Page 109 of All I Want For Christmas

Rory threw a fried pickle at her, but she was laughing.

Rory was one of those people. She’d actually met Drew when he’d brought those real reindeer to town. She’d been dressed in a tiny elf dress, candy cane striped stockings, and her hair had been dyed green.

Savannah grinned and nodded. “I know, but there’s no snow here.”

“You need snow?” Becca asked. “Really?”

Maybe. She wasn’t sure what she needed. She just wanted to do something new this year.

“It’s important to the owners that we keep everything else going along with the B&B. So I have to check it out now during their busy season, because that’s the part I’ll really have to sell Steve on.”

“He won’t like that part?” Becca asked.

“Reindeer? And big gaudy light displays?” Savannah said with a laugh. “Not really Steve’s style.”

“But you have a plan to make the whole thing somehow next-level luxurious?” Trudy asked.

Savannah opened her mouth, then shut it and shook her head. “Not really, no.” That was a problem. She kind of liked what she’d heard about it as it was. “But I hope to once I see it.”

“You’ll come up with something,” Becca said, always the true, supportive best friend.

Savannah would have thought so too a couple of months ago. But her experience with the bayou cabins had shaken her confidence. Not her confidence in her ability to see a property and it’s surrounding location and understand what made itspecial and what would draw people to it, but her assurance that she could convince Steve her ideas were what he wanted and needed for his business. She picked up her Pimm’s cup and took a long drink.

"Well, at least he’s trusting me with another big project,” she said, trying to tell herself it was a good sign. “Though…”

“What?”

Savannah grimaced. “Mark is going to be there.”

Becca frowned. “Wait,what? His son? The one who hit on you a few months ago?”

Savannah nodded. “Steve didn’t want to come along because of the holidays, but he doesn’ttotallytrust me, I guess. And Mark offered.”

“Oh, I’m sure he did,” Becca said with an eye roll. “The two of you at a B&B in North Carolina…justthe two of you? At Christmas? And him with the upper hand because he knows how much you want his dad to approve this project?” She shook her head. “Gross. That all just feels super creepy.”

It really did.

“I can handle Mark.” Savannah had told Mark in no uncertain terms that if he ever touched her ass again, she would be skipping HR and his father, and going straight to the cops.

Steve might have raised a creepy, entitled prick, but she knew he wouldnotbe okay with Mark treating her the way he had when they’d gone to see a property together in May.

Becca nodded. "I know. But…"

Savannah studied her friend. "What are you thinking and not saying?"

"Just that…” Becca sighed. “I think you would have refused this trip if it was at any other time of year.”

Savannah frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you normally wouldn’t even pitch a property with reindeer and crazy light displays to Steve. And youdefinitelywouldn’t agree to a trip with Mark again. But it’s Christmas and this is a great excuse for why you can’t go to New York for Christmas. It’s also going to be pretty easy to extend the trip—something can come up with the deal, or you’re just having such a great time, or the weather is a problem—so you can’t make it back here either.”

Becca gave her a don’t-bother-lying-to-me look.

Trudy and Rory just lifted their drinks, not saying anything.

Savannah studied her best friend. Sometimes it was tough having someone who knew her so well. Those had been exactly some of her thoughts.

The big meeting with the family that owned the farm and B&B was supposed to take place on the twenty-third, but they insisted she stay over at least one night so she could see the entire light show, the crowds, and how that all worked.

---