Page 44 of The Christmas Blueprint

“Yes.” She was breathless and didn’t care, standing on tiptoes to close the distance between them.

Finally.

A crack of thunder ripped open the sky, and Sophia jumped and Killian swore, and the moment was shot.

“I’m soaked,” he said stupidly.

He was—deliciously so. But now there was distance in his eyes and in his hard, closed features.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was gravel and scored her sensitive heart.

For what? Almost kissing her? The rain? The disappointment hurt, but she rallied.

She’d been wearing her cream duster embroidered brightly with flowers, and her hooded wrap had protected the coat and her. Killian had sacrificed his jacket to cover both of their heads, although judging from the way he dripped, he’d given her most of the protection.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked softly, two beats later than was socially comfortable.

She wasn’t sure exactly. The view she was currently trying to peel her eager gaze off of, maybe? Making her feel desirable? Alive?

“For not being prepared with an umbrella?”

“Pacific Northwest natives laugh at umbrellas. Dead giveaway.”

Killian laughed, and the spell was broken. Almost. Her sexual thrall eased into an emotional one, remembering all the times Killian had defused socially tense situations between friends and classmates, volunteered at the library as a science and math tutor and responded to Riley’s preteen dramas and sorrows with kindness and humor. He’d never been dismissive of his sister or tried to duck her attention, and he’d never once been unkind to students who hadn’t been popular or who struggled. He’d even been a track coach for Special Olympics in high school and college, she remembered.

And now he’d come back to a town he’d done his best to escape to take a job that was a demotion in rank and salary, just to help his friend and a young girl.

“Why aren’t you married?” Sophia asked.

“Haven’t found the right woman,” he said easily, as if it was a rote answer.

“What are you looking for?”

“You playing matchmaker, Soph?” He grinned, and she felt like she needed to clutch her chest to keep her heart from jumping out for him to drop kick. His eyes narrowed though they sparkled with humor. “I think I’d be afraid to meet someone you’d think would be a good match for me. I fear revenge would be in the mix.”

“Revenge?” she asked, seriously shocked. “You were the best brother ever. My brothers and yours basically ignored us. But you were always kind. Driving me and Riley to movies or home from dances before you’d meet up with your friends. My brothers were ogres in comparison. Complain, complain when they weren’t engaging in espionage, trying to ruin my social life before it even started.”

“They warned me off a time or two,” Killian said.

“Wwwhat?” She was so astonished she could barely spit out the word.

Killian shrugged, and speared his hand through his wet hair.

“Smart boys. Smarter men. I’m expecting them to darken my trailer door and warn me off any day, finger stroking a shotgun, since we are now collaborating.”

Sophia huffed out a breath. “All my brothers do now is encourage me to move back to the farm and into my childhood bedroom. They, of course, all had their own places,” she scoffed, “so that’s not going to happen.”

Killian grinned. “I’d better change before I pick your brain.”

“That is such a gross saying.” Sophia winced and then turned away to cast her attention around the dim building, now that there was a heavy storm slashing around outside and no sunlight streaming through the high windows. She needed to head back to her shop within an hour. Hopefully, the weather would let up or Killian might once again be giving her a ride into town. She smiled.

Life really did sometimes come full circle.

“How was it spending the night in the trailer?” she asked curiously, turning back around, barely stifling her squeak. Killian, standing in the open doorway of the Airstream, had already shed his Oxford-style shirt and peeled off his white T underneath. She saw his flex of muscles as he hung up his shirt to dry.

Turn away.

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