Chapter Eleven

Trudy looked around at the group of wonderful women gathered around the punch bowl, and felt much better about being single. 

Half the ladies here had husbands who were off in the corner talking about the almanac, and about the poor soul who had bought Livingston Farm and instantly made himself the subject of all male gossip in Trinity Falls. 

No one had laid eyes on the mystery man yet, but everyone kept waiting for him to show up at some event or other. 

At any rate, Trudy would rather chat with Alice Cassidy and Leticia Webb about the Library Book & Bake Sale than get dragged on endless, awkward dates by some silly man who couldn’t decide if he wanted to court her or not.

Out on the dance floor, folks were dancing to a fun mix of country, 80s nostalgia, and Christmas songs. 

The organizers were fluttering around the side of the center that had been fixed up like a stage, getting ready for the auction. 

“Trudy,” Valerie said quietly, nodding toward the entry. 

Ward was headed in, chatting with a tall, dark-haired young man. 

“Oh goodness,” she said, turning her back and glancing at Valerie. 

“He’s coming this way,” Valerie muttered. 

In an instinct that could only have come of sheer desperation, Trudy looked around and saw Pete Anderson, the owner of Jolly Beans, was walking past. 

“Let’s dance, Pete,” she said, grabbing his arm and hoping he didn’t notice her slightly frantic tone.

“Oh, hi, Trudy,” Pete said, looking a little alarmed. “Sure. I’ll dance with you.”

She whisked him safely into the center of the dance floor, hoping Ward wouldn’t see her. 

Or if he does, he’ll see I’m in the company of another gentleman, she told herself. I won’t have to make awkward conversation with him.

Pete stiffly placed his hand on her waist and began to dance her around. He wasn’t a bad dancer, but his expression was a little too similar to the one he wore when he set up the coffee machines for her to think he was enjoying himself. 

“You look very nice tonight, Trudy,” he said politely, once they relaxed into the rhythm. “I like your scarf.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Ward’s voice said suddenly. “May I cut in?”

Trudy turned her head to see Ward looming over them. His jaw was clenched, and there was an expression of determination in his blue eyes. 

“Sure, man,” Pete said, somehow looking scared and relieved at the same time. “Have a nice evening, Trudy.”

“Trudy, I’m sorry about the other night,” Ward said, pulling her into his arms. 

She wanted to protest, but her pride was no match for the warmth of his arms and the magnetic confidence that radiated from him. 

“I like you, Trudy,” he told her firmly. “A whole lot, in fact. But I didn’t want to pressure you for more, and maybe scare you out of my life completely.”

“Ward, that’s so kind of you,” she said carefully. “But maybe it’s for the best that we just stay good friends. I haven’t dated since I was in my twenties, and I’m a bit set in my ways. My life belongs to the inn now, and—”

Suddenly he was pulling her close and crushing her lips to his in a passionate kiss.

She felt herself melt like a chocolate bar in the sunshine, all her doubts fading to nothing. It had been too long since anything had made her feel so special, so wanted, so loved. 

“I’m very sorry,” he said softly, pulling back. “It seemed like we might be about to go off the rails, and I couldn’t that happen again.”

She went up on her toes to kiss him back, but he stopped her, holding her shoulders and fixing her in his cerulean gaze.

“Trudy, I’m a man who knows what he wants,” he said gruffly. “Casual just doesn’t work for me. And I’ve waited too long for you to take it slow. We can discuss the particulars, but if this is going to happen, then I want you wearing my ring before the cherry blossoms burst.”

Trudy broke into a smile, letting his words echo in her heart.

“Wait,” she said. “What do you mean you’ve waited too long?”

“You know how I told you the only woman to catch my eye was madly in love with another man?” he asked. 

Her mind went back to their first meeting, when she’d been helping one of the Cassidy boys find his mom. Ward had offered to help, but then disappeared before she had time to thank him.

“All this time?” she asked. 

“All this time,” he said, nodding. 

“I would be proud to wear your ring, Ward,” she told him. “And we don’t have to wait until spring. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I don’t want to waste a single minute.”

He pulled her close, swaying to the slow crooning of Elvis Presley’s Silent Night.

“Pete was right,” he told her. “You look beautiful tonight.”

“Thank you,” she told him. “Valerie Leighton loaned me some pretty clothes, so that if you came and saw me you’d regret not making a move.”

“Did she now?” he asked, pulling back, his blue eyes dancing with merriment. “I think you look beautiful every single day. But it might please you to know that I was wild with jealousy when I saw you with Pete.”

“I didn’t want you to be wild with jealousy,” she told him. “I was just nervous.”

“Me too,” he admitted. “I almost didn’t come tonight.”

“Why did you?” she asked. 

“Because the only thing worse than facing you was the idea of losing my chance to be the luckiest man in the world,” he told her. “Also, I was advised by a very wise man.”

“Joe Cassidy?” Trudy guessed.

“What?” Ward laughed in a surprised way. “No, of course not.”

“Joe Cassidy is a very romantic man,” Trudy retorted. “Alice is a lucky woman.”

“I guess you’re right,” Ward said thoughtfully, smiling down at her. “They always seem like they’re having fun.”

“I think that’s the key,” Trudy said, nodding. “So who did you actually talk to?”

 “My son, Will,” he told her proudly. “He’s coming for a visit. You’ll meet him soon.”

She felt a little shiver of happiness when she realized that she would meet Will soon, and all the other important people in Ward’s life. 

“I can’t wait,” she told him. 

​He smiled down at her like she had given him the greatest gift of all, and they danced on, among a happy crowd of friends and neighbors.

​Would you like to have ALL of Trudy's Holiday Suitor in book form, for FREE RIGHT NOW with no more waiting?
Click HERE to get a free copy when you sign up for my newsletter! (Already a member of my newsletter? Just enter the email address you're already subscribed with to claim your free copy!)

If you don't mind the wait, be sure to stop by next week for the final chapter of Trudy's Holiday Suitor!

Are you new to the series? Click here to grab the first two Trinity Falls Sweet Romances, or read them for free in KU!