your mom?” she asked, her wobbly hands separating a clean cup off the stack. “Are you close?”
“Sure. She’s retired to Palm Springs. She’s popular around Christmastime, especially with the weather around here. We keep in touch, mostly e-mail. Has the kid been giving you any trouble tonight?”
“No.” She set the cup on the table, waiting for him to pour. She had to steel herself. Max had a habit of walking away. He was just here to get his brother and then he’d be gone, that was all. She had to survive only a few more minutes, and the discomforting sense of terror would be over. “Marcus has been amusing us all evening.”
“Yeah, he’s good at that. Let me guess.” He slipped a protective sleeve on the cup before setting it on the table for her. “He’s tried his charms on every teenage girl here and they all rejected him.”
“That would be putting it mildly.”
“Yeah, the kid thinks he’s with-it, but he hasn’t found a girlfriend yet. And it’s not for lack of trying.” He took the empty cup and filled it, too. “He’s sadly lacking when it comes to conversing with the ladies. I would help him if I could, but you’ve seen me in action. And you’ve heard about my worst date failure.”
“True. Poor Marcus. He’s about as hopeless as his big brother is.”
“That’s the truth.” He poked through the open boxes and chose a mint tea bag.
“Although I am a little sweet on him. Marcus, I mean.” Why did she say that? Worse, she was blushing. If she kept this up, Max was going to guess in about the next two seconds she had a serious crush on him.
“I could tell.” He simply shrugged one wide shoulder as he tore open the packet and dunked the bag into the water. “So, did you meet any promising single men?”
There was a telling question. Panic tapped through her veins in a sprightly staccato. “I met a lot of people tonight.”
Not a single one of the perfectly nice Christian men could hold a candle to Max.
“Me being here with you right now is wrecking your chances of a decent guy coming over to ask you out.” His observation sounded casual as he leaned against the wall, looking like a hero come to life. All he was missing was an Indiana Jones hat and a sidekick.
“You’re not a decent guy?”
“I’m not what you’re looking for, that’s for sure.” He took a cautious sip of tea.
“You say that like you know what I’m looking for.”
“It’s no mystery, Bree. Look at you. You could be Candy Cane Princess at the Christmas parade.”
“And that means I’m looking for the Candy Cane Prince?”
“Funny.” He didn’t laugh but his dark eyes glinted with amusement. “You need someone normal. Tame. Tie-wearing. The kind of guy who isn’t afraid to eat quiche and cry.”
“A lot you know about me.” She joined him at the wall. The panic could go away any time, thanks, because there was no reason for it. Why wasn’t her heart listening? “What about you? There are still lots of nice women here. You could mingle. See if anyone strikes your fancy.”
“I’m not really interested in dating.” He took another sip of tea, as if that was the end of the topic.
Not a chance, bud. Her curiosity was hooked. “If you’re not interested in dating, then why were you out on a blind date?”
“Peer pressure.” A wry grin hooked the corner of his mouth.
“I can’t see a big strong man like you succumbing to peer pressure.”
“I was just trying to fit in. Be like the rest of the guys with their wives and fiancées,” he quipped, dimples carving deep. “I struck out, which was just as well. My dating history is abysmal.”
“Abysmal is better than practically nonexistent.”
“Wait, now you’ve got to have had a boyfriend before.”
“Nope, no boyfriends.” Hard to admit. Very hard. She took a sip of tea and stared at the crowd. Some people were starting to leave. Lil, bless her, was chatting happily to Lucy, the author who had come to speak to
“Sure. She’s retired to Palm Springs. She’s popular around Christmastime, especially with the weather around here. We keep in touch, mostly e-mail. Has the kid been giving you any trouble tonight?”
“No.” She set the cup on the table, waiting for him to pour. She had to steel herself. Max had a habit of walking away. He was just here to get his brother and then he’d be gone, that was all. She had to survive only a few more minutes, and the discomforting sense of terror would be over. “Marcus has been amusing us all evening.”
“Yeah, he’s good at that. Let me guess.” He slipped a protective sleeve on the cup before setting it on the table for her. “He’s tried his charms on every teenage girl here and they all rejected him.”
“That would be putting it mildly.”
“Yeah, the kid thinks he’s with-it, but he hasn’t found a girlfriend yet. And it’s not for lack of trying.” He took the empty cup and filled it, too. “He’s sadly lacking when it comes to conversing with the ladies. I would help him if I could, but you’ve seen me in action. And you’ve heard about my worst date failure.”
“True. Poor Marcus. He’s about as hopeless as his big brother is.”
“That’s the truth.” He poked through the open boxes and chose a mint tea bag.
“Although I am a little sweet on him. Marcus, I mean.” Why did she say that? Worse, she was blushing. If she kept this up, Max was going to guess in about the next two seconds she had a serious crush on him.
“I could tell.” He simply shrugged one wide shoulder as he tore open the packet and dunked the bag into the water. “So, did you meet any promising single men?”
There was a telling question. Panic tapped through her veins in a sprightly staccato. “I met a lot of people tonight.”
Not a single one of the perfectly nice Christian men could hold a candle to Max.
“Me being here with you right now is wrecking your chances of a decent guy coming over to ask you out.” His observation sounded casual as he leaned against the wall, looking like a hero come to life. All he was missing was an Indiana Jones hat and a sidekick.
“You’re not a decent guy?”
“I’m not what you’re looking for, that’s for sure.” He took a cautious sip of tea.
“You say that like you know what I’m looking for.”
“It’s no mystery, Bree. Look at you. You could be Candy Cane Princess at the Christmas parade.”
“And that means I’m looking for the Candy Cane Prince?”
“Funny.” He didn’t laugh but his dark eyes glinted with amusement. “You need someone normal. Tame. Tie-wearing. The kind of guy who isn’t afraid to eat quiche and cry.”
“A lot you know about me.” She joined him at the wall. The panic could go away any time, thanks, because there was no reason for it. Why wasn’t her heart listening? “What about you? There are still lots of nice women here. You could mingle. See if anyone strikes your fancy.”
“I’m not really interested in dating.” He took another sip of tea, as if that was the end of the topic.
Not a chance, bud. Her curiosity was hooked. “If you’re not interested in dating, then why were you out on a blind date?”
“Peer pressure.” A wry grin hooked the corner of his mouth.
“I can’t see a big strong man like you succumbing to peer pressure.”
“I was just trying to fit in. Be like the rest of the guys with their wives and fiancées,” he quipped, dimples carving deep. “I struck out, which was just as well. My dating history is abysmal.”
“Abysmal is better than practically nonexistent.”
“Wait, now you’ve got to have had a boyfriend before.”
“Nope, no boyfriends.” Hard to admit. Very hard. She took a sip of tea and stared at the crowd. Some people were starting to leave. Lil, bless her, was chatting happily to Lucy, the author who had come to speak to
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