Her daughter didn’t awaken, even as Holly pushed her arms through the sleeves of her coat and then her dress before slipping her into a nightgown.
After all the cookies and sweets Lydia had eaten at thereception, a good mother would probably make her wake up to brush her teeth but Holly decided one night of waiting until the morning to brush probably wouldn’t cause irreparable damage.
They were baby teeth anyway, a few of them already loose.
After Lydia was dressed for bed, Holly tucked the blanket around her, checked that the video monitor was on, pressed a kiss on her forehead and turned off the light.
She closed the door then stood in the darkened hallway for a long moment, her thoughts filled with the man who waited downstairs.
What was she going to do about her growing feelings, this emotional pull between them and the fierce attraction she couldn’t seem to fight? She wanted to grab him by his loosened necktie and haul him into her bedroom.
She couldn’t, of course. Besides the fact that her daughter slept only a few feet away, Holly knew it would be a mistake she couldn’t take back. Ryan was charming, kind and impossibly good-looking, but he was also temporary.
He didn’t belong in Shelter Springs and she didn’t belong in his world, even if he wanted her there.
Giving her heart to him completely would only lead to a vast, deep pain. She couldn’t afford the risk, not when her focus needed to be on Lydia. Her daughter deserved stability, not a mother distracted by a relationship that had no future.
But even as she told herself all the reasons why she had to keep her distance, Holly couldn’t ignore the heat that flared whenever Ryan was near. His smile tugged at something deep inside her. What was she supposed to do with this growing desire, this ache that refused to be silenced?
Holly leaned her head against the door. Maybe she could bury these feelings, shove them into the same locked drawer where she kept her regrets over her broken marriage.
But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew the truth. She was already in too deep.
When she walked down the stairs, she found Ryan standing by her Christmas tree, the colored lights playing across his features.
Everything inside her seemed to sigh.
“Did she stay asleep?”
She nodded. “Didn’t even stir when I changed her clothes and tucked her in.”
“Weddings are exhausting business, apparently.”
“That is an understatement. At least I’ll get a little break from them, since this was the last one on my schedule until February.”
He smiled and she hesitated, torn between wanting him to leave for her own self-preservation and aching to prolong whatever time she had left with him.
“Would you like a drink? I don’t keep much in the house but I could probably round up a glass of wine or something. Maybe even a beer at the back of the refrigerator.”
“I’m fine, thanks. I was admiring your cottage again. It’s so cozy and warm. A great place for a child to grow up.”
She smiled, daring to take another step closer to him.
“Thanks. I feel very fortunate that my friend decided to sell right when I was looking to buy.”
“You’re making a great home here for Lydia. The only thing missing is that puppy.”
“Ha! Don’t you start in, too. It’s not happening this year. Maybe in a year or two, when things are a little more settled.”
She had to hope the day would eventually come when she finally felt like she had her stuff together.
“I can’t thank you enough for coming to the wedding with me, Ryan,” she said. “You made what could have been an awkward day actually enjoyable.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I guess I’ll takeactually enjoyable. It’s what I strive for on all my dates.”
She laughed. “I hope it wasn’t completely miserable for you.”
“Not completely.”
