Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Carissa loved the farm store with its homemade décor and desserts, farm-raised meat, and assorted fresh vegetables. While the young couples checked out the festival, she and Max perused the many offerings inside. At first, Max held her growing pile of purchases until an employee quietly offered him a cart.
“Sorry about that.” Carissa nibbled her lip. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
He shrugged as he placed her items in the cart. “It’s fine. I was happy to continue carrying everything, but this makes it easier.”
They wandered through the store, admiring the various baked goods. Carissa wasn’t much of a baker, but she did have a sweet tooth. It was difficult not to put every item into their cart.
Once she was satisfied with her lot, she and Max got in line at the checkout. She looked over her items with a smile. When she glanced at Max, she noticed he hadn’t picked up anything for himself. “There’s nothing you wanted?”
He shook his head. “I only decorate for Christmas these days.”
Lifting a pie, she held it out. “You don’t like pie?”
“I do, but Lanie makes the best apple and pumpkin pies. I’m sure she’s going to make a ton of delicious desserts with all the apples we picked.”
A twinge in her gut caused Carissa to turn around. What she wouldn’t give to be able to share a pie with Chuck and his family. Her parents had passed many years ago, but Chuck’s parents were still around. While they’d always been kind to her, she wouldn’t say they were close. Ever since the funeral, she rarely saw any of his relatives. At first, it had hurt too much, then so much time passed that it didn’t seem appropriate to reach out.
“Next!” a cashier called.
Carissa and Max wheeled her cart over to the lane and began removing the items. It took longer than she expected, and she worried she’d gone overboard.
It’ll brighten up the house , she told herself. Her home could use it. Returning home alone after spending time with Max and Lanie made her rather lonely.
After she finished checking out, Max helped her carry her bags to Steven’s SUV. Steven, Rose, Lanie, and Nate were heading down the sidewalk toward them, each carrying a cup of warm apple cider.
“We grabbed you guys one too.” Lanie held out a Styrofoam tray holding two additional cups.
“Thank you,” Carissa said, lifting one of the cups and wrapping her hands around it. The sun was lower in the sky than she’d expected, and a chill was in the air.
“We should get back.” Max accepted his cup and took a sip.
“You good with me driving your truck again?” Nate asked Max.
Max nodded. “I’ll follow you out.”
Carissa, Max, Steven, and Rose headed to the SUV while Nate and Lanie went to the truck. When Max opened the passenger door for her, Carissa couldn’t help noticing he seemed disappointed, though she couldn’t imagine why. The ride home was much quieter than the trip to the farm had been. She hid a smile. It appeared apple picking had had the same effect on Max’s adult children that it had when they were little.
When they arrived at Max’s house, Carissa felt a pang of regret. She wasn’t quite ready for the day to end. Max helped her transfer her purchases from Steven’s vehicle to hers, then Steven and Rose headed home.
“Nate and I are going to dinner if you’d like to join us,” Lanie said as Nate handed Max the truck keys.
Carissa exchanged a glance with Max and shook her head. “I need to get back. I’ve got some work to do this evening.”
Something flashed in Max’s eyes, but before she could decipher the emotion, it was gone.
He nodded to Lanie. “You go have fun. I’ve got some leftovers calling my name.”
“I’ll see you for your dress fitting next week,” Carissa called as Lanie and Nate walked away.
When she was alone with Max, she smiled. “Thanks for inviting me.”
“I’m glad you came.”
They stood in an awkward silence as she debated what to say. While she did have work to do, she wasn’t quite ready to leave. Deep down, she hoped he would ask her out again.
“So, how’d I do?” Max finally asked.
She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
“This was our trial run, wasn’t it? Sort of a preview before you’d agree to have lunch with me.”
A laugh bubbled up in her throat. “Ah, right.” His nearness made it difficult for her to think. “And this outing, it would still be just friends, right?”
“I—” Max began then closed his mouth. His eyebrows pulled together.
“What’s wrong?”
He ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. “I know that’s what I said, but…”
“But?” she asked breathlessly.
“I want… more.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Like a real date?”
“Exactly.” His gaze swept over her hungrily before his frown deepened. “But I promised Lanie.”
And just like that, the warmth that had been building in her chest vanished. “Right.” After such a wonderful day, she’d almost forgotten she was still planning his daughter’s wedding. “She didn’t seem to mind me tagging along today.”
“I’m not sure what she felt,” Max said. “But I’m sure if she wasn’t happy about it, I’ll get an earful later.”
Carissa sighed. “She’s right to be concerned. If we start something and it doesn’t go well, it will make the wedding awkward.”
“I suppose we could wait until after the wedding.” From Max’s tone, Carissa gathered that wasn’t what he wanted. In truth, it wasn’t what she wanted either, but it seemed their only option.
“It’s only a few months away,” she agreed reluctantly.
“Or…” He took a deep breath. “We could keep it a secret.”
She burst out laughing. “Because that went so well last time.”
His harrumph only made her smile wider. “It was an accident. I wasn’t thinking.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “This is different. It’s not wedding-related, which means I’m less likely to slip up again.”
“If she found out, you’re not the only one who’d be in hot water. My reputation, my business could be tarnished.” Her heart hammered in her chest, both from his proximity and a real concern for what that might mean for her livelihood. Her eyes searched his face. Is he worth the repercussions I could face if this ends badly?
“I know, and I hate the idea of sneaking around, but waiting until after Christmas is worse.” His fingers tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and her skin heated where he touched her. Part of her wondered if he would kiss her, and she feared she wouldn’t be able to resist him if he did.
