Page 105 of Meet Me on Mistletoe Lane

Jo threw her arms up before dropping them to her side, her shoulders slumping. “Seriously? After all that work…nothing?”

Apparently to Mr. Bailey, there was a change.

Just not the one we wanted.

We all looked to James for some kind of explanation, but he just frowned and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m sorry, guys. But I’m not ready to give up. Not yet.” He smiled, but it seemed far less confident than the ones I had come to know.

Not yet?

What, did he already have some elaborate plan he hadn’t yet shared?

Maybe I could get Marco and Nico to steal the salt cod Nona had bought for the seven-fishes dinner and hide them in The Market tonight?

But before I could tell him, James had already jogged away to join his dad.

And with him, what little flicker of optimism I had left got snuffed out.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“I’d hate to see you miss out on something. I’d hate to see you not find what you really want.”

—The Family Stone

I woke up the next morning feeling bloated, from drowning my anxieties in too much Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, and cold because at some point in the night, Jo had decided to take all the blankets for herself.

The sleepover had been her idea. I think she knew I’d probably spiral if I was left alone after hearing about Mr. Bailey’s meeting with some fancy-shmancy buyers today. I rolled over and smiled at my best friend sleeping soundly next to me, mouth open as she quietly snored, blond hair spilling around her pillow like sunshine.

The house was uncharacteristically quiet, but then again, there was barely any light outside. I grabbed my phone off its charger on my nightstand.

Ugh. Six forty-five a.m.

It was so hard to sleep in on a Saturday when your brain was auto-programmed on “school time” nine months out of the year.

I quietly rolled out of bed and slid my bare feet into my plush reindeer slippers before shuffling over to my desk. The brochure for the Adventure Italy Academy sat open from where Jo had left it last night. She’d flipped through the glossy pages, reading about the special events, activities, and guided tours, while adding even more to my packing list. I still didn’t know how I was going to get everything done while fake dating James and trying to convince his father not to sell The Market to some random person who didn’t even know Mullings Creek.

Oh, and how could I forget the ever-so-inconvenient timing that I may, in fact, have had deeper feelings for Sam than I let myself believe?

But sure, let’s just flee the country, Gianna.

“You ready for a fun day of shopping?” Jo said from behind me, her voice scratchy. She yawned and sat up, stretching her arms above her head.

I sighed and fell into my desk chair. “Shouldn’t we be, I dunno, planning another intervention with Mr. Bailey?”

Jo opened her mouth but was interrupted by the chimes of multiple texts.

She tossed me my phone and then grabbed a pillow to put on her lap.

James: Good morning!

James: Dad’s meeting this morning got moved to this afternoon in DC, so we’re heading to the train station now. He said we’ll be back in a couple of days.

James: He wants to take me to a hockey game and do some shopping.

I read the messages aloud to Jo who lifted her hands in an “I told you so” fashion.

I made a face and then typed a quick couple of messages back to James.

Me: Have fun!