Page 13 of Under the Mistletoe
That was a given. “It doesn’t really matter. He went silent on our friends from college texting thread almost a year ago, and I’m guessing once he’s back on the road today he’ll go silent again. I just need to get through today. Then I can go back to not thinking about him.”
“You sure?” Piper didn’t look even a little convinced. Time to redirect.
“But get this.” She tapped the counter with her fingers. “I think he might work as an editor at PJP.”
“PJP?”
“Palmer & Jones Publishing. They publish Victor Holt’s books, and I think he might be the editor of Victor Holt.”
Piper’s eyes popped wide. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. When I asked about his job, he was vague about an editing project. Then the family admitted they knew Victor Holt and even had an earlysignedcopy ofThe Defenderthey let me borrow.”
“I’m dying.” Piper rested her hip against the sink then held up her hand. “Please don’t even let me see it until I turn in grades for the semester, or I’ll be useless. Same for Jess—we don’t need that kind of temptation.”
“I’m already on chapter four. It is so good.” Devin stood and checked her reflection again, then walked to her room.
Piper followed her to her door. “If he is as much of a recluse as you say, I’m surprised he volunteered to help.”
Devin winced and grabbed her purse. “More like volun-told by his mother. I think that’s one reason my nerves are a wreck. He doesn’t even want to be there.”
“At least you know he’s a good son. He could have told her no.”
Logan’s finer qualities were not what she needed to focus on. Devin grabbed her phone. There was a message from MaryLynn.
MaryLynn
Praying the event goes well. Don’t forget to send me photos. We need a good showing today.
Right. Maybe Logan and her job were equal in contributing to her stress level, with her job edging forward, because thirty minutes later, as she set up the last station for derby prep in the community room, MaryLynn’s words from yesterday still echoed in her mind.Yours has the highest spending with the lowest return.
Devin typed a short list of some of her best ideas from last night and sent them off. The response was almost instant.
MaryLynn
These are good, but you are right, we need a better way to convince people to come to the events.
Devin still hadn’t figured that out yet. Not to mention every event she’d come up with last night would take more work than she had time for.
Devin opened a box of mini weights and set them on the table next to a scale, then added a tube of graphite. She had created a half dozen stations where the kids could work with an adult before the race to weigh, balance, and align their cars, then finally added the graphite to the axles for the best speed. She’d planned to work at one of the stations, but with Logan coming, she’d be freed up to circulate the room and connect with the kids.
Luke was working with Piper’s boyfriend Titus, assembling the track for the race on the left side of the room. Hopefully the electric timer was worth the added price.
“Where do you want these?” Piper walked toward her, carrying the box of extra cars that Devin had prepared for any last-minute entry. There were two or three families she’d been desperately trying to get involved, and if they chose today to show up, she wanted to be ready for them. “They can go on the table to the left of the door.”
Piper turned that direction. “Whoa. Who’s that?”
Devin glanced over to where Piper motioned. Logan stood by the main entrance and looked as good today as he had yesterday. Who was she kidding? He looked better. Today, he wore a deep-blue thermal Henley that emphasized his shoulders and made his eyes pop.
But even yesterday, in his simple flannel, she had barely been able to reconcile the Logan from college with the man sitting across from her at the dinner table.
Devin quickly dropped her head. “Logan.”
“Wait.Thatis the guy responsible for the nerves this morning? Okay, it all makes sense now.”
Logan scanned the room and when he spotted her, he started walking toward her. “Miss Devin!” Seven-year-old Vicky, who was fostered with the Smith family, came running in the door behind Logan, bringing a chilly breeze with her. Her dark pigtails flopped as she ran past him, and her big brown eyes lit up just before she stopped right in front of Devin. She held up a yellow wedge with wheels and a tiny stuffed mouse glued on top. “Do you like my cheese car?”
“I love it.” But before she could comment further, Tory, Vicky’s younger sister by a year, appeared at her other side and held up a little wood bed on wheels with a doll resting on top.
