Page 10 of Christmas Treasures

Her water boiled on the stovetop, so she added the pasta, stirring absentmindedly. Her phone rang, and she reached for it, seeing that it was Laney Hayes calling. She and Nina were in the same book club, and they’d both asked herseveral times to join them. Maybe she would this month. It would be a good distraction from Christmas exploding over every inch of Sugarville Grove.

“Hi, Laney.”

“Hey, Charlie. How are you?”

“Fine. You?”

“Well, I’m actually in need of a small favor. I’m planning a dinner party for tomorrow night, and I’ve had a few people cancel, and it’s thrown my numbers all off. I was wondering if you’d like to join us? It’s nothing fancy or anything.”

“Hmm, should I be offended that I’m only being invited after others canceled?” Really, should she?

“You could choose to look at it that way,” Laney said, clearly undaunted by the question. “Or you could see it as a way to meet some new people—ones you might not meet otherwise. And you’d be helping me. Nolan’s friends, God bless them, are a nerdy bunch, and I need someone to help me get the conversation going.”

“I’m not sure that’s me.”

“Nina will be there. She suggested you’d be a great addition. Please say you will.”

“Yeah, okay.” What could it hurt? It would be nice to meet some new people, especially nerdy ones. She might fit right in for once. “What time?”

“Cocktails start at six, and then dinner afterward.”

“I’ll be there.”

“I’m so glad. See you soon.”

Charlie hung up, pondering the invite. She could hardly be offended by the last-minute invitation, right? It’s not as if she knew people or had put any effort into it whatsoever. Nina was always on her to be more social. Maybe she was right. Maybe she would even have fun.

3

MAX

Max had been up since before dawn. The kind of night where sleep was more of a theory than a reality—just a cycle of tossing, turning, and staring at the ceiling until the pale glow of morning finally bled through the window. He’d gotten up and dressed for a cold morning run, then lifted weights in his space behind the store. With Logan’s help, he’d transformed the old shed into a workout area, with weights and even a few benches he’d found at a yard sale. Logan worked out with him on weekday mornings, but this was Saturday, and his brother slept late on the weekends.

After a shower and a cup of yogurt and granola, he called his mother and father.

Mom answered on the second ring, already knowing something was wrong just by how he said, “Hey, Mom.”

He didn’t go into it all over the phone, but asked if he could come out after he dropped the supplies at Laney’s. “I need to talk to you and Dad.”

“Of course, honey. I’ll make that Cobb salad you like.”

Grace Hayes held a deep-seated belief that there wasn’t much a good meal couldn’t cure.

A few minutes later, he stood behind the coffee counter at the store, blissfully busy with the morning coffee crowd. He’d made six cappuccinos in the last thirty minutes, four drip coffees, and one café au lait for a tourist who insisted it be made “the European way.” Max wasn’t sure what that meant, but he added a flourish with the foam and hoped for the best. The woman had seemed pleased, so Max considered that a win.

The bell over the front door jingled. He looked up—and stilled.

Charlie Keene. Looking as gorgeous as ever in a pair of jeans tucked into tall boots and a puffy jacket. In her hands, she held a small glass jar with a handwritten label on the lid.

Max’s first instinct was to smile. His second was to brace himself.

“Morning. If you’re here for another round of cheese negotiations, I’m out of wheels.”

Charlie let out an awkward, embarrassed-sounding chuckle. “I’m here to say sorry about yesterday. I don’t know why I came in so hot like that. It’s only cheese.”

“Ah, but it’s not only cheese. It’s a cheese you created a pizza to showcase all month. Cheese tends to bring out the fiery side of people. I totally get it.”

“That’s gracious of you, but I felt bad about how I acted.” She set the jar on the counter. “I brought these as a peace offering.”

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