Page 2 of How The Mountain Man Stole Christmas
Fin bent down to collect the plastic bowl that had rolled away from the woman when he’d accidentally startled her. He grabbed a few miscellaneous items, handing them to her as she shoved everything else into her bag. The last item they reached for at the same time, Fin looped his fingers in the key ring and stood.
“Guess you probably need these huh?”
She nodded slightly, not taking her eyes off him. She did not speak a single word. Was she okay? Maybe he’d brought on some kind of fit or heart attack? He really hadn’t meant to scare her. After staring at him for another few moments, a whispered thank you squeaked from her lips, and she promptly turned her back to him. He heard jangling as the young woman fidgeted with her keys, reminding him there was a reason for his visit.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, honest. I only needed to drop off this letter to Santa before clos…”
She turned so fast he stopped mid-sentence.
“What did you just say?”
Surprise had him catching his breath and Fin couldn’t help but notice how striking her blue eyes were as they bore into him. The sparkles that appeared in their depths when she twitched one eyebrow reminded him of the way tinsel on a Christmas tree sparkled in the firelight.
“Um this letter…” He held up the white stationary envelope with colored Christmas trees all over it. “It’s kind of a tradition with my nieces and I never could lie to them so when I see them tomorrow, I need to honestly be able to tell them I dropped it into Santa’s letter box myself.”
The look she gave him was one of lunacy, as if he’d lost his mind. While that may be every bit true, the story he’d just told her was even truer.
“It is still here, isn’t it? The box? Lord, I hope so; my brother said he saw it last week.”
“Oh yeah, I mean yes, it is here.Youwrote a letter to Santa?” Why did she sound so surprised?
“Yes, ma’am I sure did. You try telling three-year-old twins Santa doesn’t exist. Never in my wildest dreams would I be that person. I do whatever those two gorgeous little rug rats tell me to. Hence this letter.”
He held it out to her.
“I’m Finley Cole by the way. Fin for short. Are you the postmaster?”
***
Holy Hotness! Where the heck did this guy come from?
“Uh yes, sorry. I am the postmaster or mistress, oh that sounds horrible. Anyway, Harper Donaldson, nice to meet you.”
Harper shifted her belongings all into one arm so she could offer a hand to shake.
“Are you new around here? Not sure I’ve seen you before but then, I don’t get much further than the post office most days. “
A magnetic force drew them toward each other while charging the air between their palms as their hands touched. An invisible spark snapped, sending an electric tingle spiraling through her entire body. Fin glancing down toward his hand toldher he’d experienced the same. Dropping her arm to her side, she scrambled to shift the focus to something else.
“Did you say you wanted to drop that letter in our Santa box?”
“Yes, and yes.”
Is that a smirk? Why do men do that? It makes them look like they’re up to something.
“Excuse me…what?” She’d totally lost her focus.
“It was an answer to both of your questions. Yes, I’m kind of new to town, and yes, I want to drop this letter off. I’m sorry this isn’t exactly how I’d planned for us to meet. Do you need help with that lock?”
She was fumbling with her keys, trying to find the right one without dropping everything else in the process. Not that it would be the first time. She was also praying he wouldn’t touch her again unexpectedly because she might just have to jump him. She wouldn’t go into why it’s been so long for that activity. And what did he mean by this wasn’t how he’d planned for them to meet?
“Thanks, but no, I’ve got it. I am a little confused though, were you planning for us to meet?” She looked back at him.
After the key glided in the chamber, releasing the pins to unlock the deadbolt, Fin reached for the door as Harper swung it open.
“Well maybe.” His feet shifted, his gaze not quite meeting her face. “I’ve seen you around town once or twice when I get to town.” His smile was a bit mischievous.
“Okay…there’s the Santa letter box,” she explained as she pointed to the corner of the lobby, trying to ignore the sexy grin that was making her cheeks warm, not to mention otherareas she would never mention because she was a lady and ladies didn’t talk about those things in public or with strangers. And that’s what he is, just a stranger living in the same town, nothing to get overly excited about. Except that he was extremely attractive and happened to be a grown man believing in the Santa box. Unfortunately, he was only one of the many town folks that had already been in to drop off their own letters. Would people think her nuts to write a letter of her own? As it was turning out, they might think her more nuts if she didn’t write one.
