Page 62 of Maybe This Christmas
As the jolly exercisers moved on to drinks in the lounge, Caleb began putting the room back together.
“I hope you know that I have a video of you dancing with one of the friskier ladies.They should really learn to keep their hands to themselves.”
He looked up to find Emma leaning in the doorway.He hadn’t seen her much since the family dinner.He’d started to wonder if she was avoiding him, but then he remembered how busy he’d been.She’d also been preparing for her meeting with Sebastian, so she’d been holed up with her laptop.
He began taking off his beard.“I’m prepared to pay your ransom.What are your demands?”
She peeled away from the door.“Hmm, maybe should’ve thought more about this.I didn’t think you’d pay a ransom.I was thinking dinner—you and me.”
“You don’t have to bribe me for that.I’d go happily.”He set the damn beard down on the table with a slap.
“Well, now you tell me.I’ve always been a shitty negotiator.”She smiled up at him.“I guess that was my way of saying I missed you.You’ve been busy, so have I.”
He brought a hand to her face.“Sebastian told me you have a meeting with him today about the stationery shop.”
“I’m oddly terrified.It’s one thing to daydream about starting over and quite another to do it.I’ve been nervously checking my bank balance since I started working on this.”
“Well, what’s the saying?If you’re not terrified, what’s the point of trying?”
She leaned closer to him.“Did you make that up on the spot?”
His hand came to the small of her back.“I don’t think so.I can go with you, if you want.I may not have the business acumen of my older brother, but I could be moral support.”
“You’re too busy for that.”
He gestured around to the empty room.“That’s the last event for today, until a special year-end bingo tonight.The biddies run that, and you’ve been unofficially banned.Once they make decrees like that, it’s hard to get them to walk them back.”
“I can’t help that I’m a hustler.”She leaned against him.The soft, floral aroma of her shampoo hit him straight in the feelings.He drew her closer before he brushed his hand down her back.
“I’ll go with you as long as you promise to delete the incriminating video.”
“There’s no video.So, you’ll come?”Her words were muffled against his shirt.
“Give me twenty minutes to finish cleaning up and change.You’re meeting with Seb after closing, right?”
“I was hoping you’d keep your holiday attire on.”
He laughed.“I’d never live that down.”
Her eyes shone with mischief.“Fine, fine.Maybe later, though?”She gave him an oddly long wink.
He stumbled back with laughter.“I’m finding out all sorts of things about you today, Emma.”
“I promise I don’t really have a Santa fetish.I’ll see you in a bit.”She rose up to brush a kiss across his lips.“I’ll meet you in the lobby in twenty.”
* * * *
On the way down the mountain, Emma nervously scrolled back and forth through the questions on her laptop.Caleb kept one eye on her as he navigated the windy mountain roads.
“You’re really taking this seriously, huh?”
She cut him a glance.“Well, yeah.It’s a huge step if I choose to take it.Did you think this was all for show?”
“What?No.I guess I was just surprised to see you take to the idea so quickly.”
She shut her laptop.“If you have something to say, spit it out, Caleb.”
He exhaled.He hadn’t meant to pick a fight.“I just meant that you want to be sure about this before you make any next steps.I know your life has gone through a huge upheaval in the last month.I want to be sure you’re making the right choice.”
