Page 34 of Tinsel & Tools
“Don’t lie to me, Gavin. You’ve gone months without writing a single word, and now all of a sudden you’ve found inspiration?” She stopped just long enough to take a breath. “I swear to god, if you’re holding out on me, I’ll come up there and kick your ass.”
I laughed. She wouldn’t think twice about following through on her threat. I could hear Cole and Pete outside still, so I lowered my voice and said, “Fine. We kissed.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Gavin Michael Price, I know you’re holding out on me.”
I closed my eyes and let out a groan. “I may have helped him out a bit … on my knees.”
“You blew the handyman!” she screeched.
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, even though no one could hear her since she was four hours away. “And technically, he’s the son of the handyman. Cole’s an electrician.”
“Yeah, because that’s the important part in all of this,” she countered. “So, was this a one-time thing, or are we talking about potential romance here?”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “Doubtful. He’s been acting like it never happened. I bet he regrets it.”
“Or he’s processing.”
“Either way, I’m not holding my breath,” I said.
“If you say so,” she hummed, but didn’t sound convinced. “Are you going to the tree lighting tonight?”
I blinked. “How do you know about the tree lighting?”
“I remember seeing signs for it when I was in town,” she replied a little too quickly.
Best friend intuition ran both ways. “Allie?”
“Fine.” She huffed. “Ryan mentioned it when we talked last night. He said the whole town shows up for it.”
“You talked to Ryan?”
“I may have come back to New York, but I’m not any more ready to give up my small-town hottie than you are.”
“I already told you, Cole’s not interested.”
“You don’t know that for sure. Maybe you two can have a little moment under the Christmas lights.”
The last thing I needed was to run into Cole in front of the whole damn town.
I chuckled. “Not if I don’t go.”
“You need to,” she argued. “No matter what, if you want the inn to be successful, you’ve got to get friendly with the locals. What better way to do it than at what’s supposedly the biggest annual event?”
“You’re right,” I conceded. “Doesn’t mean I want to, though.”
“Stop being a baby about it,” she teased. “Who knows, you might end up having fun.”
Judging by how far away I had to park, Allie hadn’t been lying about the size of Brookhaven’s tree lighting event. By the time I reached the square, it looked like a snow globe had exploded all over the place. Strings of lights stretched from the gazebo to the storefronts lining the streets, every window was filled with decorations, and a towering fir stood dark, waiting for the big reveal.
A group of kids ran past me, throwing snowballs at each other and nearly colliding with a couple balancing cups of cocoa. I sidestepped just in time and found myself in front of a tent overflowing with wreaths and garlands marked “More than Blooms.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets and thought about Allie telling me I needed to get to know the locals. Back in New York, small talk with strangers wasn’t exactly my thing, and most people would’ve found it odd if I’d tried. But here, everyone smiled and seemed approachable. Maybe it was as simple as introducing myself and seeing where the conversations led.
I began scanning the area for someone who wasn’t already in the midst of a conversation, and, because fate was an asshole, my eyes immediately landed on Cole. Despite him ignoring me all day at the inn, I watched as he made his way closer.
