An Unexpected Kiss (7 page)

Lucy went
to reach for the bill, but Cole snatched it first. “I’ve got this.”

“Are you
sure?”

Cole gave
her a slightly annoyed look. “Yes.”

“Okay,
but I’ll leave the tip.”

“Lucy,
let me just take care of this, okay?” He removed his wallet from his pocket,
pulled out a ten dollar bill, and laid it on the table.

This
wasn’t a date, but Cole didn’t look like he’d back down so Lucy just smiled at
him. “Thank you, Cole.” She scooted her chair away from the table and stood up
to put on her coat.

Standing,
Cole slipped on a dark gray, wool jacket that accentuated his broad shoulders.
They walked toward the register, and Lucy caught the yummy scent of his
cologne.

“I saw a
few Christmas tree lots in town advertising fresh trees,” Cole said as they reached
the cash register which was devoid of Harper or any other employee.

“Please
don’t tell me you buy your Christmas trees from a lot.”

“Where
else would you get them?”

Lucy took
a mint from a basket on the counter, and removed the wrapping. “We need to go
to a Christmas tree farm and cut one down ourselves.” She popped the mint in
her mouth.

Cole was
in the process of unwrapping a mint. He stopped and lifted a brow. “Seriously?
You cut your own tree down?”

“Once you
experience the joy of getting a fresh tree, you won’t ever buy another tree
from a lot again.”

He
shrugged, and popped the mint in his mouth. “My parents never took me to buy a
Christmas tree, anyway. My mom hired a decorator to do all that.”

She
looked at him incredulously. “You’ve never decorated your own tree?”

“Nope.”

Harper
came out of the kitchen, and hurried to the register. “Sorry, we’re short today
and my boss needed some help.”

“No
problem.” Cole flashed that winning smile of his again, and handed over his
credit card.

Lucy
scooted closer to him so their arms touched. Even with their coats as barriers,
she still felt a jolt of awareness shoot through her.

A tall
guy with a gut as round as Santa himself came out of the kitchen. “How was your
meal, kids?”

“Fantastic,”
Cole said. “I promise I’ll be back.”

Lucy nodded
her head. “Definitely. It was really good.”

The guy
beamed. “Did Harper point out you all are standing underneath the mistletoe?”

“Jerry,”
Harper said sharply. “Leave them alone.”

Cole
tipped his head back and Lucy did the same, spying the mistletoe hanging
directly above them.

“You
don’t have to kiss,” Harper said, handing Cole his credit card back, along with
a pen to sign the receipt.

Cole
ignored the items, his attention focused solely on Lucy. He had a teasing glint
in his eyes, but there was also something else there that made Lucy’s stomach
flutter.

“It’s bad
luck if you don’t kiss when you’re under mistletoe,” he said in a low voice.

Bad
luck?
Lucy had never heard that before, but she wasn’t about
to argue. “I try to avoid bad luck whenever possible.”

Cole
smiled as his gaze dropped to her lips and he leaned toward her. Lucy lifted
her chin, her breath catching as she waited for their mouths to touch. A fire
blazed inside her the moment his lips met hers. She returned the kiss with an
intensity she’d never felt before. What she wouldn’t give to not have an
audience at this time so she could further explore these incredible feelings.

The kiss
was brief, but so powerful it nearly stole her senses. It was difficult to form
a coherent thought, let alone breathe.

Cole
hardly seemed affected. “Thanks for pointing that out,” he said to Jerry,
making the man chortle.

“I aim to
please.” Jerry went back into the kitchen, still chuckling.

Dazed,
Lucy watched Cole sign his name, and return his credit card to his wallet. He
offered Harper one last smile. “Have a good evening.”

The
girl’s shoulders seem to droop, but she smiled and thanked them for coming in.
Cole took Lucy’s hand and led her outside. The cold air burst her warm little
bubble. She pulled her hand out of Cole’s and searched inside her purse for her
keys.

Although
she immensely enjoyed the kiss, and wanted to do it again, Lucy decided she
better not kiss Cole anymore. He scrambled her brain, giving her all kinds of
crazy ideas like staying in Montana might not be so bad with him around.

“Thank
you for dinner,” she said, heading for her car. “I’ll let you know what Pastor
John says.”

Unlocking
her door, she opened it and slid in behind the wheel. She closed the door,
knowing Cole probably wondered what was wrong with her. Just as she started the
car, a knock on the driver’s side window made her jump.

Cole
stood there watching her, his face reflecting both a mixture of confusion and
amusement. Lucy lowered the window, and he leaned down so they were eye level.

“Are you
running away from me?”

Why did
he have to be so direct?

“Yes.”

He
grinned. “That’s the second time you’ve done this. I’m beginning to think you
don’t like me.”

