somehow been a real glimpse into the future...
“When I was a kid, I had a great dog named Boomer,” Jimmy said, studying the dog’s face as if trying to decide if the name fit. Jess’s heart sank.
“Boomer.” She slipped off her coat and hung it on the rack beside Jimmy’s black hat. “That’s a good dog name, I guess.”
When Jess turned around, Jimmy was staring at her, taking in the Christmas outfit, from the sparkling sweater to the short skirt. “But I don’t think he’s a Boomer. He brought you here on Christmas day, so I think maybe I should call him...” His eyes fastened on the pin Lorraine had given her. “Rudolph.”
“Rudolph,” Jess whispered, barely able to find her voice.
“Well.” Jimmy smiled. “That’s a lot of name for a little dog. Maybe I’ll just call him Rudy.”
“Rudy,” she repeated, her voice a squeak.
He looked her up and down again. “You look”—he shook his head slowly—“really great, Jess.”
Once they had Rudy settled on an old blanket before the fireplace, she helped Jimmy move and decorate the tree and wrap the packages. One of the few packages that was already wrapped had her name on it, and Jimmy added it to the mound under the tree. It was small, almost certainly a jewelry box of some sort.
He caught her watching him. “What I got you is not nearly as good as a dog,” he said with a grin. There was an air of awkwardness between them, a sense of something new and uncertain.
Jimmy was careful not to actually touch her. The way she’d always acted in the past, he was probably afraid he would scare her away. Still, there were times as they strung the lights and stretched for those hard-to-reach places on the tree that their hands touched. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, the magic was there.
Jess wasn’t sure exactly what to do next. If she jumped Jimmy and told him she’d visited the future in a dream and they were meant to be together, he’d surely think she was a flake. She could play it safe and wait for him to make the first move, but so far he’d been a perfect gentleman, dammit.
Of course, she’d been the one to make it clear all along that she didn’t date musicians, that she had no interest in him at all. He probably thought she was just doing the favor he’d asked of her, and would run in a heartbeat if he showed any romantic interest.
She had no one to blame for this predicament but herself.
It was almost time for his family to arrive when the phone rang. The Blues were stuck in Atlanta for two more hours due to some strange fog that had moved in unexpectedly. Strange fog. Jess glanced out of the windows to the clear skies and mouthed a silent thank-you to Mrs. Courtney. A little more time was just what she needed.
While Jimmy placed the last of the packages under the tree, Jess stepped into the entryway. Last night’s mistletoe was still in her pocket, and she slipped her hand into the pocket of her heavy coat to retrieve it.
“Leaving already?”
She spun around to find Jimmy watching her from just inside the great room. He looked disappointed, but not surprised. He expected the worst from her, still.
“It’s just two hours, Jess. I promise behave myself.”
Jess shook her head, and took Jimmy’s hat from the peg beside her coat. While he watched, she slipped the mistletoe securely into the leather band, stepped forward, and placed the hat on his head.
“What’s this?” Jimmy asked with a smile, wrapping his arms around her and hesitantly pulling her close.
“Tradition,” Jess said, raising up on her toes. The kiss began like the one last night at the Christmas party. Soft, tender, a delicate study of lips. Jess parted her lips, flicked her tongue over Jimmy’s bottom lip, and in a heartbeat everything changed.
She pushed his hat back, and it fell to the floor. He kissed her so deep and so hard her heart fluttered in her chest. And then Jimmy pulled his lips from hers.
“Maybe I don’t want you
“When I was a kid, I had a great dog named Boomer,” Jimmy said, studying the dog’s face as if trying to decide if the name fit. Jess’s heart sank.
“Boomer.” She slipped off her coat and hung it on the rack beside Jimmy’s black hat. “That’s a good dog name, I guess.”
When Jess turned around, Jimmy was staring at her, taking in the Christmas outfit, from the sparkling sweater to the short skirt. “But I don’t think he’s a Boomer. He brought you here on Christmas day, so I think maybe I should call him...” His eyes fastened on the pin Lorraine had given her. “Rudolph.”
“Rudolph,” Jess whispered, barely able to find her voice.
“Well.” Jimmy smiled. “That’s a lot of name for a little dog. Maybe I’ll just call him Rudy.”
“Rudy,” she repeated, her voice a squeak.
He looked her up and down again. “You look”—he shook his head slowly—“really great, Jess.”
Once they had Rudy settled on an old blanket before the fireplace, she helped Jimmy move and decorate the tree and wrap the packages. One of the few packages that was already wrapped had her name on it, and Jimmy added it to the mound under the tree. It was small, almost certainly a jewelry box of some sort.
He caught her watching him. “What I got you is not nearly as good as a dog,” he said with a grin. There was an air of awkwardness between them, a sense of something new and uncertain.
Jimmy was careful not to actually touch her. The way she’d always acted in the past, he was probably afraid he would scare her away. Still, there were times as they strung the lights and stretched for those hard-to-reach places on the tree that their hands touched. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, the magic was there.
Jess wasn’t sure exactly what to do next. If she jumped Jimmy and told him she’d visited the future in a dream and they were meant to be together, he’d surely think she was a flake. She could play it safe and wait for him to make the first move, but so far he’d been a perfect gentleman, dammit.
Of course, she’d been the one to make it clear all along that she didn’t date musicians, that she had no interest in him at all. He probably thought she was just doing the favor he’d asked of her, and would run in a heartbeat if he showed any romantic interest.
She had no one to blame for this predicament but herself.
It was almost time for his family to arrive when the phone rang. The Blues were stuck in Atlanta for two more hours due to some strange fog that had moved in unexpectedly. Strange fog. Jess glanced out of the windows to the clear skies and mouthed a silent thank-you to Mrs. Courtney. A little more time was just what she needed.
While Jimmy placed the last of the packages under the tree, Jess stepped into the entryway. Last night’s mistletoe was still in her pocket, and she slipped her hand into the pocket of her heavy coat to retrieve it.
“Leaving already?”
She spun around to find Jimmy watching her from just inside the great room. He looked disappointed, but not surprised. He expected the worst from her, still.
“It’s just two hours, Jess. I promise behave myself.”
Jess shook her head, and took Jimmy’s hat from the peg beside her coat. While he watched, she slipped the mistletoe securely into the leather band, stepped forward, and placed the hat on his head.
“What’s this?” Jimmy asked with a smile, wrapping his arms around her and hesitantly pulling her close.
“Tradition,” Jess said, raising up on her toes. The kiss began like the one last night at the Christmas party. Soft, tender, a delicate study of lips. Jess parted her lips, flicked her tongue over Jimmy’s bottom lip, and in a heartbeat everything changed.
She pushed his hat back, and it fell to the floor. He kissed her so deep and so hard her heart fluttered in her chest. And then Jimmy pulled his lips from hers.
“Maybe I don’t want you
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