“Not this much, and not so early in the season.” She locked the door and pulled her scarf tighter. “Brr, it’s cold.”
“Maybe we’ll have a white Christmas.” He slid his arm around her shoulder, offering an added layer of warmth as they walked.
“Wouldn’t that be wonderful.” Snuggling into him, as much as walking allowed, she sighed.
“You know what I’d like? For a big snowstorm to come and strand my family with me for longer.”
The breath from her laughter turned into fog. “You might regret that if it’s too long. I adore my family, but I don’t know about being snowed in with them indefinitely.”
“Maybe, but I’ve never been away from them this long. Even in college, I came home frequently on weekends.” A harsh gust blew, and he pulled her closer. “I caught a lot of flack from my buddies, but my sisters were young, and I didn’t want them growing up with an absent brother.”
“That’s really sweet.” She broke away from him and clapped her hands in an excited gestured. “You all should join my family for Christmas.”
His mouth formed anO.“I don’t know…”
A frown surfaced. “I’m sorry. You probably want them to yourself, and bringing our families together would lead them to conclusions about us, and-”
He cut her off with a finger to her mouth. “It’s none of that. I’d love for our families to know each other, and I don’t care what conclusions they draw, especially if they think we’re crazy for each other.”
“Oh.” Pink dotted her cheeks. From the cold or embarrassment, he didn’t know. “Then you will bring them?”
“Your family won’t mind? I don’t want to intrude.”
“Goodness no.” She moved to his side, allowed his arm to circle her. “We’ve never had a Christmas without guests. The more the merrier is Mom and Dad’s motto.”
“I’ll talk to my family tomorrow. I’m sure they won’t mind, especially when I tell them your family’s friendship with Uncle Frank.”
They came toBrenda’s Pancake Houseand rushed inside for warmth. Brenda’s was the happening place to be that night, according to the thirty-minute wait for a table. Gabe went to the To-Go counter and ordered them each a coffee to take off the chill from outside. By the time a waiter sat them, they braved removing their outerwear.
“Do I want sweet or savory?” Cora’s gaze skimmed the menu. “I really want French toast, but a Colorado omelet sounds just as amazing.”
His stomach rumbled. “We can order both and split them.”
“I knew I liked you for a reason.” Her brows wiggled, and she set the menu aside. “One day I’ll remember to stop and eat while working.”
“I never had that problem.” He sipped from the fresh mug of coffee the waiter brought. “After college, I worked as an accounts manager. For the first several years, it was making call after call from my cubicle. I looked forward to lunch for a chance to escape.”
“That sounds miserable.” Even if she hadn’t made the comment, he would have known her opinion from the look of disgust on her face.
No, his Cora would never be happy behind a desk all day. She thrived on person-to-person interaction.
“It was, but after three years I was promoted to Senior Account Manager and the job got fun.”
“How so?” She stirred a teaspoon of sugar into her coffee.
“I broke out of the office.” He winked. “I traveled around the state, visiting our clients and making sure they were happy. If they had complaints, I’d find a way to fix them.”
She nodded slowly. “Now it makes sense.”
“What does?”
“You’re a natural problem solver. Helping people keeps you ticking, which is why you’re determined to find a solution to the store space.”
Her ability to read him startled him, but further convinced him they shared a special connection. “Sweetheart, it’s more than that. Maybe at first, but my motives now lean more toward the beautiful, smart, hardworking shop owner.”
She tucked her chin to her chest, a trail of pink showing from her neck. Her arm stretched over the table, and she laid her hand on his arm. “You’re a good man, Gabe. No matter what happens, I won’t let it affect us.”
His mood sobered. “What if I can’t find a workable solution and your store closes—can you honestly tell me that you won’t hold that against me?”
