way it’s looking, you could be back home before Christmas.”
Back home. Away from Sam. Away from what she was beginning to feel for him. Probably best, she told herself, though right at the moment, she didn’t quite believe it. As irritating as the man could be, he was so much more. And that more was drawing her in.
“Appreciate that, too,” Joy said. “We’re just here to pick up some Christmas decorations, then we’ll get out of your hair.”
He grinned and scrubbed one hand across the top of his bald head. “You’d have quite the time getting in my hair. You two doing all right up the mountain?”
“Yes.” Everyone in town was curious about Sam, she thought. Didn’t he see that if he spent more time talking to people they’d be less inclined to talk about him and wonder? “It’s been great. Sam helped Holly build a fairy house.”
“Is that right?”
“It’s pretty and in the woods and I’m going to bring some of my dolls to put in it to keep the fairies company and Sam’s gonna help me make another one, too. He’s really nice. Just crabby sometimes.”
“Out of the mouths of babes,” Joy murmured with a smile. “Well, we’ve got to run. Trees to decorate, cookies to bake.”
“You go ahead then,” Buddy said, already turning back to his task. Then over his shoulder he called out, “You be sure to tell Sam Henry my wife, Cora, loves that rocking chair he made. She bought it at Crafty and now I can’t hardly get her out of it.”
Joy smiled. “I’ll tell him.”
Then with Holly rummaging through her toys, Joy bundled up everything Christmas. A few minutes later, they were back in the car, and she was thinking about the crabby man who made her want things she shouldn’t.
* * *
Of course, she had to stop by Deb’s first, because hello, news. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re pregnant?”
Deb’s eyes went wide and when her jaw dropped she popped a mini apple pie into it. “How did you know?”
“Lizzie told Holly, Holly told me.”
“Lizzie—” Deb sighed and shook her head. “You think your kids don’t notice what’s going on. Boy, I’m going to have to get better at the secret thing.”
“Why a secret?” Joy picked up a tiny brownie and told herself the calories didn’t count since it was so small. Drawing it out into two bites, she waited.
“You know we lost one a couple of years ago,” Deb said, keeping her voice low as there were customers in the main room, separated from them only by the swinging door between the kitchen and the store’s front.
“Yeah.” Joy reached out and gave her friend a sympathetic pat on the arm.
“Well, this time we didn’t want to tell anyone until we’re at least three months. You know?” She sighed again and gave a rueful smile. “But now that Lizzie’s spreading the word...”
“Bag open, cat out,” Joy said, grinning. “This is fabulous. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks. Me, too.”
“Of course, now Holly wants a baby, too.”
Deb gave her a sly look. “You could do something about that, you know.”
“Right. Because I’m such a great single mom I should do it again.”
“You are and it wouldn’t kill you,” Deb told her, “but I was thinking more along the lines of gorgeous hermit slash painter slash craftsman.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Of course, she immediately thought of that kiss and the tension that had been coiled in her middle all day. Briefly, her brain skipped to hazy images of her and Sam and Holly living in that big beautiful house together. With a couple more babies running around and a life filled with hot kisses, warm laughter and lots of love.
But fantasies weren’t real life, and she’d learned long ago to concentrate on what was real. Otherwise, building dreams on boggy ground could crush your heart. Yes, she cared about Sam. But he’d made it clear he wasn’t interested beyond stoking whatever blaze was burning between them. And yet, she thought, brain still racing, he was so good with Holly. And Joy’s little girl was blossoming, having a man like Sam pay attention to her. Spend time with her.
Okay, her mind warned sternly, dial it back now, Joy. No point in setting yourself up for that crush.
“You say no, but your eyes are saying yum.” Deb filled a tray with apple pies no bigger than silver dollars, laying them all out on paper doilies that made them look like loosely wrapped presents.
“Yum is easy—it’s what comes after that’s hard.”
“Since when are you afraid of hard work?”
“I’m not, but—” Not the same thing, she told herself, as working to make a living, to build a life. This was bringing a man out of the shadows, and what if once he was out he didn’t want her anyway? No, that way lay pain and misery, and why should she set herself up for that?
“You’re alone, he’s alone, match made in heaven.”
“Alone isn’t a good enough reason for anyone, Deb.” She stopped, snatched another brownie and asked, “When did this get to be about me instead of you?”
“Since I hate seeing my best friend—a completely wonderful human being—all by herself.”
“I’m not alone. I have Holly.”
“And I love her, too, but it’s not the same and you know it.”
Slumping, Joy leaned one hip against the counter and nibbled at her second brownie. “No, it’s not. And okay, fine—I’m...intrigued by Sam.”
“Intrigued is good. Sex is better.”
Sadly, she admitted, “I wouldn’t know.”
“Yeah, that would be my point.”
“It’s not that easy,” Joy said wistfully. Then she glanced out the window at the house across the yard where Holly and Lizzie were probably driving Sean Casey insane about now. “I mean, he’s—and I’m—”
“Something happened.”
Her gaze snapped to Deb’s. “Just a kiss.”
“Yay. And?”
“And,” Joy admitted, “then he got a little more involved and completely melted my underwear.”
“Wow.” Deb gave a sigh and fluttered one hand over her heart.
“Yeah. We were arguing and we were both furious and he kissed me and—” she slapped her hands together “—boom.”
“Oh, boom is good.”
“It’s
