Chapter Sixteen
I walked into the diner, and before I could catch anyone’s attention, someone called my name.
A glance at booth six showed me familiar faces.
When I waved, I noticed my hand was still shaking from that kiss at the farm.
They motioned me over, which left me little choice but to join them, even though I wasn’t sure how I’d get through a discussion with my brain replaying our kiss on repeat.
I walked toward half of the girl gang. Heather, Addie, Mel, and Ivy were sitting in a booth, sipping coffee and eating rolls.
Ivy jumped up as I approached and pushed me toward the booth. “Sit, I’ll get you a snack.”
Opening my mouth to say I was fine was futile as she was gone before I got a word out. She left me with little choice but to plop into the booth next to Mel, who put her arm around my shoulders.
“Are you okay?” she asked, the other women eyeing me closely.
“Fine, fine,” I promised, leaning my head against hers for a moment. “Where are the littles?”
“The dads took them to the park for one last play before the snow falls,” Addie answered.
“Did you have to say the S word?” I teased. “I was hoping to get through next Friday before it hits.”
Ivy slid a caramel roll and a cup of coffee onto the booth before she scootched me closer to Mel and sat next to me. “I literally just heard a rumor from Becca.”
Of course, she had. The question was, which rumor?
“You’re the tree lighter this year!” she exclaimed, clapping giddily.
Oh, thank God. I plastered a happy smile on my face as the rest of the table started talking at once.
After motioning with my hands for them to chill, I spoke.
“The rumor is true. Mayor Tottle asked me this morning, and while I still think it’s silly to ask me, considering what my business is, I did agree to do it. ”
“Your business isn’t silly!” Addie said, pounding her fist on the table and making everyone’s coffee slosh precariously. “Your order total should also tell you that.”
“She’s right,” Heather said. “Though, if it makes you feel any better, all of us around this table have lit the tree, and I think we all felt that way to a degree.”
Ivy pointed at her as I cut into the roll and took a bite. It smelled so good, and all that fresh farm air made me hungry. The farm. The kiss. I grimaced while chewing, washing it down with a sip of coffee. Why did I let him kiss me like that? Better question, why did I kiss him back?
“It’s a ton of fun and with all the parents in attendance, the free advertising you’ll get will be exceptional,” Ivy said. “All you have to do is give a short little speech and flip the switch.”
“A speech?” I asked as my fork clattered onto the table. “I totally forgot about the speech. I was distracted this morning, and it didn’t cross my mind until just now,” I admitted, jamming more caramel roll in my mouth to avoid explaining that statement.
“Because you were with Major?” Ivy asked, and I almost choked.
Coughing, Ivy banged on my back a couple of times until I could speak. The other girls had smirks on their faces, darting their eyes between each other as though they were being stealthy when they were anything but. “No, because I was thinking about getting to the farm for my meeting.”
Ivy’s snort was comical, and if it hadn’t been aimed at me, I would have laughed.
“Just take Major up on stage with you,” Heather suggested slyly. Well, she thought she was being sly, but honestly, could they be more transparent?
“Whatever for?” I asked, feigning innocence. “It’s bad enough that now I have to give a speech. What is this speech supposed to be about?” I asked, hoping to distract them into answering the second question instead of the first. Besides, I did need to know what the speech was supposed to be about.
“Usually, the speech is about your business and how it applies to the people of Bells Pass.”
“Great,” I said, my eyes rolling around in my head. “That’s not going to be hard or anything.”
It’s really not,” Mel said with a shrug.
"Open with how important it is to teach kids about different customs and traditions around the world, and by making them the main character in the book, they become invested in the story. Not only does it teach kids to read, but it also fosters a love of literature and helps them become lifelong readers.”
Holding up my finger, I grabbed my phone.
“Could you repeat that?” I asked, holding it out to her as if it were a microphone.
They all laughed, but I took a moment to jot down the main idea on the phone before putting it away.
“That was fabulous. I’ll credit you when I give the speech.
” The promise was made with a shoulder bump that made everyone laugh again.
“How did your meeting go at the farm?” Ivy asked as I pushed the rest of the roll away from me to sip my coffee.
