I have never wanted to hurt him.
And I have.
* * *
Downtown Gingerbread is litup from top to bottom with its zigzagging twinkle lights strung high over Main Street. Every roofline, pole, and wreath is wrapped with its own string of lights, and the enchanting visual alone makes me realize I’ve missed Gingerbread far too much to ever be away for long spates of time. New York City definitely has a charm of its own, but it’s not home. I don’t think it ever can be.
And on this magical night, I’ve asked Missy to dinner at what looks to be Gingerbread’s newest fine dining facility. But it’s not the delicious meal I’m looking forward to most. It’s the stunning woman by my side.
Missy and I find a parking spot right in front of Le Roux, and I hop out to help her out of the passenger’s side. Missy Winters outshines every last light bulb in this tiny town combined, not to mention the fact she puts the stars and all their glory to shame.
“Sprig”—I say as I pull her in close, our eyes locking with a boost of electricity that lets me know I’m in far too deep to ever get out—“you take my breath away. You look beautiful tonight.”
She wrinkles her nose at me, looking decidedly adorable in the process. “Thank you—for the fifteenth time.” Her strawberry stained lips twist to the side. “You know, you don’t have to keep repeating it, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll be the last person to stop you.” The apples of her cheeks fill with color. “I’m rather partial to hearing it from the horse’s mouth.” Her thumb swipes over my lips. “And I do love this horse’s mouth.” Her brows dip with concern. “Do you think Noel will be fine with Holly and Tom?”
“Are you kidding? After seeing Savanah’s face light up like the sun, we’ll be lucky to get her back tonight.”
“That’s true. And technically, this is Savy’s first babysitting job. I know she’s pretty excited about the puppy. Maybe more so than the fact she’s getting paid.” She shivers as she pulls her black wool coat tight around her tiny body.
“Let’s get you inside before we turn into Popsicles.”
“I thought you liked Popsicles?” Her eyes flirt with mine as she bats her lashes. “You know, licking them up until the very last drop.”
“Whoa!” I tug at the collar of my dress shirt. “And it’s suddenly way too hot to have this coat on.” I tuck my hand on the small of her back, and we head inside where the subtle scent of something homey cooking thickens the air.
I’ve never been to Le Roux before. It’s a new addition to Gingerbread since the days in which I regularly roved these streets. It’s dark inside, dim to be exact, and it feels as if candles power the entire restaurant. The maître d’ leads us to a private table near a window in the front, and Missy looks down at it with apprehension. I know she’s not hot on her family—namely her brother—discovering anything about us before we’ve had a chance to explain things formally to everyone. And the reason that hasn’t happened yet is because we’re still trying to figure things out ourselves. This would have been much easier if we had met in New York. No past, no thorny family history to have laid out before us like an obstacle course.
I pull out her seat and help her off with her coat, revealing a bright blue dress that clings to her in all the right places. My God, Missy Winters has really shaped up nicely in the most literal sense, and I feel like a dog for scouring her with my gaze.
“My eyes are up here, sweetheart.” She flicks a finger over my cheek playfully as I take a seat across from her.
“And what gorgeous eyes you have.” I lean in a moment and just lose myself in their hypnotic powers. “Has science classified a unique phylum for your family yet? I’m pretty sure those eyes are anything but human.”
Her pink glossy lips round out into a perfect O. “Are you calling the entire Winters family subhuman?” Her eyes sparkle and dance, and for the life of me, I don’t ever want this perfect moment to end.
“I’m calling you out of this world.”
“Oh, now that’s an improvement!” She belts out a laugh just as a couple strides by, but Missy and I don’t dare take our eyes off one another. The couple stops cold, and I glance up, only to do a double take.
“What the heck?” Nick Winters looks as if he just caught us chopping the tails off a litter of puppies.
“Mom!” Missy’s alien eyes nearly fall out of their sockets.
“Missy?” Mrs. Winters looks to me with horror before her mouth rounds out with surprise. “Graham Holiday!” she squeals and stomps her foot to the floor three times fast. She sucks in another lungful of air and clutches at her chest. “Oh my goodness, this is a date, isn’t it!”
Nick folds his arms over his chest and silently slaughters me with that merciless stare.
“No way,” Missy protests loud and clear, and my gut cinches because a part of me wishes we could have come clean. It’s just days before Christmas. It would have been perfect to let them in on our burgeoning secret.
“Hey, dude.” Nick kicks me in the shoe and ticks his head for me to follow him. “Excuse us,” he says to his mother before shooting Missy a dark look. “I need to get Graham’s opinion on something to do with the lot.”
Missy glances my way with a disbelieving scowl. Neither of us is buying this tree lot baloney. Looks like I don’t have the only brother who likes to sling some bull.
Nick stalks over to the corner of the foyer before spinning into me with venom ready to spit out of him. “Are you seeing my sister?”
“What? Me and Sprig? What’s gotten into you, man?” My heart thumps a mile a minute, and as much as I’d want to say something to set him straight, I can tell he’s too amped up to handle any news I might be willing to give him. Right now, I just want to take off without him gifting me a black eye. There’s no way I want to break it to Nick like this, in some hallway separated by Missy by what feels like miles. Nope. We should both be present when we break it to Nick. “Look, she’s a nice kid, but we’re just a couple of old friends trying to enjoy dinner out.” There. That should allow him to rest easy for tonight. And when Missy and I are ready to tell him about us, he can gift me the black eye then. Although a sick feeling has suddenly come to rest in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t look Nick in the eye when I spewed those half-truths.
“At a French restaurant?” He nods with his eyes bulging the way Missy’s were a minute ago. “What kind of dude brings a friend to a place like this?”
