A Christmas in Connecticut Read online

  With those words Jack slid one arm under her shoulders and neck, he leaned his body against hers as he gently kissed her lips. He was warming every inch of her, and Claire couldn’t get enough of him. She pressed her nose into his neck, inhaling his scent. She felt exhilaration from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Jack slowly entered her, causing her to take a breath in. They moved as one until Jack moaned her name softly.

  Afterwards, they laid together. Claire curled up against him, his arms around her felt warm and protective. She was in love, and she couldn’t be happier. But…they needed to figure out how to make this all work. But how?

  Over the next week, Jack and Claire were inseparable. They spent their days having fun in the snow. Jack taught her how to cross-country ski and she loved it. It was exhilarating to be out in an untouched blanket of white snow. It was peaceful and beautiful.

  They spent one afternoon building a family of snowmen, adorning them with scarves and hats. Jack had even made a little Scottie dog snowman for Beth, complete with a red tartan plaid scarf. Archie gave it one look and snorted before trotting off.

  They had dinner with Beth and Tyler on several nights and made several trips to visit the puppies to help socialize them. Sheila said she was keeping one but needed to find a home for the other two. She stared at Jack until he put up his hands.

  “No…not me, Sheila. What am I going to do with two puppies? Have you talked to Beth?”

  “She’s having a baby, Jack…she won’t have time for puppies.”

  He looked at Claire and Claire looked back at him. She knew what he was thinking, but she was going back to L.A. in a few days…she couldn’t take care of puppies either. Speaking of returning, she and Jack hadn’t worked out anything definite yet, only that they were going to try a bi-coastal relationship and see how it went. Claire wasn’t happy with the idea, and she was pretty sure Jack wasn’t either. But they enjoyed their days without bringing the subject up too much. And they enjoyed their nights. They made love as often as they could. Claire was trying to imprint the feel of his body to her memory to hold her through the weeks, or even months, until she would see him again.

  Finally, the day she was leaving arrived. She’d woken up that morning with a heavy heart as she inhaled his scent while they lay in bed together.

  “What time do you need to leave by?” Jack asked as he kissed her head, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

  “By eleven. I’m all packed, so we can have a leisurely morning. She looked up at him and smiled.

  “Does that mean what I think it means?” he pulled her closer.

  She nodded her head. “It does.”

  They made love one last time before reluctantly getting out of bed. Jack made Claire a breakfast of pancakes and coffee. They sat quietly, stealing glances at each other as they ate.

  “I wish I could drive you to the airport,” Jack said, putting the last of her suitcases into her car.

  “I have to return my rental, plus I would be a crying wreck. Better to say goodbye here so that I have time to pull it together.” Her bottom lip quivered as she said this. Jack pulled her in tight. Hugging her as if his life depended on it. Claire didn’t want it to end. Ever.

  They kissed for what seemed like forever before Claire untangled herself. “I better get going.”

  “All the roads should be plowed, but drive carefully,” Jack said as he closed the driver's side door. “Call me if you run into any trouble. I’ll be there in a flash.” He kissed her one last time.

  Claire pulled out of the driveway of the little cottage. She saw Jack waving in her rear-view mirror. She was leaving a place and a man that had made her very happy. A place and a man who’d helped her heal over the loss of her parents. She was leaving her heart behind. She drove off, leaving River Falls with tears in her eyes and a heart that felt as if it was missing most of what it needed to survive.

  Jack headed to the store with a heavy heart. With Claire officially gone it felt as if a dark cloud had rolled into his life. His sunshine was missing. Claire had stolen his heart. She’d been someone to listen to his feelings of grief over the loss of his father. She’d also listened empathetically as he shared his feelings of guilt over the death of Private Martinez. She’d held him and told him it wasn’t his fault, but that she understood why he felt the way he did. Claire encouraged him to seek counseling at the VA, to work his way through his feelings. It was sound advice that he planned to follow up on.

