Page 14 of Christmas Treasures

“You have a greenhouse?” Laney asked.

“Yeah, it’s my happy place.”

“I’d love to see it sometime.”

Charlie wasn’t sure what to say to that. Was she supposed to invite her over right then and there? Or should she follow up later? Or what if it was just something a nice person like Laney would say but actually had no interest in visiting Charlie’s home or greenhouse?

If Laney noticed Charlie’s hesitation, she didn’t say anything. “Okay, this is a little weird because it used to be a maid’s quarters.” She opened a pocket door off the kitchen. “Nolan turned it into a part study, part library.”

The small room was cozy and masculine, with soft neutral walls, shelves crammed with novels, and a worn leather chair pulled up to a wooden writing desk. A cushion-topped bench hugged the window, a perfect place to read.

Charlie lingered in the doorway. “He built all this?”

Laney nodded, grinning. “He and Walter made the bench together. Grace sewed the cushion. The Hayes family is annoyingly handy.”

“Apparently.”

“Max loves to garden too. Did you know that?” Laney asked.

Charlie blinked. Not much of a segue there. “I didn’t. I don’t really know him.”

“He has a greenhouse on his property too. Only he has a guy who does most of the work. They have some kind of arrangement for produce he can sell in the store. You should go out and look at it sometime. It’s giant and full of delicious things to eat.”

Was she imagining it, or did Laney want her to get to know Max better? Was that why she’d really been invited?

Laney led her up the narrow wooden staircase, the kind that creaked softly with every step. Framed photos lined the walls—Hayes family moments frozen in time. One of Max without his front teeth but that same cheeky grin he still possessed. Another of Logan, Nolan, and Luke grinning beside one of their maple trees.

“I’m so glad you came,” Laney said as they reached the landing. “I wasn’t sure you would.”

“I almost backed out. Social things are not my strong suit. Making small talk and all that.”

“But isn’t that what you do at your shop every day?”

“It’s not the same. I have a purpose, something to do with my hands. This kind of thing makes me nervous.”

“I understand completely. Nolan’s the same way. I’m more of the social one of the two of us. I just adore parties and bringing people together. But I have to psych him up beforehand. But once he gets comfortable, he always has a great time. I hope you’ll enjoy yourself tonight and meet some new people. It’s hard to be new in such a tight-knit community.”

“It doesn’t seem hard for you.” She had an image of Laney at the bookstore, talking and laughing with customers as she found them the perfect book.

Laney shrugged. “It’s not been, but I kind of already lived here. I spent a summer here with my aunt Edna when I was fourteen. That’s when I first met Nolan. And then, last year when my engagement ended, I decided to come here to heal,and voilà, look at me now. Knocked up and throwing dinner parties.”

Charlie couldn’t help but laugh. “Had you stayed in touch with Nolan all those years?”

“No, that’s the astounding part. We had this innocent little love affair when we were kids, and then my life imploded, and I ended up crying in the shelves of Aunt Edna’s bookstore, and in walks Nolan Hayes. It was like no time had passed. Like we were always meant to be.”

“What happened to your engagement?”

“Oh, you won’t believe it. My fiancé and my best friend—knocking boots. In love, apparently. According to the texts I happened to see anyway.”

Charlie’s hand flew to her mouth. “No way.”

“God’s honest truth,” Laney said. “And it was the best thing that ever happened to me, because I came back here and found my soulmate. I never would have come here if I hadn’t found out about them, so it all worked out in the end.”

Charlie followed her into the master bedroom as Laney asked her, “What brought you here, anyway? You’re from California, right?”

Charlie studied her companion for a moment, gauging whether it was a fishing type of question. But Laney seemed to genuinely be asking. “Yes, I’m from the Bay Area. That’s where I started my company. When I sold it, I spent a year traveling, mostly in Italy. One day I was sitting at an outdoor café near Piazza della Signoria, and it just hit me—I needed to figure out what I was doing with the rest of my life. And that’s when I remembered the cheese.”

“The cheese?” Laney asked.

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