Page 80 of Stay this Christmas
“I’m going to let you think about that for a minute.”
She laughed. “You know what I mean.”
I fed the lights out to her and tried to pretend I was being useful. Mostly, I watched her face as she focused on getting the lights where she wanted them. How she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth whenever she reached an especially tricky bit. How she double-checked her work and smiled to herself every time she was pleased with the look.
I liked those secret smiles most of all. They weren’t meant for me, they were just a natural reaction, but somehow, I was lucky enough to see them, anyway. I should always be so lucky.
“We’ve only got about a week until your birthday,” I said, plugging the second string of lights in to the first. “What are you knocking out next?”
“I have an idea for Wednesday night. Are you free?”
“For you? Absolutely.”
She smiled at that. “I’ve accepted that I’m not going to get everything done in time. Getting out of Magnolia Ridge was always kind of a long shot.”
“Not necessarily.” I hadn’t been sure I wanted to suggest my idea to her, mostly out of self-preservation. Asking her to go out of town with me was still probably a one-way ticket to getting shot down, but after the last couple of days, I was ready to push the big redDo it!button. “Do you have a night you could get away?”
She paused, the lights hanging loose in her hands. “Away, like overnight?”
“Overnight,” I confirmed, bracing myself for the emotional firing squad. “It’s a couple of hours outside Magnolia Ridge, and it’s at best advantage at night.”
“You mean you want to go somewhere for stargazing?”
Her soft voice uncurled something in me. Maybe she’d thought we’d just go out in her backyard and look up at the stars for a few minutes one night, but that would never do.
“This is a list of adventures, we’ve got to do it right. I have a place in mind, but only if it works for you.”
“Where?”
I grinned. “That part’s a surprise.”
This woman didn’t get thrown nearly enough curveballs in her life. The thought I might be the man to do it made my fool heart soar.
She tilted her head, apparently debating whether or not she wanted to agree to an overnight with me to an undisclosed location. Fair enough.
“No expectations,” I said, hands raised. “There are two beds, I already checked. We’re not going to get stuck in one of your tropes.”
She laughed. “You’ve been reading up?”
Would neither confirm nor deny.
“Let’s see…we’re facing my fear Wednesday night, and I thought we’d do the Christmas market Saturday night if you don’t have a yoga class.”
My heart lost a little altitude. I’d never given a lot of thought to my odd hours before, but just now, I wished for a regular nine-to-five. Something where I could count on spending evenings with my—well. Too soon to get carried away with labels here. But I’d like to know my evenings were free for Harper, whenever she’d have me.
As much as I hated to say it, Dad’s job offer was starting to sound…if not tempting, at least like a possibility.
“I do have a class. How late does the market go?”
“Until nine.”
“We can catch it after my six o’clock class, if that’s okay?”
Her smile told me everything I wanted to know.
“I could do an overnight Thursday as long as I’m back in time for my eleven o’clock appointment at the Village on Friday.”
“Won’t be a problem.”
