Page 5 of Enduring Christmas

Well, he certainly was in a class of his own plan of seduction included a five-year-old and a feline. Luke placed a hand on her forehead. That's when she noticed the fire-red skin covering his knuckles. They looked painful.

"You're hurt?" she questioned.

"I'm fine. You on the other hand," he ran his hand down her arm, "need to rest."

Between the slight touch, Shiloh under one arm, and a creamy-colored kitten under the other, she was effectively overheated. The kiss had toasted her chestnuts. Seemed his caress had the same effect. She sat up. Whoa, Luke had a twin.

"Not so fast. Doc's on vacation. I called for Callie, but she's over in Pine Valley, assisting with a delivery."

Callie, the nurse and midwife, had moved to Endurance mere weeks before Xenobia. Younger than Xenobia's thirty-eight years, the single professional worked to staff several of the small-town clinics between Endurance and the closest city, Sacramento.

"Don't need a midwife. I'm never having any babies." A rough lick, rhythmic and slightly abrasive scraped across her hand. Perfect, the band member kitten licked her fingers in between little sharp nips.

"That's enough of that, Meow." Luke lifted the furball from the crook of her arm, depositing it just beyond Xenobia's hip.

Mystery solved. She swung her legs off the side of the bed and sat up. "Your cat's name is Meow?"

Luke buried his face in his sleeve, releasing two Olympic-worthy sneezes before reappearing.

"Shiloh's cat," was all he said. "Someone abandoned her in the woods behind the house. We took her in."

The room was nice, its rustic decor suited Luke. As did the thick, brown robe she wore. Where were her clothes? Her eyes shot up to his face, which gave nothing away. Xenobia tried not to lose her goodwill towards all men but failed.

"Oh my... Todd, did you undress me?" she screeched. She steeled herself for the possibility that she and Luke were about to engage in one of those dust-ups he kept mentioning.

He froze. "Yea," he drawled, "don't say that."

Whatever. Back at home, one of her best friend's sister-in-law said the phrase all the time. "Well?" she prompted.

Had he seen her one of many tattoos? Creating a living canvas used to be her thing. Inking her skin with all the significant milestones started with her sixteenth birthday. With Rook's death, that died too.

"I called the advice line, the one for Shiloh's pediatrician."

"Really, Luke. A baby nurse?"

He looked heavenward. Well, the angels couldn't save him from her outrage.

"It's three days before Christmas. You were unconscious. It was an emergency. Besides, a very chipper RN Chloe insisted your clothes be removed before warming you up."

"Did she now?" Xenobia watched his face for the telltale critique of her soft center and wide hips. "Did Chloe," she used an infantile voice, "also tell you to prepare for battle?"

Shiloh sat up; her little eyes clouded with worry. Xenobia knew better than to behave this way in front of an impressionable child, but, ugh. Dealing with Luke infuriated her.

"It's not nice to fight, Ms. X-n-o-bia. Unless you’re daddy's girlfriend." A bright smile spread across her face, and Xenobia looked on in absolute astonishment when the little girl's eyes sparkled like a brand-new string of Christmas lights. "Daddy, Miss. X-n-o-bia is our girlfriend."

A fit of happy giggles filled the air. Meow hearing the jubilation, raised his furry head, adding a loud, meow.

Luke gave Xenobia a thorough but annoyed once over. "Miss Xenobia is definitely a girl."

Well, she could take his statement as a compliment, but the smirk he wore assured she would not. Just because she ignored him and went out of her way to push his buttons, in no way implied she wasn't a friend.

"I never said we weren't-,"

Lifting one large hand, he pointed a finger at Shiloh. His fingers, long with blunt cut nails, belong to a working man. Calloused palms and a superficial network of well-healed scars told a silent story of hard work, trial and error, and a competent strength. She like his hands. Remembered the confident, yet subtle instruction as he manipulated her body with those hands, guiding her in their first kiss. Was he thinking of kissing her now?

"Hold that thought."

Xenobia's eyes shot to his. Had he suspected she fantasized about his warm, form lips covering hers?