The Lost and Found (24 page)

I threw my arms around Josiah and said, “I don’t deserve you. You’re so good to me. Thank you, Josiah.”

“No, thank
you
. And, it’s me who doesn’t deserve you. Besides, I’m hoping this will give me some brownie points and I’ll be able to steal a few kisses from you tonight.”

I smiled at his teasing and let him help me into the sleigh. After we were settled and the blankets were wrapped around us, he urged Trigger on. It was by far the most romantic night of my life. And yes, I let Josiah steal a few kisses — I may have stolen a few from him as well. And the shadow, along with the missing person and part of that photo were relegated to the back of my mind.

Josiah

JOSIAH SAT ON HIS
couch, deep in thought. He’d already taken Crimson back to the main house; she’d texted him when she was upstairs. It bothered him that she was in that house with Rob so close, but he reasoned that she’d be essentially safe with Billy. And he was always no more than a text or phone call away. After he’d put Trigger away and had the sleigh back in the shed, he’d gone upstairs and showered. Now, he sat there, holding a steamy cup of coffee and that photo, the one that had held Crimson’s attention for so long. His chest was bar e and already dry; he was still wrapped in his towel, but didn’t even notice the chill in the room.

As he looked at the picture, Josiah wondered if indeed the reason it was torn was because Crimson’s mom hadn’t wanted to see her rapist. And, if that was the case, and Crimson did resemble him, how hard must it have been for her to see Crimson each and every day? He thought it was interesting that if Lance had been Jon’s best friend that there weren’t any pictures of him. It made him wonder. Then again, it could have been a girl in the photo, maybe someone her mom had been friends with until that friendship ended; it was hard to tell from the shape of the shadow. It could have been anyone, and it could have been no one. Either way, he loved
his
girl and hated seeing her upset over this. And, even if she did, in fact, look like the man who’d raped her mom, she was still the most beautiful and precious thing in all Creation to him. And nothing could ever change that.

Mistletoe

Crimson Sage

A WHITE CHRISTMAS SEEMED
almost cliché, but that’s what we ended up with. Everyone stayed up late on Christmas Eve watching all the Christmas classics on television before we stumbled up to our beds with sleepy eyes. Ethan wrapped his arms around me on the upstairs landing and whispered, “Love you, Sis.”

“Love you, too, Kid.”

Josiah called me at 12:01 to wish me a Merry Christmas. He told me to come to the window and look outside. Even though I’d just fallen asleep, I couldn’t be angry with him for waking me up. I grinned as I stumbled out of bed and quietly made my way to the window. I rubbed the fog from the glass and peered out into the snowy night.

A glowing message, written in candle light that spelled out the words
I love you,
waited for me in the snow. Josiah stood in front of the message just below my window. In his arms he held a large bouquet of red roses. My eyes welled up with tears as I took it all in. Josiah pointed to the back door and I nodded to him. I quickly grabbed my robe and slid on my slippers before heading downstairs. Silently I crept to the backdoor; Josiah waited for me on the porch.

My fingers were all thumbs as I struggled with the doorknob. Finally I had it open and threw my arms around him. Josiah held me tight. “Merry Christmas, Little Red.”

Hiccupping through my tears, I whispered, “I love you, too.”

“Think Billy would mind if you stayed over?”

I raised my head to see if he was serious and the light in his dark blue eyes made them burn with a blue fire. “I promise my intentions are pure. Your virtue is safe with me. I’d just like to spend this time with you. In a few hours this house will be full of noise… I’d like you to myself for a little while,” his voice slid over me as he nuzzled my neck and tugged at my jawline with his teeth.

I looked down at my outfit. “I’m not really dressed…”

“Yeah, I was trying not to notice that,” he groaned into my hair. “Run up and grab something to wear tomorrow. I’ll wait. Don’t worry about changing now. Just hurry. I have another surprise for you.”

I ran back up the stairs as quickly and quietly as I could manage. I needed something, a jar or large glass to put the roses in. I scanned my room and came up with nothing, then headed to the bathroom. Thankfully I’d left a mason jar I’d used for iced tea a couple weeks back on the floor. I rinsed it out and filled it with cold water, then put the roses in it, taking a moment to smell them again. I set them next to my bed and stepped back to admire how they looked. Then I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a sweater in a muted shade of red and then my snow boots. I turned out my light and then locked my door behind me. I carried everything back out to where Josiah was waiting for me, planning to slip my boots on down there so I wouldn’t wake anyone up clomping down the steps. The door squeaked quietly behind me as I stepped out. Before I could put the boots on, Josiah swung me up into his arms and said, “I’ve got you.”

“You can’t carry me all the way to the barn. I’m too heavy!”

“Please. Soaking wet you’re about as heavy as a feather. Besides, I like you here.” Josiah lifted me closer to his chest, holding me tight and stepped off the porch into the snow.

“Should we blow those candles out?”

“Nah, they’ll be fine. Took me forever to light them; besides there’s nothing to burn out here.”

Josiah wasn’t even breathing hard when we reached the barn. I thought he’d set me down, allow me to climb the steps to his loft myself, but he didn’t. He carried me all the way to the top. When we reached his door he stopped. “Okay, now you need to close your eyes.”