  But for now, he needed to figure out how to implement the plans for Wilson’s Hardware that they’d discussed. He pulled into his parking spot at the back of the store and headed in.

  “Howdy,” Hank said. He was assembling the new battery display. “How’d it go?” He looked at Jack with concern in his eyes.

  “Fine. I guess.” Jack didn’t really want to talk about it. “Hey, that one looks better than the old one.” He nodded towards the new set up.

  “Yeah…it’s bigger…we can keep more stock on it,” Hank said.

  “I’m going to be in the back…just give me a holler if you need me,” Jack called out to him as he disappeared into his office in the back. He didn’t feel sociable, and besides, he needed to get out emails to the web designers Claire had recommended.

  She had also suggested that they use a small part of the store as an artisan co-op. She’d suggested contacting the woman who’d made her earrings, the person she’d found the quilt from, along with some other contacts Beth had suggested. People could use the storefront in which to sell their handmade items. Jack would only charge a small percent of the sales from it. The main point would be that it would bring traffic through the door.

  Claire had also suggested seeing if Jenny wanted to open a small coffee bar inside the store. It could be for to-go coffee orders; another way to bring business into the store and keep it there as people sipped on a coffee drink and browsed. These ideas, along with the kits for birdhouses, doll houses, and playhouses, were all brilliant and doable. Claire had even offered to write blog posts for him. He just wished she would be here in person. Things would not be the same without her around.

  He got to work sending out the emails and then he got to work drafting plans for the birdhouses along with a list of products needed to construct them. He’d been so absorbed with his work over the past couple of hours that he didn’t notice Hank standing in the doorway.

  “Jack…I’ve been calling your name,” he said excitedly. “Dodger cap is here.”

  Great. Another out-of-town Dodger fan for Hank to argue with. “Okay…try not to scare them away. And please, don’t get into a discussion whether Clemens was better than Koufax…I’m telling you, that’s a loser.”

  “No. I mean your Dodger cap is here.” Hank beamed as he rocked back on his heels, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

  Jack jumped up. “Claire? Claire’s here?” Oh my god, did something happen? Is she okay? He rushed out to the front of the store and there she was. And just like that, his world was bright once again. “Claire, are you okay? What are you doing here? Did you miss your flight?” He’d put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing them as he searched her eyes.

  She just smiled at him. “Nope, none of those things. I just couldn’t do it, Jack.”

  “Do what?” he asked, as a feeling of happiness drenched his entire being.

  “I couldn’t leave you or River Falls.” She threw her arms around him. “I just couldn’t.”

  Jack pulled her tight as he hugged her.

  “I contacted Roger Drake about the cottage; he said it’s mine for as long as I want it.”

  “You’re staying?” he asked.

  “I’m staying.” She beamed at him, leaning closer and kissing him softly. I hope you want me to.”

  “Are you kidding? You do not know how badly I want you to.” He kissed her back for a long moment before finally pulling himself away from her soft lips.

  “What about your blog? And Emmy?”

  “Emmy and
I talked for a long time. She helped me work this all out. We came up with an idea that allows me to stay in River Falls.”

  “I’m so glad that you’re back.” Jack pulled her close and kissed her. He never wanted to be without her. Ever.

  Epilogue

  Six months later…

  “Jack, hold still,” Claire said with exasperation, her camera in her hand. “Really…why is this so hard for you?”

  Jack was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt; he had a saw in one hand and was balancing a piece of wood on a sawhorse with the other. “Because I feel ridiculous, that’s why.”

  Hank let out a snort.

  “Don’t even start, Hank.” Jack said.

  “Not saying a word,” Hank replied as he chuckled under his breath.

  “Really, Claire…is this necessary?”

  “Jack…Emmy is going to feature you in next month’s City Meets Country blog, and on all of its social media platforms, including Instagram…which has half a million followers alone…ninety-nine percent of whom are women…a picture of a hot guy holding a saw will go viral…traffic to your website will explode. That’s why.”

