Page 53 of A Christmas Bargain

“You can reserve wishes?”

“I hope so. I asked for my daddy to not seem so lonely. And then I got a wish for me, too.”

“Let me guess. A white German Shepherd puppy?” I gestured at the “snow dogs” we’d made. As we both turned to look at them, one of the tails plopped off. We cracked up. She bent over, holding her tummy. She laughed so hard as I tried to save the tail and reattach it.

“Now you smushed the head,” she said, giggling hysterically.

“Oh, no. Now it looks more like a unicorn,” I agreed.

Eventually, we calmed down from our sculptures not living up to our ideals.

“But we’re friends, right?” she asked again.

I was starting to worry about why she needed the reassurance. “Yep,” I said easily. “We’re good friends.”

“Okay. Then you can’t be mad about what I did.”

I kept my smile frozen on my face. “Well, that depends.”

“At school, I used my computer time to look up eye doctors for you. I might have made three appointments foryou at different optometrists after the holidays. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

I gawked at her, then laughed with a huge grin. “Oh, Naomi. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“Really?” She ran up and hugged me.

“Yeah. Because that’s what friends do. Look out for each other.”

For a long while, we hugged, and in the background, I spotted Derek standing at the window and watching us. A slow smile spread on his face, and I wished I could lock in this warm feeling of affection that he made me experience from one tender expression on his handsome face.

I was clueless about how to navigate this with Derek. We were moving fast, but I had to be cautious with Naomi. The last thing I wanted to do was get too attached, but I feared it was far too late. This wasn’t feeling casual between me and Derek anymore, and I worried that having sex might have messed it all up.

It wasn't right for me to cave to him last night, or the night before. But it had felt too damn good to go for what I wanted for once.

Standing out here in the vast openness of the Scotts’ land, I realized how much property Derek owned. It seemed endless, but I knew it wasn’t. At least not yet. He’d promised to deal with me for a sale, and when that happened, I’d be putting a limit on his open land out here where he lived with his daughter.

I’d be putting a limit on whatever could happen between us, too. Our deal was supposed to be the only thing connecting me to him.

And here I was, letting the cool air whip my cheeks as I stared out at the endless snowy slopes… falling that much more in love with the father and daughter I couldn’t think of cutting ties with for any reason.

Not even a deal to save my family’s company.

18

DEREK

Claire and Naomi stayed outside and played in the snow for a lot longer than I thought they would. Noses were red. Cheeks seemed windburned. But they were smiling and laughing and having too much fun to make me want to stop them.

I told myself not to watch. I didn’t want to hover. Yet, I couldn’t help myself. Every time I walked by the windows, I glanced out there and sighed at how happy my daughter looked, how chill and relaxed my supposedly fake girlfriend seemed.

They were getting along. They had already hit it off, bonding well despite it all.

And I wasn’t the only one aware of that connection. I witnessed it in Claire’s expression when she and Naomi chatted out there. I watched as some kind of realization was dawning on her.

She looked almost stunned, and I wished I could hear what they were saying. I didn’t have a reason to get worried, though, because I saw them hug and laugh all over again.

“How the hell did this happen?” I muttered out loud.

I spent years avoiding women and not wanting to risk any of them getting close. I doubted for so long that I would find onewho’d fit with meandmy daughter, and it was instinct to reject the idea that I could ever be in a relationship again.

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