Chapter 10
A fter sharing coffee-flavored kisses, Morgan and I parted ways. It was far too early to be out of bed, but the Market opened at nine and the vendors started showing up at eight. Morgan needed to be there before all of that, as he was the only one with a key to the temporary buildings and the night security team couldn’t leave until he got there.
“What do you do about security during the day?” I asked as he locked up his house.
He cocked his head to the side, confusion all over his face. “Why would we need security during the day?”
I gave him a flat look. “Because there’s going to be hundreds of people there? Because people get rowdy and unruly?”
Morgan snickered. “I suppose that’s true. We’ve never had an incident though.” He considered that for a moment. “At least, not one that couldn’t be deescalated. Besides, there’s a county sheriff’s office in Purchase, and they can speed without consequences. If there was a real problem, they’d be here quickly.”
“Fine,” I acquiesced. Hearing the name of the town reminded me that I had an errand I wanted to run, so I mentally put that on my to-do list. I snagged his arm as he turned to go down the walk. “Gimme another kiss.”
One kiss turned into two, then three, before he playfully shoved me away, declaring I was going to make him late. He’d been the one hanging on to me though, so it was only fair to blame him. I held his car door open for him, waited for him to buckle, shut the door, and then jogged to my SUV. I was parked behind him, so I backed out, waiting for him to do the same, then followed him down the road. At the corner, he turned left and even though I had the overwhelming urge to follow him, I turned right instead.
I’d been back in town for a little more than a week, but I hadn’t traveled further than the town itself. With my errand on my mind, I followed Center St, which was really Route 37, north out of the town limits. The distance between houses got further apart, but less than ten minutes out, a new structure loomed. Since there was no one on the road with me, I slowed down as I neared.
I, of course, knew the hotel had been built, but seeing it for the first time was pretty impressive. It looked new, because it was, and ridiculously fancy. I hadn’t expected it, even knowing the Marquis was touted as luxury accommodations. The sign at the roadside was elegant and classy. The carport over the front door sported columns and scrollwork, and the landscaping, though somewhat bare this time of year, was meticulous. The brown brick facade was a nice touch.
I shook my head and sped up again. The Marquis was the true testament to how much things had changed. Hickory Hollow could have never supported something like that in the past. It would have gone belly up in less than a year. But with all the changes Morgan had made, all the festivals, events, and concerts he brought to the area, it was clearly thriving. The parking lot had been full of cars. All those people had traveled to this tiny town just to go to the Winter Market, and honestly, that blew my mind.
It wasn’t long before my view was nothing but rolling hills and farmland. In the spring and summer, it was nothing but lush green and full trees. Now, everything was bare. But even with the windows rolled up, the smell was familiar. One never forgot the scent of cow manure. I passed several herds of Holstein—it was mostly dairy farms up here—but I definitely saw a highland cow or two, their horns and shaggy coats unmistakable. There were several paddocks with horses too, chomping hay from a round bale, their winter coats making them look fluffier than they probably were. It was strangely comforting and weirdly unsettling at the same time.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen similar sights all over the country. Farmland still dotted the entire country, even if farmers were a dying breed. Never once had those sight hit me with nostalgia. It never made me think of “home.” Maybe because I didn’t think of Hickory Hollow as home. To this day, if someone asked me where I was from, my stock answer was that I was originally from Chicago.
But now, driving the backroads between one small town and a slightly bigger one, I was hit with beauty of it all. Which again, gave me peace and made me uncomfortable simultaneously. If I was the type of man who was more in touch with my feelings, I would have sat with that and tried to figure out why. But I didn’t want to, so instead I pushed it all down and focused on my task.
Purchase had changed too, which was to be expected. Twenty years was a long time. The shopping center was the first thing that caught my attention. Not longer was it a strip mall only occupied by four or five shops. That original structure was still there, but it had expanded, and other stores had been built around a much larger parking lot. Like Target.
Purchase was downright commercial now.
Without thought, I pulled into the parking lot. A quick trip into Target for some necessities was in order. I smiled to myself at the reserved spaces for Amish buggies, though there weren’t any parked there now. It was quintessential small town, and the inclusion was nice to see.
The store was packed, no doubt with holiday shoppers, and I regretted my decision almost instantly. But I’d be quick, because I just needed to hit the pharmacy section and the toy section. Deodorant, toothpaste, lube, and something to toss in the sleigh for Toys for Tots. It should be an easy in and out.
