Page 40 of Flake It Til You Make It

“So, tell me who’s coming to this thing,” Rocco said, leaning against the counter, sipping his coffee.

“You know Mik, right?” Rocco nodded. “He hosts. And there’s a few other singles who like to stop by. Griff used to, but now that he has Logan, he might not. I invited Mason, from the foundation, ’cause I know he’s on his own. And Scott,who sells the baby blankets at the arts and crafts fair. Hank, I think his name is, told me he might stop by too.”

“Oh, cool. Sounds like it’s a good event.”

“I’ve been happy I started it a few years ago.”

“Wait,youdid?” Rocco looked surprised. “Why didn’t you tell me?” An alarm went off and he added, “I gotta check the lasagna, but seriously, you didn’t mentionyoustarted it.”

“I . . .” Taylor smiled. “I don’t know why I didn’t. Guess I’m used to being behind the scenes. It’s what I’m good at.”

“Trust me, you’re good at lots of things,” Rocco said.

“Now this is so much better than Rebecca’s mom’s dinner,” Rocco said, as he perched on one of the tall stools in Rudolph’s, a plate of turkey and stuffing and about a hundred amazing looking sides on the table in front of him.

“Yeah?” Taylor looked happy, too. He’d greeted half a dozen people, including Scott, who made the baby blankets he was selling at the arts and crafts fair, Mik, and now Mason, and so many of them had said, offhandedly or pointedly, how great this get-together was for them.

“Yeah. These people would be alone or shoved unceremoniously onto an invite list, if they weren’t here. That’s special, Taylor.”

Taylor was special, himself, and Rocco was just beginning to understand how much.

“Thanks,” Taylor said, ducking his head, in between bites of turkey and mashed potatoes. “Your lasagna is amazing, and it’s a big hit.”

The foil dish he’d made was already half gone.

He’d been worried because itwasn’ttraditional, but more than one person had come up to him and mentioned how much they’d enjoyed it. Maybe the town wasn’t willing to eat a turmeric and goat cheese scone, but if he wrapped up his different flavors in a more traditional wrapping . . .well, they might be willing to give it a chance.

Mason, who Taylor had said was new in town, too, and ran the Holiday Hope Foundation, stuck a fork into his mashed potatoes. “I’m so glad I came. Thanks again for inviting me. I felt . . .well, it’s weird to spend the holiday away from my family, it turns out. Even when they make me a little crazy.”

Rocco nodded. “Trust me, I know all about that. Mine is nuts, the quintessential Italian family that’s too big, too nosy, too involved, but when they’re not around . . .sometimes it’s too quiet.”

“Yep. Mine’s not big, but it’s still been weird to be away from them,” Mason said. He turned to Taylor. “What about you? What bringsyouto the single mingle?”

“Uh . . .well . . .my dad’s in Chicago. Doesn’t get out here much. So it just made sense,”Taylor said.

Mason nodded and they all fell to eating in earnest.

Rocco had noticed that twice now when family had come up, Taylor had been vague and/or changed the subject. There was a story there, and even if Taylor wasn’t required to tell him, he still wanted to hear it.

Maybe in the next few weeks, he could convince Taylor to share more of his own history. After all, he’d gotten him to drink an entire marzipan latte, andthatcertainly hadn’t been easy. But he’d been right; it was exactly what Taylor had needed to try coffee and even more,enjoycoffee.

It would be so easy to convince him to enjoyyou, that uncooperative voice in the back of his head insisted.You could do it. He’d like it. You’d like it.

But now it wouldn’t be uncomplicated pleasure. It would be more than that. Even when both of them had said they didn’t want to date anyone. Rocco still believed that was true on his end. His platewasfull, but would he have shifted some things around to make the time? Time forrealdates? Sure, he might’ve, if the guy he’d be dating was Taylor.

But Taylor seemed more sure of not wanting it, even as he seemed undeniably interested. Maybe the reason for that was more of that history he didn’t want to talk about.

“Mona approached me about writing a statement for your job application,” Mason told Taylor when they’d finished cleaning their plates. “When she told me why you’d need it, Isaid, of course, no question about it.” He paused. “But I did wonder why you didn’t ask me yourself.”

Taylor flushed. Rocco watched as the redness climbed up his neck and onto his cheeks. “Uh . . .’cause I’m really bad at asking for stuff like that?”

He was, Rocco was beginning to see that. Taylor was always working behind the scenes, making everyone’s life in Christmas Falls better, but he never wanted to take public credit for it.

But heshould. Everyone should know how hard Taylor worked.

“Well, I’m happy to do it,” Mason said earnestly. “I’m glad she asked me.”

“I didn’t even know she had, but it makes sense,” Taylor admitted.

---