Page 26 of Mistletoe Latte

A stylish forty-something woman trailed by a teenage girl stepped into the shop. It was to the girl Skylar ran, both speaking and squealing at lightning speed about the previous events. Addy seemed even more excited about the Italian heartthrob learning that Skylar existed.

Smiling to herself, Emma slipped away. She knew far too well the nervous agony of wanting to talk to someone who was too handsome, knowing he’d never look twice at her. It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d been the teenager sidling next to a boy and thinking that’d somehow make him ask her out. She looked up from the table to find Nick rolling his sleeves back and her heart flipped. A little squeal built in the back of her throat as he wrung a palm over the scruff of his jaw.

She took a step closer when the woman who came in with Addy reached across the gap and touched Nick’s arm. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile perfect, her skin flawless. She brushed back her coiffed blonde hair and giggled at whatever Nick said.

The handsome coffee shop owner and the beautiful businesswoman in a hot relationship—it made perfect sense. Why’d she think for a second he’d look twice at a washed-up…? It didn’t matter.

“Excuse me, miss?”

Emma abandoned the flirting to focus on a customer.

“This isn’t what I wanted.”

Me either.

Shaking away the pain, she smiled. “Let me fix that for you.”

SKYLAR WAS ACTING like a fool again, and he didn’t have time for it. At least Emma swooped in to save her butt and his. Nick spotted his savior gathering up the crumbs on the table. The apron string pulled at her sweater, lifting it as she reached. It exposed a line of bare skin just above her jeans with a hint of lace that had to be her…

“Addy!”

The shriek of his niece saved him from having to hide himself by pressing against the counter. All the damn hormones in the air were messing with his brain. “What’ll it be…? Ah, Mrs. Wilkins.”

“Good morning, Nick.” She sidled up next to the counter and nearly leaped onto it.

“How are you?” he asked on default. The espresso machine beeped, and he gathered up the finished pour. “Americano, sprinkle of cinnamon!”

Once the customer took it, he returned to the cash register. Mrs. Wilkins beamed at him. “A lot better now,” she said.

“Coffee’ll do that,” Nick answered absently. “What do you want?”

“Why don’t you surprise me?”

Great, like he wasn’t already behind. Taking a mug off the top, Nick tried to think of a good flavor combo.Maybe hazelnut and caramel with a sprinkle of nutmeg?He pressed the button and let his robot do the work.

“I see you’ve hired new help,” Mrs. Wilkins said, staring at Emma. “I didn’t know you were looking.”

“I wasn’t. But seems she can’t get enough of the place.”

A loud laugh, then a handful of giggles escaped from Mrs. Wilkins. Nick scratched his head, uncertain what was funny when she reached over and patted his arm. He looked at her fingers. Rather than slip away, she clenched tighter before releasing.

“It’s been a challenge, the first Christmas since the divorce.”

“Uh-huh.”

“This time of year must be so trying for you. And poor Skylar with her father—”

“We get by just fine,” Nick interrupted. Luckily, his niece was deep into conversation with her friend and didn’t overhear, but he couldn’t let her find out from idle gossip. “If you could stand to the side…”

He pointed to the counter for Mrs. Wilkins who moved without taking her eyes off of him. The last of the coffee hit the cup and Nick snatched up the first bottles he found. Adding a dash of amaretto and too much hazelnut, he topped the whole thing off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and handed it to her.

She kept staring at him without leaving, so Nick said, “Enjoy.”

“I know I will. Oh, did you hear about the ice skating party this weekend?”

“No.” He didn’t skate, but Skylar did. Or she used to. Weird she didn’t mention it to him.

“You should come. While the kids run around we can sit together, sip hot cocoa. It’d be a perfect opportunity for the two of us to talk.”

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