Page 6 of Just Add Mistletoe

Malcom was at an even greater loss now. “What exactly would I be jealous of?”

Penny laughed. “Oh, you know.” Her phone rang just then, and she released his arm and pulled out the phone from her pocket. She glanced at the caller ID. “It’s that homeowners’ association that I’m trying to secure a maintenance contract with.” Before Malcom could question her about it, she answered, “Hello?”

He remembered his brother saying that Penny was looking into setting up maintenance accounts with an affluent cabin complex in the canyon above Everly Falls. Malcom had been against it. Starting this condominium project would stretch everyone thin as it was. Apparently, it was already in the works, and Malcom had no say. Which was kind of par for the course over the past year since Penny had joined the company. Another reason he wanted to do his own thing.

With Penny distracted, Malcom headed toward the job site. He sincerely hoped she wouldn’t stick around and that they wouldn’t have to continue the conversation she’d started. He had his own phone calls to make. Primarily to find out when the trailer would be delivered. It would be his temporary home and office for the next few months.

He told himself to ignore the fact that camping out on the property that was right across from the holiday shop would give him plenty of chances to cross paths with Lori.

LORI FINISHED PACKING ON FRIDAY afternoon, adding a swimsuit at the last minute. Brandy had said the cabin had a hot tub, although she didn’t plan to get into it if it became a couples thing. She grabbed three books from her to-be-read pile on her bedside table. Maybe she’d get some reading time, maybe not. But she wanted to be prepared.

She glanced about her apartment on the upper level of the shop. Had she forgotten anything? Her gaze paused on the cat bed in the corner of the bedroom. She hadn’t thrown it out even though it had been a couple of months since her cat’s death. Lori knew Silver wasn’t coming back, but just having the bed still in her room made her feel less abandoned somehow.

Lori’s phone buzzed with a text announcing that Brandy and Ian were there to pick her up. They were a beautiful couple and fun to be around. They’d gotten engaged last month, right after Everly and Austin’s wedding. Ian owned a gorgeous cabin in a secluded area just above Everly Falls, and he had turned his furniture-building hobby into a career.

Lori headed down the narrow stairs, then paused inside the shop to say goodbye to Marci. She looked up from where she was arranging a Halloween candy display. “Have so much fun! And don’t worry about a thing.”

“Thanks so much,” Lori said, flashing a smile, then headed toward the front door of the shop. She had only one duffle bag—she’d packed light with the exception of her books.

Ian climbed out of the driver’s seat as she exited the shop. The guy looked like he was ready to walk into the forest and chop more wood for his custom furniture business. His olive skin was set off by a red plaid shirt, and his light green eyes turned up at the corners as he smiled at her. “How are you, Lori?”

“Great, thanks.”

Ian opened the back door for her and then took her bag to set in the trunk of the car. Brandy rolled down her window, her pale blonde hair tugging in the breeze.

“Hey, lady, so glad you could come.”

“Me too.” Lori climbed into the back seat and relaxed against the leather upholstery. “Where is this place again?”

“Oh, it’s not far,” Brandy said. “Didn’t you open the link I sent? It’s just above Everly Falls, where all those cabins are going in.”

“Oh right.” It sounded vaguely familiar, and Lori pulled up the texting thread and began to scroll back. Now that she was in the moment and had time to focus, she’d look at the details of the cabin.

“They’ve made tons of progress already,” Ian said as they drove past the condominium construction site.

Lori looked over at the trucks and heavy-duty machinery, all working from sunup to sundown. There was a trailer parked on the lot too, and crew men all over the place. Marci had been giving her reports on the progress, although she hadn’t been paying too much attention.

“There are still protesters?” Brandy said with a laugh. “Not even my mom is that hardcore.”

“It looks more like coffee hour to me,” Lori mused. About a half a dozen people were camped out on the corner of the lot—chairs set up and coffee cups in hand. After the initial incident a few days ago, she hadn’t given the protesters much thought. She might have thought of the foreman, Malcom, a time or two. Washe a foreman? Was that what he was called? She knew little to nothing about construction job titles.

“Malcom Graves seems like a decent guy,” Ian said. “I’ve talked to him at the gym a few times. I don’t get why some people are up in arms about the project.”

Wait . . . Malcom Graves went to the town gym? Did helivein Everly Falls? Lori was curious now. Maybe not enough to question Ian further, yet how else would she find out?

“Don’t let my mom hear you say that,” Brandy said with a laugh. “I’m surprised she’s not still keeping vigil with the protestors.”

“Believe me, I’m keeping silent on the subject.” He reached for Brandy’s hand and the two interlaced their fingers.

Lori smiled to herself. She was really happy for Brandy and Ian, especially after what she had endured with her former boyfriend. Ian had appeared in Brandy’s life just when she needed him most.

Lori shook off the melancholy that threatened as she wondered what her future relationships might be like—if any. Yeah, Everly Falls was a small town, but it was certainly growing. She glanced out the back window at the construction site they’d already passed. The progress was pretty incredible. Holes had been dug, cement foundations poured, and steel beams were going up.

Maybe she should invest in a condo. The apartment above the shop was so small—and she’d thought once or twice that it might make a cool reading nook for customers. But people probably wouldn’t want to trudge up and down the stairs. So she’d been looking into the vacant space next door—it used to be an insurance office. If she bought it, she could expand her shop and have the new space as a bookshop.

But that would all be dependent on how much her parents’ house sold for and what cut they gave her. Lori had no idea of what that might actually look like.

Her thoughts returned to the present as they headed up the canyon. The drive was beautiful, with the autumn colors growing richer and richer the farther they drove. They passed the turnoff for the trail to the waterfalls and continued up the windy road.

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