Page 40 of Under the Mistletoe
For rescuing me.
The words echoed around his heart. Maybe he could be Rand. And just maybehecould be the hero of her story.
seven
Logan might be a can without a can opener, but Devin seemed to be a faucet without a shut-off valve. How could she have blabbered all that to him? Devin’s gaze was fixed out the side window of the Bronco as he pulled to a stop at his parents’. It was still snowing, but the flakes were smaller than they had been before. When he didn’t move, she glanced back at him. He wore a slight grin as he watched her.
She brought her hands to her face. “What?”
“I was waiting to see if you were done. My parents got back since I left”—he pointed to a white sedan a few feet away—“and I didn’t want you to feel awkward?—”
“I’m good.” She climbed out and waited while he grabbed the box of stockings. “I’m really sorry for dumping all that on you. I don’t know what came over?—”
“Don’t do that.” His brow wrinkled.
“What?”
“We’re friends. At least we were, and it seems like both of us are making an effort to get back there again. Aren’t we?”
Her mouth went a little dry at the intensity in his deep-blue eyes, and she offered a nod. “We’re friends.”
His shoulders seemed to lose some of the tension at that, and the grin returned to his face as he started walking up the porch. “Friends listen…even if one friend gets snot all over the other friend’s scarf.”
“I didn’t wipe my nose on it.” She swatted his arm.
“Sure, you didn’t.” He shifted the box to one hand and opened the door, Cal immediately nosing into his side. “Hey, Mom, I’m back.”
“Too late. I already moved your computer and all those sticky notes about?—”
“Devin is with me.”
Cal shoved his nose into her hand. She bent over and ruffled the mass of curls. “There’s that beautiful boy.”
“Rugged.” Logan’s tone was rough, but a smile still peeked out.
His mom appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. “Devin, it’s good to see you.” Then his mom tapped at the side of the box. “More mess, I assume.”
“Sorry, that’s my fault.” Devin waved. “Logan is going to help me put names on stockings. But if we’ll be in the way, then we can go somewhere else. I mean?—”
“Absolutely not. We bought a house bigger than we needed because we want to share it. Speaking of which, we just found out that we are officially approved to be foster parents, so if we get called on, I’ll be attending your events, anyway.” Ann pulled Devin in for a quick hug.
“I love that.” Devin couldn’t resist sinking into the hug.
Ann let go and wrapped an arm around her son. “I’m just giving this guy a hard time for leaving his work all over my kitchen table. I had to move it before I could get started on my cookies.”
“Sorry.” Logan offered a sheepish look. “I got stuck and then distracted.”
“I see that.” His mother sent him a look Devin couldn’t quite decipher, but Logan rolled his eyes.
“Can we use the great room?”
“Absolutely. Go pull a couple folding tables out of the garage.” She turned to Devin. “One thing that sold me on this house was how easily I can convert the room for my crafting. The long tables fit perfectly along the window between my two Christmas trees.” Then she sent another meaningful look to Logan. “And yourworkis in the downstairs guest room on the bed. I didn’t feel like carrying it up to your room.”
“You’re the best.” He dropped a kiss on his mom’s cheek, then headed to the great room.
Thirty minutes later, with two tables set up, his mom’s Christmas music floating from the kitchen, and Cal sacked out in the corner, Logan opened the lid of the box and pulled out a red stocking with white fur at the top. “So how do we get names on these?”
“With glitter glue.” Devin pulled out several bottles from the box. “How is your printing?”
