Page 22 of Promise Yule Be Mine
NOVA
Ineeded to stop doing this. To stop forgetting myself around him. I didn't know why it kept happening. Why the world seemed to melt away and all I could see was him, even in Nikita’s presence, who was obviously enamored with me.
I should have liked the young man. I mean, I did. He was cute. And available, and yet I couldn't look away from his older brother. His engaged brother. The guy engaged to my best friend.
I was such a creep and I didn't want to be.
What was so damn special about Kody Campbell?
By the time I woke up the next morning, after an evening that had been all sorts of magical, some of them for the wrong reasons, Jenna was already gone. It put a pickle in our plans for the next few days but it wasn't a complete disaster. I was a pro, after all. I didn't need help to do my job, except it left me with Kody. And that was the last thing I needed. Any alone time with him.
Which was exactly the reason why I had to be ruthless, to plan my days here down to the T, to make sure I only spoke to him when necessary and preferably over the phone.
Not because I was afraid of jumping the guy like a creep. If anything, that was the last thing he needed to worry about from me. But sex wasn't the thing on my mind when I was with him. Cuddles by the fireplace, kisses in the snow, and movie nights over popcorn were. But none of those were innocent or friendly. Not even movie nights over popcorn.
Breakfast at the Cottage was a little busier than I would have liked, so I decided to give Arlo, the owner, some relief and ventured into the world of Christmas Falls instead in pursuit of the most important meal of the day. Coffee.
I walked around the block, where I found a book store, Season's Readings. The outside was dressed in garlands, the windows tinted with spray-on snow but still giving me a peek inside and all the people engaged in slow dances in front of book shelves, trying to find their next read.
As I passed the front door I spotted a poster on the wall.
E.S. Maxwell Signing: Join us next week to get your signed copies by our local cozy mystery author and get a live reading of his new book.
E.S. Maxwell lived here? In Christmas Falls? What the hell? How did I not know that? And he was giving everyone a preview of his next book?
Damn it. Now I wished I was staying longer so I could attend. Maybe after coffee I could stop by to ask if he was around. Surely an author in a small town would stop by their local book store often, right?
I was about to continue my walk up the street when I spotted a sign that promised me gold. Jolly Java. It was right next to Season's Readings and the aroma of fresh ground coffee hit me before I even reached the place.
I took a deep breath, opened the door and let the warm embrace of the café lure me in.
"Hello there, welcome to Jolly Java. What's your poison?" asked a tan white man with dark hair and an infectious smile.
What the hell? Were cute, infectious smiles the town's signature?
"Do you have any holiday specials?" I asked because when in Rome…
"Sure do," he answered and listed all the specials until I got the one I craved the most—a gingerbread latte with extra caramel and cream.
Despite how busy the place was, there were a lot of empty tables, which suited me just fine as I took a seat and turned on my laptop so I could get to work.
"Can I get you anything to eat?" The same man stopped by my table as he collected empties.
"Oh, I'm okay. That's more than enough for me in the morning." I lifted my cup and smiled. "But I might get something later. Everything smells great."
"Aw thanks, man. That's so nice to hear considering…"
I grimaced. "‘Considering’?"
He shrugged. "It's nothing. I just bought the place and the locals aren't too happy with my changes but it's good to know I've not gone completely off the rails."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you manage to win them over. I'm sure they'll come around. I mean, who can hate this coffee?"
"Thanks, man. That means a lot." He flashed me his pearly whites again and left me to my own devices.
The rest of the day went swimmingly. I managed to catch up on all my emails and with everything on my to-do list for Jenna and Kody without getting distracted by floating mustaches or light parades or fantasies of kissing under the mistletoe.
It was as if I were back in New York and my fever dreams were just that. Fever dreams that needn't be entertained.
