As she worked, her eye caught on something tucked away in the corner. She moved some clothing to reveal a package underneath. Curious, she reached for it. Her breath caught as she read the gift tag. “To Evie,” it said in Nana’s elegant script, followed by a short message: “When I saw this, I just knew you had to have it. Merry Christmas, Nana.”
With trembling fingers, she unwrapped the gift. Silky fabric spilled out from the festive green wrapping paper revealing a stunning red dress. She held it up, the fabric soft against her skin, and felt a lump form in her throat. It was perfect for the Christmas dance. Almost as if Nana had known she would need it. She hugged the dress close, feeling a connection to her grandmother that transcended time and space.
Randy stood at Evie’s front door, adjusting his tie yet again. He realized he hadn’t felt this nervous—or hopeful—in years. Theair was thick with possibility and the scent of saltwater as he smoothed his tie one last time.
Why was he so nervous? He was simply taking Evie to the Christmas dance. That was all.
And yet, when he knocked on the door, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for her to appear, and he had to wonder if she could hear his heart pounding from inside the house.
The door swung open and his neatly planned world tilted on its axis. Evie stood framed in the doorway, a vision that stole his breath away. A soft red dress hugged her curves and shimmered softly in the porch light. Her dark hair was swept up, exposing the elegant curve of her neck. A few loose tendrils framed her face. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with an inner light, reflecting the Christmas lights strung along the porch.
He swallowed. Hard. “Wow, if that’s what you call not bringing anything nice to wear…”
Her lips curved into a gentle smile that made his heart skip a beat. “It’s a Christmas present from Nana. I guess she bought it early but never had— She didn’t get a chance to give it to me. I found it when I was cleaning out her closet. It’s a beautiful dress, isn’t it?”
He opened his mouth to speak, to tell her how great she looked, but the words caught in his throat. All he could do was stand there, drinking in the sight of her, feeling like the luckiest man on the island.
He finally pulled himself together. “It’s beautiful.You’rebeautiful.” The words just came out before he had a chance to stop them.
An adorable blush swept across her cheeks. “Ah… thank you. You look good too. Handsome, I mean.”
He was glad he’d decided to wear the one suit he owned instead of his sports coat. After adjusting his tie yet again, he held out his arm. “Ready?”
She nodded and pulled the door shut behind her. She took his arm, and a spark of electricity jolted through him. Trying to ignore it, he helped her into the passenger seat, struggling not to let his nervousness show.
As he drove, she exclaimed excitedly about the various decorations around the town. The white lights adorning Belle Island Inn. The wreaths on the lampposts. The twinkle lights at the gazebo.
“The town looks like it should be on a Christmas postcard. It’s so festive and pretty.”
“Belle Island does like its Christmas season, I admit.”
He parked the car, and they got out. A sense of pride swept through him when she took his arm. He undoubtedly had the most beautiful woman at the dance by his side—not to mention she was smart and easy to talk to. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky.
“Look, there’s Tally. Let’s go say hi,” Evie said as they entered the dance.
He led her over to where Tally was standing, looking festive in a dark green dress with a pretty Christmas pin on it.
“Evie, dear. You look lovely.” Tally hugged her. “Glad you could come to our Christmas dance.”
“Thank you,” Evie beamed. “Nana got it for me.”
“Well, it certainly suits you.” Tally turned and waved, and Julie came up to them. “Julie, have you met Evie? Genevieve’s granddaughter.”
Julie held out her hand, and Evie shook it. “No, I haven’t. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you. I’ve been enjoying having breakfast from your shop. We had the peach scones today. They were delicious.”
Julie smiled at the compliment. “I’m glad you enjoyed them. Always a customer favorite.”
Tally turned and looked at him expectantly. “Aren’t you going to ask Evie to dance? Shame not to show off that beautiful dress.”
He flashed a grin. “Yes, ma’am. I was just going to ask her. Evie? Would you care to dance?”
“I’d love to.”
She smiled up at him, and his heart thumped wildly.
Get a grip, buddy.
