“I’ll start,” Ryan said. “I grew up here, so I’ve been going to these things my whole life. Back then, they were smaller and usually just a few days, but over the years, they’ve all gotten bigger.” He gestured wide with his arms, his eyes lit with excitement. “The Week of Giving Thanks officially starts tomorrow with the craft fair, where you’ll find all manner of holiday décor. But it’s notjusta craft fair. There’s also food and drinks, games, and everything else you’d expect.”
I blinked and looked around at each of them. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
Ryan laughed. “That’s the normal part of the week. There’s the pie-making contest and the pie-eating contest, Black Friday tailgating, which is pretty much a town-wide block party, and of course, the Gratitude Carnival, which is a Thanksgiving-themed carnival in the park.”
“Okay, that does sound like a lot. But it doesn’t sound so bad.” I looked at Lee and then Mac for confirmation. They were new to town too, so their perspectives might change my own.
“It’s not,” Mac began with his trademark smile fixed in place. “Kayla and I fell for each other during the St. Patrick’s Day week. Now it’s my favorite holiday.”
Ryan nodded. “Torey and I pretended to be together during Valentine’s Day to keep the matchmakers off our backs. It worked out perfectly.”
“Wow.” I turned to Lee with a skeptical look. “Is there something in the water?”
He nodded as a slow smile formed. “Yeah. Gorgeous women.”
His words immediately brought Sela to mind. Truth was, the woman wasn’t far from my mind since she rushed out of the bakery. “Speaking of, where’s Nix?”
“At Ol’ St. Nick’s with Torey and Hailey.”
My brows dipped. “What does that mean?”
Ryan laughed. “Ol’ St. Nick’s Pub is the best bar in town.”
“And Hailey got Vegas married during my wedding weekend,” Mac added proudly, as though he had something to do with it.
I shook my head. I knew there were small towns, but Holiday Grove was the smallest town in the world, right? “Wow.” There was nothing else I could say to that, so I let my mind wander back to the bombshell blonde I shouldn’t still be thinking about. She wasn’t interested, and neither was I.
Liar.
“What do you say, Brock? Are you up for it?” Lee’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I looked up with a frown.
“Up for what?”
Lee smiled as if he knew something I didn’t. “Nix said there was a spark earlier between you and Sela.”
“Happy fucking couples,” I groaned. “It’s called a conversation.” But I was secretly pleased that Nix had witnessed the chemistry too.
“Come on. We’re headed to the pub.”
Ol’ St. Nick’s looked like any downtown bar in any city in America, except that it also looked like Thanksgiving had thrown up all over the place. Turkeys were everywhere, made out of construction paper and balloons, and even a turkey piñata. There was a large cornucopia on the bar with beer cans and bar snacks spilling from it. Pilgrim hat and buckle centerpieces topped each table. “Interesting.”
Lee laughed and clapped me on the back. “There’s an empty booth in the back,” he said, pointing to Ryan, who stalked toward the back where Nix and Torey huddled together.
The place was packed, which surprised me. It was a small town on a Sunday evening, and this place felt like a Friday. It took three full minutes to get to the booth. Then I was stuck with two happy couples who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.
“Hey, guys. What can I get you to drink?” Sela appeared at the table looking like a wet fucking dream in her red cropped sweater that showed off a strip of midriff and hung off one shoulder. Her jeans molded to every curve, highlighting strong legs and a flat stomach. Her red stilettos matched her lips, and I couldn’t look away.
Her gaze met mine and widened for a fraction of a second before she put her fake-as-fuck smile back in place. “I’ll have a whiskey neat, please. Unless there’s something you recommend?”
“Spicy apple cider margarita is really good.” She spared me a quick glance and then made a big show of looking away.
Interesting.“I’ll have that, then.” I kept my eyes on her as the rest of the table placed their orders, and when she walked away, my eyes went with her.
Sela was a woman with secrets. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes that stuck with me. She smiled and joked with customers, sidestepped handsy patrons with an admonishing grin, and flirted outrageously with a table of silver-haired men. None of her smiles were real, though, not like the ones I’d gotten this morning.
Careful, Brock. Remember the last time you let a pretty face derail your plans.Yeah, my ex-wife Christina was a real piece of work. I was sure she loved me at some point, but she always loved my money and the fact that my business kept me away from home, leaving her to do whatever she wanted, includingevery single man who smiled her way. After that betrayal and a contentious divorce, I kept my interactions with women simple. I didn’t do complicated, and I didn’t do long-term.
And I didn’t look into a pair of sad blue eyes and wonder who or what put the sadness there.