She
snorted an unladylike laugh. “Right.”

“Don’t
laugh. I’m getting a complex.”

“If it’s
any consolation, it’s me not you.”

That
earned her another perplexing look.

“That’s a
little cliché. I’m sure you can do better than that.”

Yeah, she
could, but she didn’t dare blurt out how much she liked kissing him, and admit
that
that
was what scared her.

Inadvertently,
her gaze dropped to his mouth. She noticed the faint shadow of dark whiskers
along his jaw, and she suddenly wanted to kiss him again.

“Aren’t
you freezing?” she asked, hoping to distract him as much as herself.

“Yes.” He
unexpectedly rounded the car, opened the door and took the passenger seat.
“That’s better.” He held out his bare hands in front of the vent, which blew
mildly warm air.

The scent
of his cologne permeated the air, and having him so close started a slow burn
inside Lucy’s belly. Who needed heating systems with this man around?

“What are
you doing?”

“Trying
to get warm.” He looked her way, that smile back on his face. “And trying to
get a straight answer out of you about why you keep running away from me.”

“I don’t
want to talk about it.”

“Is it
about that kiss we just shared?” His blue eyes twinkled. “Or about the ones in
the airport?”

Both
.
“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay.
What do you want to talk about?”

She
laughed. “I never said I wanted to talk about anything.”

Cole
studied her silently, like he was really trying to figure her out. Lucy felt
the intensity of his gaze, and was unable to pull her eyes away. The interior
of the car seemed to shrink, and the air pulsed with an electrical energy that
prickled her skin with goose flesh.

As if a
giant gravitational force was at work between them, she felt herself leaning
toward him. Cole slanted closer until she felt his warm breath mingle with
hers. She should move away, make some wisecrack…anything to stop this crazy
attraction.

Instead,
her eyes fluttered closed as their lips connected. Slowly, he moved his mouth
against hers, and like a beautifully choreographed dance, she returned the
kiss. Heat infused every part of her, leaving her limbs languid.

Her heart
thumped wildly, and a sigh escaped as he deepened the kiss. Barley cognizant of
her surroundings, Lucy was both relieved and frustrated when Cole ended the
kiss and edged slightly back.

“Lucy,
I’m coming to pick you up tomorrow.” His voice was rough with emotion, his eyes
serious.

She
swallowed, and knew it was pointless to argue. “Okay.”

He hovered
near her, and she held perfectly still. Several heartbeats passed before he
finally withdrew completely and opened the door.

Just before
he got out he pinned her with a heated look. “I’ll come by promptly at ten.
Dress warm because after we shop, you’re going to show me how to cut down the
perfect Christmas tree.”

Cole
pulled
up to Lucy’s house, and couldn’t help smiling. The classic two-story farmhouse,
with its wraparound porch and dormer windows, looked like the ideal house for
Lucy to have grown up in.

A green
garland draped the porch railing, accented with red bows at every porch post.
In each window, Cole noticed a single candle stick. The holiday décor was
simple and understated but he bet at night it looked spectacular.

Climbing
out of the car, he approached the house feeling more than a little nervous.
What had he been thinking when he’d kissed her yesterday? The mistletoe kiss
could have been on the cheek, but when given the opportunity, Cole hadn’t been
strong enough to resist the temptation. Then he’d gone and kissed her in the
car.

What an
idiot. There would be no more kissing, no matter how tempting she might be.

Cole
pressed the doorbell, and smiled when he heard the tune of Jingle Bells
playing. A few minutes later a teenage boy opened the door.

“Hi,”
Cole said. “I’m here for Lucy.”

“Hey,
Luce,” the kid yelled. “Some guy is here for you.” He motioned for Cole to come
inside. “You can come in and wait for her if you want.”

“Thanks.”
Cole wiped his feet on the doormat and stepped inside the cozy house. It looked
like he’d just landed in a Hallmark Christmas store. “Wow,” he said, glancing
around the foyer. “This is incredible.”

The
teenager rolled his eyes. “My mom starts decorating the first of November. It
takes her that long just to get everything out of storage and set up by
December.”

Cole
didn’t doubt it. Before him lay the most amazing Christmas village he’d ever
seen. Unable to resist, he crossed the floor for a closer look. Houses and
stores, all decorated similar to Lucy’s house, dotted the length of the table. Figurines
of people, animals, and a variety of trees populated the village, making it look
real. In the center was a frozen pond with villagers actually skating around in
circular patterns.

No wonder
Lucy loved Christmas so much. What surprised Cole was how much the village
reminded him of Snow Valley. Downtown, with its elaborate holiday decorations,
looked very similar. How could Lucy not want to settle down here?

