Page 24 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
“Oh, gosh, no.” I laughed lightly. “Sorry if I worried you, but I’m here on personal business.”
“Not at all. Does Hazel need anything?”
I shook my head. “Actually, I brought you this.” I held out the takeaway cup of hot chocolate for her. “Hot chocolate.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh, wow. Thank you!” She took it gratefully. “I haven’t stopped all day, so I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”
I smiled. “You’re welcome. Thank you for working so hard on Hazel’s wedding flowers. I know you’re really busy and I appreciate it so much, and so will she when she sees them.”
Beth grinned over the top of the cup. “Stop. You’ll make me fall in love with you.”
“Fall in love with who?” asked a familiar voice.
Any Christmas spirit I’d gained from my little walk through Castleton rapidly disappeared at the sight of His Grace, The Duke of Castleton.
Was there no escaping this man?
So what if I hadn’t seen him in ten years? That wasn’t a long enough break for me, clearly. Another seventy years would be about right.
Thomas’ gaze skittered over me. “Come on, Beth. You’ve got better taste than that.”
“Not if she’s spending time with you,” I shot back.
“She’s my sister-in-law. It’s one of those things.”
“At least she had the good taste to marry your sister over you.”
“And now I get it,” Beth said, breaking up our back-and-forth. “Emily did warn me.”
I eyed her. What was Thomas’ mother warning her about? “About what?”
“You two and your bickering if you were ever near one another. Something about a childhood feud?”
I glared at Thomas.
He glared right back at me.
“I don’t know about you two, but it just seems like a whole bunch of pent-up sexual tension to me.”
“Wash your mouth out with soap,” Thomas said sharply.
I snorted. “As if.” I met his gaze. “Although I am starting to wonder, given this is the second time in three days you’ve been where I needed to be. Three if you count the tree farm.”
“I own it. I don’t count it. And this is simply unfortunate,” he replied, turning his attention to Beth. “Is that all you needed?”
Beth drew her shoulders up to her ears and smiled the sweetest smile a woman could.
Thomas sighed. “What else do you need me to do?”
“There are some boxes that are pretty heavy that I don’t want to lift. Could you move them from the storage area at the back to the storeroom for me, please?”
“Why can’t you move them? Are you pregnant or something?” he chuckled.
Beth froze.
Uh-oh.
I knewthatlook.
