We climbed out of the truck, boots crunching in the snow, the air full of music from a speaker someone had hung by the barn doors. A few people milled about with cups of cocoa, andthe whole place radiated that small-town magic Lydia had fallen headfirst into and I’d been resisting since the day I arrived.
Still, standing there, breathing in the smell of woodsmoke and pine, I couldn’t deny it. It did something to me.
“Come on,” Lydia said, looping her arm through mine. “Let’s go find you something that’ll make your apartment look less like a hotel room and more like home.”
I laughed under my breath. “Good luck with that.”
She smiled knowingly. “Oh, I’ve got all the luck I need.”
And for the first time in a long while, as the snow sparkled around us and laughter drifted through the cold morning air, I started to wonder if perhaps Reckless River wasn’t done with me yet.
Chapter Fourteen
Drew
The Rusty Stag was packed wall-to-wall with people escaping the cold. The Christmas festival was in full swing outside, with live music bellowing from the town square, spilling in through the doors, while the faint scent of roasting nuts and cinnamon mingled with coffee and beer.
Through the window, I could see the glow of sidewalk heaters and strings of lights zigzagging over Main Street. Kids were darting between the vendor tents, parents clutching cocoa in mittened hands, laughter bouncing off the snowbanks.
Inside, though, I was not feeling the Christmas spirit.
Callum was wiping down the bar, humming off-key to“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”I’d been watching him for a while, nursing a mug of coffee instead of something stronger because it wasn’t even noon yet.
Finally, I said it.
“So,” I began, my voice casual enough to fool exactly no one, “when were you going to tell me?”
Callum didn’t look up. “About what?”
“About you being a dad.”
That got him.
He froze mid-wipe, turned, and blinked at me with that lazy smirk that always meant he was buying time. “Ah. That.”
I stared at him. “Yeah. That.”
He set the rag down, leaned an elbow on the bar, and grinned like I’d just asked if the sky was blue. “Wasn’t exactly keeping it secret. Figured you’d notice sooner or later.”
I raised a brow. “Youfigured?”
“Well,” he said, reaching for his own coffee, “Lydia and I had a bet.”
My eyebrows climbed higher. “Abet.”
He nodded, perfectly calm. “To see which one of you two would figure it out first.”
“You two?”
“You and Mel.”
I blinked at him. “You had a pregnancy pool?”
He laughed. “Not exactly. Just friendly wagering.”
“Friendly wagering?” I repeated. “On your unborn child?”
He shrugged. “We’re efficient like that.”
