CHARLEY STABBED A CARROT with her fork, hardly able to keep still in her chair. As soon as Dorothy left the room, she leaned closer to Alexander. “Do you think she’ll call him tonight?”
He scowled at her. “Dear heavens. Why don’t you just ask her?”
What a party pooper. She shot him a glare. “I can’t! Then she’ll know I spied on her.”
“That’s an easy fix.”
Dorothy came in carrying a pitcher of water. Alexander turned to her. “This afternoon Charley and I—”
“Stop!” Charley reached over and slapped her hand over his mouth. What the devil was he doing? He was going to ruin everything.
Dorothy’s eyes widened and she stepped back. “What?”
“Nothing!” Charley hadn’t expected him to blurt it out like that, and now she frantically tried to think of something to cover it up. “We just were talking...and...” She suddenly remembered they were supposed to bake. “We decided that we want to make Christmas cookies tonight. Right, Alexander?”
He peered at her and she realized she still held her hand over his mouth. She removed it quickly. He shot her a disapproving look before turning to Dorothy. “She overheard you talking to Paul.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Charley huffed and tossed her napkin onto the table. “You don’t know anything about stealth, do you?”
Dorothy’s cheeks reddened. “You overheard?”
Charley had to smooth things over. She shook her head. “No. I mean, we happened to be in the kitchen when your delivery came.”
Dorothy narrowed her eyes. “You weren’t in the kitchen.”
“Well, we were walking by.”
“You were both in the garage,” Dorothy said.
“We were eavesdropping,” Alexander said.
Charley slapped the table. “Stop that!”
“What?” He gave her an innocent look, which she wanted to slap off his face. “We were.”
The whole thing was getting out of hand. Charley blew a strand of hair from her face. “What I meant to say was, we overheard Paul giving you his number.”
Dorothy set the pitcher of water on the table. “That’s none of your business.” But the corners of her mouth lifted and Charley couldn’t help but notice the smile that lay just beneath the surface.
“I think it’s about time,” Charley said.
Dorothy took a step toward the kitchen. “Well, maybe it is.” Then she left the room.
Charley turned toward Alexander. “Ugh! What was that all about? Why would you spill the beans like that? You can’t just tell her we were listening. You are so frustrating sometimes!”
He suppressed a grin, although she didn’t think he was doing a good job of it. He picked up his water glass and held it to his lips. “I was just helping you out.”
“You’re infuriating.” She huffed and folded her arms. “I can’t believe you did that.”
“Now you can come out and ask her if she’s called him yet. That’s what you really want to know, isn’t it?”
Charley gave him a scowl, but she had to admit to herself that he was right. “Maybe.”
“Then I did you a favor.”
She swatted his arm. “Some favor.”
They spent the next few minutes eating in silence. When Alexander finished and pushed his plate away, Charley pointed to him. “Meet me in the kitchen in ten minutes. I’m not letting you get out of your cookie-making duties.”
He rolled his eyes, but she saw a smile in them. “All right.”
By the time he joined her in the kitchen, she had all the ingredients out and on the counter. “I called my mom and got her recipe. She makes the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted.”
Alexander slid onto a stool. “Okay.”
She placed the mixing bowl down in front of him, along with the assortment of measuring cups. “I’ll read the ingredients, and you can measure them out, okay?”
“Sure.”
She picked up her phone and read the first line. “Two and one-half cups of flour.”
“Which one is the two and one-half cup?” He gave her a cheesy grin and Charley laughed.
“Funny.” She set the bag of flour in front of him. “You’re a real hoot.”
He measured out the flour, baking soda and baking powder, and stirred them together. Charley peered into the bowl. “Nice job.”
“What, you expected me to mess up the dry ingredients?”
“No,” she scoffed. She dipped a finger into the flour mixture and patted it on his nose. His mouth popped open in surprise. The white powder on his nose, combined with his wide eyes and cod-fish mouth, made her giggle.
“What did you do that for?” He wiped at his nose.
“Because. You need a little fun in your life.”
“I have plenty of fun in my life.”
She swiped her finger in the bowl again and this time put some flour on his cheek. He went to grab her wrist, but she jumped back, laughing. “There. Now you look like you’ve been baking.”
He reached into the bag of flour and came out with a handful. “You’re asking for it.”
She backed up, laughing. “So not fair.”
He tossed the white powder, getting a dusting on her hair and covering her shirt. She screeched and ran toward him, but he must have anticipated her move because he hopped off the stool and ran around the kitchen island. “You’re so dead,” she said, laughing and dusting herself off.
“Not unless you can catch me.”
She grabbed a handful of flour and flung it at him. The cloud of white hit him in the face and he sputtered, his face looking like he’d taken a nose dive in the bowl. She laughed.
He scrubbed a hand down his face and then ran at her. She turned to run, but he caught her around the middle and turned her back around. “Oh, no, you don’t. You’re not getting away with this.”
