Page 32 of Christmas at Hart's Ridge

“The situation?” I asked blankly. My palms were starting to sweat. I had no idea what these women with their wide, curious eyes wanted from me.

Emma’s friends exchanged another loaded look. Baffled and needing something to do with my hands, I fingered the scarf that still hung around my neck—I had removed my coat when I entered the heated building, but I was always cold, so the scarf was a permanent fixture from September through April. Except when I was working at Goat’s.

“Well, he’s here.” Nora smiled at me encouragingly. “At ten in the morning. With you.”

“Oh!” Now I understood. Given Luke’s reputation, of course they would assume. I laughed. “No, he just gave me a ride. I don’t have a car, and since he had to help with the set anyway, he picked me up.”

I didn’t stand straighter—ballet had cured me of any slouch, so I was already straight as a flagpole—but I did pull myself in tighter like I was in the studio again, being evaluated by Jonathan Huxley. Their obvious interest in my relationship—mysituation—with Luke was flattering, to be honest. Like they really thought something could be happening betweenmeand the most lusted for man this side of the Rocky Mountains.

And then it hit me. Somethingwashappening between us. Seven kisses, to be exact. Although, he hadn’t kissed me since our hike, a fact I was keenly, achingly aware of.

So something was happening with Luke and me. But I didn’t know what it was any more than these women did.

“Hannah Hart saw Luke’s truck and your mom’s car parked at the Roan Mountain trailhead, so she figured it was you with Luke because Mary doesn’t hike,” Nora said. There was a question in her voice.

I nodded slowly, not sure what else she wanted from me.

“You were working at Goat’s Tavern last night, right?” Kate asked. “My husband, Max, was there. With Eli, Emma’s boyfriend. They told us—”

I blinked as I finally understood. It wasn’t just about showing up with Luke this morning. “People are gossiping about me?”

Kate blanched. “Um…” She looked frantically at her friends to save her.

“It’s not a bad thing,” Suzie said quickly. “Gossip is the official hobby of Hart’s Ridge. Everybody talks about everybody. But not in a mean way. It’s friendly.”

Kate snorted. “Sure, if you’re Suzie Barnett, Patron Saint of How to Live Right. Gossip is kinder to people who marry their high school sweetheart, pop out four babies, and manage to keep the family farm profitable. My experience as a teen mom was somewhat different. Emma probably has something to say about town gossip, too.”

“Emma was elected mayor, so she can’t complain,” Suzie protested. “And everyone loves you, Kate.”

“Yeah, because I became exactly who they wanted me to be.”

Nora rolled her eyes while Suzie and Kate frowned at each other. “Gossip is what it is. So, yes, Bethany, people are talking about you, including us. Because Luke is our friend and we love him.”

“And we have nothing better to do,” Jessica chimed in bluntly.

“Anyway,” Kate said, laughing now. “We figured instead of talkingaboutyou, we would try talkingtoyou. Since you’re right here and all.”

Four pairs of wide eyes stared at me expectantly.

I stared back blankly.

For a good twenty seconds, no one said a thing.

“Sorry,” I said finally. “Do you have a question?”

“You’re Ethan’s friend, aren’t you?” Suzie asked. “I remember you hanging around a lot years and years ago.” When I nodded, she continued, “So you probably noticed even then that girls like Luke. Like, alot. That hasn’t changed since you were here. If anything, it’s worse now. It’s like there’s a whisper network or something. Women come from all over just to see what all the fuss is about.”

Remembering the women looking for Luke my first night working at Goat’s Tavern, I nodded. Luke had a fan club, that was for sure.

“And we get it. Totally,” Kate said. “I mean, what’s not to like? He’s a great guy. Fantastic listener. Ass that should be memorialized in marble.”

Jessica screwed up her face like something smelled terrible. “Okay, no. I cannot listen to this. It’s bad enough that I have to see you making out with my principal. I’m out.”

“Anyway,” Suzie said after Jessica retreated to the donuts. “We understand the attraction. Even though we’ve never experienced it ourselves.”

“I have,” Nora said.

I gave her my undivided attention. “You slept with Luke?”

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