Page 71 of Mine For The Winter

“I didn’t gash your nipple. I scraped it.”

“It feels like a gash,” he said.

“That’s because you’re a baby.” She was finally smiling. He reached down to brush the hair from her face, then kissed her brow.

“You okay now?” he asked, his voice serious. Because he didn’t want her driving home if she wasn’t.

“Getting there.” She nodded. “And I really need to go before my dad and Cole realize I’m not there.”

“Okay then.” He leaned his head down to brush his lips against hers. Damn, he loved the way she felt in his arms. “We’ll talk later.”

“Will we?”

“Yep.” He grinned. “Now get your ass out of here.”

18

“You messed around with him again?” Amber said, sounding amused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means we didstuff.” Kelly widened her eyes. It was almost impossible to have a conversation like this in the coffee shop. She had no idea why she was even trying. Especially when it was full of tourists and Christmas cheer.

But her dad was in the Tavern with a group of his friends playing poker before opening. She could remember when they’d all get together at night, after the tavern was closed.

Now they were getting old and morning poker seemed so much more preferable. Whatever, here she was competing with Bing Crosby to be heard.

“What kind of stuff?” Amber looked like she was enjoying this.

“The kind of stuff your unborn baby shouldn’t hear about,” Kelly said. At least Willow wasn’t here. She was spending time with her cousin and Aunt Everley at the Jingle Bell Theater.

“Wait a minute.” Amber leaned down and whispered at the swell of her stomach. “Are you awake, baby?” Then a second later she looked at Kelly. “Completely asleep. Now spill, what’s going on between you two?”

“I have no idea,” Kelly said honestly. “It’s just… I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be talking about it without him being in agreement.”

“I won’t tell anybody.”

“You’ll tell North,” Kelly pointed out. “And North is Kris’ brother.”

“How about I promise not to tell North if you promise to answer my questions?” Amber sipped at her hot chocolate, whipped cream clinging to her upper lip. And when Kelly didn’t answer, Amber lifted a brow at her. “I told you about me and North when it happened. It’s only fair you do the same.”

“I had to practically prise it from you,” Kelly pointed out. “You didn’t want to say anything.”

“Yeah, but after I did, I felt better. And so will you. Now spill.”

“Ugh.” Kelly grimaced but she knew her friend was right. She had to get it out before she drove herself up the wall overthinking things. “Okay, but you really promise not to tell?”

“Pinky swear,” Amber said solemnly.

Well, here went nothing. Kelly took a long sip of her coffee and then sighed. “Kris and I kind of kissed in my shed yesterday. Then last night I went to his cabin and we, you know…”

“Had sex?” Amber asked. The woman next to her whipped around to stare at them. “Sorry, I meant six. Six coffees.”

The woman frowned and turned back to her friends.

“No, we didn’t have six coffees,” Kelly replied, her voice low. “He just ate… a sandwich. And I had a hotdog.”

Amber almost spit her drink out. “A hot dog?” A grin split her face. “As in Kris’ hot dog?”

“Can you keep it down?” Kelly pleaded.

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