The room had been the spare room until I had moved in.It was cozy. A fireplace in one corner, unlit, with a comfortable armchair next to it. I looked from the bed to Jon. There was no way he would fit. He was far too tall. And the room that had been Gran’s room wasn’t much bigger.
“Is it all right if I make you a bed on the floor?” I asked, feeling like the worst possible host. “I don’t think you’ll fit on any of the beds.” I mentally calculated how many blankets and pillows there were in the house. If we pulled the cushions off the sofa, I could make him a bed in the living room.
He tilted his head in consideration. “You’re right. Wait here.” He left the room, quickly returning with cushions from the couch cushions and a bundle of throw pillows in his arms.
“Oh, I didn’t—” I stopped as he peered over the top of the pile, his eyes big. “Never mind. Put them on the floor there.” I pointed next to the bed. Surely that would be fine? It wasn’t as if we were sleeping together.
Right?
CHAPTER SIX
Jon
When I woke, I was disoriented. I lifted a hand to rub at my eyes, blinking as the weak morning light illuminated the room. The events of the previous day came rushing back, and I sat up from where I had slept on the floor, surprised to find I was alone in Kitty’s bedroom.
I usually slept lightly. That she had woken and left the room without my notice was unusual. But her scent remained. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet scent of her natural perfume.
I slipped out from under the blankets and quickly dressed, pulling on the pants she had given me the day before, thankful that I now had room for my tail. I tugged on the shirt as I eased open the door and stepped into the hallway. I could smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen, so I made my way down the hallway, a smile on my lips at the thought of seeing Kitty.
I slipped quietly into the kitchen on silent feet, wanting amoment to observe her. She had tied her mass of curly brown hair on top of her head, though tendrils had slipped free to brush against her nape. She was wearing an oversized, soft looking sweater with childlike drawings of trees on it. When she turned, I noticed the trees had brightly colored baubles attached to them.
I tilted my head in amusement, a smile dancing across my lips. She was an intriguing woman. Her legs were clad in black leggings that left nothing to the imagination. I shifted, dropping a hand to adjust myself as I watched her bend over to pull something from the oven, her backside an enticing view.
She turned with a tray in hand, and the smell of the food I had scented earlier became stronger. My stomach growled loudly, and Kitty glanced up, smiling as her eyes met mine.
I took a step forward, reaching for the tray, but she placed it on the table with a clatter.
“Oh no, that's way too hot. You’d get burned.” She waved her hand at me, clad in some kind of thick material. “Sit. Sit,” she said, as she pulled out a chair and waved me into it.
I did as she said, taking the opportunity of her being close to me to breathe in her enticing scent. I had wondered if it had been a remnant of being through the transportal, but no. I felt the stirring deep inside once more.
I stiffened, my hands forming fists as I fought the urge to reach for her. Instead, I focused on the food she had made. It had been so long since I'd had anything that didn’t come from a replicator or a packet. The comfort of food made by hand sent a pang of longing through me.
Was family what I'd been looking for all along? Was this what I’d been looking for?
I swallowed past the lump that it formed in my throat,focusing on Kitty and the steaming mug she placed in front of me.
“Merry Christmas,” she said, smiling. She lifted a small selection of pale-colored shapes from the baking tray and placed them on a plate, pushing it toward me. I bent my head over the offering and sniffed before looking up, meeting her eyes. “I promise I’m not poisoning you. They're a special treat for Christmas. Shortbread.”
I stared at the food. They had a vague shape like a triangle, but with spiky edges. I picked it up, the now rapidly cooling delicacy tiny in my hand, and took a bite. A burst of sweetness filled my mouth, and I groaned, closing my eyes. This was delicious.
“They're good, aren't they?” she asked, popping one treat into her own mouth and chewing. We shared a smile across the table. “They’re meant to be Christmas trees, but some of them lost their shape a little.” She smiled, and I paused with the second piece of shortbread halfway to my open mouth.
She was beautiful. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled, one side of her mouth lifting slightly more than the other. I must have been staring, because her smile dropped.
I cursed myself and snapped my mouth shut. “So, what is Christmas?” I asked.
Kitty choked on the bit she had just taken, putting a hand in front of her face as she coughed before swallowing and grimacing. She took a swallow of tea from the mug on the table in front of her.
“Sorry, I forgot you wouldn’t know…” She waved a hand around and offered an apologetic smile. “Christmas is a yearly celebration. For me, it’s a time of giving, of acceptance and coming together with people I love. It's a religious holiday for many people on Earth, though a lot who celebrate it aren’t religious.”
I nodded, thinking of the many festivals celebrated by the Gnaggarrian people. “We have similar festivals. I don’t have any family, so I tend to not take part.” I shrugged.
Maybe one day…
She traced a pattern on the table with her finger, not meeting my eyes. “I don't really have any family either. Not anymore. This cottage was my grandmother’s until she passed away last year. And before that, my parents hadn’t been around for a long time.” She looked down at her hands, folded in her lap, and blinked rapidly.
I reach across the table and covered her hand with mine, hoping to offer comfort. I squeezed gently, rubbing my thumb over the back of her fingers. “I'm glad you had your grandmother. My family gave me up when I was a baby.”
