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  Her heart leapt in her chest and her blood rushed a little faster, because as she considered all the events over the last few days one thing became glaringly apparent to her.

  Cantankerous old Errol Wilson really was her Santa Claus.

  Chapter Nine

  After a late day at the clinic, and still having no luck in catching up with Errol, Jon returned home to find Lila sitting in front of the Christmas tree, stitching names onto stockings.

  A smile lit her face and she jumped to her feet the second he entered the house. “I was getting worried about you.”

  Jon struggled to sound casual, but the hitch in his voice belied his emotions. “The clinic ran late.”

  She glanced at her watch. “No worries, we still have time to make it.”

  Jon angled his head. “Where?”

  Lila grabbed her coat off the hook. “To the tree lighting ceremony. Then to Hauk’s bar for drinks and food.”

  “I wasn’t really planning—”

  “Oh,” she said. “I thought you might like to come. Errol will be there and it might be a good time to talk to him.” She paused and looked at the snow falling outside. “I guess I’ll walk over there myself—”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  “You don’t have to drive me. It’s less than five minutes away.”

  “It’s cold and slippery,” he said. As he took in the soft blush on her cheeks, the warmth in her eyes as she looked at him, he knew the cold and slippery streets were just an excuse. Even though he no longer belonged here, and didn’t deserve to be a part of the festivities, he hated the thoughts of her going alone. But it was more than that. He wanted to be with her, wanted to enjoy every moment of her while he was still in Whispering Cove.

  Less than five minutes later, Lila was bundled up in the car, sitting beside him, and she had a grin on her face. One that said she seemed rather pleased with herself.

  He should tell her who he really was, but the truth was, he just wanted to enjoy this thing between them for a little longer, until he went back to Miami. Then he’d bury himself in his work and try to forget about the girl who’d turned his life upside down in a few short days. But thinking of his life in Miami had him thinking of Lila’s hometown.

  He turned to her. “Do you plan to settle in Whispering Cove for good?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “Are you planning to run the B&B forever?”

  “I hope so.”

  “I know this isn’t any of my business, but don’t you think it would be a better investment to buy the place instead of renting it?”

  “I can’t. Errol won’t sell it to me.”

  Okay, that took Jon by surprise, considering Errol had said he could never find a buyer for the home. Perplexed, Jon probed, “So you do want to buy it, then?”

  Probing eyes met his and when she said, “Errol told me it wasn’t his to sell,” he got the distinct impression that she was waiting for him to elaborate on the subject.

  Confusion welled up inside him, and needing to get this perfectly straight in his head he asked, “You’d buy it if you could?”

  “In a heartbeat.”

  “And Errol knows this?”

  “He should. I keep asking him to sell it to me instead of renting it.”

  Jon swallowed the lump pushing into his throat. Errol had blatantly lied to him. He had no idea what was going on with his uncle, but he needed to talk to him and he needed to do it now.

  After squeezing his rental vehicle between two cars, Jon and Lila climbed from the SUV and made their way to the town square. As they approached, the familiar sights, smells and music bombarded him with old memories and had him feeling emotional inside. He peered into the crowd and when he spotted Aunt Annette and Uncle Pete hugging one another, an uneasy feeling moved through him, because everything in the way they looked at each other spoke of love and happiness, not marital troubles.

  Lila slipped her hand into his, and gave him a comforting squeeze. He looked at her and had the oddest sense that she knew far more about him than he ever wanted her to know.

  “You okay?”

  He nodded. “I need to find Errol.”

  “Can it wait for a minute? They’re just about to light the tree.”

  Jon nodded and when Trent, Katy, Dani, Braydon, Josie, Adam, Tabby and Reece all greeted him with open arms, the lights flicked on and lit up the whole town square. Everyone clapped, the sound mostly muffled by gloved hands, and when the carolers started singing, Lila went up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  She laughed and instead of answering, she said, “Come on. Let’s go to Hauk’s for drinks.”

  “Lila,” he said feeling uneasy inside. “I need to find Errol.”

  “He’s probably at Hauk’s by now.” She grinned and added, “The eggnog Hauk serves is spiked with rum, and believe me, Errol wouldn’t miss that.”

  Together they walked the few blocks to Hauk’s bar and as soon as they entered through the heavy front door, a glass of eggnog was pushed into his hands. Trent walked up to him, and his wife, Katy, waved Lila over to the crowd of women gathered around a long oaken table.

  “Lila, get on over here for a Pina Cock-a-lada and a Screaming Orgasm,” Josie said. Jon gave Lila a strange look, and she laughed. “Hauk’s waitress, Aimee, renamed all the drinks.” She gave him a wink and said, “You should try Sex at My House.” She went up on her tiptoes and whispered, “Oh wait, we already did that.”

  Trent pressed a pool cue into Jon’s free hand. “Come on. We’re playing doubles and I need a partner.”

  He turned to Lila to gauge her reaction. “I’ll catch up with you soon,” she said, and disappeared into the crowd.

