Love in the Time of Conversation Hearts (Holidays in Heartsong #1)

STUPID CUPID

It looks like Saint Valentine threw up all over the recreation center.

Heart-shaped foil balloons spin and sway in the breeze cast by the central heat. Red and pink garland is strung from every surface imaginable, from doorway arches to the exposed beams of the gabled roof overhead. Tables for the auction items form a half circle at one end of the room, while a makeshift catwalk complete with a red carpet dominates the other. In the middle, round tables adorned with white tablecloths and a smattering of pink confetti await tonight’s guests.

I stand in the entryway, taking it all in. Donors have begun to arrive and fill up the auction tables. Dorothy’s team has set about arranging each dining table with the appropriate cutlery and serving plates. Soon, sweating water glasses and steaming bread baskets will land on the piles of glitter. Every detail, right down to the relaxing sound of Etta Mariner warming up with her harp in the corner of the room, matches my vision perfectly.

“You’ve done it again, Cora.” Daphne Dalton elbows my side gently, calling my attention to her. With cat-eye glasses and a prim circle skirt, she looks straight out of the 50s, despite being a year younger than me. As the director of the local animal shelter, this year’s benefactor, she will be the host of tonight’s event. “Every year, I think to myself, She can’t possibly top this. And then you go and do it. I can’t tell you how honored we are to be the benefiting charity this year.”

Her high cheekbones are rosy with good-natured laughter. I try to mimic her. To summon any of the pride I normally feel in this moment. But there’s an uneasiness in my stomach that demands my attention, pushing everything else into the background.

I still don’t know what to do about Adam.

“Everything all right?” Daphne adds, her russet brows pulled tightly together.

I blow out a shaky breath and wave a hand dismissively. Across the room, one of the volunteers from the shelter mistakes the movement for a greeting and waves in return. I smile awkwardly. “I’ll feel better once it’s all under way.”

“Oh please, we both know it will run with military-like precision. With your hands in it, I’d expect no less.” Daphne folds her hands together at her waist, then leans toward me with a conspiratorial wink. “I heard the good mayor of Heartsong has joined the date auction lineup. Is it a conflict of interest if I bid on something that benefits my place of work?”

I’m not sure if it’s the wink or the mention of Adam or both that do me in, but I find myself warding off a “yes” with a forced smile and a finger pointed where Lauren stands, setting up her wine tasting display on the auction table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make sure everything’s good with the donors.”

Daphne smiles brightly, completely unbothered by the undeserved cold shoulder she’s getting from me. “Sounds great. Just let me know when you’re ready for me to kick things off. Mic check went perfectly, so I’m ready when you are.”

I give her two thumbs up as I take a step toward Lauren. Daphne spins, her skirt and ringlet curls flaring equally, and marches over to check on the display of proposed improvements to the animal shelter that will be made possible by tonight’s donations.

“Want me to book you in with my chiropractor on Monday?” Lauren asks as soon as I’m within earshot. She must read the question on my face because she offers a knowing half-smile. “A visit to Dr. Patel might be the only thing that’ll fix how tightly wound you are.” She steps away from her setup—a collection of the newest Alcott wines and a stack of tasting cups featuring their logo—and grabs hold of me by the shoulders, giving a little shake for good measure. “Loosen up and enjoy the fruits of your labor, why don’t you?”

“The fruits of our labor,” I mutter half-heartedly.

“Exactly.” Lauren puffs her bottom lip so dramatically, the dimples in her cheeks hollow out. “My sweet, dear, best friend. I say this because I love you. And maybe because I’ve been spending too much time with Charlie, but I digress. You are taking all this Adam stuff way too seriously. I know it’s hard not to when your heart is on the line, but you need to let go a little. Look around!”

She uses her grip on my shoulders to spin me around. A kaleidoscope of red and pink floods my vision. I blink it away, bringing the room into focus.

“What better night to take a chance on love than this one?” Lauren whispers, a hint of awe in her voice.

I bury my teeth in my bottom lip. Tears sting my eyes, picking up the fairy lights along the ceiling and throwing their glow in streaks that slice through my view. I find myself gruffly muttering, “Who said anything about love?” but my heart isn’t in it, and if anyone can tell, it’s my best friend.

