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  Steeling himself against the flood of emotions, his glance went to the carvings on the inside wall and when he saw JC+TT he couldn’t help but smile. Good God, he’d had such a huge crush on Tabby Taylor when he was fourteen that he’d carved their initials into the wood. But he never did ask her out. Her older brother, Devon, was enough to scare any kid straight. As a barrage of old, happy memories swamped him, he ran his finger along the carving. He’d heard Tabby and Reece McGrath had hooked up. He grinned, wondering how that had played out, seeing as how Devon and Reece were best friends and all.

  Snow crunched behind him and pulled his attention. He spun around to see Lila tromping toward him.

  “I didn’t expect you to do this alone,” she said, her coat swinging wide open as she glanced at the carved letters he’d been mulling over.

  Jon watched her approach and when she stopped just outside the door, he saw the pink flush on her cheeks and took note of the way her teeth were chattering.

  He grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her inside. “You’re going to catch your death of cold out here, Lila. And like you said, Dani is busy enough as it is.” He fastened her zipper, then pulled it all the way to her chin.

  Lila angled her head and gave him an odd look.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You sound like Errol. I’ve heard him use those exact words on the kids around town.”

  Jon’s thoughts traveled to his great-aunt Margaret, Errol’s late wife. It was originally her turn of phrase, but Jon kept that information to himself.

  “And besides,” Lila added, tilting her chin in stubborn determination. “You can’t get sick from the cold weather. It’s an old wives’ tale.”

  “Oh, and who are these old wives you’ve been talking to?”

  “It’s just something folks tell kids to get them to bundle up.”

  “Well,” Jon began, when he suddenly noticed how close he was standing to Lila, how her fragrant scent was seeping under his skin and making him wonder if she’d taste as good as she smelled. While he somehow knew she would, that didn’t stop his body from urging him to take a nibble, to lick a path down her body until he found the spot that tasted the sweetest. Jon gave a hard shake of his head and struggled to keep his thoughts focused, a difficult task considering they way Lila continued to crowd him, her lush body practically crushed against his. “It just so happens that those old wives know a thing or two.”

  She tipped her head to look into his eyes. “Really? Do tell.”

  Jon fished his leather gloves out of his pocket and put them over her small hands. As skin brushed skin, sexual longing pulled at him. Okay, so he swore he was going to keep his distance, but everything about her urged him to throw caution to the wind, to indulge in the beautiful woman and sate his sexual needs before he left town.

  “You see, when you get cold, it can affect your immune system and when you’re in a weakened state you’re less able to fight off the viruses that cause colds.”

  She lifted her chin higher, and as Jon studied the small but fiercely independent woman before him, he suspected she was completely unaware of her allure, even when her lips were turning blue. “And you know this how?” she challenged.

  He smiled at her. “I just do.”

  She planted her hands on her hips then suddenly those pretty amber eyes widened like she just had an epiphany. “So that’s how you know Dani. You’re a doctor.”

  Even though it was a statement, not a question, he answered with, “Something like that.”

  Lila shook her head, her wild curls flaring around her face. “You really don’t like talking about yourself do you?” But before he could answer she said, “Wait! Are you here to help out at the clinic? Because you know this town can really use the help.” She clapped her gloved hands together. “The townsfolk will be so thrilled to find out we’re getting another doctor.”

  “I’m leaving on the twenty-fourth,” he reminded her.

  Lila puckered her lips and cast her eyes downward. “Oh, I just thought—”

  Feeling like he’d been sucker punched, and instantly hating himself for disappointing her, he said, “Well, I supposed I can check in with her. Maybe I can help lighten her load while I’m here.”

  Her brow furrowed. “If you’re not our new doctor, then what brought you to Whispering Cove this time of year?”

