The Christmas Cookie Wars

Chapter Fourteen

Fourteen

Melody’s plan had backfired.

She’d arrived four minutes late to the meeting so she didn’t have to chat with Jonathan too much before it started or surely everyone would see. Everyone would see her cheeks get all rosy when she talked to him. Everyone would hear the slight breathlessness in her voice. They’d pick up on the change that had taken place in her ever since the man had kissed her senseless. For two days she hadn’t been able to focus. She’d been smiling and humming—not Christmas carols but love songs.

Four minutes late was supposed to ensure that she could walk into the conference room in the school’s office and simply start the meeting before she even had the chance to get flustered, but her darn sister was waiting in the hallway.

“Whoa, hot mama.” Kels added a few whistles.

At least no one else was around to hear her sister’s teasing tone. They must’ve all been tucked away in the conference room already.

“I guess I didn’t realize we were supposed to look hot for this meeting.” Her sister watched her take off her coat and hang it up on the racks outside the office. “Clearly I missed the memo.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She smoothed her black velvet skinny jeans and straightened the off-the-shoulder deep green sweater with metallic threads running through it, pretending she hadn’t obsessed over this outfit for two hours earlier that afternoon.

“I thought it might be nice to wear something other than our athleisure line for once.” Though Kelsey’s reaction had her questioning her choices. Was this outfit too obvious? She didn’t need the whole room full of cookie committee volunteers wondering why she’d suddenly decided to dress up. “It doesn’t hurt to do a little advertising once in a while.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re not advertising the boutique’s clothes to Deb and Nancy and Tracey, given the fact that none of them ever shop there.” Kels frowned, sizing her up. “Wait a minute. Are you wearing eyeliner ?”

Well, shoot.

“Aren’t the boys spending the night with Mom and Dad?” Her sister gasped. “Is something going on with you and Jonathan?”

Busted. Melody hadn’t told anyone about her date with Jonathan. She hadn’t told anyone about the texts they’d been firing back and forth since the cookie crawl, or the two late-night phone calls. She didn’t want to tell anyone because then she would have to deal with the complications.

Right now, this was her and Jonathan’s secret to share.

“We should get inside. The director can’t be late for the meeting.” And she couldn’t risk looking directly into her sister’s eyes or she’d crumble and tell her the whole story.

“You’re holding out on me,” Kels complained, following her into the office. “I tell you all my juicy secrets.”

Melody paused before going into the conference room. “You don’t have juicy secrets.” She hadn’t either. Until now. Her heart sparked the way it had every time Jonathan’s name lit up her phone screen the last few days, skin heating, limbs weakening. She couldn’t wait to see Jonathan but she was so nervous…

“Are you blushing?” Kels had her hands on her hips now. In that posture, her sister meant business.

“We’ll talk about it later.” Melody pushed in through the door, silencing any more arguments.

Everyone had already taken seats at the table—Jonathan was at one end, so she snagged a seat as far away as she could get from him and forced herself not to stare in his direction. Kelsey took the seat three down from her, a distinct pout rumpling her face.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone.” She sounded winded, even to herself. “Why don’t we get started?” The faster they got this over with, the quicker she and Jonathan could sneak off into the moonlight. She made the mistake of glancing at him. Jiminy Christmas, he looked good with a shadowed stubble on his jaw. She seemed to remember that stubble grazing her neck.

Jonathan’s mouth softened into a smile at her, and there went her sloppy lovesick grin again. She really had to get a hold of herself. “Um, let’s see.” She couldn’t seem to stop touching her hair. “So, everyone, how do we think the cookie crawl went this year?”

“Friends I’ve talked to said that was the best one in years.” Nancy applauded. “Well done, Melody. I haven’t heard one complaint. And I talk to a lot of people.”

The rest of the group joined in, but Melody silenced them with her hand. “It was a group effort. We all put in a lot of work.”

“But you led us through it.” Even Jonathan’s voice brought a cascade of tingles spreading down her neck. “I can’t remember ever having such a good time at the cookie crawl.”

A giggle slipped out. A giggle!

Kels’s eyes popped open wider, but thankfully she didn’t say anything. The boutique had been so busy when Melody had returned that night that she hadn’t even talked to her sister. And then Doug had called Kels because Genevieve had a fever, so she’d left in a hurry. Thankfully.

Moving on…“With Cookie Daze right around the corner, I thought we should talk about adding a few new events.” She rummaged through the notes she’d made with the boys last night. “One idea was to add an obstacle race course where you collect as many cookies as you can.”

