Page 22 of Snowflakes and Sparks

Addy let out another giggle. “It was the first thing that came out of his mouth during our latest workout session.”

“It was?”

“Yeah. Are you two… a thing or something?”

I laughed nervously. “No, no, not at all. I admit he’s easy on the eyes, but I’m not interested in him that way.”

“That’s too bad. He deserves a sweet girl like you. Especially after his previous relationship,” Addy said, pulling a face.

I wanted to ask her what she meant, but didn’t know if I wanted to hear the answer, especially after discovering that jewelry box in Alex’s bathroom the other day.

Addy looked over to the reception desk where an older couple were waiting with three large suitcases. “I need to go and help those folks over there. It was nice chatting with you, Suzie. I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

“Me too. Thank you for the hot chocolate and the cookies,” I said with a smile and got up as well.

As I left the inn and drove back to Got It Covered, I wondered what was going on in L.A. right now. Dean and I had texted every day and he’d told me that things weren’t the same without me around. Even though I’d reorganized Claire’s living room and bedroom to make me feel more at home, it had only worked partially. I didn’t have any of the familiar routines I had on the West Coast.

Back home, I got my caramel latte from the same Starbucks every morning and it was always the ginger-haired Caroline who prepared my order, except on Thursdays when she had her day off. If I ordered pizza, it was always from the same pizza place. Me and the delivery guys weren’t exactly on a first-name basis with each other, but the uniforms and their standard jokes never changed, even though the faces did. They always wished me apizzaliciousday. That cheesy line brought me comfort and I hadn’t been able to find that kind of comfort here.

I wondered if that was the reason I loved Alex’s company so much. He wasn’t a stranger in the strict sense of the word. He’d seen me when I was seventeen, horrible hairdo and everything. Somehow, I felt as if he knew me, or at least the old me. There was a sense of comfort in that realization that didn’t compare to anything else.

As I parked the car in front of the bookstore, I spotted Alex sitting on my doorstep.

“Isn’t it a bit cold to be hanging out here like that?” I asked, closing the distance between us.

Alex sprang to his feet. “I’ve only been here for five minutes. Gave me ample time to spot that loose floorboard in your porch though. I’ll make sure to get it fixed as soon as possible.”

“You waited out here to tell me about a loose floorboard?” I eyed him suspiciously.

“No.” He reached into his coat pocket with a grin on his face and pulled out two tickets.

“What’s this?” I asked, grabbing the tickets from his hands.

Admit one, Old Pine Cove Ferris Wheelthey both read.

“You’re doing the calendar?” I asked.

Alex shrugged. “It’s for the kids, right? I figured it couldn’t hurt. I do have one condition, though.”

“Another one?” I laughed. “Should I think about hiring a lawyer?”

“Ha ha, aren’t you funny? Seriously though, I’ll do the calendar if you do it too. Having only a man would be a case of discrimination, don’t you think? We could pretend to be a couple and do the shoot together.”

“Gosh, I don’t know. Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest?”

“Everything in this town could be considered a conflict of interest,” Alex laughed. “If you say yes, we could go use those tickets right away. I’m free for the rest of the day and I know for a fact that the bookstore is closed today. Says so right here,” he said, pointing to the sign with the business hours that was attached to the front door.

The thought of spending the afternoon with Alex and going on the Ferris wheel with him made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Maybe this was exactly what I needed to get my mind off missing L.A. and the silly jokes of my pizza delivery guys.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it. But I’m not getting naked with you.”

Chapter Nine

The road to the ski resort was long and winding and I was happy it wasn’t me who had to navigate these slippery roads. Alex on the other hand was clearly a seasoned snow driver and had no problem whatsoever guiding us safely up the mountain.

“Have you been to Santa’s Village yet?” he asked.

“I haven’t. I’ve been way too busy running the store to go sightseeing,” I said, even though that was only partially true. The store closed at six, which gave me ample time to go out and explore the surroundings, but I spent most of my nights on the couch with a book and copious amounts of hot chocolate. I didn’t see the point of going out alone in the dark anyway. Books were a much safer option.

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