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“If you say so.”
Jack surveyed their surroundings. The kids were playing in the living room amongst a pile of baby dolls and pink strollers and fake food and whatever else went into the preparation for a toddler to become a big sister. That had been the mission: help Noelle practice for the baby. And by the looks of things, she and the handful of little friends Holly had made for her were going to knock it out of the park in that area.
The adults—mostly comprised of Joan and Nick’s relatives and local friends who had welcomed Holly in with open arms for the last three years—stood around chatting and eating the cake that the little ones were all too busy for.
Jack glanced down at Robin, wondering if this might be the time to finally make his move. “So, are you going to the ball?”
“The Gingerbread Ball?”
He narrowed his eyes at her with a small smile. “Please don’t tell me there are other annual balls in this town that I haven’t heard of yet.”
“No, just that one. And yes, we’re going. Why do you ask?”
Jack pursed his lips. He hadn’t missed the way Robin saidwe’re, which he probably should have thought about ahead of time. But since it didn’t matter to him if inviting Robin also meant inviting Abby, he pressed on.
“Would you like to go with me?”
Robin furrowed her brow. “Like a date?”
“Well, sort of.”
She giggled. “Sort of?”
“We can’t call it a date, even if you say yes to going with me.”
“Why not?”
Sipping her hot apple juice—gross—she eyed him over the rim of the red mug. Then she dragged her tongue over her bottom lip before tucking it between her teeth, and the move temporarily removed Jack’s ability to think straight.
“Jack?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. Um, because I’m inviting both of you to go with me since I assume Abby wouldn’t want to go stag.”
Delight and a flicker of surprise graced that pretty face of hers, then she nodded. “Well, since you’re asking both of us, I’ll check with her before I give you a firm yes.”
He nodded back, and as she headed off to where Abby was playing with the birthday girl, he took a step. “Robin?”
She turned her cheek, shooting him a questioning look over her shoulder.
“Just so I’m clear, if Abby weren’t going… and I was asking only you, and itwasa date…?”
“It would have been a yes.”
Warmth spread through his body in a languid wave of sensation, and as he watched her walk away, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was something to the whole magic-of-the-season thing after all.
CHAPTER12
Robin
Snow Hill wasn’t knownfor being much of a fashion mecca, but since Robin would have to drive over forty-five minutes to the nearest town with an actual mall, the small boutique on Main Street that carried formalwear was pretty much her only option for a dress to wear to the ball.
Sure, she could have borrowed something from Holly. Her ex-movie star best friend still had plenty of red carpet or gala-appropriate gowns hanging in her closet, just in case the need ever arose. She was still a small-screen star, after all, considering the success of her cooking show.
But after Jack had invited Robin and Abby to the ball, she wanted something new. Not purely because of the man himself, of course. It was just the excitement that came from shopping for a dress to wear to an event that she hadn’t had a date for in years. Or, at least, that was what she told herself.
Even with Abby as their third wheel, itcouldstill turn into a romantic evening. She and Jack would dance or chat under the glittering lights in the hall with glasses of champagne in hand, and maybe… just maybe… she’d wind up with a good-night kiss if Abby went inside ahead of them.
Wouldn’t that be something?
