Beach Blanket Santa (Holiday Brides Series) (8 page)

“Shall we bring the umbrella?” she asked as they headed for
the door.

“Only if you want to watch it flip inside out and risk
lifting off into the sky like Mary Poppins.”

She grinned and tossed the umbrella across the room and onto
the sofa. Sarah recalled a lot of Christmas Eves but certainly couldn’t
remember any of them being like this. Despite the gloomy weather, this one was
off to a great start.

Matt offered Sarah a hand as she made her way down the slick
steps. She settled her glove in his grip, the wind whipping her hair wildly
about her face. Hers was the face of a Madonna, tinged pink from the nip in the
air, her dark eyes warming him even in spite of the chill. He was glad he’d
encouraged her to layer up. Thanks to the cold front that had rolled in,
temperatures were now in the thirties, icy rain pinging against them like tiny
sharp needles. “Are you okay?” he asked with concern. “If it’s too rough for
you, we can turn back.”

She stepped off the last wooden stair, releasing his hand. “Not
on your life,” she said as the winds blew. He loved that she was feisty,
undaunted by the challenge. Some girls might have whimpered and begged to hole
up by the fire. Not Sarah in her puffed out Incredible Hulk outfit, he thought
with a smile. “Then you might want to tighten your hood a bit to keep your hair
from getting wet.”

She nodded and fumbled with drawstrings but couldn’t seem to
work them in her gloves. Matt hadn’t worn any. Then again, he was a lot more
toughened to the elements than Sarah.

“Here, let me do that,” he said, reaching forward to adjust them
until they fit right. “Perfect,” he said, patting her shoulder. “Ready to
roll?”

“I think I’m ready to run!” she said, her teeth chattering
slightly. “Standing still lets the damp sink in.”

Matt twisted his lips in a smile. “You want to run down the
beach through the rain?”

“No,” she said, her dark eyes daring. “I want you to see if
you can catch me.”

Before he knew it, she’d taken off, dashing way ahead of
him. Matt chuckled, racing after her, trailing her as she tore along the beach
beside the crashing waves. He was closing in and she knew it, giggling like a
kid trying to keep her distance. But it was useless. In no time at all, he’d
reached her and caught her from behind in his arms. “Ha!” he cried with
delight. “Think you could get away from me, did you, lassie?”

She laughed out loud, apparently taken with his pirate talk.

He spun her toward him in his arms, the rain coming down in
icy prickles all around them.

She looked up at him through the wind and the rain, her eyes
a soulful invitation. He’d be damned if he didn’t want to kiss her. And he was
nearly damned sure that she wanted him too. Nearly, but not one hundred
percent. The last thing he wanted to do was have her run away from him again or
to tell him to get packing. Matt didn’t know why, but he wasn’t sure his heart
could take that. Just in these few days together, Sarah had gotten to him in a
way he didn’t believe possible. And, if she could do this much damage after
just a few days, he wasn’t sure what kind of shape he’d be in at the end of the
week. The first time they’d been together, Matt had blown it badly by not
following through. If he’d heeded his instincts three years ago, when Sarah had
told him to go, he would have asked why and tried to talk it out. Instead, he’d
turned like a chastised puppy dog with his tail between his legs and had rushed
off, never fully understanding what had gone wrong. Matt wasn’t prepared to
risk that again. Not with someone like Sarah. Not when just looking in her eyes
made his head swim and his pulse race faster.

Sarah stared up at Matt as the elements raged around them.
In spite of the storm, she felt sheltered in his arms, as if she’d found her
safe harbor. Something about being with Matt felt so right. How she wished this
feeling could go on forever. But there were things about her Matt didn’t know.
A deep secret that would likely alter his opinion of her and cause him to
question becoming involved on more than a casual basis.

“Sarah,” he said, his lips hovering above hers. “I’m glad
that it worked out this way. That the fates, karma, whatever…somehow put us
here together.”

“I’m glad too.”

“Promise me something.” He looked deep in her eyes. Sarah’s
breath caught in her throat. “Promise you won’t run away again without giving
me a chance, really taking the time to know me.”

