Heart of Joy
Page 4
The set finished, and after one encore, the trios took their final bows.
Backstage there were fists bumps, high fives, and hugs.
Was it her imagination or did Cason hold her a little longer than Tatiana and Marcy? Or was she the one who’d lingered?
As the others moved off to change, Cason caught her hand and held her back.
“What happened tonight?” he asked.
She took off her Santa hat and shook out her hair. “What do you mean?”
“I thought you sang a bit more during the carols.”
“I did.”
“It was good to hear your voice. It’s amazing.”
Joy knew her cheeks were pink, but perhaps Cason couldn’t see that in the dim backstage light. “Thanks,” she said.
“I know we’re going to get some food after we change, but I wondered if you’d like to meet me tomorrow.”
“Just the two of us, like a date?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.
“I’d love to,” she said. His sudden shyness had her heart doing flip-flops. He was so cute.
“Great. Meet me in your hotel lobby at ten?”
“Sure.”
He impulsively dropped a kiss on her cheek, blushed hard and then raced for the men’s dressing room.
Joy touched her cheek and let the tingles run through her body in Cason’s wake.
She had a date.
She needed a gift.
CHAPTER SIX
Joy barely refrained from pacing the lobby. Despite the late night with the Belles and Cowboys, she’d risen early. Excitement over her date with Cason made sleep impossible.
Growing up in a sketchy neighborhood, her mother deemed it unwise for Joy to date until she was out of high school. Her mother didn’t want Joy to end up a pregnant teen like her. She wanted more for Joy. College, if possible.
Joy was early to meet Cason. She checked her bag again to be sure his present was in there. She patted the small box and bow and then shut her bag. She checked her phone for the umpteenth time. She swore it wasn’t working properly. How could time move so slowly?
Finally, Cason came through the door.
“I’m surprised to see you’re ready,” he said.
“If you wanted to wait fifteen to thirty minutes longer, then you should’ve asked Tatiana out. She always makes the guy wait. I think it’s part of her subconscious strategy to see how much he likes her.”
“I’ll warn Cache, then. Are you ready to go?”
Joy nodded. Her stomach turned somersaults.
A cab ride later, they stood at the top of a hill. A graceful white structure stretched to the sky, and at the top, in bold black letters, the words Butterfly Palace were nestled under a gigantic blue butterfly.
Joy squeezed Cason’s hand. “As first dates go, this is going to be hard to top.”
He laughed. “You haven’t even been inside yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. Boy takes girl to butterfly garden is a winner in anybody’s book.”
They entered the building and waited their turn to enter the garden and see specimens from countries like Costa Rica, Ecuador and Malaysia.
Joy shifted her weight from one foot to the other in anticipation.
Finally they entered the air-lock room that would allow them to enter the butterfly space.
Inside the palace, Joy’s mouth formed an O of awe. Tropical plants were tucked inside short walls of gray stone that matched the floor. All around butterflies fluttered or sipped on nectar or stood on leaves, showcasing their colors.
“This is amazing,” she said in a reverential tone. She turned her attention toward Cason. “Still the best date ever. You get gold stars.” The way his cheeks pinked was utterly adorable.
They wandered slowly through the spacious room, oohing and ahhing over the colors. One butterfly even landed on Joy’s hot-pink sweater.
“He must think you’re a flower.” Cason snapped a picture.
“If we weren’t already on a date, I’d say you were trying to pick me up.”
“I thought the garden might be a good break from all the holiday trimmings.”
His consideration warmed her heart. “Thank you, but I discovered yesterday, that the season is a little easier to swallow this year, mostly because of you.” Her cheeks heated, and she dug through her bag for the gift. She handed the small box to him. “Thank you.”
He raised his brows and seated them on a bench. “Did you wrap it yourself?”
“I had a great teacher.”
He smiled, unwrapped the present, and stared at the ornament inside. “A gold star.”