I turned down the main aisle and stopped dead at the corner display. Winter jackets on sale for fifty percent off. A quick glance showed everything from babies to adults and everyone in between. Of their own volition, my feet took me into the section and straight back to the corner where the men’s coats hung. I was pawing through the rack, looking for my size, before I realized what I was doing and dropped my hands. What was I doing? Did I really need a coat? I would only be here for another few weeks. Four at most. The really cold temperatures wouldn’t hit until mid-January at least. I could survive until then.
Of course, I could end up somewhere else with a similar sort of winter weather. And if I didn’t, well, I could donate the jacket to Goodwill or something. Just because I purchased a coat didn’t mean I was staying.
Decided, I found my size, shrugged out of my vest, and pulled it on. It was a bit of a tight fit, especially through the shoulders. But as I flexed and moved, I decided it would be fine. And again, chances were I wouldn’t be keeping it. It would do me for now.
I put my vest back on and hit up the toy section first. I grabbed the first thing that looked good and wasn’t outrageously priced. A musical train with stacking blocks that had the alphabet on them. Fun and educational. I tucked it under my arm then headed to the pharmacy section, grabbed the other things I needed—after spending far too long deciding on lube—checked out and left, refusing to think about the implications of what it all meant.
I f I thought Target had been busy, the superstore had nothing on the Winter Market. The parking lot was full and vehicles lined the streets for blocks. I ended up parking in the lot for Bark and Bloom and walking ten minutes down to the fields. Once I got there, I had to fight through throngs of people just to get anywhere near the temporary buildings. I tossed my unwrapped toy into the sleigh, pleased to see there were already donations in there, and went in search of Morgan.
I found him in the first one, parked on a stool tucked into the corner. I almost missed him, but he saw me and called my name. I squeezed around a couple of older ladies who were trying to haggle with the woman at Holloway Glassworks. It sounded heated, but the woman, whom I presumed was Ridge’s sister, was calm and steadfast. Morgan pulled me in the second I was close enough, and I was glad the cacophony of sound gave us a good excuse to be in each other’s space.
“You’re wearing a coat,” he murmured. Or maybe it was his regular volume and it just sounded quiet. It really was that loud in here.
“Yeah, well.” That’s all I was going to say about that. “How’s it going?”
“Fantastic! People were lined up, waiting for us to open the doors.” His grin was so wide, his cheeks had to hurt. He snuck a hand under the edge of my coat and held onto the waistband of my jeans, his fingers tucked inside. “I love seeing so many people. It’s going to bring in so much revenue. And! We’ve already had one submission to the scavenger hunt. They must have started last night.”
“That’s great.” His joy was infectious as usual and I smiled in return. I stepped in a little closer, nudging his hip with my pelvis, and bent down to speak in his ear. Because it was so loud in here, of course. Not because I wanted to smell him and his distinct citrus-spice scent. “What do you need me to do?”
Morgan sucked in a breath and let it out on a chuckle. “Nothing that can be done in public. Maybe you should go away before I get ideas.”
I kissed that spot underneath his ear that made him shiver, knowing we wouldn’t draw attention. Everyone was too busy. But then I stepped back so as not to be too conspicuous. “Are you sure? I’m at your service.”
Morgan tilted his head. “Why is it everything you say today sounds like an innuendo?”
“Because you have a dirty mind?” I winked.
He laughed and smacked my stomach. I didn’t feel it at all. “Where you’re concerned, maybe. Go away. Go wander. Take in the sights. You don’t need to work today.”
I squinted at him. “Are you sure you don’t need anything? Because it sounds an awful lot like you’re dismissing me because you think you’re using me. We talked about that.”
His smile turned soft and affectionate and why that heated my blood, I had no idea. It had to be because he was so pretty. That was all.
“I’m sure. I’m only here just in case. First day, and all.” He grabbed my hand and gave it a quick squeeze before letting go. “But, um…”
When he didn’t go on, I softly asked, “What?”
“The House Lights tour starts tonight. And, I mean, I need to walk it anyway, but…” He blew out a breath and peered up at me. “Would you be available to accompany me? The Market closes at six, we could grab dinner, and then walk through the neighborhood.”
I almost laughed at his formal phrasing but stopped myself just in time. I saw it in his eyes. He was nervous. It took a second to figure out why. He was asking me on a date, and he had a false worry that I would turn him down. Sure, we were keeping our situation on the downlow to avoid gossip. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want to be seen with him.
“It’s a date.”
Morgan’s face lit up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’d love to walk with you.” Then I bent down again because what I had to say was for his ears only. “Maybe I could pack a bag, and we could have another sleepover, hm?”
“Yes,” he breathed.
