Chapter 14
Gavin
Outside, snow covered the lawn of the B&B, and the sound of electric tools filtered in from the porch where Cole was working. Earlier, he’d given me a brief hello before he got to work, and we hadn’t talked since.
I sat at the kitchen table with a half-drunk cup of coffee next to my laptop. Nearly two thousand words filled the pages. It may not have seemed like a lot to some authors, but after months of brutal writer’s block, it felt like a damn miracle to me.
Still, the luck I’d had getting words down hadn’t stopped me from thinking about Cole.
The day before, he’d come by like he’d promised and brought his dad along.
If I hadn’t known better, I could have sworn nothing had happened between us.
He’d been nothing but professional, letting Jack take the lead when checking out the water heater and then explaining that he’d find a plumber to replace it.
It didn’t escape my attention that Cole had barely looked at me—just like this morning—which likely meant he regretted what had gone down between us on Friday night or he wanted to pretend like it had never happened. Maybe both were true.
And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about him gripping the counter, head tipped back, moaning from what I was doing to him.
If he regretted it, then that was something he’d have to deal with. As for me, I wouldn’t change a single second of it. He was sexy as fuck, and I’d acted on my attraction. Simple as that.
I forced my fingers back to the keyboard, ready to start my next chapter, when my phone buzzed across the table, and I saw Allie’s name on the display.
I swiped the screen to answer. “Hey, bestie. No work today?”
“Actually, just got back. It was a short shift,” she replied. “What’s going on with you? You figuring out how to survive in Brookhaven without me?”
I glanced at my laptop. “It’s definitely not the same with you gone, but I’ve actually got some news.”
“Oh, spill.” Her tone dripped with curiosity.
“I managed to crank out almost two thousand words today.”
“Shut up!” she squealed. “Are you serious?”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and grinned. “Dead serious. Guess my brain finally decided to cooperate.”
“That’s awesome. What’s the story about?”
I hesitated. “Uh, just a little opposites attract.”
“What kind of opposites?” Her voice changed from curious to suspicious.
“An intellectual and a blue-collar guy.” I grimaced. My best friend was smart, and it wouldn’t take much for her to put two and two together.
She gasped. “Did something happen with you and Cole?”
“What would make you think that?”
“Don’t lie to me, Gavin. You’ve gone months without writing a single word, and now all of a sudden you’ve found inspiration?” She stopped just long enough to take a breath. “I swear to god, if you’re holding out on me, I’ll come up there and kick your ass.”
I laughed. She wouldn’t think twice about following through on her threat. I could hear Cole and Pete outside still, so I lowered my voice and said, “Fine. We kissed.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Gavin Michael Price, I know you’re holding out on me.”
I closed my eyes and let out a groan. “I may have helped him out a bit … on my knees.”
“You blew the handyman!” she screeched.
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, even though no one could hear her since she was four hours away. “And technically, he’s the son of the handyman. Cole’s an electrician.”
“Yeah, because that’s the important part in all of this,” she countered. “So, was this a one-time thing, or are we talking about potential romance here?”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Doubtful. He’s been acting like it never happened. I bet he regrets it.”
“Or he’s processing.”
“Either way, I’m not holding my breath,” I said.
“If you say so,” she hummed, but didn’t sound convinced. “Are you going to the tree lighting tonight?”
I blinked. “How do you know about the tree lighting?”
“I remember seeing signs for it when I was in town,” she replied a little too quickly.
Best friend intuition ran both ways. “Allie?”
“Fine.” She huffed. “Ryan mentioned it when we talked last night. He said the whole town shows up for it.”
“You talked to Ryan?”
“I may have come back to New York, but I’m not any more ready to give up my small-town hottie than you are.”
“I already told you, Cole’s not interested.”
“You don’t know that for sure. Maybe you two can have a little moment under the Christmas lights.”
The last thing I needed was to run into Cole in front of the whole damn town.
I chuckled. “Not if I don’t go.”
“You need to,” she argued. “No matter what, if you want the inn to be successful, you’ve got to get friendly with the locals. What better way to do it than at what’s supposedly the biggest annual event?”
“You’re right,” I conceded. “Doesn’t mean I want to, though.”
“Stop being a baby about it,” she teased. “Who knows, you might end up having fun.”
* * *
Judging by how far away I had to park, Allie hadn’t been lying about the size of Brookhaven’s tree lighting event.
By the time I reached the square, it looked like a snow globe had exploded all over the place.
Strings of lights stretched from the gazebo to the storefronts lining the streets, every window was filled with decorations, and a towering fir stood dark, waiting for the big reveal.
A group of kids ran past me, throwing snowballs at each other and nearly colliding with a couple balancing cups of cocoa. I sidestepped just in time and found myself in front of a tent overflowing with wreaths and garlands marked “More than Blooms.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets and thought about Allie telling me I needed to get to know the locals.
Back in New York, small talk with strangers wasn’t exactly my thing, and most people would’ve found it odd if I’d tried.
But here, everyone smiled and seemed approachable.
Maybe it was as simple as introducing myself and seeing where the conversations led.
I began scanning the area for someone who wasn’t already in the midst of a conversation, and, because fate was an asshole, my eyes immediately landed on Cole. Despite him ignoring me all day at the inn, I watched as he made his way closer.