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  Tis The Season

  Jill Sanders

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2018 Jill Sanders

  Printed in the United States of America

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Grayton Press

  DIGITIAL ISBN-13: 978-1-945100-01-7

  PAPERBACK ISBN: 978-1-728991-03-0

  summary

  Head back to Pride, Oregon, to find out what some of your favorite Jill Sanders’ characters are up to.

  * * *

  It’s time Matthew admitted he has bitten off more than he can chew by purchasing the old house on the hill. After all, it was just going to be a side project. Having his new brother-in-law fix up the place had been easy enough. But the first night he spent in the old place, he’d gotten a little more than he’d bargained for and now the interior decorator that he’d hired was the only one who could corroborate his crazy stories.

  Interior decorator Blake Shelby had been hired to work on what she thought would be one of the best projects in her new career. The massive old place was the perfect setting to show off her skills. It didn’t put her out any that the owner was tall, had dark hair and green eyes, and was everything she’d ever dreamed of. Speaking of dreams, since staying in the guest room, she’d had a few doozies herself.

  Prologue

  Two years ago – Florence, Italy

  * * *

  Blake was running late for her last class of the day. The sound from her fashionable but very uncomfortable shoes echoed along the outer corridor on the cobblestone pathway. She’d only worn them to impress the sexy guy she normally sat next to in class. The one who had ignored her all semester long. Still, she continued to dress to impress, as her mother had embedded into her.

  The heavy door to the classroom squeaked loudly as she pushed it open slightly to sneak in. The professor’s lecture was already in full swing and, outside of his booming voice, the room was silent.

  Debating if she could slip to the third row in the front unnoticed, she chose instead to take a seat in the empty last row.

  Glancing down at her watch, she realized that the professor was ten minutes into telling the class the finer details of the benefits of flying buttresses. Shortly after settling down, she felt the breeze from the door opening and closing. She turned to see who had managed to open the door without causing the loud squeak she’d caused. She shielded her eyes from the stream of sunlight that flooded in, trying to glimpse the figure in the doorway. Her breath caught instantly, seeing the outline of a strong figure standing in the doorway.

  The man shifted his gaze and, when it landed on her, he stepped in and shut the door quietly behind him. She had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust. By then, he had taken the seat next to hers, and his eyes were glued to the front.

  “Did I miss much?” he asked, not looking over at her.

  He was a god. Period. There was no other way about it. His thick dark hair hung over his ears slightly and had a curl to it. In profile, his nose looked perfectly straight. His chin… she held in a sigh. Manly and sexy, as was his voice.

  She doubted that anything about him could get any better. Then he turned green eyes in her direction, and she felt her entire body shiver.

  “Um,” she whispered after a moment, “I don’t know. I just got here myself,” she answered when she realized she was just staring at him.

  “What’s today’s subject?” the man asked smoothly. His voice made her think of sex. She crossed her legs to hold back what he was doing to her.

  “Flying buttresses,” she answered quietly, taking a quick glance down at her notes.

  “Flying…” The man smiled at her, then turned to listen to the professor.

  After almost a full semester of Professor Bianchi, she’d gotten used to his boring, droning tone. She’d never seen the sexy god sitting next to her in the classroom. Then again, she’d been so preoccupied with trying to win over the other man—who’d ignored her—that she hadn’t looked around much.

  She jotted down some of the highlighted points of the lecture, in case any of them showed up on one of his tests, and tried to ignore the man sitting next to her.

  “Think I could get a copy of those?” he asked. She’d been trying to focus on the lecture, but her mind and body were completely aware of him.

  “Sure,” she answered, without thought.

  “How about we meet after class?” he asked, shifting slightly towards her.

  She bit her bottom lip, thinking about the hour she had after class before she had to head to the small café she worked at to help pay the bills.

  “I have work,” she whispered.

  “Where? I’ll stop by, copy your notes.” He nodded to her notepad.

  She thought about all the warning signs, then decided to hell with it. How many times in her life would a god ask to meet up with her again?

  “Café Le Vespe,” she whispered, leaning a little closer to him since the room had grown quiet now. The professor was trying to get the images of cathedral churches on his computer to show up on the big screen. No doubt, he would be going over them for the rest of the class. When the professor started talking again, the man smiled over at her.

  “Matthew.” He held out his hand for hers. She noticed instantly the callouses, and the size of his hands. Even here, he was perfect.

  “Blake.” She shook it, wishing instantly that she’d had the time and money for a manicure. But she was trying to make it on her own, and the little luxury things in life fell aside for more practical items.

  He smiled. “I’ll see you later.” He started to get up, and she rested her hand on his, stopping him.

  “Aren’t you going to stick around for the rest?” She nodded to the screen.

  “I trust you.” He smiled at her and she felt her mouth go dry. “See you later, Blake,” he said smoothly.

