Both her parents looked away from the television at the same time and focused their eyes directly on her. Neither said anything. No need, their expressions said it all. It felt like the two of them, along with Chad, had insider information she had yet to receive.
With all the verbal and nonverbal warnings given to her this evening, Lindy should probably avoid Billy. She toyed with sending a text and making an excuse. That seemed wrong, after she’d already agreed. Once in her car and on her way to the Wine Press, Lindy admitted she wanted to be with Billy, and to tell herself otherwise would be a lie.
The parking lot was full when she arrived. That likely meant Billy would be unable to sneak away even for a limited amount of time. Which should be enough to discourage her, only it wasn’t.
Entering the lounge, she found him behind the bar with another bartender, filling orders with an expert hand. When he saw her, he smiled and said something to the other bartender.
Lindy found an empty seat and sat while she patiently waited for Billy. Within a few minutes one of the servers stepped behind the bar and Billy made his way to her.
“Busy night,” she said, stating the obvious.
“Very. It’ll slow down after the first of the year, when the credit-card statements hit the mail and reality sets in.”
So true. Lindy remembered last Christmas when she saw the balance on her own credit card. It was ramen noodles for dinner for the entire month.
“You should take care of business,” she said, looking at the crowded room and how busy the bar section was. “We can connect tomorrow.”
Billy intertwined their fingers and shook his head. “I don’t care how busy we are. I don’t want you to leave.”
His words made a direct hit to her heart—bull’s-eye. Right away her brother’s warning took root. It was time she owned up to the fact that she was seriously in danger of falling for Billy Kincade.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” he asked.
Her mind was mush. It took her a long moment before she was able to respond. “Peggy phoned before dinner with some crazy scheme she wouldn’t tell me over the phone. I’m meeting her for coffee. Then there’s the Christmas Eve church service with Mom and Dad.”
“Do you think you could squeeze me in?”
Feeling as if she was getting in over her head, she should make an excuse and tell him her day was already full. She didn’t, though. So much for her resolve! Instead, she nodded, knowing she wouldn’t deny him and at the same time herself.
“Give me thirty minutes and I’ll be back.” He slid off the seat and kissed her forehead.
“Okay.”
He left, and within a couple minutes a server brought a glass of red wine to her table. While waiting, she watched the bar crowd and noticed a large party was calling for their tab. After they left, the bar area quieted down, and Lindy was able to hear the Christmas music for the first time.
As soon as the door closed on the group, Billy joined her. He looked dead on his feet, with little wonder. He was at the restaurant long before it opened and then late into the night. Those kinds of hours would drain anyone’s energy. She wished there were something she could do to ease his work schedule.
“I wanted to tell you all the compliments I’ve gotten on the website,” he said, as he relaxed in the seat, sitting beside her.
“That’s great.”
“A couple friends asked me who designed it. I won’t pass along your name unless you want me to.”
She shook her head. “I won’t be in town long enough. Sorry.”
Billy took hold of her hand and gazed down at it, as if something were written there that he needed to decipher. “You’re returning to Seattle?” He made it into a question.
“Of course. It’s where I live and work.”
He nodded, as if needing the reminder.
Not wanting the conversation to wander down this road, she changed the subject. “What’s your Christmas going to be like?” she asked, brightly, perhaps a bit too cheerfully.
Billy took the hint. “I’ll spend it with my sister and her family. Your mom gave me the time to stop by in my Santa costume for Peter and that’s about it.”
“What about your mother?”
His eyes grew sad. “She died three years ago.”
“Oh, Billy, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
He accepted her condolence. “She never remarried, worked all her life, and just when she was to a point where she could enjoy a bit of leisure time, she came down with this virus that went into her lungs. It was quick. Before we had a chance to realize how serious it was, she was gone.”