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At Isabelle’s voice, Cole jumped back from Sophie.

Or had it been Sophie who’d leapt away?

Cole inwardly grimaced. What was he thinking? Of course she was embarrassed. He wasn’t a “bring home to meet the family” kind of guy. He was a guy who was so messed up in the head that he still occasionally had nightmares that left the sheets sweat-drenched. No wonder her sister was giving him an evil eye.

He didn’t say anything, just met Isabelle’s unhappy gaze and braced himself for whatever condemnation she hurled at him. What could he say in his defense? Nothing. He didn’t blame her for not being happy about what she’d walked in on.

Sophie had almost kissed him.

Would have kissed him had her sister not interrupted.

And him? He would have let Sophie kiss him.

Thank goodness Isabelle had chosen that moment to walk in.

Or maybe not. Because Cole couldn’t help but wonder if Sophie’s lips would have been as soft against his as he suspected. If her kiss would have been full of sugar and everything nice.

Spice? He suspected there would have been that, too. Sophie certainly spiced up his life.

But he hadn’t even decided he and Sophie could be friends beyond the toy drive. He definitely shouldn’t be kissing her.

It didn’t matter that she’d been the one going to kiss him. He should have been strong enough to resist. Instead, he’d been powerless to step away.

Powerless to do more than stand th

ere, knowing what she intended, and feeling the greatest, sweetest anticipation of his life.

When what he should have been doing was taking charge of the situation and putting a halt to what was happening for his sake and Sophie’s.

Only…

“We’re actually finishing up. We just have the star left,” she continued, her voice a higher pitch than her normal tone. If Cole recognized that telltale sign, no doubt her sister did, too. “It’ll be the perfect topper for this one.”

When Isabelle didn’t say anything, Sophie turned to look at her, but didn’t back down beneath her sister’s unhappy glare.

For that, Cole was grateful. He’d have hated to witness Sophie’s regret. His own was more than enough.

She would regret what had happened, but not as much as she would have had her sister not interrupted. He needed to put some distance back between him and Sophie. For both their sakes.

“Everyone else is finished with their mini trees for the residents’ rooms,” Isabelle informed, her gaze going back and forth between them. She might not be saying anything condemning aloud, but her expression conveyed she knew exactly what had happened, and that she didn’t approve. “We’re all in the foyer, about to decorate the big tree there. We thought we’d do it as a group and take photos for the church website. I didn’t want you to miss being in the pictures.”

“We’ll be there in a few,” Sophie told her sister, then looked toward him. “Cole, if you’ll get me the star, I’ll put it on the tree.”

Cole got the star, but rather than hand it to Sophie, he climbed the few steps up the ladder himself.

“Hey, I said I’d do it,” she reminded.

“Humor me,” he asked of her, needing to be doing something—and also knowing there was no way he was letting her back on that ladder. “I’ve always wanted to put a star on a Christmas tree.”

Despite the tension of their almost-kiss and her sister’s near tangible unhappiness from the other side of the room, Sophie laughed. “Yeah, right. Don’t think I don’t know exactly what you’re doing.”

“What’s he doing?” Isabelle asked, coming to stand next to Sophie as they both watched Cole put the star on the tree.

“Keeping me off the ladder. He’s afraid I’ll almost fall again, and he’ll have to catch me. Again. Over just a little to the left, Cole,” Sophie informed, her attention tuned to what he was doing. “Oh, that’s perfect! You’re an expert tree topper, Cole Aaron. Don’t you think so, Isabelle?”

Isabelle sighed, “I’m headed back to the foyer. If you want to be in the group photos, gather up your leftover decorations and come join us.”

“She doesn’t like me much.”