Jingle Spells Read Online Free

not. So if she’d cherished a tiny hope that he had something besides business on his mind, she should kill that hope right now. Once she’d thought he was in love with her, but then he’d abandoned her without a word. She’d been hurt and confused, but she hadn’t been able to convince herself that his feelings had been bogus.
    Perhaps she should finally face the possibility that he’d grown tired of her and hadn’t wanted to say so. Honest as he was, he would have blurted the truth if she’d asked him. She wanted to ask now, but she hesitated. Sad to say, he still had the power to hurt her.
    He focused his green eyes with laser precision. “Are you in the middle of a project you can’t leave for a few days? Is that the stumbling block?”
    â€œAs it happens, no. I only take small local jobs in December, so I have time to celebrate Christmas and my birthday.” It was the truth, but she didn’t mind that it also served as a little dig. Ten years ago she’d invited him home for Christmas and her birthday, and he’d accepted. Then he’d bailed without an explanation.
    â€œRight. Your birthday.” His expression once again became difficult to decipher. “I promise you’ll be back here long before then. I remember how much you looked forward to Christmas.”
    â€œI do.”
    He glanced at her tree. “But if it’s Christmas cheer you’re after, you’ll find plenty of it in Gingerbread. It’s Christmas year-round there, but winter snow adds a lot to the ambiance.”
    â€œI saw the pictures online when I was looking up Evergreen Industries. Cute little town.” The landscape had reminded her of the long walks in the snow at MIT when she and Cole had been lovers. They’d often debated the merits of some new computer technology, and whenever they’d disagreed on some obscure point, the argument usually had turned into a snowball fight, which led to kissing, which led to racing back to his apartment to have sex.
    â€œI’ve booked you a room at the Nutcracker Inn.”
    His comment detoured her trip down memory lane. “You’ve already booked me a room?”
    â€œIt seemed like a good idea. They’re extra busy in December. The place is loaded with Old World charm. All the rooms have feather beds, and yours is one of the few with a woodburning fireplace.”
    â€œI admit that’s tempting.”
    â€œThere’s more. The proprietor, Mrs. Gustafson, bakes apple strudel every morning. She brings a tray to your door with warm strudel, fresh-squeezed orange juice and hot coffee.”
    â€œSounds pretty cozy.” Too bad when she pictured staying at the Nutcracker Inn, she automatically put Cole in the picture, too. He wouldn’t be there, and she needed to remember that.
    â€œIt is cozy. Or so I’m told by anyone who’s stayed there.”
    â€œYou mentioned hot coffee as if that’s a selling point. Don’t tell me you’re a coffee drinker at last.”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œWuss.” She used to tease him about that all the time.
    He smiled. “Addict.” His gaze held hers, and his voice softened. “Whatever happened to those big glasses you used to wear?”
    â€œGot contacts.” As she looked into his eyes, she remembered another very important thing. Before they’d been lovers, they’d been good friends. Sex had been an enhancement of that friendship, at least in her mind. But sex had raised the stakes, too. At the time he’d left, they’d been so deeply enmeshed that they couldn’t have dialed back the relationship to a friendship level.
    After ten years, though, they ought to be able to do that. She’d like to stay in touch. Not many people communicated on the intellectual level that she and Cole had.
    â€œOkay,” she said. “I’ll take the job.”
    His shoulders sagged with relief.