“That sounds like fun.” Tracey was taking notes too.

“How would that work, exactly?” Deb asked.

She started to detail the plans she’d brainstormed with Finn and Tate, but her phone screen kept lighting up with incoming texts from Jonathan.

You look beautiful.

Melody cleared her throat, a smile creeping in. “Finn and Tate would like to call the event the Great Cookie Race…”

The phone snagged her focus again. I have a surprise for you. A surprise? Her gaze crossed Jonathan’s. He was grinning…and melting her into a pile of mush right there in her chair.

“Um. So.” Melody was determined to ignore him and at least finish the meeting.

I can’t wait until this meeting is over.

Her heart took the brunt of that message, skipping and floundering to find a rhythm. What had she been saying again?

“The Great Cookie Race sounds fun.” Kels saved her. Her sister knew something was happening between her and Jonathan right now. She always knew.

“Yes. The Great Cookie Race.” She coughed. “Um, Finn and Tate would like to take the lead on the event, and they’ve already got the whole thing planned out. As far as the other events, I’ve assigned each committee member specific oversight responsibilities.” She flipped to the next page on her notes and blitzed through the breakdown of her plan for Cookie Daze volunteers before Jonathan could text her again. “I think that’s it. Does anyone have any questions?”

“Just to clarify, we’re storing all the cookies and baked goods we collect in the concessions kitchen at the park?” Nancy asked.

“Yes. I think that’s best.” According to Tracey, they used to store the cookies they collected from volunteers at Charlene’s house, but it simply made no sense to have to pack them up multiple times. “Then no one will have to be responsible for transporting well over two thousand cookies to the park. I’ve let our volunteer bakers know that they can drop off their cookies the day before. And then we’ll lock them up safe and sound in the concessions kitchen overnight.”

“Got it.” Nancy added the note.

“And do we all need to be there when people drop them off?” Deb asked. “Because I have a hair appointment that afternoon, and you know how hard it is to reschedule around the holidays.”

“I can be there.” Melody stacked up her notes and shoved them into her purse. “So can the boys. It’s only a two-hour block of time.”

“I’m happy to help too.”

Was Jonathan’s tone suggestive or was it just her? “That would be, um, great. Thanks.” She noticed her mother looking back and forth between the two of them with a perceptive slant to her eyebrows. “Anyway. I can’t wait for next weekend. I think this’ll be the best Cookie Daze we’ve ever had. Any other questions?” This time she hardly gave a pause. “Great. Then I’ll see you all on the big day.”

Tracey, Deb, and Nancy started to chat about their favorite cocktails at the crawl while her mother and Aunt Bernice discussed the cookies they were planning to contribute for the Great Cookie Race.

No one moved except for Kels. “Hey, I need your opinion on something.” Her sister started to drag her out the door. “In the hallway. It’s personal.”

Sure it was. Personal for Melody. She stepped out the door with Kels.

“You kissed him, didn’t you?”

“Keep your voice down,” she hissed. “How did you know?”

“I didn’t until right now.” Kels clapped and squealed. “I was only guessing but you looked suspicious. Oh my God, your first kiss in how many years? Six?”

“Does it matter?” She prodded her sister away from the door so Jonathan wouldn’t hear. “It’s not that big a deal.”

“Of course it is. This is huge.” Kels hugged her and then let go, doing a little dance. “Come on. I’m happy for you, that’s all. Jonathan is sooo amazing and you are too.” Her jaw dropped. “Wait a minute. Are you going out with him tonight? So that’s why you’re dressed up!”

Melody wished she could see inside the conference room. Why was everyone taking so long to leave? “Hush, will you?”

“You are!” Her sister didn’t wait for a response. “That’s why the boys are spending the night with Mom and Dad.”

“Yes, we’re planning to go out, okay?” she relented. “If everyone ever leaves, that is.” The rest of the committee seemed content to loiter in the conference room all night.

“I’m on it.” Kels marched to the door of the conference room and threw it open. “All right, everyone. Time to go. The cleaning crew needs to get in here ASAP.”

Melody wanted to shrink into the wall. Could she be more obvious?

“I didn’t think they were cleaning the building tonight,” Nancy mused on her way past Melody.

“This time of year, I’ll bet they have to clean every night.” Deb slipped on her coat.

“Those kids are tracking in everything on their boots,” Tracey agreed.

Aunt Bernice, her mother, and Joan paraded out the door next. “Bye, you three.” Melody hugged them. “Thanks for coming.”