“Great. Stephan is on top of things and has ordered what we’ll need for the snack shack. I promised to swing by after our meeting to do more planning for the season.” Since I didn’t know how much everyone else knew about the changes ahead, I didn’t want to say too much.
“It’s a great idea,” Mel said, telling me they knew what I was talking about, so I heaved a sigh of relief.
“Sure, the store is open when people are there to pick out trees, but it’s hard to take the kids inside and not have to buy them all the cute merchandise.
” Heads nodded around the table as they all laughed at a joke I couldn’t relate to, though it was easy to understand.
The Evergreen Acres store was packed with a wide selection of cute toys, clothes, winter items, books, and food.
“Having the shack outside will be welcomed when they are there to grab a tree and a treat and head out.”
“Hopefully,” I agreed. “If it doesn’t do well, then we aren’t out much. The shack can be repurposed for many things on the farm, so I think it’s worth experimenting.”
“Considering how you turned an old food truck into a raging success, I have no doubts,” Addie said.
“Maybe I spilled the beans about your new position. I hope that’s not presumptuous.” Ivy said.
“We’re so excited for you!” Mel squealed as Addie and Heather nodded in agreement.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling. “I wasn’t expecting any of this, to be honest. It came as a total surprise, but I’m so grateful for the chance. I’ve loved working with the kids on the food truck this past year, so to get to do it full-time will be a joy.”
“You earned it,” Ivy said with conviction. “You’ve helped grow the business so much over the past few years by nurturing the waitstaff to communicate better with customers. Not to mention teaching the bakers new recipes that have become huge successes.”
“Yeah, look at the tortillas. Man, we can’t keep those on the shelves at the bakery,” Mel said, and I snapped my fingers.
“That’s why I came in. I was looking for a few tortillas. Are you sold out here, too?”
“We always keep some for our menu items,” Ivy said. “How many do you need? The kids won’t make more until Monday.”
“Four?” I asked.
“Oh, no problem. The Spanish Rooster won’t be on the menu again until Tuesday, so we have plenty.”
“You’re putting the rooster on the menu this Tuesday already?”
Ivy shrugged, biting back a smile. “I mean, how can I not? It’s the most requested dish on Tuesdays. For now, we’ll make it the daily special and see how long the excitement lasts. If it stays popular, it could be a candidate for the new menu in the spring.”
I did a fist pump, making everyone laugh with glee. “That makes me so happy! Of course, we should probably still have it at the taco truck on Tuesdays, or I’ll lose all my regulars who come just for that.”
“There are never enough places to get the rooster,” Heather said. “Are you making them tonight or something?”
“Yes,” I answered without thinking and grimaced when Ivy gasped.
“How dare you?” We giggled at her indignant tone that cracked with humor. “I can’t believe you have the audacity to make them at home when it’s your recipe!”
My snort was amused as I shook my head, a smile tipping my lips. “I won’t do it often, but I promised to make it tonight, so I thought if I had some tortillas, he would probably like that.”
“He?” Addie said, jumping on the one word.
“She means Major,” Ivy said as though she had to interpret for me, and I braced my elbow on the table so I could dump my head into my open palm. “She took him to the farm with her this morning.”
“He’d never been there,” I explained without looking up. “He saw me leaving and asked if he could go. What was I supposed to say? No?”
“You could have, but it wouldn’t have been very nice,” Heather said, biting back a smile.
“Where is he now?” Ivy asked, glancing down the aisle toward the door.
“After the farm, the hospital called to see if he’d check on his patient from last night. They wanted him to consult on continuing care before his release. He won’t be long.”
“He’s very dedicated,” Mel said. “AJ told Holly she was glad he was working the day she broke her foot because she feels like he’s on top of all the new technology and ways to make the most of it to help people.”
“From what he was telling me today about the patient from last night, I agree with AJ. Anyway, I should go. I need to make that rice.”
“Becca also said she had quite the discussion with Major this morning, and I should make sure you’re okay.”
With a deep moan, I threw my head back against the booth. “Of course. Why not? Just ruin my life, why don’t you, Becca?”
