Page 40 of The Clause in Christmas
“I’ll grab the DVD and start the coffee.”
Striding into the kitchen, Luke went straight for the saucepan. Dumping the mixture down the sink, he rinsed away every trace of the offending liquid.
Learning about Cassie’s past made him feel more connected to her, stirring a desire deep in his core to protect her at all costs.
Plus, he was now more determined than ever to make this a Christmas she’d never forget.
Chapter 14
Despite her emotional and physical exhaustion from the previous day, Cassie woke with a smile on her lips. Ending the evening on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand and Luke by her side had been exactly what she needed.
Cassie remembered dozing off at the end of the film, then being lifted gently in Luke’s arms and carried upstairs. At the time, she’d been too tired to protest. But, truthfully, she wasn’t sure she would have, even if she’d had the energy. Something felt oddlyrightabout nestling against his chest, wrapped in the security of his embrace. Given her childhood, she wasn’t sure she’d ever truly felt cared for until she met Luke.
After she heard the front door latch behind him, Cassie had wriggled out of her jeans and sweater, burrowing into the warmth of the flannel sheets. She’d drifted to sleep almost instantly, returning to a recurring, and somewhat disconcerting, dream—a tender kiss shared with Luke beneath softly falling snowflakes.
Stretching beneath the covers, Cassie sighed as she recalled the dream, almost wishing she could float back to sleep and revisit the magical, albeitimaginary, moment. Because imaginary was all it could ever be between them, as she constantly reminded herself. But, after the ordeal with the Christmas Calendar yesterday, getting more sleep wasn’t an option. She didn’t want to put off checking the day’s activity. Better to know what she was up against as soon as possible.
Flipping open the Calendar, she read the entry for December 9.
Carry Out a Random Act of Kindness.
Cassie’s brow crinkled as she reread the line.That’s odd.Usually the tasks were clearly outlined, not nebulous. A random act of kindness could mean anything. How would she choose?
Her chest tightening with uncertainty, Cassie filled the teakettle with water and set it on the stove. Narrowing down the endless possibilities to one option wouldn’t be easy. And how would she select the benefactor of said act of kindness? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?
As Cassie set to work grinding a handful of coffee beans, one name forced its way front and center in her mind. But she quickly brushed it aside.
Uh-uh. No way!
The teakettle whistled, and Cassie slowly poured the bubbling water over the grounds in the bottom of the French press, inhaling the rich, earthy scent as it wafted toward her with the barrage of steam. As she mentally ticked off her options, waiting for the coffee to steep, the stubborn name refused to vacate the forefront of her thoughts.
“Okay, fine,” Cassie grumbled aloud, compressing the plunger with a firm shove. “Frank Barrie it is.”
* * *
Cassie tapped her foot against the slivered pine slat of Frank’s front porch, clutching a jar—well,hisjar—now filled with generous squares of chocolate fudge, courtesy of Maggie’s Place.What man could refuse fudge? Surely, not even the curmudgeon of Poppy Creek.
Chewing all the mint-flavored Chapstick off her bottom lip, Cassie waited anxiously for Frank to answer her persistent knock. Considering their previous encounters, she resigned herself to the likelihood that he’d ignore her entirely. As she debated leaving the jar of edible kindness by the haggard front door, it slowly creaked open.
Frank peered through the narrow slit between the door and its frame, his sharp gray eyes widening in surprise.
Cassie’s stomach flip-flopped as she struggled to clear the lump of nerves from her throat. “Hello, Mr. Barrie. I don’t think I’ve ever properly introduced myself. I’m Cassie Hayward.” She summoned a genuine smile. “And I brought you something.”
The door groaned on its hinges as Frank pushed it open a few more inches. “What did you say your name was?”
“Cassie Hayward,” she repeated, her voice a little less shaky this time. “I brought a small thank-you for the coffee.” Cassie held out her humble offering but Frank made no move to accept it.
Losing her meager supply of confidence, she rambled, “I’m sure you already know this, but it was the best coffee I’ve ever had.”
“And how would I know that?” One peppery eyebrow shot straight up.
“Because, well,” Cassie stammered, wishing she could crawl through one of the many cracks in the front porch, “you’re the coffee master. Yoda, if you will.”
To her shock, Frank tipped his head back and laughed. Actuallylaughed. “Yoda, huh? I prefer Obi-Wan Kenobi myself. Less green and wrinkly.”
His eyes twinkled, astounding Cassie to the point of dislodging her jaw from its proper position.Did Frank Barrie have a sense of humor?
“Well…” Cassie trailed off, now completely at a loss for words. “I guess I’ll leave this here and get out of your hair.” She glanced around for an appropriate place to set the jar since Frank still hadn’t accepted her gift. But other than the rickety old rocking chair, the front porch was painfully barren. It seemed rude to place it on the floor, now that he was standing in front of her, but what else could she do? She hovered awkwardly.