“Aren’t you leaving with us?” Aunt Bernice asked.

“She has to go back and get her purse.” Kelsey stepped between their mother and their aunt and slung an arm around each of them. “But we need to head out now. I was hoping you three could make sure I get home okay. I think something might be wrong with my car.”

“Oh no,” their mother clucked. “We’ll follow you for sure.”

Kels glanced over her shoulder and winked before they disappeared out of the office.

Were she and Jonathan truly finally alone? A thousand butterflies beat their wings against her rib cage, carrying her back inside the conference room. She found him looking through a file folder at the table.

“Are they gone?” He shut the folder and stood. “I was trying to stall. I thought they’d never leave.”

She must’ve been floating toward him because she couldn’t feel the ground underneath her feet. “They were taking their sweet time. But, yes, they’re gone. Now what was this surprise you were texting me about?” She couldn’t believe how differently she saw Jonathan now. Three weeks ago, she’d been sitting in his office nervous and now here she was, openly checking him out. Trying to flirt.

Boy, was she out of practice.

“You’ll see.” Offering his arm, Jonathan escorted her out of the office, pausing to grab their coats. “I’ll drive and then I can bring you back to your car later.” He helped her slip on her wool jacket, and she realized how much she missed thoughtful gestures like that. Not only being on the receiving end but also offering the same polite courtesies to someone else. Thomas and she used to do that all the time—little things without thinking like pouring creamer into each other’s coffees and setting out each other’s favorite mug in the morning.

“I can’t wait to see where we’re going.” The words came out softer than she intended. Everything inside her had gone soft, especially her heart.

“We’re leaving town so we don’t have to worry about running into anyone.” He opened the door of his dark SUV for her. The car smelled like him, like cloves and cinnamon and hints of leather from the upholstery. In contrast to hers, the inside of this car was immaculate and orderly. But she did notice an empty to-go coffee cup in the cupholder, so he wasn’t a total perfectionist.

“I like the sound of that.” Going away with him—alone—where they could both let down their guard and simply be together. No one else needed to know they were spending time together until they figured out what they wanted to be. Maybe this was a fling. Maybe it was more. They didn’t need to know right now. “As long as I’m home by ten.” Finn and Tate would call to say good night, and she had to make sure she had service.

“I promise.” Jonathan turned on the engine and cranked the heat, but despite the twenty-degree temps outside she hadn’t even noticed the cold. Everything in her hummed with warmth and light.

Christmas carols started to play low.

“What’s Ainsley doing tonight?” she asked as he drove out of the parking lot.

“She’s hanging out with her art friend.” He turned left on the main road. “She knows we’re going out, though. I get that it’s different with your boys.” Jonathan glanced at her. “They’re younger, and hearing that you’re going on a date with the principal might not exactly go over well.”

Ah, yes. She’d had this exact same conversation with herself earlier this afternoon. “I don’t know, actually.” She’d almost told them but hadn’t found the right opening. “I’ve never talked to them about dating.” She never thought she’d have to talk to them about dating. Falling in love again had seemed like an impossibility. Melody glanced at Jonathan’s profile, his structured jaw, the curve of his lips, the strength of his neck, and longing flooded her.

“I haven’t dated anyone since my divorce,” he said, reaching for her hand. “We can take our time figuring things out. I want you to know I’m okay with whatever you decide when it comes to Finn and Tate. Really. I know they’re the most important people in your life and I wouldn’t want it any other way. And this is only our first date. You never know. You might decide you don’t like me after tonight.”

Melody laughed. “I appreciate that.” She glanced out the window and relaxed back into the heated seat. They were already on the outskirts of town. “What about you? Could this date get you into trouble at work?” She was almost afraid to ask. She didn’t want to worry, not when spending time with him felt so new and exciting and…right. How long had it been since she’d let herself get swept away in something wonderful and surprising?

Jonathan took his eyes off the road to smile at her. “Nah. There’s no official policy barring me from dating a parent of my students, but I know this could be a little complicated.”

“And probably frowned upon?” she prompted. Because she knew how the town gossip mill could churn.

He shrugged, one hand on the wheel and one still holding hers. “I’m sure there are some people who wouldn’t like it. But you can never make everyone happy anyway.” He shot her a grin. “Someone is always complaining to me about something. I can handle it.”

“I’m sure you can.” Could she? That wasn’t a question she needed to answer tonight. Tonight they would be alone and she was free to embrace everything—the warmth of his hand in hers, the anticipation pounding through her pulse points, the light and laughter he’d brought into her life. Right now going out with Jonathan felt like freedom, and her only plan was to take this one date at a time.

