Page 22 of Jingle Bell Jilt
He’s probably waiting for me to move because I’m still stiff as a statue with my hand on his.
“Oh, man. I am so sorry. I should not have done that. Especially not—” He shrugs. “Not after the week you’ve had.” He runs a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end and poking out in all directions. Crap. It makes me want to wrinkle his t-shirt in my fists and pull him back for another, longer kiss.
But instead, I clear my throat and finally have the presence of mind to take a step back. I shake my head and grimace. “What? No, you don’t need to apologize.” Cool. That’s how I need to play this. “It’s not a big deal. Like at all.” I really want to run my fingers, or at the very least my tongue, across my lips, but I’m afraid if I do, it will draw his attention to me, and he’ll see just how affected I am.
“You wanted to leave, right?” I ask.
He nods slowly.
I raise a hand and wave. “Thanks for the ornament. And Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, dear. Oh—” she calls as Evan and I turn away.
I look over my shoulder. “Yes?”
“Just remember we’re open until 6 o’clock tonight.” She smiles kindly. “In case you forgot something.”
My brows raise. “Okay. Thanks again.” She’s a very passive-aggressive salesperson.
Evan is already holding the door open for me like he can’t leave fast enough. Not that I blame him. This store has some weird vibes going on.
We head out to the car, and once we step off the sidewalk, his shoulders relax. Who would have thought a little angel tree topper could set him so on edge? Although, I think it’s more the memories than the actual angel.
“Now what?” He asks.
I push the button that has the picture of the tailgate lifting. The back of the Denali opens wide like a gaping mouth. “Well, I have almost all my stuff for the contest. But if my memory serves, you have,” I tap my finger to my lips, “oh, yes. Nothing.” I stow my bags and fold my arms. “Do you have any game plan here?”
He lifts his hands to his side in confusion. “This is your game and I think there’s more of a learning curve than you let on.”
“Since when has decorating for Christmas developed a learning curve? It’s something you’ve done since you were a little kid.”
His face darkens. “I guess I’m just out of practice. We haven’t decorated in a few years.”
My arms fall to my side, and I soften my stance. “Point taken.” My voice comes out quiet and a little shaky. I push the button to lower the tailgate and give him a nudge. “Do you want some help? When formulating the rules, I wasn’t aware of extenuating circumstances.” I give him a side-eye smile. “But next year, buddy, you’re on your own.”
He smiles at me for the first time since our kiss. “You’re truly a kind-hearted soul, Miss Taylor. But I think I only need to maybe change the rules a little. Then I can do it on my own.”
I raise a brow. “I’m listening.”
“Can we up the limit to forty dollars?”
“You realize that only gives me more money to trounce you with?” I say.
“I think I’m going to have to buy this win because I’m surely not going to make it,” he grins.
“Okay. To even the playing field, I’ll absorb the cost of the glue gun into my forty.” I motion back to the dollar store. “Do you want to go back in there or try somewhere else?”
He looks across the parking lot at the Walmart. “I need superstore kind of help.”
“So you did the big talking, but without the fancy walking?”
He nods emphatically. “Complete hot air. I had no idea who I was up against.”
I give him a sympathetic grin. “We won’t get the same bang for our buck as we will at the dollar store, but I think I can make it work.”
He holds out his hand.
“What?” I ask.
