Finding Elizabeth (14 page)

Once again Jack faced Katherine. She followed his tender gaze that slowly drifted over her face. Perhaps he wanted to commit to memory everything about her for when he left the country. But that was daft and she knew it.

“The flames … your hair.” He brought his hand near her face, but let it drop before touching her. “I hope you didn’t take offence earlier?” he said, sounding uneasy. Katherine gave him a confused look and he added, “The impromptu kiss outside? It worked like a charm, though.”

“My word it did.” She swallowed past the lump in her throat. It may have started out as a signal for Eric to leave, but it had quickly changed to something else for her. And for him? “Thanks for stepping in. Eric was becoming hostile.”

“My pleasure. Er … happy I could help.” He smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, this conversation is getting weird.”

“It is a little. It’s okay, I know what you’re saying.”

“Okay, let’s start again. Great dress you’re wearing.”

“Thank you. Top suit.”

“Thanks, it’s hired from Bucks Only. Men only and cash only.” He shook his head and chuckled. “When I threw my gear into a case, it never occurred to me I’d need a suit.” Jack’s strong fingers rubbed the side of his face.

Movement of his broad hand along the clean line of his jaw drew Katherine in. On impulse, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, closing her eyes, lingering for a moment to enjoy the smooth skin of his clean shave against her lips. Realising what she’d done, her eyes snapped open. She came back to her senses just as Jack gathered her fingers into his. He said nothing and simply stood in the soft firelight, gazing at her with a quirky smile on his face.

“
Hmmm, smooth
—your shave, that is,” she whispered, pulling herself away. “Um, how’s your dad?”

“Spoke to him last night. He’s finding it hard to sleep, but he’s all right,” Jack nodded.

“And your search?”

“The dozens of people I’ve spoken to in the last few days are making my head spin. And I’ve only just started.”

“You should take notes.”

“I do, if it looks like a possible lead.”

“We’d better get going.” What Katherine needed was some bracing fresh air. “Where did you park the car?” She could swear Jack looked hesitant for a couple of seconds.

“I parked at the side of the road. Since the car isn’t mine and came with the house, I didn’t want to risk losing it down your driveway. Hope you don’t mind the walk.”

“No, of course not. I’ll tell Lea we’re leaving.”

Katherine walked into the kitchen just as Leandra opened the microwave to pull out her teriyaki chicken. “Have you heard about reheating stuff?” she said.

Leandra skewed her mouth, gave her a look and said,
“Puhlease.”

“Okay. Thanks for doing this. You could be going too, you know.”

“Are you kidding? On my own, with you and Mr Hotty—no, thanks. I’ll be fine with my reheated chicken and a glass of wine. I’ll laugh and cry a lot while I watch my favourite movie
Love Actually
with Bubbles at my feet.”

“Thanks, I’ll return the favour one day. Bubbles has had dinner, don’t give her any leftovers; there are doggy biscuits in the pantry. If she starts fussing and nudges you, that means she needs to go pee. Don’t let her on the couch. She will try. Just point to her bed and tell her to go, and she’ll settle.”

“Yes, Mum.” Leandra rolled her eyes.

“Well, I’m just helping you out here,” Katherine said.

“Shut up and go have a great time with Jack. You are so lucky,” Leandra puckered her lips and kissed her fingertips, Italian style. “
Mmwwaa
. If you want me to scram when you get home, just give me a signal.”

“I’m not kicking you out in the cold,” Katherine laughed softly. “See you later,” she said as she moved to join Jack at the front door.

He’d finished buttoning his coat and was peering out the window up the drive. He looked to be giving someone the thumbs-up signal.

“Who’s up there?” Katherine asked.

Jack flinched. “Um, just some bloke having difficulties, thought I’d let him know it looked okay to me.”

“Uh huh.” She gave him a dubious look and slipped into her long red padded overcoat. She kicked off her stilettos, intending to carry them until they were at hall. Grabbed warm fur-lined boots, slipped them on, then gloves on, a woollen hat from the stand, a scarf wound around her face, and Katherine was ready.

