A Carolina Christmas Read online

  A Carolina Christmas

  Michelle Major

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE ACCIDENT HAD happened so quickly, but Bella Hart couldn’t stop replaying it in her mind in excruciatingly slow motion. They were the worst few minutes of her entire life, and that was saying something.

  The front door accidentally left ajar.

  The ten-month-old puppy gleefully running across the yard toward the street, ignoring his panicked owner’s calls to come.

  The giant SUV headed right toward the animal.

  Bella’s scream as she followed her four-legged baby into the road.

  In front of the massive vehicle.

  The squeal of tires reverberating in her ears.

  And then...

  “Hey.”

  Tanned fingers snapped in front of her face.

  “You okay, Bella? Are you sure I can’t call someone?”

  She blinked and looked into the brilliant cerulean gaze of Sam Anderson. Blue that reminded Bella of the Colorado sky on a clear winter’s day. A bluebird day, the locals called it as they headed for the slopes in the mountain town where she’d grown up. Bella had never liked snow.

  Sam was her neighbor in the duplex she rented just outside the small town of Magnolia, North Carolina. She’d gotten a job as a third grade teacher there after graduating from college five years earlier, much to the chagrin of her parents, who were desperate for her to return home.

  Sam was also a couple of years younger than her, as hot as any man she’d ever seen—a fact that made him quite popular with the ladies of the quaint Southern town.

  He’d also been the one to hit her puppy. Or almost hit. Bella wanted to believe it was a near miss.

  The veterinarian who was currently casting Tater’s front leg couldn’t be sure if there had actually been impact. The puppy had a broken leg but no other sign of trauma.

  Bella hadn’t been hit. Thank God the brakes on Sam’s ancient Land Cruiser seemed to be in good working order.

  But she had a nasty road burn on her legs.

  She’d been wearing—still wore—a short robe over pajama shorts and a thin T-shirt, no bra. She pulled the fuzzy pink robe closed as she met Sam’s gaze.

  “I’m fine,” she said, hating that heat infused her cheeks as he studied her.

  What was wrong with her? She and Sam had been neighbors for nearly two years now and were friends of a sort. Neighborly, anyway. He wasn’t her type, despite his physical perfection, and she certainly wasn’t his.

  Not to mention he’d almost killed her dog.

  Could nothing dampen her physical reaction to the man?

  “I’m sorry.” He sat back on his haunches. “So damn sorry. I didn’t see the little guy and—”

  “I know.” She reached out and covered his hand with hers. An immediate and unwanted spark of awareness zinged through her. She snatched her hand away before Sam noticed. When they’d first met, she’d literally walked into a wall because he’d flustered her so badly.

  In addition to his piercing blue eyes, Sam was tall with a kind of natural athletic grace, like there was nothing he couldn’t handle. He wore his blond hair cropped and had an easy smile that lit up his whole movie-star-handsome face.

  He had to know she had a major crush on him. From what she could tell, every single woman in Magnolia—and a number of the married ones—felt the same way she did.

  Pull yourself together, she commanded silently. Maybe the post-adrenaline rush could be blamed for her overwhelming reaction. The letdown had only come once Sam had driven them to the vet’s office, where her sweet pup had checked out in good health other than the leg.

  According to Dr. Kaminski, the attending vet, Tater’s fracture was simple, so the leg could be cast without needing surgery.

  “Let’s take care of your leg while we’re waiting.”

  “My leg?” she asked dumbly as Sam straightened and walked to the small sink in the corner of the empty break room. The vet tech had suggested she wait in the back instead of the lobby since she was wearing pajamas, a robe and fake sheepskin boots.

  He looked over his shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. The kind he might offer some hysterical woman during one of his shifts with the local fire department. The kind that said, “don’t lose your mind on me, ma’am.” As if she were on the verge of...

  She groaned as she shifted on the chair. Right. Her leg and the burning road rash she’d gotten from hurling herself in the path of his SUV, like she was some sort of superhero who could handle the impact and save her beloved puppy.

  Her right leg had taken the brunt of the damage. From about midthigh to just above her ankle, her skin was a patchwork of red and raw wounds, inflamed and bleeding in several places. Somehow she’d become numb to the stinging pain with her mind focused on Tater’s injury.

  “I’ll take care of it when I get home,” she said as he moved closer. He placed the bin of first aid he’d brought on the chair next to her and knelt in front of her.

  “We should clean it out now. I can handle this, Bella.”

  Of that, she had no doubt.

  “I don’t even remember the last time I shaved my legs.” She jerked away as he reached for her, then sucked in a painful gasp.

  “I promise I won’t even notice your legs.” His mouth quirked. “I’m going to touch you now, okay?”

  “Okay,” she murmured, because he sounded so sure of himself. This caregiver side of Sam was one she hadn’t seen before, although it made sense, given his line of work. He dealt with people in crisis every day.

  And she refused to think about his comment that he wouldn’t notice her legs. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Sam had never noticed her as anything but his neighbor and platonic friend. Oh, he enjoyed her stories about the students at Magnolia Elementary. He appreciated it when she made extra dinner and left disposable containers on his porch.

