Rescued by the Magic Of Christmas

His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, and her heart bumped. “We’ll see how you feel in a few days.”

Forget a few days. Carly didn’t like how she felt right now. But that had nothing to do with her niece and nephew and everything to do with the man standing in front of her. Still, she was a survivor, and like everything else, she would get through this. She raised her chin. “It’ll be no problem at all.”

No problem. Yeah, right.

Jake had a big problem. Her name started with C and ended with Y. He grabbed a Granny Smith apple from the fruit bowl and placed it on the wood cutting board.

Maybe if he concentrated on fixing the kids’ snack he could forget how Carly’s turtleneck sweater hugged her breasts and the curve of her waist. How her well-worn jeans cupped her bottom like a second skin. How her blond hair, now shoulder length, would look spread out over a pillowcase or a man’s chest.

His chest.

It was all Jake could do not to stare. Hell, drool. He reached for a knife.

Damn, she looked good. Better than he remembered.

The cold temperatures outside brought a natural color to her cheeks. Thick lashes, ones she’d had since she was little, framed expressive hazel eyes, eyes that no longer held the optimistic promise of tomorrow, but hinted at new depths he hadn’t seen before. And those pink, full lips smiling up at him made him think about kisses. And the one time he should have kissed her, but had hesitated and lost her. Not that he needed kisses now. A taste of those glossed lips, simply a nibble, was all he really wanted, but that wouldn’t be a smart move.

Hell, it would be downright stupid.

As he sliced the apple, the knife hit the cutting board with a thud.

“Be careful.” Carly neatly placed cheese and crackers on a plate. “You don’t want to lose a finger.”

Right now, he was more worried about losing his heart. Dammit.

His heart was off-limits, especially to a woman who was the only person aside from his father to call him Jacob and had left town six years ago never to return until now. Okay, not exactly true. She hadn’t been gone six years. Five years, seven months and twenty-eight days, if he wanted to be exact. Not that he’d been counting.

Granted she’d had her reasons. Good reasons.

But that hadn’t made her leaving any easier. Which reminded him. She wasn’t here to stay. Hannah had said two weeks. Long enough to turn everyone’s life upside-down, including his. He wanted no part of it. No part of her.

Besides, she deserved better than him.

Jake cut another piece of apple.

“The cheese and crackers are ready.” She placed an artfully designed plate on the table. “What next?”

“Hot chocolate.” He handed her the kettle from the top of the stove.

She frowned. “Won’t the water be too hot?”

“If it is, we add ice cubes.”

“You’ve got this kid snack routine down.”

Jake put the apple slices and a small container of caramel sauce on a plate. “I help out when needed.”

She filled the kettle with water. “How often is that?”

Not nearly enough. He set the plate on the table. “Whenever Hannah or Garrett can’t be here.”

“They’re lucky to have you.”

Jake was the lucky one.

A door slammed shut. Thuds of varying volumes echoed through the house. Voices sounded, yelled, screeched.

He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “The bus was early today.”

“So a herd of elk hasn’t just walked into the house?”

“Elk would be quieter.”

With a smile, Carly hurried out of the kitchen. Jake followed her, trying to ignore the sway of her hips. Maybe he needed to go out tonight. Between work and OMSAR activities, he hadn’t been dating much. A woman—make that a woman other than Carly—would get his mind right where it needed to be.

“Aunt Carly!” Seven-year-old Austin ran into her arms before she took three steps into the living room. “You’re here.”

“I told you she was here.” Kendall, nine years old, hugged Carly. “I saw a different car in the driveway.”

Carly held both of the kids tight as if she didn’t want to let go of them. “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown since last summer.”

Austin beamed. His blond hair stuck up all over the place. “We’re big now.”

Carly laughed. “So big.”

“Mom asked us to stop growing,” Austin said. “But I told her that was impossible.”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Mom was kidding.”

“Kidding or not, I understand why she said that.” Carly kissed the tops of the kids’ heads, staring at them with longing and love. “I wish you would stay little forever.”

Watching the three together brought a bittersweet feeling to Jake’s heart. The kids needed Carly. Not only when Hannah delivered the baby or when they went on vacations, but also on a regular basis, where they could share their lives and days with their father’s sister. With their aunt.

Carly stared at Austin. “You look so much like your daddy.”

