the steel
walls slamming into place. She’d obviously trodden into dangerous territory with
him.
“I don’t have to explain to you why this land is important to
me. All you need to know is that I intend to get it back one way or
another.”
“So you seem to think.”
Tori watched as Wade’s hands curled into controlled fists at
his side. She couldn’t tell whether he wanted to kiss her senseless or bludgeon
her with a nearby reindeer statue. But he couldn’t do any of those things. Not
with Molly nearby. Tori had no doubt he’d give her a piece of his mind the
minute he could. She was kind of looking forward to it.
“Wade?” His mother’s voice called over the cheerful carols
playing in the store.
They both turned to look at his mother, and Tori noticed a
curious expression on Molly’s face. She seemed…intrigued by their quiet
discussion. Tori hoped she hadn’t mistaken their subdued animosity for real
attraction. Tori wouldn’t put it past her to try to fix them up. Yes, there was
a current running beneath the surface, but it was pointless to consider what
that meant. Fortunately, Wade’s living in New York would easily put a damper on
anything Molly tried to start up.
“Coming,” Wade said before he shot Tori a heated warning glance
and turned away. She watched him talk to Molly for a minute, then nod and walk
out of the store without another word to her.
Tori let out a deep breath and realized she’d been holding it
long enough for her lungs to start burning. Her whole body was tense from
bickering with him and—if she was honest with herself—anxious with the need he
built inside her with a simple touch. It was an extremely confusing
combination.
“Your package is ready, dear.”
Tori returned to the counter. “Thank you. I’m sure it will look
great. The silver and blue against the shiny aluminum will be perfect.”
“It will,” she agreed. “What are you doing for Christmas? Do
you have any family nearby?”
Tori shook her head. “No. My parents travel a lot. The last
time they called, they were in Oregon. I’ll probably call and check in with them
Christmas Day, but I haven’t spent an actual holiday with them in years.”
“What about any brothers and sisters? Aunts? Cousins?”
“I’m an only child. And my family moved so much that we never
really connected with our extended family.”
“Hmph,” Molly said thoughtfully, although Tori wasn’t exactly
sure what that meant. “Would you like to join me by the fireplace for some hot
mulled cider?”
“I don’t want to take up your time.”
“Posh! The store is empty. Business won’t pick up until later
today, and then just with last-minute folk in a rush. Come on, I’ll fix you a
cup. I’ve also got some snickerdoodles I took out of the oven right before you
came in.”
Unable to turn down the Christmas pied piper, she followed
Molly over to the refreshment stand, then to the rocking chairs in front of the
fireplace.
“You guys really have a lovely place here. It’s like a child’s
Christmas fantasy.”
“Thank you. That’s really what we were going for—a treasured
holiday tradition as opposed to just a shopping trip. Ken and I have always
loved children. We’d hoped to have at least five or six.” Tori watched Molly
gently finger the rim of her paper cup as she spoke. “When that didn’t work out,
of course, we started taking in foster kids. Wade was the first child we took
in.”
“Oh,” Tori said, the pieces of her conversations with Wade and
the bartender finally clicking into place. That was why he had a different last
name from the people he considered his parents. He obviously adored Molly as
though she were his biological mother. Perhaps not all of his story was meant to
play on her emotions. It was possible he did want to preserve the land that had
been a special home for him.
Did that change how she felt about selling her property? No.
But it did change a little of how she felt about
walls slamming into place. She’d obviously trodden into dangerous territory with
him.
“I don’t have to explain to you why this land is important to
me. All you need to know is that I intend to get it back one way or
another.”
“So you seem to think.”
Tori watched as Wade’s hands curled into controlled fists at
his side. She couldn’t tell whether he wanted to kiss her senseless or bludgeon
her with a nearby reindeer statue. But he couldn’t do any of those things. Not
with Molly nearby. Tori had no doubt he’d give her a piece of his mind the
minute he could. She was kind of looking forward to it.
“Wade?” His mother’s voice called over the cheerful carols
playing in the store.
They both turned to look at his mother, and Tori noticed a
curious expression on Molly’s face. She seemed…intrigued by their quiet
discussion. Tori hoped she hadn’t mistaken their subdued animosity for real
attraction. Tori wouldn’t put it past her to try to fix them up. Yes, there was
a current running beneath the surface, but it was pointless to consider what
that meant. Fortunately, Wade’s living in New York would easily put a damper on
anything Molly tried to start up.
“Coming,” Wade said before he shot Tori a heated warning glance
and turned away. She watched him talk to Molly for a minute, then nod and walk
out of the store without another word to her.
Tori let out a deep breath and realized she’d been holding it
long enough for her lungs to start burning. Her whole body was tense from
bickering with him and—if she was honest with herself—anxious with the need he
built inside her with a simple touch. It was an extremely confusing
combination.
“Your package is ready, dear.”
Tori returned to the counter. “Thank you. I’m sure it will look
great. The silver and blue against the shiny aluminum will be perfect.”
“It will,” she agreed. “What are you doing for Christmas? Do
you have any family nearby?”
Tori shook her head. “No. My parents travel a lot. The last
time they called, they were in Oregon. I’ll probably call and check in with them
Christmas Day, but I haven’t spent an actual holiday with them in years.”
“What about any brothers and sisters? Aunts? Cousins?”
“I’m an only child. And my family moved so much that we never
really connected with our extended family.”
“Hmph,” Molly said thoughtfully, although Tori wasn’t exactly
sure what that meant. “Would you like to join me by the fireplace for some hot
mulled cider?”
“I don’t want to take up your time.”
“Posh! The store is empty. Business won’t pick up until later
today, and then just with last-minute folk in a rush. Come on, I’ll fix you a
cup. I’ve also got some snickerdoodles I took out of the oven right before you
came in.”
Unable to turn down the Christmas pied piper, she followed
Molly over to the refreshment stand, then to the rocking chairs in front of the
fireplace.
“You guys really have a lovely place here. It’s like a child’s
Christmas fantasy.”
“Thank you. That’s really what we were going for—a treasured
holiday tradition as opposed to just a shopping trip. Ken and I have always
loved children. We’d hoped to have at least five or six.” Tori watched Molly
gently finger the rim of her paper cup as she spoke. “When that didn’t work out,
of course, we started taking in foster kids. Wade was the first child we took
in.”
“Oh,” Tori said, the pieces of her conversations with Wade and
the bartender finally clicking into place. That was why he had a different last
name from the people he considered his parents. He obviously adored Molly as
though she were his biological mother. Perhaps not all of his story was meant to
play on her emotions. It was possible he did want to preserve the land that had
been a special home for him.
Did that change how she felt about selling her property? No.
But it did change a little of how she felt about
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