The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber Page A

it, although that was probably unkind of her. At least it was a distraction from her own painful past. “Yes, the kiss.”
    He frowned. “I want to assure you I don’t make a habit of kissing my clients.”
    She instinctively recognized that as the truth.
    “Weeping women don’t generally affect me like that, either. I don’t have any excuse and I wish to apologize.”
    His gaze held hers and she couldn’t doubt the sincerity of his words. “I was as much at fault as you,” she felt obliged to admit. “I—”
    “I will refund your money,” he said, cutting her off.
    It was what she’d been afraid of. “But why?”
    “I stepped over the line. This is the only way I can rectify the…incident.”
    Cassie bit her lip. She conceded that the kiss shouldn’t have happened. But that wasn’t a good reason to ruin everything. “Will I still meet John?” she asked, then held her breath, almost afraid of what he’d say. She was practically gasping for air by the time he replied.
    “Considering that I was the one who initiated the…incident, I feel honor-bound to hold up my part of the bargain.”
    “If that’s the case, then that kiss just cost you thirty thousand dollars.”
    He didn’t look any too pleased with himself, but merely shrugged. “So be it. This was a lesson well learned.”
    “I don’t feel I can let you do that.” Tempting as it was for Cassie to accept, fair was fair. She hadn’t exactly pushed him away. In fact, she’d welcomed his kiss, welcomed his comfort.
    “I am not in the habit of arguing with my clients.”
    “Or with anyone, it seems.”
    He blinked as if it took him a moment to comprehend what she’d said. “Or with anyone,” he agreed.
    She sighed. “I appreciate the offer, Simon, really I do, but you weren’t the only one who learned a lesson. How about if we both forget it ever happened and just move forward?”
    “Fine,” he said curtly. “I would like your promise that you’ll never mention our kiss again. Can you do that?”
    She nodded. “Yes. Of course.”
    “Good. I’ll undertake to do the same thing.”
    She mimed zipping her lips closed. “It’s gone, forgotten, cast into the deepest part of the ocean.” The thought flashed into her mind that the ocean was filled with treasures—treasures no one even knew were there. When it happened, Simon’s kiss had felt like treasure, unexpected and…beautiful.
    “My plan for the third task is to have you cook Christmas dinner,” he reminded her.
    Cassie raised her hand. “Yes, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
    “What about it?”
    She might as well be blunt. “Like I told you before, I don’t have the best neighbors.”
    “What precisely is the problem?”
    Cassie sat up straighter. The Simon she recognized was back. He wasn’t interested in listening to any excuses—except that in this instance excuses were necessary. Cassie couldn’t possibly invite her neighbors to Christmas dinner. She didn’t really know these people, and what she did know unnerved her.
    “Out with it, Cassie. I don’t have all day.”
    Hiding her smile would have been impossible.
    “What’s that silly grin for?” he demanded in the gruff voice she’d grown accustomed to.
    “You. You’re back!”
    “I never left.”
    “But you did,” she said. “A few minutes ago, while we were discussing—you know, what we promised never to mention again—you seemed…almost human.”
    His left brow rose, mocking her. “ Almost, you say?”
    “Yes—and I rather liked it.”
    “Don’t get used to it.”
    “Oh, not to worry. I won’t.” She set her coffee aside and sat on her hands. “Anyway, continue.”
    “We were discussing your third task.”
    “I feel you should know that one of my neighbors, Mrs. Mullinex, is a thief.”
    “She has a police record?”
    “I… No, I don’t think so. But who knows? Anyone who’d purposely take my newspaper…”
    “Your newspaper? ”
    “Yes, that’s what she’s been