Page 16 of The Princess Home for Christmas

Dahlia smiled, and poured tea for them both. “I feel a bit like I’m in finishing school again. One sugar or two? Cream?”

“You do that so well. As much sugar as can be acceptably placed in a cup please, and enough cream that it’s thick with goodness.”

She shook her head. “Tea for kids, it is.”

He sipped. “Perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better cup of tea.”

“You’ve never had its equivalent I’m sure.”

She placed her spoon down. The troubled look since his mention of refugees had not left her face.

“Talk to me. What is it?”

She looked up, eyebrows raised, then shook her head.

“I’ve got you thinking of concerning things. I’m sorry. Tonight was meant to be a break from all that.”

Her perceptive glance searched his face. “What are you taking a break from?”

His turn to look away, he did not want to discuss Theresa. Her life, her problems did not have a place here with Dahlia. And besides, it would take a week to get her up to speed.

“The children are lovely.” She eyed him, waiting.

“Of course you would pick up on the heart of my concerns.”

She watched him, kindness warming, her sincere smile urging him to trust her with his concerns.

“They’ve recently lost their mother and their future is uncertain.” That seemed a simple enough explanation without getting into all the grit and detail.

“I’m sorry. For a mother to die when so young—”

“No—”

“There they are!” A shout from the opened door at the front of the shop startled them both.

Thomas groaned and stood. “There’s a back door.”

But before they could move, they were surrounded by flashes of light, cameras and shouting questions. “What is this? Are you an item now? How long did it take you to realize you loved each other?”

Dahlia turned her head to prevent a full angle of her face. He wished he were on the aisle side of the bench. He held up his hands. “We will answer two questions.”

“Are you guys dating?”

The girl who asked it held up a microphone, a live video camera rolled footage of them. Thomas let his smile grow, small and then larger. He looked straight into the camera and winked. “Well, we are on a date right now.”

The group shouted more questions at him until he held up his hands and pointed to another man with a video camera.

“Can you explain your kiss earlier?”

Thomas stuttered, then cleared his throat.

Dahlia placed a hand on his thigh. “We don’t know what you’re talking about. But I will say a couple actually important and relevant things.”

Everyone turned to her, several microphones in her face. “The orphanage is low on

supplies. I noticed while we were visiting that they could use donations of everyday items, like paper towels, toilet paper, clean socks, maybe not the most fun purchases, but they are always in need over there. In our visit to those sweet children, I was thinking I couldn’t imagine a more eager and worthy place to spend a little extra this holiday.” She smiled and angled her phone at Thomas.

Lucan texted. Coming. Sit tight.

Thomas cleared his throat. “I will add. Canned food for their pantry would never go amiss. Perhaps while you are preparing your holiday meals, you could consider donating some of your extra to them. All donations can be left on the side alcove, under the overhang.”

“What about your work for refugees?” The woman asking looked as though she could be from a Middle Eastern country. As Thomas studied her face, he guessed possibly Syria. He glanced at Dahlia and then regretted it. Somehow he had to deflect this question. She sat still beside him, unmoving. Then he remembered his own visits and help with a refugee community. “Excellent. The more we can do for them the better. I have loved this whole holiday season here in Torren. Our nation is excellent at celebrating in a worldwide way and making sure we reach out to others.”

The door opened and a team of men pushed through the reporters. “Excuse me. Let me pass.” The first man approached and indicated that Dahlia and Thomas should exit out the back.

As they were leaving, Dahlia shook off the hand Thomas tried to enclose around hers and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. As quickly as it had begun, the easy camaraderie of their relationship had been doused with the icy waters of reality.

---