A perplexed look crossed the young boy’s face. “Which daddy? The dead one or the one who’s alive?”

Kendall’s long sigh could have propelled all the windmills in eastern Oregon. She tucked a blond curl behind her ear. “Our first daddy, right, Aunt Carly?”

“That’s right.” Her voice cracked slightly.

Jake fought the urge to reach out to Carly. He knew that kick to the gut the first time he’d heard the kids call Garrett “daddy” all too well. Jake still wasn’t used to it. He didn’t know if he would ever be, even though he liked the guy enough to introduce him to his best friend’s widow.

“Every time I see you, Austin, you look more and more like him,” Carly continued. “The two of you could be twins.”

“Even if they look the same—” Kendall tilted her chin “—Uncle Jake says I’m the one who’s more like him.”

“It’s true,” Jake said. Austin might look like a mini version of Nick, but Kendall had identical mannerisms and her father’s fearlessness. “You have the exact same personality.”

Which made it harder for Hannah and Garrett.

But easier for Jake.

“I noticed that when we were vacationing in Gettysburg,” Carly said.

Kendall grinned. “You have to see my room, Aunt Carly. It’s purple and blue and green. Uncle Jake bought me this cool, furry beanbag chair.”

Carly glanced his way. “Sounds comfy.”

“I have a space room.” Austin held on to her hand and bounced. “Uncle Jake put glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on the ceiling. He also bought me a spaceship light. It’s the coolest.”

“Sounds like Uncle Jacob’s been busy around here.”

He shrugged.

“You mean Uncle Jake, don’t you?” Kendall asked.

“Um, yes, your Uncle J-Jake,” Carly said, as if testing the name for the first time.

That was the first time he remembered her calling him Jake. He liked how his name sounded coming from her lips.

“I can’t wait to see both your rooms.” She sounded every bit the enthusiastic aunt, much to the kids’ delight. “But first you need to have your snack.”

“Snack!” The kids stampeded into the kitchen.

Carly glanced at Jake. “Forget elk, those two could give buffalos a run for their money.”

“You handled that well.”

She shrugged. “Not much else I can do.”

“No, there’s not, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.”

Carly looked down at the hardwood floor. “They’re just kids. And life goes on.”

“Hannah does her best to keep Nick’s memory alive. So do I.”

“Thanks. I appreciate that. Nick would, too.” Carly noticed a picture of Garrett, Hannah and the two kids sitting on the mantel. “Still, it’s weird. I like Garrett. He’s a great guy who adores Hannah and loves the kids as if they were his own, but he’s so different from Nick.”

“Hannah didn’t want another Nick,” Jake admitted.

Emotion clouded Carly’s eyes. “I don’t blame her for that.”

“Come here.” Jake placed an arm around Carly in a half hug. She leaned against him.

So nice.

Having her in his arms brought back a rush of memories. The time he’d found her shivering and whistling for help when she’d gotten lost snowshoeing at the age of fourteen. As he’d hugged her, trying to warm her up, he’d realized she wasn’t a little girl anymore. Or the time she’d passed her driver’s test and wanted to show off her license. Not to mention her short skirt and skimpy top. She’d given him a quick hug, letting him know she was a young woman, but still off-limits.

This time she was simply Carly Bishop, a beautiful woman. A single woman.

Against his better judgment, Jake brought his other arm around her, embracing her fully. He pulled her closer. Her body pressed against his. Warm, soft, perfect. The scent of grapefruit—her shampoo?—surrounded him.

Oh, man. Standing here with her in his arms was a dream come true. And even though he’d long since buried those dreams, Jake didn’t want to let her go.

He brushed his lips across her forehead, offering what comfort he could.

Someone screeched.

Jake stepped back from Carly to see Austin staring wide-eyed and openmouthed.

Kendall bolted out of the kitchen. “What is going on?”

“Uncle Jake kissed Aunt Carly.” Austin’s grin lit up his face. “Now they have to get married.”

CHAPTER TWO

MARRIED? TO JACOB? NO way.

Carly stared at the kids, jumping and giving each other high fives. She needed to gain control fast or this could set the tone for the next two weeks.

She stuck two fingers in her mouth and blew, the way Nick had taught her. The loud, sharp whistle quieted Kendall and Austin.

