A White Wedding Christmas

“Oh no,” he said with a smile that made her knees soften beneath her. “I have a massive sweet tooth, so I’m doing that for sure.”

Natalie wasn’t sure how much her body could take of being in close proximity to Colin as friends. She wanted to run her hand up his tanned, muscular forearm and rub against him like a cat. While she enjoyed indulging her sexuality from time to time, she didn’t have a reaction like this to just any guy. It was unnerving and so inappropriate. This wedding couldn’t come fast enough.

* * *

“Thank you for all your help with this,” Colin said as Natalie closed up and they walked toward the door.

“That’s what I do,” she said with the same polite smile that was starting to make him crazy. He missed her real one. He remembered her carefree smile from her younger days and her seductive smile from the engagement party. This polite, blank smile meant nothing to him.

“No, really. You and your business partners are going out of your way to make this wedding happen. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Natalie pressed the alarm code and they stepped outside where she locked the door. “You and Lily are like family to me. Of course we’d do everything we could. Anyway, it’s not like we’re doing it for free. You’re paying us for our time, so no worries.”

Their cars were the only two in the parking lot, so he walked her over to the cherry-red two-seat Miata convertible. Had there been another car in the lot, he never would’ve guessed this belonged to Natalie. It had a hint of wild abandon that didn’t seem to align with the precise and businesslike Natalie he knew. It convinced him more than ever that there was another side to her that he desperately wanted to see.

“Let me take you to dinner tonight,” he said, nearly surprising himself with the suddenness of it.

Natalie’s dark brown eyes widened. “I really can’t, Colin, but I appreciate the offer.”

Two up at bats, two strikeouts. “Even just as friends?”

Her gaze flicked over his face and she shook her head. “You and I both know it wouldn’t be as friends.” Turning away, Natalie unlocked her car and opened the door to toss her bag inside.

“I think that’s unfair.”

“Not really. Listen, Colin, I’m sorry about the other night at the party. I’d been hit by a big dose of nostalgia and too much wine and thought that indulging those old teenage fantasies was a good idea. But by the light of day, I know it was silly of me. So thank you for having some sense and keeping me from doing something that would’ve made this whole planning process that much more awkward.”

“Don’t thank me,” Colin argued. “I’ve regretted that decision every night since it happened.”

Natalie’s mouth fell agape, her dark eyes searching his face for something. “Don’t,” she said at last. “It was the right choice.”

“It was at the time, but only because it had to be. Natalie, I—”

“Don’t,” Natalie insisted. “There’s no reason to explain yourself. You made the decision you needed to make and it was the right one. No big deal. I’d like to just put that whole exchange behind us. The truth is that I’m really not the right kind of woman for you.”

Colin wasn’t sure if she truly meant what she said or if she was just angry with him, but he was curious what she meant by that. He was bad enough at choosing women. Maybe she knew something he didn’t. “What kind of woman is that?”

“The kind that’s going to have any sort of future with you. At the party, I was just after a night of fun, nothing serious. You’re a serious kind of guy. Since you were a teenager, you were on the express train to marriage and kids. I’m on a completely different track.”

They hadn’t really been around each other long enough for Colin to think much past the ache of desire she seemed to constantly rouse in him. But if what she said was true, she was right. He wanted all those things. If she didn’t, there wasn’t much point in pursuing her. His groin felt otherwise, but it would get on board eventually.

“Well, I appreciate you laying that out for me. Not all women are as forthcoming.” Pam had been, but for some reason he’d refused to listen. This time he knew better than to try to twist a woman’s will. It didn’t work. “Just friends, then,” he said.

Natalie smiled with more warmth than before, and she seemed to relax for the first time since he’d arrived. “Friends is great.”

“All right,” he said. “Good night.” Colin leaned in to give Natalie a quick hug goodbye. At least that was the idea.

Once he had his arms wrapped around her and her cheek pressed to his, it was harder to let go than he expected. Finally, he forced himself back, dropping his hands at his sides and breaking the connection he’d quickly come to crave. And yet, he couldn’t get himself to say good-night and go back to his truck. “Listen, before you go can I ask you about something?”