Jack suppressed a grin.

“Get that silly look off your face. It’s freezing out there.”

“But you’re a local.”

“All the more reason.”

Jack insisted on carrying her stilettos as she forged slightly ahead. Her breath fogged out in clouds around her face as she tried to keep an eye on the path. She started when Jack’s hand slipped under her elbow. She almost gave him a look that said
, I live here, remember
, but decided to take his polite gesture in her stride. Someone had impressed upon him that good manners were important, and she wasn’t going to blow all their hard work.

Reaching the road, Katherine was finally able to stop watching where she placed her feet, and looked up. She gazed in wonder at the horse-drawn sleigh that stood waiting in the pale moonlight, its ornate timber sides painted a lavish red with a gold trim. The horse, under a warm blanket, stamped one hoof impatiently as they approached. Hot breath blew out of large nostrils, and hung like a fog around the sleigh and driver. The mystical scene reminded her of a romantic fantasy.

“Wow! Someone’s going to freeze their …” Katherine peered up and down the road. Streetlights cast circles of pale yellow light on the snow, and Jack’s car was parked on the other side of her driveway. There was no one around to claim this ride. “For us?” she asked, taken aback. “We’re going by horse-drawn sleigh?”

This was better than the memory of her last ride with a bunch of teenage friends.

“This is crazy, but I love it.”

“Crazy? You think we’ll need defrosting at the other end.” Jack quipped.

The driver saluted them. Hands in padded gloves, he touched his fur-lined, Arctic hat. He knew the drill; his earflaps were firmly in place, and he’d wrapped a scarf around his nose. He stayed put, high on his seat under a thermal blanket. The only way Katherine knew he smiled was that his eyes, surrounded by wrinkles, almost disappeared.

“Pretty cold huh?” Katherine asked.

“It’ll be all right back there,” the driver nodded over his shoulder. “I’ll get the brunt of it.”

“Are you okay with this? We can still take the car. It seemed a good idea at the time, not so sure now …” Jack trailed off.

“Of course we’ll freeze, but I’m game. I haven’t done this since I was an adventurous teenager and freezing parts of your anatomy was never a problem.”

“I can’t tell whether you’re being facetious or not,” Jack said, looking at her askance.

“I would love to go on a sleigh ride. I wouldn’t miss it for anything—well, maybe a couple of things.” He cocked an eyebrow, and she laughed. “I’m teasing. Come on, let’s go. It’ll be wonderful.”

“Okay, but be gentle with me. I’m not used to being teased,” Jack wisecracked, and held out his hand to help Katherine climb on board.

“Is that you, Katherine Bell?” the driver asked.

“Yes …Frank?” Frank had driven sleighs most of his adult life. During spring and summer he drove a local bus. He used to sing songs changing the lyrics to make the kids laugh. A popular man in town and not just because he was never late.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s not too cold tonight, relatively speaking. You’ll be fine under the thermal blanket.”

Comfortably settled with the blanket under their chins, Jack took her hand in his. He’d taken a glove off and deftly removed one of hers. Wondering where this was going, she almost pulled her hand away, but then he intertwined their fingers, and she lost the urge. The pads of his palm against hers, his thumb caressing the top of her hand, was such a simple gesture, yet so powerful.

It wasn’t as difficult as she’d first thought. It helped to remind herself that not all men were jealous, obsessive creeps.

Frank turned to see if they were ready before easing the sleigh along Mountain View Road. “C’mon, Trudy,” he clicked his tongue, and gently flapped the reins, urging the horse on to take a faster pace.

Thick snow blanketing the moonlit countryside muffled all sounds. The only sounds came from bells jingling on Trudy’s harness, the soft thud of her hooves and the whisper of the skis as the sleigh skimmed along the snow-covered road.

The glow of warm lights from windows of houses they passed cast soft patches of gold on the moonlit snow. The occasional Christmas tree, with multicoloured lights twinkling, added to the magical journey. Katherine nudged Jack, and lifted her face to point out the pale silver halo around the moon as wispy gossamer-thin clouds slipped across the sky. The hazy stars behind them still managed to twinkle.

