Free After the Christmas Party by Janice Lynn Page B

nose to unfurrow the wrinkles.
    “I don’t need to do any shopping.” Her needs were simple and she wasn’t running low on anything. Who would she buy something for? She barely knew anyone in Pensacola and as much as she liked Karen, she wasn’t sure they were at a buy-each-other-Christmas-gifts point in their friendship. Although she did like the woman and Karen had seemed happy for her regarding Riley’s interest, so maybe…Trinity usually just ordered a few gift cards online to have on hand in case she needed a quick gift. Last year she’d used most of them herself come January because she just hadn’t had anyone to give them to.
    “Sure you do,” Riley countered with so much confidence that her insides heated a little.
    She blew out a frustrated sigh. “Riley, I don’t like it when you assume things about me.”
    A serious expression slid over his face. “Noted. I don’t mean to railroad you into doing something you don’t want to do, princess. But I also feel it my personal responsibility to get you into the Christmas spirit.”
    His personal responsibility? Poor guy. He had no clue what he was in for.
    “Good luck with that.”
    “Thanks.”
    She shook her head, not surprised her sarcasm had fallen short. Riley only seemed to see the positive, regardless of what she did or said.
    Still, Christmas was pushing it. Why couldn’t they have met at a Halloween party? Or, better yet, a New Year party? Anything but Christmas because taking away the fact that he was a gorgeous doctor and she was just her, the fact they’d met at a Christmas party spelled doom from the start.
    So far as she was concerned, nothing good had ever come out of Christmas.
    But the sooner they got this shopping ordeal over with the sooner they could eat and the sooner she could go home and over-analyze the past few days yet again. “What am I shopping for?”
    “It’s less than two weeks until Christmas Day and you don’t have a single decoration up or a single wrapped present in your apartment.”
    That was a problem why? Her apartment was the one place she could escape from all the holiday craziness.
    “I hate to burst your bubble, Riley, but most single people without kids don’t go all out with decorations and presents. They have better things to do with their time than decorating for themselves.”
    Like take out the trash and give the cat a bath. Important things like those.
    He shook his head in mock disappointment, his eyes twinkling. “I bet you were one of those kids who never believed in Santa and took joy in telling other kids that he wasn’t real.”
    Although she doubted he’d meant his comment to hurt, she felt a sharp sting in her chest and a defensive shield popped up. “I never told other kids Santa wasn’t real.”
    He stared at her incredulously. “But you never believed in Santa? in the magic of Christmas? Not even as a kid?”
    Swallowing the lump in her throat at memories she didn’t want rising to the surface, she shook her head.
    “Then who did you think climbed down your chimney and left all the Christmas morning goodies? The tooth fairy?”
    She didn’t think anything. Not about the tooth fairy or Santa. Or the Easter bunny or any other mythical creature who was supposed to do something good for her. Why would she?
    “Apparently your Christmas mornings were very different from mine.” At her house Christmas had just been another day. No big deal. Actually, if she’d made the mistake of mentioning the holidays, Christmas morning had been worse than other days because her mother would go into a bigger than normal rant. New Year had never been able to get there soon enough.
    “Were you so naughty that Santa didn’t visit?” His tone was teasing, but Trinity had to look away because she’d swear something had blown into her eyes. Probably a bit of fake snow off the ginormous tree gracing the entryway of the shopping mall.
    Stupid tree. Stupid fake snow. Stupid shopping trip. Stupid her for