  She was so dumbfounded by his good looks that she didn’t argue. Of course, after class, she was kicking herself for the entire situation. The whole walk home and the whole time she was changing into her uniform, she berated herself for being so stupid.

  The first sexy English-speaking man she meets, and she jumps at the chance to give him her hard-earned notes.

  Note taking was a skill, one she’d learned back in high school. Even back then, she’d let sexy guys copy off her. Did that say something about her? Was she so desperate that she’d let men use her? She kept asking herself that same question, up until the point that tall, dark, and handsome man strolled into the café’s front door. Then she forgot all about everything she’d berated herself for and handed over her notes happily.

  Chapter 1

  Today…

  Matt stopped just inside Classy and Sassy, his cousins’ store, and felt his heart skip. He’d been waiting next door for a meeting with the woman who stood next to his cousins, under the pretense that he wanted to hire her to decorate his new house.

  When in fact, the moment his cousin had given him a business card earlier, and he’d seen the name Blake in the sexy swirling print, his hopes had jumped at the possibilities that the Blake he’d known two years ago would be the same woman his cousins had been talking to him about. After all, the description fit and just how many Blakes in the world were interior designers? Sure, Italy was a half a world away from Pride, Oregon, but still, there had been a chance. One he’d been willing to wager on. His
first thought was that it couldn’t be the same Blake he’d fallen for two years ago.

  Sure enough, the woman standing by his cousin was the very same woman who had mysteriously disappeared on him in Italy a little over two years ago.

  However, when he’d pulled into the parking lot across the way and had seen all the cop cars in front of his cousins’ store, he’d rushed in, full of concern for Lilly and Riley.

  Upon seeing that his cousins were unharmed, he’d been thankful that everyone was too busy hugging Lilly and Riley to notice when his eyes scanned over the pretty blonde standing next to Lilly.

  It was her. What was she doing here? His eyes ran over the woman he’d spent the best week of his life with.

  She looked good. Really good. Of course, she had looked great two years ago, when he’d first spied her and had followed her into that classroom. He’d lucked out and she’d been sitting in the back of the room all alone.

  Her head turned towards him now as if she had felt his eyes on her. He smiled when her eyes grew larger and that sexy mouth of hers, which he’d dreamed of kissing since the last time he had, dropped open in slight shock.

  “So, do we get to know what happened?” Aaron Stevens asked the cousins. His concern for his cousins finally broke his eyes away from Blake, and he glanced over at them to make sure they were one hundred percent.

  One of the owners of the pizzeria had his arms wrapped around Lilly’s waist as if he wasn’t going to let go anytime soon. Matthew had heard that the guy, Corey Miller, had proposed to Lilly. No doubt, in a few months, he’d be attending another Jordan clan wedding.

  “It’s a long story,” Lilly said, glancing over and seeing him for the first time. “Matt.” She walked over and hugged him. Riley rushed over and did the same.

  “How about some food?” Riley suggested as she turned back to the room.

  The entire crew that had crowded into the store shuffled next door in the snow and took up the largest booth at the pizzeria.

  Drinks and food were ordered. The entire time, Matthew’s eyes stayed locked on Blake. He hadn’t said a word and neither had she.

  For the next half hour, he silently listened to the scary ordeal his cousins and Blake had just gone through, how the three of them had fought off a would-be killer, wrestling the woman’s gun away and holding her down until Robert, the local sheriff, came and hauled her away.

  “Oh!” Lilly set a slice of veggie pizza down. “Matthew, I totally forgot. This is Blake Shelby.” She motioned to Blake. “Blake, my cousin, Matthew. I think you two were going to meet and discuss her decorating your home?”

  “Yes,” Blake said softly. It was the first time he’d heard her speak in over two years. The sound of her sexy voice still sent waves of desire rushing through him.

  “Any woman who can help tackle a mad gunman—or gunwoman, as it were—and save my cousins deserves a chance to decorate my haunted house.” He laughed and reached across the table, his hand stretched out towards hers.

  Blake hesitated for a split second but then took it as she bit her bottom lip. His desire for her doubled.

  “You’re hired.” He smiled across the table at her when she tugged her hand free quickly.

  Her cheeks flushed, and she picked up her glass of wine and took a sip.

  Matthew listened to the conversation until Blake made an excuse to leave. He tossed some cash down and quickly followed her outside, his family none the wiser.

  Rushing out, he caught up with her just as she opened the door of an old pickup truck. The back was filled with items covered by a large blue tarp. The fresh snow had covered most of the tarp and the roads.

  “Blake.” He stopped her movement with just her name. Her hand was hovering over the truck door handle. Slowly, he moved closer and she turned towards him.

  He stopped less than a foot from her. During dinner, he’d checked her fingers for a ring. For two years he’d hoped he’d run into her again, somewhere. He’d traveled far and wide, and now here she was, in his own front yard.

  “You’re here?” He shook his head, his hand automatically going to her elbow.

  She glanced down at it, then took a deep breath.

