The Trouble with Christmas Read Online Free Page B

he laughed. “I’m Cole Stanton, and I’m not typically this clumsy.”
    “Lily Edmonds, and I typically stumble into at least one man every day.”
    She nearly clapped her hand over her mouth. Was she flirting? Was she heartbroken?
    “So I’m the quota for today. Good to know, Lily Edmonds. It’s early.” He looked at his watch. “You’ll have to be very careful for the rest of the day.”
    He was flirting back! Lily checked. No ring. And he was hot. Hotter than Brad Pitt. Self-consciously, she spun her ring around so the diamond pressed into her palm, reminding her of everything she no longer had. Why had she flirted? She hated men. She was done with men.
    “Maybe go home, draw the shutters.”
    “Or I could walk through the door again,” she said more boldly than she’d ever been in her life. Avery would faint. She would think Lily’s personality had been transplanted by aliens.
    “I’m willing,” he said easily, but he didn’t let go of her arm, and Lily could feel his fingers like a pulse through her body.
    “So, Lily, are you living on the island or just visiting?”
    Cole didn’t have a drawl. He definitely sounded like a Northerner. It took every ounce of nerve she had to continue making eye contact with his bright blue gaze. Her heart thudded and her palms were clammy. He finally released her arm and she felt herself sway. He was making her dizzy just standing there. She’d need to go home and drink something much harder than a sweet tea. She remembered he’d asked her a question.
    “Just visiting, staying with my best friend Avery Putnam, at the Putnam Plantation,” Lily managed, crossing her arms in front of her to try to calm herself down. She thought she saw him wince when she mentioned the Putnam name, but she wasn’t sure. “How about you?” she asked, totally horrified to realize she’d batted her lashes like a real Southern Belle. Am I a cartoon character?
    “Actually, I moved here from Boston in April. Quit my job, sold everything, and I’m starting over right here on the island,” Cole said and added “I bought a house, it’s on the eighteenth hole, a few miles north of the Putnam’s place. That’s the enormous white house with all the Christmas decorations out, right?”
    “That’s the place,” she said, laughing a bit. “It is a bit opulent, but Avery’s family is really amazing, very down to earth people.”
    Cole looked a bit skeptical, but his face was so open and friendly she found herself liking him even more, and relaxing a little in his company.
    “Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are very generous and entertain friends often. They need a big house because their entire family is often there. Plus, they have corporate events and parties at the house or at the inn.” She paused, realizing she sounded defensive. Why should she care what he thought? “Every weekend night they invite friends for cocktails. Why don’t you join us?” Lily said before she could stop herself.
    “You sure that would be okay?”
    “Sure. On the weekends there’s a standing seven p.m. cocktail hour,” Lily said. “They’ve had it since we were kids. Friends from the island drop in, have a drink, chat, and sometimes stay for dinner or split up and go out to dinner other places, you know, homes or restaurants on the island.”
    He straightened up and looked at her a little more intensely.
    “Every weekend?”
    “When they’re in residence, which is a lot. Evalyn says it’s a way to keep in touch with friends and the kids of their friends.”
    “I’d really love that,” he sounded so sincere, that Lily had to bite back a sigh.
    How could she be so attracted to a stranger? She just got dumped by Bob. The love of her life.
    “It will give me a taste of the life I’ve left behind.”
    “What…?” Lily began, but was caught by the shadow that crossed his face.
    “What can I bring?” Cole quickly interrupted, focusing so intently on her Lily lost her train of thought and just