It Must Have Been the Mistletoe... (5 page)

“No,” she said. “Right now, I don't want you to move. Stay exactly where you are.”

 

A
SHARP CRACK WOKE
D
REW
from a deep sleep. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, taking a moment to recognize where he was. Alison stirred beside him, her naked body warm against his. The cabin was chilly and the fire had been reduced to embers long ago.

He carefully lifted her arm from around his waist, then swung his legs off the bed and crossed to the hearth. Tossing a few birch logs onto the fire, he watched as the heat from the embers ignited the bark. Before long, flames licked at the wood.

He stared down into the fire, his thoughts consumed by the woman who slept in his bed. They'd made love again before they'd fallen asleep, the second time more slowly and deliberately. He'd had his share of one-night stands in the past, and though they'd served to quench an undeniable need, none of his sexual encounters had ever been as powerful as this one.

Drew cursed softly. There had been a time when he had something to offer a woman—a comfortable life, a nice home in the suburbs, and all the luxuries a doctor's salary could afford. But here, in the mountains, he was living on nothing, working out of an old storefront in a town that was no more than a spot where two roads crossed. All he had to offer was good sex.

But then again, that's all Alison really wanted from him.
Good sex. That, and Ettie's songs. And her dream job in Texas. Why was he so surprised? He'd been focused on his own career to the exclusion of everything else. And when he'd made the decision to move back to the mountains, he'd left behind a disappointed girlfriend or two. There was no difference between Alison and him. They'd both do what it took to find the right situation professionally.

Still, Drew wasn't really sure of her motives when it came to Ettie Lee. Had she slept with him because she'd wanted him? Or was it simply a way to get him on her side with Ettie? He crossed the room and stood by the bed, staring down at her. Maybe she was right. Maybe Ettie's songs did deserve to be sung. But that was his aunt's decision.

Another crack startled him out of his contemplation. Grabbing a flashlight from the mantel, Drew walked over to the door and pulled it open. A blast of cold air hit his skin, causing an involuntary shiver. He shone the light outside, and immediately, it was reflected back at him from the trees. It was as if a million tiny lights twinkled on the bare limbs.

“Ice storm,” he murmured. The cracking sounds had come from limbs breaking under the weight of the ice. The front steps were coated, along with the railings on the porch. If the weather stayed cold, there wasn't much chance the ice would melt anytime soon.

Drew closed the cabin door and leaned back against it. Maybe they'd have more than just one night together. Driving would be next to impossible until the ice melted. And there'd be broken branches and downed trees blocking the road off the mountain. She'd have to stay until it was safe to leave.

Drew walked over to the bed and carefully sat down on the edge of the mattress. He reached a hand out to touch her, then pulled it back. When she moved, he held his breath, and when she opened her eyes and looked at him, he wasn't sure what to say.

“You're awake?”

“Something woke me up. And then I heard you moving around. Is everything all right?”

“No.”

Alison sat up, brushing her hair from her eyes. “What's wrong?” She drew the covers back and he crawled beneath the quilt and into the warmth that her body created. They lay facing each other, her face visible in the light of the fire.

“Hi,” he murmured.

Alison smiled. “Hi, yourself.”

“The rain turned to ice. I'm not sure you're going to be able to get home until it melts. I think you may have to stay another night.”

“But I can't.” She drew a deep breath. “After I talk to Ettie I have to get back. If she gives me permission, I'll have to arrange her songs for the recital and get music to the other instrumentalists. And I have to revise the program and write program notes. I can't stay another night. Tomorrow's Sunday and I have classes to teach on Monday.”

“You might not have a choice,” Drew said. “I do have a small confession to make.”

Alison reached up and raked her hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “What?”

“You know when I said the road was washed out? And you couldn't get your car over the gully? I might have exaggerated the problem a bit. There was actually a shallow spot where you probably could have crossed, but…”

“You wanted me to spend the night with you?”

“Yeah.”

“And that's it?”

Drew nodded. “That, and now you might be stuck here for an extra day.”

She sighed. “Well, I would have had to come back to see Ettie again, anyway.” She spoke in a dramatic voice. “And it's such torture sleeping in your bed. I don't know how I'll survive another night.”

