Page 11 of One Sweet Taste (Love with a Price)

Chapter Eleven

The energy of the Christmas Eve Food-and-Wine Festival was almost enough to cheer Linzee up. When she’d learned Ethan was planning the festival outside, she’d thought he was crazy, but it really was brilliant.

Dazzling lights were strewn along the evergreen trees lining the park. Tables and booths were adorned with garland and ornaments. Holiday music was piped in on speakers hidden in the trees, and the red-and-silver lights on the massive Christmas tree in the center illuminated the tables and booths surrounding it.

Children scurried by giggling on their way over to Dylan Price’s area, and Linzee couldn’t help but smile. This was the first time she’d seen kids pass right by plates full of cookies, but she didn’t blame them. Her frosted Santas and Christmas trees were no match for the puppies that Dylan Price had in a large pen.

She’d helped Marnie at the shelter when the pups were taken in, and she’d fallen in love with them. If only she were staying in town, Linzee actually would have adopted one of the little pugs. She’d always wanted a dog, but her ex hated animals.

Marnie, who was in the pen with Dylan, caught her eye and gave her a big smile and a wave.

Linzee waved back, then turned to help the people that came up to the table. After talking to some of Luke’s construction crew, who’d eaten about a dozen cookies in ten seconds flat, chatting with Dylan’s partner and his pregnant wife, and laughing with the new doctor in town, Linzee realized just how many friends she’d made in the short time she’d been in Oakville. The family-like atmosphere of the little town was something she’d never expected.

“That smells delicious,” Tori said, and Linzee turned to see her standing over the large cauldron of creamy vegetable-and-gnocchi soup. Tori’s eyes widened as she took in the rest of the food. “Whoa, what’s that?”

Linzee smiled as she handed Tori a plate of Spinach Fontina Strata.

“Why don’t you just taste it and tell me what you think?”

After one big bite, Tori’s eyes rolled back in her head as she groaned. “Wow, you are a good chef if you can make spinach taste this good.”

“Are you talking her into staying?” Ethan came up and threw an arm around his girlfriend. A pang of regret went through Linzee. She wanted that easy relationship with Foster, but it was too late now. She was doing the right thing. Even if he did want her, she needed to give him the opportunity to be with someone younger, to have a family. She cared for him too much to take that away from him.

Her heart skipped a beat at the thought. If her daughter had come up to her and told her she’d fallen for a man she’d known less than two weeks, Linzee would have thought she was crazy. But in all of her forty years, she’d never felt this way about anyone before. She’d never felt so much potential with a man so quickly, and the feelings scared her. The possibilities scared her. But above everything else, she wanted Foster to be happy. There was no question in her mind about that.

“I haven’t tried yet,” Tori was saying to Ethan.

Then Becca popped up behind her brother. She was practically bouncing with excitement. “I have Linzee’s surprise. Are we ready?”

Her brow furrowed. “Surprise?” Had they gotten her a Christmas present?

Becca giggled. “Yes, surprise! And you’re going to love this!” Ethan and Tori both grinned and then stepped aside.

Linzee’s confusion was replaced with pure joy as a beautiful redhead stood grinning at her.

“Georgia! Omigod, Georgia! How did you get here?” She raced around the table to throw her arms around her daughter.

The girl laughed and hugged her back. “I took the train. I didn’t think I had enough money for the train, but Mr. Price overnighted me tickets so I could be here for Christmas Eve.” Georgia reached up with a gloved hand to wipe Linzee’s cheeks. “Oh, Mom, don’t cry.” But she was tearing up too.

Linzee hugged her daughter fiercely. “I’m just so happy to see you.” She turned to her boss. “Ethan, I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”

But Ethan smiled and shook his head. “I wish I could take credit, Linz. But it was a different Mr. Price that sent the tickets.”

She blinked a couple of times before the realization struck her. Foster. She’d treated him poorly, but he’d still gone out of his way to make sure her daughter was here on Christmas.

“Tori and I are going to cover the booth while you spend time with your daughter,” Becca said as she walked around the table and snatched up a frosted Santa cookie.

“But…” She didn’t know what to say. She’d only been in town a few weeks, and these people treated her like family.

A sense of peace filled her as she realized she couldn’t leave them. With one arm around her daughter, she looked at Ethan and shook her head. “Ethan, I’ve made such a horrible mistake.”

Her boss smiled warmly, understanding immediately. “Well, thank God you came to your senses and finally realized it. And lucky for you, this is a mistake you can fix.”

Chapter Twelve

After Foster had picked up Georgia Felton at the train station and dropped her off at the festival, he stuck around for a little while. Linzee had done a good job with her daughter. The girl was smart and funny like her mom, and just as beautiful.

He was ashamed of the way he’d acted toward Linzee, and he was glad he was able to do something for her that would make her happy. He’d never cared about someone so much that he wanted them to be happy above all else, even if it meant not being with him.

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