Page 23 of The Christmas Cottage
“Well, Katie and I were going to go to the outdoor holiday market on Tuesday,” Imogen said. “Would you like to come too? It’s really fun. There’s hot cocoa and cider and mulled wine, and lots of vendors, and all the lights are so beautiful. It’s really a once-a-year kind of thing, even for Fir Tree Grove.”
Vanessa hesitated. She didn’t really have friends back in San Francisco, and she didn’t go out. She never made time for socializing, and her time was pretty much entirely spent in her office, her apartment, or a quiet coffee shop. She worried that the bustling market, and trying to spend an afternoon hanging out with Imogen and Katie, might be overwhelming. That Imogen might realize she wasn’t good at relaxing, or having fun. Something about the idea of that bothered her, when it wouldn’t have before.
But Imogen was smiling warmly at her, and she could tell the invitation was genuine. It had been a day to try new things so far, so Vanessa smiled back, nodding as she took another nibble of the fudge.
“That sounds wonderful. I’d love to.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The breakfast rush was just dying down and starting to turn into the first trickle of lunchtime customers when Mabel and Vanessa walked into the Snowdrift Diner.
“Back already?” Jackson teased her lightly from where he was standing behind the counter, as Patty started to lead the two women toward an empty booth. “I can get you more coffee, if you like.”
“Maybe after lunch,” Vanessa said with a laugh. “We’re actually here to eat.”
“Well, we have the venison chili special again today. It’s fantastic. I’ll be over to check on you in a few minutes, once Patty gets you settled.”
He didn’t need to do that—Patty was more than capable of handling it, especially since it would be slow for another half an hour or so before the lunchtime crowd really picked up. But he wanted an excuse to talk to Vanessa a little more.
He also knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop. But as the two women settled into their booth and ordered waters with lemon to drink, he couldn’t help listening in a bit to the conversation. He was curious about Vanessa. He wanted to know more about her, butevery time she came in for coffee, she evaded more attempts to get to know her better than she encouraged.
“This was the busiest I’ve seen the shop since I got here,” Vanessa said, sipping at her water. “Even busier than this past weekend.”
“It’ll just keep getting busier until Christmas,” Mabel said with a small laugh. “Both tourists and locals finishing up their shopping.” She tilted her head a little as she looked at her granddaughter, and Jackson could tell she was deciding how much to pry about something. Mabel had a certain look when she wanted to get something out of a person, and he’d been on the receiving end of that look more than once. “You got to the shop a little earlier than usual today. That boss of yours finally letting up on you while you’re out of town?”
Vanessa snorted. “Hardly,” she said. “But… I don’t know. I worked on some emails while I had breakfast in my room at Hearthside, and I just wanted to get to the shop. I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I usually do.”
It was Mabel’s turn to let out a snort. “Youenjoysending emails and spending hours looking at spreadsheets? I have an accountant just because I can’t stand dealing with those things every year at tax time.”
A small smile quirked the edges of Vanessa’s mouth up, and Jackson found himself staring for a moment. Her smile, even as small as it was, felt like it drew him in. Like she didn’t smile often, and he wanted to make her smile more.
“Maybeenjoyisn’t the right word,” Vanessa conceded. “But I’ve always liked losing myself in my work. I know it’s mind-numbing, but… that’s what I’ve wanted. Something to occupy my mind and keep me in a routine. All that rote work—invoices and emails and spreadsheets—it does exactly that.”
Jackson frowned, grabbing a glass to wipe down and busy himself with, just in case Vanessa looked his way. Now he waseven more curious. What bothered Vanessa so much that she kept a dull, busy-work job just to stay occupied enough not to think? Whatever it was, he found himself wishing that he could ease it for her in some way. It was a ridiculous thing to think, because she wouldn’t be in Fir Tree Grove for long, and there was no point in getting closer to her. But something about the look on her face in that moment made his chest ache a little.
“Well, how has it been since you’ve been back, andnotglued to that laptop constantly?” Mabel asked, that prying look still on her face. She was intent on digging now, Jackson could see, and he couldn’t make himself stop listening, even though he knew he might hear something that he shouldn’t unless Vanessa told him herself.
“It’s brought back a lot of memories,” Vanessa admitted. “But not the way I worried it would. It’s actually been nice to remember some of the good times from my childhood. I haven’t thought about them in years, especially not the Christmas traditions and the things we used to do. And I’m a little ashamed to say, that I never realized working at a toy shop could keep me as occupied as it has,” she added with a small laugh. “Helping customers, manning the wrapping station for you, looking up orders or checking in the back for things… I feel like it never stops. It keeps me busy, that’s for sure.”
“I see you smiling more at the shop.” Mabel reached out, patting her granddaughter’s hand, and Jackson was intensely curious as to what Vanessa might say next. But Patty came back to their booth just then to get their orders, and the conversation was cut short.
When their orders came up in the kitchen—the venison chili for Mabel and a grilled chicken sandwich with local goat cheese and pepper jam, along with a side salad, for Vanessa—he grabbed the plates himself and took them out to the booth.
“Venison chili with a side of crackers and shredded local cheddar on top…” he set the bowl down in front of Mabel. “And the sandwich with a side salad and balsamic fig dressing for you.” He set Vanessa’s food down. “Anything else I can get you ladies?”
Mabel looked up at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Well, now I feel special. Service from the owner himself. What a day.”
Jackson rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Oh, don’t act like I haven’t served you lunch a hundred times before.” He looked over at Vanessa, who had that same small smile playing on her lips that she had before. “Let me know if you want that coffee,” he added. “I’ll come back to check on you ladies in a bit.”
“Well, he certainly seems to have taken a liking to you,” Mabel said, just as Jackson walked away. He was still able to hear everything she was saying, and even though once again he knew it was foolish to feel his heart perk up a little in his chest, anxiously awaiting Vanessa’s response, he couldn’t help it.
“He’s just being polite,” Vanessa said, and Mabel chuckled.
“It’s not busy enough in here for him to be waiting tables. He wanted an excuse to talk to you.”
Jackson winced. Was he really that obvious? He hoped not. Mabel was nothing if not perceptive, and she’d known him his whole life. He doubted Vanessa would have picked up on it otherwise, which was, again, for the best. She wasn’t staying in town, and he wasn’t the type to have meaningless flings.
“I think it’s nice,” Mabel continued. “The two of you would get along famously, I think. You already do, apparently, as much as you’re in here.”
