Chapter 18
Everly
Has Knox considered that his crazy busyness during the holiday season might be a blessing in disguise?
The motel his directions lead me to falls mid-range on the scale between dicey and generally bleak, putting a new twist on the concept of business travel. Weeks in this place would send me into a deep funk.
I park two doors down from room one-twelve. Knox’s work truck occupies the closest spot.
I’ve reached the hood of my SUV when the handle to his room turns and he appears in the doorway. My throat gulps a giant swallow.
Knox leans into the frame, consuming the space. He’s spiffy and sharp-dressed in a charcoal suit, with a festive holiday tie around his neck. His hair has been trimmed and combed into a smooth wave. He’ll blend right in with the hotshot attorneys.
Only…not. The polished attire doesn’t hide his ruggedness, and there’s nothing soft about Knox—except maybe his heart, my increasingly favorite thing about him.
His cheek crooks to one side. The gold in his irises sparkles as his gaze sweeps over me. “What happened to the red dress?”
The little black dress I opted for in the end is tame but pretty.
Fitted on top, flowy to right above the knees, comfortable but elegant for evening wear.
On the flip side, the heels, all four inches of them, may be the death of my feet before the night is done.
“I’m going to a party with a bunch of strangers. I decided I preferred to blend.”
Goosebumps dapple my skin as Knox’s gaze skims me a second, more thorough time. “Impossible. Every eye will be on you.”
My heart stutters before taking flight. I’m not that girl, never have been—but from Knox, the compliment lands like sprinkled magic, and I almost believe him.
Lucky me, I won the prize of spending an entire evening with this man.
He takes both my hands. “You’re beautiful, Everly. I’m a lucky guy.”
Our thoughts are syncing.
“Black is amazing on you. And all the Christmas cheer you need is right there.” He taps the red, green, and clear crystal necklace I added for color. The pad of his finger teases my collarbone.
Who would have thought calloused hands could be so appealing?
“You clean up pretty nice yourself.” Suits aren’t always the best on big guys, but Knox wears his delightfully. His active job serves him well.
He spreads his arms in take-a-gander fashion, then tweaks the bottom of his tie. It’s red and green plaid and sports a dancing Santa. “What do you think?”
“Hmm. Festive.”
“Too cheesy?” He thumbs over his shoulder. “I’ve got another one if you want me to change.”
Never. “Nope. This one’s just right for a Christmas party.”
He adjusts the knot. “Good, because the other one is boring, business-y blue. And we can’t have that.” His dimples pop, sending waves of swoon all the way to my toes. “Besides, this is my favorite. My grandfather used to wear it every Christmas. Now, I bring it out for special occasions.”
I blink. “A work party with a woman you just met and a bunch of strangers is a special occasion?”
He pats the silky tie. “Yep…but it isn’t the strangers that make tonight special.”
The fiery sparkle in his lowered gaze dazzles the butterflies in my stomach.
Truly, everything about my date for the night could defrost the contents of a walk-in freezer in five minutes flat.
Knox is way more than I expected to find while languishing in Chandor for the holidays.
If things maintain their present course, I’m going to wind up owing Uncle Charlie instead of the other way around.
Knox step-hops around me, takes my fingers lightly, and opens the driver’s door. “Your carriage, milady.”
After closing me inside, he removes his suit coat and lays it neatly across the backseat.
Our elbows collide on the armrest as he fits himself into the passenger compartment.
Spicy cologne further discombobulates my already racing thoughts.
Taking a deep, collecting breath, I press the engine start button.
Knox frowns. “That didn’t sound right.”
“Yeah, it’s made that sound a couple times this week, but then it’s fine.”
“Cold weather’s hard on batteries.”
“I’ll check into it on Monday.”
As we merge with freeway traffic, Knox grips the strap over the door. I think the posture is more about running out of space than it is an issue with my driving. No wonder he drives a truck.
My palms are sweaty on the leather wheel. “So. What did you do today?”
“Worked.”
I whip around. “Another Saturday?”
“Oh yeah—and pretty much every day until this job is done. Trying to make up for time the weather’s cost us. LHS has sent down a second crew to work at night.”
“Oh joy.”
He grins, but the stress of the week shows.
“I feel awful taking you away from work.”
He snort-chuckles. “You kidding? I owe you bigtime.”
“But aren’t you the guy in charge?”
“Usually, but Cliff’s there. He’s the one who taught me the job. Stepped back some after his wife died, but he’s back in the saddle now.”
“You know, until Sunday, I thought Cliff was the boss. How long have you been with LHS?” The highway requires focus, but a heartbeat of quiet makes my quick peek last longer.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you about tha—whoa!”
I hit the brakes, and Knox’s arm shoots out in front of me.
We come to a quicker-than-ideal stop, the early evening glowing with bright red taillights. This stretch always bottlenecks, but not so severely.
There are worse things by far than being trapped in a car with a handsome, amazing-smelling man. “Sorry.” I smile an apology.
He lays his hand near my sparkly bracelet. “I get this kind of reaction a lot, Ev—but you’re gonna have to keep your eyes on the road, darlin’.”
Real words fly out the window, leaving me giggling like a silly schoolgirl.
Darlin’? Knox’s flirt factor has rocketed off the charts tonight, rattling my equilibrium.
I bump his elbow. “For somebody who plays in the mud all day, you sure do talk a big game, buddy. Oh, look. Missed a spot!” I tap his perfectly clean hand.