  “Yes, and it appears, so are you,” she said.

  “Italy?” He shook his head, the question floating in the night air.

  “Was a mistake,” she added quickly.

  He couldn’t have hurt more if she’d pulled out a gun and shot him in the chest. His hand dropped from her arm, and he had to swallow before he could speak again.

  “Why?” he asked.

  She glanced over at the front door of the pizzeria as some of his family members came out.

  “I…” She took a breath. “I hope this won’t hinder my working for you.”

  “No,” he said automatically. “This has nothing to do with… that.”

  She nodded. “Then I’ll call your office and arrange for a time to come out and see the property.”

  “Tomorrow,” he blurted out. “I have the weekend off and can show you around.” He shifted so that she stood in his shadow as a car drove by.

  She thought about it a moment, then nodded. “I’ll need the…” She stopped when he pulled out a card that he’d written his address on.

  “Does ten in the morning work for you?” he asked.

  She nodded and started for the truck door again.

  “Blake.” He stopped her once more with just her name. “This conversation will happen.”

  She glanced over her shoulder and gave one quick nod, then got in the truck smoothly.

  He stood back and watched as the taillights disappeared down the main street of his hometown.

  “So…” The deep voice behind him made him jump slightly. Turning, he glared at his father, who was leaning against Matt’s car a few feet away. “That was Blake?”

  Matt growled softly, then walked over. “Yeah.” When he stopped in front of him, he narrowed his eyes at his father. They were roughly the same height, same build, but where his father’s hair was now peppered with gray, Matt’s was dark like his uncle and his aunts. “When did you get back? I thought you and Mom were in…”

  “Cabo.” Todd Jordan smiled. “We got back about an hour ago. Mom’s with Sara, no doubt giving her another foot rub before our first grandchild comes.” His father’s eyes actually lit up whenever he mentioned the awaited baby. Then his head turned slightly. “We heard about…” He nodded towards his cousins’ store.

  “Yeah, they’re over at Baked.” Matt nodded. “If you want to go in, I’m sure they’ll tell you the entire story.” He sighed.

  “Are you heading home?” his father asked.

  “Yeah.” He turned to go, then stopped. “My home, that is.” He cleared his throat. “I, uh, moved the rest of my things out when you two were gone.” He’d been living in a rental place in the building next to his office at Jordan Shipping the last few months. Since his father had officially retired almost a year ago, Matt was now the head of his family’s shipping business.

  His father sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “We figured it was coming sooner or later. Did you need any help getting the rest of the stuff?”

  “Iian, Jacob, and George helped out.” He thought about the four of them lugging what little furniture he had left in his parents’ garage. There wasn’t a lot of it, but it was heavy and so had taken them all day to move.

  “Everything is changing so fast.” His father moved back over to him. “First Sara, now you.” He sighed. “Next, I’ll be walking Suzie down the aisle.”

  Matt chuckled. “Don’t go giving her away just yet. She’s only twenty.”

  His father’s eyebrows rose slightly. “You’re almost thirty.” He smiled. “When are you thinking of making the leap?”

  Matt took a step back. His parents hadn’t really asked about his future, outside of him taking over Jordan Shipping.

  “I… Me?” His voice almost squeaked. “Married?” He tried to give his father an ea
sy lighthearted chuckle, but it came out as just a desperate attempt to hide his nerves.

  His father slapped him on the shoulder. “Take my advice son. When you find the right one, do everything you can to keep hold of her.” His father’s eyes moved to the empty road where Blake had just disappeared. Then he turned back towards him. “I’d better head in there and hear all about the excitement. I sure am glad those two girls know how to handle themselves.”

  Matt laughed, this time an honest sound. “Jordan women can take care of themselves.”

  “It’s all the other women out there I’m worried about,” his father joked. “Especially ones coming up against a Jordan man.” His father winked, then walked across the street towards the pizzeria.

  Matt thought about his father’s words the entire short drive up the hillside towards his new home. It was his first official night in the place.

  The classic home sat on the edge of what had once been a lush green hillside. Now, however, the wheat from the attached field had taken over the once manicured lawn. Come springtime, he’d have to start working on the landscape, but as the snow fell softly around the home, there was little he could do outside now.

  The classic O-shaped driveway veered off near the front of the house, and he turned his car completely around to face the three-car garage that sat off to one side of the U-shaped home.

  Snow was still falling, so he decided to park in the garage. He hit the button to open the main garage door. As he did, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he narrowed his eyes at the large kitchen window. The entire house was dark. He pulled into the garage.

  Killing the engine, he glanced around the garage. Here was a mess he’d have to handle himself. Tools he’d spent years accumulating cluttered the space he wanted to use for one of his favorite pastimes.

  Working on cars and motorcycles had been some of the best times of his childhood. Whether it was with his father, his uncles, his friends, or family friends, he’d always enjoyed crawling under the hood of a vehicle and getting his hands dirty.