Beyond the Mistletoe: A Christmas Romance (Beyond Love Book 7) (21 page)

“I’m thoroughly impressed.” I looked around the room and let the spirit of Christmas soak into my bones.

“I’ve been thinking…” his voice trailed off.

My eyes flashed to his.

“Why don’t we try the long distance thing?” he asked. “What could it hurt?”

I wasn’t expecting this. I wasn’t even hoping for this. Long distance relationships weren’t my thing. They had risk stamped all over them, and I wasn’t much for risk in the love department.

Not realizing how much time had passed as I scrambled to come up with something to say, he stood up and so Samantha hopped off my beanbag.

“Or not,” he muttered.

I sprang up and flung my arms around him.

“A wise man once told me it was better to have someone you’re fond of somewhere than have no one you’re fond of anywhere.”

Derek slid his arms around me and pulled me in.

“I like that. Better to have someone somewhere than no one anywhere. I think that should be our motto.”

I nuzzled my nose into the crook of his neck and inhaled him completely. I had no idea what to expect, but I was truly excited that we were moving beyond the mistletoe.

Chapter Eighteen

“Well, don’t you look like you’ve been on a Fiji honeymoon,” I told Gabby as she came into the bakery.

“You think I got a little tan?” she asked.

“Yes, but I don’t think that’s what put the glow on your cheeks.” I jogged around the counter and gave her a big hug. “How does it feel to be Mrs. Baines?”

“Even better than I dreamed of,” she gushed. “You don’t look too shabby yourself. Is there something you want to tell me?”

“So Lily already filled you in.”

“Possibly. So tell me all about it.”

“Not much to tell.”

“Then why are you blushing?” Gabby walked over to the espresso machine and began tamping down some grounds.

“Well, he’s been officially living in Montana for nine days, and our relationship is even stronger than before. We seem to thrive via text and email.”

“I see. So we’re dealing with a purely intellectual relationship,” Gabby teased.

“Well, maybe not completely…” I flashed a wicked grin, thinking back to the one and only night we’d spent together. Would that be enough to solidify something between us? I already started thinking about when to visit Montana. But first I had to bring up something with Gabby that I’d seen on my way in this morning. It was going to change our plans greatly for the new year. She looked so happy and refreshed this morning I felt bad for bringing it up, but I needed to.

“So you know how we were planning on opening a bakery and shop on Hound Island?” I asked.

She nodded.

“Someone beat us to it. I saw a coming-soon sign for Busy Bee’s Espresso and Sweets plastered right by the ferry.”

“You’re kidding.” Gabby tied an apron around her neck and slicked back her hair.

“I wish I was. I’ve been so excited about us opening one up so close to home.”

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t sign the lease on the building we found. I’m not interested in coming into a town to battle it out. Things work out the way they’re meant to,” she sighed, looking completely disappointed.

“I guess.” Seeing the sign this morning definitely bummed me out. I’d been looking forward to managing an extension of Gabby’s Goodies so close to home. It allowed me to stay connected with a company I loved working for while taking the hassle of my commute out of the picture. Now I was left with a big decision, but it could wait until the new year. I didn’t need to burst Gabby’s bubble after her honeymoon bliss.

“So what changed your mind?” Gabby asked, arranging butter cookies on a tray.

“About what?” I asked, perplexed.

“Derek.”

“Oh him.” I went into the backroom and pulled a tray of cooled cranberry bread off the rack and came back out to arrange the sweets. I sliced the bread before placing it on the tray, which was really my way of procrastinating. I didn’t want to get into it all. The relationship was so new, I was afraid I’d jinx it. But maybe feeding her a tidbit would put a halt to the questioning.

“You know how Mr. Gibbs started dating again?” I asked Gabby.

“I remember you mentioning that to me.” She helped arrange the cranberry bread onto an ivory platter.

“Well, he said something that kind of made sense. The woman he’s dating doesn’t live locally, but he’s still giving it a try. He said it was better to have someone you’re fond of somewhere than have no one you’re fond of anywhere. It seemed perfect, considering.”

“Whatever the case, I’m glad you’re giving it a try. I know Derek’s really fond of you. I guess he can’t stop gushing about how perfect you are to Ayden.”

“Maybe it is better to keep him in Montana. Keep the mystery alive.”

Gabby chuckled and eyed her to-do list for the day.

“It’s good to be back. I missed this place,” she muttered, wiping her hands off on a flour sack towel.

“Was Jason getting antsy being away from the shop so long?” I asked.

Both Gabby and Jason loved what they did. She owned this bakery, and he owned a custom bike shop.

“A little, but I think we were both surprised at how easily we fell into island life. The sun would wake us up every morning and life was so relaxed. We love Katie to pieces, but raising a toddler is exhausting. It was so nice of Carla to watch her for our honeymoon.”

“She loves her to death. I honestly think if you’d offer shared custody with her, she’d be game.”

“So true.”

The door jingled, and I glanced up to see Chloe hurrying into the bakery.

“How was the honeymoon?” Chloe asked, nearly running up to the counter. “I’m sans kid so I can hear the dirty details.”

“Was that the oven timer? I better go check on that,” Gabby giggled.

“Eggnog latte?” I asked Chloe.

“That would be perfect.”

Chloe took a seat at the table closest to the counter while I made her eggnog latte. Gabby reappeared and gave me a curious look.

