Christmas With You

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “Or I could take my very own car.” The thought made her blood pressure rise. Snow didn’t exactly melt here, and she worried she’d end up sliding into a ditch somewhere, and then she’d be another problem for Emmett to solve. Or worse, she’d discover she didn’t have cell reception and end up alone for hours. More than that, now that she’d settled in, she didn’t want to spend any more of her vacation time traveling. Although, if it meant being with Emmett … “I’m sure the sheriff’s busy.”

  “I’m sure he wouldn’t be if he knew spending time with you was an option. You’d be doing us a favor, really. Like I said, we could all use a break from his grumpy-Gus attitude.”

  “At least you aren’t overdramatic about it,” Regina said.

  They nodded, and she wasn’t sure if they were faking not understanding her sarcasm or if they truly didn’t get it. He wasn’t as bad as they made out either. Sure, he refused to smile, something she was going to work on, but he was fair and kind, and only a pinch grumpy, on top of being overworked.

  “I’ll call him right now.” Fern whipped out her phone and tapped the screen.

  “No, don’t!” Regina dove across the table, sending everything on it rattling and overturning the last half of her water, and the two older ladies looked at her like she was the crazy one.

  “Hey, Sheriff,” Fern said, and a mix of apprehension and anticipation churned through Regina’s gut. “I’m here with our lovely guest, and she was hoping you could take her clothes shopping in Somerhaven. Like, say, if someone asked her on a date and she needed a fancier outfit.”

  Regina dropped her head in her hands as heat crept up her neck. She should get the water cleaned up, but it was quickly soaking into the tablecloth and no one else seemed concerned about it.

  “Well, no one’s asked her out just yet, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time. Maybe you’d like to be the first to—” Fern frowned. “It is an emergency. Do you want her to freeze to death in this tiny outfit she’s wearing? She’s going to catch pneumonia inside, much less what’ll happen if she ventures outside.”

  And it keeps getting worse and worse. She should’ve asked for Emmett’s number last night. That way she could at least text him and explain that she hadn’t asked Fern to call, and she certainly didn’t expect him to come.

  “Oh, the town can take care of itself for an afternoon. Tell your deputy to do something for once.” Pause. “I don’t know about you, but I worry she’ll get into the city and forget how charming we all are—especially if no one will be nice enough to take her shopping, and then we’ll lose her for goo—”

  Fern nodded and glanced at Regina. Her glasses made her eyes cartoonishly wide and amped up her scrutiny. “Fine. I’ll let her know.” She hung up and sighed. “I tried, but he says he has to work.”

  How stupid was it that disappointment seeped in, in spite of not expecting him to take a day off to go shopping with her? What was he going to do? Sit outside the dressing room and give a thumbs-up or down as she modeled clothes for him like they were in some kind of cheesy movie montage?

  Regina kept her expression neutral, faking it in hopes she’d eventually make it. “I’m perfectly capable of shopping for myself, and I’m afraid you ladies are getting the wrong idea about me and Sheriff Haywood.” Honestly, she was afraid her heart was getting the wrong idea too. Hadn’t it learned its lesson?

  “I don’t think so,” Fern said. “While he might be too much of a stickler to take time off, you should’ve heard the bark in his voice when he asked who you were going on a date with. More than that, he’s sending his sister to help, so you’ll find enough clothes to keep you warm without falling victim to the allure of the city. All good signs, trust me.”

  Fern’s logic was nowhere near the realm of actual logic, and spending time with his sister would just be weird. Part of her thought she should grab her bags and flee this small town before she found herself living in a Twilight Zone episode where everyone was setting her up on forced dates.

  It all seemed sudden and unplanned, and … It hit her that she was supposed to be letting go of plans and expectations. And if she was going to sincerely try out the whole throwing-caution-to-the-wind thing, she figured this town with its ridiculously friendly people was as good a place as any.

  Emmett hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose. Last night he’d been too careless. What was he thinking flirting with Regina? Especially with the whole town watching on.

