“Why would he think that about you?” she asked when they were alone. “No one would be that mean. It’s Christmas.” She took a sip of her drink. “It’s my favorite time of year. In my family, we’re big believers in more-is- more at the holidays.” She laughed. “We always buy a really huge tree and then can’t get it home, let alone in the house. Last year we had to cut off the top two feet, which is kind of sad. But they don’t look that big on the lot. Then there’s the decorating, the baking. I love Christmas carols. Jenny and Julie start to complain after a couple of days, but I keep playing them. Then we have Christmas movie-fest weekends when we watch all our favorites. What are some of your traditions?”
“I don’t have any.”
Her eyes widened. “Why not?”
“It’s just a day, Annie.”
“But it’s Christmas. That makes it more than a day. It’s about family and love and giving and imagining the best in the world.”
“You’re too naive. You need toughening up.”
“And you need to spend some quality time listening to Christmas carols. Don’t you decorate your house?”
He thought of his expensive condo and the look on his housekeeper’s face if he dragged in a live tree to shed on the bamboo flooring.
“I usually travel for Christmas. Skiing or maybe somewhere warm.”
“What about your family?”
“There’s only my uncle and he does just fine without me.”
She looked confused, as if he’d started speaking a foreign language. “Next you’re going to tell me you don’t exchange gifts.”
“We don’t.”
She winced. “Tradition is important. Being together. It’s special.”
“Have you been a hopeless romantic your whole life?”
“Apparently. How long have you been a complete cynic?”
“Decades.”
She surprised him by laughing. “At least you’ll admit it. They say that’s the first step in starting the healing process.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Want to take a survey of ten random people? I’ll put my Christmas traditions up against your noncelebration and we’ll see who falls on the side of normal.”
“I don’t need anyone else’s opinion to tell me I’m right.”
She grinned. “You don’t have to go to the gym, do you? Carrying around that ego is enough of a workout.”
“It keeps me in shape.”
She laughed again. The sound made him smile. She was prettier than he’d first thought. Opinionated when she forgot to be shy. Loyal to the point of stupidity, at least when it came to her brother, but everyone had flaws. The answers she’d e-mailed earlier had given him facts about her life but hadn’t told him much about who Annie really was. In a practical sense, she was what he’d needed-a nice girl. But she was also appealing in a lot of ways.
Without thinking, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth against hers. She stiffened slightly before relaxing into the kiss. Her mouth was soft and yielding. Aware of the people around them, he drew back. As he straightened, he heard the sound of her breath catch and caught the flash of surprise in her eyes. Then she blinked and it was gone.
“You didn’t say anything about kissing,” she whispered, her voice a little husky. “I think we’re going to need a special clause to cover that.”
“The kissing clause?”
She nodded. “Set limits early and reinforce them.”
He chuckled. “I’m not one of your students.”
“That doesn’t mean you won’t be getting a time-out.”
Four
Duncan arrived on time for his weekly lunch with his uncle. A tradition, he thought as he walked into the restaurant. Annie would be proud.
Lawrence was already there, sitting at their usual table, a Scotch in front of him. The older man waved him over.
“I didn’t order you one,” Lawrence said as he stood and the two men shook hands. “I know you don’t drink during business hours.”
They sat down. Duncan didn’t bother with the menu. He had the same thing every week. The server brought him coffee, then left.
“Good job,” Lawrence said, tapping the folded newspaper next to his place setting. “The article is positive. You said you wouldn’t be closing the Indiana facility before Christmas. You can’t change your mind now.”
“I won’t.”
“The girl sounds interesting. What’s her name?”
“Annie McCoy.”
“Is she really a kindergarten teacher?”
“Yes. She’s exactly who you told me to find. Nice, connected to her family, pretty and articulate.”
“The reporter is smitten,” Lawrence said and picked up his glass. “How long are you going to see her?”
“Until Christmas.”
His uncle’s gray eyes sharpened. “It’s strictly business?”
Duncan thought about the brief kiss he and Annie had shared, then did his best to convince himself he’d only done it for show. “We’re not dating, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve hired her to do a job, nothing more.”
“I’d like to meet her.”
“You’re too old for her.”
His uncle grinned. “We’ll let her be the judge of that.”
They ordered lunch and talked business through the meal. On the way to his car, his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen-the number was unfamiliar.
“Yes?”
“Hi. It’s Annie.”
They had a business dinner to attend tomorrow night. “Is there a scheduling problem?”
“No. We’re going to get our Christmas tree this afternoon and I thought you might want to come with us.”
He stared at the phone a second before putting it back against his ear. “Why?”
He heard the smile in her voice as she spoke. “Because it’s fun and you need a little Christmas in your life. No pressure. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Which he didn’t. But instead of telling her that, he found himself asking, “What time?”
“Four. My house. I don’t suppose you have a truck we could borrow? The tree never fits well on the top of my car.”
“I have a fleet of trucks, Annie. That’s what I do.”
“Oh. Right. Could we borrow a little one? Nothing with more than four wheels.”
He shifted the phone to the other ear. “This isn’t about me at all, is it? You just wanted to borrow a truck.”
“No. Well, the truck is a part of it, but I would have wanted you to come even if you’d said no to the truck.”
“I’m not sure I believe that.”
The humor fled her voice. “I won’t lie to you, Duncan.”
“I’ll see you at four.”
He hung up.
Women had lied to him before. A lot of them. They lied to get what they wanted. He would swear sometimes
