Read Some Kind of Wonderful: A Holiday Novella (The Cupcake Lovers) for Free Online Page B

a long drive, but pretty. You said you wanted to see more of the countryside, so I thought—”
    “I’d love to,” Giselle interrupted, cheeks bright, “but I…”
    “She has other plans,” Zach finished for her. He didn’t know for a fact, but given the way Giselle had hit it off with Adam and a few other locals last night, Zach wouldn’t be surprised if someone had invited her somewhere to do something.
    “What plans?” Maya asked, looking flustered.
    Giselle thanked Dan for pouring her coffee, then tossed Zach an apologetic smile. “I thought you had plans with your family—a sleigh ride and a play. I sort of invited myself on this trip and I didn’t want to intrude further, so I, well, Adam invited me to go snowmobiling and I sort of said yes.”
    Maya frowned. “Sort of?”
    “Adam who?” Helen asked.
    “Adam Brody,” Zach said.
    “Nice boy,” Dan said to Giselle. “I’m sure he’ll show you a good time.”
    Giselle’s mouth twitched.
    Maya choked on her muffin.
    Zach smiled into his coffee. Since he and Giselle had traded intimate letters for several months, he should have felt a sting of rejection. He didn’t. All he felt was relief. The last thing he wanted was to spend half the day trapped in a car with Giselle. She was nice enough, but they didn’t click, as Maya would put it. He didn’t want to pretend interest in whatever Giselle had to say or to make small talk if she fell silent for too long. Truth told, he was looking forward to some time alone to stew in his holiday funk.
    “For the record,” Helen said to Giselle, “you’re not intruding. Any friend of Maya’s is a friend of this family. If Adam has no plans for the evening, please know you’re both welcome for dinner. Now,” she said with a pat to Giselle’s arm, “what would you like on that toast? Apple butter? Jelly? Marmalade?”
    “Dry is fine. I’m not big on sweets. Except for Maya’s cupcakes, of course. I…” Giselle trailed off, traded a look with Maya, who’d just bitten into the second half of her marmalade-smeared muffin, then smiled over at Helen. “Although once in a great while, I do get a craving.” She dipped her knife in the jar, glanced at Zach. “That trip of yours. Maybe Maya could tag along.”
    “That’s a grand idea,” Helen said, beaming now at Maya. “It will give you and Zach time to catch up.”
    Maya blanched. “Yes, but—”
    “If anyone could crack Roscoe Marx’s gruff shell,” Dan said with a pointed look at Maya, “that would be you, princess.”
    Zach, who was contemplating the marmalade weirdness, assumed Giselle had pushed Maya into the mix so that she wouldn’t feel bad about jilting him—again. His aunt and uncle obviously didn’t want him to be alone on Christmas Eve and were no doubt worried about him driving that distance given his bad leg. Maya … Zach couldn’t guess her thoughts, but he sensed her discomfort. She didn’t want to be alone with him. Why? Was she still angry with him for keeping her in the dark regarding his injuries? Had she sensed his sexual interest? Was she disgusted? Intrigued? Why did she keep trading cryptic glances with Giselle? And if Giselle wasn’t keen on sweets, why had she teased Zach with a fantasy that involved sugary foreplay? He glanced at Maya, his groin tightening when she licked a glob of orange marmalade from her thumb. An innocent action that conjured the devil in him.
    Any thoughts Zach had of privately wallowing in his misery fell by the wayside. He suddenly wanted nothing more than extended time with Maya. Time for a frank talk and he didn’t plan on having it in the pantry.
    “I’d appreciate the company,” Zach said, robbing Maya of a chance to wiggle out of the drive. “Although maybe you should stay in the car until I get Marx to lower that rifle.”
    “He’s yet to shoot anyone,” Dan said. “All bark, no bite.”
    “Better safe than sorry,” Zach said, throwing in his own cliché.
    “You’ll