“I’m not sure how her concern for you is ruining your life,” Ivy said gently, and I dropped my head back into my hand.
“Not what I meant. I’m confused and feel like a brat who demanded things that weren’t owed. Then the kiss happened, and everything is all jumbled up.”
The dead silence around the table didn’t register at first because I was lost in my thoughts. It was only after Heather cleared her throat that I looked up and saw everyone staring at me with wide eyes.
“Kiss? What kiss?” she asked, leaning in as though I had the hottest Hollywood tea to spill.
“The one in the woods by the big tree?” I asked, my voice high-pitched and squeaky. Ivy, to her credit, didn’t squeal the way I expected. Probably because she sensed the discord within me. “It was unexpected, to say the least."
“Was it, though?” Heather asked. “We’ve all seen the way he looks at you.”
“Except maybe you,” Mel added, and I shrugged as though that would ever be enough for this bunch.
“It’s not that I don’t see it,” I clarified. “I just.” Another shrug was all I had left to say.
“You don’t think you deserve him,” Ivy said.
“Lawd, do I know that one,” Mel whispered, and Heather nodded, pointing at herself.
“Guys, he’s nine years older than I am and a doctor.”
“Did either of those two things matter when he had his tongue down your throat today?” Addie asked.
I gasped while the rest of them snorted, trying to hold in their laughter but failing. “Kill me now, Lord,” I moaned. “It wasn’t that kind of a kiss!” It so was, but there wasn’t a snowball's chance in hell I was going to tell them that.
“According to Becca’s security cameras, that is a lie,” Ivy said, and I flipped my head to see if she was kidding. She wasn’t.
“When did they put up security cameras?” The question was asked in shocked surprise because, as far as I knew, they didn’t have any out there.
“Was going to mention that at the meeting this week, but I wasn’t expecting you to be sucking face with Dr. McHottie before that.”
My eyes rolled at her nickname for him. While accurate, I refused to engage.
“Cameron decided the field needed coverage to protect the tree from humans and animals,” Heather explained. “I’m glad he finally got the entire property covered. It protects him in multiple ways.”
“I agree with that statement,” I said with a nod. “Well, I’ll grab those tortillas and be off then.” My tone was cheerful as if the last twenty minutes hadn’t happened. “Thanks for the roll and coffee.”
“You’re welcome,” Ivy said without budging. “But we need to circle back to why you think you don’t deserve him.”
“I didn’t say that,” I pointed out. “You guys said that.”
“Your face did,” Heather muttered, and Addie snorted. “Too bad Becca isn’t here.”
“Why?” I asked, glancing between her and Heather.
Heather answered. “Because she’d tell you how the ten years between her and my brother don’t matter, and neither does anything else other than how you feel when you’re together.
Everything else is noise, not of your creation, so all you can do is let it go and focus on what’s important.
When you see Becca and Cam together, do you see the ten years between them?
” I shook my head. “Do you see that my brother has advanced degrees, multiple businesses, and more zeros in his bank account than I can count, while Becca has no degrees and came from a childhood of depravity?”
“Now you’re just being silly,” I said with a huff, wishing I could cross my arms over my chest, but my splint made it impossible.
“No, you are,” Ivy said. “That’s their point.”
“Because the fact that he’s older and a doctor isn’t a good reason not to date him?” I asked, earning a round of head nodding.
“That was the feeling I got this morning when he had his tongue down my throat,” I admitted, waiting for Ivy’s squeal in my ear. When it happened, I was not disappointed. The entire diner turned to look. Ivy gave zero cares as she threw her arms around me.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed, laughter on her lips as Mel, Heather, and Addie joined in. “That man is fine,” she said, drawing the word out.
That’s when I remembered the conversation at the farm between him and Becca.
My heart sank. When I dropped him at the house to get his car, he made me promise I’d be there when he returned so we could share dinner and talk.
I didn’t know the whole story, but I worried that he thought my reluctance to date him was because of his leg, which wasn’t the case.
The idea that he thought I’d walk away if he told me the truth strengthened my resolve to lead with my heart tonight and show him that he was safe with me.