Wrapped Up In Christmas

One side of his mouth lifted as he met her gaze. “Ready for what is the question.”

“For whatever today’s adventure is,” she assured him. “I’ve got my keys in my pocket.” She jingled them as she stepped into the foyer, then motioned for him to join her. “Let’s go.”

Bodie followed her, opened the door and let Harry and Sarah go out, then made sure the handle was locked before pulling it closed behind him.

Harry followed him to the truck and hopped up onto the seat. Bodie brushed off the seat. “I should have let him in on my side.” There was just enough of a sprinkling of snow still on the ground that Harry’s feet had left wet marks on the seat. “Sorry.”

“Not a problem.” She wiped the seat dry with her gloves, then climbed into the truck.

Bodie closed her door, went around and got into the truck. Once he had the engine started, he turned to her. “Which direction do you want to drive?”

“Anywhere is fine. Surprise me.”

He backed up the truck and pulled out of her driveway.

After several minutes passed with no conversation, Sarah reached out and grabbed his hand. “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you? I know something is.”

Bodie’s gaze dropped to where her gloved fingers wrapped around his bare fingers, firmly holding onto him.

Would she still want to hold his hand when they’d finished their talk?

“I shouldn’t have kissed you last night.”

Sarah’s hand tensed, but she didn’t let go as her gaze bore into him. “That’s what this is about? That stupid mistletoe kiss?”

She was right. The kiss had been stupid on so many levels.

“That and a lot more I need to tell you.”

She sighed. “Then tell me.”

Wondering at why this was so much harder than anything he’d done before, he sucked in a lungful of air, then went for broke. “I came to Pine Hill to find you.”

“I know. To answer my help wanted ad.”

Staring out at the road, he gripped the steering wheel tight with his free hand. “I didn’t know anything about your help wanted ad until everyone assumed that was why I was there.”

Sarah was quiet a few seconds, then asked, “Then why?”

“I have your quilt.”

Sarah wasn’t sure she’d heard Bodie correctly. “Pardon?”

With one hand, he gripped the steering wheel as if it were a lifeline. With his other hand, he flexed his fingers beneath hers, but Sarah didn’t let go.

“The quilt you donated to the Quilts of Valor Foundation,” he clarified, keeping his gaze toward the road. “I have it. It’s in the duffel bag behind your seat.”

“How…I… Wow.” Bodie was the soldier who’d received her quilt? All the hours she’d put into that quilt, thinking of who it would go to, not once could she have imagined someone like Bodie.

“I came to Pine Hill to say thank you.”

Trying to let what he was saying sink in, Sarah stared at his tense profile. “And you went to work for me instead?”

Still not looking her way, he shrugged. “You needed my help and I owed you.”

“You didn’t owe me anything.” Sarah’s stomach lurched as ugly realization hit. “That’s what all this has been? Repayment for my having donated a quilt? That’s why you’re at Hamilton House? Why you’ve worked so hard?”

He’d helped her out of a sense of obligation. Had that been what everything between them had been about? Even his kiss?