mocked a shiver,
because Armell’s Country Kitchen was quite cozy with a fire crackling in the
stone hearth. Darcy snatched her bag from the seat of the empty chair between
them. “When do you want to start decorating?”
“I was actually
going to dig some things out of the attic this afternoon. I’m not sure what or
where Elizabeth has the stuff stored.” He pulled back his thermo-shirt sleeve
and blinked. Somehow two hours had gone by. “Damn.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nearly two.
The girls will be home in an hour and a half.” His chair legs scraped the plank
floors as he pushed back from the table. “And I have to go to work at the ski
lodge at seven. I’m off tomorrow. Can we start tomorrow morning? I’d really
like to surprise the girls when they get home from school.” Dylan flipped the
check over and fished in his back jean pocket for his wallet.
“You know, if you
want to make this Christmas special, you could buy your own decorations. If you
use your brother’s and sister-in-law’s stuff and decorate the way they always
do, it could make thee girls think of their parents’ absence more.”
He shook his index
finger at her. “You’re right. I never thought of that. Let’s head down to
Wendy’s Christmas Barn and whatever she doesn’t have, I’ll check for at the
Whoseher’s General Store. My truck is parked out front of there anyway.” He
rose, slid his arms into the sleeves of his coveralls and shrugged on the heavy
garment. “I’ll pay the check and we’ll take off.”
Darcy stood and
grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair. “If you’ll excuse me, just a
moment. I’m going to freshen up and call Tom. I want to let him know you’re
going to drop me off. He must be wondering what the heck I’m doing.” She dug
her cell phone from her purse and held it up. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.”
Dylan watched the sway of Darcy’s hips in her form-fitting jeans as she walked
away. She glanced over her shoulder and caught him enjoying himself and winked
openly. Thank goodness he had his extra heavy coveralls on. His off stride
would be contributed to them and not the making of a good hard-on.
Christmas. He
sighed. The coming holiday looked much brighter than it did yesterday. If he
hadn’t stopped last night for that drink with Tom, the holiday would still look
bleak. Thank goodness he had.
An hour later,
Dylan pulled up to Tom’s house. The old farmhouse his friend had remodeled sat a
few hundred yards down the road beyond the Grist Mill. If Tom had been in the
dining room of the restaurant, no doubt he saw them pass by.
However, Tom was
not on his mind. Darcy was. In the past ten minutes, the cab of his truck got
very warm, and the heater wasn’t running. He didn’t want to leave her.
He hadn’t laughed
this much in a very long time and he felt like the happiest guy on the
mountain.
He shifted the SUV
into park.
“Thank you for
driving me here,” she said, smiling at him and wringing her gloved hands
together. “I’m sure Tom appreciates it too.”
“Not a problem.
Thank you for helping me choose decorations.” He hitched a thumb toward the
back seat piled high with packages. “So what are you going to do this
afternoon?” He asked, unwilling to let her go just yet.
“I don’t know.
Make some notes concerning my restaurant. Check my car and if it’s thawed, take
a drive. See some of the interesting places I’ve heard about. Or I might just
stay in, fix something for dinner, take a hot bath and then, maybe, read a
book.”
“You’re going to
relax?”
“Well, when in
Rome.”
They gazes locked.
Erotic impulses
danced their way down Darcy’s spine. She could sit there forever taking in
every inch of Dylan’s maleness. Damn the cold biting at her toes. To hell with
the fact he had to get home in time for the girls to come off the bus.
The girls.
She wasn’t going
to be the reason two little girls were left out in the
because Armell’s Country Kitchen was quite cozy with a fire crackling in the
stone hearth. Darcy snatched her bag from the seat of the empty chair between
them. “When do you want to start decorating?”
“I was actually
going to dig some things out of the attic this afternoon. I’m not sure what or
where Elizabeth has the stuff stored.” He pulled back his thermo-shirt sleeve
and blinked. Somehow two hours had gone by. “Damn.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nearly two.
The girls will be home in an hour and a half.” His chair legs scraped the plank
floors as he pushed back from the table. “And I have to go to work at the ski
lodge at seven. I’m off tomorrow. Can we start tomorrow morning? I’d really
like to surprise the girls when they get home from school.” Dylan flipped the
check over and fished in his back jean pocket for his wallet.
“You know, if you
want to make this Christmas special, you could buy your own decorations. If you
use your brother’s and sister-in-law’s stuff and decorate the way they always
do, it could make thee girls think of their parents’ absence more.”
He shook his index
finger at her. “You’re right. I never thought of that. Let’s head down to
Wendy’s Christmas Barn and whatever she doesn’t have, I’ll check for at the
Whoseher’s General Store. My truck is parked out front of there anyway.” He
rose, slid his arms into the sleeves of his coveralls and shrugged on the heavy
garment. “I’ll pay the check and we’ll take off.”
Darcy stood and
grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair. “If you’ll excuse me, just a
moment. I’m going to freshen up and call Tom. I want to let him know you’re
going to drop me off. He must be wondering what the heck I’m doing.” She dug
her cell phone from her purse and held it up. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.”
Dylan watched the sway of Darcy’s hips in her form-fitting jeans as she walked
away. She glanced over her shoulder and caught him enjoying himself and winked
openly. Thank goodness he had his extra heavy coveralls on. His off stride
would be contributed to them and not the making of a good hard-on.
Christmas. He
sighed. The coming holiday looked much brighter than it did yesterday. If he
hadn’t stopped last night for that drink with Tom, the holiday would still look
bleak. Thank goodness he had.
An hour later,
Dylan pulled up to Tom’s house. The old farmhouse his friend had remodeled sat a
few hundred yards down the road beyond the Grist Mill. If Tom had been in the
dining room of the restaurant, no doubt he saw them pass by.
However, Tom was
not on his mind. Darcy was. In the past ten minutes, the cab of his truck got
very warm, and the heater wasn’t running. He didn’t want to leave her.
He hadn’t laughed
this much in a very long time and he felt like the happiest guy on the
mountain.
He shifted the SUV
into park.
“Thank you for
driving me here,” she said, smiling at him and wringing her gloved hands
together. “I’m sure Tom appreciates it too.”
“Not a problem.
Thank you for helping me choose decorations.” He hitched a thumb toward the
back seat piled high with packages. “So what are you going to do this
afternoon?” He asked, unwilling to let her go just yet.
“I don’t know.
Make some notes concerning my restaurant. Check my car and if it’s thawed, take
a drive. See some of the interesting places I’ve heard about. Or I might just
stay in, fix something for dinner, take a hot bath and then, maybe, read a
book.”
“You’re going to
relax?”
“Well, when in
Rome.”
They gazes locked.
Erotic impulses
danced their way down Darcy’s spine. She could sit there forever taking in
every inch of Dylan’s maleness. Damn the cold biting at her toes. To hell with
the fact he had to get home in time for the girls to come off the bus.
The girls.
She wasn’t going
to be the reason two little girls were left out in the
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