“Yes, sir. I will, sir.” Bradley smacked his lips as he chewed, a pet peeve of Clark’s he decided to ignore for the moment. After a contemplative silence, Bradley swallowed and spoke again. “You know…you’re kinda like him.”
“Like who?”
“Scrooge.”
Clark didn’t even have time to absorb the blow of those words. Kate interrupted their chat with Michael and Emily in tow.
“I think we’re all done here.”
Tucking his cane under his chocolate-holding arm, he held up his free hand.
“Gum, please.”
“You think you earned it?” Kate chuckled. The sound was better than music. “He’s not even smiling.”
“C’mon, Mr. Clark. Give her a smile.”
No. A line in the sand needed to be drawn. He’d been…polite to the boy and he was going to be stuck with Kate for the next thirty-six hours or so. None of them were going to walk away from this conversation thinking he could be manipulated. Not by gap-toothed children with chocolate-covered hands or beautiful women with laughter like wind chimes on a sunny beach.
“I’m not a trained animal. I don’t smile on command.”
The little boy dug his heels in to argue, but a call from his father on the porch rescued Clark from any kind of debate.
“Bradley! Come in here and help your sisters set the table.”
The boy groaned. Kate knelt down and handed him the stick of gum. In another scenario, Clark would have protested. He didn’t earn the gum, and what kind of lesson was she teaching him if she gave him things he didn’t earn? Maybe that was the problem with this town. Everyone here was too soft, too afraid of hurting feelings to say no.
“Here’s your gum. Merry Christmas, B.”
But…even he had to admit how sweet Kate looked as she ruffled Bradley’s hair and sent him on his way. As he walked towards his tiny house, he gave one last goodbye.
“God bless us, everyone.”
It didn’t take a master of subtext to read into his declaration. God bless everyone. Even you, Mr. Clark. Once he disappeared behind the faded red door, Kate turned on him.
“You couldn’t have even smiled for him?”
He didn’t realize how long he’d been staring into the depths of her eyes, catching the flickers of mixing colors and light in her pointed gaze. When had she gotten so close? And why did he want to be closer? His gaze flickered down to her lips. Just a breath closer, just a heartbeat nearer to her and they’d be less than a kiss apart. And it shocked him how dearly he suddenly wanted that in this moment.
He coughed. Stepped away. And shook his head.
“No. No, I couldn’t.”
“What a shame.” She smiled, a tease hiding in the corner of her mouth. “I bet you have a nice smile.”
He coughed again and put as much distance between them as he could, flexing and clenching his hand. The movement of muscles in his fingers did nothing to quell his desire to take her hand and hold it in his. As they got in the car, Clark recalled thinking coming to this house and meeting these people was the worst thing he’d done in recent memory. He knew now that wasn’t true.
The worst thing he had done since arriving in Miller’s Point was almost kissing Kate.
Or not kissing her.
He couldn’t decide which was worse.
Chapter Seven
The afternoon rolled past Clark in a flurry of cold, slushy rain and tittering laughter and conversation. He drove them to their next few stops, but no longer got out of the car. He considered it a strategic move. They would be safe from any near-miss kisses if he did the noble thing of helping to bring the boxes to the door and immediately returning to the safety of his car. Insulated by the steel and leather interior, he couldn’t hear her laugh or smell the nutmeg in her hair. Every once in a while, his attention snagged on bits of conversation muttered outside of his window. Mostly insults about him. Why are you hanging out with that scumbag? Makes sense he wouldn’t want to come in and touch us poors. If I didn’t respect his uncle so much, I’d take him out back and give him what for.
Every year, Texas Magazine ranked the towns and cities of the state by the kindness and friendliness of their citizens. Miller’s Point regularly came in at #1. The nicest people in the entire state hated him. Normally, he didn’t mind hatred. He tried not to mind it now, but he couldn’t help but think, I don’t want Kate to hate me.
When he didn’t catch them saying cruel and utterly justified things about his character, Clark captured little glimpses into the life of the woman who’d singlehandedly invaded his life. Thank you so much for bringing my boy to the doctor last week. I couldn’t have gotten the time off. Or, you’ll never believe what happened last week! I took your advice and asked Laura out at her favorite place at the festival and she said yes! We’re going out next week for New Year’s. Kate invested herself in these people, and not just for cheap displays of her own dedication to charity. Clark couldn’t name a single neighbor in his apartment building, while Kate consistently remembered birthdays, anniversaries, breakups, and the name of every single person she came across. Small-town living came with perks and privileges not enjoyed by city folk like him, but he didn’t suspect everyone in Miller’s Point—or any small town for that matter—acted exactly like her. She was a creature entirely unto herself. He’d yet to meet anyone on earth, much less in Miller’s Point, who rivaled Kate in any way.
Whether that was a point in her favor or a demerit, he couldn’t be entirely sure.
The car’s bells chimed as the doors opened and the ragtag team of daylight Santas, now relieved of their boxes and presents,
