Marry Me at Christmas

He checked his email, then flipped through the script Madeline had read the previous day. It would be a departure for him. Something no one expected. He told himself that stretching was good, and if he failed, he could always make Amish Revenge 3.

By noon he couldn’t stand his own company. He drove into town and parked by Paper Moon. He walked toward the store, reached the door, then turned away. Madeline was working. They had nothing to say to each other that couldn’t wait. He wasn’t some sixteen-year-old kid after his first date.

All of which sounded logical, but didn’t take away the need to see her. Finally he turned in the other direction and began walking.

Snow was piled up high everywhere. The streets and sidewalks were cleared and the temperature had climbed high enough that the sound of music, car engines and conversation was accompanied by the steady drip-drip of melting snow. Figured a blizzard would be followed by a warm-up.

He headed for the lake, then walked by Morgan’s Books before stopping at Plants for the Planet. Knowing he was fifteen kinds of an idiot, he walked inside.

Ten minutes later he was going back the way he came, but this time with two dozen red roses. Talk about a cliché. Worse, he knew he was grinning like a fool and he couldn’t stop. Nor did he seem to care.

He pulled open the door to Paper Moon. Madeline was with a client and the first thing he heard was the sound of her laughter. She and a bride were trying on different shoes with a fitted dress that flared out at the bottom. The bride, a pretty brunette, teetered in four-inch heels while Madeline offered her arm for support.

“I want to be taller,” the bride said with a laugh.

Madeline grinned. “I get that, but how much do you want to be able to walk?”

“You’re saying I have to pick?”

“It’s that or move the wedding to Happily, Inc., and have the Cleopatra wedding where you’re carried in on a palanquin.”

“A what?”

“The seat with the four guys carrying it on poles.” Madeline dimpled. “Sometimes it’s a crossword clue.”

The bride wobbled and started to go down. Jonny rushed for her and caught her just as she slipped. He was careful to keep hold of the roses with his other arm.

Both Madeline and the bride stared at him.

“Wow,” the bride said. “You look a lot like some actor... I can’t think of his name.”

Jonny winked. “I get that all the time.” He helped the other woman back on her feet. “Mind if I steal Madeline for a second?”

“Go ahead. I’m going to stand here and will myself to grow two inches taller.”

Madeline hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time. I’m going to try on all the shoes again and pick my favorites.”

Madeline looked at him. “Give me one second.”

She hurried into the room that held the bridesmaids’ dresses, then returned with a straight-back chair. She set it next to the other woman.

“Hang on to this. I don’t want you falling.”

“You’re so sweet. Thank you.”

Madeline smiled at her, then turned to him. “My office?” she asked.

He followed her down the hallway. They stepped into her office. He closed the door and faced her, even as he realized he had no idea what he was going to say. Not that it mattered because, at that moment, speaking was highly overrated.

He put the roses on her desk and pulled her close, then kissed her. He was relieved when her arms came around him and she hung on as if she had no plans to let go. His mouth settled on hers and he felt the familiar heat and desire pouring through him.

There was something about being with Madeline, he thought, his blood pooling in his groin and his mind shifting from why he was here to what they could do on her desk. Some sexy combination of how she turned him on and how he liked being with her, regardless of what they were doing.

But this was her office and she had a client waiting, so he reluctantly drew back.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, her blue eyes searching his face. “For what happened this morning.”

“You freaked,” he murmured, remembering her text.

“Yes. I woke up and we were naked and I didn’t know what to think. Being with you was great.” She bit her lower lip. “But confusing.”

Because she’d been scared, he thought, her actions suddenly clear. They were friends and she was helping him with his sister’s wedding. But there hadn’t been any definition of what they meant to each other. They weren’t dating, so this wasn’t the next logical step.