Page 30 of A Christmas Bargain

I vaguely intended to talk to Claire about my land, but only as an ice breaker so I could get to know her. Seeing the impact of how everyone else seemed to assume we were together…

What if this could work?

That rosy glow increased on her smooth skin, and I smiled wider. “I was wondering about something Naomi said.”

“About my needing glasses?”

I laughed once. “No.” I cleared my throat. “She was curious whether you’ve always had those freckles.”

“I have. Derek? Are you flirting with me?”

“Talking about freckles counts as flirting?”

She shrugged. “I… don’t know.”

“You don’t know how to flirt?”

She snorted a laugh, and it sounded so goofy, so real as it turned into more laughter, that it became infectious.

“I’m confused,” she admitted.

I’d let the idea sink in as I watched her, and the more I let it settle, the more convinced I was that I—that we—could pull this off.

“About us flirting?”

“Are we?” she challenged sassily but not unkindly. “I thought we were here to talk about your land that you’ve given me ambiguous hints about maybe someday selling, yet we’re moving on to discussing the potential of our dating. Color me confused.”

“I propose we talk about both things. At once.”

She arched a brow. “How?”

“What if we were dating?” I flicked my finger back and forth between us.

“Um…”

“Let me backtrack.” Now that I said it, I wasn’t sold on the commitment. I’d spent years rejecting every woman. I wasn’t convinced that I’d ever find another love like my late wife again. I wasn’t sure Claire, as intriguing as she was, could snap me out of that cold spell, either. But I was game to see where this could go.

Maybe.

“Okay. Backtrack away.”

“What if we were pretending to date?” I asked her. There. That was a hell of a genius loophole.

“Why?”

“Simple. For peace and quiet on my end.” I gestured at the pair of friends on the other side of the coffee shop. Stacy tried to get me to go on a date with one of them last year. Just lifting and moving my hand was enough for them to misinterpret it as a wave. They giggled and called out hellos again, demonstrating the point I wanted to make. “If I look ‘taken’ by you, then they would all stop harassing me. You could help keep them away.”

She leaned over, looking past me at the women. “Is this a common occurrence?”

I nodded. “All the time.”

“They think you’re that much of a catch?”

I sighed.

She grinned. “Wow.”

“Yes, wow. It’s a small town. I guess options are limited.”

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