Thanks, Nick. Once again her brother had saved her.

Too bad she hadn’t been able to do the same for him.

The kids stared at her.

“Into the kitchen,” she ordered in the same tone Hannah had used last summer in Colorado when a fight over whether to hike or swim erupted. “And sit at the table.”

Even Jacob followed her instructions.

Carly hid a smile as he passed. Suddenly he stopped.

“This is all so sudden,” Jacob murmured in her ear with an outrageous flutter of his eyelashes. Long, dark lashes, she couldn’t help noticing. Ridiculously wasted on a guy. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have brought a ring.”

Heat flooded her face. “Shut up. Sit down.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He took his place at the table with the kids. No one said anything.

“That’s better.” Carly followed them into the kitchen. She sat between Kendall and Austin, pushing the snacks toward them. “Why do you think we have to get married?”

“If you kiss someone, you have to marry them.” Austin picked up an apple slice. “Sammy Ross told us at recess.”

“You don’t say.” Jacob spoke with the utmost sincerity. “Sammy must be one of those guys who know everything.”

Nodding, Austin dipped the apple into the caramel sauce. “He’s got five older sisters. Three are in high school.”

“That explains it.” Jacob winked. “Better watch out who I kiss from now on.”

Carly glared. Some help he was turning out to be.

Austin’s eyebrows drew together. “You can only kiss the person you’re going to marry, Uncle Jake. Aunt Carly.”

Uh-oh. She straightened. Damage control was needed right away. “Austin—”

“I know you don’t have to get married if you kiss someone, but wouldn’t it be great if you got married anyway? You wouldn’t have to go back to Philadelphia. And I could be your flower girl.” Kendall’s brown eyes implored her. “Please, oh, please. I’ve always wanted to be a flower girl.”

Carly’s chest tightened. She didn’t want to hurt Kendall, but letting the nine-year-old think a wedding was in the works would be worse. The wedding march ranked right up there with Christmas carols when it came to music Carly didn’t want to hear again. Besides, she didn’t want Jacob to think she was interested in marrying him. It was bad enough Carly thought he was still hot after all these years. “No one is getting married, sweetie.”

Kendall’s face puckered.

Carly squeezed the girl’s small hand. “I’m sorry.”

The apology didn’t keep the tears from welling in the young girl’s eyes. Great, Carly had been with the kids for less than fifteen minutes and already made one of them cry. If this was any indication of how the next two weeks were going to go, she should drive back to Portland International Airport and fly home before she really messed things up.

“Come on, guys,” Jacob said. “You’re getting a new baby brother or sister next week. Your aunt is here for Christmas. That’s plenty to celebrate.”

With a frown, Austin stared at Jake. “But you kissed her. I saw you. You have to get married. Those are the rules.”

“I only kissed your Aunt Carly on her forehead, buddy. That’s what friends do.” He flashed her another one of those teasing, tempting grins. “Good friends.”

Carly caught her breath.

The gesture had been a little too friendly. As Jacob had comforted her in the living room, Carly had felt a security and a sense of belonging she hadn’t felt in years. She’d forgotten everything and hadn’t wanted the moment to end. Thank goodness for Austin’s screech or she might have done something stupid like kiss Jacob herself. Not on the forehead, but on the lips.

What was going on?

She hadn’t wanted to kiss anyone in a while. Nor did she want to feel compelled to kiss anyone, especially someone who lived on the other side of the country. Okay, she’d once been curious about his kiss, but she’d been a girl then. Not a grown-up. Best to keep her distance from him while she was here.

“So if you kiss a girl on the forehead you don’t have to marry them, but if you kiss them on the lips, you do?” Austin asked.

Carly bit back a sigh. “Sammy Ross might think you have to marry the person you kiss, but that’s not how it really works.”

“How does it work?” Kendall asked.

Feeling like a preschool teacher suddenly taking on a sex education class full of randy teenagers, Carly looked at Jacob for help. He tipped his chair back, clearly content to wait for her response. The devil.

“Well.” She wasn’t sure how to proceed, but catching a red-eye flight back East sure looked tempting. “First you meet someone you like, then you date, then you fall in love and then, once you know you’ll get along for a long time, you marry.”

