Wrapped Up in Christmas Love (Wrapped Up in Christmas #4)

Chapter Ten

“O kay, our first activity is the Make-a-Candy-Cane game,” Isabelle announced to the forty-plus kids bouncing around the church playground in a variety of winter garb from light jackets to fully decked out from head-to-toe outer layers.

The ones in the thick layers were rosy faced as the town couldn’t have asked for better festival weather. Although temps were expected to drop into the low thirties that night, currently, the sunshine took the edge off the midafternoon sixty degrees and the fun Rudolph sweater Isabelle had borrowed from Sophie that morning was just right.

As promised, Zach had shown up to volunteer. Sarah must have told him he had to get into the Christmas spirit as he wore a long-sleeved, green T-shirt with a large, jolly snowman on the front and the back of the snowman on the back side. Isabelle suspected Sarah had gifted the item to her houseguest. Why had her friend chosen a snowman? It wasn’t as if Isabelle didn’t struggle enough with abdominal snowman thoughts when she saw Zach without actually seeing a happy snowman over his chest and stomach.

Catching her eye, he winked, and her heart hiccupped. Well, that was what it had felt like, anyway. Just as it had hiccupped repeatedly the day prior when he’d helped at the quilt shop. He’d been wonderful, only having to be told once how to do something to then just go with it. With his constant grin and friendliness, he’d had their customers eating out of his big hands. That he looked like a buff Hollywood superhero hadn’t hurt. As wonderful as Gwen was, Zach had easily topped what her sales would have been.

Was there anything he wasn’t good at?

“Ms. Isabelle and Mr. Zach are going to divide you into teams.” Rosie clasped her bright-pink gloved hands together. She wore a matching pink scarf and boots over her Christmas-print green tights and thick sweater. Her pink hat had bells attached that jingled when she moved, and Rosie was rarely still, so there had been an almost constant jingle.

Wearing a simple red Christmas sweater with a single green wreath over her heart, Maybelle shook her head at her friend’s bright outfit for the umpteenth time since she’d arrived at the church playground, then smiled at the kids. “Each team will have a package of red paper streamers and a roll of toilet paper.”

“Your job is to use the materials to wrap around whomever you choose to create the most realistic looking candy cane.” Isabelle focused on the words candy cane , so she didn’t accidentally tell the kids to make snowmen. Relieved she’d gotten it right, she bowed her arms. “You want to choose someone who can stand really still with their arms bent to form the top of the candy cane.”

Jasie Willis waved her hand. “Me, I can do it.”

Isabelle smiled at the bouncing around redheaded girl, who she knew was a real firecracker from when she’d taught her in Sunday school at church, then continued, “You’ll have five minutes from start to finish. Ms. Maybelle will say when to go and when to stop. So, pay close attention.”

Maybelle gestured to where she’d had Zach set up an ornate Christmas hourglass on a table. “When the last grain of Christmas magic falls on the town below, it’s candy cane judging time.”

The kids whooped and hollered their excitement. With Zach’s help, Isabelle divided the kids into small groups, smiling when Morgan’s son, Greyson, and his friend Brianna ended up on the same team. Last Christmas, Greyson had told his mother he planned to marry the girl one day. Based upon the way the six-year-old smiled at the girl, he hadn’t changed his mind.

“Start your Santa sleighs and off you go.” Maybelle turned a handle that flipped the large hourglass.

One adult volunteer stood with each group, cheering them on. Zach got Greyson and Brianna’s group and Isabelle’s team was next to them. Her group took too long discussing who was going to be the candy cane, but finally agreed upon a grinning-ear-to-ear Jasie. Once decided, the kids began wrapping the red paper around her as she did her best to stand still, but got tickled, doubled over, ripping her team’s efforts up to where the paper fell to her feet.

Eyes big, her hand covered her mouth. “Oops.”

“It’s okay. Just stay really still while they start again. Come on, y’all have got this,” she peptalked, glad when they set back to work around a stiff Jasie.