He backed her up against the wall, and he put his hands on either side of her so she was trapped. She looked up at him and couldn’t help the giggle that escaped. He looked like a grandpa, his hair white. Even his eyelashes had a dusting of white on them. She tried to duck away from him, but he moved his hand and she couldn’t squeeze past him. “You look amazing. Let me just get my camera—”
“Never,” he said, his voice low in her ear. He chuckled as she tried to find a way out of his trap. “I’m not letting you go.”
She smiled, and he reached up and touched her cheek. “You have flour in your dimple.”
She stopped trying to get out and looked into his eyes. He really did have the most amazing brown eyes she’d ever seen. They were captivating, and as she stared into them, she wondered if he could feel the change in mood. The air around them grew charged, and she became aware of his body so close to hers. His strong arms beside her, his head dipped low. She looked at his lips. They were so close to hers. What would he do if she kissed him?
Wait, where had that thought come from? Since when did she want to kiss Mr. Norris? He was her employer. And he was still mourning the death of his wife. What was wrong with her?
The moment stretched as he stared at her. Then he suddenly took a step back from her. He reached out and brushed some flour from her hair. “You’ve still got some...”
“Yeah. So do you.” She tried to hide a smile, but it didn’t work and she ended up letting out a giggle. “I guess we got carried away.”
“I guess so.”
She grabbed the hand towel and dusted him off. “There. You look almost decent. Except your suit pants. Sorry if they’re dry clean only.”
He shrugged. “No big deal. I should change into something more casual anyway.”
She bit her lip, trying not to laugh at him again. He still had flour on his eyelashes. “Yeah.”
He left her alone in the kitchen. She started creaming the butter and sugar. By the time he came back in, the dough was done. She took one look at him and almost swallowed her tongue. He wore a red sweater and jeans, and she had never seen him look so good.
Some women thought men in suits were handsome. This look was ten times better on him. “Wow,” she said, unable to stop herself.
“What?”
Her cheeks heated. What was she going to say now? She should glue her lips together when she was around him. “Nothing. Just never thought I’d see you in jeans.”
“You saw me in a swimsuit yesterday.”
“Yeah.” She didn’t need that mental image coming into her head now either. She lifted half the dough out of the bowl and plopped it onto a sheet of waxed paper. “We have to let the dough chill before rolling it out and cutting out the shapes.”
“Oh. All right. How long will that take?”
“Two hours.”
He nodded and shifted his weight. Why was he uncomfortable? Was he feeling some of the same things she was? “Okay,” he said.
She looked at him, suddenly nervous for some strange reason. “When we make cookies at home, we always go out looking at Christmas lights around the town while the dough chills.” She fiddled with the waxed paper. “You wouldn’t want to...”
He drew in a breath. “Sure. We can go drive around.”
He didn’t look like he loved that suggestion, but she hoped after they got out into town, he’d like it. Looking at Christmas lights was always one of her favorite things to do during the holiday season. It made everything more festive. “I’ll just put this in the fridge, then, and we can go.”
She finished taking care of the dough and washed her hands, a new sort of feeling developing in her belly. Why was she excited to go look at Christmas lights with him? It’s not like she hadn’t spent the evening with him already. But for some reason, the anticipation grew in her. She shook her head and grabbed her coat. She shouldn’t be so silly.
Chapter 10
Alexander opened the car door for Charley and she slid into the passenger seat. He wasn’t sure what had changed between them, but the feeling in the air was different. She was different. But how, he couldn’t quite tell.
He climbed in behind the wheel and started the engine. “Do you know where you’d like to go?”
“Nope. I have no clue. What do you think?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t usually go out driving after dark. I have no idea where the good displays are.”
“Then let’s head into town and see if we find something.”
He put the car into reverse. “Okay.”
After he got out on the highway, Charley shifted in her seat, leaning on the armrest of the door. “Why don’t you like driving after dark?”
He swallowed. He didn’t like to talk about it, but if he didn’t say why, Charley might think he was odd. He stared out of the windshield. “Sadie died in a car accident. It was dark out and she hit a patch of black ice.”
“I’m sorry.” Charley placed her hand on his arm. “I understand. That had to be terrible.”
He was glad she understood because he couldn’t really say much more. His throat swelled shut and emotions surged in him. He pointed at a cluster of trees as he drove down the winding road. “It actually happened there,” he said, his words coming out softly.
Charley sucked in her breath. “Oh, no.”
“It was snowing, and the roads were dangerous.” He pushed away the memories as his stomach tightened. He didn’t need to be thinking about the accident. He was trying to get over the past, not dredge it back up again. “But let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay,” Charley said, her voice carrying a hint of false cheer. “What is your favorite Christmas tradition?”
“Maybe something else, else?”
“Else, else? That’s not even correct grammar. I expected more from you, Mr. Norris. What, with you speaking so formally all the time.”
He shot her a withering look, but he was sure there was a hint of a smile on his lips. “Fine. Let’s talk of summertime.”
She laughed. “I can’t. Not when there are only six more days until Christmas.”
“Why is Christmas so important to you?” He didn’t mean for it to come out so grumpy-sounding.
