Twelve Days of Christmas (13 page)

“Jeremy, the kids sound great.” Julia couldn't be happier with how well the practice session had gone. “Missing the one day didn't hurt us a bit.”

Looking pleased himself, Jeremy leaned against the piano. “I think so, too. We're as ready as we'll ever be for the program tomorrow night.”

Julia was delighted. She loved watching the children perform. They were excited to perform for their family and friends and had worked hard to learn the words and the melodies. It made her role accompanying them on the piano ten times easier. As she watched their eager young faces, it made her long for a family of her own one day.

Immediately, she thought of Cain. While it was early in their relationship, way early, she had a good feeling about the two of them. The attraction between them intensified each and every day in ways it never had in previous—albeit short-lived—relationships.

Admittedly, it was too soon to be thinking of anything permanent. Yet they were building a solid foundation, and that pleased her.

That foundation would be far less stable once he learned about her blog. A sense of apprehension filled her. Fearing he might be upset, Julia had realized she needed to tell Cain what she'd been doing. However, she didn't think it would go well if she unloaded it all on him at once, so she'd decided to explain it in stages.

The slip of the tongue when she'd confessed she'd connected with his grandfather had been a blessing. Now that Cain knew she'd sought out Bernie, it'd opened the door for the full disclosure.

Jeremy's phone beeped, indicating he had a message. He unclipped the phone from his belt, read it, and looked up at her. “Do you know a man by the name of Cain Maddox?”

Julia immediately brightened. “Yes. Is he here?”

“Yes. That was Louis. Your friend arrived about forty minutes ago. He and Louis are apparently talking basketball.”

Julia had no idea Cain was keen on the sport, but then there was plenty she didn't know about him yet.

“Louis said this guy is waiting for you.”

“That's great.” Julia knew Louis worked with the boys in the gym.

She noticed Jeremy was closely studying her and he didn't look pleased. “Would you like to meet Cain?” she asked.

He shrugged, not revealing a lot of enthusiasm. “I guess.”

They met up with Cain and Louis in the gym, and when Cain saw her, he ended his conversation and started walking toward her. Julia's heart beat a bit faster when she noticed Cain's look. It was as if she were the focal point of his entire world. The gym could have caved in around them and she doubted that he would have noticed. She was all he saw and he was all she saw. They met in the middle and still didn't look away from each other.

“I don't like the idea of you walking alone back to the apartment,” Jeremy was saying.

Cain snapped his eyes away from Julia.

“I'll get my coat and walk you back,” Jeremy said, ignoring Cain.

“I'll walk Julia home,” Cain said, moving so he stood directly in front of Jeremy.

The two men were toe to toe, eye to eye. The tension between them was tight, vibrating with antagonism.

“I'm happy to do it,” Jeremy insisted.

“Not happening” was Cain's response.

“Cain?”

He ignored her when she touched his sleeve.

She'd been sure Jeremy wasn't interested in her. Now this. Cain wasn't behaving any better, either.

“Boys, stop!” Julia said, because that was exactly the way they were acting—like schoolboys on the playground. It felt like the entire room went silent, although that wasn't the case. The casual game of basketball was taking place behind them, but for all the attention Cain and Jeremy gave it they might as well have been squaring off in a dark alley.

“Cain, this is Jeremy,” she said, hoping to lessen the tension between the two men. “Jeremy, Cain.”

Neither blinked.

Julia was stunned. She'd never seen Jeremy act territorial before, and for that matter, she hadn't seen this side of Cain, either. Jeremy and Julia weren't an item and in reality had never been. They were friends. Good friends who had gone out on a couple dates. He'd asked a favor of her and she was happy to accompany the children for the holiday program. What she saw in him now was completely out of character and unprecedented.

Neither man was backing down.

“Listen, you two, I am not a fire hydrant and this isn't a pissing contest.”

If they were going to behave like Neanderthals, she wasn't going to stick around and watch. She already had her coat and purse with her. While the two continued their stare-off, she slipped on her thick jacket, buttoned it up, and swung her purse over her shoulder.

“See you both tomorrow.” With that said, Julia walked out of the gym and found her way to the exit. The cold wind slapped her in the face once she was outside. The threat of snow hung in the air. So much for the romantic picture of walking home hand in hand with Cain.

Hunching her shoulders against the cold, she'd walked little more than a block when she heard Cain calling her name. She didn't stop.

“Julia, slow down.”

She did, but she wasn't happy. He eventually caught up with her and matched his steps to hers.

“What was that about?” she demanded, not giving him a chance to speak.

He answered with a question of his own. “I thought you said you and Jeremy were just friends.”

“We are.”

Cain snickered. “I don't think he got the memo.”

“Of course he did. We haven't dated in months.”

“He's still interested in you.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “Don't be ridiculous.”

“Were you not in that gym?” Cain demanded. “The minute he walked into the room, his eyes were laser points drilling me. He's hung up on you and he didn't hesitate to let me know.”

“You're imagining things.”

“Don't give me that. You saw the way he reacted.”

“I saw the way you reacted,” she accused. “It was completely asinine.”

