A Christmas Bargain by Mindy Obenhaus

Author:Mindy Obenhaus
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-09-03T00:40:09+00:00

* * *

Something wasn’t right.

Standing in the living room of the cabin late the following Wednesday morning, Hawkins watched through the window as a ten-point buck ambled into the woods and the wind whipped the trees into another frenzy. Ever since that almost-kiss in the barn a week ago, Annalise had been avoiding him.

When she’d finally rejoined him after going off with his sister, she’d seemed...different. Her playfulness that had made the work seem less like a chore had evaporated. Instead, she worked without saying much at all until the barn had been transformed from a giant catchall to an organized workspace on one end while leaving plenty of room near the front for a welcome center and the sale of things like wreaths, garlands and tree stands.

Thursday and Friday he and Annalise tackled the smaller shed, unpacking all of the boxes and moving their contents to wherever they’d be needed. Again with little chitchat, only Christmas music filling the air between them.

Tom, who’d managed to knock out a good majority of the trees that would make up this year’s inventory, had pointed out some items they hadn’t been aware of, such as a large Christmas Tree Farm banner along with some other signs and dozens of ten-foot PVC pipes that had been hidden along the overgrown backside of the barn. Tom said they were to serve as measuring sticks, aiding shoppers in their quest for the right tree.

And through it all, Annalise kept her distance. Both physically and emotionally. Not at all like the woman who’d seemed to enjoy working with him prior to her little mishap with Frosty. Had Gloriana’s sudden appearance completely embarrassed her? Or did the notion of kissing Hawkins repel her that much?

Now, with the grunt work out of the way, she no longer needed his help. Annalise, Mom and Gloriana could handle the setup and decorations by themselves. And here he was, three days into his new position, working with a great group of engineers on an offshore project that should excite him, yet feeling absolutely miserable.

Annalise obviously had no use for him anymore. And as much as he hated to admit, it stung. He’d foolishly thought something was growing between them. Obviously, he was wrong. Not for the first time.

One hand shoved in the pocket of his jeans, he turned from the window and crossed the wood floor to the kitchen. After refilling his coffee mug, he continued to the desk behind the couch where he eyed the blueprint on his laptop screen. Come on, Hawk. Get your head in the game.

His phone buzzed, and he hated the way his hopes soared when he saw Annalise’s name on the screen.

“Hello?”

“I have a problem.” Her breathless tone had him ready to head for his truck.

But he willed himself to stay put. “What is it?”

“Olivia and I went to the barn to get something, and the wind caught one of the doors and pulled it off one of its hinges. Now it’s just kind of hanging there, while the wind tosses it back and forth.

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