Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
ASHLEY
“Carter, are you okay?”
The man looks like the Ghost of Christmas Past just came for a visit.
He pushes a hand through his thick dark hair, working his jaw, the bandage on the corner crinkling. “Yeah, I’m good.”
An awkward chuckle falls from my lips. “Do you have everything you ever dreamed of and want for nothing?”
I meant it as a joke, but he doesn’t laugh. Instead, his eyes are steady on me, and something in his gaze unsettles me. “There’s definitely something I want.”
I nod slowly, but his eyes still don’t leave me. “All right, well, I’m going to go put mine on the tree.”
I step away from the table, away from the awkwardness of this exchange, and walk to the far side of the tree, where my wish won’t be front and center for Carter to see. I find an empty branch and wrap the ribbon around it so that my bell dangles nicely.
When I come back around the tree, Carter is still staring at his blank piece of paper as if he’s puzzled.
He glances over. “Would you mind grabbing me some more eggnog?”
“Sure, I was just thinking I want some more too.”
I give him a small smile and head back over to the food and drink table. My dentist waylays me, and I take a quick minute to chit chat with her before politely excusing myself.
As I approach the tree again, I watch Carter put the cap back on the marker and set it on the table. Then he goes over to hang his paper bell on one of the branches.
I commit to memory where he hangs his because I’m so curious what he wrote—an urge to sneak back later and read it takes over, which makes me a terrible person. I deserve a lump of coal in my stocking.
He turns away from the tree, and I try to appear completely normal, as if I wasn’t spying on him a little. At first, that same look is on his face as when he was deciding what to write, but then his charming smile transforms his face, and he steps away, breaking the distance between us.
“Thanks.” He takes the cup from my hand, and our fingers brush.
Our gazes come together, the invisible string between us pulled tight.
Carter’s mouth opens, and I’m desperate to know what he’s about to say, but Ester approaches from the side, dragging us both from what I feel was going to be an essential moment.
“Merry Christmas, you two.”
We both mumble Merry Christmas.
“Good to see you again, Carter. How are you enjoying your visit to Mistletoe Falls?”
Carter recovers faster than I do, turning to bestow his usual grin on her. “It’s a great town.”
“You know, I do have a room available at the inn now that the Santas have left town.” Her statement hangs, and Carter looks at me as though to gauge whether I want him to stay at my B&B or not.
Panic twists in my stomach at the idea of him leaving.
He must see something in my expression because he turns back to Ester. “I appreciate that, but I’m already settled, and it makes it a little easier now that Ashley and I are having to help with the wedding.”
She turns to me, concern in her gaze. “Oh? What’s going on?”
I explain to her what happened with my sister’s schedule and how Carter and I have stepped up to ensure things go smoothly for their big day.
“Well, I’m sure you both have it handled. I heard Neil was able to fix your fridge.”
“He was. Thank you again for sending him over.” I manage to hold the smile on my face. No mother wants to hear that her son was a little too pushy when it came to asking for a date.
“Oh, he was more than happy to help. He was supposed to come tonight, but something came up.”
I watch Carter take a long drink from his eggnog, and when he pulls the cup away from his mouth, his lips are pressed into a hard line.
“Well, I really do appreciate his help,” I say.
Ester turns to Carter, and he schools the severity of his expression into a more neutral one.
“Will you be participating in the festivities later?” Her head cocks to the side.
Carter’s gaze flicks to me, but I shake my head, unsure what she’s referring to. “What festivities are those?”
“The Santa Strip Tease. It’s a new thing this year. Holiday music plays while a Santa strips down to his underwear, but to keep the song going, money has to be donated every twenty seconds. All the money goes to the local elementary school.”
I already know what Carter looks like in a Santa suit, but now I’m picturing what he’d look like out of one. Of course, my cheeks betray my thoughts, heating so hot I feel as if I’m in front of the fireplace.
Carter must notice it too because he chuckles. “I’m not sure, Ester. We’ll have to see.”
She faces me. “You know, women can participate too. It’s for a great cause.”
My eyes widen, and my cheeks get even hotter. “Um… I think I’ll pass. I’ll donate though.”
She opens her mouth, and I fear she’s going to press this issue, but thankfully, the universe is looking out for me because my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I pull it out and see that it’s my sister.
“Excuse me, I’m just going to step out to take this.” I hold up my phone and rush out into the hallway, not wanting to miss this call. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for days,” I answer as I step out of the room.
“I know I’m sorry. The schedule has been brutal since we’re trying to get this done before the holidays. If I’m not on set, then I’m sleeping. How’s it going? How’s everything with the wedding coming together?”
I love the excitement in her voice, so I set aside my irritation that she hasn’t gotten back to me.
“Great, no worries. We’ve done the tasting already, and your meal is going to be mouthwatering.
We’re picking up the chairs in a few days, and I have an appointment tomorrow with the seamstress to try on the dress and get any small alterations done. ”
“Oh, Ash, you’re the best. Thank you so much, we couldn’t do this without you guys.”
My chest warms at the appreciation in her voice. “Of course. What good is having a twin sister if you can’t have her step in at the last minute to arrange your wedding?”
