Page 42 of Meet Me at the Christmas Cottage
Jonah turned his head to the side as if that would help him see what Bronte was seeing. “Maybe a little bit? If we back away really slowly, maybe he’ll stay standing long enough to get through the judging. Come on.”
Bronte couldn’t help smiling when Jonah took her hand again, this time not letting go. She shouldn’t be smiling like this. After Brad, she had promised she wouldn’t ever get into another relationship again, but being around Jonah made her feel like breaking that promise to herself.
She was being ridiculous. She tugged free from Jonah and tucked both of her hands in her armpits. Jonah had only come into her life five days ago, and he’d be out of it just as quick. She didn’t need to be entertaining ideas of anything with him, no matter how warm and gooey she felt around him.
The snow crunched under their boots as they made their way away from the snowmen and toward a canopy handing out hot apple cider.
“So, how long will it take them to judge all the snowmen?” Bronte accepted the cup of hot cider Jonah handed her and with both hands, held it up to her face to let the scent of apple and spices warm her. She wasn’t sure if she wasn’t cold or was so cold she’d lost feeling in her face. She suspected the latter. Also, by keeping both hands on her cup, she kept them out of trouble—like reaching over and holding Jonah’s hand again.
Turning away from Jonah with her hot drink, she watched the judging process. Dani, clipboard in hand, followed Seb, who circled each snowman, hand on his chin, studying each one before taking the board from Dani, jotting a few notes down, and handing it back. He took his judging responsibilities seriously. Bronte imagined that if Seb hadn’t been wearing a stocking cap and puffy jacket, his gray hair would be perfectly combed and he’d be wearing khaki pants and a crisp button-down shirt.
“It’ll take Seb about fifteen to twenty minutes to look at each snowman, make his notes, and then go back and look again.” Jonah came to stand next to her, close enough she could feel the heat from his body, which was highly impossible since they both had layers on top of their layers. “If they do it the same as they’ve done every year, Dani will take Seb’s notes and add up everyone’s points and then announce the winners at four o’clock.”
Bronte looked at her watch. “So we have a little over an hour to wander around. Jordi had mentioned something about a snow globe collection on display somewhere?”
“Sure, I think I saw a sign for that back at the glass shop. Let’s go.”
They started making their way back up the street when Bronte felt someone tap her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, but are you B.L. Parker?”
Turning, Bronte saw a woman with short blonde hair peeking from under a pom-pom beanie, a large tote bag slung over her shoulder.
Dread pooled in Bronte’s stomach. “Yes?” Why had she answered with a question? She may be aNew York Timesbestselling author five times over, but she’d never be used to fans approaching her in public. She never knew what to say. It was bad enough at events and signings, but at least at those, she had time to prep beforehand. When fans approached her in public, her chest got tight and it was hard to breathe, and she did stupid stuff like answer simple questions with questions.
“Yes, this istheB.L. Parker,” Jonah confirmed, pulling Bronte to his side in a hug, a huge smile on his face. All Bronte wanted to do was melt into the sidewalk. She thought authors created in anonymity. Why did she have to be the one who gained national acclaim? This was why Lexi accompanied her on tours. She ran interference. Bronte had learned she couldn’t even do in-person signing events. Other than a thirty-minute VIP meet and greet before an event, Bronte’s interaction with fans tended to be limited. Her anxiety couldn’t handle more than that.
“Oh. my. goodness. My name is Marla, and my book club is never going to believe this.” Marla flapped her hands in front of her. “The Pike Family Saga is our favorite series ever. We’ve been to every midnight release since book two, and we were first in line at our movie theater when the movie released.”
“Thanks.” Wait. She should have said something different. “I’m glad.” Did that make her sound pompous?
“Are you her boyfriend?” Marla asked Jonah before turning back to Bronte and wiggling her eyebrows. “Good job, B.L.”
While relieved Marla didn’t seem concerned by her lack of enthusiasm, Bronte would rather talk about anything but her love life. Of course, there were worse guys Marla could have mistaken for Bronte’s significant other.
“No, he’s…he’s not my boyfriend,” Bronte managed to get out around the panic climbing up her throat. But Marla didn’t appear to be listening, nodding along and digging around in her bag.
She held up her cell phone. “Could we get a picture together?”
Bronte just stared dumbly at the woman. It was like she’d forgotten what words were.
“How about I take it for you?” Jonah offered, stepping up and taking the phone, saving Bronte the embarrassment of becoming one with the sidewalk.
“You’re sweet too. Wherever did you find him?” Marla batted her hand playfully at Jonah as she moved to stand next to Bronte.
Bronte remembered to lean in and put a smile on her face—at least, she hoped it was a smile and not a grimace. Normally, Lexi was behind the camera and would clue her in if her face was too…scowly. Surely Jonah would have said something if her face hadn’t looked right.
“I guess you could say that I just snuck up on her.” Jonah winked, settling Bronte’s nerves into a warm pool in her belly. “Okay! Three, two, one, smile!” Jonah’s thumb pressed the face of the phone multiple times. “All done. These are great.”
“Are you a celebrity?” A woman in a bright-pink coat stepped between Jonah and Bronte and her fan.
“No, I—” Bronte tried to say, but before she could get anything out, Marla cut in.
“Yes, she’s the famous author B.L. Parker.”
“Stan, get over here,” the bright-pink-coated lady yelled. “There’s some famous author over here.”
“A famous author? Where?”
“Is it Jane Austen?”