  Now Fern was calling and requesting he take Regina shopping? He was sure that the B&B owner was behind it because he doubted Regina, who talked about how regimented her life was, thought he’d take time off work to shop for women’s clothes. Especially when he had no idea about women’s clothes, besides that Regina seemed to make everything look good.

  There he went again, thinking things he shouldn’t. She was just dumped. A person didn’t simply bounce back from that in a matter of days, even if the guy was obviously an idiot to let Regina go.

  When Fern had mentioned a date, jealousy had bubbled up, and he’d mentally begun compiling a list of every bachelor in town who might’ve asked her out, along with what dirt he had on them. Not that he’d use it.

  Most likely.

  Unless he needed to.

  He grumbled and leaned back in his chair. As if he hadn’t already been having enough irrational thoughts, Fern had added the remark about how Regina might not come back, and that’d fed a worry he didn’t realize he had. “This is ridiculous.”

  The receptionist glanced up from her desk. “What is, boss?”

  This town. His strong feelings for a woman he hardly knew. The fact that he suddenly wanted to blockade the roads out of here. He was losing his mind. “Nothing.”

  “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with the pretty woman you were teaching to shoot baskets last night, would it?”

  “You too?” he asked. Usually Sarah remained neutral when it came to gossip. While he was sure she knew it all, she kept it away from work.

  “All’s I’m saying is that you seemed happier this morning than you have in a long time. And if a certain brunette is responsible, maybe you should let yourself enjoy it.”

  “And maybe the mistletoe hung all around town is going to everyone’s head. Did you know the plant’s a parasite that feeds on other plants? Doesn’t seem so romantic now, does it?”

  Sarah simply smiled and began to hum a Christmas tune under her breath. With a sigh, Emmett dialed his sister and attempted to prepare himself for yet another woman in his life who’d inevitably tell him he should ask out Regina before he went and lost his chance.

  Chapter Six

  Regina couldn’t remember the last time she’d read a book in just two days. Most of the time she had far too much to do, but after spending most of her Monday with Callie, she now had a handful of outfits and a couple of paperbacks she’d picked up at the cute bookstore on Main. The nice thing about bookstores was how universal they were. You could almost always find a great mix of books.

  Clothing stores were a bit trickier. Being on the tall side meant her legs and arms were longer than most. Callie’s clothes had barely fit, while still being on the too-short side, and apparently the clothing stores in town didn’t even have pants or sleeves long enough for Callie. Because the outfits also needed to fight off the cold, Callie had concluded the best—and only option, really—would be the sporting goods shop.

  Regina was now the reluctantly proud owner of flannel and fishing logo shirts that she normally wouldn’t be caught dead in. At least they were comfy, if not terribly stylish. Perfect for lounging around and reading—she’d even started the last two mornings with a relaxing bath. While a hint of anxious energy still hung in the background, for the most part, it’d been extremely rejuvenating.

  The rotary phone on the side table rang, and she eyed it suspiciously. Yesterday her cell phone had started buzzing with a stream of never-ending texts and messages. Everyone from friends and fam
ily to her coworkers who were just hearing the news wanted to know why and how and what’d happened after Steve said I don’t. In the mix was a text from Steve, saying he was sorry, and that when she was ready, they needed to talk. A big no thanks to that. She’d sent a text to her parents telling them she was safe and enjoying a getaway of her own, just in case they bothered worrying about her between yachting and dining on Italian cuisine, and then turned off her phone.

  The ringing continued, past when voice mail would usually pick up, and Regina considered not answering. It’s probably just Fern being nosy about why I haven’t come out of my room except to grab breakfast to go.

  Finally, she lifted the receiver off its cradle, idly thinking she hadn’t handled a phone this old or bulky in years. “Hello?”

  “Regina, hey.” Emmett’s voice danced along her nerve endings, sending them into a tizzy, and now she was mad she hadn’t picked up sooner. She’d gone far too long without hearing his voice.

  Whoa. It’s only been two days. Plus a half.

