Sealed With a Kiss (20 page)

“Patty is special, but you were right. It’s
too easy to think that Bella has everything she needs. Even though
she’s got people around her that care, it still doesn’t replace me
not being here.”

“Will you be able to spend more time with her
once the drone problem is over?”

“I’m going to make sure I do.” John turned to
her. “You never talk about your mom and dad. Do you see them very
often?”

“I’m going to see them tomorrow night for
dinner.” John’s gaze sharpened. “Don’t worry. Tanner has drawn the
short straw and is coming with me. Mom got excited when I told her
I was bringing someone. She thought Tanner was my boyfriend.”

“Was she disappointed when you told her he
wasn’t?”

Rachel wasn’t sure whether her mom had been
disappointed for the reasons John meant. “I’ve given up trying to
understand my parents. I’ve taken a lot of boyfriends home and
they’re used to seeing people pop in and out of my life.”

John’s face became wary. “You date a
lot?”

“I used to.” Rachel sighed. “My mom told me I
had no stickability. A couple of years ago I got engaged and mom
couldn’t have been happier. When I called the wedding off it just
reinforced what she’d been telling me for years.”

“Why didn’t you get married?”

Rachel felt her face turn as hot as the fire
in front of her. She didn’t like talking about the stupidest thing
she’d ever done. As well as being embarrassing, it had made her
feel like a leper in her own town.

“Rachel?”

“I’d rather not talk about it.” She could
feel John’s gaze drilling into her, trying to figure out what could
have been so bad.

“Are you sure?”

“You did a security check on me before I
started working with Bella. I thought that would have told you
everything?”

John’s lips twitched. “It told me that you’re
not bankrupt, that you have no criminal convictions, and that you
took a year off full-time work. It didn’t tell me why you decided
not to get married.”

“In case you’re wondering, I didn’t take time
off work because of a broken heart. Dad had an accident and he
needed someone to look after him. He’s better now, which is why I’m
going back to full-time teaching.”

“Glad to know it.”

Rachel crossed her arms in front of her
chest. “If I tell you, you can’t laugh or say anything weird. Most
of the town knows why I didn’t get married. They’ll be stunned if I
ever find someone who wants to walk down the aisle with me.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad?”

“I drunk too many cocktails at my
bachelorette party and I kissed a total stranger. It turned out
that the stranger was my fiancé’s cousin. Everything went downhill
really fast from there.”

“You called your wedding off because you
kissed another man?”

“It wasn’t just any man,” she muttered. “It
was Jeremiah’s cousin. And it wasn’t just a peck on the lips. It
was a full throttle, in your face, kind of kiss.”

John clamped his mouth together and didn’t
say a word. The wind and rain lashed against the side of the house,
the fire hissed and spat, and he still didn’t say anything.

“I think you’re the only person that hasn’t
judged me.” Rachel rearranged the blanket around her shoulders and
looked at John. “Everyone that heard the story was quick to take
sides. It was either the luckiest escape I’d ever had or I’d turned
into the biggest tease this side of the Rockies. No matter which
way I looked at it, I was doomed.”

John’s lips twitched. “Doomed?”

“I stopped dating. I decided that my
girlfriends were better company than men.”

“And now?”

“Now I date, but I’m more selective.” Rachel
had a whole set of criteria that a man had to pass before anything
got serious. She wasn’t making the same mistake twice.

“Wise move.”

“I think so. What about you?”

John cleared his throat. “Me?”

“Do you date?”

“Not much.”

“Oh.”

“That doesn’t mean that I’m not open to the
possibility.”

Rachel blinked. She glanced quickly at John
and blushed beet red when she saw him looking at her. All of the
bad girl thoughts that she’d hidden away were starting to make a
sneaky appearance.

John lifted his hand and pushed a lock of
hair behind her ear. “If I were to date someone, she’d have to like
Bella, have a good sense of humor, and not be worried about what I
own.”

“There must be hundreds of women lining up to
date you,” Rachel said a little breathlessly as John’s hand brushed
the edge of her jaw.

“Maybe.”

