Page 69 of The Workaholic Down the Hall

I stared at my aunt. “I think you've been working so hard you've lost your mind.”

“She's right,” May said, her eyes glassy. “I'm so sorry I ever told you about Noah's over-sized sense of responsibility. It's clear every time he looks at you that he wants you. He adores you.”

Mimi put a hand over mine and got a serious look like she was about to get sentimental. “Sweetie,” she said. “You need to let the people who care about you in. You don't want to be alone for the rest of your life, do you?”

Her words hit me hard, because she was right. I didn't want to be alone. All I wanted was for someone to want me, to love me, and to need me, but that wasn't real life. We didn't all get to have love. “I've always been happy on my own,” I said, lying through my teeth. “And I'll be fine if I'm alone for the rest of my life. I'm a strong, capable, competent woman and I have a daughter to raise. A daughter who will need all the love and attention I give her.”

“Until you smother her, because you're a lonely middle-aged woman who can't let her go off to college,” May said.

“Enough,” I said. “I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. Noah is attracted to me, but he has the good sense not to act on it. We're just friends and that's all we'll ever be.” Those words hurt coming out, but I'd never been one to let a little pain slow me down. “Tell me about you. Mimi, how's the latest trial going? May, how's George?”

Mimi and May frowned, looking completely annoyed with me, but they didn't argue. Mimi told me about work and Hank. May talked about everything except George. I laughed with them and felt so lucky to have two such wonderful women in my life, supporting me and loving me. I didn't need Noah to love me to be happy. I was just fine on my own.

***

“It looks like we're going to have a white Christmas after all,” Noah said from the front porch. He brushed the flakes off his coat and stomped his feet clean before he stepped inside. His cheeks were red from the cold and his eyes were bright. “I don't think I've ever had a white Christmas before.”

“It's certainly pretty,” I said. The mountains above us were already looking rather snow-covered, and it was sticking to the trees and the grass closer to the house. It hadn't started sticking to the road, but the temperature was supposed to drop rapidly as the day went on. “I'm surprised you drove out here.”

He shrugged. “I can stay here if it gets too bad, right?”

“Of course.” I forced a smile. I couldn't very well refuse him a place to stay, even if I hated the idea of him crossing that boundary. I'd done a pretty good job of remembering he was only a temporary part of my life, but if he stayed overnight, I might imagine him living here, might imagine waking up with him every morning. Those sorts of daydreams were dangerous. “Or you could leave as soon as it looks like it's sticking to the road.” I tried to keep my voice light, but I failed.

“I won't stay long.” I looked back over my shoulder as I walked away from him. I hated that some of the happy light in his eyes had dimmed. Hated that it was my fault. “I just wanted to see you and Sophie.”

“Sophie's sleeping. I was about to lay down, too.” That was another lie. I'd gotten a decent amount of sleep the night before - I was trying not to get too excited, but Sophie just may have figured out her nights and days.

“Go on and sleep.” His smile slipped only the tiniest bit. “I'll see if Mom needs help getting anything ready for the Christmas dinner.”

Christmas was still two days away, but Nora was already planning and preparing. I hurried upstairs to the safety of my room. I shut the door behind me with a sigh of relief. I climbed into bed and pulled up a parenting book on my Kindle. I'd read for a while and hope Sophie slept so long that Noah had to leave before the roads were covered.

Sophie, the little traitor, snorted and started screaming after only another half hour of sleep. If she slept well at night, she took shorter naps during the day. I usually didn't mind, but she was truly working against me this time.

Downstairs, I got into my usual spot on the couch and tucked Sophie up against my boob. Noah popped his head in. He was wearing an apron and had a spoon in his hand. “How does beef stew sound for dinner?” he asked. “It can cook in the crock pot all day, so if I have to leave, you'll still have something to eat.”

“Sounds great to me.” Noah had become a pretty decent cook over the past month. I hated that he cooked for me. I hated that he took such good care of me and Sophie. It made me hope and wish. I hated hoping and wishing.

“By the way, Cody and Carrie picked up Mom,” he said. “Kaylee's in some sort of Christmas Pageant, and Mom went along to see it.”

“Are you going, too?” I vaguely remembered Nora mentioning the pageant, but I hadn't realized it was today.

“I'll stick around until she gets back. I don't want you to be here alone in this weather.”

“I'll be fine.” I glanced out the window, but the roads still appeared to be clear. “What time does the pageant start?”

“Not until five. Carrie needed a hand putting the finishing touches on Kaylee's costume, so Mom went over early to help out.”

I glared out the window at the clear roads, wishing for the snow to stick so I'd have a reasonable excuse to kick him out. “There's no snow on the roads, but there might be black ice…” I turned to tell him he should head out, but he was back in the kitchen. I growled softly under my breath, and Sophie looked up at me with what I could almost swear was amusement in her eyes.

I couldn't help but smile. I rubbed my nose against hers as I moved her to my other breast.

By the time Noah came back to the living room, Sophie was on her back on her play mat, happily watching her toys bounce in the light of the Christmas tree. “You should probably go,” I said. “Sophie and I will be fine here by ourselves.”

Noah glanced out the window. “I'd rather stay here as long as I can.”

I couldn't exactly kick the man out, not after he'd cooked me dinner and helped me with Sophie. Not when he looked so comfortable in a Henley and worn-in jeans. Not when he smelled like Christmas and joy and his eyes looked so bright and — I shook my head to knock some sense back in. “Yeah, okay. I'm probably just going to take another nap.” Because I couldn't be alone with him.

He didn't give any sign of displeasure beyond a slight tensing of his shoulders. “Of course. I'll keep an eye on Sophie if you want to leave her down here.”

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