  “Regina?”

  Oops. She supposed she needed to make her mouth work, which was trickier than expected after two days spent in near silence. “I’m here. Not doing anything illegal, either, in case you were wondering.”

  “I’m always wondering,” he said with a soft laugh, and butterflies stirred to life. While she told herself it was too soon to experience the floaty sensation overtaking her, it didn’t stop it from happening, and she wondered if she should simply enjoy knowing that she could actually feel that away again. That her failed nuptials hadn’t killed her ability to experience flutters.

  Come to think of it, she couldn’t remember the last time Steve left her with happy tingles. Since thinking about him would be a downer, she focused on the guy on the other end of the line. “Well, I haven’t left my room in hours so, even if I had been getting into trouble, it’s not in your jurisdiction.”

  “Wrong. Your room is in my jurisdiction.”

  A tendril of heat unfurled in her chest, and he cleared his throat. “Anyway, I was just calling to check in. Callie said you two had fun the other day.”

  “We did. We both got the giggles at my limited clothing options, and I’m putting it out there right now that I’m going to look mostly ridiculous for the duration of my stay, although I guess getting frostbite would be more ridiculous, if only slightly so.”

  Regina might’ve tried prying out a little more information about Emmett, but Callie wasn’t spilling and instead turned the questions on her, which made her clam up. With overly personal questions off the table, they focused on shopping, and it’d been her most fun shopping trip ever. If Regina were going to be here longer than a couple of weeks, she could see herself becoming good friends with Callie.

  “Figured she’d be helpful. That’s why it was better for me to send her.”

  “For the record, Fern was the one who asked you to accompany me. I understand that you have a job to do, and you don’t strike me as a guy who really loves clothing shopping.”

  “I also figured that. And you’re right about the shopping, although now I’m wondering if that’s a slam on my wardrobe choices.”

  Regina laughed and shifted on the bed, tucking a pillow under her stomach and kicking her feet like a twitterpated teenager. “Since I’ve only see you in your uniform, I don’t think I’m qualified to slam your clothes.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that you’d like to meet me for dinner, and that I’d better be wearing street clothes so you can properly judge.”

  More kicking. “I think that’s rather presumptuous on your part.”

  “Pick you up in thirty? I don’t have long to eat before I’m required to be at the community center so I can judge the gingerbread house contest.”

  “Oh shoot, I forgot about that. I was told I have to be one of the judges because I’ll be neutral, thanks to the fact I don’t know anyone.”

  “And I was told I’m a neutral judge because I already judge everyone,” Emmett said, and Regina laughed again. “Regina …?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You never answered the question about dinner.”

  “That’s because you never posed a question.” Regina bit her lip. “But if you had, I might wonder if it’s a bad idea, considering I just got out of a serious relationship and I’m only here temporarily and a dozen other complications.”

  “Let me tell you some things that aren’t complicated. We both have to eat to survive, and there are only two places to do that in town, so we might as well have dinner together. Nothing big or serious. Just a meal between two people who are getting to know each other.”

  “Well, when you put it that way …”

  “I’ll see you in twenty-eight minutes.”

  Her smile spread across her face, and while she’d definitely need that time to get ready, she couldn’t help thinking that twenty-eight minutes wasn’t nearly soon enough.

  *

  “Wow, Sheriff,” Fern said with a knowing grin. “I don’t think I’ve seen you dressed up in months.”

  “I’m not dressed up. Technically, I’m dressed down.” Put on a pair of non-holey jeans with a gray Henley instead of your usual uniform, and suddenly everyone thinks you made a huge effort. Not that he hadn’t spent a few extra minutes on gelling his hair and finding his good cologne, and yep, he was getting way too wound up over a woman who’d be leaving town soon.

  Then Regina came down the hall, her dark hair in loose curls around her shoulders, the blue shirt she had on accenting her eyes, and he thought it was worth being tangled up in knots if it meant spending more time with her. Maybe even worth the whole town gossiping about it.

