by Meg Maxwell
Anna smiled. “I’m so glad. Things sure worked out for you, Mara.”
A small group of people came in. “No complaints. I’d better get back to work.” She wrote down her information on a card and handed it to Anna. “Call me anytime.”
Anna took the card and carefully put it in her wallet. She watched Mara hand the newcomers menus. Her cousin smiled but there was fatigue in her expression, which was what Anna and Colt had observed in Mara’s social-media photo. The woman was quite understandably tired from all she did to help her community.
Colt took a bite of the burger. “She wasn’t kidding about the burger. Delicious. Soup, too.”
Anna glanced down. She’d been so busy talking that she hadn’t eaten much. She ate a bit more of her burger and some soup, but her appetite had left her.
“A lot to take in,” he said.
“She really made her own life,” Anna said. “Her way. I’m very impressed.”
Colt nodded. “Me, too. Just yesterday I was thinking that I hate not knowing what to expect, but sometimes, people really do surprise you in a good way. I thought we’d be meeting someone who’d gotten knocked around by life. But here we have someone dedicating her life to helping others.” When Mara returned and started clearing their plates, and set down their bill, Colt put a hundred-dollar bill on the check.
Mara came over and gasped. “Please tell me you want change.”
Colt shook his head. “It’s my pleasure. Merry Christmas.”
They shook hands, and then Anna wrapped her cousin in a hug. “I’m so glad I got to meet you, Mara. You’re an inspiration.”
The woman smiled. “You are, too.”
Hardly, Anna thought as she and Colt headed out. What was Anna doing with her life? How was she helping anyone?
One step at a time, she reminded herself. You did leave your village for this...trial experience. You don’t even know if you’re staying or going back home.
“I kept thinking there was an ‘either-or,’” Anna said as they got into Colt’s SUV. “Either I stay in the English world, or I go home and commit to being Amish. But it’s not about the English or Amish world. It’s about what I want to do with my life.”
Colt turned on the ignition and then pulled into traffic. “Like you said, you have a lot to explore, a lot of experiences awaiting you, Anna Miller. But your cousin is right—you are an inspiration. Leaving everything you know takes guts.”
“I don’t feel brave. I feel a little off-kilter most of the time.”
“I’d think that goes with the territory. I mean, the things I take for granted, like flipping a light switch, like relying on a cell phone, like wearing what I please, are new to you. But it’s more than that. Anyone can learn new technologies and get used to anything. Whether you’ll stay is about here,” he said, pressing a hand to his heart. “That’s how you’ll really know where you’ll belong.”
“You keep surprising me,” she said. “I don’t expect you to be talking about what the heart knows and all that.”
He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. “I do have a heart.”
She smiled and wanted to throw her arms around him. “I know.” But it’s bigger than you realize and has more room than you think. So let me in!
“Can I ask you something, Colt?”
“Of course.”
Just say it, she told herself. You don’t get the answer if you don’t ask the question. “If I do decide to stay in your world...you won’t necessarily be around. Right?”
As he stopped for a red light, he looked at her for a long moment, then turned his attention back to the road. “I’ll be on a case.”
“So, that’s what you decided you want to do with your life—work?”
“Work getting criminals off the street and behind bars, yes.”
“But that doesn’t have to be your whole life,” she said.
“It doesn’t have to be. I want it to be.”
She nodded, slowly, aware she was trying to fight the truth. When someone tells you who and what they are, believe them. Her mother used to say that. Colt was telling her he wasn’t the marrying kind, the family kind, the settling-down kind. He lived for his job. Or that she just wasn’t the one. So she should believe him and forget about a future with Colt Asher.
Except she was falling further in love with him every day.
Anna Miller also had a saying. It went like this: fight for what you want.
There were two sides to Colt Asher. The first: the lone-wolf FBI agent who needed no one. The second: the loving man who’d saved his sister’s much-needed vacation, gave up his own, changed an Amish woman’s life—and helped a little Amish girl by not ratting her out—with a job offer, was a great uncle and babysitter, a superb tipper and all-around generous human being.
The latter was a longer list. Anna wasn’t giving up on him.
Chapter Ten
As they approached the exit for Blue Gulch, Colt pulled over to text Jake and let him know that they’d be at the ranch in about twenty minutes to pick up the twins.
The little guys are fast asleep, Jake texted back. Why not pick them up in the morning? Enjoy the evening.
Huh. “Looks like we have the night off from baby duty,” he said to Anna.
“Aww, I miss the twins. And it feels strange to be apart from them for so long after taking care of them round the clock for a few days.”
“I know what you mean. I feel a little itchy about it, to be honest. Like something is missing.”
Anna smiled. “You love them.”
“Duh,” he said. “I’m their uncle.”
“Yes, but you looove them. They’re inside your heart. Under your skin.”
He wasn’t quite sure what she was getting at and wasn’t sure he wanted to know. “It doesn’t make sense to wake them up just to bring them home and have them be all grouchy. We should let them sleep.”
