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“Hey, I’m Jasper. Here to fix the furnace.”
“Yeah, Levi told me you were stopping by.” Stepping aside, I allow him to walk in. He’s carrying a toolbox in one hand and a clipboard in the other, reminding me of my dad.
“Do you know where you need to go?” I ask.
“Yes, I do. Thanks,” he says and makes his way to the utility closet.
I return to the couch and get settled, rereading what I wrote before I stopped. Dasher repositions himself and plops back down. I add a few more words but then get distracted by an incoming email. It’s my travel itinerary for my January assignment.
I’ll be writing an article about small coffee roasters in Washington, which I’m actually looking forward to. Can’t wait to drink my weight in dark roasts.
When I see I’m staying at a well-known hotel chain, I let out a sigh of relief. Not sure I could survive this rental mix-up again, even if it ended up working out.
After an hour, Jasper returns and tells me it’s finally fixed. He adjusts the thermostat, and the heat immediately kicks on. I scrunch my nose when the smell of burning oil surfaces.
“That’s normal since it hasn’t run in a while. It’ll go away,” he reassures me.
“Thank you so much,” I say as I follow him to the door.
“Tell Levi I’ll bill him,” he says, then waves.
“Sure will.”
When he’s gone, Dasher rushes past me before I can close the door. Quickly, he goes outside, does his business, and then returns.
I look at him with my jaw on the floor. “Seriously?”
I swear, I can’t figure this dog out.
After I lock the deadbolt, I feed Dasher a few treats, and then make myself some soup. As I sit down to eat, I hear my phone buzzing in the living room and rush to grab it.
“Sis!” Taryn says, laughing. “I sent the picture of that guy you’re staying with to my mom-friends group chat, and they want more.”
“How did you get a picture of him?”
“I looked up the Christmas tree farm on Instagram and sleuthed around until I saw his name. Levi White. I’d let him play lumberjack and climb me like a tree.”
I groan. “He doesn’tclimbthem. He chops them down.”
“Well, whatever. But I need you to give me all the details because my friends are highly invested.”
“There’s nothing to share.”
“Why do I suspect you’re not telling me the truth? Let that man eat you like a candy cane. We’ve all been living vicariously through all the scenarios we’ve made up about you two. We’ve even started a pool of money.”
“For what?” If only she could see my face.
“For when you two finally become a couple.”
“That’s not happening.”
“But it’d be cool if it did,” she says. “Imagine your beautiful children. My future niece or nephew would be gorgeous. Big green eyes with dark hair. I’m picturing it now.”
“You’re ridiculous. And a little weird.”
“Maybe a little. So how’s the writing going?”
“Okay, I guess. I did a lot this morning. Now I’m eating,” I tell her, settling back at the breakfast bar. I catch her up, explaining the nuances of this town and the things I find interesting.
