A Cross-Country Christmas(20)

“Maybe I can catch a bus back home.”

“You could do that, sure.” he said. “Or you could open your mind to adventure.”

She rolled her eyes as they passed giant, tumbleweed snowmen with sticks for arms; each decorated differently and sponsored by local businesses. A top-hatted formal-wear all-business snowman, a snowman holding a cordless drill and hammer for the hardware store, and perhaps the most eye-catching of all, a snowwoman wearing what appeared to be a biodegradable wedding gown.

“It’s a great little town, right?”

She never would’ve taken him for a lover of Christmas, but he seemed downright giddy about this place, this holiday, and, if she was honest, about life in general. There was a niggle of jealousy at the realization. Lauren had never felt that way. Most days, she woke up focused and ready to work. A day without a plan challenged her, and not in a good way.

They turned into a neighborhood, and she could feel annoyance coursing through her. “Will, what are we doing here? If this is your attempt to try and convince me I need to loosen up, it’s not working. In fact, it’s having the opposite effect.”

He stopped the car in front of a small, white ranch home, its outline strung with colorful lights. A blow-up Santa tilted proudly in the front yard.

“Sorry, I—” He paused. It was like he was trying to tell her something without telling her everything. “I just need to check on something.”

Only then did she start to think maybe their being here wasn’t accidental at all.

“Do you want to wait in the car or come in with me?”

“Are we on the set of a Christmas movie?” She glanced over at him.

“It could be. Did you know El Muérdago translates to ‘mistletoe’? So, you might want to guard your lips.”

Her eyes darted to his lips, lingering a little longer than was appropriate. “You brought me to a town called ‘Mistletoe’?”

And why did her heart sputter at the thought?

He unbuckled his seatbelt, leaning toward her as he did. She inhaled at that exact moment and forced herself not to think about the smell of his aftershave. (It was really, really nice.)

“Did you ever think maybe this isn’t about you at all?” He was out of the car before she could respond, but his words remained, filling the empty space.

He walked around and stood, waiting for her on the sidewalk.

She absolutely did not want to get out and face him. He’d simultaneously excited her and rebuked her, and her emotions were sloshing around like a half-full gas tank in a boat on the sea.

This entire trip, she’d been so ugly to him, and he’d never—not once—uttered a cross word to her. She was ashamed to think that this was how she’d been treating him, even if he was Will Sinclair.

In an effort to not fall for him, she’d forgotten basic human decency. Internally, she groaned. She’d probably have to apologize for that at some point. That was going to sting.

He bent down and gently knocked on her window. He gestured a “You coming?”

Slowly, she opened the door and got out. As she did, her foot caught on the curb, and she teetered slightly. Will immediately caught and righted her, and all of a sudden, she was eleven-going-on-twelve again, back in her kitchen, sharing a smile and a can of Coke.

He held onto her arm, reached around (oh my gosh, he was so close) and shut her door. He turned, and she followed him to the front door of a house of strangers. What were they doing here?

She didn’t love social settings. She had a knack for feeling out of place. While Will was charismatic and a little too charming, Lauren was a wallflower. She’d grown quite accustomed to the background.

Would she be able to fade here?

“Now do you want to tell me where we are?” she asked.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I really am. I know you want to get home. This is just something I need to do. I promise it won’t take long.”

She was struck by his sincerity. She figured he could’ve dropped her at a hotel, though she was pretty sure they didn’t have reservations anywhere.

What if he was visiting a girlfriend? Or that Rosa who’d texted him yesterday? How awkward was this going to be?

Get it together, Lauren.

But no amount of pep-talking helped her. She was in a strange town that looked like Christmas had thrown up all over it, about to walk into a situation she had no control over, with a guy who—despite her very valiant efforts against this—still seemed to have some sort of effect on her. She really just wanted to go back to California and pretend this trip had never happened.

Will rang the doorbell, and when it opened, an adorable, plump middle-aged woman squealed at the sight of him.

The woman’s eyes filled with tears and she flung her arms around him and pulled him into a hug he clearly wasn’t expecting.

“Ah! Dios mío, es maravilloso verte, Coach Will!” She gushed the words, still clinging to him. “I can’t believe you came!”

“Rosa!” He sounded out of breath, she was squeezing him hard, “?Cómo has estado?” She finally let him go, rubbing his arms, like his abuela. “It was hardly out of the way at all,” he said, with a sideways glance at Lauren.

Rosa? This was Rosa?

Her face flushed, hot with the embarrassment of her assumption. Add that to the list of things she’d have to apologize for.