Page 30 of Snowed In With the Maverick
Seth chuckled, then leaned over. “That’s Barrett. He’s really going for it,” he whispered. Andrea smiled and nodded, luxuriating in the warmth of Seth’s breath tickling the sensitive skin on her neck. Without thinking, she reached down and slipped her gloved hand into his, and he responded by squeezing her hand gently. It felt so charged, yet so natural at the same time.
“It’s my sincere pleasure, as your Tenacity Turkey, to officially mark the beginning of the holiday season.” Applause erupted in the crowd. “And before I ring the bell to make it official, I want to wish you a gobbly good time with all your friends, and just remember—ham or lamb makes a much better holiday dinner than turkey does!”
Barrett clanged the bell and there were cheers and whistles, then the band started up again with “Joy to the World.”
“Well, what do you say, shall we take this inside?” Seth said. “The hoedown’s about to begin.”
Andrea and Seth filed into the auditorium of the Town Hall with the other residents. When she shrugged off her coat at the coat check, she noted the way that Seth’s gaze flitted over her dress, his eyes alight with desire. She’d chosen her outfit purposefully: a navy-blue wrap dress that tied around her waist nicely, with a V-neck that dipped just low enough.
Seth wore black jeans and a white button-up with a brushed gray blazer over top. The man knew how to wear clothes. Andrea imagined a tailor at an expensive menswear store, sizing up his perfect measurements. Seth could model for whatever brand it was he was wearing, of that she was certain.
The auditorium was decorated as festively as Central Avenue. The large multipurpose space was set up on one end with all the auction items displayed on tables for guests to peruse. The middle of the room had a series of high-top tables set up, where people could linger and talk over drinks and the assortment of snacks made by the event volunteers. And the far end of the room was left open for dancing, with a band presiding on stage above the dance floor.
It was just the right amount of homespun charm, and while Andrea had never imagined herself so thrilled to be attending an event in a small-town community center, here she was. Being on the arm of the most incredibly handsome man in town—hell, in the state—was no doubt adding to the allure.
“Shall we see how the auction items are doing?” Andrea said.
Seth nodded. “I’ll follow your lead.”
I’ll follow your lead.Such a simple sentence, but so completely different from attending an event with Harold, where he’d hold court with whomever he deemed to be worthy of his attention, and call all the shots from where they sat, to whom they sat with, to what kinds of drinks or cocktails suited the occasion. With Harold, she was to follow him. And she was drinking in the feeling of being with Seth, where her ideas and desires were so completely valued.
She led him to the first table, with the grocery store gift basket. They’d started the bids purposefully low.You know folks around here don’t have all that much to donate. They’ll be as generous as they can be though, you can count on that,Angela Corey had said. Andrea was pleased to see that there were already seven bids on the basket, with donations moving up in increments of five dollars.
“How beautiful is this quilt?” Andrea said. She picked up the pen and made a bid for one hundred dollars, which would be a bargain given how many painstaking hours went into its creation. “Remind me to come back here and check how this is moving. It’s coming home with me.”
Flames of desire shot through her as Seth slipped his hand around her waist. He was about to say something when two men approached, hand in hand. One had a chiseled jawline and dark, intense eyes, and the other a warm, approachable smile.
“You made it,” the first man said. Andrea noticed that Seth made no movement to pull away. Whoever these two men were, Seth was comfortable with them seeing him being so affectionate with her.
“Hey, Seth,” the other man said, then smiled and nodded at Andrea.
“Daniel, Mike, this is Andrea Spence,” said Seth. “She moved to town a couple of months ago, and she’s been helping me figure out this dino park thing, and whether it would be a viable pursuit.”
Andrea extended her hand and accepted the firm embrace of the other men’s handshakes. “It’s nice to see you,” she said. “I think we met. At the Feed and Seed? You must be Seth’s brother I’ve heard so much about.”
Daniel’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Uh-oh,” he said, grinning wide. He looked to be about the same age as Seth, maybe a couple of years older, with the same rugged build and signature smile. “Don’t believe a word he’s said.”
Andrea grinned. “What, that you’re a great brother? And you’ve found an equally, if not greater guy?” She flashed an appreciative glance at Mike Cooper.
Seth raised an eyebrow. “Don’t give away all my secrets, Andrea.” She reached down and squeezed his forearm lightly. It was nice, this repartee.
Daniel leaned in, his grin widening. “Oh, I’m just getting started,” he said. “Let me know when you’re ready to open up the Taylor vault. It’s full of stories that might just surprise you. One in particular involves a pantsing at the grade two Christmas concert.”
Seth immediately raised an eyebrow. “Hey now,” he said, his voice taking on a warning tone. “Two can play at this game. Have you ever told Mike about the slingshot incident?”
Daniel’s eyes widened, and he pulled Mike by the sleeve, quickly taking a step back. “We’ll be on our way now,” he said, his grin barely contained.
Andrea laughed. “Alright, now I’m intrigued,” she said. “Nice meeting you both. See you later on.”
The two men left, and Andrea turned to Daniel. “They seem lovely,” Andrea said.
“I like Mike a lot,” Seth said. “He’s good for Daniel. A down-to-earth rancher. Tight-knit family. Salt-of-the-earth kind of guy.”
“It’s nice how you’re close,” said Andrea. “I always fantasized about having siblings. People who had a catalog of your embarrassing stories, but loved you nonetheless. I always envied the kids in high school who had older siblings, who moved in packs. They seemed to be protected. Indestructible.” Maybe some of Seth’s confidence, his seemingly unflappable nature, was due to the strong system that existed around him.
“What was it like growing up as an only child?” Seth asked.
“Quiet,” Andrea said. But she didn’t want to talk about her family, or lack thereof right now, especially now that the lights in the community center had dimmed, and the band was playing some classics and other partygoers had moved to the dance floor. “Do you want to dance?” she asked.
