“I think your secret ingredient is nothing more than vanilla,” Lauren teased her friend.
“I think—” Anna laughed “—that you should mind your own business and shut up.”
“Daddy won’t like that,” Ivy said loudly. “You shouldn’t say ‘shut up.’”
“That’s right, princess.”
Lauren’s heart skipped a beat. With her back to the door, she hadn’t noticed Seth’s arrival. Taking a deep breath, she turned. “Breakfast should be ready in just a few minutes. If you want to wash up—”
“First I need to know something.” Seth hooked his thumbs into his belt loops and rocked back on his heels.
Dear God, surely he wasn’t going to bring up anything about last night in front of Anna or Ivy.
“Which one of you said ‘shut up’?” Seth asked.
Lauren released the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
Anna raised her hand. “Guilty. Only because Lauren was giving away my secret ingredient.”
“Still, ‘shut up’ is never appropriate.” A smile tugged at the corners of Seth’s lips.
“You can say whatever you want.” Mitch walked into the kitchen, flecks of snow on his dark hair. “Don’t let your brother push you around.”
“But she was telling Miss Lauren to shut up, Uncle Mitch,” Ivy said, looking up from her coloring book.
“Is that true?” Mitch asked, looking even more amused than Seth.
Anna lifted her shoulders in a shrug, her blue eyes twinkling.
“I like it when your aunt Anna tells me to shut up.” Mitch moved to his wife’s side and slipped his arms around her waist. “Especially when she says ‘shut up and kiss me, cowboy.’”
Anna wrapped her arms around Mitch’s neck and wove her fingers through his hair. “Shut up and kiss me, cowboy.”
The words had barely left Anna’s mouth when Mitch’s lips closed over hers.
The emotion and passion between the two was so powerful that Lauren had to look away. She busied herself turning on the electric griddle and dipping the bread into Anna’s secret recipe. She’d barely dropped the first slices on the hot flat surface when Ivy’s giggle split the air.
“That’s just how Santa kissed Miss Lauren,” Ivy said, her voice filled with triumph.
Lauren winced, closing her eyes for a second, then resumed dipping the bread into the batter and putting the slices on the griddle.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anna turn in her husband’s arms. “What?”
“I was supposed to be asleep.” Ivy’s little voice trembled with excitement. “When I heard the bells, I knew it was Santa Claus. I got out of bed and moved real quiet to the door. That’s when I saw Santa kissing Miss Lauren.”
“Wow.” Anna shot a sideways glance at her brother. “That must have been really exciting.”
Lauren turned, spatula in hand. “The French toast is almost done. Would someone like to set the table?”
“I’ll do it.” Anna brushed another kiss across her husband’s lips before opening the silverware drawer. “But let’s talk a bit more about your romantic interlude with, ah, Santa?”
“I don’t think this is an appropriate discussion—”
“Save your breath, Seth.” Anna chuckled. “You’re just upset ’cause you weren’t there. You weren’t there, right?”
If looks could kill, Anna Donavan would be dead.
“I was upstairs.” Seth’s blue eyes flashed a warning his sister seemed determined to ignore.
“Upstairs?” Anna smiled. “How convenient.”
Ivy tilted her head, her brow furrowed. “What’s ‘convenient’?”
Seth shot Mitch a look that practically begged for assistance but his brother-in-law simply grinned.
“I just meant it’s too bad your dad missed Santa.” Anna may have spoken to her niece but her gaze remained on her brother.
Lauren swallowed a groan when Anna’s gaze shifted to her. “Tell us, Lauren. Was Santa a good kisser?”
Growing up, Lauren had always wanted a sister. But seeing the pleasure Anna was getting from tormenting her brother, Lauren could now clearly see the downside of sibling love.
“He was okay.” Lauren kept her eyes on Anna and off Seth.
“I think she liked him,” Ivy said to her aunt. “She was hugging him really, really tight.”
“Interesting.” Anna placed the plates on the table, barely able to contain her smile. “You’ll have to remember to tell me more about this experience, Lauren.”
Lauren sighed. “Somehow I don’t think you’ll let me forget.”
Anna laughed. “You’ve got that right, girlfriend. You’ve definitely got that right.”
Chapter Eight
Sew-fisticated, the small shop that Anna co-owned with former classmate Miranda Els, buzzed with activity. Ivy, along with Miranda’s youngest boy, Brandon, sat sorting fabric squares while Lauren helped Miranda and Anna man the cash registers. Trenton, Miranda’s oldest, had planned to watch the younger kids, but the twelve-year-old had gotten sick during the night and was home in bed.
Thankfully, Ivy and Brandon hadn’t been very demanding, because the traffic in the store had been incredible. In only a few short weeks the shop had become the unofficial gathering place for women in the community. Though there was more talking than selling going on, the upcoming quilting and scrapbooking classes, which had been half-filled before Christmas, were now full.
Lauren had been waiting all morning for Anna to take a break. She wanted to talk to her privately before Mitch and Seth returned.
Once they got past the kiss, and she confessed to propositioning her best friend’s brother, she hoped Anna would understand why she had to back out of her agreement with Seth.
“Would you mind running over to the Coffee Pot and picking up another pot of apple cider?” Miranda asked, her cheeks flushed with happiness. “I think one more should be plenty.”
“I’d be happy to.” Lauren started toward the door, then stopped. “What about Ivy?”
Miranda glanced toward the back room. “I’ll keep an eye on her. Anna will be here, too.”
Lauren caught Anna’s eye. Her friend stopped talking, er, selling, just long enough to offer a little wave. Lauren could only hope Seth wouldn’t get back early, so she and Anna would have time to talk.
After dropping “the girls” off at the shop, Seth and Mitch had left to do some handyman work at the home of one of the town’s senior citizens. Apparently, doing such good deeds the day
