If I Had You (Christmas In Harper Falls) Read Free Page B

like a man. Strong jaw, full lips, and
    cheekbones that were to die for. How could high cheekbones look rugged?
    Somehow, he pulled it off.
    Lila opened the small fridge she kept in the back. Mostly,
    it contained water, juice, some diet soda. Nothing to feed a big, she imagined,
    hungry dog. There was half a sandwich, though. Her assistant left it there the
    other day. Meatball sub. Lila didn’t think Agnes would mind giving it up,
    especially when she found out why; she owned two dogs herself.
    Reminding herself that for all his shiny glamor, Sam
    Laughton was just a man. Lila picked up the water and sandwich, and reentered
    the shop. When he turned, smiling in welcome, she silently scoffed at her own
    silliness. Just a man? Hardly. At least not like any man she’d ever met.
    She set the water down, stepping back away from the spray
    created by the dog’s enthusiastic drinking.
    “Wow,” she smiled. “He really needed that. I
    thought he might be hungry. A meatball sub isn’t the healthiest option.”
    She handed the sandwich to Sam.
    “It will do in a pinch.”
    Apparently, the dog agreed. In no time, he ate his snack,
    drank down another bowl of water, and found a spot just right for a nap.
    “Dry, rehydrated — a nice bit of food in his belly.
    That is one happy dog.”
    “Animals have simple needs.” She looked Sam up and
    down. “Most animals.”
    “My needs are simple,” Sam assured her. When she
    snorted in disbelief, he shrugged. Then grinned.
    “Relatively simple. I like to be dry. I’m always
    happiest when my belly has something in it. Water is essential.”
    “And?”
    Oh good, Sam thought, seeing the lovely twinkle back in her
    eyes. They were reentering the flirt mode.
    “If I ask you about your supply of mistletoe, would
    that be cheesy?”
    “No. Not cheesy, just ill timed. There was a big run on
    it this week. I’m all out.”
    “None hanging in the shop?”
    “I tried that last year. It gave too many men the wrong
    idea.”
    “They all wanted a kiss?”
    “Most of the guys were fine. It was the others that
    caused the problem. They wanted to grab any woman within a five-foot-radius.
    The mistletoe was taken down before closing.”
    “There are always a few jerks who ruin the fun for
    everyone else.” Sam moved closer. “We could skip the mistletoe.”
    Lila tried not to smile. He looked so hopeful. That look did
    wonders for her ego.
    “Where’s your holiday spirit?”
    “Oh, my spirit is just fine.” Sam’s eyes dropped
    to her lips.
    Not today, fella. Lila was afraid if she let Sam Laughton
    kiss her, it might end up as a lot more. Her bed was up those stairs. Maybe
    they would get to the bed. Doing it in her shop wasn’t high on her fantasy
    list, but with Sam, she had the feeling anyplace would be the right place.
    “Rose bought a dozen sprigs.”
    “I don’t want to kiss Rose.”
    Good to know , Lila thought.
    “You’ll be at the Christmas Eve party tomorrow night.
    I’ll be there.”
    Sam caught on quickly.
    “We’re bound to end up under one of those handy
    mandatory kiss makers. A dozen. Hell, I imagine by the end of the night, we
    might hit them all.”
    “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. How do I know you’re
    a good kisser? Maybe you’ll think I’m too sloppy.”
    “Are you?”
    “I haven’t had any complaints.” Lila tilted her
    head, a questioning look on her face.
    “Me?” Sam asked. “I hate to brag…”
    “Oh, go on. You know you want to.”
    “If you insist. The first woman I ever kissed swore I
    was the best she’d ever had.”
    “And she was…”
    “Twelve. I was a precocious ten.”
    Lila was fascinated. An insightful, if humorous, look into a
    young Sam Laughton
    “Did this much older woman have a lot to compare you
    with?”
    Sam shrugged. “Let’s just say Marcy wasn’t the kind of
    girl who waited for mistletoe.”
    “A year-round kisser.”
    “Equal opportunity all the way too. She taught my
    sister how to