She didn't need another man messing up her life or Matt's-especially a man like Jared Randall.
At seven-thirty, Jared turned into her mother's driveway, parked and killed the lights. Katherine and Matt walked to the back of the truck and waited for Jared to finish a conversation he'd received on his cell phone during their ride home.
Katherine didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she found it impossible not to from where she stood. He flirted outrageously, and from the tone of his voice, he seemed very familiar with whoever spoke on the other end. Ever so often, he chuckled deep in his throat. The intimate sounds made gooseflesh ripple up Katherine's arms. He finally asked, “Can't you sleep?” and laughed wickedly at the caller's response. “Yeah, I'll deliver that sleeping pill quick as I'm through here. Don't you start without me.” He hung up and tossed the phone onto the seat. Katherine recognized the unwanted pangs of longing that jabbed at her. Since the divorce, she missed having this kind of interaction with a man.
He sauntered around to the rear bumper and bent at the waist. Metal clanged while he lowered the tailgate. The move defined his well-developed shoulders and broad back.
When he tugged on the trunk of the tree, she stepped forward. “Let me help."
Jared turned to face her, rubbed his nose with his hand and grimaced. “With your track record?” He crooked his little finger and motioned Matt forward. “I think I'm safer with my ‘official helper'."
For some reason she didn't understand, his remark hurt, and she flinched as if he'd hit her.
He put his hand under her chin, tilted her head up, looked deep into her eyes and whispered, “Hey, I was joking. Matt's proud of his tree. He wants to help me carry it.” He winked. “Why don't you find the stand for this monster?"
She opened the wrought-iron gate that lead to the house, continuing up the walkway. The toe of her boot accidentally kicked the old, battered rocker on the porch. She muttered at the semi-darkness and dim porch light. The cluttered little porch grew deadly in the dark, and she felt grateful her mother left the light on for them. But she wondered why she hadn't turned on the Christmas lights.
Her fingers brushed the prickly leaves of the holly wreath hanging over the oak door. These little touches made her feel warm and happy. She hoped things would never change. The temperature had dropped since this afternoon. She hugged her jacket against the brisk night air. It felt like Christmas. Shivering, she jammed the key into the lock and wrestled with the heavy door, opening it wide enough for the tree.
Propping the door open, she walked through the entryway and shrugged out of her jacket. Inside the darkened living room, she found her mother slumped in a chair. “I thought you were going to exercise."
She flipped the lamp switch on. Her mother raised her hand to cover her eyes. Moving closer, she noticed her mother's eyes were bloodshot and swollen from crying.
Katherine rushed to her side and knelt. “Is your bionic part hurting you?” she whispered, touching her mother's thick, baby-soft hair.
Her mother struggled to smile. “No. In two weeks, I'll be back on the golf course, good as new."
“Okay, what's wrong, Mom?"
“I'm moody, like an old lady right now, and I can't blame it on hormones anymore."
Katherine didn't buy that for one minute. She wanted to cheer her mother up. When they were alone, they could talk about the problem really bothering her. She leaned forward with a smile. “Matt found his tree. But, I wanted to warn you, it's not the traditional green Dad always bought, so I don't know if you'll like it."
Sitting up, her mother wiped her eyes. “Nonsense, if my grandson picked it, I'll love it."
Katherine nodded-that's exactly what Dad would have said-and rose from her knees.
“Are they right behind you?” her mother asked.
“Oh, my God!” Katherine said. She turned on her heels toward the nearby hallway.
“Where are you running to?"
She glanced back over her shoulder. “To get the stand and Christmas boxes from the attic. If we're going to finish planning that tree-trimming party, we better take an inventory of what works and doesn't work. I only want to make one trip to the mall tomorrow for decorations."
Racing to the hall, she grabbed the rope hanging down from the trap door and yanked hard. The extension ladder groaned to life. It fell with a thud from the attic onto the carpet. She took two steps up the incline and in her hurry, stumbled. Her knee banged into the side, jamming the sharp wooden edge into her shin. With a shrill cry, she crumpled onto the step, holding her knee to her chest and rubbing it.
Jared's voice called from the arched doorway, “Are you all right?"
She tried to place her full weight on her knee and winced. “I'm fine."
He crossed the hall in three steps and joined her on the ladder. “You aren't fine. You have no business climbing."
Wiggling her leg around, she winced again. “It's just sore."
His arms went over hers. He propelled her back to the carpet, speaking in her ear the whole way, whispering the most infuriating things in the most sensual rumble. She trembled from the jolt of heat his touch generated.
“Your mother's had enough grief. She doesn't need you hurting yourself."
She thought of her father's three years of illness, the trips home to nurse him and help her mother cope with his impending death, the merciful end that released him from his pain, and finally, the scare from her mother's accident and emergency surgery. A twinge of guilt, along with a rush of resentment hit her. The man didn't know the first thing about love and loss. “Where do you get off talking to me like that? I'm trying to help my mother."
“I know you are, but stop taking chances that might get you hurt."
Marching up the ladder, he disappeared in the attic and returned with two large boxes marked ‘Christmas Decorations'. He deposited them on the carpet, went back and retrieved three more. “That's all,” he said, laying the last one down.
Katherine stared at the pile glumly. So much for her traditional Christmas. It was not tradition to have a stranger get her son's Christmas tree, or have him climb into the attic and retrieve Dad's Christmas boxes, and it was definitely not tradition for her body to hum with desire like this. She kept her distance from him as they carried the dusty boxes into the living room.
Her mother stood at the window ooh'ing and aah'ing over the unusual tree. Matt sat beside her on the floor lapping up the praise his grandma lavished on him.
They rummaged through the boxes until they located the stand. She placed it in front of the picture window and turned. Her gaze lowered to Jared's tight rear end and thick, muscular thighs as they bent and carefully lifted the huge tree. Straightening, he turned and his gaze locked with Katherine's. Self-conscious at having him catch her staring, she took a quick uneven breath.
His eyes shone with unmistakable male interest, moving his gaze over her body sensually. He lowered the tree effortlessly into the slot. She quickly bent to tighten the bolts, but she could still feel his hot gaze on her.
They stood in silence, admiring the majesty of the most beautiful tree she'd ever seen grace their living room. The white of the tree, against the backdrop of the royal blue draperies framing the window took on a life of its own.
Looking at Matt, Katherine grinned. “Why don't we turn on the Christmas lights and go outside to watch them?"
Matt made a beeline for the front door, while Katherine flipped the switch. They stepped outside to a white wonderland that blinked and sparkled like warm tidings of cheer in the night, illuminating the walks and outlining the house.
“Wow! Santa's flashing runway."
Katherine felt everything would be fine this Christmas. A sweet smile and serenity filled her mother's eyes and face when the lights twinkled. She hugged her mother, bent and ruffled Matt's dark hair.