Holiday in a Stetson: The Sheriff Who Found Christmas\A Rancho Diablo Christmas (10 page)

It was dark on the stairs. She couldn’t find the light switch, so went back for a flashlight from Fiona’s kitchen. “This is dumb,” Jess muttered. “A cave last night, a dark cellar tonight. Argh.”

But the prizes were always good at Rancho Diablo, so she headed downstairs, her flashlight beam leading the way. Something smelled delicious, like fresh-baked pie. Jess shone the light around, trying to find what might be down here that was part of the scavenger hunt….

She heard boots on the stairs. The door closed, and a deep voice said, “Anybody down there?”

It was Johnny. Jessica swallowed. “Just me.”

“Jess?” Johnny walked down the stairs. He had no flashlight, so she beamed the light his way. “I think someone just locked the door behind me.”

Jess shook her head. “Fiona loves reindeer games as much as the next person, but she doesn’t lock her guests in dark basements.”

“Where’s the light switch, anyway?” He made it to the bottom of the staircase. “There has to be a light in a basement.”

“I tried it. It didn’t come on.” Jess pointed the flash
light toward the ceiling. “There’s the overhead. I’m pretty sure the fluorescents usually work, too. Fiona spends a lot of time down here with her canning.”

“Maybe all the Christmas lights she’s strung everywhere shorted out the basement.” Johnny came to a stop three feet away. “So, what are we looking for?”

Jess swallowed again, this time more painfully. She wanted to say
You. I’m afraid I’ve always been looking for you.

But she didn’t. “I’m looking for a plum.”

“Me, too.” He glanced around the dark room. “A plum is going to be a bit tough to locate down here.”

Jess wondered how Johnny had managed to get away from his date long enough to look for fruit in a cellar. “So, I noticed you came with Wendy.”

“Yeah.” Johnny shrugged. “And you came with a big cop or something. I think we gave Fiona plenty of reason to give up on her matchmaking plans for us.”

Jess forced her face to crease in a slight smile, the most enthusiasm she could manage. “Maybe.” She wanted to change the subject. “So, the Callahan boys always claimed there was a body down here.”

Johnny laughed. “Childish folklore.”

“Probably. But it’s still spooky.”

“Nah.” He reached out to run his fingers spiderlike down her arm. “Not unless you’re afraid of arachnids with big teeth that love red hair.”

He ran his fingers up her neck to her ponytail. Shivers shot all over Jess. “Ew!”

Johnny laughed. “I know you’re not afraid of spiders, Jess. I’ve spent a night in a cave with you. You’re not afraid of much.”

“You,” she said. “You scare me.”

The smile slipped from his face. He gave her a puzzled look. “Me? People say I’m like a big bear, Jess.”

“And bears are dangerous.”

He smiled at her. “Bears like honey.”

“So?”

He took the flashlight from her and turned it off. “I’d rather hunt for honey than plums. Maybe you’d better run.”

She stood her ground, her heart thundering. When he reached out and grabbed her, she didn’t move.

The last thing she wanted to do was run away from Johnny Donovan, especially on Christmas Eve.

Jess closed her eyes as Johnny wrapped her in his arms.

“I’ve always been a lucky bear,” he said.

“I could tell,” Jess said. “I saw you getting quite lucky with Wendy.”

Johnny’s deep voice was rich with laughter. “Are you jealous? You’re the one who suggested we come with other people.” He ran his lips over hers in the slightest of kisses, testing her.

Jess leaned into him. “I’m not jealous. And you were the one who first suggested we bring other dates. I merely was trying to warn you of the trap that was being set.”

“It was very nice of you to warn me.” Johnny kissed her, long and slow and deep, and Jess felt a sigh escape her, as if she’d been waiting for this for a very, very long time.

It seemed as if they kissed for five minutes. Finally, when Johnny released her, she reluctantly stepped away from him. “We’re not going to win if we stay down here.”

“Depends on what we’re trying to win.” He drew her back into his arms, then took his time kissing her
again, running his fingers down the side of her silky blouse, feeling her back through the fabric. All Jess’s inhibitions flooded away from her in a wash of need and desire.

“Johnny,” she murmured, pushing at his chest, “I feel a little guilty about this. I saw you kissing Wendy.”

He tugged her down on his lap as he sat on the bottom step. “No, you saw
her
kissing
me.
” And then he held her like the children who’d sat in Santa’s lap, and planted kisses along her neck and under her ponytail. He even lightly nibbled her ears, making Jess’s toes tingle in her silver sandals. “I’m kissing
you,
” Johnny said, “and there’s a big difference. You’re the only woman I’ve kissed in Diablo, and you’ll notice I’m not trying to get out of this basement. I’m growing used to being in dark places with you.”

Jess finally kissed Johnny—without hesitation.

“You’re so soft,” he said against her mouth. “And sweet. And you smell like peaches or something.”

He pulled her more tightly to him. One of his hands gripped her bottom through the skirt, and the other framed her neck, holding her close. Jess melted into his embrace, wishing she was someplace where she could have him all to herself and not have to worry about silly old scavenger hunts. “Oh, gosh!” She jumped up from Johnny’s lap. “They’re going to notice we’ve been gone. Let’s grab our plums and go.”

