Celebrate in Good Hope (Good Hope #22)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

When Boone paused beside Roe in the archway, he saw that there was indeed dancing in the second parlor. Numerous couples held each other close and swayed to romantic music emanating from a Victrola in a room where Christmas was everywhere.

This scene was a far cry from the Denver clubs’ loud music and gyrating bodies. Then again, this was a holiday party at a married couple’s home, not a noisy nightclub filled with singles.

Since Roe appeared to be soaking in the scene spread out before them, Boone did the same. There was a tree in this room, too, though not nearly as large and grand as the one in the other room. Draped in beautiful ribbons with a large velvet bow at the top, it sported small envelopes tied to the branches with twine, instead of bulbs.

While he watched, several women and even a couple of men strode up to the tree and removed an envelope.

“I wonder what’s in those envelopes,” Roe murmured.

“Each guest is supposed to take one.” Ami spoke from behind them.

“The wording inside varies,” Beck added, “but Gladys insists that you’ll pick the envelope with the message that’s meant for you.”

Roe glanced at Boone. “Sounds interesting.”

Not to Boone, but he kept his mouth shut.

“I’m glad to see you’re going to dance.” Ami smiled approvingly. “It’s my favorite part of the party.”

“What are we waiting for?” Beck asked, taking his wife’s hand and leading her to the dance floor.

Roe looked up at Boone and smiled. “Do you want to dance?”

“Do I have a choice?”

He’d meant it to come out teasing, but when her smile faded, it was as if the football had slipped through his fingers and landed on the ground with a thud.

She took a step back. “You don’t have to?—”

“I’d love to dance with you.” When the suspicion in her eyes remained, he didn’t let his gaze waver. “Seriously.”

“Okay.”

They reached the dance floor, and when he took her hand, Boone realized this was the first time he’d touched her. At the house, he’d been careful to keep his hands to himself. It had been a difficult undertaking.

His family was demonstrative. He’d had to break himself of the habit of touching a hand, an arm or a shoulder, knowing that even the most innocent gesture could be misconstrued.

But dancing, well, that demanded that he hold her in his arms, one hand on her waist, the other holding her hand.

“You smell good.” The words just popped out. He’d noticed the enticing scent of vanilla on the drive over but hadn’t said anything. Now, being so close, he noticed it again.

“Thanks.” She looked up at him. “You smell pretty terrific yourself.”

Boone loved seeing her hazel eyes, rimmed with thick lashes, warm with a smile.

“Now that we have that out of the way.” He studied her thoughtfully, realizing that the red on her full lips perfectly matched her dress. Her mouth reminded him of a plump strawberry. If he kissed her, would she taste as sweet? Not happening, he told himself. “How has your evening been so far?”

“Not painful.”

“Hardly a ringing endorsement.” While talking football with the guys, he’d kept one eye on her, awed by her beauty and amazed at how she charmed everyone around her. She appeared to be having a great time.

“Seriously, it’s been fine.” She told him about her conversation with the sheriff’s wife and that they had three children.

“Jeremy mentioned that he and Fin have three boys.” Boone shook his head. “It’s like everyone at this party is married with kids. This is new territory for me. I’m used to spending time with guys who are more into hooking up with women than settling down with them.”

She nodded. “I had one married friend back in Minneapolis, and now Dakota is getting married, but, like you, most of the women I socialized with were single and more into their careers than marriage.”

“My sister is married with two kids,” he told her, though he wasn’t sure how that was relevant.

“All of my brothers are married,” she said. Then she added, “With kids.”

“Then there’s us,” he said with a wry smile. “We’re the outliers.”

“It feels that way.” Roe chuckled. “I miss my parents, but sometimes I’m glad they’re in Germany. If they were here, I know I’d be feeling the pressure from them to settle down.”

“My parents are divorced,” Boone said. “They’re the opposite.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re constantly telling me to not rush into anything, to be careful. ”

“Careful how?”

The feel of her body pressed against him and the soft music filling the room made it feel like it was just her and him.

“When you’re in the NFL, there are always women who want to be with you. Not necessarily because they like you, but for all the perks.”

When she said nothing, he continued.

“The parties, the spotlight.” He gave a halfhearted chuckle. “I’d barely been placed on medical leave when my last girlfriend moved on to a player who’s not injured.”

Roe’s head jerked up, nearly catching him in the jaw. “That’s horrible.”

“It’s reality.” Boone thought of his career, and a bleakness washed over him. “Nothing lasts forever.”

Nothing lasts forever .

