Page 39 of Lighting Up Christmas

“Of course you do. You have a lovely, athletic figure. Total hard body and tall and strong. There are a lot of men who salivate over you, but you don’t give them the vibe that they have a chance. You can be intimidating. Maybe try a different, more form-fitting feminine blouse or…”

“He saw me in that blue dress you forced me to wear to your party and nothing happened.”

“Is that when you were wearing your work boots, hard hat, and tool belt, and he was in the dark?”

Riley laughed and Sophia joined in. Then she hugged Riley again. “Okay, I’ll let it go—this time.” Sophia unlocked her Jeep and climbed in. “But I still think if he dazzles you, you should go for it. What do you have to lose?”

Chapter Eight

What did shehave to lose?

Riley remembered Sophia’s teasing words last night as she drove out to Zhang’s winery Saturday afternoon. She didn’t, for once, turn on the radio. Instead, she breathed deeply as exhaustion and hunger pulled at her. She’d been up late researching local winery websites, which had been more of a rabbit hole than she’d anticipated. Because she wasn’t sure what tone Zhang was going for, she’d started getting anxious that she might screw up his brand by assuming something.

Unable to sleep, she’d started tinkering in the garage, working on another light to sell at the Christmas market next weekend. Even though Sophia kept encouraging her to have her own booth and rent the tiny shop next to hers, Riley wasn’t ready for that commitment. She felt torn between the job she loved and the hobby that thrilled and challenged her. Being an electrician was in her blood, but Riley was starting to feel like maybe she could be so much more. Would selling only an occasional light at Sophia’s make her feel like she was stalling out?

Should she seriously think about the small storefront next to Sophia?

What if nothing sells?

She shoved down the doubt, but doubt didn’t want to shut up. What did she have to offer Zhang that he couldn’t get from another electrician, especially one who dabbled in light and web design?

No. She needed to rock her confidence like Sophia said. She was more than her job.

She’d made Zhang laugh. Once. Almost.

“It’s a start,” she said, flying down the back roads, her heart already soaring. Even though it was cold and the sky was pregnant with snow, she rolled down the window and stuck one arm out, fingers wide, wanting to embrace the freedom she always felt in the rolling, heavily treed landscape. Anticipation fired her nerves as she turned onto the gravel road to Zhang’s.

“What do I have to lose?” Riley shouted, hair flying as she turned onto Zhang’s now familiar unmarked road and downshifted and headed up the first hill toward Fire Ridge.

A layer of confidence. A piece of pride. Her heart.

Always a warning voice—she wasn’t a brazen, twenty-something woman anymore shoving her shoulders up against the world to make space for herself. She had bruises, a bit of caution. But wasn’t that what Sophia had been trying to tell her? If she stopped trying, then what? She’d have nothing. And nothing was cold and lonely. Sophia felt that with Enrique’s death, she’d lost the love of her life, but she’d still opened her store as planned. She was still deep in her grieving, but she was living—celebrating her birthday, making plans with friends, organizing her traditional pre-Christmas tamale making party. And one day, she’d be ready to date again, to search for love.

Riley needed to stop hiding in her work. Put herself out there. She didn’t even have a loss as an excuse, just a long line of men who’d friend zoned her before she’d realized that maybe she wanted more.

She pulled up to the winery and turned off her truck.

What do I have to lose?

Nothing. Zhang was a client. He could stay in the client zone. Or she could put her heart on the line and maybe gain his friendship. Or more.

A ghost of a smile touched her lips.

Riley pocketed the keys and twisted the door handle and screamed.

Zhang stood right by the door, hunched a little, peering in. Snow swirled around him.

Heat flushed through her. No duh! Anyone who lived on gravel roads could hear a car or truck coming long before it arrived.

“Hi.” She slid out of her truck, dredging up a smile even though she could feel her face flame. “Just taking a moment to get in the right headspace.”

She laughed. It sounded reasonable, and it was totally true, although now that she was here, getting in the right headspace was going to prove next to impossible if she didn’t figure out quickly what space that was.

Zhang looked amazing in a chocolate-brown cashmere sweater and tan Carhartts. He wore a thick, plaid flannel shirt open, sleeves rolled up.

What is your deal, Flanagan, auditioning for the Education Foundation’s annual fashion show announcer?

Get it together.

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