On the Naughty List by Lori Foster & Carly Phillips & Beth Ciotta & Sugar Jamison

Author:Lori Foster & Carly Phillips & Beth Ciotta & Sugar Jamison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2014-07-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Zach had gone to sleep dreaming about Maya and Muppets and a Scrooge getting a new lease on life. He’d woken up thinking about Ben, whose life had been snuffed in an ambush. Ben wouldn’t be getting a second chance at anything ever again. That thought filled Zach with grief and anger and, dammit, guilt, because he had been given a second chance. He just didn’t know what to do with it. Once a Marine, always a Marine. Only he wasn’t. Not in an active capacity. Not doing what he did best.

While Ben’s parents spent Christmas mourning their son’s death … While several of Zach’s buddies still risked their lives rooting out evil … Zach was here. In Sugar Creek. Eating decadent flapjacks soaked with syrup. Listening to his aunt and uncle arguing about post-Christmas sales—“Swear to gosh, Helen, if you buy one more ornament this house will explode!”—and watching a sun-bronzed blonde in a ridiculous reindeer sweater, chowing down on crispy bacon and a puffy pastry.

So wrong yet it felt so right, which only made Zach feel worse.

The guilt piled on and featherlight pancakes settled in Zach’s stomach like the craggy stones of insurgent-infested mountains.

“About the sleigh ride,” Zach started, only the phone rang.

“Hold that thought, sweetie,” Helen said as she headed for the landline.

“I could use more coffee,” Dan said as he stood. “What about you kids?”

“Sure,” Zach and Maya answered as one, just like twenty years ago when offered seconds on ice cream. Zach’s heart squeezed much like it had last night when Maya had snuggled next to him for the movie. There hadn’t been one sexy thing about that sappy musical and Maya hadn’t come on to him in any way, but he’d gone to bed randy. Desire pulsed even now. Even with his aunt and uncle in the room. Affection and desire—a powerful combination. Zach didn’t scare easily and he rarely second-guessed his gut feelings, but right now he felt close to clueless and paralyzed.

As soon as Dan moved to the counter, Maya leaned in. “Don’t you dare bail on the sleigh ride, Zachery Cole,” she ordered in a stern whisper.

“Who said—”

“It’s written all over your face. You look miserable.”

“I’m not—”

“Liar.”

Helen shuffled back to the table sporting a huge frown.

“Who was it? What did they want?” Dan asked while refreshing everyone’s mug.

“It was Ethel. Her nephew, John, came down with a virus. He won’t be able to deliver our care package to Roscoe Marx.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Dan said. “It’s not like Marx appreciates the Cupcake Lovers’ efforts. Has he ever said thank you? Has he ever even been cordial?”

“Who’s Roscoe Marx?” Zach asked.

“The grumpiest cuss in Franklin County,” Dan said.

“A war veteran,” Helen said. “And a recluse.” She turned to Maya. “As you know, the CL club was founded in the early forties by women whose husbands and sons were away fighting in WW Two.”

“Once a week they gathered at one of the members’ houses to enjoy the host’s featured cupcake,” Maya joined in.

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