Hearing Greyson’s laughter, Isabelle glanced at her cousin’s son and smiled. He’d been chosen as his team’s candy cane and was being wrapped in the toilet paper by the other children, Brianna included. Catching Isabelle’s eye, Zach gave her a thumbs-up, then returned to encouraging his team.

“Great job,” he praised.

He was right. His team was doing a great job. Except for his sweet little face, Greyson was completely wrapped in white. Now Brianna was leading the other kids on, carefully wrapping him with the red streamers. He arched his back and held his arms out. It was going to take a lot to top Zach’s group.

“Come on, team. Let’s start over,” she told her kids as another section of paper tore. “Jasie, you’re going to have to hold still, or the paper is going to keep tearing.”

“Yes, ma’am.” But the girl couldn’t contain her giggles as one of the kids wrapped paper across her face and continued around her head, leaving only her eyes showing, creating a mummy look rather than a candy cane pattern. Jasie must have thought so, too, because she made a haunted moaning sound. All Isabelle’s team burst into giggles, obviously enjoying themselves as they enthusiastically began intentionally mummy-wrapping the young girl.

Maybelle blew a whistle, then called, “Time! Boys and girls, turn off your sleighs.”

A few of the kids snuck in an additional wrap, including Isabelle’s giggling team.

The Butterfly judges moved from one group to the next. When they came to Isabelle’s, Maybelle’s brow arched. “I think you young ones had the wrong holiday in mind. This is an excellent mummy.”

Isabelle couldn’t argue, nor could she suppress her smile when Jasie moaned, and the kids all giggled.

“Great practice for next fall,” Aunt Claudia praised, Ruby and Rosie nodding their heads in agreement.

Jasie moaned again and the rest of Isabelle’s team joined in, causing the surrounding groups to laugh.

Smiling, Isabelle met Maybelle’s gaze and let out a low moan of her own. “We’re mummies of Christmas past.”

“Ah.” Maybelle and the other Butterflies made marks on their clipboards, then moved on to Zach’s team.

Grinning from ear to ear, Greyson stood perfectly still with his shoulders and arms bowed. His team, including Zach, stood proudly next to him. The Butterflies made more clipboard marks, then finished judging the rest of the candy canes. No one was surprised when they announced Zach’s team as the winner, who got the grand prize, but commented that all the entries were so good that they had prizes for everyone.

Morgan being off to visit her previous coworkers and patients at Pine Hill Assisted Living, Andrew had kept a hold on their dog, Andy’s, leash and took photos of Greyson. Isabelle snapped a few, too, wondering at why she’d kept the angle wide enough to capture Zach. She’d edit him out later, she assured herself even as she snapped another photo.

“Yay!” Brianna wrapped her arms around a blushing Greyson. “We did it.”

Trapped beneath the paper, Greyson just grinned, especially when Andrew winked and gave a thumbs-up with his free hand.

Zach came over to stand beside Isabelle. “Sorry that my team won.”

Watching Greyson and Brianna pose for a photo, she snorted. “No, you’re not.”

“You’re right. I’m not.” He grinned. “I just thought it the right thing to say, since I know you hate losing.”

She smiled pretty-as-you-please at him. “I didn’t lose.”

He arched a dark brow.

“All of this is about the kids having fun. My team had a blast and still is.” She gestured to where Jasie and a couple of other kids had tucked bunches of torn paper streamers into the tops of their jackets and were twirling and jumping around, the paper ends dancing about them. “That right there makes everyone here today winners.”

“Spoken like a true loser,” Zach teased, grinning at her eye roll. “Next thing you’ll be telling me you wanted my team to win because of Greyson.”

“Well,” she began, causing him to laugh.

“But I’ll grant you this one. The kids are having a fabulous time and I bet I’d feel like a winner even if I’d lost, too.” He nudged her with his elbow. “Not that I’d know.”

