The Meaning in Mistletoe - Rachael Bloome Page 0,28
beyond the frosted glass sparkled in the sunlight, making every snow-covered surface appear as though it had been encrusted with a million melee diamonds.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kat drizzle maple syrup over her stack of flapjacks while he nibbled on a strip of crisp bacon, barely tasting the smoky, applewood flavor.
As she brought the first bite to her lips, his breath lodged in his throat.
She chewed—agonizingly slow—until she finally swallowed. To his relief, a smile danced on her lips as she said, “It’s a shame you don’t serve breakfast. I’d eat at the diner every morning if this were on the menu.”
A goofy grin stretched across his face, but he didn’t care. “Every morning, huh? If that’s what it takes to keep you in town, I might consider it.”
A pretty blush dusted her cheeks, giving him the courage to continue. “I was thinking… since this is your first snow day, you have some catching up to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve never gone sledding, made a snow angel, or had a snowball fight.”
“That’s true….” She raised one eyebrow as though curious to see where he was going with his observation.
“Instead of rushing back into town, I thought we’d check a few things off the list. What do you say? Are you game?”
She hesitated a moment, dragging her fork through a puddle of syrup. “Okay,” she said at last, with a twinge of reservation.
“Great!” he cheered with enough enthusiasm for the both of them.
“But I have to warn you,” she added, her green eyes glinting playfully. “You’ll probably lose the snowball fight.”
“Is that so?”
“After several years of Krav Maga, I have a tactical advantage. Frankly, you don’t stand a chance.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“May the best woman win.” She smirked as she raised her mug in a salute.
“Challenge accepted.” As he clinked his cup against hers, he realized he meant far more than winning a snowball fight.
Chapter 14
Kat couldn’t believe she’d spent the morning at Jack’s rather than racing to Penny’s with the answer to the riddle. To think, she could be holding the brooch in her hands right now.
Perhaps she’d even be on her way back to Starcross Cove.
Instead, she found herself hiding behind a stout tree trunk clutching a perfectly packed snowball in her gloved hand. And she didn’t regret her decision for a second.
Peeking around the scratchy bark, she squinted through the thicket of redwood trees behind Jack’s cabin hoping to glimpse his bright blue jacket. Although his large, muscular frame and choice in snow gear was anything but subtle, she couldn’t spot him anywhere.
While she stood watch, she absentmindedly smoothed the puffy down filling of the trendy Moncler ski jacket that belonged to Jack’s sister, Lucy. Kat didn’t think she’d ever worn anything so expensive in all her life. The coat itself probably cost more than her entire wardrobe back home. Not to mention the luxury of leaving behind snow gear for one visit a year.
Kat briefly wondered what Lucy was like. From Jack’s description, she seemed his opposite in every way. And yet, he clearly adored her. Curiously, whenever he spoke of his little sister, a hint of melancholy hid behind his affectionate expression and Kat longed to know what it meant.
A cheerful bark interrupted her musings as Fitz bounded through the snow toward her. The pup had enjoyed the morning almost as much as she had, racing behind their sleds and rollicking in the soft white powder as they made snow angels, occasionally licking Jack’s face.
“What is it, boy?” She bent down to pet the thick, bushy fur around his neck.
Whack!
A snowball splattered against the tree trunk inches from her head, scattering icy flecks down the collar of her jacket. She whirled around to face her attacker, laughter in her eyes. “Ha! You missed!”
“Only because Fitz warned you, the traitor.”
Fitz wagged his tail in response.
“Good boy,” she cooed, patting the top of his head.
“We’ll discuss this later,” Jack told the dog with mock sternness.
“You’re out of ammunition. What are you going to do now?” she asked, her hand poised, ready to fire.
An impish smile curled his lips and his eyes narrowed like a scope zeroing in on its target. “It’s time for guerrilla warfare.”
Kat shrieked gleefully as he ran toward her with a look that said he had every intention of tackling her into a snowdrift. She sprinted for the open field, laughter trailing behind her.
Fitz joined in the fun by nipping at Jack’s heels, his excited bark echoing through the trees.
Still