Page 83 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
“Nice to meet you.” He gestured to the little girl. “This is my daughter, Lucy. She’s in Annabel’s class.”
“We’ve heard,” I said.
Nina shot me a look.
“We were about to head over to the tree lot,” Nina said. “Do you want to join us?”
The last vestiges of my bad mood evaporated when I saw the way Dylan looked at my sister. He smiled like her invitation to walk across Christmas Village to look at trees was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
That man was smitten. And I was there for it.
“Let’s do it,” Dylan said. “Come on, Lucy Lou Who. We’re going to go with Annabel to find a tree.”
The girls held hands and skipped ahead while Dylan fell in step beside Nina. Jensen and I walked behind, and I watched with growing anticipation as Dylan almost held Nina’s hand.
Then Jensen surprised me by clasping mine.
I glanced up at him as we walked. He squeezed my hand. I squeezed back. And somehow, it was the most intimate thing he could have done.
We followed the path toward the tree farm, letting Nina and Dylan get ahead of us while they tried to keep up with the girls. Finally, Dylan slipped Nina’s hand in his.
“About time,” Jensen muttered.
I laughed. “I know, right? Come on, Dylan. She likes you. Make a move.”
“I was about to stop them and tell him to quit being so hesitant.”
“I’m glad it didn’t come to that. They’re both single parents, though. They have reason to be cautious.”
“Fair enough. He seems like a decent bloke. Do we like him?”
“I don’t know him very well, but he seems like a good guy. I think we can like him.”
“If he hurts your sister, I’ll have to ruin him.”
“Not before I do.”
He met my eyes, and we nodded once. We understood each other.
Was that what it was like to have a partner? Not just a date, or even a boyfriend, but a companion? Because dating and boyfriends didn’t hold much appeal anymore. I’d been burned one too many times. But what if there was something else? A different way a relationship could be.
Would it be possible to have that with Jensen? Or was I kidding myself? Hoping for something that could never be?
I didn’t know.
Besides, I was getting ahead of myself. I liked him, and he liked me. For the time being, it was enough.
I knew he’d stay for Christmas. After that? I didn’t know what to expect. And maybe for the first time in my life, I was okay with that. No plan. No certainty. Just the possibility of… something.
Maybe even a new adventure.
CHAPTER 22
Jensen
Natalie lay with her head on my shoulder, her arm draped across my bare chest. Morning light filtered through the curtains, and I traced slow circles across her skin while I drifted in sated bliss.
She’d spent the last several nights in my bed, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was quickly becoming addicted to her—to her scent, the feel of her skin. To her presence.
