He frowned. That didn’t sound right. Based on what Wynter had said, Nora would need to wear it for the next couple of months. He was about to clarify when the sound of footsteps pulled his attention.
The breath left his lungs in the next second.
Wynter stood in the hallway entrance, wearing the most gorgeous red dress. It hugged every one of her curves, showing off her petite form. The heart-shaped neckline drew the eye upward and toward Wynter’s face. It was as if the designer wanted to showcase the beauty of the wearer rather than the dress itself.
She’d chosen to go with minimal makeup, but that had always been her style. She wasn’t wearing the glasses she’d had in high school, and that seemed to make her eyes look even larger.
Marcus placed a hand to his chest as he took a step forward. He forgot himself entirely as he allowed himself to drink her in completely. She looked like Christmas morning. The shade of her dress was perfect and matched the way she’d pulled her curls up on top of her head. All she needed was some baby’s breath inher hair, and she could be placed on top of a Christmas tree as a decoration. “Wow,” he whispered.
Wynter smiled, her eyes practically sparkling. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.
Nora cleared her throat, breaking the spell. “Well, go on then. You two don’t want to be late to the party.”
“Grams.” Wynter laughed. “There is no such thing. It’s a come and go sort of thing.”
Still, she shooed them toward the door. “Well, then you want to spend as much time together as you can before you turn into a pumpkin.”
Wynter and Marcus shared amused glances.
“I don’t think that’s quite right, either,” Marcus offered.
“Oh, hush. You know what I mean. Now, get going. The night is young, and you two look too good to waste a single second here with this old bird.”
Wynter reached for her grandmother and swept her into a hug. “You know that’s not how we feel about you.”
“I do, dear.” Nora patted Wynter on the back and tossed Marcus a look. One that seemed to say,Take care of our girl.
He nodded, promising her he’d do everything in his power to do just that.
“You look nice,” Wynter offered when they were settled in the truck. “Clean up really well.”
He chuckled, grasping her hand and bringing it to his lips. The movement had felt natural, and he hadn’t realized what he’d done until he sensed her tense. “You look like a vision,” he whispered, dropping her hand.
She folded both of her hands in her lap and gave him a curt nod. “Thank you.” Then she glanced out the window. He’d thought for sure that he’d ruined everything until she turned toward him, her smile returning. “I love this time of year. Have I ever told you that?”
Marcus nodded. “I think we covered that back in the day when we made a tradition of going to the lighting ceremony in town.”
“Right.”
He couldn’t see her well in the dark, but he could already imagine her blushing.
“Do you think they’ve been hosting Christmas parties at this country club every year?”
“Oh, I’m sure of it.”
She grinned at him. “If I were staying, I would say we could make this into a new tradition.”
It took a great deal of effort to fight the instinct to frown at her words. She was still planning on leaving.
But that didn’t mean her decision couldn’t change. She might stay if he found a way to convince her. He needed to breathe, relax, and have a little bit of faith.
They drove past several houses that were decked out in Christmas lighting. Familiar carols played on the radio, and the two of them fell into a comfortable silence. It almost felt like they were headed back to that place they were before she’d left him for good.
Marcus darted out of the truck the second he put it into park. He made it to her door before she managed to get it fully open. Holding his hand out to her, he willed himself to forget all about his worries and simply enjoy her company. Tonight, he could pretend that they were so much more than she was ready to admit.
Wynter placed her hand in his, and he helped her out of the truck. Instead of releasing her the second her feet hit the frozen parking lot, he laced his fingers with hers. They walked hand in hand toward the entrance.
This was the start of something.