“You have a thing with my eyes. You’re always asking me to close them,” I teased as I did as he asked.

I heard the door open, and then felt Josiah shift as he carried me into his room. He kicked the door shut behind us and took a few steps forward. I pictured his room and guessed he’d stopped in the middle. I felt the rough caress of his jaw as he nuzzled my neck, ear, and jaw. “All right, Crimson, you can open your eyes now.”

My eyes opened and then my breath caught in my throat. A warm glow surrounded us — the room was lit with several candles, of varying sizes and colors. There were more roses, several vases of them set around the room. But, it was the mistletoe that caught me. I couldn’t count them all. Mistletoe hung from the ceiling all across his little apartment. I don’t think there was a spot I could stand where I wouldn’t be under it.

I couldn’t help the tears or the smile. Josiah was really like a dream come true, and I hoped I never woke up. He was tough, rugged, strong, and enough to set my body on fire. He was capable and confident. Compassionate and thoughtful. He was safe and trustworthy and he knew how to stoke the fire inside me. I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve him, couldn’t fathom what he saw in me. I’d been such a broken mess, and yet he treated me like I was a rare gem, like I was priceless and highly valued. Even when I felt like I had nothing to give him, he gave to me until I overflowed and was able to give back. I never wanted to let him go. I wanted to stay with him forever.

Josiah didn’t wait for me; he set the pace, taking my mouth easily with his. He kissed me that way for a while, slow and deep. Tasting and nibbling. Effortlessly stoking that fire. Without breaking the kiss he let my feet slide down, but held me tightly to him; his hands gripped my waist, my hips. The heat in his touch burned me through my clothing.

We were both breathing heavily when he finally pulled back. His blue eyes searched mine then he grinned. “Surprise,” he whispered.

I chuckled as I leaned up to kiss him again. Josiah held still and let me. Even standing on my toes he was much taller than me. He must have sensed my frustration at our height difference because he gripped me and lifted. My extra clothes were dropped on the floor and Josiah stumbled as he moved, carrying me forward with him.

Suddenly he stopped again and raised his head. I saw the indecision in his gaze and looked around us. He was torn between heading for his bed, a delightful and dangerous option, or playing it safe and choosing the couch. Not to say that the couch didn’t hold its own set of dangers, but when compared to Josiah’s bed and the heat already burning between us, the couch was definitely the lesser of two evils.

Josiah caught my eye and grinned again. He took a deep breath, settling himself, bringing himself under control, and then he lowered his head to mine, rested his forehead against mine. “You may kill me,” he grumbled good-naturedly.

“Yeah,” I breathed shakily. “Same here.”

Josiah set me down and my feet touched the floor. I felt a little off balance and held his hand until the room was no longer spinning. I glanced up at the ceiling and laughed quietly.

“What?” he asked.

“Oh, I was thinking that for both our sakes I should find a safe zone, but by the looks of things there isn’t one.”

“You’re safe with me, Crimson. I didn’t bring you here to seduce you.”

“I know that,” I replied as I placed a hand on his arm, loving the way he felt, his warmth and strength. “But, I also know it’s hard on you. I mean, it’s hard on me, so I can only imagine how hard this is for you.”

“Hard is an apt description.”

I blushed under the heat in his gaze.

“Come on, Crimson,” Josiah said as he took my hand. He led me to the couch and we sat down. He laced our fingers together; his thumb rubbed the back of my hand in slow, soothing motions. “I just want to sit here with you and enjoy the evening. We’ll go to the big house in a few hours and celebrate Christmas, but this, this here, this is our time.”

I snuggled into his strong, warm shoulder. My eyes blinked heavily, and I was surprised that I could even be tired right now. Moments ago every nerve ending I had was firing in excitement, and now I was so relaxed I couldn’t seem to keep my eyes open. Josiah must have noticed because I heard his low chuckle, felt him gently squeeze me. His lips brushed against my temple and his voice rumbled in my ear. “Go to sleep, Crimson. I’ve got you.”

“No, I’m good.” I tried to fight against the pull of exhaustion.

Josiah chuckled again and said, “Hold on.”

He stood up, and went to blow out the majority of the candles in the small room, leaving just one lit. He grabbed a blanket from the bed and rejoined me on the couch. With his arms wrapped around me, his heartbeat strong, steady, and comforting in my ear, it didn’t take long for sleep to claim me.

Josiah

CRIMSON SMELLED GOOD
. Lemon, vanilla, and sunshine — even in the middle of winter. Her warm body was pressed up against him. Enticing. Comforting. Driving him completely insane. Josiah wanted her. Bad. But he’d wait. For her. For the right time, the right place, the right reasons.

He shifted carefully, settled more fully into the couch, easing Crimson closer to him. Molding her body to fit the length of his. He didn’t trespass. No, he wouldn’t do that to her, but he couldn’t help imagining when she’d say yes and truly be his. Heart, body, and soul.

Of their own violation, his lips skimmed her temple, then the inside of her wrist as he entwined her hand with his, lifting them to his mouth. Crimson mumbled under her breath, said his name, said,
I love you
on an exhale, and snuggled closer still, wrapping her arms around him.