Page 61 of The Clause in Christmas
Suddenly, he was all too aware of the sensation of his fingertips against her feather-soft sweater. And the heat from her body so close to his. He cleared his throat, but before he could voice any of his thoughts, Cassie asked, “Should we get to work on that rocking chair?”
“Uh, yeah,” Luke stammered. Sliding his arm from around her shoulders, he passed her a pair of safety goggles.
“This feels vaguely familiar.” Cassie smirked.
“Yep! But it’ll be even better. Trust me.”
After Luke walked her through all the steps, including safety tips, he moved off to the side, where he could watch from a close enough distance to intervene if she needed help.
Her features set in determination, Cassie eased the walnut plank toward the spinning blade. But as she leaned forward, a glint of metal caught Luke’s eye.
Quickly, he leaped forward and flipped off the switch, and the machine rumbled to a stop.
“What’s wrong?” Cassie asked, yanking off the goggles.
“Your necklace.” Luke strode to her side. “You don’t want anything dangling near the blade.”
Taking the charm in his fingertips, he moved to tuck it behind the collar of her sweater, but the engraving caught his eye. “Cass…” he began, peering closer. “What do the initials MC stand for?”
* * *
Cassie tugged the wool blanket around her shoulders as Luke placed another log on the campfire, the embers sparking into the inky black sky.
When he appeared satisfied with the strength of the flames, Luke settled on the Adirondack-style bench next to her.
Cassie held the blanket open, allowing Luke to sidle in next to her, instantly feeling the heat surge between them.
“Warm enough?” he asked, tucking the edges around her.
“Yes, thanks.” Cassie toyed with the silver heart charm at her throat—the reason for Luke’s effort. When she’d said it was a long story, he’d insisted on making her more comfortable first. And, almost as if he’d known she’d be more at ease outside, he’d set to work adding kindling to the large built-in firepit made from mortared stones.
Nestled beside him, Cassie marveled at how in tune they’d become. He seemed to know what she needed almost before she did.
“So.” Luke’s gaze traveled to the necklace. “Now that we’re settled, what does MC stand for?”
“It stands for Megan Conway,” Cassie said simply, staring into the coppery flames.
“Who’s Megan Conway?”
Running her finger along the smooth edge of the charm, Cassie blinked back hot tears. “I don’t know. We never met.”
Luke placed a hand on her knee. “I’m sorry, Cass. But I still don’t understand.”
Cassie squeezed her eyes shut, and a single tear escaped and slid down her cheek.
Gently, Luke brushed it aside, sending tremors coursing through her. He pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders, drawing her closer against him.
“Derek, my ex, gave me this necklace our first Christmas together,” Cassie explained past the lump in her throat. “It was the first time anyone had given me a Christmas present beyond the occasional Secret Santa gift exchange at work. It was special. Something he’d picked out just for me.” Her voice trembled, and she had to pause, sucking in a breath to steady her emotions.
“Your mother never gave you a Christmas present?” Luke asked, tracing a comforting circle on her upper arm with his thumb.
“Mom never reallydidChristmas,” Cassie admitted. “So, when I opened my gift from Derek and saw this beautiful necklace…” Her voice broke off.
Luke didn’t pressure her to continue, merely tightening his embrace.
Cassie leaned into him, gathering comfort from his closeness. “It took me a minute to realize the wrong initials were engraved on the charm. Derek tried to play it off, saying the jeweler made a mistake. But he sounded so nervous, so unlike himself, I didn’t believe him.”
Cassie felt Luke’s fingers clench against her arm, and the small display of outrage on her behalf was like a balm to her broken heart. There wasn’t a doubt in Cassie’s mind that Luke was different than Derek, or, really, any man she’d ever met. And as the bitterness from her past slowly loosened its grip around her heart, she said, “Derek finally told me the truth, admitting he’d been seeing someone else and bought us the same present, mixing them up by mistake.”
