Page 6 of Take Me Home for Christmas

Yes, girl. He was my best friend for twenty-three years. Until I screwed it up.

For his part, Hayden’s expression was inscrutable. “Hey, Elle,” he said. “Good to see you.” The fact that his words lacked any real enthusiasm stung.

“What have you got there?” Lamar gestured to a piece of paper Hayden held.

“Oh.” He handed it over to Livi. “They were handing these out in town. It’s a schedule of all the events Chances Inlet has planned for the next few weeks. I thought Livi might be interested.”

“Ooo!” Livi exclaimed. “A gingerbread house-making contest. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Elle’s stomach dropped to the floor.

“You don’t say?” Mr. West practically growled beside her.

“Hayden and Elle won that competition a few times, if I’m not mistaken,” Lamar said.

Elle shot the troublemaker a pleading look, but he was already tucking into his piece of cake.

“Is that so?” Livi asked. She turned and aimed a dazzling smile up at Hayden. “You are very talented at building things. I’m not surprised.”

Hey! Two people were creating those gingerbread houses! I contributed!

Mr. West reached for the sheet of paper. “May I?”

It was all Elle could do to keep from grabbing and ripping it up.

Of course he took his time perusing the damn thing. “A Turkey Trot 5k on Thanksgiving. Children’s holiday readings at the bookstore on Friday. An ugly sweater party and holiday cocktail-making contest at Pier Pressure,” he read out loud. “The annual tree lighting. A holiday flotilla and concert.” He nodded at Livi. “A gingerbread house-making contest. A magnolia wreath demonstration and exhibition. A craft bazaar. A snowman-in-the-sand contest?—”

“We don’t have one of those!” Elle snatched the paper from Mr. West.

“Actually, we do. It’s new this year,” Lamar said.

To her humiliation, there it was in black and white.

“Oh, wow. I’ll bet you’d be skilled at that, too, Hayden,” Livi cooed. “I can offer some great advice for the aesthetics. We should enter together.”

Why the heck was Elle’s chest suddenly tight?

Hayden cleared his throat softly. “If I can fit it into my work schedule, then sure. That would be fun.”

Livi beamed as if he’d just told her chocolate cake had no calories.

“My editor has given me an all-expenses-paid trip to a picturesque small town for the holidays. I plan on participating in all these events while I’m here,” Mr. West announced.

“Your editor paid for you to get out of New York City so you can get some work done,” Elle snapped as she tossed the paper onto the table. “You won’t have time for any of this.”

She didn’t need the shocked silence in the room to tell her she’d gone too far.Way too far.Since when had she become so bitchy?

“Elinor,” her mother chastised her, deservedly so.

Mr. West held up his hand. “My jailer has spoken. I’d better get my tail back in the chair.” He inclined his head toward Livi. “Ms. Turner, it was a pleasure meeting you. You as well, Deputy. Patricia, thank you again for a delicious meal. However, it seems I didn’t work hard enough to deserve my dessert this evening.”

Elle sighed as she fought to keep her eyes from rolling.

“If you could point me in the direction of the study you offered that I may use?” he added.

“I’ll show you,” Elle said. She had no desire to face her mother right now. Or to watch Livi Turner fawn all over Hayden.

“I’ll wrap up the cake and leave it in the kitchen for you in case you want it later,” her mother called as Elle led him down the hall to the small study at the other side of the inn.

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