Page 46 of Resisting Fate
Chapter Ten
Honest to God, Missy took one step onto Clover Park’s Main Street on Saturday morning and felt like she’d stepped into a Hallmark Christmas movie. Not that she ever watched them. Much. The holiday stroll hadn’t opened to the public yet, so she had an unobstructed view of the charming downtown with its shops and restaurants now aglow in twinkly white Christmas lights. White lights arched over Main Street, wrapped around the trees that lined both sides of the street, and sparkled from every storefront window. The old-fashioned lamp posts were wrapped in greenery with fat red bows. Hailey had even made a huge purchase of wreaths, glittered snowflakes, mini-trees with gold balls, and menorahs, so every storefront window would coordinate.
The street had been closed off to traffic for pedestrians and for the horse and carriage rides. Two carriages, each with one large brown horse wearing jingle bells around their bellies, stood across the street in front of town hall. Already the air smelled sweet and spicy from the hot chocolate stand and roasted nuts cart in front of Something’s Brewing Café. She’d checked the roasted nuts out earlier. Chef Shane O’Hare had prepared glazed cinnamon almonds, Mexican spiced chocolate pecans, and sweet ’n spicy mixed nuts. He’d given all the volunteers samples early this morning, and she told him as she had onmanyoccasions, after indulging in his glorious coffee, pastries, and homemade ice cream, how lucky they were to have his culinary talent. He’d blushed as red as his hair, mumbling, “Thanks.”
But the best part was living this joyous day with Ben.
She wasn’t even working directly with him, but every time she caught a glimpse of him in his black down parka, black knit hat, and black work gloves, carrying stuff, she felt giddy. He looked rugged and capable andhot.
Now that everything was in place, Ben had joined her to admire their work. He was busy texting someone, so she snuck a look at his strong profile, his angular face with the stubble along his jaw she longed to feel scraping against her. She suppressed a swoony sigh and lifted her face to the sky, breathing in the cold crisp air. The festivities would begin at ten a.m. when the shops opened. It was almost time, and she couldn’t wait to see all the kids enjoying themselves. Most families with young kids would be heading to the pancake breakfast with Santa at Clover Park High’s cafeteria this morning, a couple of blocks off Main Street, and then head over here.
She turned to Ben, her breath coming out in a cold puff. “The only thing that would make it more perfect is if it snowed.”
“We already have the snowman,” he said, hitching a thumb down the street. “Ice sculpture.”
“Oh, I missed it. Let’s go see.”
They headed a couple of blocks down to Baldwin Park. The ice sculpture had been set on the grass next to the sidewalk—a huge carved snowman with a top hat and ice carrot nose. Next to the snowman was a snow woman and two small snow kids. Adorable!
Ben checked his phone again. “Hailey needs me to help Marcus and Logan haul a table, chairs, and a couple of barrels from the basement of Ludbury House.”
She followed him back downtown. “Barrels?”
“Not sure if she means actual barrels. It’s to hold donations to the food bank and Toys for Tots. Tonight we have to help load up the truck and deliver it. Probably be a late night, two different drop-offs an hour away and not close to each other.”
That was above and beyond what he’d signed up for and only made her admire him more. “Sounds like a lot of work.”
He shrugged. “It’s the holidays. Gotta chip in to make it special.”
A pang of guilt hit. She’d nearly forgotten about the Harpers between working and thinking so much about Ben. She had to get her priorities straight. As soon as she got her first paycheck, she would start shopping. There was so much she needed to make their holiday everything it should be. She’d already been browsing online, but some things she knew she’d have to check out locally to find the perfect item. Plus she needed to plan a menu, buy the groceries, and buy decorations. Rena had fled their home with only the bare minimum, not wanting to alert her abusive husband that she was planning to leave him with the kids. Missy shouldn’t have neglected her work for them this week.
“You’re right,” she said. “Some work now will make the holidays special later.” She’d come up with the menu tonight.
“So after this Hailey doesn’t need me until closing time. You want some help at the hot chocolate stand?”
Her pulse quickened, cheeks flushed, stomach fluttering. “That would be great,” she said softly.
He stopped walking, a slow sexy smile dawning, his teeth flashing white against his dark stubbled cheeks, his blue eyes warm on hers. “Okay. I’ll see you then.”
He didn’t touch her, yet she felt a radiant glow down to her toes as if he had. Like one of his hugs.
She nodded and lifted a hand in goodbye.
He winked, turned and strode away.
How was she supposed to resist a man as irresistible as Ben?
She couldn’t. Not anymore. She wanted more with him—more time, more conversation, and yes, more sex. She’d let him know at the next opportunity.
~ ~ ~
Ben followed his honorary brother, Marcus Shepard, to the basement of Ludbury House, thinking of Missy. He’d felt something from her back there on the sidewalk, something warm that said she was into him too. Thank God. He didnotwant to be hanging out on a lovesick limb all by himself. Whoa. Back it up. Love? No. That couldn’t be possible. They were still getting to know each other. He could count on one hand what he actually knew about Missy, but he was proud to say the look in her eyes seemed more open to him now. If he could just get through the next two weeks and one day without doing or saying anything lustily inappropriate, he’d be all set. Sure, it would be easier if he spent less time with her, rather than all this friendly shit, but he didn’t even consider it. He wanted to be with her whether or not things got physical. Damn, this was like a whole new level of enlightenment for him.
He and Marcus quickly located the long wooden table Hailey had requested. She’d taped a paper sign to it that said in black marker: Donation table for holiday stroll. She’d even added a big heart in red marker.
Marcus lifted one side of the table with ease. He was a hulk—tall with a large bulked-up body from his daily workouts—and could probably haul the table by himself. Ben lifted his side, and they maneuvered toward the stairs, Ben taking the lead on the upside, doing more steering than lifting.
He looked down at Marcus’s dark eyes with thick lashes staring back at him, his expression not showing the least bit of strain. “You still seeing three women?” Ben asked, curious. The women all knew about each other, and Marcus couldn’t seem to pick just one.
