Christmas at Evergreen Inn (Jewell Cove 4)

The words were blandly said, but Lainey saw a twinkle in his eye. When Todd looked like that, it was hard to remember to resist his charm. Maybe he’d never asked her out, but he could flirt like a champ. Thank goodness he wasn’t wearing his uniform today. She’d have been a goner. There was something about a man all pressed and starched and official looking that made her weak in the knees.

“You,” she said, pointing a finger, “are incorrigible.”

“So they say.” He tilted his coffee cup—it was nearly empty. The clock in the hall chimed, over and over, marking the hour.

Lainey sighed, feeling suddenly weary. “Listen, do you want to join everyone in the parlor or anything? With the surge in guests I haven’t had time to finish everything and it’s ten o’clock. I’ve got make sure the rooms are done up and everyone has enough towels and stuff. Flashlights, too, in case the power goes out.”

“Let’s hope not. That’d be fun. Not.”

“We’ve got a generator. But I’d rather not have to worry about it.”

He lifted his cup. “I might have another of these.”

She reached for his cup and their fingers brushed, a jolt of electricity sparking at the simple touch. It sent butterflies winging around her stomach as she turned her back on him and fussed with the coffeemaker.

“I can get it.” He must have felt it, too, because his voice was quiet and a little rough. “Go do what you need to do, Lainey. You don’t need to entertain me. I’m just glad to have a place to hole up for the night.”

Hole up for the night. He’d be in her cottage. Using her bathroom, sleeping on her sofa. Lainey knew there shouldn’t be a shred of intimacy to it but this was Todd. When a hunky cop spent the night—even platonically—intimacy, even the awkward kind, was a given.

She left him there in the kitchen and busied herself in the remaining guest rooms, checking supplies and testing flashlights. She took extra blankets from the linen closet in case they did lose power and it got cold, and took the last fold-out cot out of storage and put it in the Captain’s Room for Mr. Sewell since one of the guests had now kindly offered the space.

She passed the landing and the railing decorated with spruce boughs and red velvet bows. As she stopped to straighten one of the bows, she caught sight of her naked ring finger. The one good thing to come out of the storm was that she was incredibly busy, and it took her mind off things. Namely, Christmas.

It had always been her favorite holiday, but this year she just couldn’t seem to get in the holiday spirit. Last year had been such a disaster that these days the goodwill to men and warm holiday glow just seemed to bring her down.

It wasn’t even that her heart was still broken. She’d moved on; started putting the pieces back together. It was more that the decorations and songs and sappy TV programs reminded her of how she’d felt last year. Of how much she’d hurt. Yes, it was the reminders that hurt now. She’d loved Jason with everything she had. He’d been The One. And a week before Christmas—a week before their wedding—he’d broken their engagement.

Now Todd Ricker was in her kitchen and for the first time in months she felt the delicious, unexpected stirrings of attraction. In a way it was scary as hell. Love hurt. But this wasn’t love; far from it. Besides, Todd didn’t do love, and that made her feel tons better. Because in another way, it came as a great relief to know she actually could feel like this again.

The closing of a door brought her back to the moment. What was she doing mooning over a bit of flirting when there was work to do? Back downstairs, she checked on the guests congregated in the parlor. The room was cozy and warm with a large Christmas tree in the corner. That afternoon, one of the guests had helped her carry the stack of firewood closer to the inn just in case, and a fire snapped and popped behind the grate. The two sisters were playing a cutthroat game of cribbage, and a few others had dug out the checkers board.

Todd wasn’t there, but she spent several minutes chatting, letting the guests know where she’d be in the night if anything happened. They checked the weather report and before long the first of the group decided to go up to bed.

Lainey took the tray of dirty cups and plates and went to the kitchen, expecting to see Todd there, but the room was empty. A strange, rhythmic grating sound came from behind the house and she peered out the window. He’d found a shovel and was clearing the walk between the main house and the cottage. She stopped and smiled for a moment. He was a good man when it came right down to it. Hardworking and honest.

But the last thing Lainey wanted to think about was romance. A relationship. She wrapped her arms around her middle and watched him in the dim circle of the porch light. Nope, she certainly wasn’t interested in a boyfriend. Scratching an itch with a guy like Todd, though? That thought had its attractions.

She was twenty-six. What was she going to do, stay celibate the rest of her life? That was hardly realistic.

Todd moved around to the front of the house, wading through the drifts until he was out of sight. With a sigh, Lainey put the dishes in the dishwasher, then went back to the parlor to set up the hide-a-bed and lay out blankets for the father and son. She wouldn’t go to her own quarters until everyone was settled.

Todd came back inside. His jacket and hat were covered in snow, his cheeks ruddy from the cold wind. Lainey took one look at him and knew it would be stupid to make him wait for her. She handed him the key to her door. “Go on over. I’ll be there soon. I’m just waiting for everyone to get settled, in case they need anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Look at you. It doesn’t make any sense for you to take off your boots and coat and then have to put them back on again. Besides, you can turn on the TV, kick your feet up for a bit. I won’t be long.”

He took the key. “Sold.”

He opened the door again and Lainey called after him, “Don’t snoop through my stuff.”

His eyes snapped to hers, and she wondered how in the world they could seem like they were twinkling all the damn time. And why she had such a weird, fluttery reaction to him when she was far older and wiser than she’d been in high school.

“Now, Lainey, that would be an invasion of privacy. I’m offended you’d think I’d do such a thing.” He put a hand to his heart. “I’m a cop, after all.”

Her lips twitched. She walked over to him, not caring about the draft, and looked up into his face. Damn, he was handsome. “You forget, I’ve known you for a long time, Todd Ricker. I know you’d do such a thing.”

“Lainey.”