She snapped one last photo of Greyson and Brianna. “Yeah, yeah. Just be glad you got Greyson on your team. He was perfect.”

“I’ve not had a lot of experience around kids, just Lukas’s daughter on occasion, but Greyson seems great.”

“He is. They just got here last night. I miss them living in Pine Hill.”

His gaze went to where Andrew knelt next to Greyson praising him, while the dog grabbed at the paper and shook his head about. “Your family is close.”

The way Zach said it had her glancing toward him. No, no, no, she did not want to wrap her arms around him. And, yet, she did want to, too. “I’m sorry that yours isn’t.”

His expression tightened and he averted his gaze, looking beyond the church playground down the street toward what could be seen of the busy square. “Actually, they are close.”

“Just not with you?” she guessed, reaching out to touch his arm. Despite the nip to the air, warmth permeated through his long sleeve.

“It doesn’t matter.”

But his tone hinted that it did. His shirtsleeve being too much of a barrier, Isabelle took his hand in hers and gave a squeeze. “For whatever it’s worth, I’m glad you stayed in Pine Hill for the holidays. I don’t know what we would have done without you yesterday. Or today. Thank you for helping.”

His gaze lowered to where she held his hand, making Isabelle self-conscious and yet, that vulnerability he’d shown kept her from letting go.

“I know how your brain works, Blondie. You’re just happy you had free labor.”

“I tried to pay you,” she reminded, her whole body focused on where she held his hand. Big, strong, and yet capable of such gentleness.

“Don’t worry. I remember and plan to collect.”

She lifted her gaze to his. Happiness filled her at seeing the gold flecks back to their usual teasing twinkle. Zach’s mood shouldn’t have such an impact on her. And yet she fought smiling as she feigned disbelief. “You don’t seriously want me to make a banana pudding just for you?”

His eyes stared into hers, almost daring her to look away. “Yep, and you’re going to invite me for dinner when you make it.”

Barely able to breathe, she swallowed. “Fine, but only because you’re my pretend boyfriend.”

Zach must have thought her whispered comment too loud, because he glanced around. “You’d never make it as a secret agent.”

“Which you’re an expert at?” she asked a bit flippantly, letting go of his hand.

He hesitated long enough that she realized that he likely was, which had her feeling a little intimidated that who he was in Pine Hill was only a shadow of who he was in his day-to-day life.

“Some might say that,” he finally answered. “But that comment wasn’t about me, other than my surprise you’d risk Sophie finding out what we’re doing with Butterflies in the vicinity.”

Isabelle glanced around, glad to see that the Butterflies were completely enamored with Greyson showing them Andy’s tricks. “You’re right. I need to keep quiet. It’s just that when you’re near, I—” She clamped her mouth shut before she said too much yet again.

“You what, Blondie?” he prompted.

“Get so aggravated that I forget to control my temper,” she covered. “Speaking of aggravating,” she mumbled. “It would serve you right if I called you soldier boy all the time.”

“At least get it correct and call me soldier man.”

More like soldier hunk.

*

“I hope my sister told you how much we appreciated your help yesterday.” Sophie placed a red, white, and blue quilt on a table, taking care to fold the material to showcase an embroidered label for all who visited their Quilts of Valor booth to see. “I told her we should permanently put you on the payroll and we’d have the mortgage paid off lickety-split. No one seemed able to tell you no when you asked them if there was anything else you could help them with.”

Zach paused from where he was unloading brochures from a box. Did they owe a lot on their shop still? Their business seemed busy enough to be profitable, but what did he know about hidden costs and the like? His family ran a huge transport company based out of Atlanta, but Zach had never given thought to the details of what went into making the business successful.

“She expressed her appreciation,” Zach told Sophie, continuing to unpack boxes onto the tables for her to arrange. “No permanent job offer, though, which is just as well, since she knows I’d decline.”

“Because you work for Bodie’s friend?” Her question made iSecure sound like some run-out-of-a-basement business rather than an international security firm that offered a variety of specialized services. “Maybe you’ll fall in love with our little town and decide to stay.”

