Page 25 of One Christmas Eve
Zoe knew walking into the Cedar Street Café and sitting down next to Preston would be adding a whole heap of fertilizer to the gossip grapevine after leaving Abe’s party with him last night. But she didn’t care. She was hungry and Preston wasn’t any better at grocery shopping than he was at decorating for Christmas.
And of course he’d gotten them a table for two. Sitting side by side at the counter would have attracted less attention. She wasn’t really sure why it mattered, other than having all the people who cared about her in town thinking she and Preston were a couple didn’t sit well. She wasn’t sure they were a couple or ever would be.
Maybe he’d gotten the message in the book she’d delivered to his office. A fun fling, with no strings attached. If that was what was going on, she didn’t have to worry about him thinking she was yet another woman who’d gotten bored with him, and she also didn’t have to worry that he was in the market for a wife.
When he looked up from his menu and saw her walking toward him, his entire face lit up and she stopped caring about anything but this moment. She didn’t need to be like him and plan for future problems. Right now, everything was good.
“Sorry it took me so long,” she said as she slid into the chair across from him. “I had a couple of boxes to throw in my car.”
“I would have helped you, you know.”
“I know.” But the idea of him sitting in her apartment while she showered had been too much. She hadn’t been sure they’d leave her apartment at all, and the man needed some holiday spirit in his home. “But they weren’t heavy and you have that hangover and all.”
He blushed lightly and held the menu up in front of his face, which made her laugh. “I’m feeling much better, thank you. And food will help, though I have no idea what to get. I want a little of everything.”
By the time the server appeared with a coffee for Zoe and her order pad, they’d decided they could, in fact, get a little of everything. She ordered blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup, and he got the farm breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and toast. They were going to group the plates toward the middle and share it all.
“Tell me about your family,” she said when they were alone. “You talked about your parents and growing up military at Thanksgiving, but where are they now? Are you an only child?”
“My parents are making their way toward California right now. They’ve always wanted to see Christmas in Hawaii and since they’ll be on that side of the country, this is the year. And I’m an only child.”
“Me, too. But I had Carly and Noah during the summer, so it was almost like having part-time siblings.”
“And your parents?”
She shrugged, belatedly realizing that asking about his family also opened the door to him asking about hers. “They live in western New York still.”
“Do you see them often?”
“No.” She fiddled with her silverware, lining them up on the napkin. “They really liked my ex-husband and were less supportive of me than they could have been during my divorce.”
“I’m sorry. That must have been hard.”
The sincerity in his voice touched her, and she reached across the table to rest her hand on his arm. The muscle in his forearm flexed under her touch, and she lightly trailed her fingertips over his skin. “I’m usually okay with it. Not to repeat myself, but I have Carly and Noah. And Granddad. He’s one hundred percent Team Zoe all the time.”
Preston smiled. “His face changes when he talks about you and Carly. You guys are definitely the light of his life.”
They talked about her childhood summers then, pausing only when the food was delivered. He talked about growing up in the Air Force and what it was like to be the new kid in school so often. Even after their empty plates had been cleared, they lingered, having another cup of coffee.
It was nice, she thought. The unrushed, shared breakfast. His company. When they first met, she never would have guessed it could be this way, but she would have been content to while away the day with him at the Cedar Street Café.
Except for the fact she’d rather be sharing a bed with him right now than sharing a table.
And he was sober now. If he had regrets in the morning, they’d be his own damn fault.
She thought she might have second thoughts as she followed the BMW back to his house. Jitters, at least. She’d only been with one guy since Ben, shortly before she decided to move here, and that had been an ill-advised and largely unsatisfactory attempt to get that first post-divorce date out of the way.
But even as she pulled her car into the driveway behind Preston’s and killed the engine, she didn’t feel anything but delicious anticipation.
“Let me carry those boxes,” Preston was saying as she got out of her car.
Boxes?
Oh, right. She’d grabbed some Christmas stuff because they were here to decorate his house for the holidays. But it wouldn’t take long. A tiny tree. Some garland and an electric candle in the window and they could call it good.
“I do have my own Christmas decorations, you know,” he said as he set the second box on the table.
“Are they gray?”