“I’m not as interested in plums at the moment as I am peaches,” he grumbled, but stood and glanced around. “What plums do you think Fiona is alluding to?”

“Can you shine the flashlight over here so I can look at jars? Maybe there are plum preserves.”

Johnny turned the beam toward the shelves. “You really think there’s a body down here?” he asked, and Jess ignored the shiver that crawled over her.

“No. But Pete got locked in the cellar once and it was hours before anyone let him out, so let’s find the plums before we get stuck down here all night.”

“I don’t know that it would bother me so much,” Johnny said. “There’s food, and company. Like I said, I enjoy getting stuck with you.”

Jess shook her head. “Look. This is Fiona’s handwriting.”

Johnny peered at the note on the shelf next to a plum pie and a jar of preserves. “Put in your thumb, pull out a plum, and then move on to higher ground where Santa’s reindeer land. There you’ll find something special just for you, on which you had not planned.”

Jess felt him sneaking a sniff of her hair. “You go for the plum,” he told her, “I’ll content myself with other goodies.”

If she didn’t find the clue, she was going to end up making out with Johnny until midnight—and then Fiona and company would have a field day. “All right,” Jess said, “here goes the thumb. Not really my thumb, because I think a forefinger is more efficient, but you get the idea.” She dug around in the pie, and pulled out something hard. “It’s a key. Two keys, actually,” she said, after feeling around in the pie again.

“It’s delicious pie,” Johnny said, smearing a little
pie juice on her lips, then kissing it off. “I vote we stay down here and have our own party.”

“We can’t.” Jess wiped the keys on some paper towels from a roll near the sink for canning, and dropped one in his hand. “Trust me, there is no good reason to hang out down here.”

“If you say so.” He followed her up the stairs.

“Now,” Jess said, “I’m going to open this door and leave. Give me a few minutes’ head start, then go your own way. Hopefully, no one will notice we were down here for longer than it should take to find a key.”

He was right behind her on the step, pressed against her, nibbling at her neck. “Sure thing. Whatever you say. Did I tell you what nice legs you have? And how much I like short skirts?”

Jess forced herself to try the doorknob. It came open easily. “You did that on purpose! It was never locked!”

Johnny chuckled against her neck. “Jess, you fell into my arms like an overripe plum. Luckily for you, I’m a good catcher, doll.”

Gasping, she flew from the basement, annoyed that she had indeed fallen into his arms so easily.

Well, it wouldn’t happen again.

O
NCE SHE’D ESCAPED
the basement, Jess could hear happy shrieks and triumphant laughter throughout the house and even outside. Shadows ran past the kitchen windows as searchers scavenged for goodies. Smoothing her hair and her skirt, she considered her next clue. She left Johnny in the basement—
where
he belongs, the rascal
—and scurried to find where her key would fit.

The roof, where Santa’s reindeer might land.

A candy cane-lined path led her to signs pointing in four different directions, much like in a fairy tale. She had to choose the right one.

Four directions, all seeming to lead where reindeer might land.

She chose the path that led back inside the house, and looked for the next sign. On the stairs, she found another candy cane. She climbed until she reached the attic door and pulled it down.

It was dark in the attic, of course.

“I really want to win,” she murmured. Telling herself it was safe, she grabbed her flashlight and headed up the steps.

Once she got to the top, she looked for a light switch. It was taped down, a fact that didn’t surprise her. “Fiona’s idea of romance,” Jess said, and jumped up into the attic, her silver sandals clacking on the oak wood floor. “Oh, wow.”

Fiona had the space decorated like a Christmas fairy tale. Tinsel wreaths lined the walls, and tinsel garlands hung over every eave. A tiny silver tree had gaily wrapped gift boxes underneath. Jess approached the tree, wondering how her key might fit into the picture.

She wasn’t totally surprised when she heard boots on the landing behind her. Whirling, she faced Johnny.

“Damn, it’s dark up here.”

“There are candles,” Jess said.

“I was hoping you’d be here.” He looked around the attic. “Fiona does know how to decorate.”

Jess glanced at all the dormer windows. Each one was lit by a glass candle. A wreath decorated each dormer. But it was Johnny who held her attention. “I haven’t found where the key goes.”

He approached the tree. “Keys unlock things.”

She nodded. “But there are only these tiny boxes.”

The ladder behind them began to slide closed, and then the attic door shut. “Fiona,” Jess said, and Johnny nodded.

“She seems to be determined to get us alone together. Which I don’t mind at all. Come here.”

He snagged her easily, kissing her. Breathlessly, Jess drew back. “What about Wendy?”

“Mmm,” he said. “Let’s be clear about how much I love your lips, Jess. I believe it was one of the first things I noticed about you.” He followed that statement by proceeding to kiss her so thoroughly she could hardly think.

“Wendy,” she reminded him, pulling away.