The words circled in Roe’s head on the drive home and once she and Boone were back at the house.

She understood the sentiment. Hadn’t it been her mantra for as long as she could remember? Making new friends and getting involved in a community were things that would be instantly taken away when another assignment came through for her dad, and they were ordered to pack up and move again.

It had been like that with her job at the theater, too. She’d worked hard, but in the end, all those extra hours and effort hadn’t mattered.

While she didn’t have the problems Boone had with a partner who’d wanted to be with him only for the spotlight, whenever she found herself falling for someone, she started preparing herself for the time she would eventually leave. In her world, that was a given .

Enough melancholy. It had been a lovely evening, and now that she was home, she would fully relax.

Roe took off her shoes the instant her feet hit the tile floor leading into the great room.

Behind her, Boone chuckled. “Go ahead. Take it all off. I don’t mind.”

“Har-har.” Roe rubbed her instep. “These boots might look comfortable, but they were killing my feet.”

Boone was at her side now, studying the heeled boots dangling from one hand. He shook his head. “They don’t look comfortable. Not to me, anyway.”

Once she reached the great room, she plopped down on the sofa and exhaled a heavy sigh.

“That’s a pretty heavy sigh. Was the party that bad?”

“Not at all. I enjoyed it.” She watched him move to stand before the hearth. “Are you thinking of starting a fire this late?”

“I’m not ready to head to bed. My apartment in Denver is probably one of the few that doesn’t have a fireplace, so I figure I’m going to enjoy this one while I can.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “We might as well enjoy this beautiful place while we have it.”

Roe watched him bend to place two small logs on top of the kindling. He really did have a fabulous backside.

Once he had the fire started, he straightened, and she resisted the urge to sigh. When she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him, she knew she shouldn’t have had that second drink.

While she wasn’t drunk—not on two drinks spread out over the course of an evening interspersed with delicious appetizers—she did have a little buzz, and her defenses were definitely down.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” he asked.

“I’ve had enough alcohol.” She couldn’t have stopped the smile even if she’d wanted to. “The Santa’s Sleigh was incredibly yummy. ”

She chuckled. Had she really just said Santa’s Sleigh and yummy in the same sentence?

Boone sat on the sofa beside her. Not right next to her, but close enough that she could smell his yummy cologne.

There was that word again. Yummy .

Roe smiled.

“What was in Santa’s Sleigh?”

She blinked.

“The drink?” he prompted.

Oh. The drink. Yes, of course.” For a second, she’d thought he’d meant, well, never mind.

Roe waved an airy hand. “Baileys, schnapps and something else. What did you have?”

“A glass of wine.”

“That’s it? Only one?”

“I was driving.” He shrugged. “I’m not a big drinker.”

“Wow.”

“Wow?”

“I thought all sports guys were big drinkers.”

“I thought all theater people were dramatic.”

“I can be dramatic,” she told him.

“Good to know.”

With the fire crackling in the hearth, Roe placed her feet on the hassock and leaned back against the soft cushions of the overstuffed sofa.

The light from the fireplace cast shadows on his handsome face. Although she didn’t know Jason Boone well, she believed him to be a good guy. “I like having you around.”

A startled look crossed his face. Then he smiled. “I like having you around.”

She wasn’t sure what to think when he patted his lap. “Give me your feet.”

Roe blinked. “Pardon?”

“Your feet. In my lap. I’ll rub them for you. ”

Startled, she didn’t ask why he would do that for her. She simply accepted the offer and shifted.

When he started to massage her instep, she couldn’t stop the moan of pleasure.

“Tell me about your evening.” Placing his palms on either side of her right foot, he gently pulled the right side forward while pushing the left side back. He repeated the twisting motion, working from her ankle to her toes.

The pleasure made thought difficult, but Roe forced herself to focus. “Fin will contact me about helping with her planning committee.”

He moved his hands to her other foot. “What would you be planning?”

Roe closed her eyes briefly when those strong fingers began massaging her instep. “I don’t know. Something related to Valentine’s Day.”

“Is that something you’re interested in?”

“I like to keep busy,” she admitted, feeling herself totally relax. “You know, Fin used to live in LA. She might have contacts that could be helpful.”

“Helpful?” Boone rubbed her arch from the heel to the ball of her foot. “In what way?”

“The big job search.” Roe expelled a breath of pure bliss. “I need to find another position. Thanks to living here rent-free, I can make it through until Dakota’s wedding, no problem. But I really need to have some solid prospects by February fourteenth.”

He stopped his ministrations, and concern filled his brown eyes. “Will you return to Minneapolis?”

