Page 6 of The Blessings of Christmas
“What does that mean?” Mouth hanging open, Stanley looked from his son back to Ryan.
“Dad, I think that means that our boy Ryan still likes women with swinging hips and lying lips.” Ryder stabbed a finger at Ryan. “That’s what got me into trouble at the Rusty Nail. And I wound up sleeping upstairs in that cold apartment. So watch it.”
Ryan had never been known for good decisions. “What would Sarah want with me anyway?” He kicked out his bum leg.
Stanley kept working that toothpick. “You might be ugly as sin and cantankerous on certain days, but you look like marrying material to me.”
Drawing his leg back, Ryan shook his head. “No way.”
Ryder was frowning. “Your accident on the Harley was what, five years ago?”
“Four. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly a chick magnet. I wasn’t even fit for service.” It bugged him that he hadn’t been able to go off and serve with Jamie.
But then, who would watch out for Sarah?
The only sound in the room was the ticking of the giant clock on the wall.
“Let it go, Ryan,” Stanley said with disgust. “That was an addle-brained stunt, racing Zack Deiter down the highway. You could have got yourself killed. But put all that behind you. There’s a lot more to being a man than walking straight.”
“Easy for you to say.” Getting up, Ryan stretched. Hours of bending over the work table or motorcycle engines made him stiff. “Time for some shut eye.”
“Don’t forget to come back with those cookies,” Stanley called out as Ryan made his way through the garage.
“Right.” Dragging himself up the stairs, Ryan felt uncomfortable about that conversation. He didn’t like discussing Sarah like that. When Jamie and Sarah were dating in high school, his mother had commented that Sarah was “too good to be true.” Maybe she was right. Oh, she could talk tough with the boys but she was a cream puff underneath.
Ryan had made a promise to his brother, and he would watch out for Sarah. Even if it meant making cookies.
CHAPTER 2
Her wise-cracking brother-in-law making cookies. Imagine that. Having dropped the boys off the next morning, Sarah hunched over the steering wheel. Traffic was light and overnight the roads had been plowed. She needed coffee bad. The heat in her old Pontiac couldn’t keep up with Michigan’s cold weather. Still shivering when she reached The Full Cup, she smiled to see Ryan’s black pickup with flames painted behind the wheels. The boy would always be trouble.
Man, not boy.
She parked and went inside. The warmth of the workroom and the smell of bread comforted her. “Sure smells wonderful in here,” she called out. The shuffling of metal baking sheets brought back memories of her dad and Jamie. Now Ryan was the man in front of the ovens and he turned.
“Morning.” When Ryan heaved a tray of bread onto the cooling rack, she couldn’t help but notice the strong shoulders and rippling biceps. Yep, definitely a man. As if she needed to be reminded.
Coffee always restored her sanity. She needed coffee.
“Still cold out there?” Ryan threw her one of his crooked smiles.
“Freezing. And we’re probably in for more snow.” Tugging off her scarf, she unbuttoned her coat. “You can smell it.”
“I don't think I've ever smelled snow, Sarah,” Ryan said quietly, mischief swirling in his coffee-colored eyes. He had an intense, brooding quality about him, like a slow dark roast.
Now she really was losing it.
Sarah laughed. “Then you’ve missed it. Trust me, you can tell.” She hung her red scarf on the hook. When she slid out of her coat, Ryan reached to help her. He smelled like warm bread and sweat. She liked the combination.
Smiling down at her, he said, “Your cheeks are all pink.”
“It’s freezing out there.” She pressed both palms to her face. Her skin felt cold and dry. Maybe she needed one of her mother’s avocado masks. “But it was probably much colder when you came in at five.”
“About fifteen degrees.” He hung up her coat.
“Why, thank you, Ryan.” His thoughtfulness surprised her.
“I’ll take cold weather over heat any day.”
