“For what?” Jane blinks in confusion.
“To get my deposit back, of course. Since there’s not going to be an order, there doesn’t need to be a deposit. I’m sure you wouldn’t want your business reported for fraudulent activity.”
Tugging on my arm, Scarlett pulls me away.
“We’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell Jane.
She watches us in shock as Scarlett tugs me away to stand in front of the tree with her, Sadie taking our photo.
“I wasn’t sure I’d be invited to take photos,” I say.
Feeling her gaze on me, I turn to look down at Scarlett. The bright lights of the Christmas tree are reflected in her clear eyes as she watches me. I’m surprised to see the hint of possessiveness in them, the way her hand tightens on my arm, and she pulls me closer.
“Only I get to call you Connie,” she says.
The smile that steals across my face would be visible from the moon. She doesn’t want me, but she can’t stop her jealousy. That has to be a good thing, right? If another man called her cute nicknames, I don’t know what I’d do. Probably be arrested for assault.
“Don’t worry, baby girl. I didn’t rig my washroom with the best surround sound speakers so I can listen to her erotic audios as I rub one out in the shower every day.”
Scarlett gasps loudly, choking on air. “Connor! You didn’t!” She’s horrified.
I laugh, even though it’s not a laughing matter. “I don’t think you realize how obsessed I am with you, Scarlett.”
A blush steals across her pale cheeks and Scarlett ducks her head. If we weren’t surrounded by people and her family, I’d tilt her head back and kiss her again.
“Alright, photo session is over,” Sadie announces. “Where are we going?”
“Let’s find something to eat, I’m starving,” Sienna says.
“Me, too.”
Scarlett releases my arm and goes to her sisters. Stopping halfway, she throws a look over her shoulder. “Coming?”
“We’d both be, if you weren’t so stubborn,” I say quietly.
Amused blue eyes turn up to me. “You’ve grown awfully bold.”
“Patience is a young man’s game. I’m practically geriatric.”
“You’re thirty-eight,” she points out.
“Which means I’ve only got a handful of years left before my mid-life crisis.”
Her family leads the way as we trail behind. There are a lot of tourists in the Christmas market, but I still feel the town’s eyes following us as we walk past. I can picture Jane texting her mother about Scarlett’s audacity and from there the news willspread down the grapevine. The librarians are always the first to know everything because they are the source of information.
“What does a mid-life crisis look like for you?” Scarlett asks.
“I can tell you what people imagine my mid-life crisis will be like, and by people, I mean my brothers,” I say.
“I’d love to hear it.”
“I’m going to buy a Corvette and I’m going to take full advantage of being Connor Hayes. As in, I’m going to invite women for a tour of Cedar Creek Ranch, spend the night with them, rinse and repeat.”
Scarlett makes a face. “I can’t picture it. The Corvette or the women. You’d probably keep bees.”
I look at her from the corner of my eyes and Scarlett laughs.
“Oh my gosh! You keep bees, that’s so adorable.”