It wasn’t Pine Hill he worried about falling for.

“I won’t stay, Sophie. I’ll be back to work as soon as… after the holidays.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll visit Isabelle as often as you can, and you’re welcome at the shop when you’re in town.”

Did Sophie really think he and Isabelle would continue their relationship once he left? Were they doing that good of a job in their pretend relationship? He didn’t buy it and expected someone, everyone, to point out the obvious—that Isabelle would never really be in a relationship with someone like him unless it had something to do with the woman smiling at him.

“We all enjoyed having you at the shop,” Sophie continued, as they arranged the booth for the evening’s events.

“Not Isabelle.” Although, to be fair, she’d been busy. They’d all been busy. But he couldn’t say he hadn’t enjoyed immersing himself in Isabelle’s world.

“She was glad you were there. Just know that Izzy’s a private person and doesn’t like mixing business with personal. Other than working with me, of course.”

“Of course.” Little did Sophie know that he was business, and only business, as far as what Isabelle vocalized.

But he was no fool and saw how she looked at him. Although she didn’t like it, they shared a connection. One that had them both off-kilter because her taking his hand earlier had the effect of shaking the ground beneath his booted feet. She’d thrown him off-balance from the moment they’d met.

“She also doesn’t like that you’re volunteering during my shift.” Sophie gave an impish smile. “She was mumbling about it earlier. I think she’s afraid of you being alone with me.”

“Why’s that?” Zach pulled more Quilts of Valor Foundation swag from a box he’d carried from the shop.

“I’m not sure what she thinks I’m going to say to you that has her so worried.” She laughed softly. “I offered to swap, to take her place at the church’s bake sale and let her volunteer with you, but she refused.” Sophie paused what she was doing to look at him. “Can you believe that?”

Zach could. “How is it that you’re so involved with this organization and she’s not?”

“She blames the military for our father abandoning us.” She pulled another quilt from a box.

“But that’s not the case?” Zach needed to know more.

For finding her father. No other reason. Definitely not that he wanted to know more about what made Isabelle tick.

Rather than put the quilt she held onto the table, Sophie hugged it to her. “Dad loved everything about being a soldier. I think he didn’t know how to not be one and that’s why he struggled so much when he came home. When he left, I always imagined that he’d reenlisted or found some other way to serve.”

She could be describing him. Working at iSecure, often on military contracts, was as close as Zach could come to being a soldier without being directly on Uncle Sam’s active-duty roster. He needed to get straight to the point. He hadn’t considered that searching for Isabelle’s father might dredge up his own shortcomings.

“Do you know where he went?”

She sighed. “I wish I did. I’d tell him to come home so we could wrap him in love.”

“That’s why you do this?” He gestured to the booth. “Because of your father?”

“Every time I wrap a Quilts of Valor quilt around a soldier, I imagine Dad also being wrapped in love and welcomed home.” Sophie gave him a whimsical smile. “My sister thinks I’m a dreamer.”

“Are you?”

“Oh yeah.” Sophie laughed. “And so is she.”

“I know.”

Sophie studied him a moment. “Most people don’t recognize that quality in Izzy.”

“I’m not most people.” Isabelle wanted the world to only see her tough, logical, list-making, control-freak, always-responsible exterior.

Thinking about how she’d laughed and carried on, moaning even, during the candy cane wrap, he had to wonder if that protective exterior wasn’t unraveling. He longed to grab hold and spin her to freedom to laugh and embrace life, which seemed hypocritical since, until his vacation, he’d buried himself in work, rehab, and sewing blocks.

“Did you ever look for him?”

“More times than you’d believe over the years.” Sophie surprised him by saying. “Obviously, I never found him.” She shot a worried look his way. “You can’t tell Izzy. She’d be upset if she knew I took off to find him and had to call Rosie to help me get back to Kentucky.”

He put the pieces of what she was saying together in his mind. “How old were you?”