“Love is always the end goal, isn’t it?” she says dreamily.

Maybe it is. But it’s having that goal that makes risking it all so damn scary.

She hums, interrupting my thoughts. “Look alive, the man of the hour has just arrived.”

I stiffen beneath her grip. Ambling through the entrance with a bouquet of roses in hand is Adam, dressed to the nines in a double-breasted suit the color of midnight. His hair is perfectly gelled, and his teeth glitter brightly as he smiles down at Daphne, who fingers his lapel with a flirtatious touch.

I glance down at myself, still in grubby leggings and an oversize sweater. My setting up uniform. I let out a groan. “I’m going to get changed.”

“That’s the spirit.” Lauren pats my back encouragingly. I march pointedly toward the entrance with the single-minded goal of making it past Adam and Daphne without being noticed. I’m almost in the clear when a member of Dorothy’s team, Ernesto, comes darting through with a pitcher of water, causing me to dodge him and run straight into Adam.

He catches me. Because of course he does.

“Sorry, miss!” Ernesto says with a grimace.

“No worries.” I push off of Adam without sparing him a glance, dusting my elbows free of some invisible debris. “No harm, no foul.”

Ernesto smiles politely and returns to his bustling. Clearly things are ramping up. A glance at my watch tells me we’re thirty minutes to show time. All the more reason for me to grab my dress bag from my car and make a beeline for the rec center bathrooms.

“Don’t you look lovely.” The sound of Adam’s silken voice travels over me, earning itself a shudder.

I spin to face him and Daphne, who is glancing between us with a question in her gaze.

“Though I must admit, I thought you’d be dressed in something more festive. Seeing how this is your favorite holiday and all.” He smiles easily, as though the meeting on Wednesday never happened. As though none of it ever happened.

I bristle. Crossing my arms, I jut my chin toward the foyer, which is quickly being converted from a staging area to a welcoming entrance complete with a coat check and place cards directing our guests to their seats. “My diaper and archery set are waiting for me in the car.”

Adam snorts. Daphne’s frown grows theatrically deep.

I unfold my arms to point a finger at the bouquet in his arms. The roses are the deepest shade of red, with petals so soft they could be made of velvet. My favorite, though there’s no way Adam could’ve known. “Those for your date?”

“Actually—” Adam starts.

“Whoever wins your bid will be a lucky woman indeed,” Daphne interjects, pinching Adam’s bicep.

Adam steps out of Daphne’s reach so smoothly that no one could mistake the gesture as rude, though she certainly pouts like it was. Daphne tucks a curl behind her ear to no avail. It springs back onto her temple, unwilling to be tamed. Through the foyer, a gruff voice I immediately recognize as Dorothy’s calls out for Daphne, who turns to glance that way in mild exasperation. With one last glance my way and a lingering one spared for Adam, she sighs. “We’ll see, I suppose.”

Adam and I watch her walk away. Dorothy pulls her close and begins pointing one by one to the trays of canapes her team are unloading. Then, when Daphne isn’t looking, my friend tosses a wink in my direction.

“They’re for you, actually,” Adam says.

My gaze cuts to him. “What?”

He holds out the roses, their sweet aroma enveloping me in a rush. “The flowers. I felt you deserved some wooing?”

I take them gingerly, carefully avoiding brushing his skin in the hand off. “What if I don’t want to be wooed, Mayor?”

His answering expression is so confident, it makes me wish I liked him less. But my pounding heart refuses to submit.

“Bid on me, Cora. Hell, I’ll even give you the money to do it.” He reaches for his wallet, and it’s then that I have to suck up my reservations and grab his hand to stop him. His gray gaze lands on me, simmering with hope. And mischief. Because he wouldn’t be the Adam I know without it.

I jerk my hand back. “I don’t want your money. Let’s just… pretend this never happened, okay?” I push the roses back into his unwilling grasp. “I’m busy. There’s still a lot to do before guests arrive. And besides, I have a feeling Daphne will outspend even your cash reserves.”

I don’t wait for his response, or even allow myself a glance at his expression. My footsteps echo in the foyer as I make my way to the door and out into the snowy evening. Once I’ve changed into my dress, I’ll look as ready as I can for this evening. I can only hope I’ll feel that way as well.