  But he dated women who were much different than Bella.

  Beautiful women. Fun women. Women her mother would describe as having loose morals for the most part. Sam had made the dating rounds of Magnolia and beyond. Although his social life had slowed considerably in the past few months. Bella didn’t know why.

  His hands were sure as he gently blotted at the scrapes along her thigh. “I don’t see much embedded gravel. Good thing they repaved the road last summer.”

  “Yeah,” she managed, trying her best not to squirm as she watched him work.

  “Hey, Bella?” He looked up at her through lashes that made her green with envy. Maybe it was the frame of thick lashes that made his eyes so striking.

  “Yeah?” she repeated.

  “Don’t run out in front of cars, okay?”

  “I didn’t think,” she said as if that fact wasn’t obvious. “Well, I thought about Tater, but that’s all.”

  “You love that puppy.”

  “I do.”

  He frowned, his brows drawing together. “I’ll pay for the vet bills, of course. I can’t tell you—”

  “Sam, don’t apologize again. He got out. It was an accident.”

  “I should have been paying more attention. It was a long shift, and I was just focused on getting home and to bed.”

  “I understand. Tater’s okay—that’s what counts,” she added, because she had to distract herself from how much
she appreciated the thought of getting Sam to bed.

  She watched him work, gently placing antibiotic cream on her scrapes then covering them with a sterile bandage. Oh, he had good hands.

  But she wasn’t going to go there.

  Because Sam wasn’t for her.

  Did she imagine it or did the air grow heavy between them as he took care of her? His focus remained on her leg—the one he’d told her he wouldn’t notice—and a muscle ticked at the edge of his jaw.

  She was imagining things. Sam was a firefighter. He must patch people up or handle injuries worse than hers a dozen times a week. He was this close to people all the time, so the strange intimacy of the moment couldn’t possibly affect him the way it did her.

  He returned the unused supplies to the bin but didn’t stand. He offered her a sheepish grin and drew in a deep breath. “I know this is odd timing,” he said, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself. “But would you—”

  “Tater Tot is ready to go home,” a voice announced from the doorway.

  Sam straightened in one fluid motion, and Bella turned to the doctor staring at the two of them.

  “Is he okay?” she asked, tightening the sash on her robe as she stood.

  “He’ll be groggy for a bit, but puppies are resilient. He’ll be full of his usual energy before you know it.” Dr. Kaminski, who was new to the practice and Magnolia, smiled. “He’s a cute pup. A real sweetie.” As her attention moved from Bella to Sam, she smoothed a hand over her shiny blond hair. “Hi, Sam. I haven’t seen you around for a while. We still need to catch that movie you promised me.”

  “Sure,” Sam muttered noncommittally. “Thanks for taking care of Tater, Deedra.”

  Bella sighed and took a step forward. Of course the female veterinarian would know Sam. She was young and pretty and human, after all. It was as if the universe had sent Bella a reminder of why he wasn’t for her.

  “Thank you, Doctor,” she said to the woman, turning away from Sam. “I’m ready to take my best boy home now.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  TWO DAYS LATER, at seven in the morning, Sam turned the corner onto the block where he lived, his pace even and his breath coming out in rhythmic puffs. The sky was just starting to lighten, but he’d gone for an early run when sleep had been elusive.

  Before he’d joined the fire department a year and a half ago, Sam had never had trouble falling asleep. It didn’t matter if he was at home or on a buddy’s couch or in a woman’s bed—and that last was the location he preferred the most.

  Something had changed since coming to Magnolia. He’d changed. His work had shown him a side of humanity that made him grow up fast. He’d first pursued the job because he liked the fast pace, the risk and the flexibility of shift work. But it was the service aspect that now meant the most to him.

  Helping people in times of need humbled him, and the things he’d witnessed as part of his work deepened his commitment to the job. He wanted to earn the respect of his captains and coworkers, at least while he was on the clock. As much as he might want to some days, he couldn’t go back to the stupid lug of a happy-go-lucky guy he’d been.

  Yet he also couldn’t quite let go of that persona, and keeping up appearances was a crap-ton of work.

  His heart leaped in his chest as he noticed Bella in the front yard with Tater.

  Just thinking about those frantic moments when he wasn’t sure his Toyota would stop before slamming into her was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat that had nothing to do with physical exertion.

  But the averted tragedy wasn’t the reason for his accelerated heartbeat.

  That was all Bella—her innate sweetness and easy beauty. He had to admit, it had taken him a while to notice what a prize she was, a quintessential—and literal—girl next door. She had straight chestnut-colored hair that fell just below her shoulders and a slim figure with the most beautiful skin he’d ever seen.

  The other day in the vet’s office, Sam had felt like a lecher thinking about her softness when he was supposed to be tending to her injuries.

  A creeper neighbor was the last thing a woman who lived alone needed in her life.

