Page 78 of Noel Secrets
“Hi,” she whispered, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking down.
“Hey.” His heart thudded against his chest. He’d kissed her. Right against that door. Last night. Could he kiss her again? How could he do that if he was hiding something from her?
She backed away from the door.
He walked in, shutting the storm door and then the wood door behind him.
“I hoped you’d bring banana pudding. I haven’t had any since the last time.” She pointed at the bag in his hand.
“Hoped? You didn’t know?” He arched his brows, liking the tease.
“You’ve surprised me a time or two.” Her gaze flitted to the wooden door and the spot, their spot, and then back to his face.
His pulse spiked and his mouth went dry. “I opted for the cupcakes instead of the pudding.” He kept a straight face.
“Oh …” She laughed nervously. “That was a bold choice. Deeply incomprehensible, but bold.”
A grin split Price’s mouth. There was nothing ordinary about this woman. “I’m teasing.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Oh. Of course you were. Since banana pudding is our thing …” She trailed off. “Please sit. I just have a few things to do.”
“It smells amazing.” He tried to focus on the scents from the kitchen and not on her discomfort. Was he making her nervous? Did she sense his unstable mind and conscience? “Homemade bread and chili?”
“Cornbread,” she corrected. “Nothing fancy.”
“It’s perfect.” He smiled at her. His nerves settled in the face of how nervous she appeared. If he told her he’d been hired by her sister to watch over her, would she be angry at him or give him another kiss of gratitude like last night? That made his nerves hop, but he was betting on anger or hurt, which would be even worse. Price wasn’t one to dwell on fear; he was typically confident and saw things clearly. But he felt afraid, unsteady, and confused right now. Was it a wise decision to trust the sister he’d never met over Addie who he wanted to date and get to know better? According to Daphne, if he told her the truth, it would all be over. That was ominous.
“Just one moment,” Addie said.
She flitted around the kitchen area, obviously on edge, pulling salad dressings and a green salad out of the fridge. The small table was already set. He glanced around, liking the beach vibe of her home—the white wicker furniture with pale blue cushions, the large windows, and paintings of seascapes.
“Nice place. Nice tree,” he said, tilting his head to the Christmas tree. He’d followed her and her friend doing a variety of Christmas activities and wished he could do them with her.
“Thanks. I’m going home for Christmas, but I still wanted a tree. My sister Daphne is getting married on New Year’s Eve.”
She was going home? When? How did Daphne propose he keep watching over her when she flew to Arizona? Maybe that was Daphne’s plan. Have him show up in Arizona and she’d explain to Addie what she’d done. Maybe he could be Addie’s plus one at the wedding. It would be an interesting way to meet the family, and he was jumping way ahead of himself. Daphne had a lot more answers to give him.
Stirring the chili, Addie glanced at him from underneath her dark lashes. Price stood and approached her. She released the wooden spoon and put a hand to her throat. He took the hand clutching her throat in his, his fingertips brushing the soft skin of her neck, setting off an intense longing inside him.
“Addie …”
Price didn’t know what to say, what he could say. He didn’t want to hide anything from her, but he’d always been the soldier. The role of obedient action had been drilled into him. True, he’d been in charge of his men and a leader as a lieutenant and then a captain, but he’d still had a higher-up calling the shots, telling him what needed to be done and expecting it to be done. He was conflicted and sick inside lying to Addie, but Daphne would definitely know better than him how to proceed with her sister. He didn’t want to mess up another relationship. Especially not one with Addie. Lose her before he even had a chance with her.
How could he solve this dilemma?
“Please don’t.” She held up a hand, tugged her hand free, and backed up a step.
“Please don’t what?”
She knew he was lying and she was asking him not to. She didn’t seem angry. It would be a relief to have it out there.
“Say this is a mistake,” she said. “I can’t handle it. I know you’re out of my league, but …”
“I’m out ofyourleague?” Price had never heard such a mixed-up idea in his life. Her words pushed all his other stewing to the back of his mind.
A buzzer went off on the stove.
“Excuse me.” Addie hurried to the stove and pushed a button to stop the alarm. She pulled the cornbread from the oven and set it on the small counter next to the pot of chili and the salad and dressings. “Let’s dish up here. There’s not enough room on the table to set everything.”
