by Debbie Mason
Connor groaned as he raised his head. “Don’t open the…” He trailed off when Comet raced back to him, licked him from his chin to his cheek, then turned to park himself by Connor’s head, growling at the two laughing men who carried the tree box between them.
“Awesome somersault, dude. Too bad I couldn’t get my phone out of my pocket. It would have gone viral for sure,” the tall, skinny kid bringing up the rear said.
“You need a hand up?” the silver-haired man asked with a smile, the corner of his eyes crinkled. It was Mr. O’Malley’s son John.
“Appreciate the offer, but I’m good, thanks.” Connor’s groan as he went to sit up belied his words.
They put the box on the front porch. John said something to the kid and then started across the lawn. The closer he got, the louder and more aggressively Comet growled.
“Cute protector you got there.” John gave a nervous laugh when Comet snarled, showing his teeth. “Okay, maybe not so cute. You want to tell him I’m friend, not foe, before I stick my hand anywhere near his mouth? I’ve seen how high he can jump.”
So that was one mystery solved. Comet hadn’t been growling at Connor because he didn’t like him; he’d been protecting his mommy. Connor smiled at the thought that must make him the daddy. He decided it might be best to keep that to himself.
“It’s okay, buddy. I’m okay. Mr. O’Malley’s a good guy.” He rubbed Comet with one hand while raising his other one to John. Comet continued growling but didn’t seem quite so threatening.
“You sure you’re okay?” John asked when Connor got to his feet.
He pulled his phone from the back pocket of his jeans with one hand while rubbing his lower back with the other one. “I am. Phone isn’t.” He showed John the damaged screen, groaning when he bent to pick up Comet’s leash. “Okay, so I guess I won’t be practicing my golf swing for a while.”
“Looks like. And I wouldn’t worry about the dog. He’s not going anywhere while we’re here.”
John was right. Comet stayed by Connor’s side as the two men brought the artificial tree box into the house instead of leaving it on the front porch as planned. Connor would never get it inside on his own now. He leaned in to make sure Mr. O’Malley senior had attached Connor’s secret-admirer note to the box and spotted it taped to the side.
“Right here’s fine,” Connor said, indicating the corner where the TV had once stood in the living room. Obviously, Arianna had yet to replace it. Ignoring the twinge in his back, he walked the two men to the door. “Go find Mommy,” Connor said to Comet instead of bending down to pick up the pup. Comet cocked his head, and Connor pointed down the hall. “Go get her.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fast when I shut the door,” John said when Comet showed no signs of leaving. “Guess it’s okay to give you this,” John added, handing Connor the invoice to sign. “And a word from Arianna’s other secret admirer. He says he might be old and short, but he could still kick your behind, so be sweet to his sweetheart.”
Connor laughed and handed him back the pen. “He’d have no problem kicking it right now. But tell him he doesn’t have to worry about me. I’m always sweet. It’s Arianna who—”
John cleared his throat.
Connor glanced over his shoulder to find Arianna standing behind him. “How much of that did you hear?” he asked. She looked like she’d just rolled out of bed, only instead of flannel pajamas, this time she had on light-blue velour sweats and a matching top. The other difference from earlier—and the more important one—her eyes weren’t sleepy and annoyed. They were sleepy and maybe a little amused.
“Sorry about that,” John said, forcing Connor’s gaze from Arianna and back to the door.
“Don’t worry about it,” he told the other man.
“Thank your dad for my cape and Comet, John. It was very sweet of him,” Arianna said.
“I’m sure my dad would love to take the credit, but it wasn’t him.” He winked and nudged his head at Connor.
“At the very least, you can thank him for looking out for me. I appreciate it,” she said, moving to pick up Comet’s leash. Comet, who was once again growling low in his throat at Connor.
They said goodbye to John, and then Connor shut the door behind him, glancing at Arianna, who was now headed for the living room and the tree box.
“How come Old Man O’Malley gets a thank-you and I don’t get anything?” he said. She didn’t answer, and he walked to her side. She’d put down Comet to stroke the box leaning upright in the corner.
“You remembered,” she murmured, her voice husky with emotion.
It sounded like she was holding back tears, and some of the tension, spiked by his worry she was mad, left him. “How could I forget? It was the first time you cried in front of me. You had your heart set on a pink tree and your mom refused to buy one.”
“Glamma wanted one too. We thought it would be fun and would cheer everyone up.” She gave a brittle laugh. “We expected a lot from a Christmas tree, didn’t we?”
“I tried to buy you one back then. It was too late though. Mr. O’Malley special-ordered this one for me a few weeks ago.”
She looked up at him then, the tears turning her eyes ocean blue. She moved her hand from the box to stroke his face. “You were right when you told John you’re sweet. You really are. As sweet as Mr. O’Malley.”
He bowed his head and groaned. “Please tell me you did not just compare me to a ninety-year-old leprechaun?”
“I don’t think he’s ninety, more like ninety-three,” she said, obviously trying not to laugh.
“You’re messing with me, aren’t you?” he said, framing her face with his hands.
