She stooped to pet Bobbin’s tail, one of the cat’s few exposed fur areas. “I’m sure that’s brilliant, if I spoke cat.”
A loud knock sounded at the front door, causing Isabelle to jump and Bobbin to take off to the living room.
“Yeah, I’m so not answering the door wearing this getup.” It was probably just neighborhood carolers come earlier than usual. It would be better for them to come back when the others were home to enjoy their holiday cheer.
Isabelle took off her black top hat and, carrying it, turned to go to her bedroom to collect her overnight bag. She’d change back into her regular clothes and get on the road. Pine Hill to just outside Atlanta should take her roughly six hours, give or take. If she left now, she should be there before ten. That wasn’t too late for a singing snowmanagram, surely?
The knocking continued, growing more persistent.
“I know you’re in there, Blondie. Let me in.”
Chapter Sixteen
With each knock,Zach grew more concerned. Isabelle had left her car running and the driver-side door wide open. Even without her call to Sarah, that alone would have put him on alert. That she wasn’t coming to the door when he knew she was inside downright had him in a panic. Was she okay? He’d give her another thirty seconds and then he was going in. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d jimmied a lock and broken into somewhere, but it would be the first time he’d not had orders to do so.
When he heard movement then the deadbolt clicked out of place, he let out the breath he’d been holding. “Thank God, Isabelle. You had me wor—What are you wearing?”
She placed the top hat she was holding onto her head. “A snowman costume.”
“I see that.” Had Sarah forgotten to mention some Christmas show Isabelle was in? “Why are you wearing a snowman costume?”
Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth, and she shrugged a fuzzy white shoulder. “That is a long story.”
One he longed to hear no matter how long. He’d missed her. Even though she was wearing the hilarious snowman costume, he’d never been happier to see anyone than he was looking into her beautiful face. “Can I come in and you tell me that story?”
Her belly jostling, she stepped aside. “Why are you here?”
“That is also a long story.”
Her brow arched. “One you’re going to tell me?”
He’d rehearsed what he wanted to say a thousand times in his head. Hopefully, the right words would come to him. “Yes. If you’ll let me.”
If she’d let him, he had a lot of things to tell her.
“Get to talking.” She crossed her stick arms, making her round belly wobble again.
“You don’t want to go first?” he offered as he considered where to begin in telling her all the things he wanted to say about the past week. Had it only been a week? It felt so much longer since he’d last seen her.
Her gaze narrowed. “Why do I have to go first?”
Did she have any idea how adorable she was in the costume and how absolutely distracting it was when she pursed her lips at him that way? “I thought a gentleman always let a lady go first.”
“You’re no gentleman,” she scoffed.
Zach laughed. “Maybe not, but for the first time in my life, I’ve found myself wanting to be.”
Her brows knitted together. “A gentleman?”
“If that’s what you want, then, yes, Blondie, a gentleman.”
Her throat worked and her breathing became heavy as she said, “Keep talking.”
“Because you aren’t going to tell me why you’re wearing a snowman costume until I do?” He couldn’t resist teasing. As expected, fire lit in her blue depths, but something more was there, too. The same something that had haunted him the past week. “I’ve missed you, Isabelle.”
“So much that you’ve called over and over to tell me.” She bit out with more sass than a woman in a snowman costume should be able to muster.
“I couldn’t call—” he began.