  Emmy had slowly taken over the reins of the blog. At first, it was hard for her to put herself out there, as her shyness got in the way. But once she wrote a few posts of her own, she took to it brilliantly. She’d even added a style section, focusing on fashions for curvy figures. The response to it was phenomenal. The Instagram account alone gained an additional fifty thousand followers in just a few months.

  Claire had let go of the blog completely, which allowed her to focus her attention one hundred percent on getting Wilson’s Hardware’s website and social media up and running.

  “Okay,” Jack grumbled. “But we need to wrap it up soon…Beth needs us to walk Archie.”

  Claire took a few more pictures before looking up from her camera. “Is Tyler out of town again?”

  “He is. She’s got her hands full.”

  As it turned out, Beth had been carrying twins. Little Amelia had been hiding behind her brother, Oliver. When, during her delivery, the doctor had announced there was a second baby, Beth had cried out: “See, it wasn’t the ice cream making me fat,” before quickly sobering up to the fact that she now had two newborns to care for and bursting into tears. Everyone had wondered whether she was elated or frightened. Probably both.

  Tyler’s mom had stayed with them for the first three months; since then, Claire and Jack pitched in whenever they could, especially when Tyler was away on business.

  “That’s fine. The pups need a walk anyway…they’ll enjoy seeing their dad. I’ll go get them; I think we’re done here.”

  Claire walked out to the front of the store, where a makeshift pen was set up for the puppies. Once Claire had decided to stay, she and Jack offered to take two of Pippa’s puppies. Finley and Scout jumped around when they saw Claire, letting out small yips. They both sported tartan plaid collars around their necks.

  “I know…you guys are so excited to go see Archie…c’mon.” She scooped the two pups into her arms, immediately being covered by kisses. She smiled as she watched Jack walk over to her. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips before letting the pups give him their kisses. Things couldn’t have gone better since she’d made River Falls her home.

  She and Jack had traveled to Los Angeles together last month, closing the sale of her parent’s townhome. It had been emotional for Claire to move everything out of the home she’d shared with them. Jack had been rock-solid in his support of her.

  She had introduced him to Emmy and Emmy’s family. Nona took a shine to him and was continually trying to feed him. It had been an enjoyable time and Claire was happy that Jack and Emmy had bonded.

  She’d also taken him to meet Ruthie and to say goodbye to her. She still read to Ruthie once a week via Zoom. Ruthie was still on her super steamy romcom kick. Claire also took Jack to all her favorite spots. They’d walked on the beach in Santa Monica, ate street tacos and pho, and even took in a Dodgers’ game; Jack had insisted on decking himself out in Red Sox gear even though they weren't playing. He got a few comments, but not too bad considering that Boston wasn’t well loved in Los Angeles.

  She made the bold decision to offer to buy the cottage from Roger Drake and his siblings. At first, they hadn’t been too interested in selling. But Claire made them an offer they couldn’t turn down. Jack moved out of the small house he had been renting and moved in with her. With Scout and Finley, they were a happy foursome. Claire had to pinch herself some days. Life in River Falls with Jack made her whole; it made her happy. Really happy.

  Eleven and a half months later:

  Claire pushed her toes into the warm white sand. She tilted her head back and soaked up the heat of the sun above her. No matter how many days she would soak up the warmth, it didn’t feel as if her bones would ever completely thaw out from the New England winters.

  “Pina Colada time.” Jack’s voice cut through her reverie. He set a frosty cold glass topped with a cherry and a slice of pineapple down on the table next to her.

  “Pretty soon I’m going to turn into a Pina Colada,” Claire said as she took a sip of the creamy white concoction.

  “You would be the cutest Pina Colada ever,” he said before leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. “Let’s stay here until sunset…I’ll run over to Bailey’s Beach Hut and grab us another drink and some munchies to watch the sunset with.”

