Christmas at Evergreen Inn by Donna Alward Read Free Book Online

can.”
    She nodded quickly, and passed him on her way to the door. He couldn’t resist. On her way by he gave her bum a tap with his hand, and she yelped and scooted forward. When she looked back at him, a scowl on her face, he laughed and winked at her. One of them needed to do something to lighten the atmosphere around here.
    When her lips twitched just a little, he knew he’d succeeded. And when she shut the door, he started to whistle as he began working his way around the house to the front door.
    *   *   *
    Lainey stomped the snow from her boots and pulled off her gloves, lifting her cold hands to her flaming cheeks.
    The last fifteen minutes had been excruciating.
    It wasn’t bad enough that she’d had a terrible time trying to sleep, but she’d stood in her bedroom doorway for a good ten or fifteen seconds, watching Todd before he’d realized she was there. He was so sexy, so … wonderful. He was the total package, and guys like that never hung around for long. But she had last night to remember, and she’d indulged in a little daydreaming for a few seconds. Like what it might be like to crawl under that blanket with him and wake him up with a kiss.
    Once she’d said good morning, though, she’d gotten so bashful. Last night she’d been sprawled on that sofa beneath him, half undressed, probably sounding like an idiot. The only way to keep her composure at all was to focus on getting over to the inn and looking after the guests.
    And then he’d kissed her. And swatted her butt and winked at her and she’d gotten all giggly and flustered again. Stupid man.
    â€œGood morning, Ms. Price,” Mr. Sewell said, entering the room.
    â€œGood morning.” She banished her thoughts and smiled at him. “Sorry I’m a little late getting things started. I had to shovel the walk.”
    â€œI think I’m the first one up, except for the pair in the living room. I heard voices there on my way past. I was just going to see if I could find some coffee.”
    â€œGive me two minutes, and I’ll have it brewing.” She took off her boots and slipped on a pair of shoes she kept for indoors. “I hope you slept well.”
    â€œIt was just fine. And way better than being stuck in my car.” He laughed lightly at his own quip. “Speaking of, I hope that police officer got home okay. The roads were a mess last night.”
    Lainey focused on scooping coffee into the filter. “Actually, by the time you got here, they’d closed the highways. He ended up on my couch last night, and he’s kindly offered to shovel the front walk in lieu of board and breakfast.”
    There. That sounded businesslike enough, didn’t it?
    â€œYou really did have a full house last night.”
    She poured water into the reservoir. “Fullest I can ever remember, and I’ve been here a few years now.” She looked over at him and smiled. He was a pleasant-looking man, and she wondered what kind of business brought him here this close to the holiday. “So you’re a lawyer,” she said, taking out mugs. “What brings you to Jewell Cove in a bitterly cold December?”
    â€œI’m working with Ian Martin on the Aquteg Island case,” he said, grinning. It lit his face up considerably and made him look much younger. “The details are so unique that it’s been fun. Very different from any other property deal I’ve worked on.”
    Lainey knew some of the details; everyone in Jewell Cove did. Aquteg Island—commonly known as Lovers’ Island—had been a waypoint for the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. Mystique had surrounded it for decades, but lately the pieces had come together. The rumors of treasure had been true after all. Some of it had been distributed in antique jewelry pieces now owned by descendants of the Foster and Arseneault families. Then Josh Collins had