Chapter 26

Caden woke up early the next morning. Having tossed and turned for most of the night, he finally decided to get up. Thoughts of Jocelyn rushed through his mind, making it impossible to sleep. And even though he had told her he was sorry that he had kissed her, he really wasn't. But now he had to figure out what he was going to do about it.
After showering and dressing for the day, he hurried out the door and to his car, hoping to catch Jocelyn before she left the house. As quickly as he could manage without getting a ticket or endangering anyone, he rushed over to her house. Within minutes, he pulled in front, parked the car, and turned off the key. Then he hurried up the stairs, taking two at a time. But just when he was about to open the door, it opened. When he saw Mallory standing in the doorway, his heart sank.
"Caden! Just in time!" She turned and locked the door behind her. Then linked her arm with his and looked up at him expectantly. "So, what would you like to do today?"
Caden shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyebrows pulling together in concern. "Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry about the last few days, but I had to re-do a photo shoot and with the pageant coming up- well- you get the picture." She skipped down the stairs. "So, what are we doing today?"
Caden looked toward the house. "Where's Jocelyn?"
Mallory waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, she went to work, I think." She started walking toward his car. When she realized he wasn't following, she turned around and asked, "Well? Are you coming?"
Caden let out a deep breath and then walked down the stairs. "Yeah, I guess."
She looked at her nails, not even trying to see if the passenger side door was unlocked. "I have some time off today, so you coming over was perfect timing."
He unlocked the door and opened it for her, not responding.
"The shoot is finally over-." She rolled her eyes. "And the men can handle decorating the rest of the float, so I'm yours."
"Yeah. Lucky me," he replied flatly, but she appeared not to notice. He closed the door behind her and walked around to the driver's side, wishing it was Jocelyn he would be spending the day with rather than Mallory.
In the car, Mallory reached over and played with the radio, adjusting the dials until rap music was blaring out the speakers.
Caden turned it off. "So, where to?"
Mallory pulled out her cell phone and started checking her messages. She made a face as if thinking was difficult. She finally gave up and turned her attention back to her cell phone. "Oh, anywhere."
A devilish smile spread across his lips. "Hey, why don't we go into town and look at the decorations?"
She looked at him as if he had just grown another head.
"Or we could volunteer at the Christmas wrapping booth. I hear they need help."
Each year, volunteers manned a Christmas present wrapping booth as a complimentary service for the town and visitors. Although the town spent a fortune on wrapping paper each year, the mayor felt strongly that it was worth it to spread good cheer. Luckily, the donations they received for the wrapping paper and supplies helped, offsetting the cost of supplies.
Mallory scoffed. "What is with you all of a sudden?"
"What do you mean?"
"Before you left, you were just as sick of this Christmas town as I was. Now, you're wanting to volunteer? What's up with that?" She looked up at him with one of her lips raised, as if he had just mentioned they butcher a bunch of puppies.
"Mallory, what would it hurt to volunteer?" He turned down the streets until they were in the center of town. "Give a little something back to the town?"
She scoffed. "I give plenty to this town. Believe me. With the pageant--"
"Why? Did you plan it?"
"No, but--"
"Organize it?"
"No, but--"
"Do anything for anyone else besides yourself at all?"
She looked at him in disbelief. "You didn't answer my question."
Caden pulled the car to a stop in the town at the Christmas wrapping booth. "I guess I'm the one that's changed, and you haven't." He got out of his car and slammed the door. Then he walked toward the booth, not bothering to open her car door.
Her high-heeled boots clicked against the sidewalk as she hurried to catch up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Caden stopped so abruptly that she almost ran into him. "It means that I think we want different things, Mallory. I've changed, and you- well- you haven't."
"How?"
He sighed, placing his hands on his hips. "Mallory, don't make me say it."
"Say what?" She looked up at him, expecting an answer.
"Mallory, have you ever once thought of anyone besides yourself?" He waited for an answer.
She took a step back as if she had just been slapped.
"That's what I thought." He turned and started walking toward the booth again, but she caught his arm, pulling him to a stop. "Mallory, you and I are different people now. We want different things--"
"I can change."
"I don't want you to change for me."
She looked up at him and batted her eyes. There was once a time when that would have worked on him, but not anymore. "Let me prove it to you."
One corner of his lips curled into a devilish smile. "Okay. Then wrap presents with me today."
She bit her lower lip and looked over at the booth. Mrs. Mitchell waved to them, and Mallory waved back, giving her a fake smile. "Okay. Let's get this over with."
"When did Mrs. Mitchell start working the wrapping booth?" Caden nodded in the older woman's direction. She had been a member of their church for years.
"She mans the booth now," Mallory replied flatly. "She retired. And since her husband died, she doesn't have anything else better to do."
"Mallory! That wasn't nice-."
She gave him an innocent look, her mouth forming a perfect O. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that! I only meant that she has time to spare--"
"Never mind." Caden reached out and pulled her to a stop. "Mallory, you really don't have to do this. I can take you home and come back. Or I can have someone else drive you--"
"Nonsense!" She cut him off, linking her arm with his. Then she looked up at him and gave him a fake smile. "We're spending the day together, remember?"
"Yes, we are." He smiled mischievously, wondering how long she would last. In his mind, it became a challenge for him. Let's see how much Mallory can take before she cracks. He chuckled to himself, enjoying the prospect of the game a bit too much.
"What's so funny?"
He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing at all."