Page 264 of Accidentally Under Your Tree

"Why does he have to do anything?" I demanded, my arms crossed. "I want you to leave me alone."

Mitchell opened his mouth, but I cut him off, "Look, I'm your bosses' daughter. They wouldn't like to hear about this. You wanna keep your job?"

"That's fucked up."

I had to force my words through clenched teeth. "What's fucked up is ignoring what a woman wants."

He looked like he wanted to call me a name or two, but took in the warning written into every inch of Will—his weight on the balls of his feet, the bunch of his shoulders, and the watchfulness of his eyes. For the first time in his life, Mitchell did the smart thing and moved back. His hand, finally freed from Will's grip, was red.

Will turned his profile to me, watching the other man retreat. A muscle flexed in his jaw, and I resisted the urge to kiss him there. I was more than capable of taking care of myself, but having him watch out for me… He was making it hard to manage how much I liked him and perpetuating his and Rose's story.

I ran my fingers through my hair. "Thanks."

He shook his head.

Crossing my arms, I tore my eyes from the stern set of his brow. "You know I would have handled him, right?"

"Of course. I didn't like the look on your face when he had you like that, though." He rocked back on his heels. "Is it okay that I intervened?"

I nodded. "It sped the process up."

We considered each other for a moment. There was so much distance between us, and I just wanted to close it. The yearning was a physical ache. A deprivation pressed into the cavities of my heart.

"I like your shirt," he finally said.

I grinned. "What a perfectly acceptable way to say that."

His eyebrows pinched together, but I shook my head. Glancing down at the red and green crayons stacked on top of each other to make a Christmas tree, I said, "Thank you. I love the snowflake pushpins."

"It's cute."

"I like yours too."

He grabbed the hem and looked down like he had forgotten what he was wearing. The sweater was knit to look like a red and green flannel with fake buttons and all. "It's pretty cool, right?"

I giggled. "Cool, that's the word I'd use."

"No?" He smiled his winsome smile, drawing me into his warmth.

"Bill, right?"

I jumped, forgetting other people were nearby.

"That's me." Will's usual grin fit back onto his face, directing it toward one of my parents' supervisors. This time when he shook the man's hand, it was friendly and not at all like he might tear the stranger apart.

The man pointed the mouth of his beer toward Will. "You do good work."

"Thank you," he said, but he glanced my way.

It's okay, I mouthed, taking a step back and turning. Behind me, I heard the man say, "There was a tray ceiling you did a couple months ago. Great truss work."

I'd seen people in town chat with Rose about the show over the past couple of years, but I had figured it was because she was from here. To see the excitement on people's faces to talk to Will, a stranger, was a little off-putting.

Mariah Carey sangAll I Want for Christmasthrough the speakers, and I sighed wondering if it was possible for me to reserve a little part of Will for myself when everyone wanted his Bill persona too.

eighteen

Will

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