“Old enough to know better is what my sister would say. She’s forever reminding me how my impulsiveness gets me into situations. I can’t say she’s wrong, but… Anyway, the last time I looked for Dad was right before Izzy’s college graduation. I thought if I could find him, if he was there for her ceremony, that…” Sophie’s arms clung tighter to the quilt. “You really can’t tell her any of this. She wouldn’t understand. I love her with all my heart and don’t want her upset with me right before my wedding.”

Interesting that Sophie had wanted to give Isabelle the gift of having their father at her graduation and Isabelle hoped to find him for Sophie’s wedding.

“I won’t tell her, but you should,” he suggested, knowing it was true. “I don’t believe she could ever be upset with you for long.”

“Maybe not but knowing would upset her.” Sophie gave him a shiny-eyed smile. “Especially as I’ve been looking for him again. For my wedding. I want to invite him and to ask him to walk me down the aisle.” A tear slid down her cheek and she swiped it away. “Do you think I’m crazy for wanting him there when I’ve not seen him in so long?”

Yes. No. Maybe. How was Zach supposed to answer? He wanted to shake some sense into the guy at the pain he’d caused his daughters, but how could he judge the man when he knew, really knew, how one’s mind could lead a person astray?

“It’s understandable that you want your father at your wedding.”

“Not according to Izzy.”

“I imagine his leaving was hard on all of you.”

Sophie nodded. “Especially Izzy. They were very close. She’s never forgiven him. Mom and I have talked about it and, although the pain is real, we’ve both moved past that hurt. I’m not sure my sister ever will, but I want that peace for her so badly.”

Zach winced at the pain Isabelle must have felt. Still felt. Sophie, too. Guilt punched him, reminding him that he’d left his own family, that he’d not been able to stand their pity and had arranged admission into a rehab facility. He’d had to escape the suffocation he felt within his parents’ home, but he’d left a note. They’d known where he’d gone. Brett had even visited during a business trip to DC, mostly to chew him out, but his brother had come to the facility. Once, Zach had seen him. The second time, he’d sent him away unseen.

“Dad’s why she’s never let herself get close to anyone,” Sophie continued, pulling Zach back to their conversation. “Not until you.”

The irony of the closeness being because of her father wasn’t lost on Zach. Him being the one who searched for a runaway family member was ironic, as well.

“Meeting you has been so good for Izzy. She likes you.”

“Don’t be fooled. It’s just the aftereffects of Rosie’s cinnamon bread. Eventually, its romance magic powers are going to wear off.” More guilt hit.

Guilt that Isabelle did like him, despite her protests otherwise. Guilt that he was deceiving Sophie. Guilt that he hadn’t found her father yet. A few of his leads were promising, but he couldn’t be sure until he got there in person. Not going in person would risk Cliff taking off if he got wind someone was looking for him. Zach wouldn’t risk that. Guilt that his own family wouldn’t be unjustified to feel as abandoned as Cliff Davis’s did.

“Ha. That’s funny and maybe, but cinnamon bread or no bread, I know my sister. She likes you. A lot. She doesn’t necessarily want to like you, though,” Sophie added. “That’s probably why you think she’s just tolerating you. Just be patient. She’s worth it.”

“She is.” The response slipped out of his mouth unbidden, stunning him and making Sophie’s whole face light up with her smile.

“I knew it. I’m so glad you’re here!” With that, she wrapped him in a hug, squishing the quilt between them and blasting Zach with guilt that what she thought she knew wasn’t the truth.

But it wasn’t just guilt engulfing him. Sophie’s hug was so tight, so real, that it covered him in comfort as surely as if she’d wrapped one of her quilts around him. Not that he needed comforting, but her hug was humbling.

*

“Who’s the hunk Grammy and Maybelle say you’re in love with?”

Isabelle gawked at her cousin. She’d already been filled in on Isabelle’s supposed love life? The Butterflies had wasted no time.

