A Fool's Gold Christmas

by Susan Mallery

  Rafe’s gaze was steady. “She’s my sister and I don’t want her hurt.”

  “We’re clear on what we’re doing.”

  “You’re clear,” Rafe told him. “But I’m worried about her. Evie isn’t like you.”

  Dante looked at his friend. “You sure about that? From what she’s told me, no one in her family knows her very well.”

  Rafe shifted. “That’s true, but I know what you’re like in a relationship. I don’t want that for her.”

  Dante understood the complaint. Rafe didn’t object to Dante’s style so much as the inevitable outcome. There was no happy ending. Ever.

  “We’ve discussed ground rules,” Dante told him. “But the next time I see her, I’ll bring them up again and make sure she and I are on the same page.”

  “If you’re not and she’s upset, I’ll have to kill you.”

  Dante slapped him on the back. “There’s that holiday spirit.”

  Rafe glowered at him. “Dammit, Dante. My sister?”

  “I’m sorry, Rafe. I tried to remember that she was your sister, but this attraction was mutual.”

  Rafe grumbled something under his breath and stalked away. Dante sat at his desk, suddenly less sure he’d made himself clear to Evie. He checked his watch. She would be arriving for work in less than an hour. He would talk to her before her classes began and make sure they had the same expectations. He’d meant what he said—he liked her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

  * * *

  EVIE ARRIVED AT THE dance studio forty-five minutes before her classes started. The first thing she did was crank up the heat. The old building was drafty and cold in winter. If it were up to her, she would relocate the dance studio to a newer place, with a bigger dance floor and maybe a second practice room. As it was, she waited until she heard the telltale whoosh of the furnace starting, then hung her coat on the rack and went over the classes for that day.

  They were getting close to the panic period for the production. In less than two weeks, they would start practicing on stage so everyone could perform in the actual location. The stage was considerably wider than their studio, so that would take some getting used to. There was also the seemingly endless rows of chairs. The thought of an audience could be daunting to even a seasoned professional.

  She crossed to the stereo system and connected her phone to speakers, then scrolled through her list of music and found a favorite song. She’d just walked over to the barre when Dante walked in.

  She smiled as she glanced from the living, breathing, tempting man to his many reflections in the mirror. Both were appealing although she had to admit she preferred the one she could put her hands on.

  “Hi,” she said, crossing to him.

  “Hi, yourself.” He rested his hands on her waist and lightly kissed her. “You going to do some fancy dance moves?”

  “I haven’t warmed up.”

  “Can I help with that?”

  She laughed. “No. I have students arriving in about thirty minutes.”

  “Bummer.” He drew in a breath. “I had a talk with your brother earlier today.”

  As the two men worked together, that was hardly news. Except he wasn’t sharing a part of a day—instead he was passing on information.

  She pressed her fingertips against his chest and winced. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I had a talk with my mother.”

  Dante grimaced. “About the pet adoption?”

  “Not exactly. She told me to make sure we were using condoms so I wouldn’t catch a disease.”

  “She didn’t.”

  Evie stared into his eyes. “Do I look like I’m lying?”

  “Sorry.”

  “Me, too. About my brother. Not about the other night.”

  “Me, either.” But he didn’t sound completely sure.

  She carefully lowered her arms to her sides and took a small step back, pulling away from his light touch. “Dante, this isn’t the 1800s. One great night doesn’t mean we’re engaged.”

  “I know, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

  She could translate easily enough. He wanted to make sure she remembered their time together was meant to be fun. Not a relationship.

  She’d been very clear on what they were doing when they’d started hanging out together. So she couldn’t complain about being misled. If she’d started to look forward to seeing Dante more than she should, it was her own business, right? If she was hoping for more than a good time, that was her problem.

  She continued to watch Dante’s face. “You and I are friends. We like each other and are enjoying spending time together. We’re both a little freaked out about the town’s obsession with being cheerful and embracing every nuance of all things Christmas. Holidays are stressful and we’re getting each other through. The other night we discovered that you earned your reputation with women the hard way and I appreciate that. There are no expectations between us. Does that sum it up?”

  She spoke lightly, doing her best to sound as blasé and experienced as any other woman he’d been with. The slight jab of pain in the vicinity of her heart didn’t have anything to do with him.

  “Perfectly.” His blue eyes crinkled with amusement. “I’m glad you enjoyed the other night. I did, too.”

  “See? We’re good. Now you ignore my brother and I’ll ignore my mother and all will be well.”

  “Promise,” he told her. He gave her a quick kiss. “We’ll both be working late tonight. How about lunch tomorrow?”

  “I have to help Annabelle with the book drive.”

  “There’s a book drive? Why? Because the town needed one more philanthropic event?”

  “I know. But Annabelle called and asked and I couldn’t figure out how to say no. Apparently every child in Fool’s Gold gets a book for Christmas. They have to be wrapped, so I’m going up to Ronan’s Lodge. We’re meeting in the Mountain ballroom.” She held up both hands. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’m not very good at wrapping presents.”

  “We could practice tonight,” he suggested. “Wrapping and unwrapping.”

