Doreen followed Sorcha through the doorway, stealing a glance back at James, who was now crouched beside Jake, listening intently to the boy’s excited chatter.
“So,” Sorcha said, handing Doreen a stack of plates. “That sweater looks nice on you.”
Doreen took the plates, trying to appear casual. “It’s just something I threw on.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Sorcha hummed skeptically, as she went to the stove and stirred something that smelled divine. “And I suppose you ‘just happened’ to wear the color that brings out your eyes and makes your skin glow.”
“Is it that obvious?” Doreen whispered, glancing toward the doorway where she could see James helping Christopher pour drinks.
Sorcha nodded toward James. “Only to someone who knows you as well as I do. And maybe to someone who can’t take his eyes off you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Doreen protested, but she couldn’t quite hide the small smile that tugged at her lips.
“I’m just saying,” Sorcha continued, ladling sauce into a gravy boat, “there’s a spark between you two.”
The words hit a tender place inside her, one she’d kept locked tight. A spark. She could pretend she didn’t feel it…but pretending wouldn’t stop the way her pulse leaped every time her eyes sought James’s across the room.
“I don’t know.” Doreen shook her head and focused on laying out the plates on the well-worn wooden table.
“No?” Sorcha arched an eyebrow at Doreen.
“You’re incorrigible.” Doreen shook her head as she quelled the flicker of longing that rose unbidden.
“I want you to be as happy as I am,” Sorcha said.
“I’m not sure that is possible.” Doreen collected the silverware and placed it beside the plates.
“We’ll see,” Sorcha replied. “Now, let’s get dinner dished up. I am starving.”
Together, they carried the food to the table, golden roast chicken, herb-roasted potatoes, fresh bread, and a colorful winter salad. It was a real feast, and her mouth watered as she inhaled the wonderful mix of aromas.
“Here’s your drink,” Christopher said, handing her a glass of hot cider. “Sorry it took so long, I got sidetracked by Jake and Bash.”
“It happens,” Doreen said as she accepted the glass.
“Aunt D,” Jake said as he came into the kitchen. “James said there’s a winter festival next weekend that has a dog show. Do you think that if Bash and I train hard enough, we could enter? I know it means us staying longer in Bear Creek, but could we…please!”
“Oh…” Doreen opened her mouth to explain that they weren’t staying that long. That she had a schedule to stick to, workcommitments, and then there was Jake. Was this the right thing for him, although by the look on his face, it was!
But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she found herself saying, “Maybe we could.”
The moment the words left her mouth, her heart gave a single, startled kick—part fear, part exhilaration. It felt like stepping off a cliff and discovering, for one impossible second, that maybe she wasn’t going to fall. That maybe she was learning to fly once more.
“To dog shows…” Christopher said and raised his glass in a small toast. “And to new friends and old…and holiday magic.”
As they clinked glasses, Doreen caught James watching her with such intensity it made her heart race. She took a sip of cider to hide her reaction, the spiced warmth sliding down her throat and spreading through her chest.
What had she done?
Chapter Six – James
Maybe we could.Hope bloomed in James’s heart. If Doreen stayed for the festival, he’d have a few more days to win her trust. His fingers tightened slightly on his glass as he tried to maintain his composure while his bear practically purred with satisfaction beneath his skin.
“You’ll love it,” he said, surprised at how steady his voice sounded despite the thundering of his pulse. “It’s a little different from most winter festivals...”
“Yeah, most winter festivals don’t have dogs!” Jake said as Bash thumped his tail in enthusiastic agreement.
Christopher launched into a description of last year’s festival, explaining how the dog show had nearly descended into chaos when one overexcited beagle decided Santa’s velvet sack was obviously a prize meant just for him. The dog had darted across the square with the sack dragging behind him, gifts scattering like confetti while Santa gave frantic chase.
