Page 30 of The Christmas Accomplice

Chapter 8

Reece cursed under his breath and blinked against a tiny avalanche of dust. He swayed a bit on the stepladder and clutched the top to keep himself steady. After knuckling dust from his eyes, he squinted up at the string of colored lights he’d draped over a hook in the ceiling. It would have to do. He started down the ladder, his eyes still watering.

“Now it feels more like Christmas around here.”

With his feet on the floor, Reece looked around to see Nick standing just inside the ballroom door. Welton was beside her, coat unzipped but his hat tugged down over his ears and the lenses of his glasses still tinted from being outside.

“Oh, hi,” Reece said. “Hello. Welcome to my Christmas karaoke set up.”

Welton raised a hand, and his blush deepened. “Hi. Sorry to intrude. I didn’t know where she was bringing me.”

“Oh?” Reece crossed his arms and looked at Nick. “Is abduction of guests something you’re going to put on your resume?”

“No. I like that to be a surprise for each employer. I saw Welton looking a little lost—”

“I wasn’t really lost, I was only—”

“And thought he might be able to help you set up for your activity.”

Reece looked at the few strands of colored lights he’d managed to hang, and the rest of the decorations waiting off in the corner. He really did need some help. Especially since he’d told Edward he wanted to lead this activity from Graham’s list, not just assist with it.

“I could use some help.” He looked at Welton. “But I’m sure you have other things to do. I mean, this is your vacation. I can’t ask you to stay inside and help me decorate for an activity.”

“Are you kidding?” Welton extended his arms. “Do I look like the outdoorsy type?”

Nick managed to stifle her laugh and gave Reece a finger wave as she turned for the door. “I’ll leave you boys to it, then. Don’t worry about the desk. Ursula and I have it covered.”

Once she’d left, Reece didn’t know what to say. He’d spent all night thinking about Welton, and wondered how he would act around him the next time they saw each other. Had his physical reaction to the impromptu slow dance been just that, or had he felt the same strong attraction as Reece? Would Welton feel uncomfortable in his presence? Had Reece gone too far too fast? But even as he’d worried about Welton’s reaction the next time they saw each other, Reece couldn’t help wondering what it might be like if they were in his apartment together. Or out running errands. Would grocery shopping prove they liked completely different types of food? Or make them realize they fit really well together?

Domestic daydreaming. That’s what Nick had once accused him of when he’d been pining for Chris, a waiter in the lodge restaurant. With Welton, though, Reece knew he had it even worse than before. Domestic daydreaming turned up to eleven. And that scared and excited him all at once.

“I didn’t see you this morning,” Welton said, then practically blurted, “Not that I was hunting you down or anything. I just didn’t see you at the desk or around the ballrooms or the grounds or anything.” He cringed and did a face palm. “And now it sounds like I was totally hunting you down, which I wasn’t. I was just getting to know the layout of the lodge and realized I didn’t see you. But, like, in a casual way. Like, you know, ‘Hey, this place is great. And it must be pretty big because I haven’t seen Reece anywhere all morning.’ That kind of thing.”

Reece grinned. “I work the late shift today.”

“Oh. Sure. You need those, right? Get stuff done in the morning. Hang out with your significant other or good friends.”

Reece realized Welton was fishing for personal information, and very badly at that. He decided to be nice and not string him along. “No significant other to hang out with. This morning I went grocery shopping, for myself, and picked up my own dry cleaning, then scrubbed my one bedroom apartment in town and paid some bills. After that I started a movie. By myself.”

“I see. Which movie?”

“Die Hard.”

“Ah. A Christmas classic.”

“So, you think it’s a Christmas movie?”

Welton slipped off his coat, folding it in half and crushing it against his chest as he crossed his arms. “I do. I mean, in so much as robbers pretending to be terrorists who shoot up an office party on Christmas Eve get their comeuppance, I could see it as a yuletide tale.”

“Yuletide?”

Welton shifted nervously. “It’s a word.”

“I know it’s a word, I just don’t think I’ve ever heard it used when describing Die Hard.” He walked up to Welton and had to resist a very strong urge to kiss him when he tipped his head back and looked up, blue eyes wide behind his glasses and his lips looking plump and soft. “Can I take your coat?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.” Welton held it out and Reece took it.

“And your hat?”