Page 29 of Christmas Wishes

My mouth formed an O. “That’s Nicolas’s house?”

“You didn’t know? I figured he would’ve told you.”

“Because Riggs is such a chatterbox?”

Evie busted up laughing. “Fair point.”

That explained why the look and the feel of the place were off. It wasn’t Riggs’s. He’d seemed like a guest in his own home. That also made the fact that he’d moved a table into the house to make me a beauty station even more thoughtful.

I leaned in and lowered my voice. “Can I ask you something ridiculously nosy?”

She leaned in and smiled conspiratorially. “He’s single.”

“Not what I was going to ask, but good to know.”

Evie gave me a knowing grin.

“I was going to ask about his ex.”

Her smile morphed into a scowl. “That guy was such a dickhead. Thought he was better than everyone.”

“If he was such a dickhead, what did Riggs see in him?”

“He was hot?” She shrugged. “Okay, fine, he wasn’t atotalasshole, but all of his credits were erased when he dumped Riggs.”

Ouch. He’d been dumped?

“Good riddance. Riggs is the most eligible gay bachelor in town. Men would line up for a chance at him. My brother had a crush on him foryears. If he had an interest in anyone, I’m positive they’d throw themselves at his feet. I guess no one in the area has caught his eye.”

What kind of guy would catch his eye? I idly wondered about pressing Evie for more information about her brother, but Riggs if Riggs was interested in him, surely something would’ve happened there.

“Though we’re not exactly a thriving queer metropolis, queer people do move here with their partners and families. I’m pan, and most of the single queer folks I know around here grew up here and never moved away.”

“I’m sure that’s got to be an issue for most small towns.” That was an issue I hadn’t had to deal with in Minneapolis.

She nodded.

“If you were to set Riggs up with someone based on what you know, what would you look for in that person?”

Evie narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing.”

“He needs someone who likes it here. Juniper Ridge is in Riggs’s blood. Also, someone who can cook. The number of frozen dinner containers in his trash is pitiful.”

I ignored the weird twang the Juniper Ridge comment gave me and instead soaked up each bit of information she shared. If I had any hope of finding someone to catch Riggs’s attention, I needed intel.

When someone approached and began browsing Evie’s products, I made my excuses to continue my shopping and promised to check in later.

I should open the usual suspects of dating apps and get a sense of the options in town. As soon as I pulled my phone from my pocket, the overhead lights began flickering.

Chapter16

Riggs

Snowflakes fellaround me as I stomped toward the community center entrance. I’d hoped to get off work at a decent hour tonight since two of my appointments had been rescheduled, but not now. I didn’t have time for this, but I couldn’t leave them hanging. If I didn’t make sure there were no serious issues going on with the flickering lights, there was a risk that the power might go out and all those vendors could lose critical sales at the holidays.

The possibility of missing sitting with Keaton while I ate his food and him making me pay for it with conversation tanked my mood further. And the fact that bummed me out pissed me off. It shouldn’t.He’s here for four more days. Get over it.

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