Page 22 of The Best Little Christmas Shop
‘Fine, thanks.’ I looked down at my shoes.
‘Are you embarrassed about something?’
‘What?’ I looked back up.
‘It’s just that your cheeks are quite red …’
I gave him a rap with the large candy cane I’d had hanging in my belt. ‘Very funny. Anyway, what are you doing here? Xander had assured me that you wouldn’t be coming tonight. Some meetingor something?’
Cal took the cane off me and studied it for a moment before beginning to twirl it between his fingers, absent-mindedly.
‘Finished early, luckily for me,’ he said.
‘Unluckily for me.’
‘Wow. I’ve made that good an impression?’ Cal took a small step back and I suddenly realised how that sounded.
‘Oh no! I mean … I just sort of hoped you wouldn’t be here tonight.’
‘Right.’ Hegave a nod.
‘Not because I didn’t … it’s just that … oh for goodness’ sake, Cal. Look at me!’
He took the step back closer again. ‘I am looking.’
‘I look a complete idiot.’
‘I think you look cute. In fact –’ he leant towards me so that I could feel his warm breath on my ear, contrasting exquisitely with the crisp, cold air of the night ‘– I think you might be the cutest elf I’ve ever seen.’
Never in my life would I have believed I’d ever think this but – thank God my mum drew big rosy cheeks on me earlier – because right now, I was pretty sure my own would have been indistinguishable from them.
‘You’re making fun,’ I croaked out, before clearing my throat quickly.
Cal smiled and held out the candy cane. I kept my eyes focused on it for a moment before I closed my hand around it,my fingers brushing Cal’s. Slowly my gaze began scanning up the broad chest, over the day-old dark stubble, and finally arrested when it met those intense grey eyes.
‘I’m really not,’ he said softly, his voice almost a whisper, but roughened with the raw edge he always spoke with.
I swallowed, not sure how to respond. I was out of practice at all of this. Way out of practice.
‘Oh,’ I eventuallysqueaked out.
A fleeting expression of amusement mixed with confusion scudded across Cal’s eyes. He held my gaze for a moment longer as he released his hold on the cane entirely.
‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, dropping my gaze as I felt the warmth burn again beneath my make-up.
‘I should go and find George.’
I nodded.
Cal gave a half-smile accompanied by a tiny headshake and headed off into theshop behind me. As he left, I realised I’d been holding my breath. I let it out in one slow movement, waving at the passing shoppers as I tried to pretend I was feeling perfectly normal and parts of me weren’t currently a lot more … alive … than they had been in a long while.
‘Ooh la la!’ Giselle exclaimed as she appeared beside me and gave me a big hug. She was followed by Xander who did thesame.
I glanced down at my costume. ‘Not the first expression that came to mind when I saw it again, I must admit.’
‘I wasn’t talking about the costume. I was talking about you and Cal!’
‘I … what?’