She turned to him, her eyes sparkling. “It’s such a magical time. Everyone is nicer around Christmas. Haven’t you noticed?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Well, that’s because you barely leave your house. If you were around people more, you’d notice. There’s kindness in the air. People do nice things for each other. Charities help those in need more. And everyone is out buying gifts and trying to find things that will make their loved ones happy.”
He gripped his steering wheel, the thought of family giving him indigestion. “Maybe that’s my problem,” he said quietly. “I have no loved ones to make happy.”
Charley frowned. “Sure you do. You have Thomas. And Dorothy.”
He let out a mirthless chuckle. “They’re not family.”
“They care about you, I’m sure,” Charley said. “Do you exchange presents with them?”
He snorted. “No.”
She stayed silent for a moment, staring out the window. Then she put her hand on his leg. “Then we need to remedy that. Let’s go shopping! We can find something nice for Thomas, and Dorothy.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I don’t know. That seems weird, doesn’t it? Giving gifts to the staff?”
“Nonsense. I gave a gift to my dentist last year.”
Alexander laughed. “Your dentist?”
“Yes. I had an appointment on the 23rd. It only seemed right to give him a little something.”
“What did you give him?”
She paused. “What I gave him isn’t the point.”
“I know. But I need to know what you gave him if I’m going to think of something to give Dorothy and Thomas.”
She pulled up her socks. Today she wore black socks with colorful packages on them. He thought he’d seen them all, but every day she wore a new pair. “Just something little.”
Now he was insanely curious. “Tell me. I want to know.”
She exhaled. “All right. It was a tiny stocking with candy in it. He looked at me like I was insane, giving candy to a dentist, and I grew quite embarrassed over it. But like I said, what I gave him wasn’t the point. It was the thought that counted.”
Alexander laughed. “You gave your dentist candy?”
“Go ahead. Make fun of me.” She said it like she was upset, but she then smiled and gave herself away. “It was stupid, huh?”
He sobered. “No. It was thoughtful.” He had never met a girl like Charley before. She would do something like give a gift to her dentist just because it was almost Christmas. He wished he was more like that.
“Well, thanks.” She stared down at her hands.
“Okay. Let’s go Christmas shopping.” Maybe if Charley helped him, he could find something both of his staffers would like.
“Yay!” She clapped her hands together, her dimple showing as she smiled. “I know just the place to go too.”
He grew suspicious and glanced at her. “Where?”
“The mall.”
He inwardly groaned, but he couldn’t back out now. He was stuck. “All right. I’ll drive to the mall.”
When they got there, he parked and then opened her door for her. Charley took his hand and he helped her out of the car. She bounced on her toes. “Let’s go. I know where we need to start.” She wrapped her hands around his arm and started toward the door.
The front of the mall had a large wreath on the front, a red bow stuck to it. As he opened the door, he knew this had been a bad idea. Christmas music blared from the speakers and a huge display with Santa Claus and his elves sat in the middle of the walkway.
One of the elves approached them. She had a pointy hat and shoes that curled up at the toes. “Do you two lovebirds want a picture with Santa? We’re having a special today. Twenty-percent off. They’re very popular with the couples this year.”
He frowned. “No.”
Charley tugged on his arm. �
�Come on. Let’s get a picture. I’ll buy it.” She grinned at him.
“You still have flour in your hair.”
She giggled and swiped at her hair. “So, what? We’ll remember this day. Come on.” She dragged him over to the line. He didn’t want to argue with her, so he shut his mouth and went with her.
As he waited behind a mother carrying a small child who looked like he was about to bust up crying, he leaned closer to him and said, “I know how you feel, kid.”
The child just stared at him, his eyes wide.
Charley laughed and hugged his arm. “You’re terrible. This isn’t so bad. Don’t be so grumpy.”
He hated it when she called him grumpy, so he forced a smile. “How’s this?”
She swatted him on the shoulder. “Don’t do that. You look like an evil clown when you smile like that.”
He let out a sinister-sounding laugh and grabbed her side. She let out a squeal and jumped. “You’re terrible,” she said, shoving him.
The kid continued to stare at him until an elf took him away from his mother to sit on Santa’s lap. Then he took one look at Santa and let out a wail. The elves ran around, trying to make him smile, holding up toys and candy canes. “Look at the camera,” the elf wearing large ears said. Finally, they got a good shot and shuffled the child back to his mother.
“Next.” A girl elf ushered them down the candy path to Santa’s workshop.
Alexander stood there, feeling like an idiot. “I’m not sitting on his lap,” he whispered to Charley.
“Come on. Don’t be a sour pants.” Charley turned to Santa and pulled Alexander toward him. “This is Alexander. He’s a bit shy today. If you promise him a candy cane, he might perk up and be a good boy.”
“Ho, ho, ho. Don’t be shy. Sit right here on my knee and we’ll take the picture.”
“No offense, but I’m not sitting on your lap.”
Santa just sat there smiling at him.
Charley gave him a shove. “Oh, come on. It will look nice for the picture. You can do it.”
“No.” He folded his arms across his chest.
“Please?” Charley batted her eyes at him. “There’s a line forming. Let’s just get it done.”
Christmas with the Recluse Page 6