Page 10 of Loving Words
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen as I processed him spending Christmas alone. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. That scent put a smile on my face and wiped away the annoyance I held for both me and for Jack.
“You should smile more,” Jack whispered.
I opened my eyes and found him only a step away, holding up a large cup of coffee. It looked like something Dixie would make down at the Perky Bean. I raised an eyebrow as I took it from him. Bringing it to my nose, I caught the hint of caramel and vanilla wrapped around the core scent of the coffee.
I took a sip and moaned as it slid down my throat. This rivaled the amazing creations Dixie made. With another sip, I confirmed it wasn’t a fluke.
“Do you moan at just any cup of coffee?” The heat in his eyes took my breath away.
I couldn’t deny it. “Not any cup of coffee, only the most orgasmic kind. This is the best cup I’ve had outside of the Perky Bean. Were you a barista in another life?” I tipped the mug to my lips again and slowly wiped the foam from my upper lip with my tongue and grinned.
“Coffee shop on campus at college. My scholarship only covered tuition and books. If I wanted to eat, I had to earn my own money.” He lifted his own cup to his mouth.
Oh, the things I could imagine those lips doing that would be more productive than sipping on coffee. My body heated, and I felt a blush rising up my neck. I shook my head, trying to clear out the dirty thoughts.
I finished my cup and set it by the sink. “Thank you for this.”
“You want another?” he asked.
“Yes, please.” I smiled before turning toward the stairs.
“Where are you going?” Jack asked.
“Don’t mind where she’s going.” Gran’s voice arrived around the corner before she did. “Morning, my sweet girl.” Gran hugged me quickly. “Go get dressed. You have any work to finish before you shut down for the holiday?”
I loved how compassionate Gran had always been. She understood my need to work on a few things, but she also encouraged my need for a break. The first two days after I arrived were the only days I could do any work. After that, if I was caught checking work emails or writing a small piece for theNorina Timesor talking with the editor in chief, Darrell Buckley, I would be put on dish duty for every meal through Christmas dinner. The same went for the small publication I wrote for back in the city. Any work could only be done before her deadline.
“Yes, ma’am, not much though.” I kissed her cheek and continued upstairs. I quickly dressed and grabbed my work bag before heading back down.
Harrison passed me on his way downstairs. “Jerk,” he mumbled playfully.
“Asshole,” I replied without missing a step.
I found a fresh cup of Jack’s caramel dream waiting for me on the counter when I returned, but no Jack in sight. Gran hummed along with a song playing in the kitchen. Moving to the dining area to set up, I could still see her working. I loved how open the space was. Her presence consistently made me happy.
“Where did Harrison and Jack go?” It was simple curiosity and nothing more, I told myself.
“Oh, I sent them out to split some more wood for the fire. We’ve got another storm coming in, and I want to make sure we are stocked and ready for it.”
I would drop everything to help Gran. “Do you need me to do anything?”
“No, dear, you finish what you need to so you can focus on the family for Christmas.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Smiling, I settled in and opened my laptop. She was old but still ticking—and the one I wrote my first article on. I couldn’t bring myself to part with her yet, even though most of the letters had worn off the keyboard long ago.
I only had two emails, which surprised me. One was from Sandra, my editor-in-chief at the magazine, who wanted me to write up a fluff social page piece about the mayor’s wife bringing their dog to the library. This was nothing new; she’d been taking him in for the past two months, and both the kids and adults loved it. I shook my head and moved to the next email. I’d just tell Sandra that the snow had cut communication from the cabin.
The second email was from an anonymous person but contained serious allegations. Whoever the source was, they’d shared that the hospital in Norina was involved in some big conspiracy. Opioids were going missing at an alarming rate. I pulled out my notepad and made lists of things to research and people I could contact to check out the lead.
The noise of a door opening and boots being stomped brought me out of my fugue. I had gone down a rabbit hole of researching the hospital, pain management clinic, and any doctors or staff who had access to the pain medication cabinets throughout the hospital and pharmacies. I had four pages of notes, phone numbers, names, and the most popular opioids bought on the black market.
I glanced up in time to see Jack walk in behind Harrison. They took their boots off and put them in the black shoe tray Gran kept just for that reason. Jack carried his jacket in hand. His shirt was clinging to him, and as he hung his coat on the hook, it rode up... just enough to give me a glimpse of a tattooed and toned set of obliques. I licked my lips, wondering how far up and down his tattoo extended. My nipples hardened at the thought of licking every line of it, teasing him as I went. Heat rushed up my neck, and I quickly looked back at my computer and notepad. I did not want to get caught drooling over him. I wiped at the corners of my mouth to make sure there was no evidence.
“Focus, Kennedy,” I whispered to myself. I had sent a quick reply to the anonymous emailer, asking for more information or a meetup to discuss what they knew. I refreshed my email box to check if they had replied yet. I growled in frustration both at the lack of reply and my reaction to Jack. I ran one hand through my hair and rubbed my forehead with the other as I fell back into my research.