  And Bella was his friend. That was the kicker. She was not only pretty, but she was fun to be around. She didn’t take herself too seriously or try to be someone she wasn’t. She was at home with herself in a way Sam envied. Like she’d never need to run away or pretend to be a person she wasn’t because it’s what people expected of her.

  He wouldn’t ruin a real friendship with physical complications, no matter how she made him feel. Sam had dated plenty in his twenty-six years, but it was all casual. It didn’t mean anything. Bella meant something to him.

  Tater, who was on a leash, noticed Sam first. The dog barked and hobbled in happy circles.

  Bella shushed him and pulled the leash tighter so the dog couldn’t jump.

  “He’s feeling better I see.” Sam hurried forward and dropped to the damp ground to accept the puppy’s effusive greeting.

  “He has no respect for that cast,” Bella said, but she was smiling. “Who knew the hardest part of a broken leg would be keeping the dog calm over the next month so he can heal without reinjuring himself?”

  Sam chuckled and petted Tater Tot in long strokes as the dog settled. “You really don’t have much experience with puppies.”

  “Tater is like trial by fire,” she answered.

  The afternoon she’d adopted the dog from Magnolia’s popular animal rescue, Furever Friends, had been the first time he’d noticed Bella as more than a friend.

  She’d come home with the fluffy, wriggly puppy, and the look of adoration she’d given the dog... Well, Sam was still embarrassed to admit he’d been jealous of the animal.

  “He’s going to miss you while you’re away.” He frowned when she let out a huge sigh. “Speaking of away, why are you still here? I thought you were leaving early this morning for Colorado.”

  “I canceled my trip,” she said, and looked past him but not before he heard the catch in her voice.

  “Why?” he asked as he straightened, wiping the sweat from his brow with his shirtsleeve.

  She gave Tater’s leash a gentle tug. “I can’t leave him with a pet sitter while he’s in a cast. That would be too much to ask.”

  “I’ll keep him,” Sam offered without thinking.

  Bella’s soft smile did funny things to his insides. Things he didn’t want or need from a woman. “Your shifts at the fire department don’t exactly lend themselves to puppy sitting,” she pointed out. “Plus, aren’t you going to visit your family for Christmas, as well?”

  He nodded. “I’ll take Tater with me. Come on, Bella. I feel bad enough about my part in his injury. You can’t spend Christmas alone. The guilt will be too much.”

  Her pretty brown eyes rolled heavenward. “We both know guilt isn’t part of your makeup, Sam. I’ll be fine. Magnolia is so festive at this time of year. I’ll walk around downtown and enjoy the lights and decorations. Binge-watch all those shows languishing on my DVR. Have a mini spa day. It will be relaxing.”

  “Tell me you went to the dance last night.” As part of the town’s annual holiday festival, the town council had coordinated some big dance at the old textile mill that was in the process of being renovated. There’d been flyers up all over the station publicizing it because the wife of one of the senior firefighters was in charge of marketing for the town. He’d made fun of the event to Bella, only to discover that she was excited about it.

  He’d learned that his neighbor loved to dance.

  Her smile widened. “I did go for an hour once Tater fell asleep in his crate. You should have seen how beautiful it looked. The guy who’s running the flower shop in town helped organize things, so there were these adorable arrangements of winter greenery on every table. It was perfect.”

  �
�And did you dance?” Sam asked, unable to resist imagining spinning Bella on the dance floor.

  “A little.” She gave a small shake of her hips that made his mouth go dry. Ridiculous, since she was wearing shapeless gray sweatpants and an oversize flannel shirt for the early-morning potty break.

  “Any slow dances?” He forced a casual tone even as he questioned his sanity at fishing for that sort of information. But the thought of another man holding Bella—

  “Nope.” Another sigh. “No one even asked me. I give off too many teacher vibes, according to my assistant principal.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with teacher vibes.”

  “They’re not sexy.”

  Sam choked a little. He did not want to talk to Bella about sexy.

  “I would have danced with you.”

  “You weren’t there,” she answered with an arched eyebrow. “Besides, I don’t want a pity dance.”

  “It wouldn’t be—”

  “Save it, Anderson,” she interrupted with a wave of her hand. “I’m sure if you’d been there you would have been occupied—or maybe mauled is a better word—by your legions of adoring fans. Not to mention all those thirsty exes.”

  “I can’t believe you used the word thirsty that way.”

  Her grin widened. “I looked it up on Urban Dictionary to make sure I had the right usage. Too eager to get something or desperate. My knowledge of current slang is impressive, right?”

  He laughed, a common occurrence when he was talking with Bella. One he hadn’t realized was as important as it had become until lately. “Don’t stay here alone, Bell. Come with me to the mountains. My dad and stepmom close down their resort for Christmas every year to accommodate the family.” The words spilled out before he thought better of them. “I’ll make sure you get your own cabin if you want privacy. Just come with me. I’m only staying a week. It will make me feel better about almost running over both you and Tater.”

  “There’s that reference to guilt again.” She gave him an odd look. “Honestly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

  “I might surprise you with my depth.”