Chapter 2
2
A s Emily left her apartment the next morning, the echoes of Lila’s wedding still lingered in her mind. The laughter, the swirling colors, and the palpable joy reminded her of everything she wanted but had carefully learned to live without.
Monday mornings were supposed to be dull, but not in Mistletoe Hollow. Emily had barely unlocked the hardware store when Grace popped her head out from behind a shelf of paint cans, already buzzing with the kind of energy only coffee or a sugar rush could explain.
“Morning, boss!” Grace chirped. “I’ve already done inventory on aisle three, restocked the hammers, and—oh! Remember that guy I mentioned yesterday? He’s here.”
Emily paused mid-step. “What guy?”
Grace leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a whisper. “The one who showed up during the wedding, all stormy-eyed and mad we were closed. I told him to come back first thing today to talk to the manager.”
Emily sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Grace, please tell me you explained why we were closed.”
“Of course I did!” Grace huffed, crossing her arms. “Not my fault he couldn’t grasp the concept of small-town priorities. But don’t worry—he’s hot enough to almost make up for the attitude. Like, cologne ad hot.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “Great. So, I’m dealing with a grumpy cologne ad this morning. Perfect way to start the week.”
Grace grinned. “I told him you’re tougher than you look. And a morning person!”
“I’m neither of those things.”
The bell above the door jingled, cutting off their exchange.
Emily turned toward the sound of the jingling bell. A tall man with broad shoulders and an air of quiet irritation stepped inside, holding a clipboard like it was a shield. His stormy gray eyes scanned the store, landing on her.
“You the manager?” he asked, his tone clipped.
Emily crossed her arms. “That depends. Are you the customer who was… unhappy we were closed for a wedding?”
His jaw tightened. “That would be me.”
“Great,” she said with a polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Then yes, I’m the manager.”
He didn’t flinch, but there was a flicker of something in his expression—amusement, maybe? It disappeared as quickly as it came. “Noah Winslow,” he said, offering a curt nod. “I’m running the construction project out on Cedar Ridge, and I need supplies. Yesterday.”
“Well,” Emily said, matching his tone, “we don’t time-travel, but we do open at 8 a.m. sharp. And surprise, you’re here now.”
Noah’s mouth twitched, though whether it was in irritation or a suppressed smile, she couldn’t tell. “Look, I just need lumber, nails, and concrete mix. Can you do that, or should I come back when there isn’t a pie contest or goat parade blocking the doors? ”
Emily narrowed her eyes. “We’re fresh out of goats, but the sarcasm aisle is fully stocked. You’re welcome to browse while I get your order ready.”
Noah raised an eyebrow at her reply, but instead of escalating, he glanced around the store. “It’s smaller than I expected.”
Emily stiffened slightly. “It’s efficient. We’ve got what you need without the corporate warehouse maze.”
“Sure,” he said, his tone noncommittal as he scanned a display of power tools. “Assuming everything’s in stock.”
Emily folded her arms, feeling a sudden, inexplicable need to defend more than just the inventory. “It usually is. And for the record, the wedding we were closed for wasn’t just any wedding. It happened to be the wedding of this hardware store’s only daughter and my best friend. Some things are worth taking time for.”
Noah turned back to her, his expression unreadable. “Noted.”
For a second, Emily thought that was the end of it. But then he added, “Must be nice to have time to care about things like that.”
Her jaw tightened. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. ”
Noah’s shrug was maddeningly casual. “Not bad. Just… impractical. Some of us don’t have the luxury of closing up shop whenever there’s a party.”
Emily felt her cheeks heat, and she didn’t bother hiding the edge in her voice. “It wasn’t a party. It was a celebration of people who matter to each other. I’m sorry if that’s hard to understand.”
Noah tilted his head slightly, as if he were studying her. For a moment, there was no snark in his expression—just curiosity. “Not hard to understand. Just… different.”
Emily exhaled slowly, willing herself to rein in her temper. “Different isn’t always a bad thing.”
“Fair,” Noah said, his tone almost conciliatory. But then he glanced at his clipboard, effectively dismissing her statement. “So, about the supplies—how soon can I get them?”
Emily stepped behind the counter, tapping a few keys on the store’s aging computer system. “Let’s see… lumber, nails, concrete mix…” She looked up at him with a faint smile. “Good news. We’ve got it all in stock. Even here in this ‘smaller than expected’ store. ”
His lips twitched, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “When can it be delivered?”
“End of the day,” she replied, intentionally casual.
Noah raised an eyebrow. “That’s cutting it close.”
Emily leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the counter. “That’s life in a small town. We don’t always move at big-city speed, but we get things done. Patience is part of the charm. And just so you know,” she added, her voice tinged with pointed sweetness, “you get more honey when you’re willing to work with the bee. Otherwise, you’ll end up with the stinger.”
Noah’s eyes flicked back to hers, a shadow of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
By mid-afternoon, the delivery truck was loaded and ready to go. Emily climbed into the driver’s seat, double-checking the address Grace had scrawled onto the delivery form. Cedar Ridge was only a few miles out of town, but it felt like a different world.
As she drove up the winding road, the first glimpse of the development came into view: sleek, modern homes with wide windows and manicured lawns. They looked like they’d been plucked from a magazine and dropped into the middle of the countryside.
Emily pulled up to the construction site and hopped out, glancing around for Noah. It didn’t take long to spot him. He was standing by a half-framed house, clipboard in hand, barking instructions to a crew of workers.
“Excuse me,” she called, pulling a pair of work gloves from her pocket. “Delivery from Mistletoe Hardware.”
Noah turned, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp. He strode over, clipboard still in hand. “You’re driving the delivery truck?”
She arched an eyebrow. “That a problem?”
“Just didn’t expect it,” he said, though his tone gave nothing away.
“Well,” she said, opening the truck’s rear doors, “I like to keep things efficient. Besides, who better to make sure you get exactly what you ordered?”
Noah nodded, stepping closer to inspect the supplies. “Looks good.”
Emily smiled tightly. “Glad to hear it. I’ll help you unload. Or are you one of those ‘too busy to get their hands dirty’ types? ”
For the first time, a real smile tugged at his mouth. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Neither are you,” she said, tossing him a pair of gloves.
The sound of hammering and the occasional whirr of a power saw echoed across the construction site as they unloaded the last of the delivery. Noah worked alongside her in silence, his focus sharp and unrelenting.
“Do you ever take a break?” Emily asked, brushing sawdust off her gloves.
Noah glanced over, his brow furrowed. “Not if I can help it.”
“That explains the personality,” she muttered under her breath.
“What was that?”
Emily smiled innocently. “Nothing. Just admiring your commitment to the craft.”
Noah’s lips twitched, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he reached for another stack of lumber, effortlessly lifting it onto his shoulder.
“You know,” Emily said, leaning against the truck, “you might actually be likable if you didn’t scowl at everyone like they owe you money.”
“And you might be more efficient if you didn’t stop to deliver unsolicited character assessments,” Noah shot back, though there was no heat in his tone.
Emily smirked. “Touché.”
The exchange might have ended there, but Noah surprised her by speaking again. “You’ve got a lot of opinions for someone who runs a hardware store.”
“And you’ve got a lot of complaints for someone who needs a hardware store to do their job.”
This time, Noah didn’t bother suppressing his smile. “Fair point.”