AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The lines were straight, and the distance between each strand was perfectly proportional. Somehow, as minimalistic as it was, his newly blinged-out house still managed to look like something out of aHome Depotholiday commercial.
“You did all of this in the last few hours?”
He frowned. “Yeah, why? Should it have taken longer?”
“It did for me,” she replied with a laugh. “And yours looks a heck of a lot better than mine. You don’t even have any droopy spots.”
He clicked his tongue as he looked at her house and the white lights that she’d struggled to hang over the course of an entire day. “Sorry I didn’t move in sooner. I could’ve knocked both houses out in the same afternoon.”
“Okay, braggy pants. Maybe next year.”
His eyes twinkled as bright as the lights as he winked at her. “Count on it.”
Unnerved by her body’s reaction to that dashing wink, she looked up at his lights again. “I’m not complaining or anything because, again, it looks great.”
“But?”
“But… why did you do it?”
He let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, it was against my will, I can promise you that.”
“Holly?”
“Worse. The HOA.”
Robin let out a noise of understanding and nodded slowly. She and Matthew had bought their house so long ago she’d almost forgotten it was literally a rule in this neighborhood that you had to hang lights for Christmas. It was such a big deal that the buying process involved agreeing to it before you bought in. That hadn’t been an issue for them since they would have done it anyway, but she wondered if hearing that during the signing of his contract had given Jack any pause.
“Well, welcome to the neighborhood, Jack. You’re officially one of us.”
He grumbled something unintelligible as he scratched the back of his neck.
“What was that?” Robin asked, unable to stem her curiosity.
“Nothing. What are you guys up to tonight? Having a party? I saw some kids getting dropped off.”
“Abby wanted to invite her friends over for hot cocoa in front of the fire. But you know… it was mostly an excuse to show off her snowmen.”
Jack’s brows twitched, and he pursed his lips. “Right on.”
Robin looked him over, and before she could talk herself out of it, she gestured to her house. “I should get back in before they burn the house down or something, but um… do you want some hot cocoa? Seems like it’d be a nice way to finish up this festive little evening you’ve had.”
He smiled a little, but she saw the hesitation in his eyes.
“Unless having hot chocolate after hanging mandatory Christmas lights is too much of a holly-jolly good time for you,” she added with a wry smile.
At this, he let out a breathy laugh, which caused puffs of white to burst through his full lips. Lips that looked way too kissable for their own good, which caused Robin to look away again as guilt snaked up her spine.
Was this wrong? In the years since her husband’s death, no man had ever made her feel like this. She’d never fixated on his lips and wondered if they’d feel as soft as they looked, and she’d never looked for reasons to stay in their presence even though she had plenty of other reasons to walk away.
Well, never with anyone other than Jack, anyway. But she’d only had to endure it for short bursts at a time. Now, he lived here.Right next door.
“Hot cocoa would be great,” he said, cutting her off before she rescinded the offer. “Thanks. I’ve been out here freezing my butt off for hours.”
“Come on over,” she said.
It was too late now. She’d offered, he’d accepted, and it was happening. But it didn’t have to mean more than a couple of neighbors sharing a festive beverage, and she didn’t need to feel guilty for looking forward to it. It was just cocoa.
Filling her mind with those reassuring thoughts, Robin spun toward her house, sensing him all too keenly as he followed her across the grass from his lawn to hers.
