Mason stayed long enough to eat another cookie as Dorothy and Kristen told him about the various town holiday festivities.
Finally, he pushed up from the table. “Well, I better get back.”
“Thanks for bringing George home. Kristen, why don’t you walk Mason to the door?” Dorothy took their mugs to the sink.
Mason thought that was a little funny. He could find his own way out. Maybe Dorothy was just being polite. Kristen must have thought so too, because she rose to her feet after casting a strange look at her mother.
She led the way to the front door and leaned against the doorjamb as he stepped out onto the porch.
“That was nice of you to bring George back. Thanks. My mother dotes on that cat.”
Mason turned to face her. He was only a foot away, the first time he’d been this close in the daylight. He noticed how the sunlight turned her eyes to more of a sapphire color and how the cold made her cheeks pink. It was weird because it almost felt like the end of a date. The part where he would kiss her goodnight.
Nope. That was not going to happen. There would be no dates between him and Kristen, so he simply smiled and said, “You’re welcome.” Then he turned and walked back to his house.
Kristen watched Mason walk back across the street. It had been nice of him to return the cat. Her gaze narrowed on the tinsel tree lying on their porch. Had George knocked that over? If so, she was surprised Mason and his father hadn’t just chased the cat off.
Weird, though, that her mom had invited him in for hot cocoa and just happened to have fresh-baked cookies on hand. Then again, her mom was like that. Dorothy loved having people around her kitchen table and feeding them.
Another weird thing: standing in the doorway with him had felt almost like a date. Especially after the previous night at the firepit.
Kristen closed the door, a smile on her face as she remembered how Mason had insisted on following her home in his car even though it was only about a quarter of a mile, and there was never any crime in Pinecone Falls, and they lived across the street from each other anyway.
She got back to the kitchen just as Ethan was coming in through the back door. He narrowed his gaze on the three cookie-crumb-littered plates still on the table and then glanced across the street, where Mason was still on his porch, picking up the tinsel tree.
“Did you have the guy across the street over for cookies?” he asked his mother.
“I was only being polite. He returned George. The cat had been over at his house. Wreaking havoc, probably.”
“So you’re making friends with the enemy.” Ethan grabbed a chocolate chip cookie off the large plate on the counter. It sounded like he was joking but maybe not.
Dorothy turned to look at him. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly classify them as the enemy. I mean, some of the things they sell are complementary to our business. In fact, we were just talking about that.”
“They sell Christmas trees. We sell Christmas trees. Only so many people in town want to buy Christmas trees,” Ethan mumbled through a mouth full of cookie.
Dorothy shrugged. “They have different kinds of trees. Like the silver-tinsel one on the porch. Maybe some people prefer an artificial tree. Some apartments don’t even allow real trees. And some of those artificial trees are nostalgic. I remember when I was a little girl, my parents had a silver tree like that one over there. Of course, once I met your father, I would always have a real tree, but sometimes, I get a longing for the same kind of tree I had as a kid.”
Kristen had never thought about what type of Christmas tree her mom had had as a kid. She’d always assumed that everyone’s Christmases had been just like her own.
Dorothy continued, “Anyway, maybe there’s room for both. All the more reason for us to get our trees out on the lot ASAP.”
Ethan grimaced. “Right. About that. I was just showing Kristen what I’m doing with the trees. They’re not quite ready, but I’m still hopeful they will be in tip-top shape in a few days.”
“And don’t forget about the tree lighting in the town common. Dad always saved the tallest tree for that. People are expecting us to provide that tree.” Dorothy got a misty look in her eyes as if she was remembering Christmases past and the giant tree her husband had always been so proud of.
“Don’t worry, Mom. I know you’re counting on me, and I won’t let you down.” Ethan didn’t sound so sure of himself.
Even George must’ve noticed. He trotted over and started circling Ethan’s ankles.
Kristen expect him to shove the cat away as he had done a few times before, but instead, he bent down and petted him.
“Don’t worry, George. I’ll make sure there are plenty of trees to buy so you can keep getting that expensive cat food Mom likes to spoil you with.”
Chapter 18
Mason was sitting at the table, daydreaming instead of working on the skating-pond plans like he was supposed to be doing, when his phone rang. It was his boss, Brad.
“Hey, Mason, how’s your vacation going?” Brad asked.
