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Anna Beth nearly stuck her tongue out at him, just to see if he’d crack up. Jared had a great laugh. She missed it.
Where had that come from?
The Motrin she’d taken earlier helped with the pain in her thumb, but had possibly made her loopy. She looked away from Jared and grabbed another piece of bread. What other reason would explain her dwelling on their embrace in the bathroom or that ever since, she watched him when he wasn’t looking. His mature face, fuller than it’d been five years ago, had a days’ worth of dark stubble covering his cheeks and chin. He looked like he just stepped off one of those bad boy romances on the grocery store bookshelf she read every once in a while. He was all man and it made her nervous. Not because she ever thought Jared would hurt her, but her reaction to him unsettled her. Even though Ian passed over a year ago, she wasn’t sure she was ready for anything new. Having an attraction to Jared was one thing, but giving in and starting something would only complicate things when they were still figuring out what they could be to each other.
Maybe coming back to Snowy Springs had been a mistake. Being around Jared again left her confused by her reaction to him. Guilt niggled her, even though it didn’t make any sense. Just because she’d taken comfort in a hug and noticed Jared looked good, didn’t mean she was betraying Ian.
And even if she did find someone new, Ian wanted her to be happy. So why be upset about a natural, biological response to a good-looking guy?
Savannah’s voice rising to a squeak brought Anna Beth out of her own head. Savannah and her father were having an enthusiastic debate about why they should replace the prime rib for Christmas dinner with healthier alternatives. Mike wasn’t taking the suggestion well.
“I’m merely offering a few alternatives to red meat. Doctors say that too much red meat isn’t good for you and with your health scare--”
Mike held up his hand, cutting off his youngest daughter. “Let me stop you right there, sweetheart. I love you, but I am a meat-eating machine. And if you convince your mother not to fix prime rib, it won’t be a merry Christmas for anyone.”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “You are so dramatic.”
“Maybe, but I’m also dead serious. I need my coffee, meat, and whiskey. That’s all there is to it.”
Anna Beth laughed, covering her mouth with her napkin. The first time she’d walked into the Jeffrey’s house, Forrest and Grayson were fighting and Savannah was standing off to the side, screaming, a headless doll clutched in her hand. Isa lay on the couch watching TV and Jared took Anna Beth by the hand and led her back outside, away from the noise.
Although there were no more dolls and wrestling matches, the level of chaos stayed the same, as three-year-old Alanna ran around the dining room screaming, “Ring around the rosey!”
“Can you grab her?” Isa hollered to Gil, who caught his daughter in a bear hug. She squealed as he blew a raspberry on her neck.
Forrest and Grayson were going at it over some sports team, their voices getting deeper and louder. Anna Beth actually winced when Forrest nearly took her ear drum out rattling off stats.
Finally, Karen slapped her palm down on the table and the room fell silent.
“Alright! Since the ladies made dinner, we’re going to retire to the living room to get ready to decorate the tree. Mike, you’re in charge of eggnog. The rest of you, dishes, table, and countertops.”
“What about dessert?” Casey asked.
Mike shot him a stern look. “We just finished eating dinner. Let that settle and we’ll talk dessert when the tree is finished.”
Casey snapped his mouth closed. Anna Beth’s initial impressions of the teenager were not good and during dinner, her opinion hadn’t changed. There were a few times where he’d actually seemed to warm up, so it could be that he had a hard time letting his guard down, but she was still on the fence about him.
As everyone stood up, heading for their prospective stations, Anna Beth’s shoulder collided with Jared’s arm as they passed by each other. The contact set her off kilter for a moment and she weaved to the side. When he grabbed her arm to steady her, the heat of his palm burned through the sleeve of her sweater and goose flesh spread along her skin.
This was the second time in the span of an hour that Jared’s touch had left her discombobulated. In the bathroom, taking comfort in his hug let her slip back in time. Although he’d filled out since she’d last embraced him, he still smelled the same. The familiar scent of pine and spice eased her sorrow for a split second.
Then reality had come crashing back. Jared wasn’t her rock, her friend. They were merely acquaintances with a shared past.
“Sorry, I’m still a klutz,” she said, subtly moving her arm.
He released her immediately and she noticed his cheeks stained red. She hadn’t meant to embarrass him.
“It’s my fault. I forget how tiny this dining room is.”
A yellow and green sponge hit Jared’s cheek with a splat and he yelled, “Ow.”
“Chop chop, big brother.” Grayson stood by the sink, winding a dish towel up between his hands. “You’re washing!”
“Are you okay?” Soap bubbles slid down his cheek as he nodded and giggles chased away her brief dip into depression. “I forgot how crazy this place gets.”
“Just another night at the Jeffrey Family Circus. I wish I could say these weren’t my clowns, but I claimed them long ago.”
Another wave of sadness swept through her. She missed that feeling of belonging. If she hadn’t come back to Snowy Springs, she would be all alone for the holidays.
