“It looks like your idea of celebrating Christmas all year long isn’t such a bad one,” he said. “In fact, that party sounded kind of fun.”
“Wishing you’d been there?” she teased.
“Gotta admit, maybe a little.”
Mia inserted herself into the conversation, obviously not trusting her daughter to ride this wave of opportunity all the way to shore. “You could come to our Christmas-in-June party.”
He raised an eyebrow at Arianna. “Are outsiders allowed?”
She laughed. “Anyone who wants to get into the spirit of Christmas is welcome,” she said.Especially you.
“I may just have to check it out.”
“I think you should,” she said.
“I’ve got to admit, after reading the article, the whole thing doesn’t seem quite so, uh...”
“Out there?” she supplied.
“Yeah. Still, you’ve got to admit, it might be too much for your average person.”
“I don’t want to be average,” she said, and realized how very much she meant it.
“Trust me, you’re not,” he said. Ooh, that smile. It was as warm and yummy as hot chocolate.
“You’re not gonna get up on the roof, are you?” he teased.
“Not planning on it. I promise I won’t fall on you.”But do I have to promise not to climb all over you?
He nodded. “When is it?”
“The...”
“Twenty-fifth,” he finished with her. “Of course.”
“Ho, ho, ho,” she said.
“Count me in. I really do want to check this out.”
“All right,” she said. “Once you see how much fun it is, you’ll become a holiday-party addict like the rest of us.”
“Here’s to holiday-party addiction,” he quipped. Then he said goodbye to Mia and strolled off across the lawn.
Never mind the parties, she thought as she watched him walk back to his house.Just get addicted to me.
“I think that man’s getting addicted to something, but it’s not holiday parties,” said Mia.
“Right,” Arianna said. “He’s only being nice.”
“No, he’s interested.”
“Maybe,” Arianna said, but she wasn’t ready to get her hopes up too much yet.
She dropped the paper on the coffee table and plopped onto a chair.
“Darling, you are a lovely woman. Why wouldn’t a man be interested in you?”
“I don’t know. After what happened with Wyatt...”