We both laugh.
“And how is it with Carter? Managed not to kill each other yet, I take it?” She’s trying to mask her trepidation with humor, but I know her too well.
I hate the idea of Steph being concerned that her big day will be ruined because Carter and I can’t manage to put aside our differences.
Though I’m not even sure we have many differences anymore.
Since I’ve had to spend more time with Carter, I’ve realized that he’s not all that bad.
In fact, he isn’t anything like I thought he was.
“Don’t worry about us. We’re getting along fine. He might not be that terrible of a guy after all.” With the toe of my boot, I kick at a crack in the old flooring.
“I told you! You know I wouldn’t be BFFs with an asshole.”
“Yeah, well, you can’t blame me after my first experience with him.”
There’s silence for a second. “Ash… do I sense some interest in your voice…”
My back goes rigid. “What? No way. I will not put myself in that position again. Not a chance.”
“If you just—”
“Steph, it’s not happening.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll leave it alone.”
“Thank you. Now, is there anything else you need me to do? Mom called me earlier today to make sure I could handle everything on my own—wanting to come and take it over, I’m sure.”
“No surprise there.” I can practically see Steph rolling her eyes.
Our mom is a little type A and tends to manipulate her way into taking over any project she offers to help with. Hence, Steph made it clear when she started planning her wedding that Mom’s help wasn’t required because she’d hired a wedding planner.
“I’m surprised she hasn’t hopped on a flight already and shown up on your doorstep,” she says.
“The only reason she hasn’t is probably because she hates the cold so much.”
We both laugh.
“True. She’s likely trying to limit how many days she must spend in the frigid north,” Steph says.
We both cackle. It’s how my mom always refers to where I live… How’s the frigid north? Is it getting warmer yet in the frigid north? Are you even able to get flowers to grow in the frigid north?
“All right, I have to get back on set.” There’s a sadness in her tone, and I feel her. I miss her so much. “I can’t wait to get there. Thank you again for everything.”
“What are twin sisters for? Love you.”
“Love you too. And listen…”
“Don’t even go where I know you’re going,” I say.
“Just if something develops between you and Carter, I say go for it. He really is a good guy. I promise.”
“Steph, I swear to—”
“Love you, bye!” She hangs up before I can continue my tirade.
I shake my head and slide my phone in the back pocket of my jeans.
I stand in the hallway for a moment longer, thinking about what she said.
Part of me wishes I could be more spontaneous and see where these feelings for Carter take me, but the other half of me is too afraid of being embarrassed and hurt again.
Isn’t one rejection from the man enough? Why would I set myself up for two?
When I return to the party room, Carter is sitting alone at one of the tables. He’s such a social guy that seeing him solitary seems… off.
He hasn’t spotted me yet since he’s looking contemplatively into his cup of eggnog.
Gary, the local butcher, is hanging his paper bell on the Christmas tree, and I wave.
I look into my cup. It’s three-quarters empty, so I knock back the rest and walk over to the food and drink table to get the two of us another glass.
I rock back and forth to the beat of the music as I ladle the buttery yellow mixture into the cups. I’m feeling light and at ease. Maybe I should forgo this cup, but it’s Christmas time, and it’s been so stressful lately, I deserve to let loose a little.
Now I realize that to walk over to Carter, I have to pass the Christmas tree, and I fully intend to sneak a peek at what he wrote on his paper bell.
Maybe it’s a little sneaky. I could ask him, and he’d probably tell me.
But then he might ask what I put on mine, and I’d feel like I had to tell him, which is an absolute no.
Once I’ve poured both cups, I make my way along the wall, watching to make sure Carter doesn’t notice me. I don’t want him to know I’m being a snoop.
I go along the back of the tree to where I saw him hang his paper bell. It takes me a second to locate his, but when I do, I step closer to read what he wrote.
MY WISH IS THAT MY VISION WILL COME TRUE.
I frown. Not what I was hoping for. What is his vision? It must be about the business he wants to start.
Disappointment shouldn’t be what washes over me, but it does, and it makes me wonder what I was hoping I would read. Why did I want to snoop in the first place?
“Got you another.” I set the paper cup in front of him and sit to his right.
“Thanks, appreciate it. I’m assuming it was Steph?”
I nod and sip my drink. “Yup. Just checking in.”
I watch everyone dancing in the center of the room, and for the first time, I want to join them, which is odd since I’ve never once danced at a community event. I’ve always been too self-conscious about how people would be watching me.
I catch Mrs. Mitrovski shuffling over toward our table. I divert all eye contact, hoping she’ll decide to find another place to sit. “Oh god, we need to get up from this table right now.”
“Why?” Carter glances around as though he’s not sure why I sound so panicked.
Once he gets sucked into a conversation with Mrs. Mitrovski, he’ll understand. She’s a lovely lady, but it’s impossible to extract yourself once the conversation starts. You’ll politely tell her you have to go, and she’ll acknowledge it, then bring up some other topic.
“Are you going to introduce me to your handsome friend, Ashley?” Mrs. Mitrovski sits next to Carter.
“You’ll see,” I say out of the side of my mouth, then relax into my seat because I’ll be here for a while.