“Yeah. Look at that.” He draws back into his half of the car.
“So. You were saying?” I check my mirrors to get over, then steal a peek.
“Oh, nothing. Just more work talk.”
Knox
It’s an unfair twist of fate that my ex’s snobbery continues to intrude, tainting my relationship with Everly, a relationship I hope is on the launch pad.
Becca messed with my head. It’s her fault alone Everly’s jest found its way under my skin, and man, I am an idiot for letting it stay there. But doggone, every time I think I’ve washed Becca and her nonsense out of my psyche, pop. There she is again.
I get that women—especially gorgeous attorneys—don’t dream about men like me. Movies aren’t made, books aren’t written.
Yes, there’s another line item on my resumé, but I shouldn’t have to wave it around like a doggie treat. Nobody wants to be tolerated or grudgingly accepted.
You’re making too much out of things, Ox.
Seems so, but it’s early days yet. Becca put on a darned good show of loving me—until she didn’t.
That woman knew both sides of me, and I still wasn’t enough.
In the end, it turned out she was trying to tolerate the part of me she didn’t like to grab hold of the part she did.
I’d like to avoid that in my next relationship.
“Knox?”
Everly’s skin glows Christmassy red from the slowed traffic we’re lost in a sea of. Beautiful. She’s also open and warm—earning me the title of complete idiot.
Man up, Herd. Nobody loves a navel gazer. Insecurity is unattractive, and self-consciousness is its own form of pride.
“You got quiet all of a sudden.” Her lower lip is wedged between her teeth.
Shame on me for allowing my insecurities to stoke hers. I take her hand, soft and smooth, and this time, weave our fingers together. “I’m good. A little tired, I guess.”
“Physical labor is exhausting.” Her lips soften into a commiserating smile.
“I don’t know how you do it all day every day.
By closing, my feet are screaming at me no matter what shoes I wear.
The only good thing is that at least my brain isn’t worn out like after a day at the office.
” She shoots me a glance. “That part must be nice.”
I watch her profile so long, she finally turns. Instantly, she blanches.
Her eyelashes, painted long and dark for evening wear, flare up. “That came out wrong. I know you have to use your brain, too. I didn’t mean…”
I can guess the expression on my face, though it caught me off guard and snuck out. “I do use my brain. Laying sewer and water lines for multimillion dollar commercial structures and developments is complex. Sure, engineers do the planning, but the execution of those plans takes some skill.”
Her throat bobs a guilty swallow. “I know that.”
“As for the work being backbreaking…I’m sure you also know we have machinery for the big jobs. But yes, other times, we grab a shovel, jump in the hole, and do things the old fashioned way.” My hands curl on my thighs. “And the truth is, I get bored behind a desk.”
Everly chews her lip, a fine distraction since my emotions waffle between playing it cool and wallowing in insult. When did I turn into a baby?
You’re screwing up, Knox.
Sighing, I drag my hand across my cheek and mouth. “Tired is tired. Comparison is pointless. People have different strengths, and different things make different people happy. Everybody carries their own load, no matter how it’s structured.”
Not exactly bringing the holiday cheer, am I?
It isn’t Everly’s fault that exactly one year ago tonight, my world imploded.
The maps app leads us astray, and by the time we pull up to the hotel, the valet line is long and we’re twenty minutes behind schedule.
Everly checks her bracelet watch. “I hope they haven’t started serving dinner.”
I frown, remembering the spiky silvery heels on her self-confessed tired feet, I unbuckle my seatbelt. “Tell you what. You get out here, and I’ll park the car.”
She protests as I knew she would but then allows me to play gentleman.
We meet on the driver’s side, and I ease the berry red wrap onto her shoulders.
Her hair smells like sweet apple as I free it from the faux-fur collar, touching my nose to the tresses.
Party without us, guys. We’re good on our own.
“Feels like that arctic front they’ve been warning about is moving in.”
“Fantastic.” I slide my hands along her waist, separating with a pat. “Now, get out of this wind. I’ll catch up in a minute.”
Thanks to the ominous, biting gusts, my hair requires a swing by the restroom once the car is parked and I’m inside the hotel lobby.
When all hairs are where they should be, I tuck my handy dandy comb into the inside pocket of my suitcoat and take a once-over gander in the mirror. Eh. Maybe I do clean up alright.
I locate Everly with her fingers coiled in a death hold on her beaded clutch. A fichus tree near the elevator bank provides cover as if she’s playing spy. I stop in front of her, fighting a smile.
“Why did my boss have to invite me to this shindig? I’m perfectly fine getting to know my coworkers in the office. In January.”
I give her the side eye. “Excuse me, but are you the same lady who went scorched earth on some poor customer for supposedly not paying?”
Tucking her thumbnail between her teeth, she peers past my shoulder. “I hate meeting new people. And crowds.” Her gaze sweeps the entrance to the ballroom. “Definitely crowds.”
“That surprises me.”
“Seriously? I chose a career where my job is to lock myself in a quiet office and pore over paperwork and law books all day long. Pay attention, Herd.”
Ah, there’s the spunk. I laugh, slipping my arm around her waist. “Come on, girl. You’ve got this.”
Her ruby lips glide into a smile that waters my mouth. Everly nestled in the bend of my arm is its own kind of magic. A kiss by midnight? Yep, that’s the plan.