“Maybe just a little.” She smiled and went up on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. “Thank you. Thank you for being the best boyfriend back then and for being the best secret admirer now,” she murmured against his lips.
It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, but at least she hadn’t said best friend. Even better, now that she’d gone from talking to kissing, she could say whatever she wanted and he wouldn’t care. All he wanted was her mouth on his, her hands…He broke the kiss to look down at Comet, who’d latched on to the bottom of Connor’s jeans on his right leg, growling and shaking his head.
“He really doesn’t like you, does he?”
“He loves me. He just loves you more. He thinks he needs to protect you from me. Just tell him he doesn’t, and he’ll be good. Won’t you, buddy?” he said, grimacing at the twinge in his back when he bent to remove Comet’s teeth from his pant leg.
“But I do need protection from you, Connor Gallagher. You’re the one person who could completely break my heart, and I’ve vowed never to have it broken again. I don’t think I could put it back together.”
Holding her gaze, he slowly straightened. “I’m not asking for all of your heart. Just give me a piece of it. That’s all I need. I love you enough for both of us.”
“You already have all of my heart. Every time you did something sweet or kind or tried to help me, fix me, you stole a small piece of it until you’d stolen the whole thing.”
“If I wasn’t afraid my back would seize or Comet might attack me, I’d sweep you off your feet right now, carry you to your bed, and make mad, passionate love to you all day and night.”
“What happed to your back?” she asked, looking concerned. He told her about his Olympic-worthy free fall and backflip, leaving out the part of him dropping the leash in case she proved to be an overprotective puppy mommy. She made a pained face. “I’m sorry you hurt your back.”
“Not half as sorry as me, babe.” He drew her carefully into his arms.
She looked up at him. “If you forgo the sweeping-me-off-my-feet-and-carrying-me-to-my-bed part, what are our chances of the mad, passionate lovemaking happening tonight?”
“Not great, but on the other hand, I think we’re a go for kissing, cuddling, and decorating the Christmas tree. I’ll go high; you go low.” He gr
inned when her cheeks flushed. “Babe, I was talking about putting the balls on the tree.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
They didn’t get to trimming the tree until much later in the day. “You need a fireplace going and a Christmas movie on TV to give us the right ambience to decorate,” Connor said as he tested the white twinkle lights for the tree.
Arianna smiled. The man was clearly a fan of the holidays. He also looked extremely sexy in his jeans and a black thermal Henley with his hair a little messy, the beginnings of a shadow on his jaw. “I’ve got Christmas cookies and hot chocolate with marshmallows, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips on top. Does that help?” she asked as she carried the platter of cookies into the living room. His expression said not much.
She put the cookies on the side table and moved to stand by the tree. “We do have music.” At that moment Kenny G’s Miracle: The Holiday Album played softly in the background. Connor didn’t look any more impressed, but he looked even more gorgeous captured in the glow of the pink tree and white lights, which may have been the reason she said, “How about once we’re finished decorating, you unwrap me and we make mad, passionate love under the Christmas tree?”
“Still not sure about the mad, passionate part, but unwrapping you under the tree would definitely—” He was interrupted by a pop, pop, and then the string of lights in his hands went out. He sighed. “Looks like we’re heading to Holiday House today instead of tomorrow.”
Comet had broken several Christmas decorations—which was why he’d been banished to Glamma’s bedroom—and Arianna had planned to replace them tomorrow. “A visit to Holiday House will put you in the Christmas spirit. Since we’re downtown anyway, why don’t we grab a bite at Jolly Rogers or the Salty Dog?” she suggested.
“Sure, and, ah, maybe we could stop by Merci Beaucoup. Talk to the owner about designing your dress for the Christmas Ball.”
For years, Mayor Hazel Winters had hosted an open house at her home the week before Christmas, inviting her staff, the heads of departments, and members of the town council. But with their mandate to bring the town together, Connor and Arianna had decided to open it up to everyone who worked at the town hall as well as the local business community. The only place big enough to hold such an affair was the ballroom at Greystone Manor.
Connor had offered to foot the bill for the entire evening, of course, but Arianna didn’t think it fair to him and had decided they’d charge twenty dollars a head. Two-thirds of what they raised in ticket sales would go to cover the cost of the buffet—it was a cash bar, and the entertainment (aka the Gallagher Boy Band) and room rental were free. The other third would go to support programs at the community center.
Which would be getting another injection of cash, thanks to everyone who’d sent money to Arianna and her grandmother back in September. Last week, in an open letter in the Gazette, she’d thanked everyone for their generosity and told them of her plans to donate the money. If they didn’t agree with her decision, she encouraged them to get in touch with her. The only people she’d heard from were those who offered their wholehearted support for her initiatives. Evie, the owner of Holiday House, would help Arianna with the dispersal of funds.
“Sound like a good idea?” he asked.
She frowned at his tentative expression. “Why are you looking at me as if I’ll be angry?”
“I’m just not sure where you’re at with your hand, so I thought you might be upset I suggested you design a dress for the ball.”
