Chapter 9
EMMA
By the third loop through town with my nose pressed to the window, I feel like a toddler seeing Christmas trees for the first time.
In a way, I feel like I'm seeing everything for the first time, being with Dylan. It's the first time I've ever been in a relationship with a man. The first time I’ve felt completely accepted by someone's family. Extended family. Even neighbors.
My goodness – Miriam's next-door neighbor had come rushing over this morning to make sure I had enough winter clothing in my size and asked if I wanted to borrow some extra mittens or a thicker coat.
Dylan drives his parent’s Jeep slowly past the main park again. "I'll go around the other side this time, so nobody thinks we're stalking them," he jokes.
He's been so patient with me, and so excited to show off all of the holiday delights Holly Valley has to offer.
Like the incredible bakery. And the enormous town Christmas tree.
Apparently it's tradition that everyone writes their Christmas wish down on a strip of paper, stuffs it into an ornament, then goes up in a cherry picker to hang it on the tree.
My stomach is still fluttering, remembering how tightly Dylan held onto me while we were up there. Mr. Douglas, the cherry picker operator, had politely looked the other way when we almost kissed. The only thing that stopped us was that it felt like everyone within a mile was staring.
I'm not sure how public we should be, since there's no way to know if I'll even be here next year. Every time I start to ask Dylan about that, I chicken out.
I don't want to hear him say that “this all started so quickly”, and he's “not really in a place in his life where he’s ready for a serious commitment”, blah blah blah. Even though he isn’t acting that way, I’m sure he can't be interested in a permanent relationship with someone completely out of the blue like this.
He just needed a fake date for the holidays to get his mom off his back about never bringing anyone home for Christmas.
Dylan stops on the side of the road, close to the huge tree, then reaches over to take my hand. "Emma," he says quietly. "I know this must be a lot for you. My family is over the top about the holidays. The whole town is."
I laugh. Just being so close to him in the truck is speeding up my pulse. "In a place this beautiful, how could people not be?"
"Still. I really appreciate this. You've been a total champ."
Oh.
I smile, even though champ is pretty much the least sexy thing he could call me. Makes me feel like part of the team, reminding me that this is just part of a mission to get his mother to leave him alone. "It's been fun. Really."
"Good. Are you ready for some downtime now?"
I'm already nodding. "Yes. This has been great, but a lot to take in."
His chuckle is deep and warm as he turns the Jeep around and heads back to his parents’ house.
"Mom and Dad are off visiting my cousins this afternoon and then some friends tonight, so we could lounge around and watch a movie.
Maybe go to bed early." He flashes me a glance, but it's too dark to get a good look at his eyes.
"Tomorrow is the big Christmas Eve Eve ball.
We're going to need to be well rested for that. "
Dylan explained to me on the flight that since so many people have family plans on Christmas Eve itself, the town decided it would be nice to have a huge party the night before. It’s almost like an annual reunion for the entire area.
Apparently there are three things I have to watch out for.
If the mayor asks me to dance, I should say yes but be careful because he's quite exuberant and likes to fling people around. I shouldn’t have more than one small cup of the punch, because although it’s delicious it has the alcohol equivalent of three drinks and I will regret it in the morning.
Most importantly, I have to try Mrs. McKenzie's famous potato salad before it runs out.
"Lounging is probably a good idea."
"Good." His hand lands on my knee, gently stroking and caressing through my thick leggings.
I like that he's always touching me. At first, it was just when there were people around, to sell the story that we were close.
Now it's like he can't stop himself, and I certainly don't want him to.
I have no idea how long this little tryst is going to last, but I want to explore every single seductive detail while it does.
Even if this doesn’t work out and my heart ends up bruised, it's going to be worth it for the magical memories – both of this special holiday, and whatever we get up to in the guest room tonight.