Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Trevor
I t sucked to lose my car keys, but I chose to see it as an opportunity. I’d always been a glass-nearly-full kind of guy, and this seemed like divine intervention.
It could have just as easily have happened to me. I occasionally dropped things, although I didn’t wear shoes that resembled slip-and-slides. I’d seen the way she walked, carefully balancing on the uneven, icy surface. But I could have lost the car keys without her help, and she might have thought I’d done it on purpose.
So, I quietly thanked the universe for letting her lose them. Now I didn’t have to worry about what she thought of my plans. I didn’t even have plans beyond checking out the office. I hadn’t planned to keep her here overnight, let alone several nights. And I definitely hadn’t planned to show her the cabin.
I’d put a lot of effort into renovating it, and I’d been planning to one day introduce it to her. But I’d done something stupid. Something I needed to rectify before she set foot in that house. Which meant it couldn’t happen on this trip.
But I also didn’t want her to sleep on a couch with three children and a dog or lie alone in an empty office space. There were no good options.
“Let’s have a wee look at those two first,” I said, pointing at a couple of restaurant signs down the street. “You never know. Maybe a couple broke up and canceled their reservation.”
Her anxious expression melted into a smile. “You mean, like one of them was found cheating earlier today and their plans fell through?” She twisted her mouth.
“Exactly! Or maybe someone died,” I added on a more hopeful note.
She laughed. “You’re such an optimist.”
I loved seeing her relax. Maybe she really wanted to hang out with me. At least she preferred me over an empty office. How could I get us that restaurant table? We were here, in the most romantic town imaginable, on the most romantic night of the year. Such opportunities should never be wasted.
We walked down Main Street to the Italian restaurant and were waved away from the door. Down the street, I recognized the next place, Bookers. The line was so long several people stood waiting outside. The delicious smell of cooking drifted through the open door, along with music. It was so inviting, but I could tell there’d be a long wait.
We kept walking, first around the town square, then down various side streets. Everything was fully booked. When we returned to Main Street, the sky was already deep blue, almost black. One glance at Teresa told me she was tired, cold, and hungry.
“Sorry,” I said. “It turns out I’m not an optimist, but a daft fool.”
“It’s okay.”
“Let’s go find the general store, eh?”
“It’s a couple of blocks that way,” she said.
As we walked down the road, back towards my car, my phone beeped. Charlie. He’d gotten my message and promised to sort things out as soon as they got back home. Two nights in this town, with a woman who didn’t want to be here. It was either an opportunity to finally reconcile, or destroy whatever goodwill was left between us.
“If we find somethin’ edible from the store, we can take it to the office to eat there,” I suggested as we reached my car.
Her lips quirked. “You mean, like a Valentine’s Day dinner on the floor?”
The streetlights took that moment to flicker on, reminding me of the importance of lighting.
“Sure!” I grinned. “If that wee gift shop is still open, I’ll buy a candle and we’ll camp like two hobos in love.”
The gift shop I’d spotted right underneath the office was indeed still open, and as we reached it, I wandered in. Teresa remained on the sidewalk, until I returned to the door and held it open for her. “Milady.”
She stepped over the threshold gingerly, scanning the shop like she was expecting a jump scare.
“Teresa? Is that you?” A gray-haired woman in her sixties appeared from behind a tall shelf, carrying a giant bouquet of flowers. “It is you, isn’t it?”
Teresa stiffened, her face a little paler than usual as she attempted to smile. “It’s me.”
The lady leaned closer, cupping Teresa’s face in her hands. “It is you! I thought you had a doppelg?nger, and I was going to make some poor stranger really uncomfortable.”
I felt like pointing out that she was currently making Teresa really uncomfortable. I’d never seen her like this, and I could barely contain my curiosity.
“No, it’s me,” Teresa confirmed, glancing at the door as if she was going to make a run for it. “Just passing through town.”
The lady released her cheeks and smiled the most disarming smile I’d ever seen. “You must be going skiing then! It’s been a busy season on the slopes. So much snow.”
Teresa shook her head, looking sheepish. “We’re not passing through on our way anywhere. I just meant…”
“We’re looking at an office space upstairs,” I offered.
“Really?” The woman’s eyes widened. “The vacant one up there? It’s a lovely space. What’s your business?”
Teresa shot me a murderous look, which I ignored. Whatever her history with this town and this woman was, she’d been nothing but lovely and I needed all the inside information I could possibly get. “We have a small design business. Teresa is one of our brilliant designers. Do you know anything about that space? We heard the business went bust. What happened?”
The lady leaned in, smiling conspiratorially. “I heard they were breaking labor laws.”
“Well, that’s good. I mean, not a good thing to do. But great if it wasn’t the location.”
The lady looked offended. “Can’t have been! Main Street is prime real estate. This side gets more natural light, too. It’s perfect.” She set down the flowers and offered her hand. “I’m Selma. Nice to meet you!”
“Trevor McAllister,” I said, shaking her hand.
“Are you… Scottish?”
“Can’t hide it, can I?” I gave her my best smile and wink combo, the one that worked like a charm with older ladies.
Selma blushed, shoulder-bumping Teresa. “Where did you find this one?”
“On the street,” she deadpanned. “Can’t seem to shake him.”
Selma laughed like she’d dropped the most hilarious line, walking off to organize another shelf. “Well, be careful. Did you hear about the missing tourist? Vanished without a trace outside her cabin! They say she might have been picked up by someone. Someone charming, I bet!”
“Wasnae me,” I assured her, raising my hands. “I’ve been with Teresa the whole time.”
She laughed again. “Well, that’s good. You’ve got an alibi. Excuse me, I have to go close the register. But please pop in tomorrow if you’re still here! We need to catch up. It’s been too long.”
“Will do,” Teresa promised.
“And I hope the office works out. I’d love to have you for neighbors!”
She waved at us as we left, led by Teresa. Back on the sidewalk, she cast me an annoyed look. “Can we go to the grocery store now? I don’t know how long it’s even open for. Everything closes super early in this town… What time is it now? I don’t have a watch. I always use my phone.” Her voice was a little breathless.
“We can go as soon as you tell me what just happened there.”
She folded her arms. “What do you mean?”
“Why were you acting like she’d just caught you shoplifting or something?”
She jerked at my words as if I’d slapped her across the cheek. “What?”
I studied her for a beat, and a faint picture begun the emerge. “You did something in your wild youth, didn’t you?”
She stared at me, her jaw jutting forward. “What’s it to you?”
“I’m endlessly fascinated by you. I’m collecting Teresa trivia and I’m willing to play dirty.”
Her eyebrow sailed up, suspicious. “Dirty, how?”
I folded my arms to match her stance, flashing her a wicked smile. “Either you tell me about the discretions of your youth, or I won’t buy you dinner.”
“That’s okay, I’m not that hungry.” She punctuated her words with a scoff.
Unfortunately, her stomach took that opportunity to growl. I burst out laughing and after a moment, she followed.
“Fuck, I can’t…” She cast her eyes at the sky, or rather the awning we stood under. “I skipped breakfast, and it’s been a hot minute since that salad.”
“Come clean, lass! You’ll feel a lot lighter. For every confession you make, I trade you one of mine. They’re embarrassing, too, I promise. I was quite into acting in my earlier life. Did various audition tapes for roles I never had the slightest chance to land, and my eejit brother uploaded them to YouTube. So, I’ve got visuals.”
“Holy shit!” She raised a hand to her mouth, trying to suppress a cackle. “I’ve seen you on stage, though. I bet those tapes are totally brilliant and not embarrassing at all.”