  Claire looked over at him. His body was already tan from the week of sun. He looked great in his navy-blue swim trunks. They would be here for another week, and then it was back to the bitter cold. This was Claire’s second winter in River Falls and she still couldn’t get her body’s thermostat to switch over from its Los Angeles setting. But it was worth it. Shoot, she’d even move to the North Pole if it meant being with Jack. She loved him with all her heart, and the love and affection she got in return was more than she could ever hope for. He was a tender and sexy lover, a companion to have fun with, and the best shoulder to lean on that she’d ever met. He turned out to be perfect for her.

  Together they had gotten the store to turn a profit. Wilson’s Hardware had a fantastic following on their blog, which was driven by Claire’s adept hand at their social media accounts. She’d designed branding and a logo, simply using the initials “WH” in black against a robin’s egg blue oval background. The store was selling kits for doll houses, bird houses, and playhouses like hotcakes. They could barely keep up with the demand.

  They’d also added an artisan co-op to one corner of the store. In exchange for a small percent of the sales, many locals were selling their crafts in the store and on their website. Claire was astounded at the beautiful items: handmade beeswax candles and soaps, knitted scarfs, caps and mittens, quilts, jewelry, and, of course, Jack’s bird houses.

  The increased foot traffic was also boosted by Jenny’s small coffee stand located inside the store. Many different types of tea and coffee drinks were available, as well as some bakery items. Jack added a couple of small sofas and tables to the area, and it quickly became a gathering spot. During the warmer months, there was seating outdoors. The profit from all these changes meant that Jack and Beth could continue their father’s legacy.

  “It’s up!” Claire exclaimed excitedly, gesturing towards her iPad.

  “Read it to me,” Jack said. He’d put his sunglasses on and laid his head back for optimal sun exposure.

  “Okay,” Claire replied. She read the new blog post aloud to him.

  A Wedding in Connecticut by Emmy Parsons

  It’s official…our Claire Bennett is now Claire Bennett-Wilson. She and Jack tied the knot on the Saturday following Christmas. It was a beautiful and magical winter wedding. Can I say right now that winter weddings are the most beautiful! Especially when set against the backdrop of snow-covered Connecticut; it was absolutely breathtaking.

  The bride wore an off-white satin sheath style dress topped with a silv
er fur shawl (faux, of course!) wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair piled up in a romantic updo. The bridesmaids, including moi as maid of honor, wore deep red velvet dresses. Claire held a beautiful bouquet of red and white cabbage roses with sprigs of green spruce all wrapped in satin.

  Jack made a handsome, picture perfect (and yes…there is a link to the pictures below) groom in a traditional black tuxedo with silvery grey accents. The groomsmen in matching tuxedos as well. And of course, the dogs! Little Finley and Scout were on their best behavior, and they looked adorbs in red velvet collars with small white cabbage roses adorning them.

  The reception was held at the River Falls’ Inn, a charming building that’s on the historic register. Before dinner, there was a reception with servers passing around silver trays with flutes of champagne and hors d’oeuvres of Brie wrapped in phyllo, oysters on the half shell, and lobster with gruyere in puff pastry.

  The sit-down dinner was heavenly. The room was lit with beautiful crystal chandeliers, the white cloth-covered tables had been adorned with pine wreaths, dotted with red holly berries, with white candles at their centers. Dinner was beef wellington with pureed mashed potatoes and roasted winter vegetables.

  And last, but not least, the wedding cake! It was five layers of rich chocolate cake, iced in white frosting, with piped green spruce branches and red berries decorating the sides. Creamy custard and tart raspberry preserves filled the layers of sponge. The best part was the custom-made cake topper of a bride wearing a Dodgers’ cap and a groom in a Red Sox cap…it was simply adorable.

  The lovely couple is now off soaking up the Caribbean sun for the next two weeks. Congratulations to Claire and Jack…here’s to a long and happy marriage.

  About the Author

  Emily French is a recovering family law attorney. She was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She now resides in North Carolina with her husband and their two dogs who are welcome and sometimes unwelcome distractions. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading, cooking, traveling, or watching baseball.