A heat that had nothing to do with the fire
rolled through her body. John was her employer. She had standards.
High standards. Standards that didn’t involve jumping on top of her
boss and kissing him senseless.

John’s hand rested lightly on her shoulder.
“For a few minutes, do you want to pretend that we’re two normal
people in front of a roaring fire in the middle of a snow
storm?”

Rachel’s gaze slipped to John’s mouth and
stayed there. “I’m not normal,” she whispered. “I have issues.”

John put his mug of hot chocolate on the
floor, then took Rachel’s mug out of her hands. “So do I.”

Rachel waited for him to put her mug on the
floor. “If I kiss you, it’s because I want to. Not because of how
much money you have.”

“And if I kiss you back it’s because I want
to, not because I feel sorry for you.”

Rachel started to move forward, then stopped.
“You feel sorry for me?”

The grin on John’s face melted her heart.
“You think your girlfriends are better company than a boyfriend.
You just haven’t met the right man.”

His lips nudged Rachel’s mouth, dissolving
the words she was about to say. She pulled him forward, wrapped her
arms around his shoulders and held him close.

His groan tore at something she’d buried a
long time ago. Something so wonderful that she never thought she’d
feel it again. It was a sense of belonging, a rightness to what was
happening. It settled deep inside her, warmed her from the inside
out.

John buried his hands in her hair and
devoured her mouth with an urgency that left her wanting more. She
pushed the blanket away and straddled his hips, making them both
moan as their bodies connected through layers of denim and
wool.

“Have to slow down,” John moaned as Rachel’s
lips nibbled his neck.

His hands found their way under her sweater,
teasing and caressing her skin until she couldn’t think straight. A
tremor of need started in the center of Rachel’s body. She’d never
wanted anyone as much as she wanted John Fletcher.

That thought alone was enough to scare her
senseless. She pulled her lips away from his mouth, slipped off his
lap, and landed on the floor at his feet.

He looked down at her and frowned. “How did
you get down there?”

“Gravity.” Rachel took a deep breath and
rested her head against his legs. “You were right.”

John’s hand stroked her hair. “About
what?”

“Men.”

His hand stilled. “Is that a good thing?”

Rachel smiled. “A very good thing. But I need
to go to bed before I get myself into more trouble. Bella and I
have got a lot of things to do tomorrow.”

“You’re not going into town, are you?”

“This is the last time. We did some more
baking for Pastor Stevens and we’ve run out of craft supplies.”
Rachel kneeled in front of him and ran her fingertips over the
frown. “We’ll be okay. Tank’s coming with us.”

John held her hands. “Be careful. Bella told
me she’s getting bored, but she’s safer here than anywhere
else.”

“I know.”

John leaned forward and kissed her lightly on
the lips. “I don’t want anything happening to you, either.”

Rachel looked into his blue eyes. “Nothing
will happen to Bella or me. I’ll call you as soon as we arrive at
Pastor Stevens’ home and when we leave Walmart. Tank knows what
he’s doing. We won’t do anything stupid.” John nodded, but she
could tell that he was still worried. “I’m going to bed. I’ll see
you in the morning.”

Rachel felt John’s gaze on her as she left
the room. She didn’t look back, didn’t slow down. If she hesitated
for one second she’d spoil a good working relationship. He was her
boss, the father of her student.

The man she wanted to keep kissing until they
were both quivering wrecks.

***

Bella slid the last box of Christmas baking
onto Pastor Stevens’ table and smiled. “Rachel said that Frankie’s
going to help you take our baking to other families. Can I help you
next year?”

Pastor Stevens lifted a chocolate cake out of
a box. “Sure you can, Bella. Do you want to put this baking into
the baskets in the living room?”

Bella nodded and held her hands out for the
chocolate cake. “We made all sorts of cookies, too. I kept some
peanut butter cookies for dad, but we brought chocolate, vanilla,
cinnamon, lemon, and…what was the other flavor, Rachel?”

“Hazelnut. Has anyone seen the gingerbread
loaf Mrs. Daniels made? It’s got a big Santa Claus tag attached to
the cellophane wrapper.”

Tank held a parcel toward her. “Is this
it?”

