Page 27 of Once Upon a Holidate
“How can I help?”
“You can’t, but I appreciate the offer. I’m sorry I scared you.” He looked at her. “It was dumb to come here and I apologize. Tell me how I can make it up to you.”
She instantly thought of her still-warm bed and how good he would look in it. She liked the idea of them together, naked and touching. There were complications, however. Hunter would get up in less than a half hour and Joylyn was right next door. Oh, and the fact that Garrick had never once hinted he thought of her in a boy-girl way.
“Next time leave me a note,” she said. “By the coffeepot. That way I’ll see it right away.”
“I promise.” He drained his coffee and stood. “I need to get back and make sure she’s all right. With any luck, she’s asleep.”
“And you can sneak out to work before she wakes up?”
“I wouldn’t say sneak. Want to come over for dinner tonight? Hunter, too, of course. I’ll be serving the finest takeout in town.”
She laughed. “That would be nice. Thank you.”
“You’re the one doing me a favor.”
“Acting as a buffer?”
“Something like that. Although I do enjoy the company.” He paused, then smiled. “The T-shirt was cute.”
She flushed. “Pretend you never saw that.”
“Too late, but how about if I don’t comment on it again?”
“That would be good.”
He put his coffee mug in the sink, then left. Wynn stayed where she was, wishing she wasn’t wondering what he’d thought about seeing her in the T-shirt. What didcutemean? And why did he have to say cute? Sexy would have been moreinteresting. Appealing was good, too. But cute? Men were just so annoying.
***
Wynn’s morning flew by as quickly as always. Work was busy with new orders coming in and completed orders going out. A little after eleven, her friends Renee and Natalie walked in.
Natalie, a pretty brunette with curly hair and bright red glasses, was several months pregnant. Her visible happiness and sweet disposition were a stark contrast to Joylyn’s sullen nature. Wynn wondered how much of Joylyn’s attitude was about her circumstances and how much of it was because of her personality. Not a question she would get answered today, she told herself.
While Natalie wore a flowy maternity dress, Renee, a petite redhead, had on a dark suit and three-inch heels.
“Work or play?” Wynn asked, hugging her friends.
“Work,” Renee said. “We need some help with a couple of weddings.”
“Then let’s go to my office.”
Renee was a partner in Weddings Out of the Box—a destination wedding venue in town. She’d worked in the business nearly two years and had bought in last year. Renee was organized, creative and fiercely loyal. She was also married to Jasper Dembenski, a successful thriller writer and Wynn’s former lover.
Wynn had ended things a few years back for reasons that seemed really silly now. Not that she wanted him back. She and Jasper had both been more interested in the convenience of their relationship rather than any romantic connection. He was much happier with Renee than he’d ever been with her.
As for what Wynn wanted—well, that was less sure. Someone she could love with her whole heart. Assuming she let herself go there, she thought sadly. Because most days it seemed that she wouldn’t.
“What’s up?” she asked when her friends were seated.
“There’s a wedding,” Renee said. “In fact there are several.”
“People love to get married at the holidays,” Wynn said, then turned to Natalie. “If you’re involved, then I’m guessing there is some kind of art project.”
Natalie was a gifted artist who worked with different materials, including paper.
“There is,” Natalie said. “We’re going to need to special order some paper, and it has to be a rush.”
