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Abby snuck a glance at where Dirk helped pack more canned food and basic household supplies into a box that would later be given to a needy person.
She hadn’t wanted him to come with her, didn’t want him being nice to her, didn’t want to be near him, period. How was she supposed to protect her heart when he insisted on helping her?
As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She had overstretched herself, and appreciated his help so that she’d finish earlier. But there was so much to be done at this time of year. So much important work. Besides, sitting at home gave her too much time to contemplate that when she went home only Mistletoe cared. That she had no family to come home to, no family to share Christmas dinners, no family to sit around the tree with and open packages.
No one.
Her gaze lifted from the box she was packing, landing on the man across the table.
Why did looking at him bring how alone she was into focus so clearly? Why did looking at him make her see what she’d been able to hide from herself in the past? That, although she loved volunteering, she didn’t do so selflessly. No, she also volunteered because doing so prevented her from thinking about how she’d spend another Christmas alone.
“You okay?”
Abby blinked at
Dirk. Although he’d been terse when they’d first arrived, he had quickly impressed the other volunteers.
Volunteers who kept sending Abby sneaky smiles and suggestive eyebrow wiggles. After her first few attempts at convincing her longtime friends that she and Dirk were only coworkers, friends, she’d given up. After all, she didn’t buy the friends bit any more than they did. Besides, the more she’d protested, the bigger their smiles had grown.
“Abs? You okay?” he repeated.
She glanced at where Dirk had finished with his box and had lifted another to fill. A wave of dizziness hit her and she grasped hold of the table. What was wrong with her? To get sick right now would be so unfair.
“I’m fine,” she lied, hoping she was imagining the sweat beads popping out on her forehead.
Maybe she should have said no for once, asked the ladies to get someone else. Anything so she didn’t get ill in front of Dirk.
What was she thinking? Of course she couldn’t have done that. Not when it would mean that someone’s Christmas wouldn’t be as special, as magical.
When it would mean going home and being alone.
She was fine. Or would be if Dirk would get back to packing and quit staring at her. It wasn’t as if he knew she was struggling to keep up. She would not let him know just how much effort she was putting into this.
“Maybe you should rest for a few minutes,” he suggested, boxing up more canned goods. “I’ll finish this.”
Or maybe she didn’t have to tell him how much effort she was putting in. Maybe he already knew. Somehow. Probably that crazy connection they shared. The one he insisted on calling friendship.
She sighed.
“Or better yet…” He stopped what he was doing to pin her beneath his azure gaze. “Let me take you home where you can get proper sleep before you drop.”
The two volunteers elbowed each other. Abby bit back another sigh, this one from fatigue, and straightened her shoulders. “There’s no reason I can’t finish, Dirk.”
How dared he tell her what to do? Try to tell her what she needed? The only reason she’d agreed to let him come with her was because he needed a lesson in helping others, on what Christmas really meant. She should have said no. Him being here obviously stressed her.
“No reason except you need to rest.”
She ignored his comment. Drawing on all her inner strength to hide just how woozy she felt, she smiled at the ladies watching them curiously. “Once we get these packed, we’ll divvy them up and take the ones on my list to deliver. Dr. Kelley can go home and rest.”
Eyeing her like a kid studied a sole, tiny package labeled for him under the Christmas tree, Dirk frowned. A tightly controlled muscle jumped at the corner of his mouth. “This is too much after working all night. Call and cancel the fruit basket delivery.”
Tempting, but then who would deliver the baskets? Besides, she was pretty sure it was the stress of being near him making her feel so bad. That and the virus. If he’d just quit looking at her…
“No.” She couldn’t cancel her activities. Sure, she’d been a little out of sorts. That wasn’t any reason to let down those depending on her. They needed her help to make their Christmas all it should be, all hers wouldn’t be.
“Abby, if you’re not feeling well, Joyce and I can finish this up,” Judy, the lady in charge, offered, placing her hand on Abby’s shoulder.
Dirk smiled smugly, obviously viewing the woman’s offer as reinforcement that he was right, that she should do as he wanted. Enough was enough.
