Dreaming Of Christmas. Susan Mallery

to pizza slices.

      “Because nothing says the holidays like pepperoni?” she asked.

      Dante grinned. “Come on. I’ll buy you a slice.”

      They got pizza and soda and walked over to watch the tree being secured by thick chains before being raised into place. The scent of pine filled the air. The pizza was hot and gooey and more calories than Evie usually allowed herself in a day.

      She wasn’t a professional dancer anymore, she reminded herself. Or a cheerleader. She could afford to have a BMI over twenty.

      Families crowded around them. She recognized one of the women from the brunch yesterday morning, but couldn’t remember her name. She was a pretty blonde, with an adorable toddler in her arms. Her husband held a baby boy.

      The little girl pointed to the tree slowly rising from the truck bed. “We have one like that?” she asked.

      Her father chuckled. “Sorry, Hannah. Our ceiling isn’t that high. But we’ll pick out a good tree. You’ll see.”

      The woman leaned into her husband. They shared a look—one that spoke of love and promise. Aware she’d caught a glimpse of something private, Evie turned away.

      Back when she’d still been young enough to believe in miracles, she’d assumed she would find love and have a family. That one day a man would promise to be with her forever. She would belong, and that belonging would finally heal her.

      Several bad boyfriends later, she was less sure love was something she could count on and more convinced people who were supposed to love you usually didn’t. She wanted to tell herself it could still happen, but she had a feeling that was just the Christmas tree talking.

      She glanced toward Dante. “Thanks for your help yesterday. For getting me home and everything.”

      “No problem. Families can be complicated.”

      “My mom’s a nightmare.”

      “It’s not just her.”

      “You mean my brothers?”

      Dante looked into her eyes. “Sure, they hold part of the blame, but so do you.”

      If they hadn’t been in the middle of a crowd, she would have taken a step back. But more people had stopped to watch the tree put in place, and there was nowhere to go.

      “Me? I’m the kid here.”

      “You were,” Dante told her gently, his voice low. “You’re an adult now, and if you want things to work out with your family, you have to make a little effort. Does keeping your mom at bay really make you happy? Don’t you want more? A connection?”

      She wanted to say no but remembered that he didn’t have anyone. No doubt he would tell her to be careful what she wished for. He was the kind of man who would take care of people, only there wasn’t anyone to watch over in his life. Right now, she had the benefit of his instincts.

      “I like the theory of family,” she admitted, “if not the practice. It was so bad for so long, I don’t know how to let go of the hurt.”

      “You take baby steps.”

      “I’d rather leave.”

      “Is that the plan?”

      She nodded. “I like teaching dance. I think I want to continue that. I’m going to stick around for a while and learn all I can, while saving money. Then go open a studio somewhere else.”

      She braced herself for Dante’s judgment, but he only nodded slowly. “That’s an option.”

      “My family doesn’t know.”

      “I won’t say anything. How long’s ‘a while’?”

      “Maybe a year.” She wrinkled her nose. “Okay, okay, I get your point. That’s long enough to try to work things out with my family. I should give them a break, or at least credit for trying.”

      He leaned in and kissed her nose. “See, it’s like I said. Smart and pretty.”

      She shoved at his chest. “It’s not a compliment when you’re being annoying.”

      He chuckled and put his arm around her. They both watched as the tree was pulled upright, then slowly lowered into place. Everyone cheered.

      Evie leaned into him, enjoying being a part of the happy crowd more than she would have thought.

      When the tree was secure, Dante led her back toward the booths. “We need hot chocolate.”

      She shivered slightly. “I could use something warm.”

      He bought them each a cup and they checked out the rest of the booths. One of them was selling ornaments in bright colors.

      “They come with your name painted on them,” the woman in the booth said with a smile. “How about a lovely star?”

      She held up a red one.

      “We’ll take it,” Dante told her, then spelled Evie’s name.

      “I don’t have a tree,” she said.

      “We’ll get one of those later. You need an ornament with your name on it.”

      “Only if you get one, too.”

      “You going to let me put it on your tree?”

      She laughed and leaned close. “Yes, but why does that question sound dirty?”

      “Because it was supposed to.”

      They both laughed.

      He paid for both ornaments and tucked the small bag into his coat pocket. They continued to wander through the center of town, then turned back toward their neighborhood.

      Somewhere in the distance, a church clock chimed the hour. She could hear Christmas music. There were a thousand stars in the sky, and her breath made puffy clouds in the cold air.

      “I’ll admit it,” she told him. “There is something just a little magical about this place. The tree, the hot cocoa, the window decorations.”

      He stopped and faced her. “It’s going to get worse.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “Your family at the holidays? There are going to be a lot of get-togethers.”

      She could only imagine. “I tend to stay on the fringes. It’s easier that way.”

      “You’re assuming they’ll let you. I think the easiest solution is practice.”

      She had no idea what he was talking about, but it didn’t matter. Staring into Dante’s blue eyes was kind of a nice way to spend an evening. She didn’t even care that she was freezing.

      “For example,” he continued, his gaze locked with hers. “What if there’s mistletoe somewhere? We’ll be expected to kiss.”

      She felt herself smile. “Oh, right. That could be awkward. We barely know each other. What if we bump noses?”

      “Our timing could be off. People would talk. I know you wouldn’t want that.”

      “I wouldn’t.” Anticipation tiptoed through her stomach, warming her from the inside out. She tilted her head. “So you think we should practice?”

      He sighed heavily. “It’s probably for the best.”

      “You’re such a giver.”

      “I am.”

      With that, he lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

      His lips were warm and tasted faintly of chocolate. He kissed gently, lingering as if he’d been waiting for this his whole day and planned to enjoy every second of it. She put her hand on his chest while he held her lightly by the waist.

      They