Ever After (Nantucket Brides 3)

Her eyes widened.

“We don’t have a butler and I’m from Colorado. I can build a fire on top of snow.”

“Really?” She sat down on one end of the couch, wrapped in the blanket.

“Watch and learn,” he said. It took him only minutes before the fireplace was going strong. The wind hit the old windows, making them rattle, but it was cozy and warm inside, and the light from the fire was cheerful.

Hallie leaned back against a pillow and stretched her legs out. For some odd reason, her clothes no longer felt wet. “This is nice.”

When Jamie sat down on the opposite end of the couch, she drew her knees up. Reaching out, he pulled her feet onto his lap and began to massage them.

“I don’t think this is appropriate,” she said and started to draw back, but he held her feet to him.

“Let me get this straight,” Jamie said. “This morning you had me buck naked on a table with only a towel the size of a washcloth over my behind, and your hands were all over me. Inside my thighs, well below my navel, everywhere. And that’s not even counting when we were all over each other. But now I’m not allowed to touch your feet?”

Hallie couldn’t help laughing. “I guess when you put it that way, I can’t say no. And besides, it does feel good.” He was stroking her feet, his strong hands caressing them, and she closed her eyes.

“You’re not used to people doing nice things for you, are you?” he asked.

“I guess not.”

“Your stepsister didn’t do anything to thank you for all you did for her?”

It was Hallie’s turn to give a snort. “No, that’s not something Shelly does. Can you reach the box Kit brought?”

Once again, Jamie knew he’d been told to back off. “Sure,” he said. “You mind if I take off this sweatshirt? It’s heating up in here.”

At her nod, he pulled the heavy garment over his head. Under it he had on a plain white, short-sleeved T-shirt, which allowed the scars on his arms to show. When he reached over to get the box, she could see the outline of more scars on his back.

“Do you cover up with long sleeves just for outsiders?” she asked.

“No!” He pulled the lid off. “I have to cover up around my family. If I don’t, the aunts get teary and start asking if they can get me anything. The uncles pat my shoulder and say this country is lucky to have men like me.”

“And your cousins?”

“They’re the worst. They say, ‘Jamie, why don’t you sit there and watch us have fun?’ Or ‘Our game of Ping-Pong won’t be too loud for you, will it?’?”

Hallie was trying not to laugh. “Ping-Pong?”

“Well, maybe not that particular game, but I’m sure not invited to play rugby with them.”

“But somebody got you to go skiing.”

“That was Todd. Tough love that put me back in the hospital.”

“Sounds like your family was right to coddle you. But then the skiing is what got you here.” She wiggled her toes on his lap.

“Yeah, it did. So maybe I owe my brother. Just please don’t tell him that.” Jamie leaned forward as though he meant to kiss her.

But Hallie pulled back. “So what’s in the box?”

“Just papers. You know, you wouldn’t be nearly so cold if you moved to my end of the couch. I’m a very warm person.”

“I’m not cold at all. I want to see what Uncle Kit brought us.”

“Speaking of him, what did you slip my uncle when you two thought no one was looking?”

“You saw that?!”