  A tempting offer, she thought. But one she wasn’t sure her heart could risk her accepting. Before she could decide, she heard footsteps on the stairs. Light footsteps from one of her beginning classes. Dante took a step back.

  “Later,” he mouthed and walked out of the studio.

  As Evie greeted her students, she glanced toward the door. Being sensible about Dante was the smartest move. She had to protect herself and her heart. But deep inside, she knew there was a part of her that wanted more. Wanted to believe in someone. To have a little faith and maybe find love.

  Chapter Twelve

  Evie parked in front of the Fool’s Gold Animal Shelter and got out of her car. She’d called ahead to make sure this was a convenient time for the staff, but now she hesitated. Was she really ready to take on the responsibility of caring for a cat?

  “I guess that’s what I’m here to find out.”

  Tammy was waiting for her as she walked into the building. Alexander was sitting on a tall, carpeted platform, his long tail swishing as he looked around the room.

  “This is the one, isn’t it?” Tammy asked. “You said Alexander, but sometimes people get names mixed up.”

  “This is him.”

  Evie walked over to the cat and held out her fingers for him to sniff. “Hi, big guy. How are you doing?”

  His green eyes narrowed slightly. He took an obligatory sniff, then turned away.

  “Does he hate me?” Evie asked, not sure what his actions meant in the cat world. If she were on a blind date, she would know exactly what he was thinking and it wouldn’t be flattering.

  “He’s making you work for it,” Tammy told her. “Keep talking to him and then pet him. He’s going to make you earn his trust.”

  “I can respect that,” she said, keeping her voice quiet. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be very trusting, either.”

  S
he lightly touched his back. While he didn’t flinch, he wasn’t relaxed, either. His shoulders got a little hunchy. She continued to stroke him, moving slowly and gently, not making sudden moves.

  The phone rang.

  “I need to get that,” Tammy told her. “I’ll be right back.”

  Evie nodded and kept her attention on the cat. She lengthened the strokes so she was petting him from shoulder to tail. After a couple of minutes, he relaxed. By the time Tammy returned, he was actually glancing at her with something slightly warmer than disdain.

  “I like him,” Evie said. “I need to make sure I’m ready for a cat, but I’m leaning in that direction for sure. Has anyone else said they’re interested in him?”

  “No. He’s not a kitten, which makes his adoption more challenging. But I can let you know if we get any calls before the event.”

  “That would be great.” Evie glanced at her watch. “I have to run. Thanks for this, Tammy.”

  “No problem. I hope you take him. He’s a great guy.”

  “Bye, Alexander.”

  The cat looked at her. His eyes narrowed slightly as if he realized she was leaving. Then he turned away. Evie wanted to tell him that she might be giving him a forever home, but stopped herself. Until she was sure, it wouldn’t be right to allow him to hope. Unfortunately, explaining to herself that Alexander didn’t speak English didn’t make her feel any less awful about leaving without him.

  * * *

  EVIE WAS ALREADY LATE. She hurried through town on her way to Ronan’s Lodge, glancing at her watch as she went. Thoughts of Dante and her family and the production had kept her tossing and turning much of the night. Now she had to face a morning of book wrapping. She hoped there was an instructional session first.

  She glanced longingly at the Starbucks as she passed, but there was no time. As she waited to cross at the light, three teenaged girls came out of the coffee place and spotted her.

  “OMG! That’s her!” A tall blonde in skinny jeans and a heavy down coat raced toward her. “Ms. Stryker? Could you wait a second?”

  The other two girls with her were both brunettes with big eyes and wide smiles. All three of them were clutching to-go drink containers.

  The blonde spoke first. “You’re Evie Stryker, right?”

  Evie nodded slowly.

  “This is so cool. I’m Viv and these are my friends Tai and Wendy. We’re cheerleaders.” Viv’s grin broadened. “I’m actually team captain this year.”

  “Congratulations,” Evie said, hoping the uneasy feeling she had in her stomach was uncalled for and that the girls were just being extra Fool’s Gold friendly.

  Viv held her drink in both hands. “Every year we do a fundraiser for the squad. We save money to go to cheerleading camp in the summer.”

  “Okay,” Evie said slowly, the unease turning to sinking. “What kind of fundraiser?”

  “We do a Pom-Pom-A-Thon,” Tai, or maybe Wendy, said. “People hire us to go to someone’s house and do cheers, only they’re Christmas related.”

  The three of them glanced at each other, then shouted together, “Hey, hey, ho, ho. Merry Christmas and away we go.”

  Viv laughed. “They’re not all that lame, I promise. We were thinking that we’re not as good as we could be. So we’ve got some friends in the creative writing club helping us with new cheers. We were wondering if you could help us with some moves. After all, you were a professional cheerleader, right?”

  Evie winced. Her short-lived career as an L.A. Stallions cheerleader had ended badly and wasn’t anything she wanted to talk about.

  “The Stallions’ squad was more about dance than cheering,” she said.

  The three teens looked at each other, then back at her. “That’s what we want,” Viv said. “Some ideas to add a little fun to our routines. It would only take a couple of hours. Please.”