“Sure,” she said, although there was a hesitation in her voice that made him think she’d much rather flee than continue talking to him in the cold. She must not think he’d taken the hint.

“I’m thinking about giving Lily and Frankie the old house as a wedding present.”

“The house you and Lily grew up in?” she asked with raised brows.

“Yes. It’s been sitting mostly empty the last few years. Lily has been living with Frankie in the little apartment over his motorcycle shop. They seem to think that’s great, but they’re going to need more space if they want to start a family.”

“That’s a pretty amazing wedding present. Not many people register for a house.”

Colin shrugged. “I don’t need it. I have my place. It’s paid for, so all they’d have to worry about are taxes and insurance. The only problem is that it needs to be cleaned out. I never had the heart to go through all of Mom’s and Dad’s things. I want to clear all that out and get it ready for the newlyweds to make a fresh start there.”

Natalie nodded as he explained. “That sounds like a good plan. What does it have to do with me?”

“Well,” Colin said with an uncharacteristically sheepish smile, “I was wondering if you would be interested in helping me.”

She flinched at first, covering her reaction by shuffling her feet in the cold. “I don’t know that I’ll be much help to you, Colin. For one thing, I’m a wedding planner, not an interior decorator. And for another thing, I work most of the weekends with weddings. I don’t have a lot of free time.”

“I know,” he said, “and I’m not expecting any heavy lifting on your part. I was thinking more of your organizational skills and keen aesthetic eye. It seems to me like you could spot a quality piece of furniture or artwork that’s worth keeping amongst the piles of eighties-style recliners.”

There was a light of amusement in her eyes as she listened to him speak. “You’re completely in over your head with this one, aren’t you?”

“You have no idea. My business is landscaping, and that’s the one thing at the house that doesn’t need any work. I overhauled it a few years ago and I’ve had it maintained, so the outside is fine. It’s just the inside. I also thought it would be nice to decorate the house for Christmas since they get back from their honeymoon on Christmas Eve. That way it will be ready to go for the holidays.”

The twinkle in her eye faded. “I’m no good with Christmas, Colin. I might be able to help you with some of the furniture and keepsakes, but you’re on your own when it comes to the holidays.”

That made Colin frown. Most people enjoyed decorating for Christmas. Why was she so opposed to it? In his eyes it wasn’t much different from decorating for a wedding. He wasn’t about to push that point, however. “Fair enough. I’m sure I can handle that part on my own. Do you have plans tonight?”

Natalie sighed and shook her head. “I’m not going out with you, Colin.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t ask you out. I asked if you were busy. I thought if you weren’t busy, I’d take you by the old house tonight. I know you don’t have a lot of free time, so if you could just take a walk through with me this evening and give me some ideas, I could get started on it.”

“Oh,” she said, looking sheepish.

“I mean, I could just pay a crew to come and clean out the house and put everything in storage, but I hate to do that. Some things are more important than others, and I’ll want to keep some of it. Putting everything in storage just delays the inevitable. I could use your help, even if for just tonight.”

Natalie sighed and eventually nodded. “Sure. I have some time tonight.”

“Great. We’ll take my car and I’ll bring you back when we’re done,” Colin said.

He got the distinct impression that if he let Natalie get in her car, she’d end up driving somewhere other than their old neighborhood, or make some excuse for a quick getaway. He supposed that most men agreed to just being friends, but secretly hoped for more. Colin meant what he’d said and since she’d agreed, there was no need to slink away with his tail between his legs.

Holding out his arm, he ushered her reluctantly over to his Russell Landscaping truck. The Platinum series F-250 wasn’t a work truck, it was more for advertising, although he did get it dirty from time to time. It was dark green, like their shirts, with the company logo and information emblazoned on the side.

He held the passenger door open for her, a step automatically unfolding along the side of the truck. Colin held her hand as she climbed inside, then slammed the door shut.

“Do you mind if we listen to some music on the way?” she asked.

Colin figured that she wanted music to avoid idle conversation, but he didn’t mind. “Sure.” He turned on the radio, which started playing music from the holiday station he’d had on last.