Page 71 of The Love Ambush
I must look pretty freaked out, because the guy holds up his hands and laughs. “Shit. I’m not a stalker, man, I swear. My wife works with Josephine at the reindeer farm. You and your kids and girlfriend are the first guests Jo’s had since she decided to make the farmhouse into a bed-and-breakfast.”
The guy seems nice enough, but this is too much. “Thanks for the candy, but—”
“Shit. Jo’s going to kill me if you leave a bad review because of me.” He holds out his hand. “I’m Xavier Shaw, and I own this candy store. I also make most of the candy I sell here. I wouldn’t have time to get up to anything nefarious even if I wanted to.”
I shake his hand. “I thoughtIlived in a small town.”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Yeah. It can be a little much sometimes. But seriously, man, don’t hold it against Jo. She’s really banking on this bed-and-breakfast being a hit with the tourists.”
“I won’t leave a bad review.” I hadn’t considered leaving a review at all. “Of the bed-and-breakfast or your candy.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Sorry again about freaking you out.”
The guy seems genuinely distressed. “It’s possible I’ve been watching too many spooky thrillers lately and overreacted.” I’m not about to tell him the real reason for my paranoia. Helping Annabelle, I’ve seen some things. “Thanks for the candy.”
I start for the door, but stop as I realize I have no idea where I’m going. I turn back to the guy. “Got any ideas how I can spend the afternoon? I’ve got two teenagers to entertain for a few hours.”
He grins. “I have a few.”
***
“Thanks again for getting us on the tour at the last minute,” I say to our hiking guide, Garrick Evergreen, as we step back into the parking lot outside the headquarters of his outdoor adventure business. “I’m sorry about all the complaining.”
Garrick grins over at the four teenagers I dragged out on what I thought would be a fun two-mile hike through some of the prettiest scenery I’ve ever seen. Sophie and Eden are totally into it, but Emily and Ivy are not happy.
Emily hates the great outdoors because of bugs, and Ivy is dehydrated from the movie theater popcorn and wishes she’d gone home with her mother for a nap. The two of them took turns complaining for the last mile and a half of the hike. Though when they weren’t complaining, one or the other of them was exclaiming over the views.
“It’s not a problem,” Garrick says. “I’ve had far louder complainers on my hikes. Once, a ten-year-old boy sat in the middle of the trail and refused to keep going. I had to get one of my staff to meet us at the nearest access road on a four-wheeler to bring him and his family back here.”
“Who knew kids could be so…” I don’t know how to finish that sentence. It’s just that when I scheduled this hike, I’d pictured us all smiling and skipping along, having a great time. Aren’t kids supposed to be full of energy?
“Unpredictable?” Garrick offers. “Head-strong? Human?”
I laugh. “I guess I haven’t spent much time around teenagers.”
“They seem like good kids,” Garrick says. “And you all did really well considering you’ve only been at this altitude for two days.”
“I’m starving,” Eden yells.
I give Garrick a tip and head over to the kids. “Dinner it is. Liza said there’s nothing planned for tonight, so why don’t weget something out? What are you in the mood for?” I already got a list of great restaurants from Xavier, and I’m ready for whatever they throw at me.
“I just want to go to bed,” Ivy says, yawning.
“No problem. I can take you back to the resort before we head to dinner. What about the rest of you? What are you in the mood for?”
“I only like cheese pizza,” Eden says. “And macaroni and cheese, but only the way my granny makes it.”
“Okay. Cheese pizza’s easy enough.” Not what I was hoping for , but I like pizza. “Sound good to you two?” I ask Sophie and Emily.
“I hate pizza,” Emily says. “Can we get Thai?”
“Ugh, that’s all you ever want to eat,” Sophie says. “I’m fine with a pizza place, but I’ll probably just get a salad and garlic knots.”
Emily glares at her sister. “Of course you will. You know there’s nothing at a pizza place I can eat.”
“How about we go back to the farmhouse and order pizza and Thai food?”
“Aunt Daphne said restaurants don’t deliver out here,” Eden says. “We have to go pick it all up, and that’ll take all night.”