But she couldn’t promise him that. Couldn’t promise
absolutely. Just look at what had happened in the past. Of course, neither of her
former boyfriends had been halfway as terrific as Matt, which made things all
the harder. More than anything, she wanted to open her heart up to this new
opportunity. But, when push came to shove, would she be able to? “I can promise
I’ll try,” she said, barely breathing the words.

He steadied her chin in his hand. “There’s a rainbow after
every storm. You just need to believe it.”

She nodded still holding his gaze. The next thing she knew,
Matt was pulling her close, bringing his mouth to hers in the rain. “Sarah,” he
said. He kissed her sweetly, first once, then again and again. “My sweet Sarah,
all we need is time.” How she wished that were true. The trouble was, she
didn’t know how much time they really had. But instead of saying so, she let
him kiss her over and over, until his soft kisses became deeper ones, and her
knees melted like butter.

Chapter Six

Later that evening, Matt and Sarah warmed themselves by the
fire. They’d come in soaked but happy from their adventures on the beach, and
ravenously hungry besides. The prefab frozen lasagna dinner Sarah had prepared
actually wasn’t bad. Pairing it with the nice Chianti she’d brought proved a
plus, and both had totally enjoyed Matt’s homemade garlic bread. Now they sat
with two goblets of wine, listening to blues music and the haunting melody of
the rain.

It was the most romantic Christmas Eve Matt could remember.
If only he had a way to do something special for Sarah and make her really feel
the spirit of the holiday. “It’s too bad we don’t have stockings to hang from
the mantel.”

“We could always hang up our socks,” she said with a grin.

“I don’t think you want mine anywhere near a heat source.
Especially the ones I went fishing in.”

She laughed, seeming to guess that was true. “There
is
a washer in this house, you know.”

“Yes. I plan to take advantage of it.” He clinked his glass
to hers. “Tomorrow.”

“It’s so hard to believe tomorrow’s Christmas,” she said
with a sigh.

Matt shot her a wink. “We’ll have to tuck in early so Santa
can come.”

“Sure,” she said, smiling. “Santa and all his reindeer too.”

Matt had pondered the problem all evening. Even given the
limited resources at his disposal, he had to come up with some sort of gift.
Nothing fancy. Just something to show he’d thought of her. The question was
what? Matt had a feeling the answer was right at the tips of his fingers, but
he couldn’t quite grasp it. “If you could have anything in the world you want,
what would you ask for?”

“Anything? That leaves the field wide open.”

“I suppose it does.”

“You first.”

“Me?”

“Fair’s fair, Matt. I’m not telling if you won’t.”

He shared a thoughtful gaze. “Well… If I’m being really
honest, I guess what I want… We’re talking some day…” He held her hand and
smiled, sending wild butterflies fluttering inside her. “Is what my parents
have. That kind of life.” Naturally he would. Theirs was such a lovely example
to follow, Sarah thought with a touch of melancholy.

“That makes perfect sense,” she said softly.

 
“Now you,” he
urged, giving her hand a light squeeze.

She considered this a moment, watching the flames dance and
leap in the hearth. After a beat she turned her face to his, her cheeks warm
from the fire. “If I really could have anything…”

“
Anything
,” he
said for emphasis.

“Well,” she said truthfully, “I’ve always wanted to visit
Tasmania. See the Southern Cross.”

“Tasmania, huh?” he said with surprise. “That’s quite a
wish!”

She nudged him with her elbow. “You did say
anything
.”

“Tasmania’s a nice dream. Nothing at all the matter with
that.” He wrapped his arm around her and tucked her in close. “It’s just a
little tough to fit under a tree.”

“That’s the other thing,” she said, looking up at him.

“What is?”

“A tree. I’ve always thought it would be really lovely to
have a tree. A real live Christmas tree.”

Matt knew she’d said her mom hadn’t ever celebrated, but he
was a tad surprised she’d never bought a tree of her own. “You’ve never had
one?”

“I did break down and buy a small Christmas tree prism. It
hangs from the rearview mirror of my SUV.”

“I meant, for your apartment?”

“It hardly seemed practical with no ornaments to put on it.”

“You can buy those.”

She looked at him sincerely. “That’s not the same. Tree
ornaments were meant to be homemade.”

