“They love her now because she’s just a little off, but harmless overall. And that’s because she doesn’t go around talking about the fey on a daily basis.”
I pursed my lips. “She was worried I thought she was crazy. I had to do something, so I pretended.”
Callum’s eyes drifted shut and he cursed under his breath. “I was worried that would happen.”
“I don’t see the harm in it.”
“That’s because you don’t know what it was like,” Callum said. When I opened my mouth to respond, he held up a hand and turned toward me. “Ye didna ken what yer playing along could have set off.”
“If she’s happy, what does it matter? Agnes doesn’t care what any of them say about her, you know that.”
“But I do.” Callum fixed me with an agonized stare. “I care what they say. I love her. I’ll not have them blathers running their mouths about her.”
“That’s why people think you’re mean, isn’t it?” I asked.
It all made sense. Callum’s reputation for being short and hard to befriend wasn’t because he was prickly, as the woman in the bakeshop had put it. It was because his love for Agnes had him watching everyone with suspicion.
He shrugged. “I dinna care what people say.”
“Gee, I wonder where you learned that?” I teased, earning an eye roll from Callum, who caught me off guard when he reached out and captured my hands in his.
“I’m verra sorry,” he told me, thumbs rubbing the inside of my wrists. My breath caught and I leaned into his touch, easily following when he tugged me toward him. “Can ye forgive me, Del?”
I nodded and licked my lips. “Yes,” I whispered.
His eyes dropped to my mouth and he pulled me closer still. The snow was falling around us made it feel like we were the only two people in the world, wrapped in our quiet little bubble of hushed words and snowfall. I couldn’t see anything but Callum, and I didn’t dare look away as he leaned so close his breath warmed my lips and cheeks.
I tilted my head toward his, hands going to his chest. His eyes drifted shut again, but this time I knew he was going to kiss me.
The first brush of his lips was gentle and seeking, just a feather-light press against my mouth that made my breath hitch. The next was not so tentative, and I moaned when he slanted our mouths together and his tongue brushed over the seam of my lips. I eagerly parted my lips, and his tongue slipped against mine.
He tasted like peppermint and whiskey, a combination that made me moan with pleasure as I deepened our kiss—until he broke away from me and shook his head.
“Damn it all,” he whispered, pulling back to look at me with dazed eyes.
“What is it?” I asked with a furrowed brow.
“Not here.” Callum sighed and stood. “This isn’t a place to be kissing. Ye deserve flowers and music.” He drew me up to stand beside him.
“Oh, I do?”
Callum nodded, slipping an arm around my waist and leading me back. “Aye, and dancing too, if ye play yer cards right.”
I laughed, liking the idea of dancing with Callum. “And where might we find all of these things, so that I get more of what we were just doing?”
“The answer to that is simple. The Hogmanay celebration.”
“The one put on by town?” I asked, feeling butterflies rise in my belly at the idea of him taking me to the town’s New Year’s celebration. It was two days away, as many days as it had taken for Callum to become something far more than a landlord and potential friend.
“The very one, lass.” Callum winked at me and then stopped just inside of the iron gate we had passed through earlier. “But that depends on one thing,” he said, reaching up to toy with a lock of my hair.
“Such as?” I asked with a smile, leaning into his touch.
“I haven’t properly asked ye to accompany me,” he said, tugging the lock of hair.
I rolled my eyes. “Mm, so you haven’t. And when do you think you might fix that lapse in judgement?”
He leaned close, green eyes pulling me in. “How about now?” he whispered.
“That suits me,” I told him, reaching out a hand to steady myself when he pulled me into his arms. Once he had me settled against his chest he reached a hand up and wiped away a snowflake that had settled on my cheek.
“Will ye do me the honor of going to the celebration with me, Del?”
“Yes, absolutely.” The words tumbled from my mouth, but I didn’t care if Callum knew I was eager. It was going to be a beautiful night.
My first New Year away from home. Not even an army of fey folk could keep me from enjoying it.
