have my credentials
with me, but I’m sure you’ll accept Tom’s word. Come on,” she pleaded. “What
else am I going to do for the next week?
“You came here to
spend time with Tom?”
“And I will, when
he’s not working. You know the hours he keeps. What am I supposed to do? I’m
not going to go to the restaurant with him. And, as enchanting and well stocked
the general store is, I’m not that big on shopping.”
“There are other
stores. Wendy’s Christmas Village.”
“I am not that big
on shopping,” she said one word at a time, repeating her opinion on shopping.
“By the way, is every store in this town named after their owner?”
“Well, Harry’s
auto shop is actually owned by Butch Conner now. Harry passed away last March,
but Butch kept the name because old Harry had boxes and boxes of unused invoices
and Butch thought it’d be a waste to just throw them out. I guess Harry got
them at a real good price.” He chuckled and Darcy followed suit. He was glad to
see the sparkle back in her beautiful eyes. “Oh, you could ski. Our slopes are
amazing.”
“I’m from the
south. The idea of strapping wooden planks to my feet and free falling down a
mountainside scares the bejeesus out of me. No thank you.”
“You could catch
up on your reading.” He sat forward.
She leaned toward
him. “I’ll get eye strain.”
The adorable way
she crossed her eyes caused a hearty burst of laughter to escape him. He
glanced around the room and saw they had the full attention of all the other
patrons. He waited until everyone went back to minding their own business
before saying, “There are a thousand other things you could do and a lot of
interesting places to visit.”
Her gaze narrowed
into green slits. “Why don’t you want me to help you?”
Noting Armell and
Linda, her waitress, watched them with interest, he said quietly, “I didn’t say
that.”
“It sounds like
you don’t. Is the idea of spending time me so unappealing?” She traced her
finger down the side of her face to her chin and ended the move at the center
of her plump, very wine-colored lips.
Dylan felt the
rush of heat to his cock. Standing up to pay the check wouldn’t be an option
for a few minutes. The woman knew how to win an argument.
Out of propriety,
he turned his thoughts back to Jillian and Katy and his desire to make
Christmas special for them. “Okay. On one condition.”
Darcy arched her
perfect right brow in mistrust. “What?”
“You let me teach
you to ski.”
She sat back,
shaking her head. “As we say in the South, my mama did not raise no fool. That
is not a good idea.”
Oh, he loved a
game of dicker. “That’s the deal. I’ll let you help me decorate the house. You
can bake cookies for us. You can even help me make Christmas dinner, if you
also join us, but I get to take you skiing.” He grinned.
She gasped. “Why
do you want to make a fool out of me?”
“I don’t know.” He
shrugged. “Fun.”
She slumped back
in her chair and gave him a wary look. “Fun, huh?”
“Yeah. Fun.”
It took everything
in him to hold back his chuckle. Darcy was visibly troubled at the prospect of
swooshing down a mountain side. He’d let her squirm for a while before he’d
leave her off the hook. She was so damn cute herself.
“Skiing.” She
snatched her napkin from her lap, tossed the crumpled wad on the table between
them like a gauntlet and said, “Well, I never backed away from a challenge in
all of my twenty-seven years, and I’m not going to start now.”
“Wow. You’re
twenty-seven.”
She sat
straighter. “Yeah, why? Do I look… How old do you think I am?”
“At least twenty—”
“Spill it.”
“Five. I was going
to say five.” He raised his hand. “Honest. I was an Eagle Scout. So we’re going
skiing?”
“Yes, but I’ll
have to go shopping and buy some warmer clothes, I’m afraid. This leather coat
is warm enough in South Carolina but here, not so much.” She
with me, but I’m sure you’ll accept Tom’s word. Come on,” she pleaded. “What
else am I going to do for the next week?
“You came here to
spend time with Tom?”
“And I will, when
he’s not working. You know the hours he keeps. What am I supposed to do? I’m
not going to go to the restaurant with him. And, as enchanting and well stocked
the general store is, I’m not that big on shopping.”
“There are other
stores. Wendy’s Christmas Village.”
“I am not that big
on shopping,” she said one word at a time, repeating her opinion on shopping.
“By the way, is every store in this town named after their owner?”
“Well, Harry’s
auto shop is actually owned by Butch Conner now. Harry passed away last March,
but Butch kept the name because old Harry had boxes and boxes of unused invoices
and Butch thought it’d be a waste to just throw them out. I guess Harry got
them at a real good price.” He chuckled and Darcy followed suit. He was glad to
see the sparkle back in her beautiful eyes. “Oh, you could ski. Our slopes are
amazing.”
“I’m from the
south. The idea of strapping wooden planks to my feet and free falling down a
mountainside scares the bejeesus out of me. No thank you.”
“You could catch
up on your reading.” He sat forward.
She leaned toward
him. “I’ll get eye strain.”
The adorable way
she crossed her eyes caused a hearty burst of laughter to escape him. He
glanced around the room and saw they had the full attention of all the other
patrons. He waited until everyone went back to minding their own business
before saying, “There are a thousand other things you could do and a lot of
interesting places to visit.”
Her gaze narrowed
into green slits. “Why don’t you want me to help you?”
Noting Armell and
Linda, her waitress, watched them with interest, he said quietly, “I didn’t say
that.”
“It sounds like
you don’t. Is the idea of spending time me so unappealing?” She traced her
finger down the side of her face to her chin and ended the move at the center
of her plump, very wine-colored lips.
Dylan felt the
rush of heat to his cock. Standing up to pay the check wouldn’t be an option
for a few minutes. The woman knew how to win an argument.
Out of propriety,
he turned his thoughts back to Jillian and Katy and his desire to make
Christmas special for them. “Okay. On one condition.”
Darcy arched her
perfect right brow in mistrust. “What?”
“You let me teach
you to ski.”
She sat back,
shaking her head. “As we say in the South, my mama did not raise no fool. That
is not a good idea.”
Oh, he loved a
game of dicker. “That’s the deal. I’ll let you help me decorate the house. You
can bake cookies for us. You can even help me make Christmas dinner, if you
also join us, but I get to take you skiing.” He grinned.
She gasped. “Why
do you want to make a fool out of me?”
“I don’t know.” He
shrugged. “Fun.”
She slumped back
in her chair and gave him a wary look. “Fun, huh?”
“Yeah. Fun.”
It took everything
in him to hold back his chuckle. Darcy was visibly troubled at the prospect of
swooshing down a mountain side. He’d let her squirm for a while before he’d
leave her off the hook. She was so damn cute herself.
“Skiing.” She
snatched her napkin from her lap, tossed the crumpled wad on the table between
them like a gauntlet and said, “Well, I never backed away from a challenge in
all of my twenty-seven years, and I’m not going to start now.”
“Wow. You’re
twenty-seven.”
She sat
straighter. “Yeah, why? Do I look… How old do you think I am?”
“At least twenty—”
“Spill it.”
“Five. I was going
to say five.” He raised his hand. “Honest. I was an Eagle Scout. So we’re going
skiing?”
“Yes, but I’ll
have to go shopping and buy some warmer clothes, I’m afraid. This leather coat
is warm enough in South Carolina but here, not so much.” She
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