Page 64 of Fake It Till We Fall
“It sure does,” Grandma said with a wink as she tickled Poppy’s cheek.
I turned to look at Grandma. “The baby or the kitchen?”
“Both, sweetheart.” Her eyes gleamed, a little too bright. “But for now, I’ll settle for having you back in the kitchen. Now, let’s get these dinners packed up before we get too sentimental. There are a lot of seniors and people in need who are waiting for their dinners.”
“Okay, okay.” A little reluctantly, I handed the baby back to Charli, who strapped her into the carrier.
“Symon will be here to start deliveries in thirty minutes,” Charli said. “He said the whole town smells like turkey today.”
“Good.” Grandma nodded. “That’s how it should smell. We’re going to make so many people happy with these dinners.”
“You always do, Willa.”
Grandma waved away the compliment. “You two keep working here. I’m going to go check on that gravy.”
“She insists that she’s the only one who can get it just right,” I told Charli as Grandma moved to the other side of the kitchen.
The moment she was gone, Charli spun to face me. “Spill, woman. I want all the details.”
My face flushed hot. “Details?”
“You and Grayson,” she said impatiently. “I mean, I love seeing the two of you together again.Finally.But how was the lodge?”
“You heard about that?”
She gave me a look.
“Right.” I laughed. “I forget how small this town is sometimes.”
“So? How was it? A romantic night away. I bet the two of you needed some alone time.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and I groaned. “What does this mean? Like, for the future?”
They were questions I wished I had answers for.
I sighed and put my spoon down. “The lodge was incredible. Every minute of it. As for the future…” I glanced over at Grandma, who fortunately wasn’t paying attention. “We’re still trying to work it all out. It’s complicated.”
Thankfully, the ding of the timer, alerting us to the fresh batch of buns done in the oven, distracted us from the question, and we got back to work.
For the next half hour, we worked seamlessly together. Charli filled boxes, with a sleeping baby on her chest, Grandma shifted her attention to the gravy, claiming she was the only one who could get it just right, and I assembled the roasted vegetables. Itwas noisy, busy, and warm, and for once, it didn’t feel like I was trying to keep up with the crazy pace of the rest of the world.
“This is really nice,” I said under my breath, mostly to myself.
“What is?” Charli glanced over.
“Being here,” I admitted. “Cooking with Grandma. This town. It feels…good.”
My old friend gave me a tender smile. “That’s because you fit here, Harper. Some things don’t change.”
Her words stayed with me as we worked. By the time all the dinners were packed and stacked on the counter, I was both exhausted and strangely full, like my chest couldn’t hold everything pressing against it.
Or more specifically, the swirl of emotions and conflicting feelings I’d been holding in for far too long.
“Excellent work, everyone.” Grandma wiped her hands on her apron. “This might have been our highest number of Christmas dinners yet. We could never have done it without all of your help.” Her eyes locked on mine. “Allof you.”
Before I could say anything, a knock sounded at the back door, followed by a rush of cold air.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Grayson’s deep voice carried into the kitchen. “But I’m here to collect my caroling partner.”
My heart tripped in my chest, and I glanced up at the clock over the stove. I’d completely lost track of time.
