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“So cool,” I repeat to Connie with a polite smile. Even a small town like Creekville has snobs; I’ve dealt with her type often enough in Handy’s.
“Yes, well.” She looks at her husband as if expecting him to do something.
He clears his throat. “It’s a different look than we usually have on this street.”
“I’m aware.” I say this with the same polite smile. I want to say, “It’s not my fault. I hate it too.” I want to say, “I’m with you, but I did it for my kid.” But I also want to say, “I moved in two weeks ago, so why is this our first meeting?” People who only show up to complain are not my people. I’m paid to put up with it at work. I’m not doing it here.
There’s a long silence. I’m not going to break it. I know Henry won’t. Finally, the man gives us a nod and they continue their walk up the street.
“I don’t think they like it,” Henry says in the understatement of the year.
“You did warn me,” I say.
“For what it’s worth, there’s no ordinance determining how many lights or decorations you can have. Trust me. I’d know.”
This makes me laugh, but I feel the slightly manic edge lurking in it. “They’ll survive for the holidays. I’m not changing it.” I nod at Evie, who is sitting in front of one of the painted panels, talking to the elves.
“Understood,” he says.
There’s another lull, but it’s pregnant, waiting for one of us to spill words into it. Mine would be something like, “Come over and hang out with us and just be in our space.”
This worries me. I don’t want Henry to be part of our routine, so why is that instinct so strong? Am I having some kind of daddy issues that are drawing me to him? I frown. No. I have an actual father figure in Bill. Besides, the more time I spend around Henry, the more I realize he’s an old soul, but he’s not actually that old of a human.
Still too old for me though.
I must gravitate to him because Mike the UPS Guy is the only date I’ve been on in the last two years, and the holidays have gotten me thinking about couples. I’ve been surrounded by them all week with Noah and Grace plus Tabitha and Sawyer in town.
“So back to school on Monday, right?”
He nods.
“We need to plan more strategies for Lulu—”
“Leigh.”
“Her. Do you usually say hello when she comes in?”
“Of course."
I think for a second. “Don’t tomorrow. Pretend to be distracted. She’ll notice when you don’t do what she expects.”
“That’s rude.”
“It isn’t. She’ll say hello to you. Take a second to focus on her, like your mind was far away, and then you say hello. Be sincere and friendly but go right back to your work. You don’t want her to think you’re mad at her. Just really into whatever you’re doing.”
“This sounds silly.”
“Trust me, Henry. I understand women. I understand what gets their attention and what they want in a man.”
“Someone unshaven with bad manners?”
“Ha. No. Someone rugged with a slight air of mystery.”
“And ignoring her will cultivate the mystery?”
“Do you have to study courtship and mating rituals in anthropology?”
“Uh, yes. Sometimes.”
