Page 84 of Take Me Home for Christmas

Hayden cleared his throat. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen my aunt this happy. Not even when Uncle Theo was alive. Thank you for putting a smile back on her face.”

Neither of them said anything for a charged moment until West nodded. “The feeling is mutual.”

Gavin honked the horn. West chuckled as he turned toward the car again. “My dance partner is demanding.”

“One more thing before you go,” Hayden added. “Don’t you dare break her heart.”

West waved with his free hand. “I don’t intend to,” he said as he got into the front passenger seat of the car.

“Bye!” Emily yelled out the window as Gavin drove away.

Hayden climbed the steps to the veranda, in a hurry now to accomplish his task. As luck would have it, Livi was gliding down the stairs when he walked in. Her face lit up with a smile. She tugged her black cashmere jacket around her shoulders as she met him at the bottom.

“What a treat,” Livi remarked. “Your mother said you might drop by, but I know you don’t have much control over your time when you are on duty. I’m glad you could make it.”

Damn his mother.

She rose on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You caught me as I’m leaving for a walk into town. Join me?”

Hayden drew his hat from his head. “Sorry. I can’t. I came in my cruiser. I’m headed in the opposite direction.”

“Oh.”

“Do you have a minute? I’ve wanted to speak with you since you came by my workshop last week.”

A hint of apprehension filled her eyes. “If it’s about the contracts, we are all good to go. You should have already gotten the deposits in your bank account.”

“I have. It’s all good.” He ushered her back toward the parlor, which was blessedly deserted. Empty teacups were still sitting out. Hayden didn’t have too much time before someone would interrupt them when they came in to clean. “Can we sit for a minute?”

Livi hesitated briefly. With a resigned sigh and a stiff smile, she obliged.

Hayden placed his hat on the table. He took the chair beside her, turned it around so they could face each other, and sat. Perching his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward so their conversation had less of a chance of being overheard. “I wanted to talk to you because I think my mom has given you the wrong idea about something.”

“Oh my gosh, Hayden. Your mom is such a sweetheart. My parents have been on this five-month cruise, and I haven’t been able to talk to my mother as often as I’d like. Claire has been a godsend to me these past few weeks. You are so lucky to have her.”

Her enthusiastic praise of his mom caught him off guard. It seemed their friendship went both ways. Although he was glad she could be there for Livi, even if she had an ulterior motive in mind. He made a mental note to rope his dad in on what was going on because his mother likely wouldn’t take it well.

“Yes, I’m very lucky to have her. Except I think she’s been giving you the wrong idea about me. About us.”

“But she hasn’t,” Livi insisted. “Your mom is so proud of you and your talent at woodworking. She knows your furniture sales can take off. So do I. We are both going to work together to help you get your business off the ground.”

Shit.

This conversation was leapfrogging into territory even he didn’t see coming.

“This isn’t about my woodworking,” he told her. “Although I can see now I’m going to need to have a serious discussion with my mom because there is no way she’s getting involved with my business.”

“Oh, but you’re wrong to shut her out. Claire has incredible business sense.”

“Be that as it may, I’m a one-man show.”

She dropped her hands to her lap. “You don’t want to work together any longer?”

Hayden covered her hands with his. “I want to work withyou.You have a good eye for what your clients’ needs are and I appreciate the business you throw my way. I would love to keep that going.”

“But?”

“But that’s all our relationship will ever be. Friends who do business together. I’m afraid I can’t offer you anything more than that.”

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