Read Online The Trouble with Christmas by Kaira Rouda - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kaira Rouda
Ads: Link
fridge.
“It’s an Indigo Island specialty. We serve it at the restaurant,” he said, hoping she’d leave it at that.
“Pork, chicken?”
“Pork,” he said, taking the plate she handed to him and following her to the kitchen table.
“It’s chicken and sage,” Lily said and sat across from him just as the clouds outside started to break up and shoot shafts of light through his windows, lighting her up.
“You had someone cook breakfast for us, didn’t you?”
“You busted me,” he admitted. “I know. I’m a restaurant owner without the slightest idea how to keep a meal warm. Pathetic.”
Lily laughed and took a sip of her coffee. Despite the rough start, Cole enjoyed his meal and her company, but he was torn. He wanted to address the ring, or the relationship the ring implied, but he’d just met Lily. Still, he couldn’t get past it.
“I hope I’m not being too forward, but I noticed an engagement ring on your ring finger yesterday and last night it was gone. And I, well, it’s not there today either. Did you just forget to put it on or is there a chance you aren’t engaged?” Cole said. He felt ridiculous, almost desperate to make his hopes crystal clear.
“I was engaged, for three months, to a man named Bob. We dated for almost five years,” Lily said softly.
She slumped a little in her seat, and her face shuttered. Cole was afraid he’d ruined everything. He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. Her hand was so soft, so small. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she looked up at him with impossibly sad eyes. He never wanted to see her that sad ever again. He had no idea what this Bob guy had done to her, but he felt Bob definitely needed to be decked.
“I’m sorry he hurt you,” Cole said. He needed to hold her, and that was all he thought as he stood and walked around the table. And Lily rose and fell into his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her small frame. “And I’m sorry I brought it up,” he said, chin resting on the top of her head. He smelled her hair, clean and flowery, and his heart beat faster in his chest.
“Avery said all along he was a snob and a jerk. I didn’t listen. I guess I just thought it was all real,” Lily said and pulled her head back from his chest to lock eyes with him. “He’s marrying somebody else, on Christmas day.”
“This Christmas?” Cole asked, stunned.
“Yes,” Lily said and buried her face in his shirt again.
“Good riddance,” he said. “His loss. You don’t need someone like that in your life.”
Lily’s tears dampened his chest, but she laughed a little. “Are you for real?” she asked.
He reached down and swept the tear off her cheek with his thumb then placed his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back for a soft kiss. He meant to pull back, but when her lips parted, he instinctively pressed harder. She felt so right in his arms, so yielding, and she smelled wonderful. His arousal increased with Lily’s gasp, but reluctantly, he broke off the kiss and pulled her into a tight hug, his heart thudded in his chest. “I’m very real,” he said, wishing he hadn’t become so instantly and intensely aroused. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, but Lily did something to him, yet now was definitely not the time. She’d just broken up with her fiancé, and he had a restaurant to try and run.
“Great breakfast,” Lily said and pulled away. “Let’s do the dishes and talk about your Christmas catering mess.”
Lily stacked their empty plates and carried them to the sink, Cole followed with their glasses and coffee mugs. He was glad that she no longer seemed sad. Instead, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled. As Lily loaded the dishwasher, she said, “I take it those white boards in the dining room are your plans for the Christmas meal?”
“Yup. I thought I’d use the same system as Thanksgiving, since that was such as success,” Cole said and heard her laugh.
She finished putting
“It’s an Indigo Island specialty. We serve it at the restaurant,” he said, hoping she’d leave it at that.
“Pork, chicken?”
“Pork,” he said, taking the plate she handed to him and following her to the kitchen table.
“It’s chicken and sage,” Lily said and sat across from him just as the clouds outside started to break up and shoot shafts of light through his windows, lighting her up.
“You had someone cook breakfast for us, didn’t you?”
“You busted me,” he admitted. “I know. I’m a restaurant owner without the slightest idea how to keep a meal warm. Pathetic.”
Lily laughed and took a sip of her coffee. Despite the rough start, Cole enjoyed his meal and her company, but he was torn. He wanted to address the ring, or the relationship the ring implied, but he’d just met Lily. Still, he couldn’t get past it.
“I hope I’m not being too forward, but I noticed an engagement ring on your ring finger yesterday and last night it was gone. And I, well, it’s not there today either. Did you just forget to put it on or is there a chance you aren’t engaged?” Cole said. He felt ridiculous, almost desperate to make his hopes crystal clear.
“I was engaged, for three months, to a man named Bob. We dated for almost five years,” Lily said softly.
She slumped a little in her seat, and her face shuttered. Cole was afraid he’d ruined everything. He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. Her hand was so soft, so small. She didn’t pull away. Instead, she looked up at him with impossibly sad eyes. He never wanted to see her that sad ever again. He had no idea what this Bob guy had done to her, but he felt Bob definitely needed to be decked.
“I’m sorry he hurt you,” Cole said. He needed to hold her, and that was all he thought as he stood and walked around the table. And Lily rose and fell into his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her small frame. “And I’m sorry I brought it up,” he said, chin resting on the top of her head. He smelled her hair, clean and flowery, and his heart beat faster in his chest.
“Avery said all along he was a snob and a jerk. I didn’t listen. I guess I just thought it was all real,” Lily said and pulled her head back from his chest to lock eyes with him. “He’s marrying somebody else, on Christmas day.”
“This Christmas?” Cole asked, stunned.
“Yes,” Lily said and buried her face in his shirt again.
“Good riddance,” he said. “His loss. You don’t need someone like that in your life.”
Lily’s tears dampened his chest, but she laughed a little. “Are you for real?” she asked.
He reached down and swept the tear off her cheek with his thumb then placed his finger beneath her chin and tilted her head back for a soft kiss. He meant to pull back, but when her lips parted, he instinctively pressed harder. She felt so right in his arms, so yielding, and she smelled wonderful. His arousal increased with Lily’s gasp, but reluctantly, he broke off the kiss and pulled her into a tight hug, his heart thudded in his chest. “I’m very real,” he said, wishing he hadn’t become so instantly and intensely aroused. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, but Lily did something to him, yet now was definitely not the time. She’d just broken up with her fiancé, and he had a restaurant to try and run.
“Great breakfast,” Lily said and pulled away. “Let’s do the dishes and talk about your Christmas catering mess.”
Lily stacked their empty plates and carried them to the sink, Cole followed with their glasses and coffee mugs. He was glad that she no longer seemed sad. Instead, her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled. As Lily loaded the dishwasher, she said, “I take it those white boards in the dining room are your plans for the Christmas meal?”
“Yup. I thought I’d use the same system as Thanksgiving, since that was such as success,” Cole said and heard her laugh.
She finished putting
Similar Books