As a reward, I sucked his earlobe into my mouth and gave it a little nibble. He shivered and grabbed my thigh, since it was the only thing he could reach. Recognizing we were treading dangerous waters, I stepped back, and then in front of him to hide his flushed face. He buried it in his hands.
“You okay?” I chuckled.
“Go. Away,” he bit out, but the mirth in his eyes gave him away. His lips quirked up. “I’ll see you later?”
I gave him a salute and sauntered off, knowing he’d be watching. Since he didn’t need me, at the moment anyway, I had fudge to buy. And I wanted to see if anything else would catch my eye.
S ince I’d borrowed Bark and Bloom’s parking space for the past couple of hours, I thought it was only fair I patronized their shop before I drove away. I pulled open the door to be hit by a wave of humidity that was surprising after the cold air outside. Looking around, I saw the shop was divided into two spaces. On the left was a pet store, with food, treats, toys, and other miscellaneous items. The right were rows of greenery. Just shelves and shelves of plants.
“Welcome in!” The man behind the counter stood up and walked toward me, his customer service smile in place. He was almost as tall as me, so over six feet, with dark hair and eyes. Those eyes flicked upward, no doubt noticing my watch cap, and his smile fell into something more genuine. “You wouldn’t be Arlo’s nephew, by any chance?”
I wasn’t surprised he’d put the pieces together. Not only was the town that small, but all the business owners talked to one another. Arlo had mentioned the bi-monthly meetings with the town board. I held out a hand.
“Barrett McKinnon.”
“Nice to meet you, Barrett. I’m Elliott Barlowe. Welcome to my shop. Looking for something in particular?”
“An easy-care plant,” I decided on the spot. I could give it to Morgan. “I don’t have a pet. Which, I gotta say, man, it’s an unusual combination.”
Elliott laughed. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. It was my cousin Lena’s brainchild. She’s the pets, I’m the plants. All of which are pet safe, by the way. Well, the spider plant might get your cat a little high, but it won’t hurt them. But you said you didn’t have any pets, so we don’t have to worry about that.”
“Nope.” I agreed. I glanced at the green area and had no idea where to start. “I need something easy, that can maybe handle a little neglect. Busy life, you know?”
He nodded and started walking, so I followed. “I’d suggest a hoya then. They’re semi-succulent, so they store water in their leaves. Only need to be watered every week or two, depending. Stick it in a south or west facing window, water when the leaves get soft, and it’ll thrive. They’re kind of slow growers though.”
I waved that away. That didn’t matter. I didn’t even know if Morgan was a plant person. I mentally reviewed his house, realized he had a west facing window in his kitchen, and agreed that would be a good choice. Elliott pointed to a section of plants, but they all looked the same to me. Well, not really, but I didn’t know what I was looking at.
“Which one’s your favorite?” I asked on a whim. Knowing he was a plant person, he probably had one.
Elliott gestured to the middle shelf. “I like the hoya carnosa. Either the Krimson Queen or the Krimson princess are good choices. They’ve got opposite variegation, so it’s just a matter of preference. Oh, and I like the krohniana too.”
The first two were nice, but I really liked the look of the third one. It had tiny leaves with silver-ish splashing on it. I picked it up, checked the price, and nodded. “I’ll take this one.”
“Excellent.” Elliott walked back to the register and I followed. Near the check out, there was a display of pots. One with a smiling face and arms and legs caught my eye. It was about the same size as the pot in my hand, and I knew Morgan would find it adorable. I picked that up too.
Elliott grinned at my choice, dropped the plant, pot and all, into the face pot, and tucked it into a paper bag. He rang me up, and just as we were finishing the transaction, the door banged open. I spun around.
“Elliott Barlowe!” A man screeched, in a voice far too loud for the size of him. He was maybe five six and skinny as hell.
Behind me, Elliott groaned. “Oh Christ, what now?”
“You know what now!”
I tensed and glanced back at Elliott. “Do you need me to stay?”
Elliott shook his head. “That’s Carrington. He owns Yarn Voyage next door.”
“Yes, I do. Own it. Own. It. ” He emphasized as he rounded the nearest display. He froze when he saw me, as though he hadn’t realized I was there. Even though I was pretty hard to miss. Carrington took a deep breath and straightened his spine. “Pardon my outburst.”
I looked between the two of them several times, then raised my brows at Elliott. He sighed and waved me away. Whatever was going on between them wasn’t my business, and I was being dismissed. I was sure Elliott could handle himself, so I took my purchases and left.
Now I had two presents for Morgan. Hopefully, he liked them both.