  Since Errol was nowhere to be found, Jon joined the guys at the pool table, and before he knew it, he and Trent were whipping Adam and Braydon at a game of eight ball. The guys all laughed and taunted one other about their pool abilities, and feeling like he was back with his old gang, Jon joined in the teasing. As the hours slipped by, Jon fell into an easy camaraderie with his childhood friends and not once did anyone mention anything about his parents. If he wasn’t mistaken, no one looked at him with blame in their eyes. Instead, they all made him feel warm and welcomed, like he was back where he truly belonged.

  From across the room, he caught Lila’s glance and his heart turned over in his chest. Christ, he was in so much trouble. As the night flew by and the crowd dwindled, not to mention the rum, Jon excused himself from the guys and went in search of Lila.

  He wasn’t sure what compelled him to do it, perhaps it was the rum, or perhaps it was because he just really wanted to, but, discretion aside, the second he reached her, he planted a warm kiss on her mouth.

  She grinned. “What was that for?”

  Instead of answering, he gestured with a nod. “Want to get out of here?”

  When she gave him a sexy, knowing grin, Jon looked up and thought he spotted Errol by the door. He blinked and just like that the man was gone. For an old guy who relied on a cane, he was pretty damn swift on his feet. “Was that Errol?” he asked Lila.

  She spun around. “I’m not sure.”

  Jon shook his head. “I think he’s avoiding me.”

  She shimmied close, put two fingers on his chin and turned his face until he was looking at her. “I’m not.” Jon felt his cock thicken when she added, “What was that you said about getting out of here?”

  “Can you drive?” he asked.

  “Nope. I had too many Screaming Orgasms.”

  Grinning, Jon asked, “So you’re not up for one more?”

  She returned his grin. “I’m always up for one more, maybe even two.”

  “Then let’s hurry.” Jon zipped her coat to her neck and she pressed against him. His cock ached, wanting to take her right then and there. “Jesus, it’s a good thing my place is close.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Jon realized what he’d said, realized how at home he fe
lt in the old homestead. “I mean…”

  “Want to race?” Lila said, and before he could answer, she was running out the door.

  Jon darted after her, but she was damn fast. As he chased after her, she scooped up snow and tossed it at him.

  “Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be is it?” he asked, catching up to her. He captured her in his arms and swung her around, threatening to throw her in the snow bank.

  Lila was laughing so hard she could barely talk. “Okay…okay,” she managed to get out through giggles. “Truce?”

  His lips twitched in amusement. When was the last time he’d had such fun? Jon set her down, and when a cool ocean breeze rushed over them, they hurried past Dresden Bluff. Lila’s eyes were bright with laughter and he fought the compulsion to make sweet love to her right there at the foot of the hill. The truth was, she made him forget, and while he didn’t deserve to ever forget the tragedy that changed the lives of so many, it felt so damn good to experience something, anything, other than guilt and pain.

  Once inside the house, they both kicked off their boots and tossed their winter wear aside. Before long, they were in front of the fire making love. They stayed there until the fire died down, then he took her to his bed.

  There was a new intimacy between them, one that had him thinking about something more permanent. He was getting in too deep, falling into something he had no right to be a part of.

  Despite that knowledge, their entire next day consisted of making love on her silk sheets, cooking, showering and making love again. Earlier that evening they could hear music coming from the town square, but they chose to stay in each other’s arms, missing the concert. As the moon peered into the window, Jon knew he needed to climb from her bed and contact his uncle so he could get to the bottom of matters before he left town. But slipping from the bed and leaving Lila’s arms had his heart squeezing and his stomach punching into his throat. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, which meant he’d be flying back to Miami, and right now he just wanted to soak in her warmth while he still could.

  “Lila?”

  She stretched her arms out. “Yeah?”

  “I really do need to find Errol.”

  A look he couldn’t quite identify came over her face. “I know,” she said her voice barely audible. She turned to see the clock. “But will he still be up?”

  Jon followed her glance, and was shocked to find that it was after midnight. He shook his head. “Where did the day go?”

  Lila laughed and as soon as she said, “Merry Christmas Eve, Jon,” his heart sank into his stomach.

  Christmas Eve…

  With his mood sobering, he climbed from the bed. He sat on the edge for a moment and worked to get his emotions under control.

  “I have to go.”

  “I know,” she said softly, and once again he got the sense that she could see right through him, that she knew more about him than he ever wanted her to.

  Jon pulled on his clothes and made his way outside. He walked past Lila’s car and glanced at her new tires. Jonah must have come by and replaced them sometime throughout the day when he and Lila were locked inside the bedroom. It was clear to Jon that she’d been saving her money to put a down payment on the B&B. He understood that, but he wasn’t about to let her drive around town on bald tires. What if something happened to her? What if a car accident stole someone else he loved?

  Loved.

  Oh Jesus, he really was in trouble here.

  It was well after one in the morning when Jon walked to the town square to get his vehicle, which had been sitting there since the night at Hauk’s bar. After climbing into the driver’s seat, he drove around town and stopped at Errol’s house, then Delilah’s. But when his search came up empty, he made his way to Hauk’s bar. Since the lights were still on, he parked his SUV and hurried inside to find Errol, Byron and Harold drinking rum over a game of poker. All three were laughing and talking about who had to buy next month’s rum.