“And why is that?”

“Because,” she said with certainty, “it means they were made
with love. And that’s really what the season’s about in so many ways.”

“You never made any yourself?”

She hung her head, averting his gaze. “I’m about as crafty
as I am a Betty Crocker.”

He chuckled lightly, tightening his embrace around her
shoulders. “You’re a wonderful Betty Crocker. The best cook I’ve ever met, in
fact.”

She slowly met his eyes, the firelight catching in hers.
“Honestly?”

“Honey, there’s no one I’d rather bake cookies with.”

She beamed at him. How he loved it when she smiled. In fact,
her smile was quickly becoming one of Matt’s favorite things. “Thanks for
saying that, even if it’s not true.”

“But it is true,” he protested with a laugh. It was too.
There was no other woman he wanted in his arms when giving instructions on the
rolling pin.

“In any case,” she continued, “I’m sure I’ll get one
someday. A Christmas tree, I mean. I’d really like to, anyhow.”

Matt held her close, the most brilliant idea occurring. It
wouldn’t be exact, but it might work well enough. If only he could find that
box Robert kept below the house.

A little while later, Matt had kissed her sweetly and said
they should rest up for Christmas Day. Sarah went to bed, but her restless
emotions had kept her tossing and turning for hours. On one hand, she was
elated that a man as incredible as Matt would take an interest in her. He was
dynamite to be around and every bit the fantastic kisser she’d remembered.
Conversely, she felt down knowing what she kept from him. Could she really hope
he’d still want to see her if he knew the truth? Sarah still wasn’t done
dealing with it, and it had caused her untold hours of anguish. She hadn’t even
dared to tell her best friend. Somehow, by sharing bad news, you made it that
much more real. As long as she dealt with this alone, she could handle it. Then
again, handling things alone meant that
alone
was how she’d always be.

Sarah rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow, a tear
sliding down her cheek. In the soft glow of the nightlight, she could make out
the contours of her room and its huge windows framing the sea. Though she
couldn’t view it due to the darkness, she could still hear the pounding of the
waves against the shore. The rain must have let up; before, its fierce ruckus
had overtaken the ocean’s roar.

Sarah sat up under the covers, thinking she’d heard the
screen door creak open. But how could that be? She studied the clock on the
nightstand. It was nearly four a.m. She slid into her slippers, determined to
check, and hoping that Matt had heard it too. Even if it had just been the wind
knocking the screen door ajar, she’d feel much safer checking it with big,
strapping Matt around. Spying her cell on the dresser, she got an idea. She’d
call Matt and ask if he’d heard something too. No, that was silly. She couldn’t
possibly wake him for an unlikely reason. For all intents and purposes, they
were marooned on this island together. Who knew how close their nearest
neighbor was? She’d initially assumed the house next door was occupied, but as
it turned out, that high-end hybrid SUV that had been parked in the drive
belonged to Matt. It probably
was
just the wind, Sarah told herself, trying to settle back down. She sat on the
bed, but a split second later heard the same noise again. She sprang to her
feet, grabbing the nearest weapon she could find, her bright red umbrella. With
a shaky hand, she opened the door to the living area, hoping to goodness this
was all in her mind. Surely she’d check the house and find everything clear.
Otherwise, she aimed to beeline it into Matt’s room just as quickly as she
could, propriety be damned.

The second she stepped over the threshold, a bright beam of
light pierced her vision.

“Sarah!” Matt called from the doorway, steadying his
flashlight in her direction.

“Matt!” she cried, equally in shock. “What are you doing?”
He wore a damp rain slicker and appeared to be carting some sort of box
indoors.

He set down the box and lowered the beam of his flashlight.
When he spoke again, he sounded slightly out of breath. “Fishing.”

“Fishing?”

“Yeah, I…” He smiled tightly. “Though you’d appreciate a
nice Christmas dinner. Catch of the Day?” he said with a shrug.

Sarah thought something smelled fishy, all right. Since when
did people catch fish at four a.m.? And who in their right mind would pack them
in cardboard?

He stared at the umbrella angled high in her hand. “Where
were you going with
that
?”