Page 71 of Mountain Protector

Lark jerks away from me, her cheeks flushing deep red. But I tug her back, wrapping my arms around her as I meet Alec’s gaze. He has a huge shit-eating grin stretched across his face as he looks between us, his tone teasing as he adds, “You know, the jewelry store is open late today. Just saying.”

Shaking my head, I retort, “I’d hardly call a kiss inappropriate.” Then I narrow my eyes at him, giving him a warning glare. Adon’t embarrass my girlfriend when she’s having a nice timeglare.

“Sorry,” he says quickly as the laughter in his eyes shifts to apology. “I was just kidding.”

As the red in her cheeks fades to a more natural pink, Lark smiles at him. “It’s okay, Alec.” She pauses. “Just wait until it’s your turn.”

“My turn for what?”

“To meet someone,” I interject. “And when you do, I’ll make sure to give you a hard time about it.”

“No way.” He shakes his head. “I have way too much going on. I’ve already got a waiting list for installations, plus the work for GMG and keeping up with my training. There’s no time for anything else.”

“That’s what I thought,” I reply. “But when you meet the right person…”

Alec shoots me a skeptical look. “You and Enzo got lucky. But I’m not counting on it. And that’s okay. I’m good with things as they are.”

Lark steps away from me and gives Alec a quick hug. “And that’s fine, too.”

As she returns to my side, I say, “So, I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

“I wasn’t going to,” he replies, his easy smile back in place. “But then I remembered that Blissful Brews serves their special holiday combo, and I couldn’t miss it.”

Interest lights Lark’s eyes. “We haven’t stopped in there yet. What’s their special combo?”

Alec glances down the sidewalk, toward the deep green awning several stores down that announcesBlissful Brewsin gold lettering. “They have a Belgian Ale brewed with toffee and all different spices, which is great on its own, but then it’s served with an order of cranberry maple wings. It sounds like a lot, but man. I may go back for seconds.”

My stomach makes a low rumble. “That sounds pretty good.” Glancing at Lark, I look at her with a hopeful expression. “What do you think? Want to stop in there? Or are you too full?”

She laughs and pats my stomach. “I think I could make room. And it sounds like you definitely can.”

“Maybe I’ll see you there.” Alec lifts his chin, gesturing the opposite way down Main Street. “I need to do some shopping. Find gifts for my parents and sisters. Plus their kids.” He grimaces. “I probably shouldn’t have waited until a week out from Christmas.”

“Don’t worry,” Lark tells him, “I was in Beauty and the Bliss the other day doing some shopping. They have lots of gorgeous stuff—bags and jewelry, that sort ofthing. Or Books’ n Bliss has some really cute gifts if any of them are readers.”

Pausing, she turns to me. “That reminds me. Since the stores are all open late today, I need to make a quick stop to pick up an order.” A mischievous smile curves her lips. “But I need to go in by myself. It’s a surprise.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it, then.” Alec pats Lark on the arm, then claps me on the shoulder. “See you later.”

Once he walks away, I turn to Lark. “Which store do you need to go to?”

“Bespoke Bliss,” she replies. A beat later, she laughs. “I think almost all the stores here have Bliss in the name, don’t they? Except for Decadent Delights.”

I take her hand as we head down the sidewalk toward the center of town. Up ahead, the town park is bustling with people, either lined up to see Santa at the gazebo, wandering around to look at all the light displays, or gathered around the dozen or so tables selling food and hand-crafted gifts. It’s a clear night, cold but not frigidly so, with a swathe of stars sparkling above us.

“Well, there’s Mariano’s. And the Laughing Goat. And Enzo’s store, Rossi’s Outfitters. But aside from them?—”

“Fine.” Laughing, Lark gives my hand a little tug. “Not all of them. But a lot.”

“I know what you mean. It sounds good, though. Kind of catchy.”

As we pass by Breakfast Bliss, I catch a glimpse of Max across the street, several shopping bags hanging from each arm. He notices me and lifts a hand in greeting.

“Looks like Alec isn’t the only person waiting until the last minute.” Lark gives him a little wave and a smile. Then she looks at me. “Are you all done?”

“Almost.” I have a pile of presents for her already, but I keep thinking I’m missing something. Sweaters and cross-country skis and books are all nice, but they don’t feel special enough. They don’t really show Lark just how important she is to me.

The image of a ring springs to mind, but I quickly squash it.

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