Words failed her. Her heart wanted to throw caution to the wind and see if her growing feelings might develop into something real. But as her mind played out the worst-case scenarios, it put a damper on her passion. A cool breeze blew past them, causing her to shiver.
“Do you want to come inside?” Max gestured to the house. “I don’t want you to freeze.”
“I should go.” His face fell, and she hurried on. “But let’s plan to grab lunch this weekend.”
He smiled. “Saturday?”
“Saturday sounds perfect.”
“Until then,” he said.
They walked to her car, and he opened her door. She buckled herself in and backed out of his driveway. When she glanced in the rearview, he was still standing outside, watching her leave.
The whole way home, she was on cloud nine. As she gathered her bags and carried them into the house, she practically floated to the door. After Chuck had passed, she never expected to feel this way again and certainly not about Max McAllister. But so much had changed between them in the last month, and she couldn’t wait for Saturday.
First, she had to get through her pitch.
When Wednesday finally arrived, Carissa was a bundle of nerves. She drove into the city and parked in the garage under the building where Imaginavigation Enterprises was headquartered. As she took the elevator to the lobby, she kept smoothing her hair and her clothes to keep her hands from shaking.
The receptionist took her name and showed her into a large conference room. A table in the center had somewhere between twenty to thirty chairs stationed around it, though she wasn’t sure how many people from the board would be in attendance. A large screen stood at one end, and she decided to set up there.
After plugging in her laptop, she clicked through her slides to make sure everything worked. Once she was ready, she took a seat and sipped from the provided water bottle, trying to calm her nerves.
To her chagrin, Jacob was first to arrive. She kept a neutral smile on her face while she shook his hand and prayed he wouldn’t recall their encounter from the other night.
“Carissa, glad you were able to come today.” His eyes swept over her body, and she resisted the urge to pull away from him. “I was disappointed our date the other night was cut short.”
Bile rose up in her throat, but she swallowed it. “It was unfortunate you had to leave our business meeting so abruptly.”
His face darkened, and he opened his mouth to respond, but she was saved from whatever he was going to say by the door opening and the board members filing in. One by one, they shook her hand and introduced themselves before taking their seats.
After everyone was seated, Jacob stood and gave a small introduction. “Now that we’ve all met Carissa, let me tell you about our lunch meeting last month to give you a sense of what she has to offer. Carissa owns a little wedding business in southern Maryland and has recently sought to branch out into corporate events, including holiday parties and team-building retreats.”
She bristled at the description of her business as “little” but worked to keep her smile on her face. As Jacob continued, he couldn’t seem to resist firing a jab at her here and there, but thankfully, his remarks mostly went unnoticed by the rest of the board. When he was finished, he sat down with a satisfied smirk.
Determined not to let him rile her, she took a deep breath and mentally counted down from ten before she began. He was one of many who would decide which event coordinator would get the company’s business. If she could win over everyone else in the room, she could not only realize her dream but also make him eat crow. The thought thrilled her, and a genuine smile tugged at her lips.
“Thank you for having me today. I’ve enjoyed learning more about your company.” She cleared her throat. “I was asked to present three different options for events that I think will help strengthen the cohesiveness of your company through team building, but first, I’d like to tell you more about me and how I got started in event planning.”
Clicking to the next slide, she began the speech she’d rehearsed over the last several days. Her confidence grew as she finished her introduction, and several board members leaned forward, clearly interested.
“The first option I have for you is a trip to a local winery.” The next slide showed a beautiful landscape of rolling hills against a deep-blue sky. “For the first night, a wine tasting will be provided for an icebreaker. Then you’ll take a horseback ride through the countryside, followed by a special dinner pairing each course with a different wine. Other activities will include a cooking class, a soccer game, and a tour of the winery, during which you will be provided an overview of the wine-making process.”
She saw a few nods in the audience, but overall, the reaction wasn’t positive. But Carissa had expected that. The winery was her least favorite of her three ideas, and she’d decided to start small and work her way up to the best one, which she hoped would win them over.
Her next slide showed the National Harbor lit up at night. “For the next option, we have a long weekend in the National Harbor. One of the benefits is it’s not far from the city. Folks can go home at night to their families or choose to stay in the lovely Gaylord Hotel. The first night will have a welcome dinner cruise. One of the team-building activities will be an escape room. There will also be a rowing contest on the Potomac River.”
After she gave a few more details about the second option, she glanced at the board members to gauge their reactions. Some maintained eye contact, but most were losing interest. She started to wonder if she should have presented her ideas in reverse order or discussed her favorite option in the middle to keep their attention.
Quickly clicking to the next slide, she squared her shoulders and paused dramatically. The sudden silence had the desired impact, as many people put aside their phones and focused on her once more.
“And last but certainly not least, the third option is a trip to Deep Creek Lake. As with the second option, there will be an opportunity for water sports but also mountain climbing, biking, hiking, and sightseeing. There are several cabins that can be booked for a week, allowing a perfect getaway with a rustic backdrop while still incorporating modern conveniences like Wi-Fi.”
As she finished her presentation, she put her hands behind her back and gazed at the board members expectantly. “Any questions?”
Hands shot up around the room, and her earlier fear about the order of her presentation melted away. She was so busy fielding the questions they fired at her she barely noticed Jacob scowling from across the room. Though her confidence soared, her stomach did a little flip. She worried that even if the board voted in her favor, Jacob would find a way to quash the opportunity.