“Ah. Last I saw her, she was sucking face with one of the Callahans. It might have been Sam.” Johnny gave a dismissive shrug. “I wouldn’t have even brought her, except you said you wanted us to be seen with other people. Kind of funny, since I’m really enjoying
not
being seen with you.” He laid gentle kisses against her collarbone, then lifted her up against him and sank onto a window seat. “Sleeping with you in that cave just about drove me nuts.”

“Wait,” Jess said, slapping away one of his hands, which had a tendency to wander. Her head was spin
ning from all Johnny’s kisses, and if she didn’t get him to focus on the current matter, nothing was going to be resolved. She didn’t want to go back downstairs unless everything was clear. “I didn’t say I wanted us to be seen with other people.”

“You said something like that. And you were uncomfortable with me.” He kissed each one of her fingertips, then glanced out the window. “Look at everybody running around down there. Lucky for me, I’ve already found what I wanted.”

She squirmed backward in his lap as he tried to kiss her collarbone again. If she didn’t stop everything this minute, he was going to completely seduce her. “Oh, heck, it doesn’t matter anymore,” she said, pulling his face to hers. He seemed glad to let her take the lead, and she let her hands do the walking across his broad shoulders and down his back.

“I like you,” he said, when she drew back to take a breath.

“I… You’re a flirt, Johnny Donovan. You kiss all the girls.”

“Again, you saw her kissing me. And now she’s kissing someone else. Wendy is an opportunistic kisser. I’m okay with that.”

Jess wrinkled her nose. “And when you take her home and she decides to plaster herself all over you?”

He laughed. “I think I like this jealous streak of yours.”

“I don’t.” Jess kissed him for good measure, so he’d remember later on that his lips were just right for hers—in case he did decide to fall for any of Wendy’s wiles.

Somehow, Jess didn’t think he would.

She was just about to unfasten his belt buckle when he said, “So what about the uniform?”

“The uniform?”

“The guy you brought?”

Jess studied Johnny. “Are you jealous now?”

He massaged her bottom through the skirt. “Damn right.”

He was making her body melt like ice cream in summer, but she steeled herself against the tide of longings he was igniting. “My date and I are…close. That’s the only way I know to put it.” Jess wasn’t about to let Johnny off the hook until she was sure he wasn’t going to jump right into Wendy’s willing arms.

“Close?” He slipped a hand underneath her skirt, rubbing his roughened palm over her thighs. “They say close only counts in hand grenades, Red.”

She felt herself blush. “My hair’s not really red.”

“Don’t tell me that,” he said, teasing her nipple through her blouse. “I have a thing for red ponytails.” He tugged her close. “Yours is the only one I’ve ever seen. That makes it special. Unique. And I like it.”

He kissed her, and she heated up like Fiona’s gingerbread. “Johnny,” she said with a gasp, pulling away, “I have to tell you something. Gage is my cousin. He’s not really a date at all.”

Johnny laughed, and the sound was low and husky. She gave a squeak as he tugged her over him. She felt an exploring finger dangerously near her thong.

“I know, my sweet,” Johnny said. “I asked Sam who Gage was before I chased you down into the basement.

He happened to remember him from a cattle deal they did together a long time ago.”

“That’s not fair,” Jess said. “You’re not supposed to stack the deck in your favor.”

Johnny massaged her thigh as his lips took a dangerous trail down her neck. “I wasn’t going to let you get away. And the uniform’s lucky that he’s related to you.”

“Why?” Jess asked. “I don’t like jealous men.”

Johnny chuckled, and the sound made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“I was going to send him on a really long errand for more ice for the party.”

“The only place that sells ice anywhere around here is the bait store, and they’re closed for the holidays. Everyone is here,” Jess said.

“Right,” Johnny said. “And I’d have you all to myself.”

“Would you really have sent him off on a wild-goose chase?”

He’d made his way down to where her bra hooked together under the silky blouse, with a diamante, bow-shaped clasp. Jess was suddenly anxious to take the garment off for Johnny.

“Sure,” he said. “I’d have done that. Fiona totally endorsed the plan.”

“Oh, Fiona.” Jess straightened. “I forgot about Fiona!” She jumped from Johnny’s lap. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

He shrugged and followed her to the door. When he pushed the button, the door opened and the stairs slid down.

Jess looked at him, outraged. “You knew all the time that we weren’t trapped in here!”

He grinned and gave her a tiny swat. “You have boy-sweeps-girl-off-her-feet fantasies. I’ll see what I can do about that.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll go down first, thanks.”

“Don’t trust me?”

“No,” Jess said. “I know you’ll look up my skirt.”

“Hell, yes,” Johnny said with a wink. “Ladies first.”

He really was annoying, Jess decided as she made her way down.

“Hey,” Johnny said from the top of the stairs, “don’t you need to find the next all-important clue?”

She blushed. “Okay, that’s embarrassing,” she admitted, going back up the ladder. “If you’d just stop kissing me so I could think—”

“Right,” Johnny said as she crested the stairs, and swept her into his arms.

Honestly, it’s like being hunted by the big bad wolf,
Jess thought, kissing him as if she hadn’t seen him in years.
But I think I like being caught.