Page 77 of Meet Me at Sunset Cove

“Fine,” he said, his tone carefully neutral. “I just…I don’t want to see you corner yourself here, Daisy. So, just in case things don’t work out, let me know. I’m having a meeting in a week with the HGTV execs to talk about the future ofDouble Decker. I’d love to have you there.”

Daisy shifted uncomfortably, wrapping her arms around herself against the cold. “Thanks, but I’m busy that day.”

Logan gave her a long look, and then, nodding, he stepped back. “All right. I can take a hint,” he said, a bitter edge to his voice. He turned to leave, then paused. “The offer stands though.”

He walked away, and Daisy hurried into the apartment, locking the door.

ChapterSeventeen

“Would you two clowns stop waving that mistletoe around?” Hunter growled, dodging the leafy branch for the fifth time in as many minutes.

Evan and Jude, clad in matching green-and-red-striped sweaters, looked each other over, head to foot. “We’re not clowns,” Evan said earnestly.

“We’reelves,” Jude corrected. “Why? Do we look like clowns?”

Hunter’s dad chuckled from across the room, where he was ‘directing’ the decorating process from his La-Z-Boy. “Leave him alone, boys. He’s just anxious for Daisy to get here.”

Miles popped his head in from the kitchen, the scent of spiced cider wafting from behind him. “I was gonna ask. Where is she, Hunt?”

Hunter, who was trapped in the conversation by the armful of garland he was helping Waylen drape over the archway to the small dining area, glanced at the clock on the wall. “She should be here soon. She had a few edits to make to the most recent episode of the show. She said she’d catch an Uber from the ferry.”

“She’d better hurry,” Waylen said, pinning up another swathe of garland. “Otherwise, she’ll miss all the decorating fun.”

“Is that sarcasm?” their dad asked. “Because I won’t accept bah humbugs in this house.”

“Not sarcasm,” Waylen replied, grunting slightly as he stretched toward the corner. “Though I don’t know why this couldn’t wait another week.”

“Oh,” Miles said, crossing the room to set down a plate of cookies on the coffee table. “I think that’s my bad.”

Dad stood, just long enough to grab a cookie, and settled back into his chair. “It’s not every year I get all my sons home at the same time.” He cast a warm smile toward Miles. “Who knows what you’ll all be up to next year. We have to take advantage.”

“Oh, someone’s taking advantage, all right,” Waylen complained, sending his dad the stink-eye as he snatched up another cookie. He finished pinning the last of the garland and stepped down from the ladder.

“You gotta be kidding me,” Jude’s voice exclaimed from the kitchen.

Miles’s gaze shot up.

“Miles put Red Hots on the gingersnaps again!” Evan cried.

The twins hurried into the living room with fistfuls of red-dotted cookies. Jude lifted the cookies in his brother’s direction, shaking them for good measure. “Why? Why, Miles?”

Wide eyed, Miles glanced to his other brothers.

“Don’t look at me,” Hunter said, lifting his hands in surrender. “I don’t know where he got that.”

Waylen frowned. “What? That’s how Grandma used to do them.”

The twins mirrored each other’s looks of disbelief, scoffed, and started back toward the kitchen. “Don’t worry, guys. We’ll fix them,” Jude called out as they vanished around the corner.

Miles surged to his feet. “Don’t you dare!” And then he vanished as well, with Waylen following close behind, never one to miss the action.

The merriment continued in the kitchen, but Hunter savored the quiet, settling on the sofa across from his dad.

His dad smiled, his eyes trailing over the decorations. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it out the see the house yesterday,” he said, his gaze fixed on the garland. “The boys told me the place looks great.”

Hunter meant to go for a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. “It’s okay, Dad.”

His dad shook his head. “It’s not, but I appreciate you saying that.”

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