Christmas Therapy
Page 51
“I wasn’t.”
“Tell that to someone you didn’t grow up with,” Desmond said.
Allen exhaled.
His cousin continued. “You don’t think you—”
“Let’s finish this up okay?” Allen would rather talk about spraine
d ligaments and broken bones than to deal with these new feelings for Heather. Who said they were even feelings? He peeked again at her, only to see the Christmas fair banner dangling behind her. He hustled to the brick wall to refasten it.
Heather twisted in her seat as he secured it back to the wall. “Thank goodness.”
“Not a big deal.”
“You would say that.”
The corners of his mouth quirked up. “Oh, really?”
“I think you’re the type that doesn’t want a lot of attention. When you step in to help for anything, you don’t want people to think anything of it.”
He sat on the edge of the table, hovering over her. “Is that so? You can tell that by looking at me?”
She lifted her chin. “Am I wrong?”
She wasn’t and that’s what he hated. With her, he was as transparent as the shining sun. “Not too far from the truth.”
Heather smiled, digging into another mess of tangled lights. “I swear this gets worse every year.”
“Don’t they have things to make this easier?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You mean like the Star Showers?”
“Why not? They make them for indoors.”
“It’s the getting there that makes this fun. It brings the community together.”
“All I’m saying is it will make it easier.”
She squinted her eyes, but her grin gave her away. “You tell that to my mother and then I’ll consider it.”
“Never mind, then.”
Heather chuckled. Then her eyes stared back at her pile only to notice something.
Allen lowered his gaze. “What is that?”
She held the small plant in her hand and held it up inside her palm. “I think it’s mistletoe.”
“How did that get there?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Let me guess, you like the tradition of that too.”
“You don’t? Who have you been spending Christmas with?” Her mouth fell open, and she covered it with her other hand. “Sorry. My mouth gets me in trouble.”
“No, it’s fine,” Allen said.