With a playful growl, he pulled her against him and kissed her, his fingers tangling in her hair as he molded her mouth to his. “Neither do I.”

Drew rolled her on top of him, her hips fitting perfectly against his. The friction alone was enough to make him hard again. He knew that they wouldn't stop until they were both completely satisfied. “When you said you had a box of twelve, I never imagined we'd use them all. Now, I'm thinking we might have to ration them.”

“I guess so.” Sending him a coy smile, she straddled his waist and slowly began an exploration, her lips trailing from the curve of his neck to his chest and lower still. He shifted beneath her, his fingers tangled in her hair.

He knew exactly what she was doing, and though he prepared himself for it, the moment her lips closed around him, Drew thought he might not be able to hold back. His breath caught in his throat and he gritted his teeth, trying to maintain control.

When he attempted to draw her away, she refused to obey. Her only concession was slowing her tempo a bit. It was as if she knew exactly how far she could go before pulling back.

And when she was ready, she smoothed a condom over his shaft. With delicious determination, Alison sank down on top of him. Drew closed his eyes. This was it. This was what he'd been looking for, the perfect melding of two bodies and souls.

Now that he'd found it, how would he ever let it go?

T
HE MORNING SUN GLINTED
off the trees, branches drooping and making the woods around the cabin look like a crystal fairyland. Alison walked with Drew alongside the road, their boots crunching on the icy ground as they headed up the mountain to Ettie's cabin. All around them, fallen limbs blocked the road, making it difficult to traverse and impossible to drive. But Miss Ettie's cabin was a short hike and it felt good to be out in the cold, to clear her mind.

She'd woken up that morning, curled into the curve of Drew's naked body, his face nuzzled into the nape of her neck. It had been a new experience for Alison. She'd never had a one-night stand before, but the morning after wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as she'd anticipated.

Once they'd both recovered from yet another powerful encounter, Drew got up and made them a breakfast of granola and canned peaches and coffee. She smiled at the memory of what they'd shared in such a short time. She'd come to this mountain searching for new music, and instead found something—or someone—totally unexpected.

She liked Drew. And maybe after she was done here, she might just make a return visit—or two. After all, it was a perfect situation. They were both completely focused on their
work. An occasional weekend together might be exactly what they needed. She glanced over at him and smiled. This was all so strange, so unexpected.

“How long do you think it will take to clear the roads?” she asked.

“If the weather warms, the ice will be gone in a matter of an hour,” he replied. “But I don't know if it's going to get warm enough.”

“What about your practice?”

“I'll walk down later today and check in. If someone can't get hold of me, they know to call the doctor in Barnwell. I don't have office hours today or tomorrow. I can call about the washout on the road from Ettie's satellite phone.”

“Well, I have to leave tomorrow morning at the latest,” she said. “If I have to cancel my classes, I will. I am technically working here.”

“We'll find a way to get you off this mountain in time for your classes tomorrow, I promise.”

Tomorrow, Alison mused. She wasn't really that disappointed. They'd have another night together. Another chance to test the limits of their desire. A shiver of anticipation skittered down her spine as an image of his naked body flashed in her head.

“So what do you usually do on the weekends?”

“I make house calls and do paperwork. Chop wood at the cabin. Run into town and do the grocery shopping.”

“You don't have a social life?”

He shook his head. “It's a bit difficult. My patients keep me busy. Sometimes I drive into Knoxville to see friends, maybe catch a movie, but I'm a pretty solitary guy.”

“Why did you decide to come back here to practice? There can't be much to do here beyond work.”

“I was needed,” he said. “I worked at a hospital in Nashville, in the emergency room. I helped a lot of patients, but I barely knew them. I'd patch them up and send them on
their way. I know these people and they know me. And I like that.”

A memory niggled at her brain. “Which hospital in Nashville?”

“Memorial,” he said.

“How long did you work there?”

“For two years. I quit about a year ago.”

“I was in that E.R. last Christmas. I tripped over a stuffed sheep in my parents' annual nativity scene and sprained my wrist.”

“I didn't treat you, did I?”

“No, I'm sure I would have remembered you. But, just think, we could have known each other back then. But we passed by, not ever…realizing.”

“Realizing what?”

