Setting the knife down on the counter, I lean forward, pressing my palms flat against the cool surface. I close my eyes and inhale deeply. Why am I blowing this so out of proportion? It was a hug that lasted a handful of seconds. Although, I was the one to pull away first.Would anything else have happened if I hadn’t?There’s no way for me to know.
The door creaks behind me, and I straighten up quickly, schooling my features as I turn around.
Nina pokes her head in before she passes the rest of the way through. “Are the bars done?”
“Yep. I just finished cutting them,” I say, grabbing a box from the shelf.
“Have you tried one?” she asks.
“I haven’t. Why? Do you want to?”
She smiles mischievously. “Kind of. But I have some work to finish up tonight, so I’d better not. My brother will be reading my reports, wondering what the hell happened.”
I nod. “Yeah, probably better not to chance it, then.” I box up the bars and then fasten the lid with a sticker. “All done.”
Dammit. Now I have no excuse to remain in here.
Nina steps closer. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
She studies my face. “You seem a little off.”
I carry the knife and pan over to the sink. “It’s been a long day. My weekend crew had a couple of people out sick, so I’ve been here since nine this morning.”
“Well, hopefully you can leave soon. I’ll head back out there and get those three moving,” she says, striding purposefully toward the door.
“Yes, please. That would be great.” And once I’m alone, I can work on unraveling all my twisted-up thoughts and feelings about Jordan.
I return to the front, grab a bag, and place some gingerbread bars inside. Folding over the top edge, I put a sticker to hold it closed and then deliver it to Reed. “These are for you.”
His eyes widen. “Edibles?”
I shake my head. “Sorry. They’re just regular gingerbread bars.”
He takes the bag from me, hugging it to his chest. “There’s nothing regular about anything you bake.”
“Aww, thanks.”
Jordan sidles over and places his hand in the middle of my back. “G, now that you’re out here, tell me if there’s anything else you want us to put out.”
I feel the warmth of his palm burning through my shirt like he’s branding my skin, making it difficult to focus on anything else. I slowly scan the space, noticing the lights lining the front of each shelf. There’s a collection of snowmen and mini Christmas trees set atop the blanket of fake snow that lines the wide windowsill, and a thick green garland has been draped around the inside of the front entrance.
My lips curve as I take it all in. “This looks so great. Thank you so much.”
“Jordan did most of the work,” Nina says.
“Hey, don’t discount my snowman and tree placement,” Willow jumps in.
“I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t do a damn thing,” Reed says, grinning.
“Yeah, except what you do best—being a pain in the ass,” Jordan adds.
I laugh half heartedly at their brotherly ribbing, but I’m barely holding it together. Jordan’s hand hasn’t left my back, and every nerve ending in my body is on high alert. I should step away—I should’ve already—but I don’t. I hold still, absorbing everything I’m feeling. Tonight, when I’m lying in bed, I’ll pull out my mental snapshots of Jordan, and this moment will be amongst them.
“We should get going,” Nina suggests, reaching for her jacket slung over the back of a chair. “I’m sure Ginger wants to get out of here.”
I send her a grateful smile.