“Believe
it or not,” the kid said with a laugh. “This is only one of the villages. My
mom has a different one in every room.”

“Really?”
Cole glanced around and could see another elaborate set up in the living room.

“Yeah, my
mom and Lucy go nuts every year.”

“Landon,”
Lucy said, coming down the elaborately decorated staircase. “Are you dissing
your big sister?”

“No way.”
He gave Lucy an exaggerated hug. “You’re the best sister in the world. Remember
that when you’re shopping today.”

“Suck
up.” Lucy mussed his hair. “I’m not going Christmas shopping for you today.”

“Ah, man.
I hugged you for nothing?” Landon laughed at the look on his sister’s face.
“I’m kidding. I love you, Luce. You know that.” He disappeared around the
corner.

Cole was
fascinated by the tight relationship between the two siblings, as well as the
genuine display of affection they showed one another.

“Now you
see what I have to put up with.” Smiling, she shook her head. “I hope you
didn’t have to wait too long. He really has been raised to have better manners
than to holler up the stairs.”

“I wasn’t
here that long.” Cole glanced around. “Do I get to meet anymore family
members?”

Lucy’s
lips twitched. “My dad is at work. Logan, my other brother, is at school taking
a make-up test, and my mom is out running errands.”

It was
probably good her mom was out. If what Lucy said was true then Cole didn’t want
to have her mother start trying to match the two of them together. He had to
admit, though, that part of him wondered if he would usurp Lance’s place if
given the chance.

“Okay,”
he said. “You ready to go?”

“Yes. I
just need to put my boots on and get my coat.”

Cole
followed her with his eyes. Lucy looked cute, wearing dark-wash, skinny jeans,
paired with a red, long-sleeved tee with the words
I Believe
stretched
across her chest in silvery letters.

Her hair
was pulled back into a ponytail, revealing the soft curve of her cheek, and
full lips. Heat shot through his veins as he remembered tasting her sweet mouth.

Just then
she looked up and caught him checking her out. “What?” she said, putting on a
pair of comfortable looking black boots.

“Nothing.”

She
narrowed her gaze, and Cole tried not to smile. He pointed to her shoes. “Those
won’t keep your feet dry when we’re cutting down our tree.”

“That’s
why I’m bringing my snow boots.” She slipped on her coat, and then grabbed a
tote bag with her winter gear inside. “What about you? Those boots won’t cut it
either.”

Cole
glanced down at his leather ankle boot. “Brilliant minds must think alike. My
snow boots are in the Land Rover.”

“Are you
brilliant enough to remember a hat and gloves?”

“I might
not cut down my own Christmas tree, but I’ve lived in colder weather than Montana.”

“Really? Where
did you go to med school?” She walked toward the door.

Cole stepped
in front of her, and placed his hand on the doorknob. “VCU in Richmond,
Virginia. But my residency was at the Mayo.” He opened the door. “And you don’t
know what cold is until you spend a winter in Minnesota,” he said, following
her outside.

“I’ll bet
you liked going home to California for Christmas.”

She was
wrong. California was warm, but being with his parents had felt just as cold as
a January day in Rochester.

“Like I
said before, Christmas with my parents wasn’t anything to look forward to.”

“So you
won’t see your parents for Christmas this year?”

He
chuckled dryly. “My mother left a voicemail the other day telling me she and
Dad would be spending Christmas and New Year’s in the South of France with some
of their friends. I wasn’t invited.” He glanced over at her. “But at least I’ll
be here with Uncle Will.”

Reaching
his SUV, she stopped next to the passenger door and turned around to face him.
Her blue eyes studied him, compassion evident in their depths. “It’s too bad
you couldn’t have come to your uncle’s for Christmas when you were younger.”

Although
he’d wanted to visit his uncle during the holidays many times, his parents had
never allowed it. Once he was in college, he’d been unable to get away. School
didn’t come easy to Cole and he’d had to spend every hour studying.

“Yeah,
maybe if I had I might not be such a Grinch.” He smiled, hoping to lighten the
somber mood.

It
worked. Lucy’s lips curved up. “When I’m finished with you, you’ll be like
Buddy the Elf, spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear.”

He shook
his head and laughed. “I wouldn’t have a clue what you’re talking about if
Uncle Will and Beverly hadn’t made me watch that movie last night.”

“Cole,
please don’t tell me you’ve never watched any Christmas shows?”

“All
right. I won’t tell you.” He opened the car door for her.

She
groaned and climbed into the passenger seat. “I guess we better add a movie
night to our agenda.”

“If you
insist,” he said, suddenly liking the idea of snuggling up with her in a
darkened room. “Just name the night and I’ll be there.”