“I’m not in love with Zach.” Face heating enough she could cut off the tent’s heater, Isabelle straightened the baked goods with her gloved fingers.

Her mother had been there earlier, but had needed a bathroom break, and Morgan had volunteered to cover in the busy booth, with this being their first lull.

“Zach, yes, that’s the name they said.” Morgan emptied the last of the no-bake cookies onto the table. “So, you’re not in love with him, but he is a hunk?”

“Zach is a great guy.” As she said it, she admitted that he really was.

He’d been great at the kids’ Christmas activities earlier, great at the shop, great at her Aunt Claudia’s Thanksgiving, great at his sewing lessons, great… when was he not great? If she were looking for a relationship, if he weren’t ex-military, maybe, just maybe, she’d give in to the allure of that lopsided grin of his. Doing so would be a mistake in the long run. “But it’s not what you think.”

Sliding the empty box beneath the table, Morgan shrugged. “I just got back in town. I don’t think anything. I know all too well how the Butterflies can be. They are very excited for you, especially Grammy.”

“Their excitement is premature. My relationship with Zach is complicated.”

“Because of his military background?”

Isabelle nodded. “That and more. Zach’s only here for a few weeks.”

Her cousin regarded her, then smiled. “A lot can happen in a few weeks.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Not you, too.”

“Loving and being loved is a wonderful feeling. When Trey died, I locked myself away because I was scared to feel again.”

Morgan’s first husband had been killed in a mountain-climbing accident. When budget cuts ended her nursing job in Georgia, she’d temporarily moved in with Aunt Claudia and gone to work at Pine Hill Assisted Living.

“Thank goodness Andrew freed my heart. Taking a chance on our love is the best decision I ever made.”

That didn’t mean it would be a good decision for Isabelle. Not that she loved Zach. But something about him sure got under her skin. “Things are going well with married life, then?” she asked.

“It is. Andrew is a wonderful husband and father. Greyson adores him and still wants to grow up to be just like him. I miss him when he’s called out and can’t help but worry night after night that he’s gone. How could I not when I know how dangerous his smokejumper job is? But he’s happy, which makes me happy, and I’m getting better at focusing on the good instead of worrying about what-ifs.” Morgan’s happiness radiated from her smiling face, then her eyes widened. “Rosie wasn’t kidding when she said he was tall, dark, and handsome.”

Isabelle had to forcibly suck air in to fight off the anticipatory jitters taking over. “Zach’s on his way over here, isn’t he?”

Not taking her gaze off whomever had caught her eye, Morgan nodded. “Unless there’s two new buff guys in town.”

“Just the one.”

“One’s all you need.”

“I don’t need him. Or want him. He’s super annoying and I—hey, Zach,” she greeted when he stepped up to the booth. “This is Greyson’s mom, Morgan,” she prattled on, trying to cover her nervousness at seeing him and hoping her cousin didn’t burst into laughter at how ridiculous she was acting. Why did she feel so self-conscious talking to Zach in front of Morgan?

“Nice to meet you.” His hazel gaze turned toward Isabelle. “Hey, Blondie. Did you save me a banana bread?”

“Did you think I’d forget?”

He shook his head. “Nope. I knew you wouldn’t. You have your lists to keep you from doing that. I was more concerned that you just wouldn’t.”

“Well, lucky for you, since we sold out, I did put one back.”

“Good girl.” He winked, and Isabelle’s heart skipped a beat. “How much longer is your shift? Bodie tells me I have to try a bowl of Lou’s chili. I thought you might want one, too.”

“There’s no need to wait on me. Go ahead.”

“Grammy is who’s taking the next shift, right? Her and Gramps? They’ve taken Greyson on a sleigh ride. He was so happy that Ralphie the Reindeer remembered him. I told them I’d be here when they finished, so why don’t you go ahead? I’ll man the booth until they arrive.”

Zach grinned at her cousin. “I like you already.”

“There’s no need to do that, Morgan. I’m more than happy to wait on them.” Isabelle gave her a cousin a pleading look.