“If there’s a job there, sure. I’d be happy to stay there, but I don’t think I’ll find another job I want in that area.” Roe wanted to be realistic and needed to be smart about this. “Most of my experience is in theater management. There are opportunities, but to pull in a big fish, I have to cast a wide net. ”

Like yummy , the analogy made her smile. Or maybe it was that he moved on to toe bends.

“What about your place in Minneapolis?”

Though his fingers continued to massage, he was giving her his full attention, and Roe found it to be a heady experience. “My lease was up December first. I hadn’t renewed, as I was looking for something closer to the theater. If I do go back to the Twin Cities, I’d need to find a new place anyway.”

She cocked her head. This conversation shouldn’t be all about her. “What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What happens if, for some reason, you can’t return to the team?” She stretched, the warmth from the fire making her sleepy. “Will you stay in Denver?”

His fingers stilled. “I am returning.”

But what if you can’t ?

The question pushed against her lips, but Roe swallowed the words before they could spill out. She reminded herself that he’d lived in Denver for eight years and had played for the Grizzlies since college. The mere thought of losing all that had to be traumatic.

“Of course you will.” Her words had the tense set to his jaw relaxing. Had he really thought she’d press the point? Especially when she didn’t understand how any of the football stuff worked?

“Everyone at the party seemed friendly.” Safer, she thought, to return to discussing the party.

“They did. A couple of the guys invited me to play on their pond hockey team. Apparently, they’ve got a big game with their rival coming up.”

“Is pond hockey like regular hockey?”

“Similar.” Boone’s dark brows pulled together in thought. “The environment is different, of course, with the ice outside being uneven, and the area is smaller. ”

“What else is different?” She vowed to keep the focus off football.

His fingers returned to her foot, and he began pressing on the pressure points on her instep.

“Usually fewer players.” Boone’s gaze turned thoughtful. “While the pond hockey structure is usually more relaxed, it sounds like this rivalry is intense.”

“Are you able to play?”

Boone shook his head. “I’d like to, but my doctor and the coaches would have my head on a stick if I did. I have strict orders to avoid all contact sports. There can be a lot of contact in hockey.” A wistful look filled his eyes.

“When is the game? We could go watch.” The second the words left Roe’s lips, she wished she could pull them back. They weren’t a couple.

“Next Saturday. At Rakes Farm. Two o’clock.” He studied her. “Do you work on Saturdays?”

The hope that had begun to build inside Roe deflated like a popped balloon. “I work eleven to two.”

“I could pick you up when you get off. We could head straight over there.”

“You’d be late.”

“I don’t need to be there for the whole thing,” he told her. “Besides, it would be more fun having you with me.”

Her gaze met his. Electricity sizzled in the space between them. Roe couldn’t have looked away even if she’d wanted to.

Without taking his eyes off her, Boone slipped her feet from his lap and swung them to the floor.

For a second, she swore he was going to kiss her. And she was going to kiss him back.

Her lips tingled, imagining the taste of?—

“I enjoyed spending the evening with you.” He stood and, before she could respond, disappeared down the hall.

Roe woke the next morning to the deep rumble of a snowblower motor. She hopped out of bed and had her clothes pulled on in record time. Boone better not be out there with the Beast.

Though if not him, then who would it be?

Pausing only once she reached the mudroom leading to the garage to pull on her boots, she stepped into the garage just in time to see Boone parking the Beast.

“Good morning. Perfect timing. I just finished.” The pride in his voice and the healthy flush in his cheeks stopped any reproach.

Losing his spot on the team, even temporarily due to a medical reason, had to be a blow to his ego. He was an active guy, used to working hard and playing just as hard. Now, he’d been asked to curtail all that energy.

Roe walked to the opening of the garage and stared out over the drive and walkway. “I was going to see if there was anything I could do to help. I see I’m not needed.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He chuckled, his husky voice deep and sensual.

The intense connection she’d experienced last night wrapped around her like a tight glove. She cleared her throat. “On second glance, I see something that is desperately needed.”

Stepping to a spot beside her, he studied the yard for several seconds, his brows pulled together in puzzlement. “What?”

“A snowman.”

A smile lifted the corners of his lips. “I can’t recall the last time I built one.”

“It’s been a long time for me, too.” Roe hesitated as another thought struck her. “Do you think that would be too strenuous? I don’t want to?—”

“Let’s do it. ”

The passion in his eyes had her heart stumbling—until Roe reminded herself that it was all about the snow and his desire to stay physically active. That passion had nothing to do with the thought of having sex with her.