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“It seemed like more of a whiskey night than a beer night, didn’t it?” Harlan said. “I’m a beer man through and through, but a snowy night calls for at least a little whiskey.”
“Cheers to that,” I said, taking a slow sip. The liquor burned in just the right way as I swallowed.
“What brings you up here again tonight?” Harlan said.
I’d been surprised when Harlan remembered me at all when I’d walked into Jade Brewery tonight. It had been well over two weeks now since I’d come here to put up decorations and chat with Casey, but the moment I’d walked in, Harlan had greeted me with a warm grunt and a wave, which for him seemed like the VIP treatment.
“I’m up here on a whim, to be honest,” I said. “No real reason to be up in the mountains, but I had a job all day today on the west side of the city. After I finished up, I just kind of… turned my truck this way and drove.”
Harlan nodded. “Those nights are the best, sometimes. Glad you’re back, either way.”
I wished I could explain it better, but the truth was that some part of my brain had been floating on a cloud for the past couple of weeks. In the days that followed my first night with Casey, it became clearer and clearer that this December was going to be one of the stranger ones in my life.
First, there was the night with Casey itself. Then later, the night at the Christmas tree lot. But now, another week and a half had passed since the night at the tree lot with Justin, and my memories of Casey had morphed into something different altogether.
Because Casey and I had been texting each other.
A lot, actually.
I’d ended up with his number in yet another strange turn of events, when Justin dropped and shattered the screen of his own phone. He insisted that Casey send me the dozens of pictures he’d taken that night of us, and he’d given Casey my number.
And then, the next day, I got another picture from Casey. A simple shot of a wreath he’d liked on one of his neighbor’s mailboxes. This had slowly snowballed into both of us sending each other pictures of various wintertime decorations, anytime we saw something we both liked. Trees, lights, a dog in a reindeer costume, a snowman. Each time I saw his name pop up on my screen I instantly felt warmer inside.
Because I knew I’d be getting a little glimpse into some sort of Christmas cheer he saw that day.
And because I knew he was thinking of me. Which I shouldn’t have wanted, but I definitelydidwant.
Now I was here at Jade Brewery, looking at my phone every ten minutes like an idiot, wondering what he was up to. I felt like a monster.
I tipped back my glass of whiskey, drinking down the rest of the cool, amber liquor probably way too quickly.
“Another?” Harlan asked.
“I think so,” I said. “It’sthatkind of night.”
He nodded, pouring me a fresh glass. The brewery was fairly slow tonight, with just a few people sitting at the other end of the bar and a few more out at the booths.
The front doors swung open, and I glanced over.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw Casey. For a second I wondered if I was dreaming it—I’d been doing double-takes all week, thinking random guys in the store or on the sidewalk were him.
But this actually was him. He was wearing a puffy black winter jacket and hat and had a red scarf wrapped around his neck. And he was carrying something huge from one end, while someone else held up the other side.
“Harlan,” he said. “We’ve got just what you ordered.”
Casey hadn’t seen me yet. I watched as he and another guy walked in a big, heavy-looking box, carrying it over behind the bar.
“They’re finally here?” Harlan said, a big smile spreading over his bearded face.
“All yours,” the guy on the other end of the box said. I recognized him—it was Harlan’s best friend Sawyer, who he’d been chatting with last time I was here. After setting down the box he gave Harlan a big hug, and he and Casey opened the box.
“Oh, that smells like heaven on Earth,” Harlan said.
“Just arrived from California this morning. Enjoy.”
It was a huge box of fresh oranges, and the scent filled the air immediately.
“Oranges always remind me of Christmastime,” Casey said. “Hang on.”