A look Morgan ignored. “Nonsense. We’re not busy now, and your mom will be back any moment. You two go, so you can properly introduce Zach to our On-the-Square Christmas Festival.”

“What if you need help?” Isabelle tried one last time.

“Sarah and Bodie are on the other side of the booth selling snowflakes. If I need anything before Grammy gets back, I’ll get Sarah. Besides”—Morgan gestured to the table—“we’ve almost sold out since those guys from the firehall wiped us out.”

Morgan refused to take no for an answer. Isabelle thanked her, then tightened her jacket.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want to walk around with me,” Zach said when they’d stepped out of hearing range of the booth. “Afraid people will think you actually like me?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Just a hunch.” He grinned. “Hungry?”

Why did she feel so self-conscious walking around her hometown’s square with Zach?

“I had a snack.”

“Aw, so that’s why your bake sale inventory dropped by a good seventy-five percent,” he teased, looking way too handsome in his jeans, shirt, and light jacket.

“I ate one Christmas cookie,” she defended.

“I’m teasing, Blondie. It wouldn’t hurt if you had eaten your way across that table.”

“Other than the sugar high and bellyache,” she mused.

He grinned. “Yeah, other than those minor inconveniences.”

Sirens blared off in the distance. “Sounds like the parade has started.”

“You want to watch?”

She did, but… “I feel guilty watching when Morgan should be with Greyson and Andrew.”

“Andrew planned to hop a ride on the fire truck and was taking Greyson with him once he finished with his sleigh ride. The kid was more excited about riding on the truck than he was being in the parade.”

“He plans to be a firefighter when he grows up. Morgan met Andrew when he, Cole, and Ben talked to Greyson’s classroom at school. The guys have missed Andrew, especially Cole.”

“I gathered that they were close.” He glanced her way again. “What about you? Who occupies your time?”

“Lately? You.”

His gaze didn’t waver from hers. “Before me.”

She frowned. “I have friends, Zach.”

“That you don’t share blood with, go to church with, or work with?”

Isabelle snorted. “You just eliminated half of Pine Hill.”

“Good point.” He reached for her gloved hand. “Smile. We’re faking it, remember?”

Isabelle wasn’t sure there was a need to fake anything. He had a few leads on where her father might be. Now that they’d gone through photo albums and he’d picked her family’s and friends’ brains for their memories of Cliff Davis, she didn’t see the point in continuing the relationship deceit. Still, his hand felt good cradling hers now that she’d left the warmth of the heater that had been blowing at her feet in the church tent booth.

“Sophie is my best friend, Zach,” she said, trying to take her mind off her hand in his by refocusing on the conversation. “That she is also my sister is just an added bonus. Don’t you feel that way about your brother?”

His face pinched. “I mentioned before that we weren’t that close.”

“Then you should do something about that.”

*

After a minute of mulling her comment over, Zach mumbled, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Not that Zach hadn’t done something about his strained relationship with his family. He’d gone home after his medical discharge, but that had been a big mistake. He’d not been able to stand the disappointment in their eyes or how they wanted to fix him and his broken life.

“My relationship with Brett is complicated.” That was putting it mildly.

They’d never actually come to blows, but there had been a few scuffles over the years. Mostly when Brett had taken it upon himself to try to run Zach’s life.

“Why? What’s so difficult about being close to your brother?”

“Everything.” Not that he expected her to understand.

If she could, she’d side with his brother, thinking Zach was the wild child. Wanting to go into the army had kept him straight enough that he hadn’t strayed too far outside the law, but he’d rebelled against the restraints his high-society family had tried to shackle him with.

“Brett’s always been the perfect son.” His parents sure thought so, along with everyone else in their upper-crust Atlanta suburb.

Isabelle’s gaze cut his way. “That implies you haven’t.”

“Not even close.” Had wanting to follow his own dreams made him a bad son?

“I find that difficult to believe.”

