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

“We’d best leave you then. See you at the parade tonight?” Mrs. Lancaster said hopefully.

“For sure, I wouldn’t miss it.”

Just then Gibson began to bark up a storm, and Raine moved out of the way so the little monster could get outside, no doubt needing to make a nature run. The puppy flew past and skidded to a halt at Pastor Lancaster’s feet, his joy at finding a new set of leather boots to nip and bark at making the puppy so excited, his tail erupted in a blur of wagging, and he dropped something on the ground, right next to the Pastor’s feet.

Something blue. And cotton.

Raine’s face turned as red as Santa’s suit when she realized what it was.

“Sorry, let me,” she said and would have walked across fire to retrieve the item, except Mrs. Lancaster bent over and grabbed it. She gazed down at it for a few moments

and then turned to Raine, the blue cotton garment in her hands, a slight smile on her face.

“These must belong to you?”

Raine gazed down at Jake’s boxers and wanted to die. She wanted a hole to open up beneath her and to fall all the way to China. She was pretty sure the sight of Mrs. Lancaster in all her red and black checkered glory holding up Jake’s boxers was going to be a funny memory someday. Maybe.

But right now? She was horrified and hoped like hell they weren’t soaked in the sex fumes that were surely pouring out of the house and choking them both.

“Thanks, yes, they’re…” she mumbled. “They’re like a new style of…”

“It’s okay, my dear.” Mrs. Lancaster couldn’t hide her giggles anymore. “I’m sure they look wonderful on you.”

She turned abruptly and nudged her husband. “We should go, Frank.”

The pastor nodded and stepped back. “I look forward to seeing you tonight, Raine.”

Raine nodded and watched as they made their way down the path. She heard Pastor Lancaster tell his wife they should try the main house again—that maybe this time Jake would hear them.

And she cringed when she heard Mrs. Lancaster laugh softly and answer, “I don’t think he’s at the main house, but we can try if you want to.”

Oh God.

She closed the door behind her, scowling when she spied Jake a few feet away. He had pulled his jeans on, though the snap was undone and the zipper…

Abruptly, she glanced up, irritated at the laughter in his eyes. “What’s so damn funny? It wasn’t you out there trying to make small talk with the woman who taught your Sunday school class.”

His grin widened. “Got me there.”

“I know!” she exclaimed. “And I swear she’s got X-ray vision. She knew you were inside.”

“Don’t forget her super sense of smell.”

She made an irritated noise but couldn’t look away as he strode across the room and reached for her. He slipped his arms around her and murmured into her hair, “You’re freezing.”

She let him scoop her into his arms, and she snuggled against his chest as they flopped onto the sofa. For a long time, Raine rested on him, listening to his heartbeat and loving the feel of his arms around her.

She could stay like this forever. But reality was only inches away, on the other side of the door. And though she knew that things had changed for the two of them—dramatically—she wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed. She knew what she wanted—a future with Jake—she just didn’t know how to get there without dealing with the crap that was still unexposed. Still hidden away.

“So,” she began hesitantly, her eyes closed as he slowly stroked her hair. “The Christmas light-up parade is tonight.”

“Yep.”

She decided to jump off the cliff and put it all out there. It was one thing to be here with him, like this, together—but another thing entirely if they chose to venture out in public.

“I want to go.”

“I got that.”