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There’s a brief pause in the conversation, filled in only by the incessant jingling of bells, children laughing, andWham!.
“I’m grabbing some scones,” Juliet says slowly. “Would you like anything?”
I shake my head. “No, thanks.”
Juliet leaves with Pumpkin, and I slide into the booth with Aiden.
“What’s going on with your cabin?”
I take a sip of my coffee and sigh, wondering how this is going to work. “It won’t be done in a couple of weeks. It’s nowhere close.”
This was the situation I wanted to avoid. My cabin should’ve been done well before Christmas, so I wouldn’t have to spend it in my childhood home. I’d been living there since I moved back, but once the holiday decorations started going up around town, old memories resurfaced.
Aiden takes a sip of his hot chocolate, narrowing his eyes as he thinks. “And your parents’ home? I know you’d rather not stay there over Christmas.”
“I’d make it work, but unfortunately, the heat pump finally ate it yesterday. Its replacement is backordered and won’t ship until after Christmas.”
Aiden sighs. “Must be chilly.”
“You could say that.”
If I hadn’t been at the house when it died, there’d be a lot more problems on my hands. Broken pipes. Flooding. The works. A freezing house is the best-case scenario.
“You can stay with us. It might be a little chaotic with the in-laws visiting, but we’d love to have you.”
I wave him off. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.” I don’t want to ruin the festive atmosphere for them. “I have some options. I’ll make sure the rental’s ready. Juliet has nothing to worry about. I’ll be out of there before the couple arrives.”
“She’s obsessed with this Christmas couple. They’re all she’s talking about.”
“I can tell,” I say, nodding to him. “Nice hat.”
Aiden shakes his head. “When’s the last time you celebrated Christmas?”
“I think you have an idea.”
Aiden rubs his eyes as I take a sip from my coffee, leaning back as I look around the coffee shop. There’s not a wall that isn’t decked with boughs of holly, garlands, or lights. I’m surprised anyone who works here doesn’t constantly have headaches from the twinkling lights, cloying smells, and Christmas music.
“The Inn might have room,” Aiden says after a brief pause.
I set my cup down. “No chance. If Windy Brews looks like this, I can’t imagine the Inn.”
“It’sgorgeous,”Juliet says, sliding into the booth next to Aiden. “They have a twenty-five-foot Christmas tree. Garlands and holly and lights. And the aromas? I’m not sure what Lizzy is cooking up in that kitchen but it smells divine. And to top it all off…”
I zone out for the next minute or so as Juliet describes my personal hell. After a few minutes, Juliet notices my lack of enthusiasm.
“You don’t like Christmas, do you?”
Aiden’s eyes flare and he tries to mumble something to Juliet but I stop him with a shake of my head.
“It’s not my favorite holiday.” I don’t elaborate. Aiden can fill her in if he wants. This isn’t the time or place.
She opens her mouth to say something, but Aiden puts his hand on her arm, squeezing once as he whispers something in her ear.
“Well, that’s too bad,” she says, sipping her hot chocolate.
Thankfully, that’s the last I hear about Christmas as we move on to something more important: the state of our business. We’re entering a growth phase, so we’ve been looking at hiring more people. An interior designer is at the top of the list. We know how to build great cabins but decorating them leaves much to be desired.
Forty-five minutes and a few scones later, we finally finish our meeting.