They snuggled together under the blankets. Laughter bubbled inside her, and Leandra’s cheery
Have fun
came to mind. She giggled and Jack turned to gaze at her.

“This is wonderful,” she said, from behind her scarf.

He nodded, drew Katherine closer, slipped the scarf from his nose and mouth, and with great deliberation, eased her scarf down, never taking his eyes off hers. Sure she was cold; nevertheless, heat ignited through every part of her body. Her heart raced as he neared. She decided to chance it and met him halfway. Lightly, Jack pressed his lips against hers. His kiss was not possessive, but instead, soft, gentle, and without urgency.

“Mouth not working all that well, even hard to talk,” he laughed. “So cold, I think it cracked.”

Not that cold
. She laughed with him and lifted her scarf back over her nose. The sensuality of that moment would live with her forever. One day, she would tell her kids about this wonderful Australian bloke she’d gone on a sleigh ride with.
Right now
, she told herself firmly,
he’s achingly sensuous, but it’s just a date
.

Clouds scudded across the sky, darkening the moon as they neared the town centre. Fluffy snowflakes drifted down, swirling in the sleigh’s lamplight and in the air around the streetlights.

Frank eased the sleigh to walking pace, looked over his shoulder and said to Jack, “There’s an umbrella under the seat, if ye’ like.”

Jack ducked down and found it. With a thwack of black fabric, the large umbrella opened, covering them with its canopy, the snowflakes landing on it with a soft whisper.

As they came closer Christmas lights floated above the main street with decorations and fairy lights adorning the shops. Pedestrians ambled along the sidewalks, and rosy-cheeked children, rugged up against the cold, played under the streetlights. Some stood with open mouths and upturned faces, trying to be the first to catch a snowflake on their tongue. Others tried to make snowballs, but the powder snow wouldn’t pack together. When thrown, it scattered into a nimbus of sparkling white, and the children squealed with laughter.

The sleigh turned a corner, and Katherine thought she’d never seen anything quite so spectacular.

“My God, look at the town hall!” Katherine said, nudging Jack. “Clark Griswold would be so jealous. Every time I see this it gets bigger. It’s magical.”

“Clark Griswold?”

“Chevy Chase’s character in a Christmas move. His house was ablaze with lights. Astronauts could see it from space.”

“Look, there’s more.” Jack turned to point out fir trees sparkling with lights lining a snowy path through a nearby park.

Frank stopped the sleigh at the front steps with a soft, “Whoa, Trudy.”

Jack threw their blanket aside and stepped down. Immediately, Katherine shivered with the loss of his body heat. He turned to her as she rose to follow, and reached for her waist. Her breath caught as he lifted her effortlessly off the sleigh. She looked up into his laughing eyes, and on impulse kissed him. She took his arm for the short walk up the old stone steps where an arbour of fir branches, lavishly lit with coloured lights, ushered them inside. In the foyer, a coat-check girl took their coats and her boots. Katherine couldn’t get over his solicitude and watched Jack’s every move. He placed her stilettos on the floor then, taking her hand, he waited as she slipped them on. Jack offered his arm and together they entered the main hall. The ceiling and walls twinkled like a clear starlit night. People gathered or sat at wooden tables arranged around the dance floor. Each had its own centrepiece of candles and gleaming baubles of red and gold.

“I bet the committee had fun organising this,” Katherine said, admiring their efforts.

“Weeks of fun, if their lights were a mess like yours,” Jack quipped.

“Can you imagine it?” Katherine laughed.

They found an empty table near the dance floor. Jack held a chair out for her and asked, “Like a drink?”

“Yes, thank you. I’d love a glass of Merlot if they have it.”

“Be right back.” Jack gently squeezed her shoulder and disappeared into the crowd, heading for the bar.

While he was gone the band started up and, seconds later, a vaguely familiar figure approached. His shock of brown hair fell over his forehead and smiling hazel eyes took Katherine back in time.