Page 18 of The Christmas Blueprint

“No girls allowed, which means he doesn’t tell me diddly squat, and I am always the one who still calls all of them—except for last night.” Riley looked critically at the lights while Sophia tried to unsee the image Riley had prompted of Killian sweaty and engaged in pickup basketball, football, wrestling on the front lawn that she’d often witnessed, wide-eyed and drooling.

“They were sort of like a pack of coyotes,” Sophia mused, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. Why did Killian still have the power to wake her sleeping libido? She’d never had a shot with him then, and she had less of one now.

“Ha!” Riley sparkled as she laughed. “I’ll text that. I’m sure my dudes prefer to think of themselves as wolves—that sounds far cooler than coyotes.”

The shop door swung open. Had she not popped the lock again? She often opened early, but due to Bear Creek’s First Friday Art and Wine Walk being moved up a week to open the holiday season where the shops stayed open late, Sophia was busy. Next weekend would be the Christmas Walk, and the weekend following was the Christmas Market. She also wanted to keep tabs on Killian and what he was doing at what she’d come to think of as her project—The Mill Market. Every minute counted.

“Yes, to a preference for the wolves reference.” Killian entered carrying a tray of three large something hot drinks that smelled amazing.

“Now that I think about it, Riley—” Sophia said solemnly, wishing her heart wouldn’t do that weird happy hop “—I was imagining your brothers and cousins as yapping miniature yorkies or chihuahuas.”

“I can see it,” Riley agreed, keeping her expression deadpan for a second before her pale, freckled face split into a smile. “Kills.”

She jumped off the ladder, nearly giving Sophia a heart attack, and launched herself into her brother’s arms.

“Good morning!”

“Ugh,” Killian grunted and one-arm hugged his sister and held the tray of coffees aloft. “Little help, Gonzales. I’m being attacked by an orange octopus miles from the Pacific.”

Sophia plucked the tray from his hand.

“I’m just so happy you’re here.” Riley pulled away and slapped her brother’s chest hard. “You come home for Hunter but not your sister.”

“Last year I was in the middle of finishing off a huge project that not only padded my résumé, thank you, but allowed me to earn enough of a bonus that I’m able to slum it for a year with you.”

“Hey.” Riley slapped her brother again, but grinned at him like a giant-size pixie.

“And if I’d come home last Christmas, you wouldn’t have been chasing down a reclusive tech icon masquerading as a vintner and hounding him for business and then kisses.”

“Still not forgiven,” Riley said. “And Zhang is a deadly skilled kisser,” she added dreamily. “Stealthy and secretly swoony.”

“Not what your brother wants to hear.”

“Oh. Yeah. How’s your romantic life? No. Don’t tell me, mister blink and you’ll miss it. Next. What’d you bring us? Pumpkin spice is traditional on the last official coffee day of fall. And I can never drink enough coffee.”

“Knew you had that handled,” Killian said. “Mira made me three preview holiday drinks, and I might share if you’re nice, which you aren’t so that leaves Gonzales to redeem you.”

“I have the tray.” Sophia walked to her antique roll-top desk where she kept her sales iPad and laptop. “So it looks like you’re the one who needs to behave,” Sophia said, smiling sweetly. “Good luck with that, Killian.”

“I can behave with the proper motivation.”

Sophia didn’t want her mind to go there, but of course it did. Heat washed over her.

“That I’d like to see.” Riley reached for a coffee. “We are going to be jangled up today. Three of us and seven coffees.”

“We can have a taste test with these three since they are all different,” Killian said, picking up several twelve-ounce to-go cups next to her Keurig. “Do you offer samples in your store, Soph? You could offer taste tests to your customers to promote the Goat.”

Soph. The nickname both warmed her and felt like a slap. She was still a kid to him.

“I do for special events,” she said, thoughtfully. “I have more room now since I annexed the space next door. Maybe I could—” She began to think of some local food and drink vendors who might enjoy providing samples and a few items to sell on consignment. Sophia always had more sales help at the holidays—local high school kids in the business and marketing pathway program who needed internship hours.

“Let me know if you need anything built. Happy to help,” Killian said. “It’s the least I can do.”

Her heart chilled and plummeted. He only made the offer because of Enrique. It was some bro code. Take care of the woman left behind. She’d been taking care of herself long before Enrique, and she’d do so long after.

“So, you still get your hands dirty?” she asked and nearly jumped out of her skin at the low, husky note in her voice. What was up with that?

“Very dirty,” Killian growled a reply, his warm breath tickling her ear.

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