as it had looked long ago, just as she and Sam were doing right now.
“What do you think?” she asked Sam.
“It’s really beautiful. You’re amazing.”
“Did you notice the theme? I got the name of the boutique into it.” She pointed to the corner of the window glass.
Now ... AND THEN . H APPY HOLIDAYS !
Sam smiled. “Nice touch. The whole thing is fantastic. I don’t know how you did it.”
That she could make something so magical out of a heap of junk and lumber really did amaze him.
Nicole turned her face up to his. “You helped. Thanks,” she said softly.
He hoped the sparkle in her eyes wasn’t just a reflection from the window. The soft radiance in her expression made him feel a little weak. He had never wanted to kiss a woman more than he wanted to kiss her at that moment, that was for damn sure. But they weren’t alone on the sidewalk. A few people had already stopped in front of them to gaze into the window.
She turned her face away. The moment passed. She went back inside, staying ahead of him.
Sam took a last look at what they’d created, then followed her. Nicole was talking to Bob and Hank.
“Good work, guys. Don’t forget that we still have to do the window on the other side.”
Hank was slinging tools into a diamond-patterned metal box. “When? Do you have a design? ”
“I’ll come up with something,” she said briskly. “Give me a day or two. We all want to get paid. Sam, what’s your schedule like?”
Her tone was matter-of-fact. He must have imagined the look in her eyes when they were outside. So much for magic.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Let me check with Greg and get back to you.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She walked around the work area, switching off the aluminum-shaded lights and gathering materials. “Bob, can you bring the van around to the front? There’s a lot of leftover stuff here. Would you mind if I stashed it in the back for now?”
“Won’t be in my way. Go ahead,” the burly man answered. “I could bring it by your building tomorrow.”
“All right,” she said absently.
Sam fished in his shirt pocket for the parking stub and handed it to Bob. His cell phone rang a second later. “Maybe that’s Greg,” he said to Nicole.
She nodded without interest.
He looked at the number, not recognizing it, and answered anyway. “Hello?”
“Sam Bennett, please,” said a tenor voice.
“Who is this?”
“Your landlord.”
“Huh?”
“You sublet my apartment, remember? I’m Alex Walcott. We met once.”
The light dawned. “Oh, right. Sorry. Just wasn’t thinking.”
“I understand.” Alex chuckled. “Christmas is just around the corner. Anyway, the cruise show came through. I’m going to be an elf.”
That fit. Sam remembered that Alex was short. Really short.
“We sail at dawn. You’ll need a key. Come by and I’ll give you the official tour.”
Sam hadn’t actually seen the apartment. He’d followed Theo’s advice to pounce on it once the old man had introduced them. Sammy boy, you can trust Alex. I trust him. A customer for years. Cheap sublets don’t grow on trees in New York. The trailer’s getting crowded.
The deal had been done right there at the Christmas tree lot, in cash. Half in advance, half to come when the key changed hands.
“When?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Alex said. “I’m going to be up all night packing.”
Sam hung up. Nicole was still busy. He picked up whatever else was lying around and set it on the worktable, then reached for his jacket.
“You heading home?” Bob asked. Nicole straightened up with a bag of scrap lumber and turned to look at Sam.
“In that general direction,” Sam said cheerfully. “Anything else you guys need a hand with here?”
“No,” Nicole said. “Thanks again.”
“All right. I’ll check in with you about the other window when I get a chance,” Sam replied.
He turned onto Theo’s block—he’d thought of it that way from the first, never
“What do you think?” she asked Sam.
“It’s really beautiful. You’re amazing.”
“Did you notice the theme? I got the name of the boutique into it.” She pointed to the corner of the window glass.
Now ... AND THEN . H APPY HOLIDAYS !
Sam smiled. “Nice touch. The whole thing is fantastic. I don’t know how you did it.”
That she could make something so magical out of a heap of junk and lumber really did amaze him.
Nicole turned her face up to his. “You helped. Thanks,” she said softly.
He hoped the sparkle in her eyes wasn’t just a reflection from the window. The soft radiance in her expression made him feel a little weak. He had never wanted to kiss a woman more than he wanted to kiss her at that moment, that was for damn sure. But they weren’t alone on the sidewalk. A few people had already stopped in front of them to gaze into the window.
She turned her face away. The moment passed. She went back inside, staying ahead of him.
Sam took a last look at what they’d created, then followed her. Nicole was talking to Bob and Hank.
“Good work, guys. Don’t forget that we still have to do the window on the other side.”
Hank was slinging tools into a diamond-patterned metal box. “When? Do you have a design? ”
“I’ll come up with something,” she said briskly. “Give me a day or two. We all want to get paid. Sam, what’s your schedule like?”
Her tone was matter-of-fact. He must have imagined the look in her eyes when they were outside. So much for magic.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Let me check with Greg and get back to you.”
“Okay. Thanks.” She walked around the work area, switching off the aluminum-shaded lights and gathering materials. “Bob, can you bring the van around to the front? There’s a lot of leftover stuff here. Would you mind if I stashed it in the back for now?”
“Won’t be in my way. Go ahead,” the burly man answered. “I could bring it by your building tomorrow.”
“All right,” she said absently.
Sam fished in his shirt pocket for the parking stub and handed it to Bob. His cell phone rang a second later. “Maybe that’s Greg,” he said to Nicole.
She nodded without interest.
He looked at the number, not recognizing it, and answered anyway. “Hello?”
“Sam Bennett, please,” said a tenor voice.
“Who is this?”
“Your landlord.”
“Huh?”
“You sublet my apartment, remember? I’m Alex Walcott. We met once.”
The light dawned. “Oh, right. Sorry. Just wasn’t thinking.”
“I understand.” Alex chuckled. “Christmas is just around the corner. Anyway, the cruise show came through. I’m going to be an elf.”
That fit. Sam remembered that Alex was short. Really short.
“We sail at dawn. You’ll need a key. Come by and I’ll give you the official tour.”
Sam hadn’t actually seen the apartment. He’d followed Theo’s advice to pounce on it once the old man had introduced them. Sammy boy, you can trust Alex. I trust him. A customer for years. Cheap sublets don’t grow on trees in New York. The trailer’s getting crowded.
The deal had been done right there at the Christmas tree lot, in cash. Half in advance, half to come when the key changed hands.
“When?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Alex said. “I’m going to be up all night packing.”
Sam hung up. Nicole was still busy. He picked up whatever else was lying around and set it on the worktable, then reached for his jacket.
“You heading home?” Bob asked. Nicole straightened up with a bag of scrap lumber and turned to look at Sam.
“In that general direction,” Sam said cheerfully. “Anything else you guys need a hand with here?”
“No,” Nicole said. “Thanks again.”
“All right. I’ll check in with you about the other window when I get a chance,” Sam replied.
He turned onto Theo’s block—he’d thought of it that way from the first, never
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