Page 38 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

“Such as?”

“I mentioned I run a business in Billings.”

She bit back a grin. “Hm, yeah. You did mention that.”

“And I’ve got the chateau.”

She waited. “Go on.”

His brow furrowed. “Well, that’s a lot.”

“What about friends, family?”Dare I say it?“Committed relationship?”

He averted his eyes, rubbing his jaw before looking at her again. “I’m afraid my lifestyle doesn’t leave much time for those benefits. To tell you the truth, splitting my time between here and Billings is literally me burning a candle at both ends.”

“Well, maybe you should think about changing that.” Viola couldn’t believe she was being so bold.

“Now that you mention it, I’m considering giving up one of my endeavors. Selling one business so I can concentrate on the other.”

“Okay, well, that makes sense. But you should also try to incorporate a little fun into your schedule. For instance, what are you doing this Christmas?”

“Working.”

“What a surprise.” Viola let out a huff of a laugh. “Do you even have a Christmas tree up in your house?”

He scoffed. “Do Ilooklike I have the time to set up a tree?”

“You have time to do this.” She gestured at the dining hall.

“This is a service. What will a tree do?”

“Lift your spirits?”

He raised a brow. “Highly unlikely.”

She sighed and went back to her task. The conversation was going nowhere.He’s one of those guys who will never change. She studied him again. He smiled at another patron, asking how their dog was.Weird, though. He seems to be kind. There must be more there than what I’m seeing.

At seven-thirty, Viola’s legs were suffering the weight of her work. Someone came from the back and tagged her out. As she moved toward the kitchen, removing her apron, she was surprised to see Jonas following her.

“You’re off, too?” she asked.

“I think four hours is sufficient. And they’re shutting down in half an hour anyway.” He held the kitchen door open for her.

“Thanks.”

They went to the lockers, and Viola was tempted to get to know him better. It was like a puzzle she needed to unscramble. A code she had to crack.

“Hey, listen,” she said to him as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. “I still feel bad about ruining your coat. The least I could do is offer you a coffee, on me. What do you say?”

He seemed to study her face, but she couldn’t read him.

“That’s considerate of you.” He fastened his buttons. “But my coat’s not ruined. See?” He ran his hand down the front of it. “All better.”

“Still, I mean … I know a coffee doesn’t exactly amount to you having to get it drycleaned, but it’s, you know, a gesture?” She wrung her gloves in her hands, and her toes curled up in her boots.

“It is a gesture. A nice one. As it happens, I’ve got plans.” One corner of his mouth inched upward. “Raincheck?”

“Yeah. Yeah, sure.” Her stomach twisted in a knot, and her cheeks were on fire. “Raincheck. Goodnight.”

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