When in December (Home Haven #1)

Chapter 18

eighteen

. . .

Poppy

It couldn’t happen again.

I shouldn’t want it to happen again.

That kiss haunted me through the night until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I fell asleep, and then I still imagined it in my dreams. The feeling of his hands gripping my hips tight, as if he was afraid of me getting away. The scrape of his tongue against my bottom lip.

When I got up in the morning, it was the first thing I thought of, bringing my fingers back up to hover over my mouth as if I could still feel what had happened last night there.

Aaron was already awake. When I looked out the back windows, he was outside with Oz, leaving me time to get the couch back in order and get dressed for the day in another pair of jeans and a loose sweater.

I shook my hair out in the mirror before loosely braiding it back. There. It wasn’t great, but when had I ever put my most fashionable self forward since the first day I’d arrived anyway? At least now, I was presentable when the final load of furniture arrived, which I still had to get the cabin ready for, double- checking that the rooms were cleared and the spaces I’d planned for each piece were marked for easy delivery.

Everything moved easily in the morning. Aaron came back in. The kids were packed up and getting ready to go.

The thing that wasn’t easy? Aaron was avoiding me.

We’d kissed last night.

The man who had become one of my biggest challenges ever, and I’d kissed him. My heart still hammered in my chest every time I thought about it. He, on the other hand, couldn’t look any more unruffled.

The kids were eating dry cereal when he passed me again.

“Good morning.”

“Huh?” He glanced at me as if he’d forgotten I was standing there. “Morning.”

A honk sounded outside.

“Mom’s here!” Gavin screeched.

Both of them gathered up their stuff before Aaron ushered them toward the mudroom for their boots, which, at some point, he must’ve gone back out to unlace so neither of them struggled to pull them back on.

I followed Aaron outside, the early morning sunlight casting a golden glow on everything it touched. The air was crisp and cold, sending a shiver up the back of my neck.

Aaron was busy loading the kids’ bags into the car, his movements smooth and efficient. I stood awkwardly by the side, unsure of what to say or do. Part of me wanted to bring up the kiss, acknowledge it and maybe even talk about it. But another part of me hesitated, afraid of what his reaction might be.

He didn’t want to talk about it. Or look at me.

I caught Aaron as he walked by me. “Aaron?—”

Just as I was about to open my mouth, Aaron straightened up and turned to face me. His eyes held a mixture of emotions that I couldn’t quite decipher. There was something like regret, but also a hint of longing.

He glanced over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows. Nothing passed between us. As if nothing had happened.

Did it happen?

Of course it did.

Yet I shook my head as I watched the kids raced toward a large SUV.

Sarah had gotten out of the front seat, looking over the place now in the sunny daylight that hadn’t been here yesterday. “Wow. This place has come a long way, hasn’t it?” Sarah looked around her, eyes wide in awe. Her eyes then landed on her little girl, leaning into her side. “You look tired.”

“Gavin stole the covers.”

“I did not,” argued Gavin, standing on the car’s footrail, handing off the handle inside. “Ozzy did.”

“Ozzy?” Sarah asked.

“The dog!”

“Oh. I see. Well, we can nap later when we get home. Did you two have a good time?” Sarah asked, likely not expecting an answer from her kids. Certainly not the one that came from her youngest.

“We love Uncle Aaron!”

His sister’s eyebrows rose in clear shock. She glanced between her brother and her child again, as if making sure they were talking about the same guy.

“You do?”

“We made gingerbread houses and went out in the snow. I never got to go out in the snow before since you said the snow was dirty,” Gavin muttered.

“Well, on the street, it is. That’s why it gets all gray.” Sarah tried to explain the slush of the city’s winter weather.

Liana shrugged, making her way to the other side of the SUV to get inside. “Poppy was cool.”

“Ozzy and I made snow angels out there. We didn’t go past the trees since that’s where Uncle Aaron said he couldn’t see us. I followed the rules,” Gavin went on, relaying the events of the past twenty-four hours. “Then, at night, we watched Christmas movies and decorated the tree. I made an ornament out of a cookie that Miss Poppy said wasn’t really a cookie, so I couldn’t eat it, but it was awesome.”

“Wow,” responded Sarah. “Sounds like you had a good time.”

It was only then that Sarah seemed to notice me standing there. “Miss Poppy, I presume?”

“That’s me.”