  “Errol,” Jon said, stepping up to them. “We need to talk.”

  Errol folded his cards. “What’s up, boy?”

  “That’s what I want to know.”

  Harold finished his rum and slammed his glass onto the table. “Guess that’s our cue to leave,” he said to Bryon.

  As soon as the two older gentlemen disappeared, Jon pulled out a chair and met his uncle’s cloudy eyes. Getting right to the point, he asked, “Why did you ask me to come home?”

  “’Cause I missed ya.”

  “Missed me? You call me back for no apparent reason then continue to avoid me.”

  “It wasn’t for no apparent reason,” Errol said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

  “Then let me guess. It was so you could meddle in my life.”

  “Who told you I’ve been meddling?” he asked, accusingly. “I bet it was Jacob.” He cursed under his breath. “That boy’s got a big mouth.”

  Jon had no idea what Errol was going on about, but redirected the conversation. “You lied to me about Lila. You said she wasn’t interested in buying the house.”

  “That’s ’cause you aren’t ready to sell it,” he said, his cloudy eyes suddenly clear, full of wisdom.

  “Did you lie about the termites and Aunt Annette and Uncle Pete too?”

  Errol didn’t need to answer because his sheepish expression told Jon what he needed to know. He exhaled slowly, anger rushing through him as he planted his elbows on the table.

  Errol touched his arm. “Don’t be mad. I just wanted you home.”

  “Why? So you could turn me away at your door?” As soon as the words left his mouth, Jon realized what his great-uncle had done, realized that he hadn’t just been meddling where his property was concerned, he’d been meddling in his personal affairs, and in Lila’s livelihood. “Jesus,” he whispered under his breath. “I get that you wanted to interfere in my life because we’re related, but you didn’t have to drag Lila into this too.”

  “I saw you with Lila the other night and from the glow on her face I’d say she’s pretty happy with my meddling.”

  “Errol—”

  “Jon,” he said cutting him off, “your parents were good people who wanted what was best for you, and Miami isn’t it. You need to be home, surrounded by those who love you. And you need to stop blaming yourself, because no one else does.”

  With emotions getting the better of him, Jon jumped up and his chair scraped across the wooden floor as he said, “Sell her the house, Errol.”

  Flying past Byron and Harold, Jon made his way outside. He hopped into his vehicle and hurried back to the B&B. When he opened the door and found Lila fully dressed, with a worried look on her face, his gut tightened.

  “Are you okay?” he questioned.

  She nodded, and he spotted genuine concern in her eyes when she asked, “Are you?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “I know.”

  “I spoke with Errol.”

  “And?”

  “And he’s going to sell you this place.”

  Air left her lungs, and he didn’t miss the wounded look on her face. “I don’t want it, Jon.”

  Perplexed by her reaction, he said, “But you—”

  “I changed my mind.”

  He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “What’s going on around here anyway?”

  She reached for his other hand. “I want you to come with me.”

  He gave a hard shake of his head and glanced at the clock. “No. I have to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s Christmas Eve and your family will be here soon.”

  “That’s no reason to run away.”

  “I don’t belong here, Lila. I shouldn’t be at a family gathering that I don’t deserve to be a part of.”

  “Jon—”

  “No, you don’t understand. There are things you don’t know about me. I tried to tell you that first night we made love, but you stopped me and then…well, then I never told you because I didn’t wa
nt to ruin what we had.”

  “And what do we have, Jon?”

  “It’s just…I don’t…”

  “Well, I do know. And if you think I’m going to let you run away from this thing between us, like you’ve run away from this town and the people in it, then you’ve got another thought coming.”

  His head jerked back. “What are you talking about?”

  “Come with me.”

  Going against his better judgment, because he was getting far more involved with her than he ever should have allowed, he followed her up the stairs and into the attic.

  Swallowing the knot in his throat, he glanced around at all the boxes. “Why did you bring me up here?”

  “Because it’s Christmas Eve, Jon.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Sit down.”

  He sank to the floor and she shuffled in beside him. Then she reached into a box and pulled out a stack of pictures. With a soft smile on her face, she said, “Tell me about this Christmas.”

  Jon’s heart turned over his chest when he saw a picture of himself standing next to his mini bike. “I loved that bike,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

  “I guess that’s why your parents kept it, so you could pass it on to your own child.” She grabbed another picture, one of his mom and dad. “Tell me about them.”

  Jon scrubbed his chin. “Lila, what are you doing?”

  She cupped his face. “Helping you heal. It’s time you learned to celebrate the lives of your parents, not spend all your time mourning them and feeling guilty.”

  He blew out a slow breath and stared at the picture of his mom and dad. “So you knew, then? You knew all along who I was and you still wanted to be with me?”

  “I realized who you were after talking to Errol at the craft bazaar, and it never changed how I felt about you.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

  He felt his throat close over. “It was my fault, Lila. If I hadn’t been so selfish…”