Wrapped Up In Christmas

Shy had nothing to do with it.

“I think she wants you to kiss me,” Sarah said slowly, her eyes growing even larger.

Bodie’s eyes might be huge, too. His hesitation certainly was.

“Doesn’t matter what she wants. We don’t have to kiss just because there’s planted mistletoe hanging from a lamp post.”

Uncertainty and what could only be labeled as disappointment shone on Sarah’s face.

Bodie’s stomach knotted. Did she want him to kiss her?

Memories of standing by their Christmas tree at Harvey Farm, of holding her hand earlier, swamped him, stirring his insides into a muddled mess.

He’d wanted to kiss her on both occasions. He wanted to kiss her now.

That didn’t mean he should.

“Quit making a big deal out of this and just kiss me,” Sarah ordered, sounding thoroughly fed up with the whole thing.

Bodie hesitated. When he still didn’t move, Sarah gave him a huffy glare. “Look, we may as well do this. The Harveys aren’t going to let us out of the sleigh until we do.”

“You’re sure?”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, good grief, just kiss me and get this over with.”

Not sure he wanted to kiss Sarah under these circumstances but realizing the longer he hesitated the more awkward this would become, especially for Sarah, Bodie leaned in and touched his lips to hers, then backed away. The kiss, if you could call it that, lasted a millisecond.

“That was too fast,” Mrs. Harvey complained, her white brows drawn together in a frown. “I didn’t get a picture.”

Sarah gave him a look that said not to argue, but to just do what the woman wanted. “Guess you have to kiss me again.”

Bodie sighed. “Guess I do.”

“Slower this time, so she can get the picture and we can go help with clean-up.”

Bodie leaned in, touched his mouth to Sarah’s again. This time, he lingered long enough to fully register how soft her lips were.

He kissed Sarah.

And she kissed him back.

He really was lying in a hospital bed somewhere dreaming, because no way was this real.

No way could Sarah be kissing him the way she was.

As if the kiss wasn’t staged but was something magical, something she wanted and was enjoying.

“Oh! That’s perfect,” Mrs. Harvey interrupted the moment. “I got it. All the photos will be available for pickup at our place on Monday morning.”

Slowly, Bodie and Sarah parted. Sarah looked at him with the same wonder and awe as she’d looked up at the snow.

As if he enchanted her and filled her with happiness. As if she trusted him completely.

His promise to Maybelle rang through his mind, causing him to swallow the lump in his throat. He shouldn’t have kissed Sarah, shouldn’t have let them get into a situation where the kiss could even have happened.

He didn’t want to hurt Sarah. Couldn’t let himself hurt her.

He needed to protect her. Even if that meant protecting her from himself.