She laughed.“Apparently.”
After finding a vase and putting water in it, she arranged the bouquet and set the arrangement down on her small dining room table.“They’re so pretty.”
“I’m glad you like them.Are you ready to go?”
“Let me get my coat.”
The Garden of Lights was a popular activity for adults and children alike.To start, the path led a winding route through trees lit with purple, blue, and green lights.Next came Santa and his sleigh, his elves, and his reindeer outlined in twinkling lights of red, green, and white.Other fairy-tale figures and Christmas scenes were lit up along the way in all kinds of colors.There was a huge arch to walk through with pink icicle-like lights hanging to form a roof, and multi-colored lights along the side.It was an explosion of colors and whimsy and Letty adored it.
Letty walked with her arm tucked through the crook of Riley’s elbow.Since they were both bundled up there was no sense trying to hold hands.“It really is beautiful,” Letty said.“Like a fairyland of lights.”
“Hold up,” Riley said, as a trio of children darted in front of them, causing Letty to stumble.He grabbed her before she face-planted.
Letty admitted the whole thing was romantic.She’d had no idea Riley had such a romantic streak.She’d heard women talking about him before, naturally.But while they talked about him being hot, sexy, and a lot of fun, she’d never heard anyone refer to him as a romantic.
“You sure are going to a lot of trouble for me.”
“What do you mean?”Riley asked.
“Fresh-cut flowers, the Garden of Lights, even the Stroll.Everything to make a girl swoon.”
“Swoon?You’ve been reading too much Regency romance.”
“And what would you know about Regency romance?”
“I have a sister.Back when I was in high school, before you came to live with us, she used to read those along with all the animal stories and nonfiction about ranching.She probably still does, which you ought to know considering you’re a librarian.”
Letty stared at him.“Did you ever read any of them?”
He laughed.“I glanced through a few but I never actually read one.”
“You read enough to know the word swoon.”
“Back cover copy,” he said.
She shook her head, shocked that a man as…macho as Riley appeared, would even look at a romance.And a Regency one at that?Wasn’t the man just full of surprises.
After the light show they went back to Letty’s apartment.“I have beer if you want one.”
“No thanks.But I’ll take water.”
She got them both a bottle of water and sat beside him on the couch.“Do you want to watch a movie or something?”Why was she so nervous?It wasn’t as if she’d never been with a man before.But Riley was different, whether she wanted to admit it or not.The problem, she realized, was she feared that once she and Riley made love, she wouldn’t be able to call it a fling.She’d want more and that couldn’t happen.No marriage, kids, and picket fences for her.She’d made that decision long ago.
Good Lord, what if she fell in love with him?Resisting Riley was hard.No, impossible.She should never have agreed to go out with him.She should tell him she’d changed her mind and there would be no fling.No more kisses, no more romance.
“What’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours?”
“Nothing.And I’m not brilliant.”
“You’re the smartest woman I know.”
If she were smart, she’d have backed out of this whole thing before it went so far.“I want this to be a fun fling.Nothing serious.So you don’t need to romance me.No more flowers or romantic outings.No mistletoe kisses.”
He busted out laughing.She wanted to pinch him.
“What’s so damn funny?”
“Have you ever had a fling?”
