Page 46 of Love, Lies and Sleigh Rides
“Friday night then.”
Fallon shot him a tight little smile. “See you then.”
He watched Fallon until she pushed through the double glass doors to the parking lot.
Why would a smart, take-charge woman like that want anything to do with him? He didn’t have anything to offer. Here he was almost forty years old and his only career option at present was raising alpacas on the family farm.
Aside from what little she’d shared about her less-than-ideal family life and an aversion to Christmas, he knew very little about Fallon too. Maybe her inexplicable nature was the draw. Adventure and the unknown were his weaknesses, especially when a beautiful woman was involved.
But with her time in Hendricks limited, there was little chance for him to find out what exactly made Fallon Gale tick.
ChapterSeventeen
The three days since seeing Kade at the mall had flown as Fallon worked on her summary report for the Hendricks project and a proposal for a state tourism campaign. Her office closed between Christmas and the new year, so wrapping up her to-do list before next Friday was a priority. This sponsors’ dinner had cut into that time. If she didn’t dawdle, she’d be back in Minneapolis tomorrow night, her obligations to Hendricks a distant, somewhat pleasant memory. The rest of the weekend would be hers, making up for lost work hours.
She’d left the office at noon, hoping to get into Hendricks before dark. She’d barely made it. After a quick stop at Flint Hills Motel to check in, dress for the dinner, and zip into Gas & Go for a water and a bag of chips to quell the hunger pains, Fallon pointed her car in the direction of Blueberry Point Lodge.
But driving along Main Street on the way to connect with the highway, Fallon pulled over in front of the now-closed Debi’s Donuts. She gripped the wheel, staring ahead.
The scene before her was one out of a Christmas movie. Lazy, soft snowflakes floated down from the darkened sky. The red and white lights wrapping the streetlamps made them look like candy canes as Kade had described them last week when they stood in Two Tree Coffee’s parking lot. Most of the storefronts were decked with lights too. A block over in the small park near the gazebo, the top of a giant fir was visible, its branches aglow. She remembered little Kyah talking excitedly about her first chance to make an ornament for the tree since she was now in kindergarten. Kyah’s mom had explained all grade school classes created ornaments for the tree in December and took buses throughout the first week to place their ornaments on the tree. Fallon’s fingers found the little Christmas tree pin Kade had given her on their own accord. She’d pinned it on her dress earlier as an afterthought as she headed out the door.
A lump rose in her throat, surprising her. She wasn’t sentimental. Except for missing the short-lived tradition with her grandfather, Fallon thought she was devoid of those feelings. But for some reason, Main Street in all its holiday finery gave her a strange sense of melancholy, like she’d been missing something important all these years, something she couldn’t put her finger on. She swiped at the moisture collecting at the corners of her eyes.
This is a fine time to get emotional.
She checked her makeup in the rearview mirror, cleared her throat, and pulled away from the curb, scolding herself for falling for the artificial trappings of Christmas cheer.
Fallon arrived five minutes after the start time but already the driveway and small parking lot near the inn’s carriage house was full. Kade’s truck was there too.
As she walked up the drive to the porte cochere, she slowed to appreciate the beauty of Blueberry Point Lodge. The team hired by the Stetmans had really done a stunning job decorating the three-story mansion. Lights rimmed the expansive roofline, the chimneys, and the arched windows. Lights outlined the topiaries on the south lawn too. She peered through the huge windows as she drew closer, seeing the shadowy figures of a party in full swing. Pressing a hand against her stomach—they weren’t hunger pains after all—Fallon climbed the stairs of the side entrance.
She’d made arrangements with Kade to meet at the inn, but now that she stood inside among all these unfamiliar faces, she regretted the decision of arriving alone. The hallway leading from the side entrance to where the main floor opened up to the double dining room to the left and the large foyer on the right was crowded with guests. She strained to see above the faces to catch a glimpse of someone,anyone, she recognized.
Then she spotted Darcy at the same time the hostess saw her.
“Fallon. Thatdress. It’s stunning.” Darcy pressed her cheek against hers. “I’m so happy to see you here, though I’m a bit surprised you’d make the long trek again from the Twin Cities.”
“I couldn’t miss it.”Because I was coerced into coming by the cunning Chamber director.
Darcy pointed into the dining room. “Grab a drink, find a seat. There are appetizers circulating. You have to try the mascarpone sausage toast. It’s my favorite.”
When Darcy left, Fallon eyed the bathroom in the tiny alcove off the foyer. She could find refuge in there for a bit until she got her bearings.
She paused halfway to the bathroom and clenched her fists.
No, she wasn’t going to hole up in the restroom like a coward.
The notion of hiding was laughable. She’d been to bigger events than this for work. Fallon took a deep breath and forced herself to head to the dining room instead. Besides, the appetizerswerecalling her name, as was something to tame her thirst. The live quartet in the other room kicked into a livelier version of “The First Noel.” She could at least find a seat and enjoy the music.
Fallon eased her way through the busy foyer until the crowd grew thinner all at once and she spotted Kade. She froze.
He stood right inside the threshold of the dining room, talking with Sean Stetman. He wore a dark suit coat over the shirt and tie she’d picked for him the other day, his hands deep in his pants pockets. Kade did a double take when he saw her. He excused himself from Sean and made his way over to her, a slow smile lighting his face.
He shouldn’t be smiling like that. It’s dangerous.
“You look…beautiful,” he said, giving her a sweeping gaze from the jeweled hair comb that held her hair back on one side to the suede Mary Jane pumps she’d found in the exact color of the dress.
She blushed even though she knew the dress turned heads. Its hem grazed her ankles with a slit on either side up to her knees. The weight of the fabric hugged her body, accentuating her curves, yet the modest V-neck and long, cuffed sleeves covered her with a subtle elegance.
