He had to wonder how he’d seen all that in Clove in such a short amount of time. It wasn’t like he’d grown up with her like he did with Caleb or that he’d spent an awkward dinner with her like he did with Katelyn. Nope. He’d had less than ten minutes with her and he was throwing out nuggets of truth like they were candy at a Christmas parade.
Maybe she was easy to read.
He rounded the back of the trailer, ready to open the door and encourage Felix to back out, but came up short at Clove standing there with her arms folded and angry puffs of cold air gathering around her head.
“We’ll stay in town with you—tonight.” She spit the words out.
And, because he was Drake Nicholas and not Saint Nicholas, he replied, “Don’t do me any favors.” He reached for the latch to open the door. Maybe she wasn’t the only one with an ice chip on her shoulder tonight.
She slapped her hand over the latch to stop him and he ended up putting his hand over the top of hers by accident. Lightning rushed through his veins and he jerked his hand back. Drake grew up with the Kringle sisters. Santa’s daughters had magic in their blood. They could do things like build windmills that powered the exercise barn–thank you, Lux!--and bake enough cookies to feed the whole town for the 4th of July picnic in one hour–thank you, Robyn.
Nothing that he’d seen or felt with the Kringles had prepared him for the tingles that rushed through him at Clove’s touch. She stared at her hand, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide.
She felt it too; he thought. A part of him was proud that he’d stirred inside of her the same zing-y feelings she’d thrust into him. It horrified the other part of him that he couldn't hide it from her.
Unfortunately for him, she recovered faster. “We’re staying with Felix.” Her eyes were big and full of determination. “Because it’s the best thingfor him.”
“The very fact that you feel like you have to clarify that–” he teased, his voice lowered to a slow burn.
The thunder in her gaze said that he’d already said too much. He cleared his throat and glanced down at his heavy winter boots.
She sniffed. “How long will it take to fix the trailer?”
He shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “If I were home? Twelve hours.” He wasn’t sure why he wanted her to know he could take care of these kinds of things. Call it a manly instinct of wanting to be the Alpha.
Or, it could be that he just wanted her to see him as capable and strong. Strong? Like, strong enough to throw her over his shoulder and haul her back to her front porch, if he had the inclination. Carrying her away had a certain amount of appeal. Shoot! Not like a man carrying off a woman. Only because he could leave her there.
Right. Yeah. That was it.
He stomped his feet against the cold seeping into his boots. “In the middle of nowhere?” He waved his hand around, indicating the small town. “I have no idea. I got the name of a welder. He might be able to fix it. Or he might let me use his equipment and fix it myself.” He mentally rolled his eyes at his second attempt to impress her with his welding skills.Women don’t care!he silently yelled at himself. “I won’t know until I’ve talked to him.”
She tucked her chin. “Fine.”
He blinked in surprise at her one-word and somewhat easy-to-come-by answer. “Fine?”
“Yes. Fine.” She turned part way and then stopped. “I’ll pay for the repairs and our rooms tonight.” She ground her teeth and then said through tight lips. “I’m sorry I broke your trailer.”
The apology cost her a whole lot of pride. “How’s it taste?” he asked, feeling his insides relax.
“How does what taste?” she asked, a small line appearing between her eyebrows.
“Crow.” He gave her a crooked smile.
Felix chortled from inside the trailer.
Clove banged once on the side of it with her palm and he cut off. She pointed at Drake. “Youare not my friend and cannot tease me. I’m going to check in at the B&B. Watch out for Grandma and Felix.” She left him there and crossed the street to her car.
“You’re bossy, you know that?” he called after her.
She waved over her head to let him know she’d heard him. Her sauntering step told him she didn’t care one whit what he thought.
Felix huffed twice.You could have handled that better.
“I know.” Drake walked around the side of the trailer so that he was out of Clove’s sight. He couldn’t seem to rein in his mouth when she was around. That alone was disturbing. Add to it the sense that he should puff out his chest and lift heavy things and he was all sorts of mixed up. “Think she’ll warm up to me?”
Felix groaned.Don’t count on it.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so either.”
