Page 30 of The Holiday Swap

He glanced up to where Charlie pointed, her arm trembling with the cold and adrenaline.

“Oh no,” he said. “Okay, hang on while I put Bonnie in the truck. We’ll get Gateau down, don’t worry.” Jake grabbed Bonnie by the collar. “Come on, girl.”

“It’s too cold in the truck,” Charlie protested. “Go ahead and put Bonnie inside. Just close the door to the bakery.”

“It’s my fault,” Charlie said when Jake returned. “I must not have closed the door all the way. I didn’t even think about it! I completely forgot about Gateau.” Cass would kill her if anything happened to the cat. Tears sprung to her eyes as she imagined admitting to her sister what she’d done.

“Hey, take a breath,” Jake said, putting an arm around her. He was warm and strong, and she relaxed against him. “I’ll get her down. It’s kind of what I do, remember? Cats in trees are no big deal for firefighters.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

Jake chuckled, releasing her. “Well, if I wasn’t here, Bonnie wouldn’t have chased Gateau up the tree, so...”

“Fair point,” she conceded, her teeth chattering.

Jake took off his hoodie and handed it to her. “Here. You’re freezing.” As she zipped up the garment, she caught a mild whiff of something unfamiliar... Was it smoke?

“I know, it smells like a campfire. I started a fire for Gran before I left.”

She sniffed deeply. Yes, it was mild, but it was there. Smoke. The relief at realizing her sense of smell was returning nearly overwhelmed her, but she fought to keep it hidden. She put the hood up and grinned at Jake. “Thank you,” she said, her teeth already chattering less.

“You’re welcome.” He smiled and tugged gently on the strings on either side of the hood, cinching it closer to her head. She probably looked ridiculous, but she didn’t even care.

“So,” Jake added, looking around the yard. “We should do this before we lose the last bit of light. Is there a ladder somewhere?”

“Leaning against the side of the bakery,” Charlie replied, hoping that was still where her dad kept it.

“I can’t believe this happened. I’m such an idiot,” she said once Jake returned with the bulky aluminum ladder. It was ancient and unwieldy, though he handled it like it was nothing more than a plastic garden chair.

“Are you kidding me? It’s my dog who’s the idiot. Listen to herin there, still barking like a fool.” As if on cue, Bonnie let out another series of high-pitched barks. They both laughed. “I love her, but...”

“Hey, she’s a work in progress, right?” Charlie moved out of the way so Jake could place the extendable ladder against the tree’s sturdy trunk. “Maybe we’realljust works in progress.”

Jake settled the ladder, testing it to make sure it was secure before glancing back at her. “Feeling philosophical today, are we, Cass?”

She shrugged. “Panic over possibly losing your pet will do that to you, I guess.”

Jake held the ladder with one hand and reached for her with his other. His green eyes held hers as his fingers wrapped around her hand, giving a gentle squeeze. “You’re not going to lose Gateau, Cass. I promise. I’ll have her down in a few minutes. You don’t have anything to worry about. Okay?”

Then he let go of her hand and started climbing the ladder. Charlie held the rails against the tree, keeping it secure as he climbed. Her head was spinning as she watched Jake go higher, one rung at a time. But this time she knew the slight dizziness had nothing to do with her concussion and more to do with the handsome and kind-hearted firefighter climbing the ladder in front of her.

Soon, Jake was face-to-face with Gateau. “Is she okay?” Charlie asked, raising her voice so Jake could hear her over Bonnie’s barking.

“She’s fine,” Jake said, then Charlie heard him speaking softly to the cat, obviously keeping her calm as he reached for her. A moment later, Gateau tucked under one arm, he made his way back down the ladder, murmuring to the feline the entire time.

“I don’t blame you one bit,” Charlie heard him saying once hegot closer to the ground. “Bonnie’s sweet, but not as smart as you. She didn’t mean it.” Charlie was not an animal person, not like her sister, but the sight of Jake talking so seriously to Gateau was an image she never wanted to forget.

Jake hopped off the ladder’s last rung, Gateau cradled in his arms. The little cat was purring as she snuggled into his well-muscled chest, which Charlie couldn’t help but notice through his T-shirt. He handed her Gateau, and Charlie lingered close for a moment, their hands touching. Then the cat, tired of being manhandled, let out a plaintive mew and broke the spell.

Jake reached out to scratch Gateau under the chin. “I’m sorry Bonnie chased you up a tree, girl.”

Charlie smiled down at Cass’s cat. “Thank you,” she said to Jake.

She didn’t know what else to say, but knew she didn’t want the moment to end. And with the way he was looking at her right now, as intensely as he had earlier—it was no use. Charlie had reached the point of no return. Neither of them moved, and even Gateau stayed still in Charlie’s arms. There was so much she wanted to share, but couldn’t: this whole caper with Cass was proving to be harder than she imagined, but not for the reasons she’d expected. Charlie hadn’t planned to come home and develop feelings for someone who had been a complete stranger only days before.

A wiser person would put a stop to things. Right now, before someone got hurt. But as much as Charlie knew it was wrong, it didn’t feel that way to her—it feltright.

Charlie went up on her tiptoes and kissed Jake on the cheek. His beard tickled her skin, but his cheek was soft against her lips. She stilled there, realizing she could smell the fresh, soapy scent of his skin. Then Jake’s lips brushed hers and she could think ofnothing else. At some point his hands landed on Charlie’s waist, and he didn’t let go when she came down from her toes. He looked surprised by the kiss (even though he had initiated it) but not in a bad way. Her heart thumped furiously when she saw her feelings reflected back in his gaze.

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