Page 37 of A Christmas Bargain

Meanwhile, I had zero intention of selling her much, if anything.

“I told Naomi last night that I bumped into you in town and that you’d come to watch her recital.”

“Oh, yay!” She smiled, seeming to distinguish a fake need to look like she was with me but a real one to support my daughter’s performance. “I remember when my dad would come and I’d spend the whole time looking for him. What’s her part?”

“She’s a reindeer handler. For all of maybe… five seconds.”

She laughed, shaking her head as I pointed out a pair of seats in the middle. Before we could reach them, we had interference in the form of the woman I didn’t want to suffer.

“Derek! So glad you could make it,” Mackenzie gushed. She made eye contact with me—only me—as she came in for a hug.

Dammit.I reared back, trying to escape her hug, but that just prompted her to try harder. She bumped her elbow into Claire’s shoulder in the process, hitting her so hard, she forced her to stumble to the side and catch herself from falling into someone else already seated.

“Whoa.” She muttered it but didn’t lose that ever-constant smile. She was a trooper through it all, no matter what.

“Of course, I’m here, Ms. Ford.” I edged out of her reach, not even returning her hug. “My kid’s in the play. Why wouldn’t I come to see her?”

“You mean you’re not here to seeanyoneelse?” She winked, stepping closer to rub against me.

For fuck’s sake…I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

“Hurry. I got us seats,” she said, urging me to follow her toward the right.

“No, thanks.” I glanced at Claire, who seemed to be looking anywhere but at me. How awkward. Just like that, the happiness I felt at seeing Claire show up for me and seem genuinely excited to see Naomi perform fell flat. Irritated and frustrated, I tried to shove this grumpiness further back andlookglad to be here. In the holiday spirit and all that crap.

“Derek?” Claire asked. Slanting toward me, she adopted more of a whisper to keep this confidential. “Are yousureyou’re not already taken?”

“No.”

She frowned at me, then glanced past me where Mackenzie likely stood, ushering families into seats.

There was no point in masking my annoyance. But it wasn’t at her.Damn you, Stacy, for ever letting that woman think there was a chance with me.“I’m supposed to look like I’m withyou.”

“You’re not… You’re not going to call off our deal, are you?”

I wanted to cringe at her priority about the deal. Shereallycared about buying up land around here. Maybe I’d read her wrong when she acted excited to see Naomi on the stage.

“No.” Hell, it was only our first attempt at this fake dating crap.

“All right.” She smiled, confident and bright, as she took my hand and held it. The soft press of her small fingers slotting in place between mine unnerved me. It felt different—obviously—from when Naomi held my hand. But she was the only one I ever did this with. Holding Claire’s hand zapped me out of this grumpiness.

“Then I’ll show them that you’re withme.” She shifted in her seat until she was nestled more against me. “We’ll show them all.”

I suppose we will.While the contact of her hand on mine jolted me awake, the full-body touch of her side leaning against mine jolted me further.

The lights dimmed and the curtains parted, robbing us of a chance to talk about how we’d pull off this ploy of looking like we were a couple. Naomi spotted us and waved so enthusiastically that she knocked off the reindeer antlers on the kid next to her. Claire waved back, and I swore a little ice melted off the wallsI’d put up around my heart. Then after the act that Naomi was technically a part of, Claire whooped and cheered so loudly and full of spirit that other parents around us took it as a challenge to out-applaud her.

Unfortunately, Naomi could only personally excite us for so long. Her part was done, and for the rest of what felt like five hours, we sat through all the other kids botching lines, acting like stars, and otherwise giving this show their holiday best. Some forgot lines. Others dropped props. But overall, it dragged on, and on, and on, interspersed only by the demonstration of which families had obviously paid for singing or dancing classes already.

Fortunately, though, Claire proved that she understood the assignment. After my comment about needing to look like I was with her, she ramped up the PDA so much that no one could be wondering if she was with me.

We held hands. She snuggled into my side, and I draped my arm around her shoulders. We laughed at our mutually shared whispers of commentaries. I offered to buy her a drink at the “intermission”, and she reached up to press a chaste kiss to my cheek.

Weweretogether, and I knew it without a doubt when Mackenzie shot me multiple dirty looks from across the room.

As the recital finally neared the end, I wondered what could replace this glow of fitting in with her. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be half of a pair—on a date or otherwise. Jenna was the last woman I’d let in like this. And while I knew Claire was only supposed to be faking it here, I wondered if she remembered that. Her ease with small talk seemed so natural. The awkward pauses weren’t popping up. Lurking beneath the surface, that awareness simmered between us.

There was a draw. A bond.Somethingluring me closer to her.

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