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“But I don’t,” she said. “I’ve been at parties and get-togethers where they ordered pizza delivery—”
“Cloudtop delivers now?”
Charity shook her head. “That’s the problem. One of those franchise places near the outlet mall delivers all up and down the strip, even up into the mountains. Cloudtop really should look into that.”
“Or one of those delivery apps. You don’t have those here, I assume.”
“We can download the apps like anyone else, but it just says there are no drivers nearby. You’d think some of these high school kids would be all over it.”
He gestured toward the front of the restaurant. “What do you say we take a look at the tree?”
She blinked in surprise. “Tree? Where?”
“On the square. Where else?”
Why was he feeling so bold? She could easily turn down any of his requests to spend time together. But this might be his only chance, and he wanted to make the most of it.
“It’s probably cold out there,” she said. But she was already sliding out of her side of the booth, coat clutched in her left hand.
“So, we bundle up.”
That was his suggestion. What he was thinking was he could put his arm around her and cozy up to her for warmth. That would have been the way he would have behaved last time they were together in this town. Back before he’d broken up with her.
He waved goodbye to Blake and Chuck. He’d gotten to know them briefly when he’d arrived. They both were going to Misty Mountain High. They’d had a quick conversation about the high school football coach, Sam Wolf.
“I’m going to have to make a point to stop in more often,” Charity said as they stepped out onto the sidewalk.
Town Hall was across the street, and he saw Charity’s car parked there. She’d nabbed a good parking spot. He had to park in front of what used to be a boutique but was now apparently a candy store.
“I hardly ever come downtown for fun anymore,” Charity said.
“You come downtown for work?”
They’d started toward the square. It was a short walk from the pizzeria. In fact, he could see the glow the tree was casting on its surroundings from here. When combined with the wreaths on the streetlights and the lights on Town Hall, Nic was really starting to get in the Christmas spirit.
“I meet clients at the café sometimes,” she said.
“Where I saw you.”
That had lurked at the edges of his mind all day—the memories of seeing her last night. They’d run into each other at the coffee shop and kissed under the mistletoe not long after. It almost seemed like a dream, but it wasn’t. It had really happened.
“I was grabbing coffee for Noelle and Matt,” she said.
She’d crossed her arms over her chest as she walked, and he wondered if that was because she was cold. Or was she protecting herself for some reason? Maybe a little bit of both.
“I just ran in for some of Joe’s famous peppermint hot chocolate,” he said. “It’s been a while.”
“That’s what I was getting,” she said. “His coffee…”
“Leaves a lot to be desired,” Nic finished for her.
Charity laughed. “Nobody says those words out loud, but we all think it.”
“I guess nobody’s ever told him,” he said.
“He gets a lot of business from the downtown workers who grab a cup on the way into the office.”
“But how many of them run through the drive-thru on the strip now?” He made a sheepish face. “Actually, I have a confession.”
