The Christmas He Loved Her (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake 2)

Suddenly Gibson stopped barking and turned his head in Jake’s direction, his tail wagging, nose sniffing madly. Jake froze, hoping the shadows between the trees were deep and dark. He had no desire to be caught lurking in the bush like some deranged stalker by a ten-pound bag of fur.

Raine turned in his direction and his eyes locked on to the mess of dark hair that tumbled around her pale face. She pushed it out of the way and called for the dog, her voice falling like dead stones. The puppy yelped at him one more time before whirling around and running for his master. Raine opened the door, and with one last glance around, disappeared inside the house.

Jake let out a long, tortured breath and turned abruptly, his mind a mess of jumbled, half-formed thoughts. With renewed vigor he tore through the brush, needing to push his body to the limit. Needing to think about something other than the only thing that had been on his mind for months.

For years.

How fucking pathetic. After all this time he was still a mess when it came to the one woman he could never have. The only woman he’d ever loved.

His brother’s widow.

***

Marnie Edwards covered her pans with tea towels and arranged them neatly on the counter. The buns would need a few hours to rise before baking, and for the moment she was done. Franklin smelled wonderful, and after basting the large turkey, she shoved him back in the oven and reduced the heat. Steven was still in bed, and for moment she relished the quiet. It had been a tough few months with her husband in treatment, and she found herself craving alone time, or rather time for herself.

She grabbed another cup of coffee and wandered into the family room, which was just off the kitchen. It was a large open space and in a house of many rooms was the one place everyone gathered. It was homey, colored in buttercream yellow and sage green, and boasted an impressive wall of glass that brought the outdoors inside. With the lake glistening a few hundred feet away, it was her favorite spot.

She tucked herself into a large overstuffed chair that she’d had reupholstered many times. It was one of the first pieces of furniture she and Steven had bought, and though the sofa that had come with it was long gone, this chair had always been special, the one she felt most comfortable in, and she refused to give it up.

She’d fed her babies in this chair. Read to them. Cuddled them. And loved them.

She sank back into the soft, caramel fabric and closed her eyes. The coffee mug in her hands provided a bit of warmth, but she drew a thick throw blanket across her hips and tried to relax. But it was so hard.

With one son lost to her and the other drowning in pain, Marnie’s insides were all twisted. She’d heard Jake in the night and had followed in his footsteps as he disappeared into the basement.

At first she’d thought he couldn’t sleep and was in the mood for TV—she had almost joined him—but then she realized he’d gone into the exercise room. She’d sat on the top step and listened, arms crossed over her chest, mouth trembling as the clang from the weights echoed into the silence. Over and over…and over. She’d winced at the grunts of pain as her baby worked out like a demon, and her heart broke a little more with each harsh echo.

It was then that she knew there wasn’t a thing she could do for him. Gone were the days when she could wrap Jake into her arms, kiss his boo-boo, and make it all better. If only life were that simple. If only childhood remedies worked on adults.

Her world would never be all right again, but there had to be hope in there somewhere, or else what was the point of it all? Why would God take one of her sons and leave the other broken?

The

front door slammed shut and she jumped, nearly spilling coffee all over herself as she straightened in the chair. Jake was back from his run.

She listened as he tossed his dirty clothes into the laundry room and at least one shoe banged against the side of the washing machine, followed by a muffled curse. It brought a bittersweet smile to her face and a deluge of memories that were a little less painful to remember than they had been even a few weeks ago.

It was then that Marnie Edwards realized something. Maybe she wasn’t so helpless after all. Maybe she could help her son and, if she was lucky, help herself and Steven as well. There was hope all around, if you knew where to look. Jake was hope. He was here and he was alive. Hope lived inside him, buried beneath layers of pain—he just didn’t know it yet.

She thought of the woman upstairs, a woman he claimed was just a friend, and her mind wandered, thinking of all the possibilities. Was this Lily St. Clare the key? He cared enough about her to bring her back to Crystal Lake with him. Surely that meant something more than “just friends.” Maybe this Lily was Jake’s hope.

A plan began to form in her head and excitement rolled in her belly for the first time in months, though she bit her lip as she sprang from the chair. She’d need help from someone who cared about Jake as much as she did, and though her husband Steven was as concerned for their child as she was, Marnie knew he’d never agree to what she had in mind.

Besides, he had to focus on getting well, not worry about his wife’s plan for their son.

No, she needed a much more devious kind of mind. A feminine kind of mind. As Marnie headed back into the kitchen to throw her pies in the oven, she smiled, her steps light for the first time in months. She knew the perfect accomplice.

And she was coming for dinner.

Chapter 5

The tube of mascara was more than a little goopy, but it would have to do, because it was all she had. Raine squinted into the mirror and applied it as best she could, taking care not to leave any clumps behind. It had been ages since she’d taken the time to do her makeup. Ages since she’d worn anything other than jeans or sweats. What was the point? Anything more complicated than spandex and cotton was more of a bother than anything else.

But it was Thanksgiving, after all, and the Edwardses loved to make a big deal out of the holidays. This year, with Steven’s recovery and Jake’s return, Marnie would no doubt go all-out. It was a distraction she needed, as well as a celebration.

She twirled the mascara wand inside the canister and applied one last coat. Damned if she was going to show up and meet Jake’s new girl looking anything less than spectacular, and though it might be silly of her to feel that way, she wasn’t about to overanalyze her feelings. Besides, there was nothing wrong with wanting to look good.

She stood back and stared at her reflection critically. Nothing wrong at all.