Page 35 of Love in the Details

Kassidy laughed out loud, covering her mouth with her hand as her eyes went wide. “I don’t think I’d call what I cut out of the marshmallow a sculpture.”

“Well, then, what would you call it?” he asked, laughing. The warmth in the room must have affected the poor marshmallow snowman because it was starting to melt.

Kassidy laughed again and shrugged. “We’ll have to see what the judges say.”

Her parents had stepped over to the house that Molly and her boyfriend had made, a little bit of laughter coming from them over the decoration of the chimney, which ended up being almost as tall as the house.

Kassidy leaned forward against the counter, her shoulder touching Dustin’s. She didn’t seem to notice, so intent to hear what the judges were talking about that he was able to observe her without restraint. The dark brown hair she’d just pulled down from a ponytail cascaded over her shoulders. Her brown eyes seemed alight with mischief, and she giggled, causing her hair to tickle the back of his hand.

She was beautiful, and yet, he loved that her personality had its own quirks to it. He’d met too many women trying to act and be perfect for him that the presence of someone who could speak her mind and wasn’t trying to put on airs in front of him was a welcome change.

Why did he have to meet her here? Now? Living here wasn’t his permanent plan. He still had the decision of whether to close the factory, and from her previous questions, he knew it would affect her just as much as the others in town.

“The winner is,” her dad said, pausing to make sure everyone was listening, “Walker and Lauren. Runner-up goes to Kassidy and Dustin.”

She turned to him with a bright face, her mouth open in delight. In a quick moment, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. By the time he recovered enough to react, she’d already pulled back, embarrassment written all over her face.

“Congrats, man,” one of the twins said, holding his hand out to shake.

“Thanks,” Dustin said. “I’m going to claim beginner’s luck on my part.”

“Well, Kassidy’s got a lot of talent in the creative areas. It’s just taken her a long time to figure that out.” The twin winked in Kassidy’s direction, and she punched him in the shoulder.

The other one approached and said, “We’ve heard a few things floating around town. Are you planning to close the Wakefield factory here in town?”

Everyone within a ten-foot radius went silent, their gaze turning to him. It had been a while since he’d had so many people staring at him like this.

“I haven’t made that decision yet, but with the lower production numbers, they do need to demonstrate why it would be valuable to keep them around. I had to push out a meeting I’d scheduled with the managers of the plant from last week to this coming week. My goal is to have everything worked out by Christmas.”

Kassidy stiffened next to him, and without looking at her, he knew she disapproved of this just as much as his intention to sell the mansion.

“Numbers don’t always explain the whole story,” was all she said quietly.

Dustin nodded. “I get that. It’s why I’ll be working from the plant next week. To make sure I make the right decision.”

The conversation drifted to lighter topics, but the tightness in Kassidy never eased up. Dustin finally said good night, part of him frustrated at her reaction. This was his job, to analyze the areas that needed help and to act on the solutions that made sense.

Things were going to shake up a lot once he visited the fabrication plant on Monday. Based on his information, things weren’t looking good to keep the plant around. Even layoffs and downsizing didn’t seem like the right answer, especially this close to Christmas.

As he took the curves up to the mansion, he knew his loyalty was first to the company—his heart had to settle for second.

Chapter 20

How could a body hold so much water? Kassidy felt like she’d been crying all weekend. She’d never cried that much, not even after taking third at Nationals for barrel racing. But the analytical way Dustin had said he might close the fabrication plant stirred up all kinds of worries for her.She’d been nervous about it after her aunt’s discussion at Natalie’s baby shower, and even when she’d pressed him on it during the interview. Now that it was an actual possibility, she felt sick about what could happen to the town.

Visions that popped up in her mind as she strung lights around the trees outside the mansion on Monday scared her, as if a bomb were on a timer and when it exploded, it would take out the whole town. That was a stretch, but she loved the life she had. Yet, as much as she tried not to, she would probably cry even more once Dustin headed back to California.

He’d been upfront with her about it, but she’d managed to push it to the side with all the excitement of planning the gala. For the first time, she was catching a glimpse of how her future could be here in the valley, planning events and enjoying dinners and holidays with her family so close. But if the plant closed and most of the town had to leave the valley, she would have to go also. She hadn’t even made it four months in the city. How would she survive the rest of her life there?

A limo drove up the way, the driver in uniform and the windows tinted. She hadn’t seen anyone up at the house besides the people who lived there. Curiosity niggled at her, but this wasn’t her life. She was just there to make it look pretty.

Maybe she should get back into training and barrel racing once the new year began. As chaotic as driving around the country was, there was always a fixed destination for the next rodeo.

She finished up a string of Christmas lights and paused a moment, trying to decide if she should pretend to be working to see who was in the car or just head inside to get the next strand. But she had no claim to Dustin no matter who showed up at the Wakefield Mansion, and that longing for him was like trying to hold water in her hands.

They were from two different worlds, and as much disappointment as she’d felt when he didn’t kiss her, she knew it was a blessing in disguise. Trying to get over someone like Dustin Wakefield would be a hard feat if she’d fallen all the way in love.

Kassidy walked into the garage, wiping at the halo of hair that managed to slip out of her ponytail as she worked. She didn’t bother to fix it, knowing she only had a few hours to decorate before Dustin came home from the factory, and she was determined not to be there. She knew that in his mind, business was business, but for a small town like Coldwater Creek, would he shut it down knowing the town might die?

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