  Evie thought about the book wrapping and the performance, the students she had to work with privately, her volunteering for the pet adoption and how she couldn’t seem to take a step without running into someone from her family. This was not the time to take on one more project.

  But as she looked at the girls, she couldn’t seem to summon the word no. She sighed. “Sure. I can help. I have to help wrap books right now and then maybe after that?”

  “You’re working with Annabelle?” Viv asked. “With the book drive? We’re going there, too.” She turned to her friends. “We need to work really hard so Evie can have more time with us.”

  Which would be great for Annabelle and less thrilling for herself, Evie thought, knowing she might as well simply give in to the inevitable.

  The four of them made their way to the hotel. Signs directed them to the ballroom. As Evie stepped through the open double doors, she realized she hadn’t known what to expect. A few boxes of books and some tables, maybe. It was that times a thousand.

  There were at least forty tables set up. On each one was a box, a roll of gift wrap, tape and a sheet of colored stickers. A small crowd was clustered together near the front of the room. Evie and the cheerleaders joined them.

  Heidi was there, along with Patience and Charlie. Jo, from the bar where they’d all had brunch on Thanksgiving. She recognized a few other people from town, along with a few of her students’ moms. Annabelle checked her watch, then waved to get everyone’s attention.

  “Thank you for coming,” she said. “I’m hoping this won’t take very long. I know the season is busy and I appreciate the time and effort you’re offering.”

  Evie felt a warm hand settle on the small of her back. She turned and saw Dante standing next to her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Rafe was supposed to come, but he’s on a conference call that’s gone long. I offered to represent the company.”

  He smiled as he spoke. Evie found herself easing toward him, wanting to press her body against his. Remembering the cheerleaders who were no doubt keeping an eye on her, she forced herself to stand straight and pretend she wasn’t tingling from the light touch on her back.

  “Every table has a box of books,” Annabelle was saying. “They are grouped together by age and gender. So please don’t trade books with anyone else. When you’ve wrapped the book, put one of the stickers on the upper right corner. The sticker tells the age range and whether the book is for a boy or a girl. Again, please don’t trade stickers.”

  “There are a lot of rules,” Dante whispered into her ear.

  Evie fought off a shiver as her body pointed out that every single part of her really liked what this man could do to her and that it had been a while since they’d seen each other naked.

  “Behave,” she said.

  “I am.”

  She winced, realizing she’d actually been talking to herself rather than him.

  Annabelle sent them off to find tables. The cheerleaders took one together and Dante joined Evie.

  “Who are your friends?” he asked, motioning to the teens who were taking books out of the box and unrolling the paper.

  “They’re on the high school cheerleading squad. I’m going to help them with a fundraiser they’re doing.”

  He raised his eyebrows.

  “I know, I know.” She kept her voice low. “It shouldn’t take too much of my time.”

  “You’re in demand,” he said. “Impressive.”

  “Overwhelming.”

  “How can I help?”

  She laughed. “Unless you have a secret background as a cheerleader, I’m not sure you can.”

  “Hmm, there is that year I spent working undercover. Let me see what I can remember.”

  She laughed and handed him the first book. “Wrap.”

  “How about I cut the paper and put on the stickers, and you wrap.”

  “Chicken.”

  “These are presents for kids. They should look nice.”

  “Fine. I’ll wrap.”

  They had picked a table with large picture books. For bo
ys, Evie thought, looking at covers with trucks and bugs and camping raccoons.

  “I know most women think about having a little girl,” she said, taking the piece of wrapping paper Dante handed her, along with the book he’d cut it for, “but I’ve always pictured myself with sons. I’m guessing that comes from growing up with three brothers.”

  “Boys are less complicated,” Dante agreed. “They want to do things. Girls have feelings.”

  She laughed. “Are you saying boys don’t?”

  “I’m saying I understand what a boy feels. Can you see me sitting at a little table having pretend tea with a four-year-old and her toy bears?”

  Evie studied him, taking in the deep blue eyes, handsome face and, as always, well-cut, killer suit. She could totally see Dante falling for a little girl. He would be a protective father, one who kissed a boo-boo to make it better and slayed dragons, be they real or imagined. And, yes, she could imagine him sitting at a too-small table and having pretend tea.

  They’d both grown up without a father figure in their lives, so she would guess they both knew how important a dad could be. While children weren’t on her immediate radar, should that happen, she would prefer to have a man around. She doubted he was the kind of man who would ever consider walking away from his kids.

  Under other circumstances he might be someone she wanted to consider hanging on to. Only Dante wasn’t into forever, and she was planning on moving on. Although right now her reasons for wanting to leave Fool’s Gold seemed a little fuzzy.

  “You’d be great,” Evie told him and centered the book on the wrapping paper.

  * * *

  IN LESS TIME THAN Dante would have thought, the books were wrapped. Evie went off with her cheerleader fans and he stayed after to help load the wrapped books into boxes for delivery.

  Gideon joined him, loading the boxes onto a cart.

  “Do you know if Evie’s gone over my suggestions for the production?” he asked.

  Dante straightened slowly and stared at the other man. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m doing the narration for The Dance of the Winter King. Didn’t she tell you?”