Page 7 of Love, Lies and Sleigh Rides
Out of earshot, his mother had already scurried down the hallway again to greet their guest.
Kade looked through the window again.
Same shoulder-skimming black hair.
Same no-nonsense tilt to her chin.
The woman scanned the front of the house before her face burst into a smile when Elaine greeted her. Whatever business she had here on the farm was a mystery, but it was clear she’d become a fixture in his first full day back in Hendricks.
Admittedly, he was terrible at remembering names during first meetings. For some reason though, her name had cemented itself in his mind this time.
Fallon Gale.
ChapterThree
The long gravel lane ahead of Fallon followed the tidy white fence. To her left, several red buildings and the white two-story farmhouse made up a pastoral scene. While the new layer of snow draping the firs and buildings gave it a Christmas card vibe, Fallon guessed this farm was beautiful in any season.
She pulled into a parking spot next to the smallest barn. A sign hung above the double doors—Loom & Lyre Farm Studio. She’d heard good things about Elaine Behar’s shop. If the adorable hand-painted llamas wearing Christmas wreaths on the glass windows were an indication, Fallon was already sold.
Elaine must have seen her arrive. The older woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Mrs. Claus with her snow white hair and glasses perched on her nose opened the front door of the main house and stepped out onto the porch.
When Fallon made it across the driveway without slipping, she took the porch steps gingerly since they hadn’t been shoveled recently. Keeping up with the snow these past few days must have been a full-time job. She was lucky. Another positive of apartment living: someone else shoveled for her.
“Fallon. It’s so nice to see you again,” Elaine called over the gusting wind.
“And you, Elaine. I wasn’t sure I’d even make it today. I’m sorry I’m so late. The roads, they’re so slick that I—”
Movement behind Elaine caught her off guard. A man walked out of the shadows and into the light…
“I take it Bart hooked you up with a rental?”
It was Kade. She thought she’d seen the last of him back at Bart’s garage.
“Oh…hi.” Her voice squeaked, so she cleared her throat. “I wasn’t expecting—”
His boots thudded on the porch floor as he came forward. He braced himself against a white porch post and squinted against the harsh light.
Had he asked her a question? It took her a moment to think about this. Yes, about Bart.Bart who?What had she rented?
Elaine looked between them, confusion turning her smile upside down. “You know each other?”
Kade nodded, not taking his eyes off her. “She’s the one who slid off the road. Her car’s in bad shape.”
Elaine pressed a palm against her chest. “Thank goodness Kade found you. These conditions can bury a car within minutes.”
Fallon finally recovered her voice. “Yes, he was a great help. And you were right”—she looked at Kade—“I talked to Bart on the phone but haven’t seen him. He’s been working since the sun came up, he said.” She tossed the car keys in the air. “But he gave Sara permission to let me borrow that little blue beauty out there.”
Kade snickered. “You’re lucky you made it across town. No clearance on that thing. I’ll be shoveling you out if you’re not careful.”
Fallon sniffed. “I don’t plan on getting stuck again. It’s not like I’ve never driven in snow before.”
He nodded, an amused expression creasing the corners of his eyes.
“Well, let’s get you out of the cold. Come in, come in,” Elaine said, waving her inside. Kade waited for her to come up the steps then followed her inside and shut the door behind them.
From what she could see, Elaine’s home looked like a Hallmark Christmas movie set. Fallon took in the enormous fir in the corner of the room, the lights and garlands, the little holiday village covered in faux snow on the fireplace mantle, the aroma of gingerbread and pine mingling together, and the strains of an instrumental version of White Christmas playing somewhere in the house. She swallowed. A home this alive with the holiday spirit gave off a party atmosphere. Fallon didn’t belong here. They were probably expecting company.
“If today isn’t a good time to meet, I can come back tomorrow.” She hurried to catch up with Elaine, who bustled into a gigantic kitchen, open and bright with natural light pouring in through a picture window. Again, Fallon was struck by the beauty of the red barns against the snowy landscape outside. Her attention lingered on the scene until Kade’s presence behind her snapped her back to the present.
