Read Online That Mistletoe Moment by Cat Johnson - Free Book Online Page A

grew up here and my parents still live in Connecticut.”
    â€œWhich is why you were here for Thanksgiving and now for Christmas.”
    â€œExactly. I come home for holidays when I can. I lucked out this year to get two in a row.” He grinned.
    She’d been the one to luck out this year.
    Holy moly, what luck she’d had. Running into Mr. Hunky and Handsome at the store and then accidentally texting him.
    Wow. It was all so much to take in she was happy to lead him to the sofa and be able to sit down herself.
    He glanced at the evergreen that took up the whole corner of the room. “I like your tree.”
    She looked at the tree herself and cringed, remembering how she and Nikki had had to squash the living room furniture together to make it all fit. “I know it’s too big for the apartment, but it was so pretty.”
    â€œI’ve been living in the barracks for over a decade, so I’ve never had a tree of my own. Besides, no Christmas tree can ever be too big, in my opinion. Well, unless it’s taller than the ceiling, but then a few strokes of a saw can fix that problem.” Nathan grinned.
    â€œI agree.” Her heart fluttered as his gaze settled upon her. Feeling self-conscious, she raised the paper cup to her lips and took a sip of the hot cocoa. Rich, chocolaty goodness filled her mouth. “This is really good. Where’d you get it?”
    â€œThere’s a little shop on the outskirts of town. I was lucky it wasn’t closed for the night, but I guess since it’s almost Christmas, they stay open late. Anyway, it’s the strangest place. They sell everything from antiques to gifts to chicken feed to homemade pies. They make the cocoa themselves from scratch. Real milk and chocolate. None of the powdered stuff.”
    â€œI know that store. I went in and looked around once.” She’d wanted to check out the antiques. George had been with her so she’d rushed through and didn’t get to see everything. “I can’t believe I never knew they sold hot chocolate.”
    â€œOnly during the holidays. I always make sure to go in when I’m lucky enough to be home.”
    â€œThank you for sharing it with me.”
    â€œMy pleasure. Thank you for sharing your tree with me.” His eyes met and held hers.
    â€œYou’re welcome.” Noelle felt overwhelmed and broke the eye contact, instead glancing at the tree, rather than into the soulful eyes of the man sitting at the opposite end of the sofa.
    â€œI have to tell you, I was pretty surprised when I got your first text. I mean, I knew you had my number because of the recipe—which was great, by the way—but after a couple of weeks had passed, getting your text was a surprise. A good one, but unexpected.”
    Guilt overwhelmed her. She liked him too much not to tell him the truth. “Nathan, I have to confess something.”
    She raised her gaze in time to see him lift his brows as he said, “Okay.”
    â€œI, um . . .” She blew out a breath. “Wow, this is really hard.”
    A frown creased his brow. He put his cup down on the coffee table. “Just say it, Noelle. I’m a big boy. I can handle anything you have to say. I like you, but believe me, I’d rather know now if you’re not interested, before I get in any deeper.”
    Her emotions were like a roller coaster as she soared at his words, and then dropped low as she tried to make her own confession.
    She’d never wanted him to think she wasn’t interested. Quite the opposite. Her interest in him was the one thing she was completely sure of in this whole mess.
    â€œNo, Nathan, I am interested.” Noelle sighed. “It’s not that. I just don’t know how to tell you the reason I texted. . . .”
    Usually she could babble with the best of them, but right now her words failed her—and at the worst possible time.
    He reached out and took the cup out