Katherine touched him on the arm and he looked into a teasing jade pool. “You trying for a new fashion statement? I've heard of one shoe on and one shoe off, but never one sleeve."
He glanced down and stood half-in, half-out of his coat. One side dragged the floor. “Think it'll catch on?” he asked, arching a brow and removing the other side. “Just show me where to put it. I wouldn't want you to drop my pie."
Turning, she crooked her little finger and motioned. “Follow me into the bedroom."
Bedroom! Taking a steadying breath, he clutched the coat and trudged along behind her. He willed the rising heat to recede as her hips swayed in front of him.
From the bedroom doorway, he tossed his coat on the pile before he and Katherine turned to thread their way to the buffet table.
She removed his chocolate delight and shoved the empty box under the table. The pie wound up in the middle of dessert heaven. It's a wonder the table didn't buckle from the calories in that section alone, he thought. “You expecting a famine?"
She chuckled. “If it comes, we're certainly prepared.” Her eyes glanced his way. “I like your shirt and Santa tie. You look good in that deep shade of green."
He reached out and flicked one of her snowflake earrings. “As long as we're throwing compliments around, your outfit's pretty spectacular. You look tempting as sin in red."
“You gotta watch out about sin,” Reverend Whittaker remarked with a wink and a smile as he walked by.
Color crept up Katherine's neck until her face matched her sweater. She punched him in the ribs. “I swear, I can't take you anywhere in public."
He moved closer, smiling as her eyes widened, all dewy and innocent. “I'm at my best when I'm not in public."
Not missing a heartbeat, she shook her head and slid her hand through the crook of his arm. With her best Texas drawl, she said, “We'll have to work on your manners,” and escorted him from the dining room to the living room.
He chuckled. “I'm willing."
Every nook and corner held boxes of decorations for the tree. He envied Katherine, growing up surrounded with all these family traditions and so much love. She stayed close to his side and made him feel right at home.
“I like the fireplace.” He pointed to a wreath hanging on the wall. Directly below that, trains and lighted Swiss chalets nestled in cotton matting on the mantel. Poinsettias rimmed the outer border of the white marble floor. The scent of oak filled the room from a wood fire burning behind a mesh screen.
“I hope you don't mind, but I promised the kids you'd help them make strings for the tree,” she said, releasing his arm and angling him a sideways glance. She was smiling.
He dragged his gaze from the crimson curve of her lips. “Strings?"
She laughed. “You'll see.” Taking his arm again, she led him up the stairs and into a large carpeted game room. Card tables containing bowls of popcorn and fresh cranberries lined the floor. Seven noisy boys and girls inhabited various chairs around the tables.
Matt looked up from the cluster of chattering children. Seeing them, a grin stretched out from ear to ear. His hand shot up, waving wildly. “Mr. Randall! I saved you a place.” He patted the empty chair beside him. Glancing over at his mother with a tolerant smile, he tried to allay her concern by saying, “Don't worry, Mom. I'll show him what to do."
Jared sat down amid the circle of bright-eyed children and warily picked up a large, rounded needle with a long trailing length of string. He cast an even more wary glance at the eager faces staring back at him. What was he supposed to do?
Matt was as good as his word, although Jared never would have dreamed it. Within five seconds, he was threading popcorn and cranberries onto strings like an old hand.
“There are baby wipes on the table in case you need them,” Katherine said behind him. Turning toward her, she pointed to an innocent-looking powder blue box sitting three feet away. His smile fled. Baby wipes! What had he gotten himself into?
“If you want, we can make a paper chain, too.” Matt pointed to a stash of red and green construction paper, and other supplies. Jared looked at the pile. Last time he made a paper chain, he was in second grade.
She placed her hand on his shoulder. The light touch made his blood surge through his veins. “I've got to go, Counselor. I promise not to leave you upstairs all night.” She leaned and whispered, her breath lightly stirring the hair on his head, “I'd like to talk to you about something personal later on."
He stabbed his palm with the needle and fought an ‘Ouch'. Staring at his thick fingers, he fumbled for the delicate berries and slender string. “Fine."
Get a grip, or you'll embarrass yourself.
“I've got to run help Mom play hostess. Think you can manage to hold the fort down here?"
“I'll help him,” Matt said.
Jared grabbed the five mandatory popcorn kernels to two cranberries and waved them at her. “I'm in good hands.” When he craned his neck around to look at her, she moistened her lips with her tongue. He let out a pent up breath. “Go do your hostess thing."
She turned on the soles of her heels and strolled seductively across the carpet. Her hips kept rhythm to “Jingle Bell Rock” as she moved toward the stairs. His appreciative gaze followed Katherine.
Where's a cold shower when you need one? Man, and I'm here with the tiny tikes, better get a grip on things or have to explain the tent in his lap.
Matt touched his arm and handed him a cranberry. “You still think my mom's beautiful?"
“Yes."
“I told her you did.” Matt beamed.
Jared squashed the cranberry between his fingers and reached for the baby wipes.
Twenty minutes later, each table proudly held two cranberry and popcorn chains and one paper chain with glow-in-the-dark stickers ready for hanging. Jared had used one entire box of baby wipes and managed to keep all ten fingers of each child free of stains. Keeping everyone from eating all the popcorn had turned into a first class battle, but he'd succeeded.
He looked up just as Katherine stuck her head around the corner. She gave him an innocent smile and walked toward him. Her sweater hugged her sweet body. The sleigh appliqué moved when her breasts bounced ever so slightly. He rubbed the back of his neck.
Where's a bucket of ice when you need one?
She stopped in front of the table, her back to him and glanced around. All he could see was her firm butt and shapely legs. “Wow! Everything looks great."
Sure does.
“Everyone accomplished a lot,” she said, turning to him.
Before she could disappear again into the crowd of festive partygoers, he cleared his throat and tried to think of something to say. “If you still want to go horseback riding, how about Thursday? We could head out bright and early, around eight. We'd be gone most of the day."
Matt steepled his hands and offered up an angelic smile to his mother. Jared considered doing the same, but decided the ploy was too obvious.
“Sounds good,” she said hesitantly. Her lips formed a smile, but he sensed another emotion as he watched her. He saw doubt-or was it fear-in her eyes?
She worried her lower lip. “Thanks for the invitation.” Turning, she looked away, raised her hand and pointed to the hallway. “We'll move the chains to Matt's bed. Parents are fixing plates for the children to eat in here. The adults can eat wherever they find a place to sit."
After cleaning up the children's tables, they headed toward the stairs. “Where's Paul?” he asked, expecting to run into his scowling face sooner or later.
Her jade eyes glanced at him and lit with mischief. “Want me to tell him you miss him?"
“Hell no,” he replied in a mock whisper.
Midway down the stairs, she stopped and turned to him. “Believe me, Paul doesn't miss you either. My mother and I worked it all out for the party. She's escorting Paul around the party, and I'm escorting you. The stairs we're on are for you to use. The back stairs leading up from the kitchen are Paul's.