'Twas the Week Before Christmas by Olivia Miles

Author:Olivia Miles [Miles, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781472005694
Google: Hbk9AQAAQBAJ
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-11-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

By midmorning, the Christmas Market was vibrant and crowded as familiar faces strolled through the town square clutching steaming paper cups of hot chocolate and snacking on roasted chestnuts. It seemed the entire town had made it out that morning, despite the couple feet of snow that had gathered overnight. Holly had snagged the cart just next to Lucy, who had been up all night making fresh pies in preparation for the festivities. The Saturday before Christmas was always the busiest, and Holly expected to sell what was left of her homemade preserves before the market closed for the day, as she did every year. No matter how much time she spent preserving and jarring the blueberries she had harvested, it seemed there was never enough to keep up with the demand. She’d worked long into the night for weeks in preparation for the annual tradition, but she didn’t mind. Keeping busy, she had learned, was a good way to keep from giving in to the loneliness that sometimes crept in late at night, when the guests had turned in and the house grew quiet.

“Where’s George?” Holly asked, as she pulled some more jars from a box at her feet.

“He had some bookkeeping to do at the house this morning,” Lucy said. “But I doubt he’ll make it to the market today. Someone has to cover the diner. We can’t leave the staff unsupervised all day.”

“Guess not.” Holly shivered and turned on her heat lamp. “At least the sun’s out today.”

“Some big storm,” Lucy said ruefully. “Did all your guests head out early just in case it hit hard?”

Holly hesitated. “All but one.”

Lucy slid her a glance from her neighboring stall. “Don’t tell me. That man who came into the diner yesterday. The one who likes my pies.”

Holly’s face flushed with heat despite the frost in the air. “None other.”

Lucy let out a long whistle. “Well, looks like Christmas came early for you this year!”

Holly lowered her eyes but she couldn’t resist a smile. “It’s not like that.”

“No?” Lucy didn’t look convinced. “Because it sure looked like something to me. Do you like him?”

What’s not to like? Holly wanted to say. But something in her sinking heart told her there was plenty not to like. She paused to consider the question, knowing it required no thought at all. She did like him. Of course she did. But Max was sadly all wrong for her.

“He lives in New York,” Holly explained.

“So?”

“So, that’s two hours away.” Holly gave her friend a measured stare but Lucy looked unimpressed with her excuse.

“People move all the time,” Lucy said casually. She pulled an apple crumble pie from a box and placed it on a cake platter.

“I think he prefers city life,” Holly continued.

“You grew up in Boston,” Lucy pointed out. “Would you ever consider going back to that kind of life?”

Holly grimaced. She didn’t even want to think about leaving Maple Woods and she felt agitated by how ahead of herself she was getting.

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