The trip
to Dove’s was quick with Lucy reciting a long list of her favorite Christmas
shows so he could make an informed choice. Once inside the crowded store, they found
a sturdy looking tree stand and added it to the cart. Then they picked out
colored lights for the tree, white lights for the outside of the house, and a variety
of Christmas ornaments, as well as a star for the top of the tree.

Cole
insisted on paying for the whole thing, even though Lucy wasn’t happy about it.
But when he told her his Uncle Will had contributed a thousand dollars to help
the little family, she finally relented. She didn’t need to know that money was
going directly to Allie Parker.

As they
drove to the tree farm, Lucy told him about her visit with Pastor John. “Nobody
seems to know anything about the Parkers. Pastor John and his wife plan to go over
there this evening to introduce themselves and to welcome Allie and her
children to Snow Valley. He said he’d assess the situation and get back with me
tomorrow.”

“Sounds
good. What about your mom? Is she onboard with getting the kids wish list for
Christmas?”

“Yeah,
she and Lance’s mom are going over there before five. They’re going to bring
her dinner, as well as a welcome basket.”

Cole
tamped down the slight irritation he felt at hearing Lance’s name. It was
irrational since he knew Lucy didn’t return the guy’s feelings, but it bothered
him knowing how close the two families were.

Maybe he
should
meet Lucy’s mother. She couldn’t be that bad. Heck, he knew his own mother
would never take dinner to a new neighbor, especially someone who didn’t come
close to her social status.

“That’s
really nice of your mom. I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

Lucy
didn’t say anything, and Cole glanced over to find her watching him. “What?” he
asked, returning his attention to the road.

“After
all the warnings I’ve given you about my mother, why do you still want to meet
her?”

She had a
point. Why was it every time he got around this girl all his convictions about
avoiding relationships disappeared?

While he
thought of a good answer, he turned on his blinker and prepared to turn into
the tree farm. He took a quick look and found her still studying him, waiting
for his response.

“Well, I
am going to be her new doctor.”

She
shrugged. “That’s true.”

Cole
decided to leave it at that. Turning back, he saw the road was clear, and made
a left turn onto a winding street that led them to Bennett’s Tree Farm. Several
vehicles sat in the snowplowed parking area. He parked alongside a Suburban,
which was the only car there without the Bennett logo on it.

Cole left
the SUV running while they changed into their winter gear. Once they were
bundled up, he cut the engine and exited the car. Lucy climbed out of the car
before he could get the door. She looked cute with a blue beanie that brought
out the color of her eyes.

A
lumberjack-looking guy came out of the little office. “Howdy, folks. You all here
for a Christmas tree?”

“We sure
are,” Lucy said with enthusiasm.

“You ever
done this before?” he asked, looking directly at Cole.

“No, but
I’m with an expert.”

The guy
eyed both Cole and Lucy skeptically. “I’ll go over the basics.” He walked over
to a pegboard with several crosscut saws hanging on it and removed a newer
looking one. “By the way, did you all want to rent a 4-Wheeler or a you
planning on hoofing it?”

“We can
walk,” Lucy said.

“Are you
sure?” Cole asked, spotting the row of recreational vehicles. “I think it would
be fun to drive one of those, plus it would save us time.”

Lucy
pursed her lips and glanced toward the quads. “It’s not really necessary is
it?” she said, her gaze swinging back to Cole.

“Oh, come
on,” Lumberjack guy said. “Let your husband have some fun.”

Lucy’s
eyes widened. Before she could correct the guy, Cole put his arm around her
shoulders. “Yeah, honey. Listen to the man.” He gave her shoulders a little
squeeze. “Let’s take the quad.”

The
corners of her mouth lifted slightly, like she was trying not to smile. “What
ever you say, dear,” Lucy said sweetly. “But I get a turn driving.”

The man
snorted a laugh. “You two can work out who goes first.” He quickly explained
the proper and safe way to cut a tree down and then had Cole fill out some
paperwork for the 4-Wheeler rental.

“You ever
drive one of these before?” the man asked, handing Cole a key.

“Yeah. I
lived in Minnesota for a few years and when the streets weren’t passable I’d
take my quad to work.”

“Good
enough.” He tipped his head toward Lucy. “I assume your wife also has
experience?”

“Yes,”
Lucy said. She looked up at Cole and patted him on the chest. “But if I have any
questions I’ve got this big guy to help me out.”

Cole
laughed, but his gut tightened with a mixture of emotions. Although he and Lucy
were having fun pulling off the married charade, the idea of being her husband
actually appealed to him.

“Okay.”
The man opened one of the side boxes on the quad and secured the saw as well as
some twine. “Just drag the tree back here and me or my son will put it on the
shaker to get off all the snow and any other critters that might have taken up
residence.”