Page 43 of A Cozy Christmas Escape

And just like that the other women were beaming at her. They finished their dinner before all making their way to the living room. They surprised Valerie with some of her own movies to choose from, and she picked out her favorite.

They all curled up on the large sectional, but none of them could stop talking long enough to actually watch the movie. Slowly but surely, the night devolved into a good old-fashioned sleepover. And when Lacy asked Valerie about the special effects makeup inLove in Bloomthat had made her look like an old woman, the makeup boxes got brought out and they all began practicing ‘old age makeup’ on each other, pulling up videos on YouTube to double check their technique as they went.

Valerie felt almost giddy as she swiped her brush over Mindy’s face, giving her deep smile lines. She couldn’t remember the last time her heart had felt quite this light.

* * *

Clark closed the door of his truck as he walked around to the bed of it, taking careful steps to not slip on the snow and ice in Shelley’s driveway. Earlier that day, some of the items that she’d needed for the showcase had been dropped off, and despite the late hour, he still wanted to bring them over and drop them off.

He loaded up his arms, holding everything steady as he made his way to the front door. As he got closer, he heard the telltale sound of laughter floating out of the house and he couldn’t help but peer through the living room window.

It took him a moment to make sense of the sight before him, because at first all he saw was a group of old ladies cackling around the fire. But then, he caught sight of one of them with familiar bangs and honey-colored eyes and started chuckling and shaking his head at how well the women had done on their makeup.

He lifted his fist and rapped it against the door, hearing an excited squawk from inside. There was a bit of bickering about whether or not they should answer, but soon he heard the deadbolt unlock and the door was pulled open.

“Clark!” Shelley yelled loudly, clearly announcing who was at the door to the other women in the house. “What a surprise!”

“Some of your stuff came in for the showcase,” he said, shifting the stuff he was holding in his arms. “Wanted to bring it by.”

“Absolutely, come inside.”

Shelley stepped to the side, waving him through the door and Clark stepped through the threshold. More yelling sounded from the living room as he walked into it, with a few of them ducking behind pillows.

“Looking good, ladies,” Clark told them with a chuckle as he set everything down in the corner Shelley indicated.

His eyes landed on Valerie, and he felt his cheeks grow hot with a blush.

“Do you want any cookies or tea? I made some fresh ones this afternoon.” Shelley asked, grabbing Clark’s attention once more.

“I’d actually love a cookie,” he answered.

“Hey, Valerie,” Shelley said, a grin lighting her face as she turned to glance at the other woman. “Want to take Clark to get a cookie? They’re on a plate in the kitchen.”

He tried not to roll his eyes at Shelley’s blatant setup, but he didn’t fully succeed as he laughed at her. Not that he was going to argue with it, he’d love a bit of alone time with Valerie.

Clearly embarrassed at the callout but also not wanting to say no, Valerie pushed herself to her feet, gave Clark a soft smile, and then walked past him toward the kitchen. Just as he turned his back, he heard Lacy, Mindy, Sarah, and Shelley all tittering to each other about the “budding new couple.”

It was a bittersweet feeling—watching Valerie get so close to everyone here and fitting in so seamlessly and knowing that she wasn’t going to be staying.

“Here you go,” Valerie said as they reached the kitchen, walking immediately over to the plate of cookies.

She plucked one delicately off the top and took a big bite, smiling up at him as she reached out her arms in a request for a hug. Eagerly Clark pulled her toward him, holding her close to his body before kissing her softly on the forehead.

“You’re a cute old lady,” he murmured into her hair, and he felt her shoulders shake as she laughed.

When they parted, he watched as Valerie used the sleeve of her sweater to wipe at her face, but all it did was smear the makeup further. He chuckled, reaching up to help clean away the dark smudges of her mascara.

“I’m glad you’re fitting in with everyone,” he said, nodding his head toward the living room where they could still hear the other women tittering amongst themselves.

“I am too,” she answered, and he could hear a bit of melancholy in her voice, and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing he had been.

“I want you to know,” Clark murmured, his voice low and sincere, “that no matter what happens when you go, having this time to get to know you better has made this the best Christmas season I’ve had in a very long time.”

Valerie blushed so hard that her cheeks turned a rosy pink.

He lifted her chin and brought his lips to hers, hoping that she could feel the truth of what he’d said in their kiss.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

---