“So remember that man we tried persuading Emily to give a try?” Gabby began.

Now the look made sense. She was playing dirty and shifting the focus of the conversation to me.

“Yeah?”

“Well, it happened. After a rocky start, they’re officially dating.”

“No way.” Chloe’s eyes were huge, and she drank in the gossip like she was at an overflowing drinking fountain.

“There wasn’t anything rocky about it.” I dropped off Chloe’s eggnog latte and went back behind the counter as if it would offer me protection from her line of questioning. “I’m sure Gabby’s honeymoon is far more interesting.”

“How long have you been seeing him?” Chloe ignored me.

“Three weeks.”

“Plus two while you both were dating each other online without knowing it.” Gabby erased last week’s inspirational message on the chalkboard.

“Shut the front door.” Chloe was in heaven, and I had to laugh. I hadn’t heard that expression since my mom’s sister used to use it all the time, and she’d passed away several years ago.

“So I’d say you’ve been officially dating for about five weeks,” Gabby informed me as she wrote the latest inspirational message on the board.

I hadn’t really thought about it that way. Wow. I’d been with Derek for over a month. Yay me.

My phone beeped in the backroom, and I quickly excused myself while Gabby let me off the hook and started talking about the bluest of the blue waters of Fiji. I grabbed my phone out of my bag and saw a text from Derek.

I can’t stop writing. It’s like a nonstop stream. Good things are coming. How are you this morning? I would say I got up with the birds, but most of them were smart enough to flee before winter hit. I miss you.

My heart literally fluttered with excitement. Every time I got a text from Derek it was like Christmas morning. I never knew how early was too early to text or too late to text so I waited for him to initiate. Thankfully, he wasn’t one of those men who thought he was too cool and left me hanging. I quickly texted back.

I’m at work and we still have plenty of birds hanging around. I’m so excited. My parents are coming tomorrow for the holidays. I miss you. Looks like the bakery on Hound Island won’t be happening. I saw a sign this morning for one already opening in three weeks. xo

I saw that he was writing back and waited somewhat impatiently. Finally his response appeared on the screen.

Sometimes things work out for the best. This way you might have time to visit Santa in Montana. I’ll let you get back to the cookies.

I texted back quickly.

Is that an official invitation?

A message came right back.

Yes.

I shoved the phone into my purse and floated back to the main part of the bakery where Chloe was asking Gabby all kinds of questions about the sand on the beach. I rearranged some of the Christmas village pieces that had managed to tip over and get scattered. I always had to keep an eye on them whenever a teenage boy came in with his parents. Like clockwork, the village always took on an R-rated turn once they left. So far I’d found Rudolph drowned in a pond and Frosty in pieces near Santa’s workshop.

My mind drifted back to Derek and Montana. Would it be too soon to visit after Christmas? I didn’t want to look clingy, but I also didn’t want to look uninterested. I spotted the two women staring at me and realized I must have been talking to myself again.

“If you ask me,” Chloe began. “I’d go visit him sooner rather than later. Heck, I’d go now.”

Gabby shook her head. “I don’t know. We don’t want her to look like she’ll just drop everything for him whenever he snaps his fingers.”

“Exactly. Plus, tomorrow my family will be getting into town.” I moved over and glimpsed Gabby’s latest chalkboard message.

I believe…

The words warmed me up. I did believe. I believed in many things.

“My in-laws arrived this morning.” Chloe rolled her eyes.

“Is that the real reason you’re here?” I shook my finger at her.

“Maybe. But I really did want to find out about Gabby’s honeymoon.”

My phone beeped again, and I glanced at Gabby who nodded toward the backroom. I nearly slid to my purse and found my phone.

How about New Year’s Eve? I have something I want to talk to you about.

My hands trembled with excitement.

“Guys, he asked about coming to Montana for New Year’s Eve. Thoughts?”

“Go,” both Gabby and Chloe blurted.

I texted a quick yes and could barely stay on earth as I worked in the bakery the rest of the afternoon. I wondered what on earth he wanted to talk to me about. Life had a way of working out in surprising ways. What if this was one of those surprises? It wasn’t until Gabby, touched my hand that I realized I really hadn’t been on this planet.

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”

I chewed my lip and shook my head. I suddenly felt like I’d been thrown back into high school, only somehow back then, I’d missed out on ever getting a crush like this.

“I’d said, if you’d like to go home early that would be totally fine with me. I know how it goes getting ready for company.”

Her words were music to my ears. I had so much left to do before my parents and sister arrived. I hadn’t even gone grocery shopping yet.

“You wouldn’t mind?” I asked.

“You’ve been holding the fort down for weeks for me. Besides, you just put six cups of salt in that batch instead of sugar.”

“Are you serious?” I glanced at the bag in front of me.

Sure enough.

“Oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry.”

Gabby grinned mischievously and shook her head. “It just makes me so happy to see you like this. Go.” She smacked my hand. “Go get ready for the holidays and daydream about Derek.”

“I think my work here is done,” I said, untying the apron from my waist.

“I think that’s safe to say,” Gabby agreed, giving me a hug.

I wasn’t even sure how I got to the grocery store, but I made it. It was hard to believe after six long years, I was in a serious relationship with someone who understood me. All of me. With my cart full, I pulled into the checkout lane. My eyes briefly flicked to a tabloid and my heart sank as I saw the headline. How could he do this to me?