Talk about an abbreviated lesson on dating. Maybe she should have told them to ask their mother instead. But Jacob flashed her the thumbs-up sign. She must have done okay to warrant that or he might have simply been trying to make her feel better.

“Where does the kissing come into it?” Kendall asked.

Carly didn’t bother looking at Jacob this time. Hearing a nine-year-old ask about kissing would probably paralyze any single guy. “Kissing can happen at any of those steps, but that’s something you do when you’re older.”

“Much older.” Jacob told Kendall. Funny, he sounded more like a dad than a bachelor.

The girl’s gaze darted between Carly and Jacob. “But you two could still get married. Then I could be a flower girl.”

“We can’t get married,” Carly said. “We’re…friends.”

“Shouldn’t you be friends with the person you marry?” Kendall asked.

The girl was too smart for her own good. Carly needed to be more careful with what she said. “Of course, you should be friends, but Uncle Jake and I are…more like brother and sister.”

Though that wasn’t really true. She’d never seen him as a brother. Growing up, she’d wanted him to be her boyfriend.

“He’s not your brother though. My daddy was your brother.” Two lines formed over Kendall’s nose, the same way they used to on Nick, making Carly’s chest tighten. “But if you married Jake, he’d really be our uncle, not just someone we call uncle, and I could be a flower girl, Aunt Carly. Jessica Henry has gotten to be a flower girl twice. And I’ve never even been asked to be one.”

Carly knew what growing up and comparing yourself to someone else felt like. She needed to tell her niece something, even if it meant facing the part of her past she’d tried hard to forget. “Did you know a long time ago, when you were only three years old, you were going to be a flower girl?”

“I was?”

She nodded.

“Was I going to wear a pretty dress?” Kendall asked.

“Yes,” Carly said. “A very pretty red dress made out of velvet and taffeta with layers of tulle to make the skirt poof out and a wreath of flowers in your hair.”

“You looked like a princess wearing it,” Jacob added.

Remembering, Carly smiled softly. “You sure did.”

“But I never saw any pictures of me dressed like that,” Kendall said.

Jacob started to speak, but Carly stopped him. “The wedding never happened.”

Kendall tilted her chin. “Why?”

Why? That question still haunted Carly. “The boy…the man I was going to marry, his name was Iain, had an accident when he was climbing with your daddy.”

Kendall’s mouth formed a small O. “He died with my daddy on the mountain so you couldn’t get married.”

“Yes.” Carly felt Jacob’s gaze on her, but she didn’t—couldn’t—look his way. She didn’t want to see sympathy or pity in his eyes. She’d had enough of that those first few months to last a lifetime. That was one of the reasons she’d left Hood Hamlet and headed to Philadelphia. She’d wanted to go somewhere—anywhere—where she could make a fresh start.

“Did I know him?” Kendall picked up a cracker. “Iain?”

Carly nodded. “He thought you and Austin were the two coolest kids around and loved you so much.”

“Do you miss him?” Kendall asked.

Carly forced herself to breathe. This was fast turning into the trip home to hell. Not that she blamed anyone, but dredging up the past this way wreaked havoc with her emotions. Ones she’d thought were long under control.

“Yes, sometimes I still miss him.” She inhaled deeply. All she wanted was five more minutes with Iain. Thirty seconds would do. To say goodbye with love, not frustration and anger as had been the case. “But you know what? Iain is still with me. The same way your daddy will always be with you. In your heart.”

“That’s what mommy said,” Austin said. He’d been so quiet Carly had almost forgotten he was there. “But I don’t remember him at all. Not even when I look at his picture.”

“That’s okay, buddy.” Jacob mussed the boy’s blond hair. “You were only a year old.”

“That’s right. You were just a little guy back then.” Carly put her arm around Austin’s chair. “But I can tell you lots of stories about your dad if you want. You can remember him that way.”

Austin smiled. “Uncle Jake and Mommy tell me stories, but I want to hear yours.”

“And you will.” Carly cleared her throat. “I know some really good ones.”

“I remember him. Our daddy.” Kendall got a faraway look in her eyes. “Well, his voice. He used to sing to me.”

Carly felt a tug on her heart. She could almost hear Nick’s voice drifting down from the nursery upstairs. “Your daddy sang to you all the time. You loved the song ‘My Favorite Things’ from The Sound of Music.”

