My head drops to the floor, I can’t bear to look at her shocked face any longer. “I’m sorry, that was a bit much.”
She snorts out a laugh. “Yeah, it was. I didn’t think I’d find someone as into Christmas as me. But here you are, rivaling even my best day.”
A crease forms between my eyebrows as they scrunch together. She can’t be serious? I slowly bring my eyes up to hers. Those bright caramel irises are twinkling in the flashing lights from the display. There’s humor deep within them as she watches me and I can feel my muscles slowly unclenching the longer I stare into them.
“I mean,” she keeps going as she swoops down, picking up a knocked over two foot tall candy cane. “I think it’s charming that someone is passionate enough about anything to rant about it in the general public. Although, seeing your face crumbled in anger as you stomped around, will forever be a highlight reel for me. Can’t say in the six years I’ve worked holiday retail that I’ve ever seen it.”
Now it’s my turn to stand rooted in one spot, the breath stolen from my lungs as I blink at this stunning, curvy creature who knocked me off my high horse. She didn’t panic or think I was weird.
She’s still moving around re-arranging the decor that was dislodged during the first herd of children. I don’t even know if she’s still talking to me or herself at this point.
“I should add that into my screen play for this year. It would be hilarious to see the grumpy mountain man throw a tantrum over a Christmas display.”
“A grumpy what?”
She waves her hand at me, dismissing my question as she continues to talk animatedly, I guess, to herself.
“Imagine if he stormed into the Christmas play and demanded they fix the reindeer to an anatomically correct version while the female protagonist is covered in a sheen of sweat and splotches of brown paint. That’s holiday romance gold.”
Okay, she’s talking but I’m either not aware of the topic or she’s talking in a different language because nothing she’s said makes sense.
“Holly…”
“I could have her screech about how he should just do it himself then as she…”
“Holly.”
“Storms off the stage and rage drives down the small town road to her farmhouse.”
“Berry,” I mumble as my hand clasps around her elbow.
“Hmm?” She turns towards me, her eyes glazed over. Clearly she’s fully invested into whatever she’s going on about because it’s as if only her physical form responded.
“What are you going on about?”
I don’t know if it’s my words or my hand gently squeezing her, but she seems to snap out of it.
“Oh…oooooh no. No, not in front of the super hot guy that’s oddly giving me loads of attention today.”
For the second time today, color floods her face. Her cheeks flame a rosey red, darkening the freckles lining the apples of her cheeks.
And me? I’m completely gone.
She tucks her chin, staring down at those awful green felt shoes as she rocks back and forth on her heels. Surely she can’t be embarrassed about what happened, especially after my outburst.
I move without thought, without a second thought. Stopping only when I’m firmly in front of her even though she still hasn’t looked up.
My finger hooks under her chin, tipping her head back until those beautiful eyes blink up at me. I can see the panic racing behind them as her eyes flick between my own. She’s clenching her poor lip so hard between her teeth I’m afraid she’ll draw blood if she keeps at it.
Watching her closely my fingers slowly move up, tracing tenderly over her face until my thumb presses against her lower lip.
“Berry,” I murmur as I pull that soft, plump lip from between her teeth. Doing everything I can to keep my mind from thinking of sinking my own teeth into it until she whimpered. “I don’t have the slightest clue what you just went on about, but don’t ever think you need to be lesser when you are around me. Be you. Always and forever. Whatever that looks like, I’m here for the entire thing.”
She sucks in a breath, her eyes rounding as they glisten. Oh,no. Did I do something wrong? Tears well up along her lower lashes as she takes a shuttering breath.
“So not only are you handsome, but you are thoughtful too?” There’s adoration in those words, but it’s almost tinged with disbelief. Who taught her those two things can’t exist together?
My chest tightens. Someone, somewhere showed this woman, this beautiful creature, that her worth ends where her appearance begins. She’s been told you can either be pretty and quiet or ugly and funny, but never pretty and funny.