“Agreed,” she said. “You know what I would love to do on our night off? Have that pad Thai you mentioned earlier. See a movie in a theater—that would be a first for me. I’ve never dressed up for a night out. I’ve never worn earrings or lipstick.”
This would be...like a date. He swallowed.
“But it wouldn’t be a date,” he said quickly. “Just a night out.”
He caught her frown before she could hide it. Unfortunately, he was well trained to catch every minute facial movement. Now he felt like a jerk.
“Well, it could be like a date,” she said. “I’ve never been on a date in the English world. You could show me what I’d be in for.”
“In for?” he asked. Now he was the one frowning.
“Well, if I stay in your world, I’ll need to know what I’m getting into. What English men are like, what is done on dates, how things go.”
He hadn’t really considered the idea of Anna dating. But of course she would. Why did it bug him?
Hmm. Maybe he should take her out on a date. It would give him a chance to sort out his feelings for her, which were all over the place. He’d be sitting across from her in the Thai place instead of in their rooms with babies and their stuff all around them. He’d have more of a chance to see her as a woman and not his nanny. Given how young she was—eight years his junior—and how sheltered, he was sure he’d see that she would be better suited to a younger, more sheltered kind of guy, someone more her...type. Surely he wasn’t it.
“Date night, it is,” he said. “It’s almost five thirty now. Why don’t I pick you up at seven?”
She laughed. “By walking across the hall and knocking on my door?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She laughed again and for a moment he was mesmerized by her big smile and the happiness in her brown eyes.
“Well, then,” he said as he parked
in the lot for their inn. “I will see you at seven.”
“See you at seven,” she repeated. But instead of going inside the inn, she turned left and walked down Blue Gulch Street. He wondered where she was going.
He saw her pause in front of a shop window and look at something, then go inside. As he turned to enter the inn, his gaze stopped on Blue Gulch Jewelers. He could dash inside and pay off Thomas McDougal’s ring. He liked the idea of the man knowing, as soon as possible, that it was taken care of so he could plan his big proposal.
God, maybe Colt was getting soft.
He crossed the street and entered the shop, the bell jangling overhead. He explained to the saleswoman what he wanted to do.
“Oh, that’s just wonderful!” she said, touching her heart as he handed over the cash. “Would you like to leave a note for him?” She brought over a pad of stationery with the jewelry shop’s logo across the top.
For Thomas McDougal,
Merry Christmas!
—Santa’s elf
The saleswoman smiled. “Short and sweet. Can I help you with anything else?”
Colt was about to say no and leave, but he noticed a pair of earrings on display and thought about what Anna had said about having never worn earrings before.
“I’d like to buy a pair of earrings, but I don’t think the recipient has pierced ears.”
“Ah, then you want clip-ons. We don’t have many but we do have a few beauties.” She opened the display case and pulled out a tray.
Right away, Colt knew the ones Anna would love. He didn’t know how he knew, considering he had no clue what her style was. She was wearing his sister’s clothes, after all. But the gold earrings, with their delicate filigree leaf pattern, slightly dangling, were her. “I’ll take those.”
With the gift in a white box with velvet backing, Colt left and headed back to the inn. He pressed his ear to Anna’s door but didn’t hear any movement.
Were the earrings too much? Too intimate? He didn’t think so. But what if she took them the wrong way and thought the gift meant more than that he wanted her to have a special night?
Did they mean more? Hell, he wasn’t even sure himself. He could have bought her flowers, yellow roses, something friendly. But he went for jewelry.
Because she’d said something about earrings! he yelled silently to himself. Not intimate. Just a friendly gesture.
* * *
Anna glanced at the price tag of the shoes she’d fallen in love with in the window of the boutique. They were half price as part of a big Christmas sale. Leather peep-toe, three inches and incredibly sexy. They would go so nicely with the black wrap dress she’d brought from Colt’s sister’s closet. For her one big night out, she would treat herself.
She wondered whether she’d have a chance to wear them again. Or if she’d return to her village, the shoes hidden in the back of her closet as a memory. She still couldn’t say either way. Her heart was in the English world. But it was also back home. Maybe because that was where her only family was. Her dear young cousin, Sadie.
But she could visit with no repercussions on her family. She hadn’t committed to the faith, so leaving it was not an issue. The bishop and the other families wouldn’t be happy with the news, but sometimes, that was how it went and it was accepted.
Could she live out here in this world where these shoes were probably in every woman’s closet? The thought was actually very exciting. Yes, she could. And she wanted to. Wearing sexy shoes and lipstick didn’t mean she was vain. Looking in a mirror didn’t mean she was vain, either. She thought of Mara, doing so many wonderful things for her community. There was a balance, and Anna would like to find it for herself.
She bought the shoes.
And in the intimates section, where there was a display of bras and panties, she bought a matching lacy black set. Fine, she was a giant step ahead of herself. But who knew? Maybe they’d be flung off her body tonight in a fit of passion. Maybe Colt Asher would never see the sexy lacy bra and underwear at all. Either way, maybe they’d join the shoes in the back of her closet, never to be seen again except in her memories. In any case, she was buying them.