“If he stopped singing that song, you would cry,” Jacob said.

Austin laughed. “Crybaby, crybaby.”

“Be quiet.” Kendall frowned. “You’re the one who’s a big crybaby.”

Austin folded his arms over his chest and pouted.

“That’s enough, guys,” Jacob said.

Austin returned to his snacks, but not Kendall.

“You know, Uncle Jake,” she said. “If you started dating Aunt Carly tonight, you could probably get married before she has to go back home, and I could be a flower girl before I went back to school after winter break.”

“Uh-huh. Listen, kiddo—” Jacob stopped, obviously unsure how to proceed. He rubbed his chin.

“You go after what you want, don’t you, Kendall?” Carly asked.

The girl nodded.

“Your dad did the same thing.” Nick never used to give up when he set his mind on something. That’s how he’d ended up with Hannah. Carly smiled at the similarity between her brother and his daughter. “Tell you what. If I get married, you can be the flower girl and Austin can be the ring bearer.”

“Promise?” The girl’s hopes and dreams filled the one-word question.

“Your aunt said if, not when,” Jacob clarified. If being the key point, and Carly was grateful for him pointing it out.

“But if you do, Aunt Carly…”

Even Austin leaned toward her in anticipation of her response.

She smiled. “I promise.”

Married? To Carly? Too funny.

Jake could barely contain his laughter when the kids had brought that up, but the way she’d sent dagger-worthy glares his way kept him quiet.

Poor Carly. Those kids had pushed every one of her buttons. Some twice. With a shake of his head, he carried Carly’s suitcase upstairs.

She followed behind him. “I’d forgotten all about the wall of infamy.”

He glanced back and saw Carly staring at the photographs. “You mean wall of family.”

She didn’t take her eyes off the pictures. “I call it as I see it.”

“Me, too.”

Eight years ago, he had dreamed about being a real part of the Bishop family, of having his photo up on that wall. A wedding photo. He’d wanted to be Nick’s brother-in-law, Carly’s husband. And then, while Jake was taking his time waiting for her to grow up, Iain had taken his shot at happiness. The daring young climber had almost blown it though, and given Jake another chance, but when all was said and done, Carly stuck with Iain after he apologized for putting a climb before her birthday.

At the time, Jake told himself everything worked out for the best. But it hadn’t.

Not for Iain, killed right before his wedding.

Not for Carly, widowed before she was a bride.

Not for Nick, dead before his time.

And not for Jake, either.

He continued up the stairs.

But what had happened or how he had felt about Carly was in the past. All that remained was for him to make sure she was happy and living life the way she should. Once he knew that, then he, too, could move on.

“Hannah will run out of wall space someday.” He glanced back and saw Carly still staring at the pictures. “Or photos.”

“Wall space perhaps,” she said. “But thanks to digital photography, Hannah will never run out of pictures.”

“True, she carries her camera everywhere.” He listened to the kids in the kitchen doing homework. “Hope that wasn’t too much for you downstairs.”

“Well, it’s not every day you get into a head-on collision with your past.”

“Good thing you had an air bag to soften the blow.”

“What air bag?” Carly asked.

“Me.”

“Oh, yes, that thumbs-up was a huge help.”

“You were doing great on your own.” He respected the way she handled the situation. “I just provided a little cushion.”

Her mouth twisted on one side. “How can Mr. Hard Body be a cushion?”

He grinned, remembering the teasing from years gone by. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You would.”

Jake laughed. “Still the pesky little sister shadowing her big brother, aren’t you?”

“Being here brings it all back.” The amusement had disappeared from her voice. “But that’s not such a bad thing. Living so far away, it’s easy to forget.”

He entered the guest room and placed the suitcase on the bed. “Everyone’s missed you.”

“I’ve missed them.”

Jake had missed her, too. But he saw a new maturity in her, a difference from the girl she’d once been. That hadn’t come across in her e-mails. He liked the changes.

“The promise you made to the kids,” he reminded. “They will hold you to it.”

“I expect them to.”

“So you plan to marry someday.”

She shrugged. “I’ve learned you can’t really plan on something like that. But if I met someone and fell in love…well, maybe I’d want to marry him.”

Not the answer Jake was looking for. “You don’t sound like the girl who started reading bridal magazines when she was sixteen.”