Page 13 of Mistletoe & Magic
I watch the curve of her plump lips still tipped into a smile,her cheeks flushed from the cold. Her dark red hair catches the light from the window. She’s beautiful. God, she probably doesn’t even know how beautiful she is.
And that’s the problem. Iknowhow beautiful she is. I can't be catching feelings for the temporary nanny.
I pull my gaze away, busying myself with the tangled set of lights on the counter. The last thing I need is her thinking I’m standing here staring at her like some idiot.
She nudges the bag towards me and smiles, then turns and heads toward the door. I keep my eyes on the counter, not watching the way her hips sway or the way her laugh echoes a little in the shop when she turns to head out.
“See you tonight,” she says over her shoulder, like it’s already a given.
"Thanks," I call gruffly.
I don’t let myself think about how easily she could fit into our life here. How easily she fits with Junie.Because if I do, I’ll forget all the reasons I told myself to keep her on the other side of whatever invisible line I’ve drawn.
I don’t need someone getting too close. I don’t need Junie getting attached to someone who might not stick around. And I sure as hell don’t need the distraction of the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen, standing in my shop, talking about decorating like it’s the most important thing in the world.
I pull the bag closer and see a homemade lunch she's packed for me. A double-thick sandwich that looks gourmet, chips, a container of cut up fruit and carrots. One of my favorite energy drinks and a bottle of water are at the bottom.
Whoa. I’ve never had anyone do anything like this for me before. My mom isn’t much of a cook, so we mostly do takeout and frozen meals. I can cook, but mostly I’m too tired to cook here lately.
I try to focus on my work and eat my lunch, which is amazing. Keep my hands busy, my mind on the orders, the deliveries, the thousand other things that have to get done before the holiday rush.
But really, there’s just one thing on my mind.
Ivy.
Chapter 5
Ivy
I’m cutting an apple for Junie’s after-school snack when I ask the question. “So, what are your favorite holiday traditions that you and your dad have?”
She swings her legs under the table, chewing the piece of cheddar cheese I sliced on her plate. She swallows, then shrugs. “We usually do pizza night on Fridays, but Dad's too busy now.”
“I’ve heard about your legendary pizza nights,” I say, smiling. “But what about during Christmas? What do you do for fun?”
Another shrug. “We don’t really do much. Not like the other kids in my class do.”
The way she says it makes something pinch deep in my chest. Casual and matter-of-fact. Like she’s already decided not to expect more. The kid lives on a Christmas tree farm and doesn’t have a magical Christmas? Unreal. We have to change that.
I lean my elbows on the table. “Well, what if we did something really special this year? Christmas is basically the perfect excuse for having so much fun.”
Her eyes light up, cautious but curious. “Like what?”
“Like everything. Hot cocoa. Homemade marshmallows are the best, and you can do almost any flavor. Movie marathons. Cookies in ridiculous shapes. Staying up way too late to watch for Santa. Driving around to see the best lights in town. Snow angels. Drying oranges to hang over the windows so the entire house smells amazing.” I'm breathless; I'm so excited thinking about it all.
Junie leans forward and asks me dreamily. “Can we do all of that?”
“Absolutely,” I say, already heading for the craft cupboard. “I have an idea. We’re going to make amap.”
She perks up even more. "Like a treasure map?"
I shrug. "You know what? Yeah, like a treasure map. Why not? We can call it whatever you want."
I organized this cabinet earlier today and repurposed old yogurt containers for paintbrushes and made it so Junie can find things for her art projects easier. This kid loves to do crafts, and I wanted to make everything easier for her to find.
Ten minutes later, the dining table is covered in a giant sheet of beige butcher paper that runs from one end to the other. Markers, glue sticks, scissors, and every color of construction paper I could find are scattered across the surface.
Junie’s in charge of drawing the treasure chest at the top of the page with gold coins spilling out with little snowflakes mixed in. I work on big bubble letters:The Bennett Family Holiday Treasure Map.
