Page 34 of Maybe This Christmas
He covered his smile with a napkin.“But of course.”
* * * *
After they left Loaved Up, Caleb suggested that they walk through downtown.She’d noticed that there was only one stoplight through the center of town, so she readily agreed.
Snow began to lightly fall as they descended Silver Spring Street.“Is it a requirement that every business name be a pun?”She nodded to the hardware store, Missing Screw.
Caleb chuckled.“It’s actually in the town charter, yes.”He turned to find her staring at him incredulously.“I’m kidding, sorry.This place just loves puns.My uncle and cousin own the hardware store.”He pointed ahead to The Weird Sisters, the town’s metaphysical shop.“That’s not a pun.”
“It is a Shakespeare reference,” she retorted.She half-listened to his reply, her eyes drawn to the empty shop two over from The Weird Sisters.
“That’s the Ellis & Daughter headquarters there.”Caleb pointed next door.“No puns there.”
“It’s a cute little space,” Emma said.
“Just a small showroom with supplies and a place to meet clients.Our previous office was over in The Missing Screw.My cousin Dennis took over the business earlier this year and wanted it as his office.The whole thing was Sabrina’s idea, but then she jumped ship to work at Sky House.”
Emma’s gaze stayed focused on the empty shopfront.“Does she still work with the business?”
“Yes, usually more in the summer.We now have an assistant who helps run the business.I’ve taken over as a contractor, so we do okay.”He stepped closer to Emma.“It really is a cute little space, huh?”
A striped awning jutted out above the door.Writing that had faded too much to read had been scraped off the front door.It was painted slate gray, but scraps of a sunny yellow paint showed through where it was peeling.She cupped her hands to her face and peered in.
The shop was a shotgun space—straight up and down.She could see through the entire space.Shelves haphazardly lined the walls.At the rear of the store was an old-fashioned wooden table, likely serving as the cash rep.
“Whatcha looking at?”Caleb said.“Has another raccoon gotten loose?”
Her breath obscured the view into the shop.“This is the shop you were talking about, isn’t it?Y’know, for my hypothetical stationery store.”
“It’s small but could work in your case.”
A breeze blew down the street.Without thinking, she took a step toward him.His large body shielded her from the wind.
“Maybe it’s a silly dream, but it’s always been stored up in the back of my mind.It was always out of reach in the city.There are a lot of high-end stationery stores in DC.”
And New York, which was why Davis’ half-hearted promise to help her find space was nothing more than a trick to get her to go along with him.Even though Davis did very well for himself, opening a business like that in New York would’ve been out of reach without hefty investment.
But here…she wasn’t sure.She’d be the first to admit she was the type to hoard her money.Her chaotic upbringing had shown her that anything could change in a heartbeat.Being prepared helped stave off heartbreak.
Her savings were in decent shape.More than decent, she supposed.She invested and didn’t spend fruitlessly.
Caleb’s voice cut into her thoughts.“Well, this used to be the town’s running and outdoor shop.They moved to a bigger space around the corner.It’s been empty for a few months now.”
A shiver of excitement lit her up from head to toe.“It’s silly,” she said.“I’ve only been here for an hour, but it feels like someplace I could stay.Is that weird?”She gazed up to find his eyes already meeting hers.A secondary shiver rippled through her body.
“This is the kind of place you can fall in love with.I’m proud to call it my home.”
Another gust of wind blew down the street, sending Caleb’s hat flying away.
“Shit!”
He took off at a run, with Emma following.They both laughed as they ran, careful to avoid tourists casually strolling.He caught up to his hat in the middle of Silver Spring Street, where it had landed in a puddle.
He groaned as it dripped onto his hand.“Do you mind if we stop at my place so I can get another hat?It’s too cold out here to be without one.”
She blushed at what was likely a harmless invitation.But it’d been a very long time since any man had invited her back to his place, so her brain once again leaped out in front of her.
“It’s just around the corner.We can head to Broadmere Books after.”
