Page 65 of Maybe This Christmas
He shrugged.“Mom may have forgotten to give it back to Mayor Ford the other day.I figured I’d hang onto it in case I saw him or you.Here.Take it.You should let Caleb see it.”
Caleb reached for her coat on one of the hooks hanging by the front door.He inhaled that wonderful scent of her again as she pulled it on.
He kept his hands on her shoulders as she buttoned up her coat.Gretchen appeared from the kitchen and snuck a kiss from Sebastian.
“It looks like there’s a wicked storm coming in,” she said.“It should clear by morning.You two should stay in town tonight.I’ll send you home with some food.”
Caleb started to argue.In the afternoon, he had to help with the last-minute letters-to-Santa program for the kids.
“It’ll be clear by the morning.Sabrina and Brandon are up on the mountain.I already spoke to them.”
Gretchen was the quiet sort, but he knew when not to argue with her.“Okay, fine.If Emma’s okay with it.”
She turned the key over in her hand.“I’m more than okay with it.Let’s go, Caleb.”
It was only about a block and a half walk from Loaved Up to the space.Even he had to admit the town looked magical in the snow.Skaters twirled around the rink, lit up by Christmas lights of every color.Snowflakes danced in front of streetlights.
“You know, maybe this isn’t such a bad place for a do-over.I came here for mine because I didn’t have a choice.It’s where I’m from.But I can see the charm on nights like this.”
“It’s like something out of a dream I didn’t know I had until two weeks ago.Maybe that’s why it still feels like lunacy that I’m considering taking this step.Especially after my discussion with Sebastian.”
“Was it so bad?I’m assuming it’s not impossible, if he gave you the key to the space.”
“I’d need investment to get started.My finances aren’t enough on their own.Especially since I don’t exactly have a source of income right now.”
He placed a hand on the small of her back as they crossed the street.“And Sebastian was open to the idea of investment?”
“It was his idea.I just feel… I don’t know.Like it seems so presumptuous of me to ask this of him.Things never come this easily to me.I keep waiting for the catch.”
A gust of wind blew down the street as they crossed.“It’s not a gift.It’s business.And trust me, I know my brother.If he thought your business idea wasn’t solid, he wouldn’t have even offered.He’d have looked over your proposal, given you a few tokens of his finance-bro wisdom, and sent you on your way.”
They stopped in front of the space.Emma produced the key and held it in her gloved hand.It slipped out of her hand and rattled to the ground.
Cursing, she dropped to her knees to hunt for it.Caleb found it first, their gloved hands meeting.
She let out a laugh.“This is starting to get ridiculous, you know.”
He handed the key over to her.“What do you mean?”
They both rose to their feet.Emma placed her hands on his forearms to steady herself.
Caleb didn’t have a chance to worry over her words—her answer came in the form of a kiss.
What had gotten into her?Kissing this man under the flickering lightbulb in front of what could be the home of her future business.
It was time for both of them to stop overthinking.She broke away from his kiss.“Can we look at the space tomorrow?It’s too dark to get a good look now, anyhow.”
Confusion crossed Caleb’s face.“What do you mean?I thought that’s why—”
She cut him off with another kiss.This time, the confusion quickly faded.His arms came around her waist, cradling her close.
He broke the kiss.“Oh.I’m following you now.”
Her breath spiraled in front of her as she laughed.“Took you long enough.Can we go to yours?”
The snow started to fall harder as they hurried the short distance to his apartment.Curious glances were cast their way by onlookers.She didn’t care.Let them stare.
Maybe she was getting used to small-town life after all.
