Trading Christmas - Debbie Macomber [107]
“At this rate we won’t make it to Sea-Tac before Easter!”
“Relax, will you?” Joe suggested gently. He turned on the radio and a medley of Christmas carols filled the air. Normally the music would have calmed her, but she was suffering from a hangover, depression and severe anxiety, all at the same time. Her fingernails found their way into her mouth.
Suddenly she straightened. “Darn! I forgot to give you your Christmas gift. I left it at home.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I didn’t get you a gag gift the way I said.” Actually she was pleased with the book she’d managed to find—an attractive coffee-table volume about the history of baseball.
Cait waited for Joe to mention her gift. Surely he’d bought her one. At least she fervently hoped he had, otherwise she’d feel like a fool. Though, admittedly, that was a feeling she’d grown accustomed to in the past few weeks.
“I think we might be able to get back on the freeway here,” Joe said, as he made a sharp left-hand turn. They crossed the overpass, and from their vantage point, Cait could see that the freeway was unclogged and running smoothly.
“Thank God,” she whispered, relaxing against the back of the seat as Joe drove quickly ahead.
Her chauffeur chuckled. “I seem to remember you lecturing me—”
“I never lecture,” she said testily. “I may have a strong opinion on certain subjects, but let me assure you, I never lecture.”
“You were right, though. The streets of Bethlehem must have been crowded and bustling with activity at the time of that first Christmas. I can see it all now, can’t you? A rug dealer is held up by a shepherd driving his flock through the middle of town.”
Cait smiled for the first time that morning, because she could easily picture the scene Joe was describing.
“Then some furious woman, impatient to make it to the local camel merchant before closing, sticks her nose in the middle of everything and shouts at the rug dealer to get his show on the road.” He paused to chuckle at his own wit. “I’m convinced she wouldn’t have been so testy except that she was suffering from one heck of a hangover.”
“Very funny,” Cait grumbled, smiling despite herself.
He took the exit for the airport and Cait was gratified to note that her flight wasn’t scheduled to leave for another thirty minutes. She was cutting it close, closer than she ever had before, but she’d confirmed her ticket two days earlier and had already been assigned her seat.
Joe pulled up at the drop-off point for her airline and gave Cait’s suitcase to a skycap while she rummaged around in her purse for her ticket.
“I suppose this is goodbye for now,” he said with an endearingly crooked grin that sent her pulses racing.
“I’ll be back in less than two weeks,” she reminded him, trying to keep her tone light and casual.
“You’ll phone once you arrive?”
She nodded. For all her earlier panic, Cait now felt oddly unwilling to leave Joe. She should be rushing through the airport to her airline’s check-in counter to get her boarding pass, but she lingered, her heart overflowing with emotions she couldn’t identify.
“Have a safe trip,” he said quietly.
“I will. Thanks so much…for everything.”
“You’re welcome.” His expression sobered and the ever-ready mirth fled from his eyes. Cait wasn’t sure who moved first. All she knew was that she was in Joe’s arms, his thumb caressing the softness of her cheek as they gazed hungrily into each other’s eyes.
He leaned forward to kiss her. Cait’s eyes drifted shut as his mouth met hers.
At first Joe’s kiss was tender but it quickly grew in fervor. The noise and activity around them seemed to fade into the distance. Cait could feel herself dissolving. She moaned and arched closer, not wanting to leave the protective haven of his arms. Joe shuddered and hugged her tight, as if he, too, found it difficult to part.
“Merry Christmas, love,” he whispered, releasing her with a reluctance that made her feel…giddy. Confused. Happy.
“Merry Christmas,” she echoed, but she didn’t move.
Joe gave her the gentlest of nudges. “You’d better hurry, Cait.”