Page 7 of The White Chocolate Christmas Wish

Colton chuckled. “Glad you’re not because neither am I. Besides,” he added, his voice softening, “I’d really like to spend some more time with you. It’s almost Christmas, and we’ve got a lot of stuff left to do.”

My heart did a little flip. I took a deep breath, feeling a spark of something—adventure? possibility?—light up within me. “Let’s do it.”

As we neared the B&B, the streets of Charlotte Oaks glowed with enough holiday cheer that it was almost like it was trying to outshine Colton’s mood. He was really into this. Was he always this crazy for Christmas, or was there something about this situation that had him turning it up a notch?

“So,” he said, breaking the silence, “heard of any cool places for rent around here? The B&B is great, don’t get me wrong, but I’m ready to get my own place.”

“Not off the top of my head, sorry. But I guess that means things are goin’ well with thePI business, then?”

“Yeah. I didn’t think we’d have much to do in a town this small, but it turns out when the town is as quirky as this one, there are plenty of reasons to need a PI.”

I chuckled at that. “Doesn’t your work usually involve a lot of travel? Sure, Tucker decided to settle down here after fallin’ for Dakota, butyoucould still do the jobs that would require leavin’ town, right?”

He shrugged, but there was a hint of something deeper in his eyes when he looked at me. “I could, but I don’t have to.”

“Don’t you miss movin’ around all the time?”

“Not really, no. I did enough moving around in the Marines. Besides, Charlotte Oaks has this… charm to it. A sense of community I haven’t had in a long time. And… there are some other pretty compelling reasons to stick around.”

Was I one of those reasons? Yes, it was pretty clear that I was. But did I want to be? The thought both thrilled and terrified me.

What was I doing? Here I was, going out on a limb with this man when every time I’d done that in the past, it hadn’t ended well for me. My family wasn’t the only thing I’d lost. I’d dated several promising men all through my twenties, but where were they now? Not here, that was for sure.

And yet, as we walked side by side, our arms occasionally brushing, I couldn’t deny the spark between us. Or the way my heart seemed to lighten with each step we took together.

When we reached the front steps of the B&B, my breath caught in my throat. The grand Victorian house was transformed into a made-for-a-Christmas-movie paradise, with twinkling white lights outlining every eave and window. Garlands of fresh pine wrapped around the porch railings, their fragrance wafting through the crisp night air.

They did this every year, of course, but there was something about seeing it this way right now, next tohim, that felt different. More magical… and less heartbreaking.

“Wow,” I whispered, drinking in the sight.

Colton only grinned as we stepped inside. The foyer glowed with the soft flicker of battery-operated candles, and a massive Christmas tree dominated one corner, its ornaments catching and scattering the light.

“Come on,” Colton said, leading me toward the dining room.

The long oak table was cleared of its usual settings, and I helped Colt arrange an array of colorful candies, tubes of icing, and sheets of gingerbread that he’d been carrying in the bag. My eyes widened at the spread when we were done.

“You really went all out,” I said, unable to keep the smile from my voice.

Colton rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost sheepish. “Go big or go home, right?”

I laughed. “If you say so. Where do we start?”

“You’ve never done this before?” he asked, and when I shook my head, he lookedmildly horrified.

As Colton began explaining the intricacies of gingerbread house construction, I found myself relaxing into the moment. His enthusiasm was infectious, and soon, I was laughing as we tried to get our walls to stand up straight.

“No, no, hold it there,” Colton instructed, his hand brushing mine as he steadied a piece of gingerbread. The touch sent a little thrill through me, and I hoped he couldn’t see the blush creeping up my cheeks.

I focused on carefully piping a line of icing.

“You’re pretty handy with that icing,” Colton remarked, his eyes twinkling. “Got some secret baking skills you’re hiding?”

I snorted, nearly causing a glob of icing to go astray. “Actually… yeah. I love to bake for others, but never for myself.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m vegan and gluten-free.”

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