The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)(38)

Annie swallowed hard. Damn it.

This was what she got for never leaving this town, for hanging out with the same people since she was five, for showing this man too much of herself back when she thought it was safe.

Mac stepped toward her, tipping her chin up to meet his gaze.

‘I also know that by this time of the day your head hurts from having your hair pulled back too tight and your feet hurt from standing for hours but you never, ever complain.’

Annie couldn’t breathe. This little speech had literally stolen the air from her lungs.

‘And I know that a part of you wants to forgive me but you’re too damn stubborn to do it.’

That cocky grin spread across his face at her wide-eyed expression. He leaned in closer, so his words brushed across her lips. ‘But lucky for you, I’m just as stubborn. And I haven’t given up yet. Your little admission earlier today gave me even more motivation. I’m not nineteen anymore, Annie, and I don’t leave women unsatisfied.’

Annie swallowed hard. Holy shit. She forced herself to take a step back, to step away from this man and his smirk and his alarmingly accurate knowledge of her inner workings. Because he was right on all accounts, but especially the fact that she had not and would not forgive him. And it was that and not his very appealing offer that she had to focus on.

‘Just help me get the damn thing in the van,’ she ground out.

Mac chuckled, knowing exactly the effect he was having on her. ‘Of course, darling. Anything for you. But you’re not taking the van.’

‘Why wouldn’t I?’

‘Because I’m driving you.’

‘No, you aren’t.’

‘Yes, I am. The roads are terrible, and I have snow tires.’

Annie nearly growled in frustration. ‘Fine.’

If this man was her Christmas miracle, she would like to file a complaint with Santa or the baby Jesus or whoever was in charge, because the only miracle here would be if she didn’t kill or kiss Mac before the wedding was over.

And either option felt equally ill-advised.











Chapter Seventeen





Then


‘What do you keep looking at?’ Charlotte said, apparently catching Annie glancing to the back of the auditorium for the twelfth time since they arrived.

‘Nothing.’

That was a lie. Annie was fairly certain she’d seen Mac back there, but maybe she was hallucinating. Ever since he kissed her, she thought she’d seen him everywhere. She could have sworn she’d spotted him at the grocery store when she went to grab milk, and then she really could have sworn he was in front of her in line at The Pumpkin Spice Café, and she was absolutely positive she’d seen him out for a run one morning down her street, but none of those men had turned out to be Mac. She was clearly losing her mind over this boy, which was really not something she did. But everything with Mac felt different. This whole December felt different.

She glanced to the back of the room again and Charlotte huffed a little laugh. ‘If you're looking for your boyfriend,’ she said, ‘that’s definitely him back there sitting next to his mom.’

‘It is?’ Annie whispered, trying not to disrupt the concert. Her older sister was playing the cello tonight as part of the town Christmas concert, but frankly Annie had more pressing issues than to ooh and ahh over her sister’s musical abilities.

‘Yep,’ Charlotte said smugly. ‘That’s him. I spotted him as soon as we sat down.’

‘Well, you could have told me sooner.’

Charlotte rolled her eyes. ‘I thought you saw him. Isn’t he your boyfriend? Why don’t you just text him?’

‘He's not my boyfriend,’ Annie hissed. No, that wasn’t what was happening here, just because they had kissed and she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She wouldn’t call him her boyfriend, right? Right.

‘I’m going to go get something from the concession stand,’ she said in between songs.

Charlotte smirked. ‘Yeah, okay, that’s what you’re doing—“getting a snack”.’ The way her sister did air quotes around the words made Annie want to smack her, but she didn’t have time for that before the next song started.

‘I am getting a snack.’

Her baby sister winked at her like she knew exactly what was going on.

Annie shook her head and got out of her seat, signaling to her parents where she was headed. She walked down the aisle of the auditorium, passing former friends and teachers along the way, but she was single-minded in her pursuit of a ‘snack’. She caught Mac’s eye before exiting the auditorium and it didn't surprise her when he appeared behind her in the concession line a minute later. In fact, it filled her with relief that he wanted to see her, too.

‘Hey, Annabelle,’ he said, his voice beside her ear. ‘Enjoying the show?

‘I am. What are you doing here?’ She didn't turn around. Just kept her eyes on the snack choices, trying to play it cool. They’d texted a few times since the kiss, but neither had made the next move. They could hang out, or not, whatever, she thought even as her heart picked up speed.

‘My cousin’s in the show this year and Mom wanted to come.’ He had stepped closer; his chest brushed against her back. ‘I’ve been waiting for you to come say hi,’ he said. ‘I saw you looking at me.’