Totally Smitten (A Cozy AF Christmas 3)

“So, Baker, when you get tired of playing games with her, how about you call me up?” She pats me on the chest and walks away.

Stunned, I stand there like a lump on a log. I’ve never dealt with anyone so arrogant and just a plain asshole. At least not a woman. “Tara—” I turn to her, but I realize it’s too late.

Tara’s face is white. So white she looks like she may pass out. “Are you okay?” I reach for her, but she holds her hands up, evading my hold. “I just need a minute.”

She tries to smile at me, but it’s right in the middle of a sob that she takes off running from the room.

I look around the room, wondering what I should do. Tara obviously doesn’t want to talk to me right now, but I can’t just leave her upset like that. I look to see if anyone else noticed it when a small man walks toward me. “Looks like my Hilda struck again.”

“Your Hilda? You’re married to that woman?”

He looks sad about it when he answers me. “Yep, I am.”

“Wow!” is all I say. Poor guy. She’s definitely not nice, and she seems to flirt with men even if she’s married.

“She’s always had it out for Tara. It got worse when I finally agreed to go on a date with her.”

Confused, I look at him in question. “Why’s that?”

He shakes his head and smiles. “Sorry. Let me introduce myself. I’m Cameron. I dated Tara in high school and up until she left for college. I would have stayed with her too, but she broke it off before she went.”

“So you married her cousin?”

“Yeah. Trust me, I should have waited for Tara and begged her to take me back,” he says, his voice full of regret.

My hands clench at my sides. I look around at all the people laughing and having a good time. Tara and I should be doing that. Not letting Hilda and now Cameron ruin this for us.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Cameron,” I tell him, even though it’s a lie. I start to walk away and stop, feeling like I need to say more. “She’s mine. Tara’s mine now,” I tell him, wanting him to know without a doubt he doesn’t have a chance of getting her back.

I go in search of Tara all around the upstairs and then back to the main floor. Against Janet’s advice, I grab a glass of eggnog and down it in one swig. Christmas music is blasting in the backyard, so I go to the front. And there is where I find Tara. She’s sitting on the porch, her knees are pulled up to her chest, and she’s so deep in thought she doesn’t even lift her head up until I sit down next to her on the stoop.

“What are you doing out here by yourself?” I ask her.

She lifts her red-rimmed eyes to me. “Can I talk to you?”

“Yes.”

“Hilda is married,” she starts.

“I don’t care…” I try to butt in, but she holds her hand up to stop me.

I reach for her, but she shakes her head. “No. I can’t do this touching you. Let me just get this out. Okay?”

I nod my head because I can feel this is important, and I don’t want to mess it up for her. But the fact she won’t let me touch her doesn’t sound like this is going to go in my favor.

“I haven’t been very honest with you, and I hate that, because I’m usually a very honest person.”

She looks at me, but I just stare back at her and wait patiently.

“I like you, Baker Miller. I liked you the second I met you. You are the reason I stayed in town. After getting to know you, I well, let’s just say, I’m smitten.” She looks away and seems to take a deep breath, then pulls her shoulders back and looks at me again. “I know that’s maybe not what you want to hear. And I know that you’re probably used to women like Hilda or someone else, but I’m me. And well, I like me. But I can’t play this game anymore. I thought it would be harmless, but I can feel myself falling apart right now. It’s like I had a taste of what it could be like, and I know I’m not going to have that. I think it’s best if we stopped this charade we have going on.”

When she finally stops talking, I can tell she’s on the verge of tears. Because I can’t hold it back any longer, I reach for her and pick her up, pulling her to my lap. “You’re right, Tara. I don’t want to do this charade anymore either.”

She instantly starts to struggle and move from my lap, but I hold on tight, my arms around her waist. “I don’t want a charade because I want the real thing. I want it with you. Why do you think I did this? Insisted that I come with you and got so upset when I heard you had called for a male escort? It’s because I like you, Tara. A lot!”