Page 11 of Christmas In Love

Cade’s low whistle carried in the empty room. It packed a lot into one note. Understanding. Maybe even a bit of pity. Cade knew all about her mom and her lack of commitment. It had affected their relationship, after all. It was hard to love someone who didn’t have any examples of healthy love in their life. He’d done a good job of it, though. Great, really.

Silence fell again, except for the quiet droning of the news anchor.

“And a big storm is expected to come in next week, leaving northern Colorado to face record-breaking snowfall and dangerously low temperatures for the week leading up to Christmas.”

Wait. Natalie sat up and grabbed the remote, turning up the volume. The reporter continued to report on what Natalie had been hoping she’d misheard. A big storm was coming in.

“What’s up?” Cade looked back and forth between Natalie and the TV.

“The storm.”

“Yeah, it looks like a bad one… are you planning on going somewhere?”

“No, no…” she muttered distractedly. How was she going to fix this? “I volunteered to organize the town parade a few months ago… and massive snowstorm equals no parade.” Natalie continued to stare at the screen, even after the reporter disappeared and some sports replay started streaming. “It was supposed to be my way to become part of the community, get them to like me enough to refer their friends and family when they came to stay. I’d be lying if I said it’s been easy to organize. Plus, there are like six old ladies who keep checking in on me to see if I’ll fail. Looks like they’ll get their wish.” Natalie twisted her lips to the side in thought.

“Bad weather can’t be blamed on you.”

“You don’t know small-town traditions then.” Finally, Natalie tore her eyes from the screen, picking up their empty mugs and taking them over to the large sink. She flipped on the water to rinse them.

“I guess not. Sorry, Nat. If I could help, I would.”

Natalie froze at the nickname no one but Cade ever used. Water began overflowing out of the mugs

It was probably just a habit. It didn’t mean anything.

Except it did, because it brought back an avalanche of memories. Memories of cuddling on her couch, date nights to the drive-in theater, laughing over jokes that only belonged to them, late-night studying. Her in her graduate program, and him in medical school. It brought back history. And history needed to stay locked away and buried. She turned off the water and placed the mugs in the sink, then turned and leaned against the counter as her heart wasn’t going a mile a minute.

“It’s fine. I’ll come up with something.”

“Yeah? You have any ideas?” Cade leaned his forearms against the table, looking a little too comfortable in her kitchen.

“No, but I’m sure I will.” Hopefully, he would drop it and just go to bed.

“What about a dinner?”

So, not going to bed. Okay, then. “Not kid-friendly.”

“Santa’s workshop?”

“Not adult-friendly.”

Cade sent her a dry smile, and Natalie couldn’t help the returning grin. “Don’t blame me. I can’t invite a bunch of sixty-year-olds to sit on Santa’s lap. Someone might break a hip!”

He chuckled, then looked down at the table, his lips pressing together in a way that said he was thinking. Then he looked back up. “I’ve got it!” He straightened. “It’s perfect!”

“What’s perfect?” Natalie wasn’t convinced anything could be perfect, let alone something thought up in under a minute.

“I’ll tell you under one condition.”

“And that is?”

He paused for the space of three heartbeats, narrowing his eyes at her as if figuring something out. But what?

“You let me help.”

Natalie’s eyes widened. Not what she’d expected. She bit her tongue to keep from responding right away. She wanted to say no—should say no. She didn’t accept help.

But her curiosity was as out of control as her hair after falling asleep with it wet.

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