Cain came to a sudden halt. “Listen, I'm not a mind reader. If you have feelings for this guy and are using me to make him jealous, then…”

Julia gasped. “Are you seriously asking me that? I already told you there's nothing romantic between Jeremy and me. Nothing. If he's harboring feelings, then it's news to me. For you to even suggest I would use you says how little you know me.” Not waiting for his reaction, she started walking again, increasing her pace, doing her best to control her irritation.

Cain joined her, matching his footsteps to hers. “Okay, you're right, I shouldn't have suggested you would use me. Someone else did once, so I'm sensitive to it.”

Julia felt her stomach lurch because she was using him, just not the way he implied.

“Did you hear me?” he demanded.

“Yes, I heard you.”

“Do you understand what I'm saying?”

She glanced over at him. “Apparently not. You'd better explain it to me.”

He paused and reached for her, taking her gently by the shoulders and turning her so that they were face-to-face. “I'm walking you home, and it isn't because I live in the same apartment building as you. It's because Jeremy needed to know I wasn't backing down. If he wants you, then too bad. It's not happening.”

“I am not a piece of property for the two of you to fight over.”

“No, you're not,” he agreed. “You're important to me and I'm not letting you go without making sure it's what you want. If that means staring down or having words with your
friend,
then so be it.” His gaze bored into hers, waiting.

“You matter to me, too,” she whispered. Right away she could see he wanted more, needed more. “You're the one I dream about at night, the one I look forward to seeing in the mornings, the one who makes my heart sing with joy. If that isn't enough, then I don't know what else I can say.”

For the first time since they started walking, Cain grinned. His shoulders visibly relaxed. “It's enough.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his side. “So did you go see my grandfather?”

“You called and talked to him.”

“He told you, did he?”

“Yup.”

“You're a sneaky woman, Julia Padden.”

Now was as good a time as any to fill him in a bit more on what she'd been doing. “Can we stop at Starbucks for a few minutes?” Neutral territory would work best for what she had to say. If Cain got upset with her, he wasn't likely to make a scene in a public place.

Like before, she found them a table while Cain ordered their drinks. He returned in only a few minutes, as she didn't want anything more than coffee. Cain sat down across from her and handed her the hot coffee. Her hands went around the cup, the warmth seeping up her arms.

“Julia?” Cain's voice was full of uncertainty when he read the reluctance in her.

She briefly looked up and offered him a weak smile. “I have something to tell you that you might not like. I'd rather get it out in the open now.” Her heart raced at an alarming rate.

“Okay.”

The hesitation she heard in him wasn't helping.

“Are you married?” he asked.

She snapped her head up to look at him. “Married? Me? No.”

“Do you want to be?”

“Yes, of course, someday.” She wasn't sure where these questions were leading. “Actually, working with those kids at the center has made me think more about wanting a family of my own one day.”

“They're great, aren't they?”

“The best.”

“Okay, so what you want to tell me isn't the fact that you're married.”

“No, no, it's nothing like that.”

He looked relieved, which made her wonder if maybe that old girlfriend from his office had lied about more than her intentions.

“What's got you so twisted up in knots that you're having a hard time spitting it out?”

Drawing in a deep breath, hoping that would calm her heart, Julia looked up and met his gaze. “Would you mind holding my hand?” she asked.

He reached across the table and gripped her hand.

“You remember the morning I found you stealing my newspaper?”

He grinned as if the memory was a fond one. “I'm not likely to forget it. Your eyes were snapping fire at me.”

“I was upset.”

His eyes softened. “You have a hard time hiding the way you feel, Julia. You should never play poker.”

He was right, which made what she had to say all the more complex. “I mentioned Cammie, my college roommate, remember?”

He nodded.

Her fingers grabbed hold of his, needing the reassurance of his touch.

“When I told Cammie what you'd done, she suggested I kill you.”

Cain's eyes widened.

“…with kindness.” She held his look, waiting for his reaction. He didn't betray any of what he was thinking, which made her all the more nervous.

It took a moment for him to understand what she'd said. “That's why you decided to deliver my newspaper to my door?”

She answered with an awkward smile. “Yup. It was a test of sorts to see if kindness made a difference in the way you treated me.”

He ignored her explanation. “And the cookies?”

“And the cookies,” she echoed.

His face tightened. “So you looked upon me as a challenge.”

This was the hard part. “Yes, in the beginning, but you aren't any longer.”

“What am I now?” he asked, releasing her hand. He sat up straighter and leaned back as if physically and emotionally separating himself from her.

Julia knew her answer would determine the outcome of their relationship. “You're so much more than a challenge. When I'm with you I feel everything more intensely. The sun is brighter, the sky is bluer. My thoughts revolve around you. The experiment was to see if kindness would make a difference, and, Cain, can't you see that it has? In the beginning I didn't like you. I thought you were…well, it doesn't matter, because I don't think that way any longer.” She chanced looking at him, but he remained stiff and unreadable. “I don't know which one of us changed. If it was you or me or both of us at the same time, I can't say. All I know for sure, after the transformation took place, I wouldn't change a minute of my time with you since this started. Not a single minute.”