Page 3 of Booked for the Holidays
“Oh, well, we’re very excited to have you.” Mom hugs Liam. “We’ll put you in the basement guest room.”
“I booked a room at the Snowshoe Inn. I didn’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense.” Mom waves him off. “You’ll stay with us.”
The doorbell rings.
“Oh, that must be Stella,” Mom says, heading for the door with Jasper hot on her heels. His mega-watt smile somehow increases ten-fold at the mention of his girlfriend. Well, fake girlfriend, I think. He didn’t confirm, but there’s something suspicious about suddenly dating your childhood rival when you’ve been at each other’s throats for nearly twenty years.
Jasper greets Stella, then we all get a turn while he looks on adoringly at her.
I wonder if that’s what I look like when I smile at Liam. I wonder if my little crush is obvious to everyone else. And most of all I wonder if I’ll ever experience the kind of all-consuming love that I read about in romance books.
Liam and Stella are introduced, and I feel a familiar ache—notjealousy, exactly, but a wishful kind of yearning. The way he teases her so easily, how she rolls her eyes like they’ve done this a hundred times before. I watch them, and all I can think is how I’ve never known how to be that effortless around him. With him, I’ve only ever felt like the girl with the crush, trying too hard not to show it.
While the rest of the group starts to discuss Christmas Eve party planning around me, my thoughts drift to the lease I signed this week. A perfect storefront location on Founders Street in downtown Cedar Hollow. Sandwiched between Sugar Pine Bakery and Wild Fern plant shop, it’s the ideal location for my bookstore. And the space has a two-bedroom loft apartment on the upper floor for me to live in. It feels like my life is falling into place.
Now, if only I could make Liam Hargrove fall in love with me, everything would be perfect.
“Liam, do you mind going with Juniper to pick up the wine?” Mom says.
At the sound of my name, I finally tune back into the conversation around me.
“Anything to help,” Liam says.
“Great!” My mom beams. “Why don’t you two do that while Stella and I wrap presents and Jasper helps your dad with the decorations.”
While my mom rushes off to grab the list of items for the liquor store, Liam turns to me.
“You ready to go?” For the first time ever, Liam’s eyes scan the length of me.
Whether he’s checking me out or simply seeing if I’m appropriately dressed so I won’t embarrass him in public, I don’t care. It’s a milestone moment.
“Um,” I glance down at my outfit. Not loving the vibe, I hold up a finger as I back toward the stairs. “I’ll be ready in just a minute.”
With Liam’s nod, I rush up the stairs and into my room.
There, I stare into my closet in search of the perfect outfit that is put together without trying too hard. Something that matches Liam’s style.
Embroidered flower cardigan?
Floral print overalls?
Vintage inspired fit and flare dress with bows on it?
Something from my collection of Peter Pan-collar blouses?
Normally my wardrobe makes me feel pretty and cozy, but nothing in this closet is going to impress Liam.
And now I’m having an anxious moment that if I change my clothes, it won’t be an improvement andthatwill be more noticeable. Or worse, he won’t notice at all, and I’ll feel silly for changing in the first place.
I close my closet door and head to my bathroom to freshen up.
While I’m pulling out my deodorant, I grab my phone and call Cassie, putting it on speakerphone so I can use my hands.
“Change of plans. I can’t hang out right now.”
“What do you mean?” she shrieks. “I’m almost to your house.”
