Page 44 of Mistletoe Mischief

“Hello,” Merry said.

“Hey,” Holly said, splitting her attention between Ryler and Kit. “Are you enjoying your stay so far?”

“Absolutely,” Ryler gushed.

“It’s a beautiful area,” Kit added.

Ryler nodded. “And such a cute town.”

“Wonderful. You’ll have to come by my shop,” Holly said, reaching into her purse and holding out a card for each of them. “It’s called A Shop for All Seasons. It’s about three doors down on the left.”

“Oh, that’s funny,” Ryler said, tapping the card with her finger. “Pike actually suggested that we should check out your shop today and get some ornaments for our tree. He was talking it up big-time.”

“Well, hopefully we don’t fall short of your expectations,” Holly said, smiling. “I’ll be down there in about fifteen minutes, and I’ll be more than happy to help you find everything you need.”

The barista called Holly’s and Merry’s names, and they excused themselves to grab their drinks.

“It was very nice to meet you,” Merry called out, addressing Kit.

“Likewise,” he said.

“See you soon,” Holly said with a wave, before the two women left the shop.

Kit grinned. “I didn’t see a ring on Holly’s finger.”

“Except she’s got a business and family here, so you know she isn’t leaving town for anyone. If you’re going to win her heart, you’ll have to stay here,” Ryler teased.

“I could think of worse fates,” Kit said, stepping forward when their names were called.

When he handed Ryler her coffee, she said, “If you’re thinking about leaving me to chase after your dream girl in Small-town, Idaho, you might want to say something.”

“Are you kidding me?” Kit said, getting the door for her. “I get to go explore the world with my friends and get paid to do it. What is better than that?”

Ryler almost agreed with him, although it would be nice to find someone to love and share her dream with. As they strolled out onto the sidewalk and down the street, Ryler took in the scenery around them. Men were up on ladders, changing over the fall foliage that had been wrapped around each lamppost and stretched across the main road for greenery with red bows and white lights. Although it was just the day after Thanksgiving, it was the first indication that Christmas would be here in just a few weeks.

“You would think they would wait until at least December first,” Ryler said, pointing to the lit Merry Christmas sign the bank was hanging in their window display. “Give Thanksgiving time to breathe.”

“I’m pretty sure in America, Christmas starts on November first,” Kit said, smirking, “and Thanksgiving is just thrown in there because they haven’t figured out how to do away with it yet.”

“Maybe for some people, but I believe that the holidays should have their own time without encroaching on each other,” Ryler said.

“Good for you,” he said, giving her a short, slow clap. “My mom is big on Christmas and starts listening to Christmas music the day after Halloween. She also collects Santa Claus figures and displays them all over the house. It’s kind of creepy if you’re not prepared for it.”

Ryler laughed. “I have my mother’s little nativity scene that she painted as a girl, but it’s tucked away in a box in my closet.”

“You should’ve brought it, and you could’ve set it out to enjoy this Christmas.”

“No,” Ryler said, sharper than she intended and softened her tone to clarify, “I always thought that when I found someplace I wanted to settle down in, I would bring it out to celebrate finally finding my home again.”

“You don’t like your condo in California?” Kit asked.

“It’s just a place to lay my head in between trips.”

“See, you and me, we’re rolling stones,” Kit said, talking more animatedly than she’d ever seen him. “We like to travel, although eventually, we will find a home to settle down, but we’re not in any hurry.”

“I guess that’s why we all love Excursions,” Ryler said.

“Except Neil and Alia aren’t like us.”