Page 20 of Under the Mistletoe
A tightness clogged her throat again. How could they all be willing to offer this much of their time? It was her job. Her problem.
“Now to figure out the visiting.” Hannah turned to Olivia. “Her boss wants her to visit all the families with a personal invitation, but that doesn’t sound?—”
“Safe.” Logan joined the conversation, a bit of anger in his eyes. Maybe he had been paying attention. “She can’t expect you to do that.”
“She’s a city girl. I don’t think she realizes how remote some of the houses are. I could do it if someone went with me.” Devin shrugged as she dropped her gaze. She needed to look anywhere but at him. “But Piper and Jess are busy with school, and?—”
“Hey, have you met the new children’s pastor, Greyson, yet?” Nate scanned the lobby. “I wonder if he left.”
She hadn’t been in the main service to see him introduced, but the way the girls had been going on about him in the bathroom between services, she suspected he was pretty good-looking.
“Perfect.” Olivia placed a hand on her husband’s arm before she shot a look at Devin. “He’s the best.”
“Yes, Greyson is perfect, and he’s single.” Hannah wiggled her eyebrows. Well, this was getting embarrassing. “Nate, can you call?—”
“I’ll take you.” Logan’s voice silenced the whole group. Guess that was what happened when a man of few words spoke—people listened. “When do you need to go?”
“I thought you were anxious to get back to your cabin.” Luke tilted his head at Logan.
“Something at work needs special attention and regular internet.” Logan’s inflection seemed to indicate that Luke should already know that. “So, turns out that I’m at Mom and Dad’s until at least Christmas.”
Wait, new project? The novella that was just announced. If she wasn’t convinced that Logan was one of Victor Holt’s editors before, she was now. But if Logan was staying in town, she would see a lot of him between now and Christmas.
He finally locked eyes with Devin. “That is, if you want my help.”
Did she want to spend hours with Logan in a car? Yes. No. And every emotion in between.
But Hannah didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Of course she does. And it’s probably less awkward than spending all that time with a stranger.”
Less awkward?
Devin doubted it could get any more awkward than hours alone with Logan in the car. But it was for the kids. It was about the program. And she needed to do whatever it took to save it.
She drew a deep breath and met Logan’s eyes. “Can you start tomorrow after dinner?”
* * *
The Stone of Anwar: Chapter 1 by Victor Holt
In one month’s time, Astryn would finally fulfill her purpose. Marriage. She swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. She had been born and raised with one purpose: marrying King Orin of Anathia and aligning the two kingdoms.
“King Orin is in sight now, milady. Come look.” Her lady’s maid, Enid, motioned toward the window. Although the betrothal wasn’t official yet, all of Cambria knew King Orin had been invited because her father needed to finalize the agreement. “They say he is a good king. And kind to his subjects.”
Her mother would never approve of her watching such activities, but her father believed that a future queen needed to be made of stronger stuff than needlepoint and entertaining. After all, some of their neighboring kingdoms weren’t so friendly and would go to great lengths to keep her marriage from happening.
The princess set the book in her hand aside and walked to the window that overlooked the training fields. About forty men filled the field, half in Anathian blue and the other half wearing Cambrian red. One of the men in blue must be her betrothed, only she didn’t know which one because introductions were being saved for tonight’s feast. It wasn’t her first choice, but nothing about the situation was her first choice. However, she wasn’t about to admit any of that to Enid.
In one corner, two of the men wearing blue clashed swords as they each strove for the upper hand, but their boots were too worn for a king. In another corner, two boys a couple years her junior shot arrows at a target—but the king was a man, was he not? Please let him not be a boy. A dark-haired man attempting one of the more difficult jumps with his horse became unseated as the horse cleared the obstacle but he did not. The man crashed down with a sickening thud. She winced but didn’t look away. The men that stood around broke into laughter as a few jokes seemed to be made at his expense. Definitely not the king.
She scanned the field once more, then paused. A man with wavy blond hair maneuvered his horse through the obstacles. He didn’t wear blue, but neither did he wear red. He wore brown leathers and rode like a man who didn’t take orders.
He clearly commanded the attention of the field with his tall stature and wide shoulders. Even the lords and knights seemed to be tracking his movements. Not to mention the white steed that he rode was finer than any in their kingdom.
As if he sensed her watching him, the man tilted his head up and his gaze flashed to hers.
It washim. The rider from last night at the creek.
She’d been sneaking out of the castle through the southern escape tunnels since she’d first discovered them at age ten. Her father seemed content to look the other way as long as she took at least one guard with her. Only over the past year, she had begun breaking even that promise. There was just something about knowing her future wasn’t her own to choose that made her want to run, to fight, to rebel. And Craghaven—as she called it—had become her place of refuge.
