Page 21 of Love, Lies and Sleigh Rides
Fallon opened the hatch to retrieve the bags from Maisy Day’s and reluctantly started in the direction of the house. That was when movement in one of the small barn’s windows caught her attention. Kade peered at her through the glass.
She stopped and squinted through the snow that still fell. Seconds later, Kade appeared in the open door of the barn, waving for her to come inside.
What could he possibly want to show her in the barn? And why, after she’d voiced her opinion on his parents riding in the truck, did he even want to speak to her?
With another sigh—she really needed to stop sighing so much before the Behars noticed too—Fallon trudged across the gravel drive. The snow was quickly covering the area again despite Fred’s heroic plowing efforts. Another reason she’d much prefer to be in town rather than here—the weather was more brutal up here. If there had only been an open room at the motel, she’d be happily alone in her room right now, working on her laptop with the television turned on for background noise.
If only.
Kade wore a small smile as he stood in the doorway. Despite the cold, a warm flush rose from the depths of her coat and washed over her face. His expression wavered though. Did he wonder whether she still held a grudge from earlier?
“Did you take care of what you needed to in town?” he asked, stepping aside for her to enter.
The door rumbled shut behind her. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dim interior. Again, a surge of warmth slid over her as she realized they were alone together in the stillness of the barn.
She lifted the bag in her hand. “I did. Maisy Day’s isn’t exactly Macy’s, but I won’t have to rely on your mother’s closet at least.”
Kade smiled, a genuine, eye-crinkling grin that locked her attention on him a few seconds too long. He noticed it too by the way his brows ticked upward the slightest bit.
“Listen, I’m sorry for getting in your face this morning,” he said, interrupting the awkward moment. “About the truck.”
The apology surprised her. She’d already pegged him as a stubborn, uncompromising type when it came to his precious sleigh. “That’s okay.”
“I’ve never been good with … change. Your suggestion surprised me is all.”
“Well, something needs to be figured out. You can be in the loop if you’d like.” Not that she wanted Kade’s help, but what his parents rode on in the parade seemed important to him. Maybe she was feeling extra generous since he’d delayed her inevitable appearance at the party again.
“I don’t want to get in the way. I’ll leave it to you and my mom,” he said and paused. His gaze swept over her as if he considered saying something else but decided against it.
Another awkward silence passed. Fallon shifted the bag to her other hand. “I should—”
“Want to meet the family?” Kade cocked his head toward a Dutch door off to the right, hidden beyond an immense cage thing that housed dozens of wooden boxes attached to the wall. It reminded her of a rustic version of a mausoleum minus the doors. And the remains, of course.
“You mean there’s more of you out here?”
Kade hooked a finger at her to follow. “I promise you’ll feel more at ease around these guys.”
He led the way through the Dutch door and into a brighter, much cleaner building with stalls so new they still smelled of fresh-cut lumber. She might even call the barn inviting.
Several round, furry faces poked over the upper railings of the stalls on either side of the aisle. Fallon couldn’t help but giggle as she approached the first alpaca. Its black button eyes regarded her with tentative curiosity. She scratched between its ears until it leaned into her touch.
“Alpacas are usually a shy animal, but they’ve been around enough visitors to the farm. Especially Lottie,” he said pointing to the end of the aisle on the opposite side. “She’s the cocoa-colored female who will butt her way to the front. Mom says she’s the farm ambassador. She’s pregnant now though so a little more low-key than usual.”
A soft hum floated throughout the space. Fallon looked around trying to find the source of the noise.
“What is that?”
“They’re welcoming you,” he said. “Alpacas hum when they’re content. They must think you’re all right.”
“I guess I should be flattered.”
“There’s no higher compliment in the alpaca world.”
They continued on down the aisle, Fallon greeting each one with a scratch between the ears and Kade introducing them by name.
Hermoine. Daffodil. Siobahn, and on down the line.
When they approached the llama at the opposite end who munched on hay and eyed them with a disdainful air, Kade stopped well before the stall.
