Page 55 of The Christmas Blueprint

“My what?” Sophia yelped.

“Brilliant.” Riley fist-pumped. “I love it.”

“Can you do a bit of festive lighting around the entrance to make it more welcoming?”

“I can do better than that,” Riley said, her eyes glimmering with enthusiasm. “You’re home the next two weeks, right?” She looked at Zhang.

“I’m home all month. I’ll have some work, but most of my focus will be on the winery with Tess and the staff to prepare for our holiday release party. What do you need?”

“A path. And a theme, but I’ll come up with that.” Riley tapped the heel of her palm against her forehead. “Think. Think. Think.”

“From your light show to the building?” Killian sat forward.

Sophia felt like she’d been cleaved in two. Part of her was so excited she wanted to jump up and dance around like she had in elementary school when she and Riley had cooked up a thrilling idea, but another part wanted to hold her arms out in the universal stop sign and shout ‘no, no, no.’

She couldn’t post up her watercolors. Those had been on the fly. They weren’t finished. They weren’t ready for public judgment.

Riley nodded definitively. “But I got my crew booked putting up lights on houses and commercial properties, and I’m working with Tess on Zhang’s tasting room to finish up the light display for the outdoor covered area, so the timing would be tight. Can you help me, babe?”

Zhang nodded. Short. Definitive.

“What about me?” Killian said. “Am I yesterday’s meme easily forgotten?”

“I thought if I asked, you’d jump up and run.”

Killian’s face shut down. The animation from earlier that had seemed combined with nervous energy, judging by the way his right knee had furiously bounced during the entire conversation, was absent. He looked a little winded. Stunned.

“You’re right,” he said. “But…” He speared his hand through his hair, shook his head and then looked up at his sister. “I’m in. I’ll help.”

“You won’t try to take over?” Riley asked suspiciously. “Pull some ‘the sign says Flanagan & Sons, sweetie move?”

Sophia wasn’t sure what she expected Killian to say. She knew Riley was fiercely independent. She also knew Killian had been fiercely protective of his sister. But then he’d left for college and really hadn’t looked back. Sure, he’d called and texted and had flown Riley up for visits, but he hadn’t been present. And Riley had missed him.

“Promise,” he said gravely and crossed his heart.

“I’ll help too,” Harlow piped up at the end of the table. “But once they walk in and get a hot chocolate, what are they going to do?”

For a moment, they all stared at her.

“They’ll see that the building can be part of the downtown,” Riley said after a longer than comfortable silence.

“Harlow’s right. We need a draw. An activity. Something simple but classic. Something traditional and holiday. That’s it.” Killian snapped his fingers and pointed at Sophia. “A wreath-building class.”

“A wwww…”

“Perfect.” Riley high-fived her brother. “Soph, you can so nail this. You create wreaths anyway for your shop, your apartment door, mine, your parents’ house, Zhang’s tasting room. This will be awesome. You can teach—”

“Stop.” Sophia held both hands out. “Me?” How did she get dragged into teaching a wreath-making class to strangers?

“Who else?” Killian questioned.

Chapter Fifteen

Sophia parked infront of the old mill building. She didn’t walk today. She had a couple of errands—driving to a farm out toward Applegate to pick up some alpaca shawls and other apparel, and then a smaller farm along the Applegate River near the Applegate Lodge where a single mom along with her mother created beautiful quilts and lavender facemasks and cute lavender and rose petal sachets that were excellent stocking stuffers. They always sold out during the Christmas season.

On the way back, Sophia intended to stop off at the True homestead and check on Elaine True to once again try to persuade her to let Lost & Found Objects carry a few of her livestock and landscape paintings in her store. The small green box with several almond bear claws and chocolate croissants—Elaine’s favorites from Running Fox Bakery—might not be enough of a persuasion, but they would at least be enjoyed. Elaine didn’t come into town as much as she used to.

The discussions about her artwork were probably a game to Elaine.

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