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Not that she could blame them. With Sarah being newly engaged and Lacy expecting her first child with a husband she adored, Colette guessed she would be the same way if she were in their shoes.
She blew out a long breath. “I just don’t want you two to get your hopes up that anything will happen between me and Zach. He’s only in town for a short while, so it’s not like it could become anything real.”
“I was also only supposed to be in town for a short while.” Lacy shot Colette a pointed look while Sarah nodded.
“Maybe you could try asking him out?” Sarah offered, but Colette shook her head.
“I’m not sure that would be appropriate, since I’m technically his landlord. And I don’t want to make him uncomfortable.”
Colette took the last bite of her sandwich as she looked down at the table, hoping that would be the end of the talk about Zach. Fortunately, her friends weren’t the type to push her too far out of her comfort zone. Lacy, seeming to sense that Colette didn’t want to continue the conversation, leaned back in her chair and turned to Sarah.
“I saw something about the new bakery on the news the other day,” she said. “I’m assuming you’ve heard about it by now too. How are you feeling about that?”
“Well, you know me.” Sarah waved a hand in front of her face dismissively. “I was cool as a cucumber.”
Colette shared a grin with Lacy. “So what you’re saying is, it freaked you out a bit.”
“Just a little,” Sarah admitted with a sheepish grin. “But William came in and convinced me that it’s best to just keep my head down. Mind my business and just keep doing what I do best. And that’s just what I’m gonna do.”
Colette studied her friend, picking up a hint of nervousness in Sarah’s voice despite the calm and logical way she was speaking.
“You know this town loves your treats and your drinks,” she assured her friend, smiling fondly. “Trust me, your customers aren’t going anywhere. At the very least, you’ll always have the two of us as regulars.”
She gestured between herself and Lacy, who nodded emphatically and added, “With the way I’ve been craving sweets lately, I bet Colette and I could keep you in business single-handedly if it comes down to it.”
That drew a laugh from Sarah, who shot them both a grateful look as she used the last bit of her sandwich to sop up the remainder of her soup.
“Thanks,” Sarah said. “That means a lot.”
“Aside from intriguing new tenants and new bakeries, I have a bit of news,” Lacy tossed in, resting a hand on her belly.
“What is it?” Colette asked.
She and Sarah both turned, watching Lacy expectantly. Before her friend even spoke, Colette got the feeling that whatever Lacy was planning to say wasn’t something she was excited about. A little line had appeared between her brows, her lips turning down at the corners.
Then Lacy sighed, pushing her plate away. “I’m not gonna be able to pull off the Christmas party this year.”
Sarah made a little noise in her throat, and Colette grimaced sympathetically. She could see several emotions flits across Lacy’s face, including regret and a touch of sadness, before her features settled into a look of resigned acceptance.
“What happened?” Sarah asked, reaching across the table and laying a hand across one of Lacy’s.
“There’s just too much going on right now,” Lacy explained. “Between getting everything ready for the baby, work, and helping Derek with his business, it’s just all a little too much. And something had to give. I was running myself ragged, tired all the time, so I had to find a way to ease up a little.”
“We totally understand,” Sarah promised, rubbing Lacy’s hand.
“Everyone will understand.” Colette gave Lacy what she hoped was a comforting smile. “All anyone wants is for you and Harriet the Spy to be healthy and happy. There’s always next year.”
Lacy nodded, but the glimmer of sadness didn’t leave her eyes. Colette knew that the holiday party meant a lot to her. Ever since that first holiday she had spent in Snowy Pine Ridge, Lacy had embraced the job of creating a magical holiday celebration for the people of their little town. It was about more than just the party—it was about celebrating family and community, a way for Lacy to reconnect with her roots.
“Derek says the same thing.” Lacy blew out another breath, tucking a lock of honey brown hair behind her ear. “And I know he’s right. I can’t keep doing it all, especially not when I’m trying to successfully grow another human.” She pointed a finger at her belly, her eyes warming. “But I was looking forward to it. Looking forward to one more night of normalcy before all of a sudden, we’re responsible for this whole other life.”
Colette nodded. Not having had any children of her own yet, she couldn’t quite relate to the pressure that Lacy must be facing with motherhood looming overhead, but she could empathize with Lacy’s feeling that she was letting people down.
“It’s all gonna work out,” Sarah said with a soft smile, meeting Colette’s eyes and then Lacy’s. “And next year’s party will be extra wonderful, because everyone will have been looking forward to it even longer than usual.”
“Thank you both.” Lacy smiled, and Colette was glad to see the tension around her eyes ease a bit. “It helps to hear that from more people. It’s still a disappointment, but it’s good to know that no one in town will hold it against me.”
“They definitely won’t. Everyone knows how much you’ve got on your plate. And you’ve always got someone to listen or a shoulder to cry on as long as we’re around,” Colette said. “That’s what friends are for.”