He stopped walking. “Did you just compliment me?”

Her cheeks glowed a bright pink. “Don’t let it go to your head. That ego of yours is already big enough.”

“No need to worry about my ego. Since meeting you, it’s as deflated as that big ball of sunken PVC tarpaulin.”

Isabelle’s eyes widened. “Oh no. That’s supposed to be a giant snow globe jump house filled with bouncing children. It’s sponsored by the Triple B Ranch for Kids. The money raised goes toward purchasing Christmas morning goodies for each kid. The Butterflies started the charity fund after there were worries that all the kids might not have gifts last year. The fund provides a bouncy house at all our various on-the-square events.”

Why did it not surprise him that the Butterflies had been up to good?

“Come on. Let’s see if we can help get it going.” Zach introduced himself to the volunteer running the bouncy house, then studied the setup. His brain had always worked best in fix-it mode. In under two minutes, he had air going back in to fill out the globe.

Standing, he wiped his hands on his jeans, then grinned at Isabelle. “Tell me how good I am.”

Clasping her hands together, she batted her lashes. “My hero.”

“I knew you’d finally catch on.” Seeing her acting silly did funny things to Zach’s belly, and the vision of her spinning free from her self-imposed confines ran through his mind again.

“Had you not gotten it working, I figured you’d just huff and puff and blow it up with all your hot air.”

He laughed, then grabbed her hand. “Come on, Blondie. We need to try this baby out to make sure it holds air before we let the kids jump. It’s our duty to keep them safe.”

Isabelle gave him a dubious look. “I’m not getting in that.”

“You sure?” Grinning, he pulled her to him, not letting himself register how good she felt in his arms and scooped her up.

Wiggling, she glared. “Put me down.”

“We have to do this for the kids.” Pushing the flap back, he set her in the doorway, backside first with her legs hanging outside over the edge. Leaning in close, he stared into her eyes, making sure they didn’t convey fear. He wanted her to let loose and have fun, not be afraid.

Excitement shined in her blue depths. “You go right ahead,” she told him, “but I don’t have to do this.”

He grinned. “You can thank me later, Blondie.”

“Thank you?” She pushed against his chest. “More like I’ll be plotting on how to get even.”

“I look forward to your best efforts.”

Her warm breath crossed the small gap between them, drawing his gaze to her mouth. It would be so easy to close the distance between them, so easy to forget that he had no right to kiss Isabelle. He wanted to kiss her. Before he’d gotten to know her, before he’d learned how vulnerable she was, he would have. But he did know. If he made their relationship real, or any semblance thereof, she’d be hurt when he left.

So instead of the kiss he wanted, he reached for her boot and unzipped it.

“I’m not a child and can take off my own shoes.” Her protest lacked conviction, though, causing him to glance up. Curiosity shone in those big blue eyes and something that looked a lot like disappointment. She’d known that he’d wanted to kiss her but had chosen not to.

Oh, Blondie, don’t tempt me any more than you already do.

Heart pounding, mind racing, hands shaking, Zach wrangled her boot free from her foot. “I wasn’t taking any chances on you leaving these bad boys on in case you hoped to get in a few good kicks.”

Seeming to snap out of whatever had seized her, she half smiled. “You figured me out.”

In some ways. In others, he suspected that if he had the rest of his life, he still wouldn’t discover all the wondrous aspects of this woman.

“Too bad this is a snow globe instead of a castle.” He unzipped the second boot. “My taking off your shoes is a little Cinderella fairy tale-ish.”

“Except you’re no prince charming,” she immediately pointed out.

“And these contraptions are no glass slippers.” He pulled off the remaining shoe, smiling at her fuzzy penguin socks. “Ready to shake things up inside a giant blow-up snow globe? Pun intended.”

She narrowed her eyelids to tiny slits. “I really don’t like you.”

Zach dropped her shoe to the ground, then met her gaze. “So you keep telling me. But for the record, I like you enough for the both of us.”