“I don’t remember the last time I laughed that much,” she said.
Liam grinned. “Me either. Next time, let me hang your Christmas greenery. Or else one of us is going to wind up nursing a broken bone.”
That got her laughing again, and her hand tightened around his as she covered her mouth.
He couldn’t stop smiling, and the feel of her hand in his made him feel as if he could lift up from the ground and fly away.
It wasn’t, he thought, a terrible feeling at all.
Chapter Fourteen
TILLY GASPED WHEN SHEstepped into the Gardiners’ home. The banker and his wife were hosting a Christmas social, and Tilly thought that she’d never seen a house as grandly decorated as this one.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Liam murmured as he closed the door behind them.
All Tilly could do was nod. Not only was the house large, Mrs. Gardiner had clearly spared no expense in ribbons, candles, greenery, and baubles. Tilly stood on her toes to look around. A tall tree stood decorated and glowing just beyond where people were congregating in the entryway to what looked like a parlor. Lovely cards with snowy scenes and joyful families dangled from shining ribbons over the door to another room.
“Let’s see if we can find our hosts.” Liam reached for Tilly’s coat and laid it over his arm before reaching for her hand.
They wove through groups and couples. Liam nodded and said hello to most of the folks they passed. Tilly spotted Edie, her brother’s wife, through the crowd and lifted her hand. Eventually, they came upon the Gardiners in a room with a piano tucked into a corner. Another tree decorated this room, and a cozy fire crackled in the fireplace.
“Hannan!” The large man that Tilly presumed was Mr. Gardiner greeted Liam with a smile and a handshake. “Welcome.”
“I’m so happy you could make it.” A tall woman with an elegant swooping hairstyle and glittering combs smiled at Liam before turning her attention to Tilly. “And this must be your new wife. I’m so thrilled to meet you.” The woman reached for Tilly’s hand and gave her a warm smile.
“Yes, Tilly, please meet Mr. Weston Gardiner, the town’s banker, and his wife, Mrs. Gardiner,” Liam said. His chest puffed out a bit, and Tilly could tell he was beyond proud to count Mr. Gardiner as an investor in his hotel.
“Trudie, please,” the woman said. “Come, let’s leave the men to their business affairs, and I’ll introduce you to every lady you’ll want to know in this town.” Trudie tucked Tilly’s hand around her arm and led her across the room.
After nearly an hour of meeting and talking with more women than she could count, Trudie excused herself to visit the kitchen. Tilly found an empty corner in the parlor and took a moment to catch her breath. How she’d ever remember everyone’s names, she didn’t know, but she was grateful to meet more people. Trudie had mentioned a sewing circle, and another lady had invited her for tea next week. It wouldn’t be long before Crest Stone began feeling like the home she’d hoped it would become.
Tilly smiled to herself as she admired the brilliant red and gold ornaments on the tree next to her. In the candlelight, they glowed in such a pretty way that she wished she could fit a tree into their hotel room. How cozy it would be to wake up to such a sight each morning! Maybe next year, when they had a place to themselves.
She shivered a little, realizing that she was becoming comfortable enough with Liam to think about next year. He’d relaxed around her considerably, and while she knew part of his good mood was due to his hotel plans, she hoped it also meant that he was becoming used to the idea of being married to her.The other day, when she’d fallen and he’d caught her, there had been a moment where she wondered if he might kiss her. She’d thought about it regularly ever since then, but another moment like that hadn’t happened again.
There was no mistaking the way he’d looked at her, though. Tilly felt secure in that knowledge. She only needed to be patient with him.
“Oh—pardon me, miss. I didn’t mean to bump into you.”
Tilly turned to find a large man standing beside her. He’d only barely grazed her arm in passing. “It’s quite all right.”
“Still, please accept my apology. I try not to make a habit of running into pretty young ladies at parties.” He smiled at her as he tucked a cane under his arm.
Tilly’s cheeks went warm. The man was flirting with her. There was no mistaking it. She searched for a way to dissuade him. “I’ll let my husband know,” she said lightly.
