He shrugged. “I was lucky to have a boss who let me go on a moment’s notice and to still have a job to come back to.” Amusement kicked up a notch. “I figured the only way to keep my parents from overdoing it was to sit on them for the first few months. And my sister and her family weren’t in any position to help. So I did.”
An act of kindness that had floated into Yvette’s thoughts far too often, for so many reasons.
None of which had to do with here and now, though. She held up the key chain, letting it dangle from one finger as she spoke. “Want to explain?”
“You know those Advent calendars? The ones where you open a spot every day until Christmas?”
Her brain raced to catch up as she eyed the key. “Those are usually made of cardboard and hide bits of chocolate or different kinds of teas.”
“Or wine bottles, or jam, but they were all too one-tone for my purposes.”
Which wasn’t an answer. She swung the key.
Alex leaned forward, all kidding pushed aside as a very serious, very intent expression replaced it. “I made you a calendar. Every day, you unlock one drawer. Sometimes you’ll get to enjoy what’s inside on your own, sometimes I want to experience it with you. By the time we hit Christmas, you and I will know each other a lot better. We’ll have worked through the bullshit between us, some of which I caused during the past couple of years by acting like a goofy preteen experiencing my first hormone rush.”
Yvette pushed aside the bit where he said he’d made her a calendar and focused on the part that was the most confusing.
They’d butted heads in the past, that much was true. Even with their disagreements, though, she could honestly say she thought he was a decent person. So was she. It wasn’t as if they were archenemies or something that desperately needed fixing. They were oil and water.
So what?
“Why?” Her question seemed to floor him. “I mean, good that you don’t want us to fight or get on each other’s nerves anymore. That doesn’t require you to give me a present.”
“Think of it as a charming way for us to become friends. To start dating.”
There it was. The point where this suddenly turned very odd. Yvette curled her fingers around the key chain, the solid ridges digging into her palm, warm against her skin.
Alex Thorne wanted to date her.
She met his gaze. The man had never seemed the stalker type. “You’re not going to pretend that you’re in love with me or some such nonsense, are you?”
“Of course not.” He stilled. “Although, I should probably admit that I’m pretty sure that I could fall in love with you. That’s why I think we need to do this.”
She stared at him. Her mouth had to be hanging open.
Unperturbed, he continued, “I know a couple who, the instant they met, he knew they belonged together. It took three years of battling it out before they both admitted it, but still, it was true. They’ve been a couple for nearly sixty years.”
Yvette’s ears rang. What on earth could she possibly say? “Um. Congrats to them?”
“I’m not kidding,” he insisted. “If I can shortcut three years to one month and save us both a lot of emotional turmoil, it seems like a good idea.”
Oh, sweet summer child. “You plan to give me one gift a day until Christmas and, magically, that’s going to make the fact we spent nearly two years arguing about everything go away? Alex, we have nothing in common.”
“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” he complained.
Yvette raised a brow. “Not a good way to convince an already-slightly-pissed-off-at-you woman to agree to your hairbrained idea. Just saying.”
“Okay, you’re right. Although I want to point out we both have jobs that involve ranches and/or animals, which means there’s at least some common ground between us. We’re not complete opposites.”
Which was one reason she was still sitting there, listening to this outrageous idea.
She’d been around Alex plenty at Silver Stone ranch. Had even worked beside him, and he’d been wonderful with the animals. Caring, careful, yet just the right amount of firm—
A man animals trusted wasn’t all bad.
Although…goats? Not the best judge of character, since they themselves were assholes.
She unwrapped her fingers from the key and laid it on the table between them.
“Agree to this, and I promise we will only go as far and fast as you’re comfortable. If you ever want more than I’m giving, you just have to ask.” Alex met her gaze. “But you need to give dating me a serious try.”
She’d been softening, God help her, until his last comment got her back up. “You’re exasperating.”
“Yes.” He grinned. “Is it a deal?”
“Maybe.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. “You really think we’re fated mates or something?”
“The fuck? Hell, no. Not unless you’re secretly turning into a furry creature on a regular basis.” His amused expression didn’t waver. “And yes, I know what you’re talking about. My sister goes through those books like popcorn. Has a whole collection. When I ran out of reading material this past year, I read them too. They’re fun and sexy as hell, but if I were able to turn into anything, it would be an eagle or an osprey. Not enough bird-shifter books out there, in my opinion. Guess women don’t think cuddling up with someone who gets feathery is hot.”
Now Yvette had to fight her own amusement, because she’d actually had that discussion with her girls’ night out group before.
Amusement meant she was close to caving. She was interested in him, even when he’d been all sorts of a bad idea.
Her thoughts from earlier that day, earlier that week, returned.
She was lonely.
On the friend front, she was good, but she didn’t have anyone intimate in her life. She’d had boyfriends before. Even dated a few times during the past year, but each time she’d either called it off in the middle of the first date or he had. Lots of friends, nada on the more.
The why that was? She had some suspicions, but actually admitting it, even to herself, was another matter.
Was spending time with Alex really that bad of an idea?
“Okay.” She lifted her chin and met his gaze firmly. “As long as you promise that if it’s not working for you, however many days there are to go, you call it off. No harm, no foul.”
“If you promise the same. Although—we need to clarify one thing.” His expression turned sheepish. “Me being me, and you being you. Arguing, shouting or otherwise being mad at each other for a day or two is not grounds to cancel.”
She didn’t ask why. “Yeah, well, since you said this was your attempt to shove through three years of bullshit in one month, I hope you’re prepared for the high-volume conversations we’re sure to enjoy.”
His grin was back. “Bring it. Because that also means at some point, when you’re ready, we’ll have the equivalent of three years of make-up sex to enjoy as well.”
Oh, dear Lord.
Alex couldn’t stop staring.
While he was doing his best to seem nonchalant about the whole situation, inside he was shaking in his boots. The nervousness would’ve made him cranky if it weren’t for the fact that he’d been dealing with a wide range of emotions every single time Yvette drifted into his mind for pretty much the past year.