CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Cat watched Noah juggle her niece, making the little girl roar with laughter in her snow suit. It made her feel warm inside to see him enjoying himself like that, and maybe, just maybe, it was pretty sexy watching him expertly handle a baby. Ugh. Thinking with her ovaries would get her nowhere.
Kids weren’t on her radar. Neither were serious relationships. She had nothing against either and hoped to one day enjoy both. But right now, her life was exactly perfect, and she wasn’t willing to give that up. Not for a wiggly little girl who cooed and crowed. And not for a stubble-jawed, hometown hero of a man who was beaming at her like this was the best day of his life.
Cat heard the throat clearing and shot her sister-in-law a glare. Paige smirked. Great, now she’d been busted swooning over a hot guy and a baby. This was only going to strengthen Paige’s, “You’re attracted to each other” argument.
Cat shoved a hot chocolate into Paige’s hands. “Shut up.”
Gannon took Gabby back from Noah, and Cat handed him his drink.
“This is the best snow day I’ve ever had,” he admitted, closing his eyes on his first sip. “Mmm, Bailey’s and… whiskey?”
“She’ll never tell,” Cat predicted, eyeballing Elva and wondering if the woman would be up for an on-camera interview during the Christmas Festival.
“Thanks for this, Cat,” Noah said, gesturing toward the hill. It was populated by sled tracks and half made snowmen. The people of Merry had shrugged off their worries for a day and embraced the early winter storm.
“You’ve got a great town here, Noah,” Cat answered. She felt awkward. As if she didn’t know what to do with herself when he was looking at her with that soft, warm expression on his handsome face.
“What?” she snapped.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Am I making you nervous with my effusive praise?”
“You’re doing it on purpose!” Cat gasped.
“I don’t want to be the only one here feeling all off center and weird,” he argued.
Cat threw her head back and closed her eyes. “Maybe we should stop playing games for like five seconds?” she suggested.
“What do you think will happen if we do that?” Noah asked pointedly.
“Are you afraid to find out?” She didn’t like being the one off balance.
“Terrified. But I think I need to know. I need to get my hands on you, Cat, and find out.”
She sucked in a breath.
“Hi, guys!” A figure clad in purple trudged toward them, and Cat noted Noah’s furtive glance in her direction. He raised his hand, lamely.
“That’s Mellody, my ex-wife,” he murmured to Cat, a strained smile plastered to his face.
“I realize that,” she answered dryly. “We’ve met before. Remember when I kidnapped your daughter?”
“Oh, right. Right.” Noah bobbed his head. “Yeah. Okay. I’ve just… I’ve never been caught flirting with someone by her before.”
“Ah,” Cat said with understanding. She didn’t have any experience with divorce, but ending a life shared with someone had the potential to be complicated and messy—another reason to be very choosy when it came to potential life partners.
“Hey, Mellody,” Cat greeted.
“Please, tell me that’s spiked hot chocolate,” Mellody demanded, reaching for Noah’s cup.
Noah held it out of her reach. “Back off, lady. You didn’t get this in the divorce.”
Cat blinked and then smothered a laugh when Mellody burst out laughing. “Okay, that’s the first divorce joke you’ve been able to make. It’s a snow day miracle, and for that, I’ll buy my own!”
Mellody mimed her order to Elva and gave the woman a thumb’s up when she flashed the flasks. “So, Sara texted and invited me to join the snow fun. I hope you don’t mind,” Mellody told Noah.
“Oh, uh. No. Not at all.” He was shaking his head so hard Cat wondered if he’d end up straining his neck.
“The more the merrier,” Cat cut in. “Besides, we need help judging the snowman contest. How are your snow architectural skills?”