Christmas Clash (13 page)

“'Ello.”

“Hey, Frank. Any good news? I sure could use some.”

“Still working on the problem. Don't worry. I'll solve it.”

“I just saw Pamela from the historical society; she said the tunnels are a no-go on my block.”

“I'll check for myself.”

Candace smiled into the phone. She trusted Frank. He'd leave no stone unturned and would investigate everything with his own two eyes.

“Thank you.”

“You've been hanging around this Luke fella quite a bit.”

His statement should surprise her, but it didn't. Frank knew all. She nodded into the phone, unsure where he was going with bringing up Luke.

“I'm checking him out, too.”

“There's no need—”

“There's always a need. That's what keeps me valuable.”

His teasing tone enabled her to let out a deep breath. “You'll always be valuable to me, Frank. But seriously, don't waste your time on Luke.”

Luke had nothing to hide.

• • •

Candace suited up in her warmest sweater, which she pulled on over a tank top and a long-sleeved thermal shirt. She didn't mess around with nighttime cold. If she had to sing, she required warmth. Her gloves—the ones with holes at the top of the fingers, then a mitten top that dangled—were the last item she loaded in her bag, which already contained a knitted red hat, scarf, and half sheets of paper.

She met the group Sophie had wrangled at The Pub, resisting the urge to go in and check on her shop. The flowers would be there in the morning, she reminded herself; tonight she could use a break from planning events, thinking about Luke, and stressing about the final vote.

“Are we ready to get this party started?” she asked Sophie, who stood with her band mates.

She resisted the urge to look around for Luke. They were getting along, they'd kissed, the reporter situation was a little weird, but he'd comforted her in a sweet way. Where did that leave them? Where did it leave her? Needing a good night's sleep. She'd gone to bed early only to toss and turn, wondering if she'd done everything for the event she could've. Then a great idea popped into her head and she'd forgone sleeping to make fliers. Sometime in the near future she was going to sleep for a week.

“Just about ready,” Sophie answered. “We're waiting on two more.”

Nearly twenty participants for caroling had already arrived. Candace reached into her bag and scooped out a pile of fliers that clearly labeled the issue before the city council, why it was a bad idea, and how to get in touch with council members to voice their opinion. There was no way Jeffrey Dean wasn't doing everything in his power to sway the vote, and she had to do the same or she wouldn't be able to live with herself. If she was going to win, she needed public support.

“What is this?”

Luke startled her and her heart reacted by skipping a beat. She felt his presence behind her so she spun to face him.

“Fliers for our cause,” she said.

“Really.” He took one from her hand.

Their fingers didn't meet and the disappointment curled her fingers back by her side.

“Caroling is an opportunity I didn't want to miss,” she said.

“Did you write a song to go along with them? You know, change the words to ‘Jingle Bells'?” A grin followed his words.

Luke looked hard and chiseled and so kissable. Her hands ached to press against his chest and her toes wanted to stretch up to help her lips meet his. Instead, she snatched the flier from his hands.

“I did not. However, that's a marvelous idea, and I'll think about it as we walk to the first house.”

“Oh geez.”

He rolled his eyes in such as exaggerated way she laughed. “Is everything a business opportunity for you? Can't you ever just have fun?” he asked.

“There'll be time for partying later.”

“How often do you say that?”

“I really don't see what the problem is.”

“You. First James. Now caroling. All business. Don't you have another side?”

Luke studied her and she felt every flicker of want that flashed in his eyes. From spat to need, that was their dance. “This is smart,” he finally said. “Good job.” He tucked the flier into his coat as the rest of their merry crew arrived.

She felt her future resting on her shoulders. She was going to have to decide if she wanted to date Luke. Half of her was all in favor, and from the looks of it Luke might be game, too. The other half, however—the part that hated getting hurt—wasn't so sure if letting him be a bigger part of her life would be a smart decision. Luke was the one she'd jump head first and go all in with. If he didn't reciprocate, then she'd have to sneak in and out of work for the rest of her life, all while cradling a broken heart. She loved big sunglasses and heavy coats, but not enough to hide behind them forever.

“Let's head south, the houses start two blocks up,” Sophie announced, and someone started passing around candles sticking through the middle of paper cups.

The large crowd started the trail to an older district of houses nearby, the type with grand porches and beautiful architecture, each one conveying their own personality.

“Shall we?” Luke asked.

He offered his elbow and she laced their arms, grateful she had gloves on if her hand was going to be exposed all night. She slipped her other hand into her coat pocket and followed his lead. Jokes about skipping as if they were on the yellow brick road flittered through her mind, but the timing didn't feel right. Making fun of his gesture would diminish its sweetness, and she didn't want to set a bad precedent. She wanted to be encouraging so he'd do it again. And again and again.

Women think so differently than men.
Here she was contemplating their future and how to give him positive feedback on her likes and dislikes, and he was probably thinking about having a buddy on their all-female-except-for-him shindig, or staying warm.

Men were more practical.

• • •

Luke strode beside Candace and couldn't think of another place he'd rather be. His world had turned upside down and he was settling into it nicely. After Candace had surprised him with her possessive antics in front of the reporter, he'd found himself pleased with a side of confusion that had all settled into happiness. So, he was going to test the waters every now and then to see how she reacted and where he stood. Step one: a simple gentlemanly gesture. Check. Only now, he wanted more. That last thought was surprising, considering a couple of weeks ago he didn't like her one bit. But, if he was being fair, he didn't really know her. Not like he did now. Now, he'd witnessed firsthand the smart determination and passion that drove her. Her sexy walk and the all-grown-up way she looked at him didn't hurt either. He would remember their dance, how she felt in his arms, until the day he died. He still wasn't sure what had come over him in the darkness of the night, but he was sure as hell glad he'd followed his instincts and not overthought his actions.

