Read Online Marry Me at Christmas (Fool's Gold) by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Mallery
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You’re Jonny Blaze. Taryn Crawford. You met my husband earlier. Angel—with the bodyguard school.”
“As far as I know, everything is on track for the toy drive,” Madeline assured her.
Taryn, ever fashionable in a dark violet dress that matched her eyes, sighed. “We do a toy drive between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year I was smart enough to be on vacation. This year, I’m here and feeling the pressure.”
“What kind of toys are you looking for?” Jonny asked.
Both women stared at him.
“What kind do you have?” Taryn asked.
Madeline expected him to say something like he was happy to write a check. Instead, he hesitated.
“I have some carved wooden toys. They’re a little old-fashioned.” He shifted from foot to foot. “There’s a lot of extra time on a movie set and it helps to have a hobby. When I was filming
Amish Revenge
, we had a couple of Amish men as consultants. One of them taught me how to do wood carving. I do toys.”
Taryn’s gaze sharpened. “Like trains and little animals?”
“Something like that.”
“We’ll take them. Seriously. Kids love to use their imagination. Can I reach you through Madeline?”
He nodded.
“Great. I’ll be in touch.”
Curiouser and curiouser, Madeline thought as she introduced Jonny to more people. The man was nice and good-looking and he loved his sister and he carved wooden toys. Who could resist that? Even if there hadn’t been massive tingles during a simple and not even conscious handholding, she would have been swept away. A regular girl didn’t have a chance.
Two hours later, Jonny stood by the front door. “I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me today.”
“You’re welcome.” She wanted to say more, but couldn’t think of any words. Not when he was lowering his head in a very deliberate way.
Oh, God! He was going to kiss her. Right in her doorway, with her parents and older brother not ten feet away. Okay. She could do this. She could—
He brushed his mouth against her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Disappointment chased away any tingles, leaving her grumpy. On the cheek? Like she was ten? What about a little lip action? Some tongue? She wanted tongue.
As she wasn’t going to get any, she closed the front door and walked into the kitchen to help with the rest of the cleanup. Her mother already had the dishwasher full again and was pouring in soap.
“That went well,” she said as she straightened. “I do enjoy seeing everyone.”
“It was great. I can’t believe how much everyone ate. They had to have been stuffed from their dinner, but still. It’s your amazing recipes, Mom. You do cookie magic.”
“You’re sweet. No magic. Just lots of sugar.” Her mother leaned against the counter. “Jonny was very nice. He fit in well.” Her gaze sharpened. “Any lightning strikes? You know how it is in our family. You’ll know when you’ve found the one by the lightning strikes.”
Madeline did know, and at nearly twenty-nine, she had never even felt the slightest of buzzes. It was kind of depressing. Not counting Jonny, of course. With him there were zips and zings and, yes, lightning.
“Mom, he’s great. But whatever I feel around him isn’t real. It’s star power. Something about having the biggest head in the village.”
Her mother frowned. “What?”
Madeline made a note to talk to Felicia and get clarification on the whole important-in-the-village theory. “Okay, it’s not that, but it’s because he’s famous. I feel like I know him, so when we’re together, I’m reacting to that. Not who he is as a person.”
“You’re judging him on what he does for a living,” Loretta pointed out. “How interesting. You wouldn’t do that if he didn’t have an impressive job.”
“This is different.”
“If you say so.” Her mother hugged her. “Happy Thanksgiving. You’re my favorite daughter. Have I mentioned that?”
Madeline laughed and hugged her back. “Once or twice, and I
“As far as I know, everything is on track for the toy drive,” Madeline assured her.
Taryn, ever fashionable in a dark violet dress that matched her eyes, sighed. “We do a toy drive between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year I was smart enough to be on vacation. This year, I’m here and feeling the pressure.”
“What kind of toys are you looking for?” Jonny asked.
Both women stared at him.
“What kind do you have?” Taryn asked.
Madeline expected him to say something like he was happy to write a check. Instead, he hesitated.
“I have some carved wooden toys. They’re a little old-fashioned.” He shifted from foot to foot. “There’s a lot of extra time on a movie set and it helps to have a hobby. When I was filming
Amish Revenge
, we had a couple of Amish men as consultants. One of them taught me how to do wood carving. I do toys.”
Taryn’s gaze sharpened. “Like trains and little animals?”
“Something like that.”
“We’ll take them. Seriously. Kids love to use their imagination. Can I reach you through Madeline?”
He nodded.
“Great. I’ll be in touch.”
Curiouser and curiouser, Madeline thought as she introduced Jonny to more people. The man was nice and good-looking and he loved his sister and he carved wooden toys. Who could resist that? Even if there hadn’t been massive tingles during a simple and not even conscious handholding, she would have been swept away. A regular girl didn’t have a chance.
Two hours later, Jonny stood by the front door. “I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me today.”
“You’re welcome.” She wanted to say more, but couldn’t think of any words. Not when he was lowering his head in a very deliberate way.
Oh, God! He was going to kiss her. Right in her doorway, with her parents and older brother not ten feet away. Okay. She could do this. She could—
He brushed his mouth against her cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”
Disappointment chased away any tingles, leaving her grumpy. On the cheek? Like she was ten? What about a little lip action? Some tongue? She wanted tongue.
As she wasn’t going to get any, she closed the front door and walked into the kitchen to help with the rest of the cleanup. Her mother already had the dishwasher full again and was pouring in soap.
“That went well,” she said as she straightened. “I do enjoy seeing everyone.”
“It was great. I can’t believe how much everyone ate. They had to have been stuffed from their dinner, but still. It’s your amazing recipes, Mom. You do cookie magic.”
“You’re sweet. No magic. Just lots of sugar.” Her mother leaned against the counter. “Jonny was very nice. He fit in well.” Her gaze sharpened. “Any lightning strikes? You know how it is in our family. You’ll know when you’ve found the one by the lightning strikes.”
Madeline did know, and at nearly twenty-nine, she had never even felt the slightest of buzzes. It was kind of depressing. Not counting Jonny, of course. With him there were zips and zings and, yes, lightning.
“Mom, he’s great. But whatever I feel around him isn’t real. It’s star power. Something about having the biggest head in the village.”
Her mother frowned. “What?”
Madeline made a note to talk to Felicia and get clarification on the whole important-in-the-village theory. “Okay, it’s not that, but it’s because he’s famous. I feel like I know him, so when we’re together, I’m reacting to that. Not who he is as a person.”
“You’re judging him on what he does for a living,” Loretta pointed out. “How interesting. You wouldn’t do that if he didn’t have an impressive job.”
“This is different.”
“If you say so.” Her mother hugged her. “Happy Thanksgiving. You’re my favorite daughter. Have I mentioned that?”
Madeline laughed and hugged her back. “Once or twice, and I
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