In the drugstore a few doors down she found the cosmetics aisle. Lipstick, definitely. A sheer red, nothing crazy. A brown mascara and an eyeliner pencil for a bit of that “smoky eye” she read about in magazines while in Grass Creek. She had the shoes. The makeup. The undergarments. She wouldn’t mind buying a bracelet or earrings to complete her outfit, but it was almost six fifteen and she’d barely have time to get ready. She did take one of the perfume samples at the counter. It was aptly called Seduction.
A thrill racing up and down her nape, she hurried back to the inn, loving how it felt to be carrying bags, even if one was just from the drugstore. As she approached her room, she eyed Colt’s door, goose bumps popping up on her arms and nape at the thought of him taking her out on the town.
She knew in the car, as they’d been stopped on the side of the road while he texted Jake, that she had her in with him. When she’d said she missed the twins and that it felt strange to be apart from them, he hadn’t looked at her as though she had two heads. He hadn’t raised an eyebrow and said, “Are you kidding? A night of freedom awaits!” No. He’d said, “I feel a little itchy about it, to be honest. Like something is missing.”
Whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not, she knew that Noah and Nathaniel had shown Colt a side of himself he didn’t know well—a side he might not have believed was there in him at all.
The man was not a lost cause. He felt deeply. He cared. He loved those little nephews of his. And he missed them. He did, indeed, have a heart—a big one—and while she was here with him, she’d make it her mission to show Colt he could have so much more than a job and an empty condo to come home to.
And tonight could be her only opportunity to have Colt Asher to herself and to experience a “date night.” Although, she was pretty sure that phrase was used for married people. She liked it, though.
She was having “date night,” and she was going to make the most of it.
* * *
At seven on the dot, Colt knocked on Anna’s door. She opened the door, and his eyes almost popped out of his head.
She was smoking hot.
Anna. The woman he’d met in baggy overalls and a baseball cap. The woman he’d hired while wearing a loose blue dress up to her neck and down to her ankles, a white bonnet on her hair. The woman who’d been in jeans and a sweater and sneakers and not a stitch of makeup.
He was speechless. She wore a slinky black dress and incredibly sexy high-heeled shoes. There was a hint of cleavage—and the hint was driving him wild. As was the subtle scent of perfume.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Anna.”
She smiled and he could barely take his eyes off her glossy red mouth.
Earth to Colt. Snap out of it! “Before we head out... I got you a little something,” he said, handing her the white box.
“Colt! You didn’t have to do that.” She opened the box and bit her lip. “Earrings. They are so lovely.”
“You just clip them right on,” he said a bit sheepishly, unsure if she had any idea how to do that.
“Come on in,” she said. “I need a mirror for this first attempt at wearing earrings.”
He followed her in, watching her smile in the reflection of the mirror over the bureau. She put down the box and took out an earring and clipped it on, moving her hair to take a look in the mirror. “I love them! The leaf is so pretty.” She attached the other one and turned left and right, admiring them in the mirror. “Thank you so much, Colt. My outfit feels complete now.”
The dangling gold earrings suited her. One side of her hair was pushed behind her ear, and he was overcome with the urge to kiss her neck.
“You’re ver
y welcome. Just a little something to celebrate your first big night out in the English world. And to say thank you for being such a great nanny. I couldn’t have lasted these few days without you, Anna. And there are a few more to go.”
She was quiet for a moment, then said, “Good, because I adore those little nephews of yours.” She cleared her throat and suddenly seemed a little uncomfortable. “Shall we go?”
He nodded, wondering what he’d said wrong. “We can walk to the Thai restaurant. It’s at the end of Blue Gulch Street. I know it’s not the same as being escorted around in a Jag, but it’s a nice night for a walk.”
She looped her arm through his, the simple touch sending shock waves through him. She smelled so...sexy that her nearness was driving him crazy. He wanted to take a step back to collect himself and have her closer all at the same time.
They arrived at Thai Palace, and his stomach growled as they entered the dimly lit restaurant. A hostess seated them and left them with menus. They decided on the pad Thai and shrimp in spicy green curry and a couple of appetizers and Thai beer.
“Can we really eat that much food?” she asked as the waitress left with their orders.
“I love Thai, so yes. We can. And whatever we can’t means leftovers for breakfast.”
“I’m pretty much used to oatmeal for breakfast. And lots of eggs and homemade bread. But I wouldn’t mind spicy curry for breakfast.”
“You’re up for adventure,” he said. “It’s why you’ll have a wonderful time in the English world.”
“I definitely am having a wonderful time. I love how tonight feels like a big finale but it’s right at the beginning.”
He nodded. “It’s better that way. Have your big night out early on so you’ll know if you want a repeat, or if you’re more of a homebody.”
“It’s crazy that I don’t know. Quiet nights at home under propane lamps are all I really know. My community does have get-togethers, of course, and there’s lots of dating. But not to Thai restaurants. Or movies.”