  Jon should have expected the question. After all, she wasn’t the kind of girl who held her punches. Whispering Cove was a small town and it wouldn’t be long before she found out that nearly seven years ago to the day he was the young resident doctor at Miami General, the one who’d been too busy, too caught up in his career and big-city life to come home to family and friends. He’d forgotten what matter mattered to him—family, friends, helping others—and because of it his parents had died on Christmas Eve during a surprise visit. Their deaths reminded him of who he was, what was important, and what he truly held close, but by then it was too late. They were gone. Because of him. Once Lila found out that his actions had ultimately resulted in their deaths, she’d likely join those who rightfully looked at him with blame.

  “I just have some things to take care of,” he said, giving her his usual answer.

  She shrugged like it was nothing, but he didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. “It’s fine. You don’t have to tell me. It’s none of my business, anyway.” She gazed past his shoulder, her glance once again passing over the initials carved into the wood. He could almost hear the wheels spinning, her curious mind trying to put together the pieces and figure out exactly who he was and what he was doing in town.

  Even though he was glad she hadn’t pressed, he still felt like a world-class prick for brushing off her question. “Lila, wait. It’s not like that. I just don’t want to get into it.”

  “It’s okay, Jon, really.” She stole a glance at her watch. “I’d better get those skates and get going. I told Errol I’d help with the set-up and if I don’t deliver those cookies on time, I’ll have a horde of hungry kids on my hands.” She perused the shelf and redirected the conversation. “Now, where did I put those skates?”

  Jon spun around and looked at the boxes lining the shelves. When he spotted one marked skates, he pointed and tried to lighten her mood by saying, “My guess is in that box.”

  Lila grinned. “Good call.” With that she pushed past him and when her sweet scent flared around him, he pulled it into his lungs. Grabbing a ladder, she balanced it against the shelf and climbed up two steps. She reached up and tried to shimmy the box free.

  A rush of tenderness moved through him as he watched her struggle. There was something about her independence that brought out the protector in him and had him yearning to do things for her.

  Maybe it was the doctor in him wanting to help others, or maybe it was the man in him who simply wanted her. Either way, she threw him off his game and had him feeling things—wanting things—he didn’t deserve to have.

  He stepped up behind her and pressed his chest to her back. His voice came out a little rough, a little raspy when he said, “I can get that, Lila.”

  Her body stiffened against his, and a wave of lust curled around him as he helped her free the box from the shelf. Jon took the bulk of the weight as he placed it on the floor at the foot of the ladder.

  Lila stepped down and sounded a little breathless when she dropped to one knee and said, “You sure you don’t want to come?” She held up a pair of his old skates and said, “These look like they would fit you.”

  As Jon saw the bright-eyed enthusiasm in her gaze and noted the flare of desire as she looked up at him, he suddenly wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore. He twisted around and as his breath turned to fog he recalled the days when he wouldn’t have dreamed of missing the Whispering Wonderland skating festival. He could almost taste the creamy marshmallow hot chocolate, hear the music and laughter, and see the smiles on everyone’s faces as they gathered around the ice and shared outrageous stories from their fishing season.
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br />   But he didn’t belong there. Not anymore.

  “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said, his eyes going to Lila’s snow-covered car, to her bald tires specifically. He spun to face her, his heart pounding a little harder in his chest. “Lila, you’re not planning on driving to the skating oval are you?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “You can’t go anywhere on those tires.”

  She crinkled her nose. “I know. They’re a little bald. Winter tires just weren’t in the budget this year.”

  “A little bald? Errol is a little bald, Lila. Those tires are a death trap.”

  She gave an apologetic shrug. “I usually walk everywhere.”

  “Well, you can’t walk today. It’s freezing out and the roads are icy.”

  She exhaled slowly, like she was mulling his concerns over. Then she blinked up at him and said, “I’ll drive slow.”

  Jon gave a hard shake of his head. “No, you won’t.”

  She waved her hands in the air, and one of his gloves went flying. “I just made one hundred and forty-four cookies, so if you think I’m—”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  Her head came back with a start, and there was something so warm and honest in her eyes that it had his heart racing. “You will?”

  “Yeah, that car isn’t going anywhere until you get a set of winter tires.”

