Chapter
Twenty-Five
Whitney
Riding in a fire truck in a small town Christmas parade was something I’d never imagined happening to me, but as Rob helps me down out of the engine, I’m so overcome by the holiday spirit, I want to throw my arms around him and kiss him like we’re under the mistletoe.
I don’t, of course. There are a ton of people watching. But I want to.
“The next part is boring,” he tells me once my boots hit the ground. “Just making sure everybody leaves their stuff in a way that doesn’t block other people before they walk over to the fair, and then I usually park the engine behind the cruiser blocking off the street because it looks festive. You should go get us some snickerdoodles and then find my family. I’ll meet up with them as soon as I can.”
It feels strange to walk away from him without a goodbye kiss, or at least a touch, and as I make my way through the crowd in search of the renowned snickerdoodles, I remind myself Ihave to get used to it. I’m not going to have him in my life for very much longer.
Even surrounded by the community’s revelry, I suddenly feel sad and a little empty. I’m not sure I’ve ever dated—or whatever I’m calling it—a man like Rob before. He makes me laugh and when I’m with him, I relax, but he doesn’t do it at the expense of what’s important to me, like my job.
I wonder if we’d met under difference circumstances, if we’d have taken the time to get to know each other. Not that it matters, because if I’d run into him in the city, I might not even have noticed him. I’m in a strange place here in Charming Lake. I’m working, and yet it’s not at all like my usual job.
Either way, it’s depressing, so when I get to the front of the snickerdoodle line, I buy four of the snickerdoodles, which she puts in a tiny paper bag for me because I want to wait and enjoy them with Rob. For some reason, I think he’ll be disappointed if he doesn’t get to see my reaction to the first bite.
When I join the Byrne family, Mel and Elsa are in the middle of begging to go sledding. Sam, of course, wants to go just because his cousins want to. And when they’re all told to wait for Uncle Rob because helovesto take them sledding, I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
When Donovan turns and sees me, he smiles. “That’s a very festive sweater. Not your usual style, but I like it.”
“It makes Rob happy,” I say, and when my boss’s eyebrows shoot for his hairline, I realize I’ve made a huge mistake. “He tricked me into wearing it, believe it or not.”
“Oh, I’m married to his sister. Trust me, I believe it,” he replies in a voice so warm with affection, it makes my heart ache.
“What have you got there?” he asks, nodding toward the paper bag I’m holding.
I clutch it to my chest. “Nothing.”
“Are those Mrs. Johnson’s snickerdoodles?” His eyes narrow. “How much do you want for them?”
“They’re not for sale.”
He laughs. “Come on, Whitney. Everything’s for sale.”
“They’re for Rob.” Usually I’d be confident my boss isn’t the kind of jerk who’d use his power over my income to steal cookies from me, but Rob did warn me people can get rowdy when it comes to the snickerdoodles.
The corners of his lips twitch and he leans close so he can lower his voice. “I have three in a bag in my pocket, for me and Natalie and Sam.”
I also lower my voice. “You miscalculated, then, because Natalie is going to take that bag into the bathroom, lock the door, and eat all three.”
His laughter draws the attention of everybody else, including Rob, who’s just appeared at my side. “What’s funny?”
“I was trying to buy Whitney’s snickerdoodles,” Donovan says before I can answer. “But she said they’re for you, so I guess I can’t afford them.”
A look passes between the two men that I can’t quite decipher, and I know I’m missing some subtext in what Donovan said. But I’m distracted from worrying about how much Natalie has told my boss by Sam jumping up and down.
“I want to go on the sleds!”
“You were volunteered, by the way,” I tell Rob, grateful for the subject change.
“Actually, I think I’ll take the kids over,” Donovan says. “You two did all the work for the fair. You should get to enjoy it.”
Another pointed look passes between the men, and then Donovan gathers up Sam and tells the rest of the family they’re heading for the sled runs.
Rob tucks his hand under my arm and subtly steers me away from the family before we can get sucked into the excitement.Because of the crowd, I’m a little turned around and I don’t realize where we’re heading until I see the General Store in front of us. Once we’ve gotten our coffees, Rob guides us to some hay bales that have been placed around town for people to sit on.