“That it could be so…good. Don't you wonder how many other people you walk by that you could get along with? I mean, the stars have to align perfectly to meet the right person. For some people it never happens.”

“I guess the stars were aligned this time around,” he said.

His words slowly faded in the chilly air, but Alison let them replay in her head. He talked as if this was the beginning of something they'd been waiting for their whole lives. Maybe she had been fated to meet Drew here, on this mountain. But it couldn't be anything more than a casual affair. By the summer, she'd be in Texas getting ready for her new job, not living on some remote mountaintop in a cabin without electricity.

When they reached Ettie's place, the dogs rushed out and greeted them, jumping and whining until Drew and Alison stepped up on the porch.

“Listen,” Drew said. “I want to talk to you before we go inside.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“If Ettie doesn't want to give you permission to use her
songs, then that's it. I don't want you to pressure her or try to make her change her mind.”

Alison opened her mouth to explain she would never do that, but before she could, the cabin door swung open and Ettie welcomed them both inside. The interior had been transformed from the day before, decorated for Christmas. Alison walked over to the hearth and looked at the hand-carved crèche on the timber mantel.

“Oh, it's beautiful,” she said.

“I got carried away,” Ettie said. “I usually don't decorate unless I know I'll have visitors. I thought you might like to see a few of my things. I've been collecting them for quite some time.”

“These are all handmade,” Alison said.

“Yes. Some of them are very old. The crèche is something my grandfather carved for me when I was little after I started to lose my sight. I used to run my fingers over the animals and arrange them around the stable.”

Alison had only seen pieces like these in folk museums. She could imagine the excitement they'd cause with local antique dealers. But these were Ettie's treasures and they deserved to stay in the family, not get sold to the highest bidder. Alison glanced over at Drew. He was watching her carefully, as if trying to read her reaction.

“I spoke with Drew about your songs,” she said. “And I'll understand if you don't want to give me permission to publish them.” She paused. “But I think people would like to hear them, Ettie.”

“Do you really think so?” the older woman asked.

“I do. And I'd like to sing them.”

“Sit, sit,” Ettie said. “We have plenty of time to talk about that. Warm yourself. I didn't think you'd come, what with the ice storm. I wasn't sure you'd be able to make it back up the mountain.”

“Alison stayed with me last night,” Drew explained. “The rain washed out the road just below my place.”

Ettie arched her eyebrow, then smiled slyly. “Well, I hope you were a gentleman, Andrew.”

“Oh, he was,” Alison reassured her. “He was…” She drew a long, slow breath. “Perfect,” she added. “A perfect gentleman.”

Drew smiled, then they both looked over at Ettie. If Alison didn't know better, she'd swear the older woman could see exactly what was going on in front of her. Her brow furrowed with suspicion and she shook her head. “I've always been of the belief that when something is right, it just is. There's no way to fight it, no way to change it. Just like the sun rising up in the morning, there it is.”

Though Ettie's words sounded rather cryptic, they were filled with a simple truth. Alison had met Drew twenty-four hours ago. They barely knew each other. Yet, when he touched her and kissed her and made love to her, her world felt as if it had suddenly come into balance.

 

“D
O YOU EVER WORRY
about Ettie, living up here on the mountain all by herself?”

Drew stirred the pasta boiling on the woodstove, then glanced over his shoulder at Alison. She'd spread out her papers on the table and was humming to herself as she transcribed a song she'd recorded in Ettie's cabin. “She's living her life the way she wants to. I can't fault her for that.”

“But she could get hurt.”

“She has her satellite phone. I take it down to my office to charge it every so often. She knows how to call for help, not that she will. She's pretty independent.”

“I feel kind of bad for her,” Alison said.

“She wouldn't like to hear that.”

“No, it's not that I pity her. But she's all alone. She doesn't
have anyone to share her life, to talk to her at night, to hold her hand when she's sad. I wouldn't want to be old by myself.”

“You're alone now,” he said. “So am I.”

“Yes. But I assume we'll find someone before we're Ettie's age.”

“She has a lot of friends. And she was in love, once, a long time ago. He went off to war and died on the beaches at Normandy. And she never forgot him.”

“That's so sad,” Alison cupped her chin in her hand and looked at him. “Can you imagine feelings so strong they last for almost seventy years?”