  “Sheriff,” she said with a nod. Then she tapped a finger to her lips and looked him up and down. “Now that I’m qualified, I have to say that, maybe next time, I should demand you go shopping with me. Clearly you’ve got good taste.”

  “Stop, or you’ll make me blush.” He walked a few steps closer. “You hardly look ridiculous, so I’m calling that bluff right now.”

  “Are you serious? While these snowmobile pants are fleece-lined and warm, they make a swooshing sound when I walk.” She demonstrated. “As for the shirt, the front’s pretty normal, but then …” She spun around and lifted her hair off her neck, displaying a colorful fish. “At least it’s a pretty fish, but yeah. A fish.” She turned to face him, a mesmerizing curve to her extra-pink lips.

  He almost told her she made sporting-goods-chic hot, but that was too bold for two people having a simple dinner, so he stuck with a simple question. “Ready to go?”

  She nodded. “I’m starving too.”

  Emmett put his hand on her lower back and guided her toward the door. He liked how tall she was—how she lined up so well with him.

  “Don’t forget we need you both at the community center for the gingerbread contest,” Fern called after them, and they shared a smile before pushing out the door. The odds of anyone letting them forget about their judicial duties were slim to none.

  A quick drive later and they were at Grumpy’s.

  When they walked in, several people called out greetings, and Emmett wanted to pull Regina to him and make sure they knew she was here with him, but again, that wasn’t keeping things light. Just two people getting to know one another.

  So that the other one could leave.

  Maybe she’d been right when she said this was a bad idea. But then she flashed him a killer smile, and just like that, he was back on the hook.

  They sat at a cozy table in the corner and ordered the special.

  “I don’t want to bring up a bad subject, but in the interest of getting to know each other better …” Regina ran her fingers along the rim of her water glass. “Neither you nor Callie have mentioned your parents. Are they …?”

  “In Florida enjoying the warm weather? Yes, yes they are.”

  Relief flickered across her features. “I was worried it was some tragic holiday story, and I didn’t want
to say the wrong thing …”

  “Just the typical story. They like the warmth, and my mom’s parents live down there, so they’re visiting them now. They’ll be back next week so they won’t miss the big holiday party and so they can spend Christmas here. I’m sure you’ll meet them.”

  She nodded, the thought of meeting his parents clearly overwhelming even though she was the one who’d brought them up.

  “Not officially meet them. Just … small town.”

  “Right.” She tore the wrapper that held her napkin around her silverware and smoothed it with the side of her palm. “My parents prefer to travel over the holidays. They almost canceled Italy this year since my wedding was so close, but I told them they might as well go since I’d be on my way to Jamaica.” She shrugged, the gesture too forced to come off as casual, and her fingers trembled a bit. “I’m glad they didn’t or there would’ve been a fancy soiree at their house that I’d be expected to attend, and I’d have to deal with all those pity-filled looks.”

  The mention of her failed nuptials hung over them for a couple of beats. It was always there in the background, and again he wondered what he was doing. But the thought of her returning home to no one rubbed him the wrong way too. He’d rather she be here, where people would smother her with affection whether she wanted it or not.

  “Thanks for not pitying me,” she said. “Or doing a good job of hiding it anyway.”

  “I don’t pity you. I pity him. That idiot walked away from what I’d bet is the best thing that ever happened to him.” A bold statement, but he meant it. Maybe his simple life here wouldn’t satisfy her for long, but she was kind and funny and sharp-witted, on top of being beautiful, and you didn’t run across those traits every day.

  She covered his hand with hers. “Thank you for saying that. I’m sure I did a lot of things wrong, and I tend to get lost in the details, but I never thought I’d get so lost in them that I failed to see things had fallen apart. Maybe my perfectionist side just refused to let that happen. And admittedly, I’m not always this fun.” She leaned closer. “Another confession? While I thoroughly enjoyed my relaxing days of reading, my antsy side was kicking in, and I was relieved when Fern demanded I be a judge because it gave me a purpose.”