Page 59 of The Clause in Christmas
The almond-shaped green eyes staring back at her were more than vaguely familiar.
They belonged to her grandmother.
* * *
Cassie tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her heart still pounding from the startling discovery. Frank Barrie was engaged to her grandmother! Nothing seemed further from the realm of possibility.
When she’d heard Frank’s footsteps echo down the hallway, she’d quickly slipped the photograph between the pages, shoving the book back inside the drawer. Her heart wrenched with guilt. She didn’t want to hide anything from Frank. But she also wasn’t sure she could face the repercussions. Their relationship had come so far, barely surviving one secret. How would he feel if he found out she’d uncovered another one?
Somehow, Cassie managed to conceal her newfound knowledge. When they’d concluded their work, Cassie bid Frank goodbye and slipped away to her car.
Pulse still racing, Cassie fidgeted with her phone, debating her next move. Acting on instinct, she found herself dialing Eliza’s number.
“Hey, Cass! What’s up?” Eliza asked over Christmas music blaring in the background.
Cassie hesitated, suddenly realizing the peculiarity of her request. “Can you… give me Luke’s address?”
A long silence followed, and Cassie could imagine the huge grin plastered across Eliza’s face.
She instantly regretted not calling Luke instead. But hearing his deep, spine-tingling voice would have made Cassie lose her nerve.
“Sure,” Eliza said with an impish lilt to her voice.
Blushing even in the privacy of her car, Cassie punched the address into her GPS. “Thanks, Eliza.” Before her inquisitive friend could pepper her with questions, Cassie hung up the phone.
As she headed back to the main road, Cassie’s cautious inner voice implored her to turn around and go home. Showing up on Luke’s doorstep unannounced was a risky idea. Especially as the sun dipped below the horizon. But in a moment when Cassie needed advice, she instantly thought of Luke. Not only could she trust him with Frank’s secret, but she’d come to value his input… more so than anyone else’s in her life.
Suddenly, Cassie had an overwhelming urge to see Luke’s home—and the insights it would provide into the man himself. And the closer she got to her destination, the more her curiosity grew.
Rounding the final bend in the road, Cassie nearly slammed on the brakes as a breathtaking, two-story home came into view. A blend of wood and stone, the lodge-style estate stood on several acres of sprawling land, bordered by a thick forest of pines. An enormous A-frame picture window showcased a dazzling Christmas tree at least nine feet tall. Large, colored bulbs outlined nearly every inch of the house, which was pretty enough to be on a Hallmark card.
After ringing the doorbell—which Luke had somehow programmed to play “Jingle Bells”—Cassie drew in a shaky breath, doubts running through her mind. She should have called first. What if he wasn’t home?
Admonishing herself for her impulsivity, Cassie whirled around and bounded down the front steps. But as she headed for her car, the whirring of a saw cut through the stillness of the brisk, wintry air. Her pulse matching the speed of a spinning blade, Cassie rounded the corner of the house and crunched along the gravel path, anxiously closing the distance between her and the sound.
Light streamed through the open barn door, casting curious shadows on the ground. As Cassie inched closer and peered inside, her breath caught in her throat.
Luke leaned over a table saw, the sleeves of his flannel shirt pushed up to his elbows. Even from a distance, Cassie could see the muscles in his forearms flex as he guided the plank of wood toward the rotating blade.
Cassie swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Alarmed by the rush of emotions rippling through her, she backed away, rear-ending a pile of wood. The logs toppled over, clattering to the ground.
Startled, Luke glanced up, pushing his safety goggles on top of his forehead as he clicked off the saw. “Hello?” He squinted in her direction, where she stood partially shrouded in darkness.
The hairs on Cassie’s arms tingled at the hopeful catch in Luke’s voice as he asked, “Cassie, is that you?”
Chapter 21
Luke blinked a few times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Could it really be her?
Timidly, Cassie stepped from the shadows into the warmth of the barn. “Hi.” She tucked a curl behind her ear, blushing slightly as she met his gaze.
Luke’s heart sputtered to a stop. Something about having the woman he loved here in his workshop made breathing impossible. It took him a moment to string the right words together. “Wow, this is a nice surprise.”
“I should have called,” Cassie blurted, then flushed an even deeper shade of pink.
“Why?” Luke asked, flashing a teasing grin. “If you haven’t noticed, no one calls ahead in Poppy Creek.”
The corners of Cassie’s lips curved in a small smile. “That’s true.”
