Page 66 of The Christmas Blueprint

“Is he really bothering you?” Killian asked, going on alert and no longer constantly watching the door wishing Sophia would have time to dash over and see the setup even though he knew she was slammed, and he had planned to surprise her.

“Do turkey vultures crave flesh?”

“Ew.” Both Killian and Maeve made yuck faces.

“And on that gross note—” he looked at his watch “—I’m going to head out to Sophia’s shop and see if she needs any help getting her supplies here.”

“Be careful—she’ll probably put you to work in an overly festive emasculating red and green elf hat,” Maeve warned.

Killian’s hand hesitated on the light panel. He looked around the building and at what he and Sophia had achieved in less than two weeks. An unexpected sense of pride invaded his chest. The building looked inviting, and the addition of the five space dividers and two planters of bamboo added intrigue even though most of the dividers and planters were in a far corner waiting for their update and upcycled brush with fame.

So many locals he hadn’t seen for years had jumped in to help—Dave and his friends, Riley and her crew, Zhang and now Maeve and her grandmother. He’d never had selfless help like that in Seattle or anyplace else he’d worked. And seeing Maeve gently tease her Bear Creek legendary grandmother, who had adopted Maeve, Ruby and Lyric from the foster system, had filled him with warmth and amusement.

Families.

Born or created.

He hadn’t been close to his family for a long time, but working with Riley over the past couple of days had felt so natural—like they’d never been apart.

Lakshmi had finished her sound check, turned off the space heaters, and loaded her bass into her friend’s SUV since she was performing at Sophia’s tonight for the Christmas Walk.

He turned out the lights, locked up, and zipped up his jacket to battle the gust of wind as he headed down the River Bend trail toward the town. No sense driving. Bear Creek was small, but parking would definitely be tricky during the holiday stroll. The air was crisp, edging toward chilly, and the sky was dark, the clouds heavy with moisture that likely would turn to snow.

Riley’s Christmas Light Garden lit up the night and wound through the park as he walked into town. He was so proud of his sister. The light display was beautiful and eye-catching, but the woman he was looking forward to seeing was all that and so much more.

Killian turned up his collar and ramped up to a jog.

Chapter Seventeen

“Iam notnervous. I am not nervous,” Sophia murmured under her breath Sunday afternoon about an hour before the open house and then her wreath-making class was due to begin.

Last night’s Christmas Walk through the historic downtown had been busier than last year, and Sophia thought so much of that was due to Riley’s light garden.

Sophia pulled into the Mill Market parking lot, stopped her jeep and stared. Blinked and stared again as if something would change. She hadn’t been here in a few days since she’d been so busy at the store, and yet the outside seemed transformed, as if weeks had passed.

There were broken slate pieces—gray with reddish veining—creating a patio off to the side of the mill where she and Killian had talked about having a social event space where vintners could host wine dinners or locals could book for weddings or other special occasions. There was a beautiful stained wood fence that divided the space from the rest of the mill complex and enclosed the space on three sides and a pergola that could either be open to the sky or draped with a colorful awning or perhaps climbing vines could fill in the open space adding some drama, intimacy, and romance along with nature.

She parked, still trying to process how much Killian had gotten done in just a few days. She had no idea all the work she’d been missing.

Sophia hurried to the front door. Excitement warred with dread at the base of her throat. What other changes had he made? Had she been excluded?

“Close your eyes.” Harlow opened the barn-style door a crack.

“What? Is it a secret?”

“Better than a secret.”

“I don’t know what’s better than a secret.” She played along and closed her eyes.

“Keep them closed,” Harlow bossed.

Sophia heard the door slide open farther, and then she could smell Killian’s clean, forest scent as it washed over her. She blindly reached out. His hand enclosed hers warmly.

“Follow me,” he said.

Sophia doubted he meant the two words to sound as seductive as they did, but she had to fight the impulse to say something lamely obvious like ‘anywhere.’

He kept a hold of her hand, and his arm wrapped lightly around her waist.

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