The group rounded the corner to their first home.

“Let's sing ‘O Holy Night', then ‘Jingle Bells' as we head to the next house,” Sophie shouted so everyone could hear, then counted them down.

“O holy night, the stars are brightly shining …” Surprisingly, they didn't sound half bad for choosing a difficult group song.

The lyrics were automatic, which gave his mind time to focus on Candace's closeness. She'd leaned closer to him as they stopped, probably in an attempt to shield herself from the breeze. He'd never been so thankful for the wind that plagued Casper on a regular basis.

Before leaving each house, Candace or another person in front would hand the listeners a flier and wish them well. Luke admired Candace's moxie in using tonight to rally for their businesses.

“What?” she asked.

He arched an eyebrow.

“Something's on your mind. Let's have it.” She jostled his arm.

“I don't think you
never
have fun. You're just so focused. I don't think you're living life to the fullest. I'm wondering if you're always this way.”

“I had fun at breakfast.”

“Yeah, that was nice. However, now we're out caroling and you're giving people fliers on the city council.”

“I'm an opportunist.”

“That's what I'm worried about.”

She was brilliant and a little intimidating, but he'd seen the soft side of her, which just made the package that was Candace Ellison much more enticing. Everything he thought about her before had been true, only he realized now she was exactly what he wanted. He had to come up with a plan for the next step to get closer to Candace, and fast.

• • •

Candace gave in to the affection between her and Luke while they caroled. Snuggling next to him had many advantages, not the least of which was having him touch her.
Damn gloves and coats and shirts. Why couldn't it be summer?

And this despite the fact that their conversation topic was on the aggressive side. He cared enough to speak up about what was on his mind—a trait she admired. The problem? What bothered him about her was—her. Business, her business, was her world. There was no way she was leaving any opportunity to save it behind. This was her future. The night's cold bit into her cheeks. Was she fighting so hard because she knew whatever she and Luke had would be over if they lost the vote? She wasn't sure her motives could be that easily defined. Bottom line: She hated losing. Any battle. Period. What she needed to figure out was how to have Luke like, or perhaps accept, that side of her.

“Having fun?” She turned her head to look up at him as the group huddled at the last house on their excursion.

“Yes.” He kissed her forehead, then pulled her into him.

She breathed in his scent and wrapped her arms around him. The cold bit at her limbs, but Luke's touch turned her chills red hot. She nestled her head on his chest, wishing it were his bare chest, and sighed. Her feelings for Luke had definitely spun a one-eighty. But was her newfound attraction to him formed because they were on the same side of the stress, or was it real?
Why can't anything in my life be simple?

“Nice job, everyone,” Sophie's voice rang out, and Candace pulled her head up. “Let's head back.”

Candace felt Luke's gloved hand lace with hers. A satisfied smile appeared before she could stop it. Not that she'd want to; the action was nice.

“What are your plans for Christmas?” she asked him.

“The pub is closed, but my family convenes there. And anyone else who gets invited along the way. We usually end up with quite a crowd.”

She heard the smile more than witnessed it, as both of their faces were tucked into either coats or scarves.

“My mom and aunt usually cook up a feast. Lilia and Lena will be in town. It's a good time. What are your plans?”

“My family has a big celebration, too. It's just not about family.” Her dry laugh was a reflex when talking about her family events. “There's a party on Christmas Eve, but it's all about politics. Then we also have a Christmas dinner. It's usually quiet because Christmas Eve was eventful in a bad way.”

“Sounds rough.”

“Last year my dad and brother got into it pretty bad.”

“About what?”

“Blake's future, mostly. But he'd met Halle and finally stood up to the old man.”

“That's his wife, right? I met her at the community event. She seems nice.”

“Yeah, she's great. They have a baby on the way. Oh!” She jerked her head toward Luke. “Don't say anything.”

He nodded.

“Blake as a dad is going to be hilarious.”

She was so happy for Blake and Halle—they'd certainly revitalized Candace's belief in finding
the one
. Maybe instead of
finding
she merely needed to
recognize.

Nah, that's going too far. Luke's great, but committing to him for the rest of my life would be crazy.

She'd often thought a crazy gene ran in her family, but now maybe she had proof. Was she seriously thinking about the possibly of marrying a man she considered an enemy mere weeks ago? Oh geez, she was.

Candace wasn't thrilled to see James Brand enter her store the next morning to inspect the money trees she had in the front window of Kiss from a Rose.

Shoot. I agreed to dinner.

“Good morning, James.” She twiddled her pen in her hand, the set aside the order form she was working on for the local museum curator. They were having a party to celebrate a book opening and the customer wanted vibrant purple, red, and white flower combinations.

“Candace.” A booming voice, louder than she remembered, came from the man Luke despised. “How are you today?”

“I am doing well, thank you. Welcome to one of the businesses that you are helping to destroy.” She added her sweet smile to her curt words.

“That is a little harsh, don't you think? It's not my choice. If it were, I can assure you that your business would be the last place I would want to tear down.”

“Why is that?”

“Messing with a beautiful lady is bad luck.”

She knew she shouldn't like James, but dammit, she kind of did. His perfectly symmetrical face was enticing in a want-to-study-him sort of way. An uncomfortable feeling spread through her chest.

He reached his large hand to rub the back of his knuckles under his chin. “Have dinner with me tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“Dinner. I would love to wine and dine you.”

No way in hell should I go out with this guy.
What would Luke say? He barely understood about drinks last time. How would he take dinner? It was only for the good of all of their businesses. Luke just sort of kissed her when he felt like it. Dang, that realization sucked.