Now that the emotion of the moment was over, Keely told herself to step back, take a breath, and put some distance between her and Ethan. Things were changing between them, their relationship morphing into something different.
Step. Back.
Instead of heeding the internal warning, she held her ground, drawing strength from the man’s solid presence.
She should probably feel embarrassed for admitting her fears to him, knowing he could use them against her one day. Though he’d never been that small and petty. Argumentative, yes, but never unkind. And so she stayed rooted in the moment.
It felt good, she silently admitted, allowing Ethan’s confidence in her abilities to chase away her worry. A sob of gratitude slipped past her lips.
He tugged her into a friendly hug. “That’s it. Let it out, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart. The endearment spread warmth through her chilled limbs.
“Flicka seems to adore you. That’s half the battle in these types of situations.”
Drawing on his assurance, Keely stepped out of his embrace. To her horror, a rogue tear escaped. Tenderly, almost affectionately, he wiped her wet cheek with the pad of his thumb.
She could hardly stand his casual show of kindness. Any moment she was going to break down in sobs.
Taking another step back, she searched for another topic. Think, Keely, think. “I’m determined to make this Christmas special for Felicity. I plan to pull out all the stops, whatever it takes to make her feel comfortable in her new home.”
“Tell me what I can do to help.”
His immediate offer of assistance didn’t mesh with the Ethan Scott she knew, the man who’d turned avoiding her into an art form. So much had changed in two short days.
As she stared into Ethan’s blue eyes, she saw the secrets he kept inside him, remembered the way he kept everyone but his closest family and friends at arm’s length.
A timely reminder. Never again would she weave dreams around a man who couldn’t be completely open with her. And now that Felicity was in her life, she had to think of her, as well.
Bottom line, falling for Ethan Scott was far too risky. Even a friendship between them carried complexities she didn’t want to explore.
And yet she found herself asking, “You truly want to help me give Felicity a memorable Christmas?”
“Isn’t that what I just said?” He sounded more than a little insulted.
And they were back to familiar territory, just as she’d feared their tenuous truce a thing of the past. “Somehow I can’t see you trimming a tree, stringing popcorn or pinning up stockings to the mantel.”
Instead of his rising to her provocation, a look of sorrow came and went in his eyes. It was the same expression she’d seen right before he stepped into Felicity’s room last night. Had he lost someone he cared about, someone he’d done all those things with in the past?
“I was thinking of something more manly,” he said, not quite smiling. “You know, like hanging your outdoor lights.”
Her twin brother usually did that, but with the Slippery Slope’s extended hours during the holidays, Beau’s free time was limited. “That would be lovely, Ethan. Thank you for offering.”
She’d text Beau the good news later tonight.
“No problem, happy to do it.”
As they stared at each other, something quite wonderful passed between them. Keely opened her mouth to say something, but Ethan spoke first. “How does Sunday sound?”
She blinked, trying to picture him on a ladder, hanging Christmas lights. The image was entirely too homey for her peace of mind.
This had to stop, this thinking of Ethan Scott as anything other than a distant acquaintance. Thankfully, she remembered she’d invited him to dinner, which was only half done. “I’ll finish up in here while you go see if Felicity and Baloo need anything.”
Ethan’s features softened into what might be considered affection, with a twinge of amusement around the edges. Somehow, after she’d spilled her guts only moments before, that look was far worse than a sneer.
And then he smiled. “Trying to get rid of me, O’Toole?”
No. Yes. “Maybe.”
He laughed, a deep, masculine rumble in his chest.
Something actually fluttered in her stomach, and her knees threatened to give out. She frowned at her reaction.
“Right,” he said, still laughing. “Off I go.”
Keely grimaced after his retreating back, trying feverishly to isolate the exact moment when things had changed between her and Ethan. Long before Felicity had moved into her house.
Forcing her breathing to calm, she gathered all the ingredients for making a salad. She’d just retrieved her favorite wooden bowl when her cell phone rang.
A quick check of the screen had her wondering why the newly elected mayor of Village Green was calling her. She put the phone up to her ear. “This is Keely O’Toole.”
“Keely. Hardy Bennett here. I’m glad I caught you.”
Her frown deepened at the overly friendly note in his voice. The man was usually all business when they spoke, which was often, since she was the coordinator of Village Green’s annual Christmas parade. “Hardy, what can I do for you?”
“It’s what I can do for you.” He laughed at his own joke. “During our previous conversation you hinted that your committee was short on staff.”
“Well, yes, we could use at least one more member.”
Two would be better, but with the parade only three weeks away, Keely didn’t hold out much hope for finding volunteers at this late date. Hardy, proving why he’d won the mayoral election in a landslide, offered up a solution to her dilemma.
“I have an updated list of potential volunteers. I’m shooting an email with the names to you...” She heard the click of computer keys. “Now. Once you’ve reviewed the list, let me know who you’d like to fill the open position.”
He spoke as if it was as simple as picking a name off the list and putting the person in place. “I’ll take a look and get back to you in the morning.”
“Good enough.” Hardy ended the call.
Keely opened the email app on her smartphone and absently thumbed through the potential candidates for the hole in her committee. She’d barely begun when a familiar name popped out at her. She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
She moved on. Backed up. Stopped. Considered. Not him, Keely.
No, she decided, definitely not him.
She scrolled to the end of the list. Then looked again, drawn once more to the third name from the top.
The sound of purposeful footsteps had her jumping in surprise. She bobbled the phone from one hand to the other, then lost her grip entirely.
With catlike reflexes, Ethan reached out and caught the phone before it hit the floor. He started to hand it over but then glanced at the screen and froze.
“What is my name doing in an email from—” he scrolled to the top of the page “—our illustrious mayor?”
“Apparently, Hardy is under the impression that you’re interested in getting involved in the community.”
“Well, yeah, I sent him an email just this morning asking him to plug me