  “That might not be until spring. I’ve been saving for other things.”

  “They won’t do you any good in the spring.” He grabbed a pair of skates from the box. “Come on. I’ll take you.”

  He stepped out of the shed and when he realized she hadn’t followed he turned to see her. That’s when he noticed the smile on her face and the way her inquisitive eyes were studying him darkly.

  Uncomfortable under her scrutiny, he angled his head and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Her grin was slow, sexy, heating his blood from simmer to inferno. “Because you don’t strike me as a big city doctor.”

  “Well, I hate to disappoint—”

  “I never said I was disappointed.”

  As Jon looked at the gorgeous, laid back woman staring up at him, he took in the pretty pink flush on her face, the seductive way her amber eyes moved over him and the way she made a bulky winter coat look hotter than skimpy lingerie. He took a moment to think about all the things he said he wasn’t going to do while he was home, mainly getting her naked and having his way with her. Yet here he was realigning his priorities and going to a skating party he hadn’t planned on attending, partly because of her bald tires and partly because she asked him to.

  Which begged the question, what else would he do if she asked?

  Chapter Four

  Lila knew there was a lot more to this man then met the eye. He might live in Miami, but she didn’t get a city vibe from him at all. She stole a sideways glance at him as he drove his vehicle through town. It occurred to her that he knew his way around without her guidance, which once again had her wondering who he was and why he seemed so familiar. He might not be willing to divulge information about himself, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t do a little snooping of her own.

  When they reached the skating oval, Jon slammed the SUV into park. She didn’t miss the tension in his posture as he watched the townsfolk all come together on the manmade rink smack dab in the center of town square.

  Emotions passed over his eyes as he perused the dozen or so ice sculptures near the monument honoring all the fishermen lost at sea. “Who won the sculpting contest?”

  “Mr. Henningar.” She pulled a face and looked at the kids running around in the gazebo that Hauk built for last year’s fall festival. “That man wins everything.”

  Jon grinned. “I take it he’s still growing the biggest pumpkins?”

  Okay, so he clearly knew a lot about the place, which meant he either visited often or he really was from around these parts. But if he was from around here, why wasn’t he staying with family or friends? “Yeah, I think he has them on steroids.”

  They shared a laugh. When two kids ran in front of his vehicle, racing toward the rink at breakneck speed, Jon pulled the keys from the ignition and went eerily quiet.

  “Hey, you okay?” Lila asked.

  He smiled but she could tell it was forced. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He cracked open his door. “We’d better deliver those cookies. Obviously the kids aren’t hyped up enough as it is.”

  She gave him a playful whack. “Hey, it’s Christmas. In my book that means we get to indulge guilt-free.” When he cast a glance her way and she spotted heat in his eyes, the air around them charged. She wet her dry lips and his scorching glance dropped to her mouth. “Don’t you agree, Jon?”

  Before he could answer, Errol was at her door tapping his cane on her window. “What’s taking so long, lassie?”

  She rolled her eyes, cursing Errol for his bad timing, because she really, really wanted to hear Jon’s answer. “Someone ought to take that cane away from him. I don’t think he needs it, anyway. He just likes the power it gives him.”

  With the intimacy between them severed, Jon asked, “How well do you know Errol?”

  “He’s my landlord,” she supplied. “And the most cantankerous old man in town.” She paused, then added, “But underneath all the crustiness he’s a pretty good guy.” She grinned. “I like him a lot. Of course, I’d like him more without the cane.” Seeing an opportunity to learn more about Jon, she asked, “How do you know Errol?”

  Instead of answering, he asked. “What makes you think he doesn’t need the cane?”

  “Rumor has it that he took to using it a few years ago when he was trying to convince Katy—” Before she could finish, Errol gave another hard tap on the window.

  “What’s the hold up? Got a bunch of screaming kids on my hands. Get your damn keisters out here and start handing out them gingerbread cookies.” Even though his words were harsh, he still had that same old twinkle in his eyes.