She nodded. “That’s right. I told you, you got gold stars. It’s my way of saying thank you for showing me that Christmas can be more than what I’ve let it be in my life.”
“I’ll enjoy hanging this on my tree and thinking of you.” He closed the box and tucked it into his coat pocket. “And now it’s your turn.” He handed her a small box wrapped in gold paper.
She carefully unwrapped the item to reveal an engraved glass ball that glittered under the palace lights.
“I guess great minds think alike,” Cason said. “The festival sold commemorative ornaments for the holiday. I thought you could start your ornament collection with this one. I figured you don’t have any.”
“I don’t.” She stowed the orb in its box and tucked it in her purse. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and then hovered there as the air became charged.
Cason’s gaze locked on hers, drawing her in. His hands cupped her cheeks, and brought her close giving her the opportunity to pull back if she chose. Her heart rate jumped as his lips drew ever nearer. With unspoken permission granted, Cason’s soft and warm lips touched hers.
Tingles cascaded through her. If she hadn’t known better, she’d have thought she’d swallowed all the butterflies in the palace the way her stomach swooped and swirled.
The kiss lasted only a moment but left her head spinning, her toes tingling, and her heart aglow with Christmas magic.
Cason helped her rise from the bench, and he put an arm around her shoulder as they enjoyed the wonder of the palace. He paused in front of an iridescent blue butterfly. “Do you have any plans for the holidays?” he asked.
“No. Usually I hide out in my apartment until after New Year’s, but I don’t think I want to do that anymore.” She peeked at his expression. “You’ve opened my eyes to the possibilities of Christmas.”
The corners of his mouth curved up. “Would you be willing to let me show you more of the wonder of the season?”
She tilted her head. The butterflies accelerated. “How?”
“After the festival ends, I’d like to invite you to come back to Wyoming with me and celebrate Christmas with my family.”
The butterflies reached light speed. “Oh, wow. I couldn’t impose on your family that way.”
He pulled her tighter to his side. “I already told my mama about the girl who needs to experience a traditional family Christmas. She insisted you come.”
She frowned and pulled away. “So, I’m a charity case.”
Cason took her hand. “Never. I like you. You’re an intelligent and talented woman who’s been deprived of holiday cheer. I’d like the opportunity to get to know you better. Please say you’ll come.”
Joy bit her lower lip. She could sit in her apartment alone, watching cheesy Hallmark movies—which she’d never done—and let the season go by. Or she could spend it curled up by a fireplace on a Wyoming ranch, with a mug of cocoa and an intriguing musician, enjoying her first real Christmas.
Cason waited patiently, with a hopeful expression.
She smiled. “I’d love to.”
The grin on his face was worth it, but then he sweetened the deal by sealing it with another kiss, more intoxicating than the first.
“Thank you,” he said. “You’ve brought joy to my heart. I hope I can do the same for you.
”
“You already have.”
“Merry Christmas,” he said.
“Merry Christmas.” And for the first time, she meant it with joy in her heart.
♥ ♥ ♥
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My husband and kids always have my back, even though I’m crazy. ;)
My critique group is an invaluable source of information. You are amazing women!
My editor, Beth, made the story bleed so I could make it better. Someday I may learn how to use a comma correctly under her painstaking tutelage.
My alpha, beta, and schmeta readers. Their ideas make the story sing. Special thanks to Lisa and Danyelle.
My proofreader Eva is a blessing to my books.
The wonderful creator of my cover, Ashley Johnson, who understands things about graphics and Photoshop that I can only aspire to know. Thanks!
I hope you enjoyed the story.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Lisa Swinton caught the romance bug early by way of fairy tales and hasn’t been able to cure it yet. She feeds her addiction with romance novels, films, and chocolate. A doctor’s wife and busy mom of two, she puts her musical theater degree to use at church and in community theater.
She enjoys researching her family tree, painting her house, and baking. She loves to travel and loves all things Jane Austen and Disney. In her next life, she’d like to be a professional organizer.
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