baby'.

Well, he finally found his way back.

“Who was that man leaving the house as I drove up?” Paul asked entering the kitchen.

“Jared Randall."

He froze, holding his car keys in mid-air. “What was he doing here?"

She threw the twisted towel on the table. “Fixing a roof leak.” Trying to change the subject and hopefully avoid another fight, she asked with a teasing tone, “Did you get lost?"

“Very funny. I stopped at the nursery and bought poinsettias for the fireplace."

“Hmmm,” she said doubtfully.

He moved to face her. “Katherine, I want you to stay away from that man."

“You do?” she asked, annoyed at him for trying to change the subject from his own behavior. She swiped a wet rag across the table none too gently.

“Yes, I do. I checked him out in town. He has a very bad reputation as a womanizer."

She paused, looking him up and down. “Takes one to know one."

He nodded vehemently. “That's right. I used to be exactly like Jared Randall. Stay away from him. He's no good, Katherine."

She tilted her head to the side and considered him in silence.

After a moment, he raked a hand through his hair. “Babe, he's way out of your league. He'll have you flat on your back before you can count to three."

Her breathing became short and rapid. Paul had spoken to her like this only once before, but it was not a warning. It was an attack. And even two years later, his hateful, vile words still screamed inside her mind: “I had you flat on your back before I could count to three, Mrs. Cahill.” Afterwards, he'd walked out with the other woman.

The sound of her palm connecting with his face sounded like thunder.

Katherine couldn't believe Paul had come over to see Matt so early the next morning. Her mother seemed to derive enjoyment from Paul's arrogant mood at the breakfast table. Looking at him over a forkful of pancakes, Katherine frowned. She would like to do what her mother had suggested the minute he showed up-toss him out the backdoor-headfirst.

“What do you mean Mr. Randall's taking you to buy Christmas presents?” Paul asked Matt. Without waiting for a reply, he turned to her, his voice rising in volume. “You want to explain?"

She opened her mouth then closed it around the delicious pancakes. Withdrawing the fork, she took her time savoring the rich maple taste. “I'm sorry,” she murmured with a bright smile, “were you yelling something at me?” She sipped her coffee.

His steel-gray eyes showed irritation, but he lowered his voice to a reasonable decibel level. “Would you please tell me why Matt is going Christmas shopping with Jared Randall?"

Putting her cup down, she glanced at Matt, who shoved the last bite of ham into his mouth. She smiled at him. “Why don't you brush your teeth, while your dad and I discuss a few things? I laid clothes on the bed for you to wear. I'll be up soon to help with the buttons."

Wearing what could have passed for a smirk on her lips, her mother forked another pancake from the stack while Matt left the table and trotted up the stairs.

Paul's gaze followed Matt and grimaced. “I should have waited until he was out of earshot."

Katherine nodded. “Matt wants to go with Jared."

Paul viciously sliced his ham with his knife, grating the metal against the china plate. “The boy's six-years-old, for Pete's sake. Stop babying him. He needs to learn he can't have what he wants all the time.” Pushing and slicing again, his knife sailed and landed beside her plate.

She shoved her shoulder blades back and took a deep breath. “Matt's five. He'll be six January eleventh. And I think you've already taught him he can't have what he wants every time you cancelled visits.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “Jared's taking Matt to the nearby mall to buy a few gifts, including a present for you."

His jaw tightened and the angles of his cheekbones sharpened. He tossed his fork and napkin onto the plate, reached into his pocket and withdrew his money clip. “For Matt,” he said, taking a deep breath and throwing a fifty-dollar bill in front of her.

Picking up the money, she moved it back over to Paul's place mat. “That won't be necessary."

His lips compressed into a thin line. “Is this another one of those lessons you're trying to teach me, like the pendant?"

“No,” she said, and glanced to the side.

Her mother's ears seemed to grow two inches.

Katherine coughed. “You can use your money to take Matt shopping another day-just the two of you. A father and son outing. Today, Matt will be spending money he's earned, and Jared wants to make up any difference."

Paul snarled. “I bet he does. He's using Matt to get to you. We both know what he really wants."

“And what's wrong with another man wanting my daughter?"

Their heads snapped in the direction of her mother. Katherine glanced back at Paul. He sat inert, apparently stunned into silence.

“Bound to happen sooner or later to a beautiful, highly successful, divorced woman like Katherine.” Devil lights flashed in her mother's eyes. “Guess she has two men chasing her now. And plenty of time to decide if she wants one. Or none."

Katherine passed Paul's stunned state and now entered her own catatonic state. Inside, though, her mind was anything but quiescent. Images of two men raced by, one a GQ photo-shoot perfect male with steel-gray eyes and jet-black hair, and another a rugged Fabio look-alike, muscular male with lush, dark blond hair and baby-blues deep enough to dive straight into and drown.