Rachel looked at the tag and smiled. “It is.
This is for you, Pastor Stevens.” She took the loaf out of Tank’s
hands and passed it to Pastor Stevens. “Mrs. Daniels knows you like
gingerbread and she wanted to give you this. It’s a thank you for
all of the work you’re doing to make people’s Christmases
special.”

“It’s no more than most people would do,”
Pastor Stevens said. “How about we empty these boxes then have a
hot drink?” He looked down at Bella. “Let’s take this baking
through to the living room. I hear you’ve got an exciting time at
Walmart planned?”

Rachel watched Bella walk out of the kitchen
with Pastor Steven. She was chatting away, totally oblivious to the
reason Tank went everywhere with them.

“It will be all right, Rachel,” Tank said
from behind her. “She’s happier helping someone than being stuck at
home.”

“I know she is, but I can’t help feeling
uneasy about being away from the house. I think John was right. We
need to be super careful.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to either of you
while I’m looking after you.”

“That’s what you said last time we were in
Walmart, and look what happened.”

Tank looked affronted. “I wasn’t the only
person who thought the popping balloons sounded like gunfire.”

“Not the balloons. The decorations. It took
John two days to get used to all of the tinsel and the blow-up
Santa. You’re a bad influence.”

Tank grunted. “It didn’t stop him from going
back for more, though.”

Rachel pulled three lemon cakes out of
another box. “I think the Christmas spirit is growing on him.”

Tank raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say
anything as he disappeared into the living room.

By the time he came back, Rachel had finished
unpacking another box. “Do you think the people behind the death
threats will ever be found?”

Tank picked up two chocolate cakes. “I don’t
know, but everyone’s doing their best to locate them.”

Bella rushed into the room. “The Christmas
baskets look amazing. What can I take into the living room
next?”

Rachel passed her two containers of cookies.
“Take these into Pastor Stevens. I’ll be there soon.” She picked up
some more cookies and followed Bella.

The first stop of the morning was well
underway. She just hoped their next stop at Walmart would be
equally as exciting for Bella.

***

Tank listened to the person who was speaking
to him on the phone, then hung up. “There’s been a change of plans.
We’re not going to Walmart.”

Bella’s mug of hot chocolate clattered
against the table. “But we have to. I haven’t finished making dad’s
Christmas present.”

Rachel looked up from the table. “What’s
happened?”

“Christmas is what’s happened. Walmart is
packed with people. There’s a line of shoppers halfway down the
store waiting to pay for what’s in their carts.”

Pastor Steven bit into a slice of Mrs.
Daniels’ gingerbread loaf. “It happens every year. The week before
Christmas is crazy wherever you go.” He looked at Bella. “What do
you need to finish your present? I might have some extra supplies
here.”

Bella leaned back and pulled a crinkled piece
of paper out of her pocket. “I need pink foil, some double-dot
jewels, sticky red jewels, glitter sticks, and some more cardboard
sleighs like the ones Rachel found the other day.”

Pastor Steven frowned. “It sounds like fun,
but I don’t have any of those things here. What if you visited one
of the specialty stationary stores in Bozeman? They might have what
you want without having to go to Walmart?”

“We might not even need to do that,” Rachel
murmured. She looked at Tank. “I know a craft store that sells the
scrapbook supplies that Bella needs. Would you take us there?”

He looked at Rachel. His intense stare told
her that he wasn’t impressed with her suggestion.

Bella got off her chair and walked around the
table to Tank. “If I don’t find what I need I can’t finish dad’s
present. It will only take a few minutes. Can we please go to
Rachel’s store?”

Rachel glanced out of the kitchen window.
“It’s not snowing anymore. We can rush into the store, buy what we
need, and be back in your SUV before you know it.”

“John’s not going to like it. I’m sorry, but
the answer’s no.”

Rachel thought fast. Bella really needed the
supplies and she knew that this would be their last chance to do
anything in town. “I know John wants us to be careful. I wouldn’t
have suggested the store if I didn’t think it was safe. What if I
went into the store and you stayed in your vehicle with Bella? I
could phone ahead and order what we want. It will be twice as
quick. All I’ll need to do is pay for the scrapbook materials and
leave.”