The Christmas Bargain by Lisa Carter

Author:Lisa Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-08-12T19:49:13+00:00

* * *

On the bedside table, her cell buzzed.

Lila opened one eye. Sunlight leaked from behind the curtain panels. Happy is the bride the sun shines upon.

The cell buzzed again.

She reached for the phone. When she saw the caller, she couldn’t help but smile. “H-hello?”

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”

She pursed her lips. “Why do you presume I’ve not been up and at ’em for hours? Getting in a morning run around the property? Working out in the gym?”

“Have you been doing any of those things?”

She rolled her tongue in her cheek. “No.”

“Didn’t think so.” Sam chuckled. “I know you, remember?”

It did seem as if they’d known one another forever.

“Are you still wearing your Christmas cat pj’s?”

She could feel the splotches of color staining her cheeks. Despite the pains she’d taken with her wardrobe recently, he would remember that first morning. With her hair in a pineapple. The crazy cat lady look.

“No, Mr. Paint Contractor.” She pursed her lips. “I’m wearing my Christmas penguin pj’s today.”

He laughed.

“Anyway...did you catch Emma Cate on the phone last night?”

It had been after ten o’clock when the s’mores party broke up. She’d been afraid Emma Cate would already be asleep at her grandparents’.

“I did.” His voice rasped pleasurably, causing goose bumps to form on her arms. “She and her grandma were watching reruns of The Andy Griffith Show.”

Lila flopped backward onto the pillow. “I love that show.”

“Me, too.”

She heard the smile in his voice.

“Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were awake before I headed out to snowshoe the trails around the inn with the guys.”

“Brrrr...” Shivering in sympathy, she burrowed deeper under the duvet. “Better you than me.”

“And... I just wanted to hear your voice.”

For the love of Monet. Be still, my heart.

She hugged the cell against her cheek. “I—I can’t wait to see you at the chapel later.”

“Me, too.” After a beat of silence, he cleared his throat. “So what’s on the bridesmaid agenda this morning?”

Phone clutched to her ear, she stared at the ceiling overhead. “Wedding day pampering prep—nails, hair and makeup.”

“Ugh...” he teased. “Better you than me.”

Her lips twitched. “Who knew Sam Gibson was such a comedian?”

“I’m full of surprises.”

Yes, he was. Hidden depths, too.

“I should go...the guys are about ready to head out.” Yet he didn’t hang up. “I’ll find you later, and we can walk over together, okay?”

She smiled. “Okay.”

“You’re not going to go back to sleep when I hang up, are you, lazybones?”

Hardly. As usual, the mere sound of his voice was enough to set dragonflies to doing somersaults in her belly.

“I’m awake. Wide-awake now.”

Sam Gibson was better than any alarm clock she’d ever met.

“Are your cute toes touching the floor?”

He thought her toes were cute!

She flung aside the covers. Sitting upright, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Yes, they are.”

“You just sat up, didn’t you?”

She laughed. “Goodbye, Sam. I’m hanging up now.”

He said farewell, and this time he did get off the phone.

She got in the shower, going through her hair-care routine. Finishing,

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