Page 2 of Just Add Mistletoe

If she didn’t go, she’d be able to forget how her dates seemed to cut off after two meetups, never getting to the third-date stage.

If she did go, then she’d maybe get out of her head a little bit. Hike some trails. She did love hiking, and she hadn’t been all summer. Where had the time gone?

Maybe she could leave early if things became too much. She could come up with some work emergency—there was always work to do, and it might be an emergency toher. . . but that felt icky.

Lori closed her eyes, blew out a slow breath, then made up her mind. Opening her eyes, she typed a text to her part-time employee.Are you good to cover the weekend if I go on that retreat?

Marci’s reply came seconds later.Of course. Go enjoy yourself.

Lori switched text threads:Count me in. Marci can cover for the weekend.

Heart emojis followed, and despite her wishy-washy self, Lori smiled. It would be fun—she’d make sure of it. She could certainly bury whatever emotions threatened to erupt. She didn’t know what it was, but since she’d turned twenty-eight a few weeks ago, everything seemed different. Like she somehowneeded to be more successful, more confident, more social, more involved—and even though she was a business owner, independent, a good person, she was somehow lacking. She spent way too much time feeling lonely.

Yes, she’d always been alone in a sense, but she’d never felt lonely.

And it bothered her. Not that she was alone—she’d never force a relationship or become desperate for one—but because she didn’t like having feelings she didn’t want to have.

Brandy, efficient as always, sent out the payment breakdown and Lori quickly sent in her share. There. She could put this whole retreat thing on the back burner. She dug into the box again and pulled out a plastic cauldron. She planned to keep it smoking with dry ice. That would fascinate the kids. The teenagers too.

The front door swung open, the bell tinkling overhead.

“Oh, it’s crazy out there,” Marci said, unwrapping one of two scarves about her neck.

It might be October, but it was hardly scarf-wearing weather yet. That didn’t seem to deter Marci. She celebrated the changing seasons as if it were an Olympic sport. Her enthusiasm was one of the reasons Lori had hired her. Also, it was kind of ironic that popular high school cheerleader Marci now worked for the geeky, introverted Lori.

“Crazy? How?” Lori peered out the front window. The morning sky was a soft blue. No rain clouds. It wasn’t even windy.

Then she saw it. Across the street, where the old auto shop used to be, a group of people had gathered, picket signs in hand. It was a bit comical, in Lori’s point of view, to protest against a development the city council had already approved. The town citizen input for the building project was several months ago. What made today so special?

Marci answered the unasked question.

“Today they break ground. Look, the ones with the signs are against the development, and the ones wearing construction vests are in favor of the development. I guess they bought out all the bright orange fabric at the craft store last night. Must have been up all night sewing.” She came to stand by Lori, twisting off the top of her diet soda bottle.

There’d been a massive sign erected in the corner of the property statingMillpond Condosin bold black and green for months, so it was no secret that the developmental project had been approved by the city council.

“Is that Lydia Kane?” she asked, eyeing the woman who was Everly and Brandy’s mom. Lydia wore a linen suit, her hair and makeup impeccable as always. She held a sign high in the air that read in boxy red letters:Say No To The Big Man.

“Sure is,” Marci said, her tone light. “Want to join in? Could be fun. Heard the café is delivering sandwiches and drinks soon.”

Unlike Marci, Lori had eaten breakfast, and besides, she wasn’t opposed to the building of a condominium community. Not that she shared the opinion with her store customers. She figured that not only would it bring more business to her store, but it would give the young adults growing up in the town a place to live. Otherwise, they just all moved out and on with their lives.

“Oh boy,” Marci muttered at the precise moment Lori saw a couple of trucks turn onto the street, followed by a flatbed carrying an excavator. “It’s happening now. Should I pop some popcorn? Get out some chairs?”

Lori laughed. They didn’t have any popcorn even if they wanted some. “The protestors look pretty harmless. Besides, I really want to get all of these boxes unpacked today.”

Lori liked Marci a lot—they’d definitely become friends over the past two years—but sometimes she needed reminding that she was on the clock.

“Right, boss.” Marci downed a couple of swallows of her diet soda, then set it on the windowsill. She pulled out the last of what was in the box—a couple of light-up jack-o-lanterns—then began to open the next one.

Lori relocated the soda bottle to a safer location, then carried over the stool and began to hang the strand of skeleton lights. The trucks had now slowed and were turning onto the property.

The gaggle of protesters crowded around the first truck, raising their signs and chanting something—it was muffled through the window. Lori was a bit impressed. Lydia Kane and her friends were going all out.

The truck came to a rolling stop, and a man jumped out and walked around, then headed straight for the gathered protesters.

“You’ve gotta give that man credit,” Marci said, popping up again and startling her. “He’s not afraid of confrontation.”

“Is that the property owner?” Lori asked. From this distance, about all she could see was a red ball cap and broad shoulders. He was tall—she’d give him that.

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