“I guess I can,” he said. “Isn't that what everyone wants to find? That perfect person to spend a lifetime with?”

“I suppose. But how many people actually do?”

“Not many,” he said. “That doesn't stop us from looking.”

She went back to work, scribbling her music on staff paper as she hummed. Since he'd moved back to the mountain, Drew had felt occasional bouts of loneliness. But maybe he didn't need a wife. Maybe a lover would be enough.

Alison seemed content here with him, at least in the short term. And maybe that was all he could expect from her. How difficult could it be? She lived in Johnson City, two hours' drive from his clinic. That wasn't far. They could spend the occasional weekend together. Even if she got that job in Texas, they could—

Drew stopped himself short. No. That kind of distance made things difficult. Especially in a relationship that was based on something as simple as no-strings sex. He'd have to accept that what they'd shared this weekend would be all they'd ever have.

He drained the pasta in the sink and poured it into an old ceramic bowl. The sauce was from a jar and enhanced by canned mushrooms and black olives. A bit of cheese on top
added the final touch. He set the bowl on the table and then grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack on the counter.

“Dinner is served.”

“It smells wonderful,” Alison said. “I didn't realize how hungry I was until now. All that hiking up and down the mountain.”

“How is your work going?” he asked as he poured some wine into an old glass tumbler.

“Good. I have my two favorite songs transcribed. I'm going to sing them at the recital, I think. They're so pretty and no one has ever heard them before.” She took a sip of her wine. “Just think. If I hadn't found that tape, Ettie's songs might have been lost forever. I'm so glad she gave me permission to use them.”

“And you never would have come looking for her on the mountain.” Drew touched his wineglass to hers. “Here's to happy coincidences.”

“I'm glad I came,” she said. “You know, if you'd like to come to the recital, you could bring Ettie. I'd love to introduce her and maybe she could give a little talk.”

“She won't come,” Drew said, shaking his head. “She doesn't leave the mountain anymore. She says when the Lord calls her name, she wants to be right here where she's closer to heaven.”

She took a bite of her food. “You leave the mountain, though. You could come.”

He nodded. “I'd like to. Maybe I could take you out afterward?”

“There's a reception. But after that.”

“And maybe, we could spend a little time doing this,” he said, leaning over the table to kiss her.

“Eating spaghetti?” she teased.

“No, kissing.” He pressed his lips to a spot beneath her ear. “And touching.” His fingers drifted down to toy with the
buttons on her shirt. Drew undid one, then kissed her again. “And fooling around.”

“Is that a medical term? Fooling around?”

“I believe it's called copulation,” he said.

Alison giggled. “That sounds like something you do in math class.”

“Not unless you're looking to get expelled.”

She stood and set her wineglass on the table, then straddled his lap, her arms around his neck. “If you want to start things up with me, our dinner is going to get cold.”

Drew worked at the buttons of her blouse. When it was open to the waist, he pressed his lips to the spot between her breasts. “Spaghetti is always better warmed up,” he said.

With a low growl, he shoved back the chair, then stood, wrapping her legs around his waist, his hands supporting her backside. He carried her over to the bed and they tumbled down onto the faded quilt.

Laughing and teasing, they pulled at each other's clothes until they were both naked. Though they'd only been together a short time, he'd learned to read her well. She liked to be touched softly, and his fingertips now traced a path over silken skin.

Drew looked into her face, trying to commit to memory every detail, every perfect feature. “You are beautiful, Alison.”

She glanced away. “Not so much.”

He reached up, taking her chin and turning her face to meet his gaze. “I'm not sure I want to let you go.” He kissed her again, lingering over her mouth. And when he'd satisfied himself with the taste of her tongue, he moved lower to her breast, drawing her nipple to a taut peak.

Was there a way to keep her here for one more day? If he just had another day, he might be able to understand these feelings pulsing through him. Was this simply sexual attraction? A temporary infatuation? Or was it deeper?

She whispered his name and Drew sighed. One thing he did know—this would not be the last time he made love to Alison Cole. He'd make sure of that.

 

T
HE WEATHER HAD TURNED
overnight, a wind from the south driving the chill from the air and melting the ice. Alison stared out the window of the cabin, gazing up at the blue sky that peeked through the trees.