  “See what I mean,” she said, laughing. “Cantankerous.”

  Exasperated, Lila climbed from the vehicle, tossed her skates over her shoulder and grabbed the plastic container full of cookies from the back seat. “Okay, okay, Errol. Don’t get your cane in a knot.” With that, she carried them toward the table, then turned to say something to Jon only to realize he wasn’t behind her.

  He was speaking with Errol, and she had no idea what he was saying, but whatever it was it seemed to brighten the twinkle in the old man’s eyes. It still didn’t stop him from poking Jon in the ribs with his splintering cane. Lila laughed at them but when Byron and Harold moved in beside Errol and blocked her view she turned her attention to her surroundings, soaking in the festive sights of the beloved town she now called home.

  As the familiar sounds and smells of the winter carnival curled around her, happiness welled up inside her and had her looking forward to hanging stockings and reuniting with her family on Christmas Eve. But memories of family had her thinking more about Jon. Where did he have to rush off to on Christmas Eve?

  She set her container down next to the huge, five-gallon thermos dispenser. If Jon thought the kids were hyped up now, wait until after they’d polished off all the marshmallows and hot chocolate sloshing around inside that jug.

  Tabby stepped up to her. Eyes full of curiosity, her friend rubbed her small baby bump and asked, “Is that who I think it is?”

  “First you’ll have to tell me who you think it is?” Lila teased.

  “Jon Carver.”

  “You guessed it. He’s staying at the inn.”

  Tabby’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding me.”

  At Tabby’s strange reaction, Lila arched an inquisitive brow and probed, “Why would I be kidding you?”

  “I just… I never…”

  They both turned and when Jon spotted her talking to Tabby, something moved over his face, an emotion she couldn’t quite identify. Swallowing the uneasy feeling closing in on her, she
looked back at Tabby.

  “How do you know him?” As soon as the question left her mouth, she could feel Jon’s tension reaching out to her, confusing her feelings in the most bizarre way. While it was in her nature to be open and honest, it suddenly felt so wrong to be prying into his personal life. He valued his privacy, that much she knew, and everything in her gut told her she should respect that.

  Tabby went quiet for a moment, then said, “We, uh. We knew each other growing up.”

  So he was from Whispering Cove. “Are you going to say hello?”

  When Lila spotted Katy’s husband, Trent Parker, and his best friend, Adam Collins, both firefighters at the local station, step up to Jon and the others, Tabby inched away. “I’m not sure he’d want me to.” She frowned. “He blames…thinks we blame… I mean…after the… Well, he kind of distanced himself a few years ago.”

  As Lila wondered about the secrets Jon held close, a few kids came skating up to the table and before long she was lost in the chaos known as the Whispering Wonderland festival, handing out cookies to animated kids and parents alike.

  Even though she was busy, chatting easily to all those who made their way to her, she was still fully aware of Jon, fully aware of the way he stood back from the crowd, his eyes mainly on her. Despite his distance it didn’t stop the townsfolk from greeting him with open arms. Every now and then she’d glance his way, only to find him looking at her in return. The strange way he watched her made her feel edgy, restless, hyper aware of her body and the way it was reacting to the guy who, for some unknown reason removed himself from those who obviously cared about him, and by the looks of things, still did.

  The local veterinarian, Jacob Collins, Adam’s brother, came skating up to her table and poured himself a hot chocolate. “Hey, Lila,” he said as she handed him a cookie. He took a bite and moaned in frank appreciation. “You know, it’s been said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and if you keep feeding me the way you do, I just might fall in love with you.”

  Lila laughed out loud and Jacob gave her one of his infamous grins, the same grin that had the girls around town shedding their panties. Jacob was her neighbor and often came over for breakfast at her B&B, which made him feel more like a brother to her than anything else. She really liked him, loved the way he cared for animals, which in her book proved he was a great guy. But even though he was a great guy, he wasn’t the settling down type. He had a bevy of women following him around, and love was the last thing he wanted to fall in to.