Page 72 of The Mistletoe Kisser
“It’s costing us a big, fat gift card to the Hershey Spa in Pennsylvania,” Carter said, with a wink at his wife.
“Totally worth it,” Summer said, slipping her arms around his waist. Sammy couldn’t help but smile. The two of them radiated love and healing. Summer was a cancer survivor, and Carter had come home from Afghanistan wounded. Together, they’d built something beautiful together.
Summer turned to greet her sister-in-law Gia Pierce, who had just arrived with Evan, Aurora, baby Lydia, and pregnant Eva in tow.
“Your girl, Magnolia, is doing well,” Carter told Sammy. “She’s starting to get her confidence back around the other horses.”
Sammy’s heart glowed a little bit thinking about the sweet mare soaking up Carter’s attention. The man was one of the most restful people she knew. He had a soulful connection to the earth he cultivated. Animals—and people—gravitated to his calm. He reminded her so much of his father. “I can’t thank you enough for working with her,” she said.
“It’s a pleasure. Really,” he insisted.
“Your dad would be proud of you,” she blurted out the words.
He cleared his throat gruffly. “Thanks, Sammy. I think he’d be pretty tickled to see you on the farm, too. He always said you had a better way with horses and people than your mom.”
Sammy managed a laugh around the lump in her throat. Even all these years later, it was still hard to accept the fact that a good, kind man was gone forever. “I won’t tell her if you don’t,” she promised.
Carter winked. “Deal.”
Ellery clomped onto the stage in her Frankenstein boots. “Five minutes to show time,” she announced into the microphone on the lectern.
Sammy took a seat and grabbed a handful of popcorn as she scoped out the attendees. She was happy she’d come. Sure, she could have used the time to finish another few wreaths, but seeing so many of her neighbors showing up for each other warmed her.
Taneisha Duval, the enviable beauty and women’s record holder for the Blue Moon 5-Miler, was deep in conversation with Destiny Wheedlemeyer, a six-figure Etsy entrepreneur with a knitting store. A few rows from them, Kimoni Henderson and Kathy Wu had their heads together over what looked like a jar of moonshine.
Young, old. Black, white. Vegan, Paleo. Jewish, agnostic. Blue Moon managed to come together time and again in a brash, weird, wonderful celebration of similarities and differences.
She loved this damn town and everyone in it. Sometimes it snuck up on her and stole her breath.
“Is this seat taken?”
Sammy jumped, bobbling her popcorn. Ryan caught it and helped himself to a handful before returning the bag to her.
He was in his farm store jeans and a thermal shirt. Stubble darkened his jawline and his hair was carelessly tousled. The tiny echo of a girlhood crush on Carter Pierce was eclipsed by a rush of white, hot adult lust.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
He took the empty seat next to her and stretched his long legs out in front of him. “I was making a run for office supplies and saw the crowd and the marquis. I’ve never been to a town meeting before and figured it might be entertaining.”
“That sounds very unlike you,” she pointed out, enjoying the nearness of him. He smelled like expensive shampoo, crisp winter air, and Sharpie marker.
He snagged the bag from her and helped himself to more popcorn. “You could say that about everything in the last forty-eight hours.”
“I take it you don’t have good news on Carson’s situation since you’re still here and not watchingPitch Perfect2somewhere over the Dakotas right now?”
“Things are unfolding,” he said cryptically, his knee nudging hers in the confined space. “What about you? You left the pizza place like your ass was on fire.”
“My ass was fine. I just had things to do,” she said.
“What did you do to your hair?” he asked, eyeing it.
On reflex, she patted the fluffy curls. “Uh. Washed it,” she said.
“Looks nice,” he said. He leaned in a little closer. “Smells nice too.”
Her toes curled under in her boots, and her internal temperature rose five degrees at the compliment.
“Mind if I sit?” Mason Smith, Ellery’s husband and town accountant, appeared next to Ryan.