“Me? I thought you said talk to the owner about designing the dress.”
“I kinda did, but I was hoping once we got there and you talked about it with her—”
“What? You thought I’d miraculously be able to sketch again?” She shook her head, angry at him for ruining what had been a perfect day up until then and had looked to be heading for a perfect night. “I’ll never be able to draw like I used to. In all likelihood, I won’t be able to draw at all. I can’t even sign my name yet.”
He reached for her damaged hand. “Don’t, please,” she whispered.
He ignored her, and her stomach turned when he brushed his lips across her fingers. “You might not be able to draw like you used to, but that doesn’t mean you can’t design anymore, does it?”
She pulled her hand away. “I don’t see how. I can’t sketch out my vision on paper well enough that someone else could create what I had in mind. I won’t be able to personally add the special touches that made my gowns unique.”
“I’m not saying it would be the same, but if you found someone who shared a similar vision, had similar taste, don’t you think you could work together to create a dress you’d be proud to put your name on?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. I haven’t thought about it.”
“Maybe you should. It can’t hurt to think about it, can it?”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “What are you up to now? You’ve already talked about this with the owner of Merci Beaucoup, haven’t you?”
“I might have mentioned something about it.”
“I don’t know why. If the town council and Hazel choose me to…That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t think I have a chance of being the one they pick, so you’re going to make sure I have something to fall back on.” She pushed him away. “I don’t believe you! And I can’t believe I slept with you again! Every time I do, I discover that you’re trying to screw me over.”
“Now, honey, I think you might be overreacting just a—”
“Do not honey me, Connor Gallagher. You need to leave.”
He rubbed his hand over his jaw. “Babe, be reasonable. Your heart isn’t in this.”
“And yours is?”
“Of course it is. I’ve been working my ass off, and you know it.”
She did, but that didn’t mean she’d been sitting at her tiny little desk twiddling her thumbs…thumb. “You may not think my initiatives are as important as the projects you’re working on with the police and the fire department, but they’re important to me and the families of Harmony Harbor. And let’s not forget the business community. They still won’t even speak to you. So there.”
“So there?” He raised an eyebrow as he clearly struggled not to laugh.
“I’m done talking to you. You can leave now.” She closed her eyes, and almost immediately she felt his face coming closer to hers. “Do not even think about—” He kissed her. “Connor!”
“Look at me.” He clasped her chin with his fingers.
She huffed out a breath before doing as he said. “What?”
“I love you. I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again.”
“I love you too, but I don’t like you very much right now.”
“No? I like you,” he said, leaning in to kiss her just below her ear.
She shivered. “Of course you do. Because you want to have sex with me, and I don’t want to have sex with you.” She was such a liar. But it didn’t matter what her heart or body wanted. Whether Connor believed her or not, this job was important to her.
“Ever?”
“We’ll talk about it after Hazel and the town council make their decision on Christmas Eve. Until then I think it’s best if we’re friends, not lovers.”
* * *
Along with the director of the senior residence, Arianna took Hazel and several members of the town council on a tour of the facilities, explaining the benefits of having a child and elderly care center combined.
Arianna had initially come up with the idea of opening an affordable day care on-site, but the more time she spent at the senior residence, the more she thought about Glamma and how, if her memory problems progressed, an elderly care center would be the perfect solution for not only Glamma and Arianna, but for other overwhelmed caregivers who wanted to keep their parents or grandparents at home but needed a break.
Although Arianna was getting ahead of herself. There was still no sign Glamma was coming home for good.
“Arianna’s right. W
e have plenty of seniors in Harmony Harbor who don’t require full-time care. Both they and their caregivers would benefit greatly from the center Arianna is proposing, as would the preschoolers. In my opinion, it would be a win for the entire community,” the director said while Arianna handed out the information packets.
“You’ll find studies that support our belief in the project as well as a cost analysis in your packet, but we wanted to give you a better idea by showing you the concept in action. If you’ll follow me, we have a group of children and seniors busy at work together in the dining room. They’ve broken up into teams to participate in a gingerbread house competition.” Arianna smiled as they rounded the corner and laughter, along with the smell of gingerbread, greeted them.
The director gave her a furtive thumbs-up.
Arianna’s positive feelings vanished the moment she walked into the room and saw Connor sitting at one of the tables, helping two preschoolers and an older man.
Of course the members of the council and Hazel spotted him right away and hurried over to admire him and the gingerbread house.
She should have known he’d show up. Over the past few days, he’d been her shadow. Every meeting she took, he’d arrive five minutes before her or five minutes after. And he had an annoying habit of charming everyone in the room, just like he was doing now.
“Do you mind?” he asked Hazel, gesturing to the information packet in her hand. “Arianna is very closemouthed about her projects.” He winked at her.
If people hadn’t turned to look at her, she would have flipped him off. Instead, she said, “Connor, I need a word, if you don’t mind.”
“Anything you need, partner. I’m your man,” he said, fueling the flames of her annoyance higher.