Page 13 of A Pen Pal for Christmas

“Definitely. But, not tonight. I’m beat after those first two shifts at The Hearthstone, and whatever I said if I wrote back tonight would probably be even weirder than what I said in my first letter.”

“Are you one of those people who gets silly when they’re sleep-deprived?”

“Maybe.”

I chuckled. “I have a few friends like that. We were sleep-deprived a lot, so at least they kept it entertaining.”

“What are you like when you’re sleep-deprived?”

“Cranky, mostly.”

At this, Sofia let her head fall back with a laugh, and I silently awarded myself points for causing it to happen again.

“Well, if we’re ever sleep-deprived together, I’ll be sure to be silly enough that you couldn’t be cranky if you tried,” she said, and then her eyes widened. She must have rethought the suggestion of us being sleep-deprived together because a blush bloomed over her cheeks as she quickly rose from her chair. “Anyway, see? I’m already saying weird things. I’m gonna go.”

I fought a grin as I watched her head for the stairs like she couldn’t get away fast enough.

Double points.

She turned when she reached the bottom step. “Thanks for chatting with me. This was nice.”

I opened his mouth to reply, but she wasn’t waiting. Instead, she turned and bolted up the stairs.

“Goodnight, Sofia,” I said to the empty room.

CHAPTER 5

Sofia

I steppedinto the cozy warmth of the local coffee shop, and the rich scent of roasted beans and chocolate was almost as welcoming as the bells that jingled above the door. How was it possible that every business in this town felt like a warm hug the second you stepped inside? No wonder Tommy had made his home here. No wonder I’d followed him.

Grace slipped inside behind me, unwinding her scarf with an exaggerated shiver. “I’m never going to get used to these winters.”

I took off my own scarf with a grin. “You will. Right now, you’re just fighting the urge to fly South for the winter.”

“What I wouldn’t give for a Mai Tai on the beach right about now,” Grace said with a wistful smile. “That’s the one thing I miss about travel blogging. Cold? Go somewhere warm. In the mood for hot chocolate? Pop into a snowy town just long enough to get the warm and fuzzies, but leave before you freeze to death.”

“Sounds nice, but I think the pros of leaving that gig outweigh the cons, right?”

“Your brother is quite a pro.”

I made a face as I tried to hold in my laugh. “I’ll take your word for it.”

We turned toward the counter as the cafe buzzed with quiet chatter. Holiday music played softly overhead, and I almost had the urge to hum along. Not enough to actually do it, but it was close. Snow Hill was getting its festive hooks in. I’d been here for a week now, and already I hated the ticking clock on my trip here.

Then again, what did I have to go back to?

"Sofia, Grace! Over here!" Ida’s cheerful voice called out from a table in the corner.

My lips curved into a smile as I spotted Ida and Joan. The women enjoyed their coffee at a table decorated with a poinsettia centerpiece, and it was nice to see Joan socializing anywhere other than the Inn. I had no idea what level of bribery it had taken for Ida to get her long-time friend to venture out, but I was glad for it. Joan Patterson took the concept of a workaholic to a whole new level despite how much of the family business was handled by her beloved son. But there were worse things than loving your job enough to make it your whole life. I could’ve been the same way with The Franklin if it weren’t for Dane ruining it for me.

“Morning, ladies," I said, giving them a little wave as Grace and I made our way over.

"Out for a girls’ morning, I see," Joan said, her eyes twinkling.

“Had to get our caffeine fix,” Grace replied, her tone playful. "How are you both?"

"Oh, wonderful," Ida said, wrapping her hands around her steaming mug. The foam of her coffee had a sprig of holly drawn into it, and that bit of artistry was just another reason I loved this place. "Joan and I were just discussing the pen pal exchange. We can’t believe how many people are participating!”

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