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Neither Hanna nor any of the other clerks questioned who Nessa was or why she was with Emmy and him, but Calen suspected lots of questions would be asked to try to figure out this visitor.
With the mobile in a shopping bag, they went back out onto the sidewalk. “I want to thank both of you for doing this with me. A huge thank-you,” Nessa emphasized. “I need to get back to the bakery, but I want to see you—”
Nessa didn’t get to finish her sentence because they practically ran right into Owen. Time seemed to freeze. So did everything around them, something that happened whenever he had a chance meeting with the man whose Santa suit sex-capade was still the talk of the town.
Owen wasn’t alone today. A film crew from a San Antonio TV station was trailing him. So was Owen’s assistant, Tate Webster. In a small town where there was often only one degree of separation, Calen knew Tate—he was Deputy Mick Webster’s brother, and Tate’s sister-in-law, Terry, worked for Emmy.
“Emmy,” Owen muttered, and Calen saw the guilt in the man’s eyes for a split-second before he turned his politician’s smile back to the cameraman. “And here are two of the town’s citizens,” he announced. “Christmas Creek’s top cop, Sheriff Calen Jameson, and Emmy Kendrick, the owner of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas bookstore.”
Calen didn’t have to see Emmy’s eyes to know there was no guilt in them, but they’d be narrowed. Three hundred and sixty-six days might be enough to cool some of the anger, but it wasn’t enough to forgive and forget.
Owen swallowed hard, searching for anything that wasn’t Emmy or the town’s top cop. The mayor’s attention landed on Nessa. Owen glanced back at them, and when Calen and Emmy didn’t make introductions, Calen could see the man gearing up to do hishost without a checkered pastspiel.
“I’m sure the sheriff will be at the town’s annual Mistletoe Ball,” Owen said, holding up a handful of flyers that announced the event the following night. He handed one to Nessa, who eyed it, then Owen.
“Oh, I know you,” Nessa said. “You’re the guy who got caught having sex with your friend’s fiancée while you were dressed as Santa. That’s taking the holiday spirit to a whole new level.”
Owen didn’t miss a beat. He raised his voice, talking right over Nessa. “And here’s one of the many holiday visitors to our fine town. Welcome to Christmas Creek,” he muttered and tried to hurry past Nessa.
“This is my sister,” Calen said, cutting off Owen’s escape. “Nessa Bozeman.”
Owen opened his mouth, no doubt to issue one of those plastic platitudes to go along with his plastic smile, but he stopped and obviously rethought what he’d been about to say. “Your sister? I didn’t know you had a sister—”
“I do,” Calen assured him in a voice loud enough for any bystander to hear. There. Within five minutes, the news would be all over town.
Calen slipped his arm around Nessa and guided her back toward the parking lot where Nessa had left her car.
“Thank you for that,” Nessa whispered to him.
“My pleasure,” Calen assured her.
“And thank you for what you said to Owen,” Emmy added. “It’s fun to watch him try to snake-oil his way out of an embarrassing situation.”
Nessa and she shared a chuckle, and when they reached Nessa’s car, she turned and gave both Emmy and him a hug. “Thank you again,” Nessa said, handing Calen the flyer that Owen had given her. “For this day, for everything.”
She got in her car and lowered the window, obviously wanting to stretch out the goodbye a little longer. Apparently so did Emmy.
“If you don’t have any other plans, why don’t you come to Christmas dinner at my place?” Emmy invited. “It’ll be just Calen and me, and you’re more than welcome.”
Tears sprang to Nessa’s eyes again, but Calen thought these were of the happy variety. “I’d love that.”
“Great. Calen has your number, so I’ll get it from him and text you the time and address,” Emmy explained.
Emmy and he waved goodbye and stood there, watching Nessa drive away. What a hell of a whirlwind morning this had been. It reminded him of the day before, when Mick had said that bad things came in threes.
“Maybe good things come in threes, too,” Calen heard himself say. “Nessa’s arrival could be the start.”
Emmy looked up at him, smiled and then touched her lips to his. Okay, that could qualify as good thing number two, so Calen decided to go for broke. He held up the flyer he was still holding.
“Want to go with me to the Mistletoe Ball?” he asked.
Amusement lit in her eyes. And maybe something more. Maybe pleasure. He added to it by kissing her, and not just a touch. It was long, deep and French. Just the way he wanted all his kisses to be with Emmy.
When he eased back, he could see she approved of that type of kiss as well because she ran her tongue over her bottom lip and made anmmmsound.
“Let’s test just how strong our friendship is,” Calen added, tipping his head to the flyer. “Let’s make it a date.”
“A real one?” she asked with a naughty glint in her eye.
