Chapter 6
Eli
The inn’s quiet pressed in around me. Thanks to Maple Crossing’s festive Christmas traditions, we were fully booked, but almost everyone had checked in Friday night. The guests were probably out antiquing or visiting the shops, and for once, I couldn’t think of anything to do.
There was no plumbing emergency, no snow to shovel, and it was too cold to finish painting the eaves. I picked up my phone, desperate for distraction, and scrolled to the email from Luke, wondering if I should reach out again. No. Definitely not.
Two days since Mioko and Luke’s demonstration, and the place still smelled delicious. I wondered if she was still interested in running the shop. Henry and I had run the numbers, and even a modest rent would stabilize our income during the slow season.
Chewing my bottom lip, I picked up the card Mioko had given me and typed in her phone number, composing a text before I could overthink it.
This is Eli. Just checking if you’re still considering the shop space at the Honeyfern.
I set the phone down, immediately regretting the message. Did it sound desperate?
To my surprise, three dots appeared.
Mioko
I’m still considering it! The pink walls are calling to me. So is the fireplace.
And maybe the grumpy innkeeper. ??
I blinked at the screen, unsure I was reading the message correctly. Was she... flirting with me? The winking emoji dared me to respond.
The grumpy innkeeper comes with the space. Like a moody ghost.
A haunted retail space is very on-brand for me.
Is all the woodworking and trim original?
I think so, but I can check.
I keep daydreaming about it. I could put my workbench by that fireplace. Customers could watch me work or make their own pieces.
A truly artisanal experience. And, for a small commission, I’d display other local makers’ work too.
Makes sense. Guests are always looking for local artisans.
Look at you, being supportive and business-minded. Makes me think you want me to move in...
I swallowed hard, a strange flutter in my stomach. Was she referring to the shop space or something more? I typed and deleted three responses before settling on:
The inn needs some new energy. And the shop’s been empty too long.
Lucky for you, I’ve got energy to spare.
Speaking of which... what are you doing tonight? I have an extra ticket to Walt’s sleigh ride. Got it after helping him with a jewelry emergency.
I laughed out loud, startling Rambo, who had been dozing at my feet. Old Walt Winters ran sleigh rides from Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day every year, taking tourists and locals on a romantic circuit from around downtown and out to the frozen edges of Ambervale Lake.
Walt Winters? Jewelry emergency? I can’t imagine it.
His granddaughter was getting married and needed a custom piece fixed.
I rescued him from a sparkly disaster, and he gave me tickets instead of cash. So? Sleigh ride?
How many winter afternoons had we spent at Walt’s stables, grooming the Clydesdales in exchange for free rides?
I closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me. Luke’s face, red with cold and laughter. The way he’d jump into every new adventure with both feet, dragging me along. How he could talk me into anything, his enthusiasm a force of nature I never wanted to resist.
And then there was that last summer before he left for Boston.
The tension that had grown between us, the arguments about the future, about what mattered, about staying versus going.
I’d known he was smart, ambitious, meant for bigger things than our small town could offer.
But I’d hoped I mattered more. That our friendship mattered more.
The night before he left, we’d fought. Not our usual bickering, but he’d blindsided me with his declaration, telling me he was in love with me, and I’d responded in the wrong way, with something deeper, uglier.
Something grounded in my disappointment, not my disdain for his feelings or his sexuality.
Seeing him brought it all rushing back—not just the hurt, but the longing. The space inside me that had been empty far too long, waiting for his sunshine to fill it again.
I glanced at my phone, Mioko’s invitation still waiting for a response. Maybe I needed a night out to shake me from my routine and stop me from obsessing over Luke Merrick.
I’d like that. What time?
7:30 tonight, by the old gazebo on Sugar Street. Don’t be late or Walt will feed you to his horses.
I’ll be there.
Yay!
I set the phone down, a small smile playing at the corners of my mouth. Whatever happened tonight, it would be better than sitting here alone, haunted by memories and regrets.
Rambo woofed softly.
“Yeah, I know,” I sighed, scratching under his chin. “I miss him too.”