“Like what?”
“Uh… did you… I mean, was I…”
“Yes, Peter. You’re a wonderful lover,” she assured.
He smiled and tightened the belt of his robe. “Good… ah, that’s good. Eh… do you have any idea how much longer you’re going to stay in town? Not-not that I want you to leave, or anything.”
“My understanding is I’m supposed to stay until I believe I’ve gathered enough material for my article, and I’ve pretty much done that. I don’t think I can impose on the historical society’s generosity much longer. It’s time to use the rest of my plane ticket.”
“Well, you at least have to stay another week. The Tour of Homes is next weekend. That’s the pinnacle of the Christmas season.”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
In truth, she wanted to stay longer to see what Evie Hines was going to do. But she couldn’t admit that.
“Then there’s us,” he reminded. “I just slept with you, Goldie. I have no desire to be two ships passing in the night.”
“I don’t see how we could be anything else,” she replied honestly.
“Yes, I know. You’ve said you’ve got concerns. One was distance. But planes fly all the time. Trains are always available, too. Then you said you didn’t care much for my dad. Well, I don’t either. We’ve laid those cards out on the table. We can work around them. At least,Iwant to.”
“There’s more to it,” she said, starting for the bedroom. “C’mon. We’ve got to get dressed.”
“Like what?” he asked, following after her. Then an idea came to him.
“Oh, I get it. Your old boyfriend. You’re still keeping a candle in the window for him.”
Goldie turned on the bedroom light and pulled Peter’s sweater up and over her head. Now seeing her naked as she looked around for her underwear, he started to become aroused again, but wanted an answer to his question.
“No,” she said, seeing her waist-high panties and slipping them on. “God, these are dreadful,” she mumbled, referring to the underwear. “No. I have no desire to keep a candle in the window for my old boyfriend. Unless I use it to set him on fire.”
“Then what?” he pressed. “Unless you just don’t want the bother of a long-distance relationship.”
She spotted his white boxer shorts on the bedroom floor, picked them up, and handed them to him.
“Get dressed, please.”
The following morning, after breakfast, Goldie came out of the hotel restaurant and into the lobby, which was decorated to the hilt for Christmas. There was a nine-foot Christmas tree that Josie had decorated where the rounded crimson sofa had been, big red bows hung from the candle-like wall sconces, and pine roping was draped in graceful dips and tacked under the registration counter. Behind the counter, Maddie lowered her glasses at Goldie as she approached.
“I hear somebody came in very late last night,” she noted in a sing-song voice.
“Yes, but it was all perfectly innocent,” Goldie offered, feeling like she had to say something diffusing. “Did you and Dean go to the dance?”
“No, we were here. But I heard it was a big success. And I hear a woman named Lupe won the gingerbread contest.”
“She did, and she was thrilled,” Goldie confirmed. “It technically wasn’t a gingerbread house, but it was very patriotic and appropriate. Oh, that reminds me. Stephie Banyan lent me one of her dresses for the dance. Would it be possible to get it cleaned before I return it to her?”
“Sure thing, honey. Is it up in your room?”
“Yes, a long black dress with long sleeves hanging on one of the hooks.”
“I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
“Thanks, Maddie,” Goldie smiled.
Just then, Josie appeared from a doorway behind the counter, dressed in a long black wig, a full-length blue-and-white gown that looked like it was from biblical times, and a pillow tucked under her outfit so she looked very pregnant. In addition to her costume, she carried a winter overcoat.
“Ah, Mary,” Goldie recognized. “Heading off to Bethlehem?”