She extended her hand. “It’s good to finally meet you. I wanted to go over your plans for finishing the renovation and design of the house for the holiday. But as you can see, nothing in this family often goes to plan. This past month has been so busy?—”

“It’s all right. The renovation was off track, but everything is moving on schedule now.” I looked back at the house, my eyes catching on Aaron, who hugged his nephew before shutting the back passenger door. He shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking gently at the snow stuck to his boots. “Things are going a lot better than I could’ve expected actually.”

Sarah followed my line of sight before cocking her head at me. She certainly couldn’t tell what I was thinking or what had happened between us, surely. “Glad to hear it. We appreciate all the hard work you’ve been putting into this project.”

I smiled, grateful for her understanding. “It’s been a pleasure working on your family’s home. I think the final result will be worth all the effort.”

Aaron approached us, a faint smile on his lips as he joined the conversation. “I have to agree with Poppy. The house is shaping up.”

Sarah clapped her hands together. “Well then, let’s head back home and let you two get back to work. The kids are exhausted from all the fun they had with Uncle Aaron,” Sarah teased her brother.

Before she got back into the car, Sarah met my eyes one more time, giving a small wave.

Thank you , Sarah mouthed toward me.

I shook my head, hoping it conveyed what I wanted it to. It wasn’t me. It really was him. Mostly.

Sarah looped an arm around her brother. Aaron tried to escape before giving in. He gently hugged her back.

There was a tension between us now, unspoken words hanging in the air. But he only watched as his sister get in the car, start the engine and pull out of the driveway. It was just the two of us again.

It took the rest of the day before I could be somewhat content with the furniture. It was all in the house. At last. I couldn’t believe that I was so close to the end. But now, the sun was starting to set, and I had a feeling that I shouldn’t linger for another night.

Aaron hadn’t spoken to me beyond the normal pleasantries all day or when he occasionally helped me shift bigger items in each of the rooms to get them to the right spot. He didn’t bring up anything about last night, and I was starting to think that I had dreamed up the entire thing.

Clearing my throat, I moved toward the kitchen, where Aaron was unloading groceries.

Actual groceries. Beside the snacks and leftovers we accumulated from eating takeout, I had never seen him go to the store for real ingredients until now.

“Everything is good to go for now,” I said. He shut the freezer door at my words. “I guess I should head out for the night.”

“Yeah. You probably want to get back,” he said. He didn’t look at me.

“Okay. I’ll be back …” Tomorrow. I would be back tomorrow, just like I was every other day.

Again, he dipped his head. I repeated the motion.

It wasn’t until I put on my coat and was halfway out the door that Aaron’s eyes flared. It took until I got to my car for him to come the rest of the way after me. “Hey, wait up a second.”

I paused, halfway into the driver’s seat. His lips parted as if to say something, and I waited for some sort of explanation. Something.

He leaned into the side of my car as I looked up at him. If he kept leaning in, then he’d maybe kiss me again. We were at the perfect angle, and his lips fit so perfectly against mine?—

He tapped the edge of the door. “Call me. Let me know when you get home.”

I blinked, freezing in place at the gentle request. It still wasn’t what I had expected. “Oh, okay. Sure.”

With another nod, I shut the door. He took a step back. I twisted my key in the ignition and waited for the air to warm a step above a tundra.

We had spent the last two days together, but it almost felt like we were right back to where we’d been when I first came to the cabin weeks ago. Now, there was something between us.

A spark. A fizzle.

And it was being stomped out.

It was probably for the best. I mean, like I’d told Hannah, one word from him, and I would be out of here. The small chance I had at the promotion would be wiped away. I could probably even be fired. I was so stupid.

It was good he was acting like I was nothing to him, just like before.

It had to be professional .

Again.

My heart leaped into my chest at a small knock on my car window.

I rolled it down. “Aaron?”

“Snow Angel.”

He had to stop calling me that. When he did, it felt like a thousand butterflies started to flutter in the pit of my stomach.

“Hey. I, um …” He took a deep breath, though it didn’t seem to settle him in the slightest. “There’s a holiday party coming up. A friend is hosting it. I know you’re busy, but do you want to go to the party? Get into the spirit or whatever?”

“A friend?”

“The one who dropped off Oz.” He waited. For me. “Wanna go? Think of it as a … thank-you.” Even if he couldn’t say thank you outright.

“Okay. Sure.”

“Good.” He swallowed as he turned back around and walked away from me again. “Good.”