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Holly kept her attention trained on Eric, who only had eyes for her. Diane rushed past them and hugged Cameron. Yes, that’s what Holly wanted to do—she wanted to hug Eric, but her feet refused to budge.
“Come into the kitchen,” Diane said, dragging Cameron by the hand. “These two need to talk.”
Eric stayed where he was, which was to his benefit. Holly was still trying to figure out how to get her legs to move.
When the hallway quieted, Holly spoke first. “What are you doing here?”
A boyish grin played on his lips. “Going for a drive to see someone.”
Her heart raced as his bold words stuck to it. “You saw me last weekend.”
“It’s been too long.” He took a step forward, and she took a step back. Her foot slipped on the hallway rug, and she fell forward, right into his arms.
“Hey there, beautiful.” He pulled her closer to his face and whispered in her ear. “I’ve missed you.”
His warm breath tickled her neck, and she shivered.
He helped steady her. “Are you cold?”
She shivered again. This was not happening. They’d just been talking about Eric, and now, he was there. Within hugging range. Her fingers twitched with the desire to reach out and hold him.
“I... I...” She couldn’t squeeze a single word out. Her feet regained feeling, and she took a tiny step forward. Eric went the rest of the way and scooped her up in his arms. He pressed his lips to her cheek, tingling the dead side of her face. “Please tell me you’ve at least thought about me, about us?”
He backed away to look at her face. His eyes softened as he smiled, but she still wasn’t convinced she should turn her back on Aimee. “Not much.”
He frowned, and it broke her heart to lie to him. Of course, she had thought of him.
“Why do my girls suddenly have guys visiting them from Utah?” Jack came into the room, acting all big and bad, and Eric looked scared. His hands dropped from around her, and he took a step back. Jack stood next to Holly and wrapped an arm around her side. “Is there someone you need to introduce me to, honey?”
“This is Eric.”
“Oh, Eric, huh? The guy whom you kissed under the mistletoe?”
Eric looked in her direction and smiled before looking back at Jack. “I guess I’m not the only person whose thoughts have been occupied.”
“Why don’t you come into the kitchen?” Jack asked with a smile. “We were just eating lunch.”
Jack left the two of them in the hallway. Eric moved to her side and smiled down at her. “You look adorable in your PJs.” It was a reindeer onesie she’d been given by Diane for Christmas.
She wanted to say he looked adorable in jeans and a hoodie, but she kept quiet, her hands stayed tucked behind her back. He was there! Surely, he hadn’t come just to see her? Maybe the guys had come in to see a show. That made more sense.
“So, what brings you to Boulder City?” Jack asked once they were settled on barstools.
Eric glanced at Cameron, and both of them pointed to Diane and Holly.
“Interesting. And how long do you plan on staying?”
The guys looked at each other and laughed. “We’re planless.” Cameron said.
“Ahh, I see. And where are you staying?”
“Hotel?” Cameron said.
“On the strip somewhere,” Eric said.
Diane’s dad put his knife down, and Holly could swear Eric released a sigh. “If you’re willing to take the girls back to Salt Lake where Diane is picking up a new car, you two can stay here as long as you want. We have some spare bedrooms, and I’m sure the girls would love to hang out with you while my wife and I work. As long as you remember”—he paused to gesture to Diane and Holly—“these girls mean the world to us.”
“Yes, sir,” Eric said, his grin growing. “Sounds good to me.”
