Page 56 of The Mistletoe Bluff
Princess Maya
It should be illegal to be up this early.
[GIF of a tired child]
I laughed.
Me
You know it’s after nine in the morning, right?
Princess Maya
Mornings are of the devil.
Me
Then allow me to make it easier.
What’s your drink of choice?
I pulled into a spot on the side of the street, struggling to get out of my Jeep with the mounds of snow on the sidewalk from the snowstorm yesterday, and headed into the coffee shop. My phone vibrated a moment later.
Princess Maya
A cold brew with two pumps of vanilla and a splash of cream.
Please.
With a smile, I ordered her cold brew and a latte for myself, and ten minutes later Maya was crawling into my car, camera bag on her shoulder. Her blonde hair was piled in a messy bun, and she was decked out in poofy black snow gear like we were going on a skiing trip instead. Her giant coat swallowed her small frame. I flicked on her seat warmer and turned up the heat to counteract the cold that had burst into the car when Maya got inside.
I handed her the cold brew she requested.
“Thanks,” she said, giving the drink the biggest heart eyes I’d ever seen. My next goal was to get her to look atmelike that.
“Ready for today?” I asked, pulling away from her apartment building and heading to the park where we were meeting the couple.The roads were still slippery—the snowplows hadn’t made it onto the country roads yet—but it was still leagues better than driving back from the tree farm.
Maya snuggled her camera bag against her chest. “Born ready.” Her words were certain, but the way she bit her lip made me wonder if she was nervous. I didn’t want her nervous—I wanted her to feel confident.
“So, I was thinking that you could take the lead today,” I said, keeping my voice as calm as possible. This was either a brilliant plan I had come up with in the wee hours of the morning, or it would backfire and slap me in the face.
She choked on her coffee, dabbing drops of liquid from her chin. “Excuse me?”
“I want you to run the photoshoot as if it were your own.”
She gaped at me. “Why?”
“Because I know you can do it.”
Maya gave me a skeptical look. “I don’t think your dad will like that.”
“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I’ll still be there, I just won’t be running the show.”
“Why would you want me to do this?”
I smiled and her cheeks turned pink. “Because you’re an excellent photographer, and you deserve a chance to show off. I want to see that spark in you again—the one you had when you presented your stranger shoot pictures. I want you to remember why you love this so much. Besides, I have no doubt you’ll do a great job.”
Though she’d never said it in any certain terms, I had a feeling that ever since I won the community college competition, she had been doubting her ability with a camera. Truthfully, I don’t know why I won instead of her. Her photos were just as good if not better than mine. Maya was too talented to believe that she was subpar. If letting her run this photoshoot helped remind her of both her skill and passion, then I was happy to do it—and face whatever wrath my father meted out.
