Page 21 of Mistletoe Mischief

Straightforward and to the point. A lackluster segue, but he’d take it. “I just wanted a chance to talk before you took off. It was crowded in there.”

“It always is when the family gets together,” she said, starting to walk down the pathway.

He chuckled. “Fair enough.” Her pace was brisk, and when she started pulling ahead, Pike took a few longer steps, stopping in front of her. She pulled up short, that wide-eyed deer-in-headlights look making his palms sweat.

“I know you’ve got places to go,” he joked, nervousness tickling the back of his throat, “but I need to get this out there. I want to make plans with you before another man beats me to the punch.”

A shadow passed over her face, and she frowned. “Why are you suddenly interested in me, Pike?” she asked, her voice laced with annoyance. “I mean, why now? I wasn’t exactly subtle in my adoration all these years.”

His mouth flopped open, completely stunned by her honest assessment. He couldn’t fault Delilah for her suspicions, but had she needed to bring them up so bluntly?

It took him several beats to collect himself, and then he stammered, “I mean, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment—”

“Come on, be honest,” she broke in.

“I am! You’ve always been an attractive woman”—her eyes narrowed, and he realized that was the wrong thing to say, so he pressed on—“but I guess if I had to give you a reason, you caught my attention the night at Brews. You walked in, and it was like seeing you for the first time.”

Delilah laughed bitterly. “Do you understand how insulting that is? I mooned after you for years. I’ve been the same size for at least ten of them, so it’s not that I lost weight or something. All this pursuit is because of a dress?”

Rising irritation at her tone warmed the skin on the back of his neck, and he frowned. “I’m confused. Did you not wear that dress because you wanted attention?”

“Technically, yes—”

“Then why are you mad at me for giving you what you wanted?”

“Because it’s superficial!” She exploded, her voice rising, and he glanced at the doorway, hoping no one heard her outburst. “You don’t know anything about me. You liked how I looked Saturday night, but can you tell me a single fact about myself that makes you think, ‘Wow, I want to pursue that girl’?”

“I—you’re a good dancer.”

“I took dance classes until seventh grade, so fantastic observation,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Anything else?”

Come on, man, think! “I need a minute.”

“You take all the time you need,” Delilah deadpanned. “I’ve had men who weren’t interested in me romantically, but they didn’t write me off as a person. You wrote me off until you liked the way I looked.”

“No, I just thought of you as a kid! The best friend of Nick’s little sister. I was graduating high school when you were just starting. You went away to college for four years and came back when I was with someone. It took me a long time to get over my first love, and now I am ready to find something real. There hasn’t been a time for us until now.”

“Except I’m not feeling it, Pike,” Delilah whispered.

Pike stared at her, disappointment settling in the pit of his stomach like a stone. He’d pinned all his hopes on her, on this chance to find someone who would give him her whole heart and then some, but he’d missed the moment.

Or had he?

Pulling the mistletoe from his pocket, Pike asked, “Are you sure?” He took a step toward her and held the sprig of greenery above their heads. “Should we put this to the test to be sure?”

Delilah laughed. “Why do you have mistletoe in your pocket?”

“Victoria always hangs a few sprigs around the farm during the holidays, and I thought it might be useful. What do you say?”

Delilah barely finished her nod before his mouth dropped to hers, soft lips melting under his. His tongue swept inside, seeking hers, and she kissed him back sweetly. It was a nice kiss, but there was no fire. No explosion of lust that made him want to back her against the nearest surface and rip her clothes off.

From the way Delilah broke the kiss and stared at him, the little lines of her forehead furrowed, he could tell she felt the same.

“You still not feeling it?” he asked.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” Anthony said, coming down the front porch steps.

Delilah gasped, and Pike wanted to punch his best friend. “You’ve got some timing there, bro.”