Page 25 of Matchmaking Under the Mistletoe

“Oh, and Millie, you owe me a sleigh ride. Come find me when it’s time to head over to the tree farm,” he says.

“Yes, sir,” I reply on instinct, and I don’t miss the way his eyes flash at my statement as I rush outside. God, what the hell is wrong with me, and why can’t I stop picturing using that phrase in a situation that’s definitely not appropriate for work.

It takeswhat feels like forever to get everyone outside to light the tree. Eventually, Brian welcomes them and gives the countdown to light the community Christmas tree. The town cheers as the dark night fills with the glow of the multi-colored lights on the thirty-foot tree we brought in and settled into the ground this morning. I have to admit, the sight is beautiful, and while I’ve only been in Springside a few weeks, I can’t help but feel like I’m home.

After a few minutes, the crowd starts to disperse. Some head inside for their dinner reservations, and others grab for the wine and cookies we’re serving from a repurposed lemonade booth I found in the storage closet. The sleighs and trolleys pull up to take the first group of guests over to the maze, and I take a moment to appreciate how well everything seems to be going.

“There she is.” I hear from behind me and turn to see Huey making his way over to where I’m standing with Brian at his side. “Millie, this is incredible. I felt like this job would be a good fit for ya, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” he says before pulling me in for a hug.

“Oh, thank you, Huey, but I couldn’t have done it without Brian’s help,” I say, gesturing to my boss.

“Yeah, yeah, well, listen, I’ve been slammed thanks to some trees that fell on my fence, but the two of you need to come over for supper next week,” he insists.

“That sounds great. I need to see those cows again too,” I say, and Huey laughs.

“I’m sure those heifers would love to see you again too. Just text me what night works best, okay? Anyway, there's some hot chocolate that’s calling my name. I’ll see y’all later,” he calls out before disappearing into the slew of people in front of us.

Both of us shake our heads before Brian says, “You ready to go? Bridget is staying back to make sure everything runs smoothly here, but I figured you’d want to be there when the first group arrives.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” I reply, letting him lead me to one of the smallest horse-drawn sleighs that's parked off to the side. There are two seats left, so we settle in and make small talk with the people beside us until one of the volunteers’ waves from the driver's seat, signaling that we are about to start moving.

“Ugh, I’m seriously gonna need to upgrade my wardrobe,” I joke as I shiver in the cold night air. “Alabama really should not be allowed to be this cold.”

Brian laughs before reaching around and shrugging off his thick Carhartt jacket. “Here, my jacket’s warmer. Why don’t you throw it on?”

“But then you’ll be the one shivering,” I say hesitantly, even though I’m already reaching for the thick garment.

“Nah, I’m good,” he states, holding it open for me to put my arms in. I pull it on and try not to react to being surrounded by his masculine scent. He always smells like cedar, and I fight the urge to bury my nose into the fabric.

We ride for a moment before I catch a glimpse at the lights ahead. Apparently, it’s a Springside tradition for everyone to wait to show off their Christmas decor until the night of theMistletoe Maze, so I’m completely taken aback when I see what seems to be an endless sea of lights. It’s about two miles between the inn and the tree farm, and it looks like every inch of the route is covered with different colors and shapes of lights.

“God, it’s beautiful,” I breathe out, leaning against Brian to see around him.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty special sight,” he responds while I stare in awe at the shimmering display of colors.

“So, Millie, you’ve been in Springside for a few weeks now. What do you think about our little town?” he asks.

“I have to admit, it’s really growing on me. Everyone, except maybe Miss Sally, has been really nice and I love planning these events. I know it sounds kind of cliché, but I really feel like I’m learning a lot about myself. I’ve been so scared for years to do anything just for me, but I’m seeing that I can support myself and go after the things I want. Basically, it’s just what I didn’t know I needed. I can’t thank you enough for being so supportive and giving me a chance.”

“Millie, you and I both know you’re so overqualified for this job. You’ve been incredible,” he says, and I don’t miss the way my stomach flips at his words.

“Well…thanks,” I say, feeling my cheeks redden with both the cold and the compliment. “Anyway, enough about me… Okay I’ve gotta know. You’re a former football star, inn owner, and small-town mayor, right? Am I missing anything?” I tease.

“Nope, I think that about covers it,” he responds, laughing at my outburst.

“Okay, I’ve just gotta ask, with all of that, how in the world are you still single?” I ask, only half joking.

He chuckles and I’m sure it’s a question he gets often. He looks around to make sure the other locals aren’t paying us any attention before explaining. “Well, to be really honest, my dad got sick right when I graduated from college, so I moved backhome to help my mom take care of the inn. He spent three years going through treatments, and I can’t say that dating was super high on my to-do list. Then a few years later, she got diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. It’s weird how fast my priorities changed after that. Add in the responsibilities that come with running this town and trying to keep everything going, and I guess I just forgot to do something for myself.”

God, do I understand that,I think, feeling a pang in my chest and immediately flashing back to how I felt losing my mom. She was the only family Lizzie and I had, and after we lost her, it seemed like everything that had been such major parts of our lives were insignificant. Decorating our tiny apartment for Christmas was always her favorite time of year, and I imagine for a moment about how much she would love this town.It’s been over ten years, but it never gets easier,I think feeling a pang of sadness that she’s not here to see it.

“Plus, in a town this small, options can be pretty limited. Everyone here’s great, but there definitely haven’t been any sparks with anyone here. At least, not until…” he starts, interrupting my pity party, just as we come to a stop at the tree farm.

But he doesn’t finish because the driver of the sleigh turns to us with a big smile and says, “All right, everyone, enjoy the Midnight Mistletoe Maze.”

Brian stands and helps me off the trolley. Immediately, we’re back to work, running back and forth and chatting with the guests. But between snapping some pictures for the Instagram page I’m planning to ask to start for the inn and counting the profits from the mistletoe ornaments, I can’t help but wonder how exactly he planned to finish that previous sentence.

CHAPTER 13

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