Page 57 of Take Me Home for Christmas

The two men walked to the back of the gym in silence. Xander met them at the bottom of the stairs. The gym owner wasn’t as adept at controlling his expression. He looked at the sheriff, then back at Everett. His lips formed a mulish line.

“If you’re here to mock our members, you can turn around and head right back up those stairs.”

The sheriff stepped between the two of them. “Xander?—”

“It’s okay, Sheriff,” Everett interrupted. “He’s right to assume that I might be here under false pretenses after everything I said the other night.” He shook his head. “Or judging from the parts of my book that have been excerpted, I would react the same way.” The sheriff turned around so both men were looking at him. Everett swallowed roughly. “I have some work to do on myself. And I was told the best place to start was in that room.”

The silence stretched until the sheriff reached over and turned the door handle to the meeting space. He gestured for Everett to enter first.

Forgive me, Keeley, but it’s time to let you go.

“Sorry,Livi, but you’re still recovering from four days with a high fever,” Kate said as she poured gingerbread martinis into a row of glasses. “You’re going to have to settle for a cranberry mocktail tonight.”

“Just like me!” Emily waved her arm and nearly spilled her drink all over the island in the inn’s kitchen.

“Me too.” Lori balanced a glass on her belly.

It was cookie decorating night at the Tide Me Over Inn. An annual tradition that Elle had missed for the past several years. With two new sisters-in-law, a new stepsister, and now a sister-in-law-to-be, the number of decorators in the kitchen had certainly grown. Since Livi’s illness, Elle’s mom had taken her under her wing, including her in tonight’s activities.

“Really, I’m fine with water,” Livi replied.

“Me too,” Whitney chirped.

Paige kissed the little girl on the cheek. “Have I told you that I love the sound of your voice?”

“When Whitney first arrived in town last summer, she kept her thoughts and her words to herself,” Elle’s mom explained for Livi’s benefit.

“What I wouldn’t give for a little of that quiet when she is chatting up a storm at six o’clock on Sunday mornings,” Whitney’s mother, Donella, teased.

Ginger handed out Santa hats to everyone. “I brought props from the dance studio. We’ll look festive for any video Elle might want to shoot.”

Elle set the hat on her head. “Is that all I am to you guys? The videographer?”

“And the dog whisperer,” Jane quipped. “Kringle’s ego is getting so big, he refused to eat his dinner from his plastic dish tonight. He would only touch it once we put it on a plate from my grandmother’s china.”

“Ha ha. Very funny,” Elle replied as the rest of the women laughed.

“Seriously, though. Thanks for the interview stipend. We’re going to put it in Henry’s college fund,” Jane said.

Ginger clapped her hands together. “Ooo, I know. You could set up a photo booth with Kringle at the bazaar this weekend. I guarantee there will be tourists willing to pony up some cash to take a picture with him.”

“Dr. Lovell did mention Henry might need braces. It’s never too early to start saving for those,” Jane joked.

“Speaking of Dr. Lovell, has anyone seen Hayden around town?” Livi asked.

Elle kept her eyes on the bowl of cookie dough in front of her, hoping the question wasn’t directed at her. She focused on scooping out some of the peanut butter dough and rolling it up into a ball before putting it on the cookie sheet.

“He’s been working on a kitchen table for our new house,” Ginger chimed in. “My husband and Paige’s fiancé are designing a new golf community together. We are moving into one of the new homes Gavin is building this spring. I’m leaving all of Gavin’s bachelor furniture in the loft.”

“Probably a good idea,” Kate agreed. “Lord knows what stories that stuff would tell if it could talk.”

“Like bedtime stories?” Whitney asked.

Everyone except Ginger laughed.

“Something like that.” Kate’s words were met with more laughter. “Sorry, Ginger.”

Elle’s mother mimed putting her fingers in her ears. “I’d prefer not to know any of this.” She looked over at Livi. “The deputies are all taking turns filling in for Deputy Pettyjohn. He got bit by the flu bug, too. I believe tonight is Hayden’s turn to cover his shift.”

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