Page 33 of A Cozy Holiday
“I’d like that.” I smile, then frown. That’s three days from now. “What am I supposed to do until then?”
“Relax.” His large shoulders lift.
“Relax?”
“Guessing taking a nap is out of the question.”
I laugh manically. “You’re hilarious.”
“You’re cute with this whole workaholic schtick you’ve got going on.” There’s a playfulness in his eyes that makes me giddy.
“I don’t get called cute.”
“Probably why you overwork yourself.”
He swipes my bangs out of my face, and I swat his hand.
“If you keep doing stuff like that, it’s going to be very hard to take things slow.”
“I think slowing the pace will be good for you over this next month.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, suppressing a smile.“You didn’t hire me to just sit around.”
“‘Hire’ sounds so ‘formal. Let’s just call it your civic duty to volunteer at a sanctuary. Add it to that resume that you’re so worried about.”
I cross my arms. “The one you hung up?”
“Guess you gotta come over and find out.”
“You want me in your room already?”
“Who said it’s in my room?” Under his mustache, his mouth smirks dangerously.
“Is it?” I challenge.
He tosses his hands up, a half-smile on his face, and it’s infuriating. “Well, since you refuse to rest, you can help me inthe barn in the mornings, then come hang at the café after. Not much else to do, but you can borrow any of my books.”
“The Gandhi books?”
“I’m more into fantasy.”
“Oh yeah?” I tilt my head. “What kind of fantasies are we talking about?”
His eyes darken. “The kind I’m not sharing until you buy me that drink on Friday.”
“Guess I’ll have to wait, then.”
“Guess so.”He laughs that deep, easy laugh that makes my ribs ache. “Sorry to cut this short, but Honey forgot her homework, and I swear Ms. McNeil yells more at me than the kids if they are late for an assignment.”
“So, I’m just supposed to hang out here?”
“You wanna come to town?”
“No way. I need to devise an elaborate revenge plot against your sister before I dare show my face at that café again.”
“Can’t wait to hear what you come up with.” He presses a quick kiss to my cheek. “See you later, Doc.”
Chapter 9
