Page 125 of The Holiday Hate-Off
But I’m still worried she might be disappointed…or, worse, that she might shut me out entirely.
Eileen is behind the counter of the café, but there’s no sign of Lucy.
“Oh, do come in,” she says cheerfully, with a broad smile. “I’ll make you a Frenemy.”
There’s only one other customer—the old-timer who’s been here on every other occasion I’ve come in. I consider my options, then settle on staying and let the door shut behind me.
“Where’s Lucy?” I let myself ask.
“At home working,” Eileen says. “She has the next two days off to finish her online classes. But she sent me the recipe for your special drink, and I just had to put it on the menu today.” She considers me shrewdly before she starts making my drink, humming under her breath.
“It’s too sweet,” the old-timer mutters.
Eileen gives him the kind of cross look I didn’t think she had in her, then continues working with the machines. “I’ve heard all about your plans for cross-promotion, of course,” she tells me. “Lovely Audrey next door told me about the whoopie pie, and I’ve spoken with Portia about the candy. It’s aninspiredidea. I hope this means you’re considering staying in Hideaway Harbor, Enzo. It would mean so much to all of us.”
I scratch the back of my neck. “That depends…”
Her gaze lifts to mine, piercing. “On my young friend?”
“Yes,” I admit, figuring I might as well go for honesty. I love my family, but if I stay, it’ll be because of Lucy. “But she doesn’t seem inclined to take me seriously. I guess you can say I’ve gotten in my own way.”
She pauses, a smile spreading across her face. I feel a trap closing around me, but if she wants to set me up with Lucy, we have complementary goals.
“Oh, Enzo, I’m so pleased. I knew you were much too honorable to trifle with her heart.”
“I don’t know about that,” I say, rubbing my chest. Feeling like a bit of an asshole for the way I’ve pursued Lucy.
“I gave you an opening, you know,” she says with a grin. “Erica and I did. When she texted me about your auction, I asked her to bid on you for Lucy.”
“Lucy told me about that last night. She said Erica made a mistake,” I say, my pulse speeding up.
“Erica and I never make mistakes. Now, Iwilladmit we would have been equally happy had she fallen in love with Hudson, but that was never meant to be. There’s no fire there.”
“Maybe because his job is to put out fires,” I say, still feeling a little salty about Hudson. Ridiculous, obviously, but there it is. I’m annoyed at any man who’s ever held her hand.
“Oh, aren’t you funny,” she says, then finishes making the cappuccino. Two cappuccinos, I realize, when she pours them into two to-go cups. “Well, you’ll bring her this cappuccino, of course, and perhaps you’ll go next door to ask Audrey for one of the test whoopie pies she’s been working on. But you’ll need to do more than that to charm our girl. My dear Lucy will want to know you’re earnest about exploring Hideaway Harbor’s magic with her.”
“She told you about that, did she?” I ask, embarrassed.
“Of course, she tells me everything.”
Jesus, let’s hope not.
“This weekend, you have the perfect opportunity to show her you mean business. I’ll give her both days off, of course. There’s the Santa Fun Run, caroling in the town square, and I heard a certain famous actor will be roaming around town.”
“Amanda Willis.”
“No, Brody King,” she says, her eyes practically sparkling with expectation.
I’m guessing I don’t give her the reaction she’s looking for,but honestly, I have no idea who he is and care even less. Still, maybe Lucy would be into all the festivities, so I shrug. “Okay.”
“And on Sunday, I know Lucy signed up to read stories to the children at the library. You can read with her.”
The thought makes the back of my neck itch again. It reminds me a little too much of reading stories like that to my brothers and sister when I was younger. Trying to keep their excitement alive, though mine had died in the process.
“Maybe,” I hedge.
“Then there’s the woolen sock race that afternoon.”
