Page 71 of Mistletoe Latte

Interview?Nick froze, his breath shallowing.

“That’s really soon. What if…? Uh-huh. Okay. Yes, it sounds like a good job.”

He spun around and slammed his back against the wall. A job interview. Emma was…of course she was. She had her whole life ahead of her, working in fancy restaurants and becoming a dessert chef. He knew that.

He knew they didn’t have much time left, and that one day she’d walk out that door. Emma was never meant to be permanent, a warm breeze after the blizzard. Nothing more. Nick had prepared for that, told Skylar when she’d asked. He was ready for the return to working the rush alone and the lack of donuts to delight the customers. The business would survive without her.

He just wasn’t so certain if his heart would.

“YOU CAN’T TELL him.”

“I won’t,” Emma promised. Internally, she chuckled at the ecstatic girl acting like a boy slow dancing with her was scandalous gossip. “Did anything else happen with Antonio?”

Skylar whipped her head around as if she feared ears listening in, but the sizzle of the deep fryer easily covered over anything. “Yes. He held my hand. And he got me some punch.”

“That is serious.”

“Then he said he’d call me later.”

“Has he?”

Her spirited dancing stopped and Skylar pulled out her phone. “Not yet, but we were so busy yesterday, and the dance went really late. Like, I hadn’t been up that late since I forgot to finish my science…er, I mean in forever.” She darted her finger over her phone, raising the keycode screen. “I’m gonna text him. Tell him about the miracle happening in there. Can you believe it?”

She could, but Emma put on a careful smile. “Not at all.”

“Eee!” With that, Skylar rushed off, leaving Emma to tend to her dough alone. She was about to roll it out when her phone went off.

“Hello? Oh, hi sis.”

“I’ve been trying to get you for days. Why was your phone off?”

“Low battery,” Emma said instead of ‘I wanted to spend the day being someone else.’

“Look, the pizza place I mentioned, they need people now. Like now, now. Something to do with a Christmas parade. I’ve set you up to meet with the boss.”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’m still trapped here.”

“You know, there’s this German couple that’s been looking for a room. I’d make a nice Christmas for my kids renting yours out…”

Emma sighed and gulped. Steadying the phone to her ear, she asked, “When’s the interview?”

“Wednesday.”

“That’s really soon. What if…?” I’m still stuck here.

“Look, this is the best I can do right now.”

“Uh-huh. Okay,” Emma let her mouth respond as she punched down the dough. Instead of donuts and pastries, she’d be spinning pizzas or putting frozen, pre-bought crusts in the oven. That sounded more likely.

“No one’s hiring ‘cause the holidays, and it’s work.”

“Yes, it sounds like a good job.” Emma lied through her teeth. She didn’t want it, but she’d need it. These past few days with Nick and Skylar had been better than anything she’d dreamed. But would he want to keep her on as a baker? As something more?

“Look, I’ve got to go. Things are really piling up here.”

“Em? Emma, what are you—?”

She killed the call and slipped her phone to airplane mode. No doubt her sister would call back and leave numerous voicemails to remind her how important the pizza job was. Maybe the place was nice, but there was no way it had a sweet and excited teenager learning about life, or a handsome and occasionally gruff owner that made her body sing with his touch.

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