“I hope you love your surprise.” He turned off the main highway and followed a winding road back into the forest.

“I can’t even begin to guess what we’re doing.” She looked around them. It was completely dark, but the stars lit up the endless sky, winking like they were in on the mystery.

“We’re almost there,” Jonathan murmured. “Close your eyes.”

No one had ever planned a true surprise for her. Not like this. Thomas had been terrible at keeping secrets. “Why not?” She let her head rest against the seat and kept her eyes closed until the car stopped.

“Let me come around and open your door.” The note of excitement in his tone made her heart start to drum.

Where could they be?

Within seconds, the door had opened and the cold air engulfed her face.

“Take my hands.” He helped her out of the car. “Easy. It’s a little snowy here.” Coming alongside her, he slipped his arm around her waist and they walked several paces, their boots crunching in the snow. “Okay,” Jonathan murmured. “You can open your eyes.”

Color. That was the first thing that filled her vision. So many sparkling colors. Twinkling lights covered every tree in the thick forest, spiraling all the way up the trunks and draping the branches. Lanterns of all different colors and shapes dangled from the branches around them, making the foliage glow. “This is incredible.” She turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. There were blue trees and pink trees and red and yellow and green and white. Hundreds of trees surrounding them, all dressed up in light.

“It’s called the Enchanted Forest.” Jonathan’s smile glowed almost as brightly as the display around them. “The landowners here do this every Christmas, apparently. And they only ask for a donation if you’re able.”

For the first time, she noticed a few other people milling around, but everyone spoke quietly, in reverence to this fairy-tale world. “It’s…magical.” So vibrant and alive. She laughed even as tears heated her eyes. “I had no idea this was here.” Or you could bet this would’ve been another one of her holiday traditions with the boys.

“Ainsley saw it on Instagram.” His arm came around her waist again and they left the parking lot behind, ambling down one of the well-packed paths into the trees. “We came last week, and I kept thinking about how much you’d like it—the colors and designs.”

Melody leaned into him, peering up into his eyes. “You were thinking about me?”

“I think about you a lot.” He stopped them in a grove of trees adorned in blue lights of all shades and turned to face her, pulling her closer by her waist. “When I see something lovely or when something makes me laugh, I wonder if it would make you laugh too.” His face lowered closer to hers. “You don’t think about me?”

“When I’m getting the boys ready for school for sure,” she teased. “Mostly because I don’t want to be tardy.”

Jonathan pouted. “That’s not exactly what a man dreams about.”

She slid her hands over his shoulders. “But I also thought about you last night when I was sitting by the fireplace in my living room after the boys went to bed.” Courage gathered, filling her chest, making her lungs pull at their seams. “I wondered if you like sitting by the fireplace too.” She’d wondered if he had been sitting there with her, would he hold her in his arms and maybe kiss her again?

“I do like sitting by the fire.” His face drew closer, his eyes reflecting the lights around them. “But I think I would like sitting anywhere with you.”

Melody gulped the cold air, then touched her lips to his, because he was right there and it had been too long. Shock waves already rocked her, sending quakes all the way down to her toes. Jonathan scooped his arms around her, holding her close, and even through all those winter layers between them she swore she felt his heart pounding with hers.

“I think I would like sitting anywhere with you too,” she murmured against his lips. God, his lips. They claimed hers again, firmly, decisively, urgently, and she leaned into him, afraid her legs would give out. Jonathan held her up, their bodies pressed together, their breath rising between them in clouds. His tongue sought hers, electrifying every nerve ending, bringing flashes of light behind her eyelids.

How had she gone without this so long? This fire burning up her body and soul?

Melody clung to him, kissing him from the very depths of her, tears stinging even while she smiled against his mouth. She kissed him until her breath ran out, until those happy tears started to glide down her cheeks. And then she paused to look into his eyes, seeing the same flickers of hope that flashed inside her. “I’m going to have to tell the boys soon,” she uttered. Because how would she be able to hide her feelings for him after tonight? She didn’t even want to try.

“Tell them what?” Jonathan’s innocent smirk teased her.

“I’ll tell them Mr. Braxton surprised me in more ways than one,” she murmured, brushing a kiss across his lips. “I’ll tell them I like Mr. Braxton a lot…that I might even have a secret crush on him.”

Her lips found his again, her whole body sighing.

She could not, however, tell the boys how much she liked kissing their principal.