“Thanks!” Ethan said a bit too cheerily as he grabbed the bag from her. “What do I owe you?”
She waved him off, smiling warmly. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Ethan. I couldn’t possibly charge you for that.”
“Oh. Well, thanks.”
He glanced back at the table where Julie, Ivy, and Kirsten sat, watching him with curiosity.
Julie was the first to speak. “No charge? That looks like a lot of coffee.”
Ivy leaned forward, looking interested. “What do you need all that for? Don’t you live alone?”
Ethan hesitated. “Yeah, but, uhhh, I like to drink a lot of coffee.”
Julie looked confused. “I didn’t even realize that Lucy sold the coffee beans. That’s kind of odd, isn’t it?”
Kristen jumped in. “Not at all. She buys in bulk.”
There was a moment of silence as Ivy and Julie looked at Ethan skeptically. Ethan could feel his cover being blown.
Thankfully, Kristen jumped to his rescue. “Well, we won’t keep you from your day. I know you have a lot to do at the tree farm.”
“And a lot of coffee to drink,” Ivy added.
Everyone cracked up laughing, and Ethan bid them farewell then hurried out of there before anyone could dig too much into what he really had in the bag.
Julie tooka sip of her coffee. “You know, I think that’s the most I’ve seen Ethan talk in, well, ages.”
“Maybe even since high school,” Ivy chimed in, taking a bite of her muffin. “He seemed… happier somehow.”
Kristen nodded, running her finger around the rim of her cup. “Yeah, it’s been tough for him since Sarah passed away.” She thought about her brother, his usual brooding demeanor, and how he’d actually cracked a smile or two during their chat.
“Understandably so,” Julie agreed, a hint of sadness in her voice. “But I hope he’s finding his way to a better place now.”
“Me too,” Ivy added, reaching across the table to give Kristen’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve done a great job supporting him, Kristen.”
“Thanks.” Kristen smiled. “I’m trying my best.” She knew Ethan was still struggling, but she also felt a flicker of hope seeing him like this today.
Julie pinched off a corner of her muffin and popped it into her mouth. “My grandmother was asking about getting one of your balsam firs for our Christmas Eve party at the Cozy Holly Inn. But when I stopped by the tree lot earlier, you guys were all out. Are you already sold out for the season?”
Kristen’s heart clenched at the mention of the trees. Her fingers crossed under the table, she forced a smile onto her face. “Oh, don’t worry, Julie. It’s just temporary. Ethan’s going to get more trees in plenty of time for the party.”
“Really?” Julie asked, relieved. “That’s great news! My grandmother would be heartbroken if we didn’t have a Woodward balsam for the party.”
“Don’t worry,” Kristen assured her, trying to sound as casual as possible.
“Speaking of Christmas fun,” Julie chimed in, her eyes lighting up with excitement, “we should all go ice-skating at the pond this weekend! Nolan has been asking to go. What do you guys think?”
“Ooh, that sounds like a blast!” Ivy agreed, clapping her hands together with enthusiasm. “Count us in!”
Kristen grinned, unable to resist the infectious joy of her friends. “Yeah, let’s do it!”
“Great idea!” Ivy said, already pulling out her phone to check her calendar. “How about Saturday afternoon? I’m free then.”
“Saturday works for me,” Kristen confirmed, already imagining the picturesque scene of them all bundled up in their winter gear, skates slung over their shoulders as they made their way to the pond. She loved the skating pond with its firepits and hot chocolate stands. “I think Mason is free too.”
“Hopefully, Mason can stay upright this time around,” Julie joked.
The girls burst into laughter. Mason didn’t know how to skate and had spent more time on his backside than on his feet at the annual skating party last week. That was okay with Kristen, since one of those falls had initiated their first kiss. She couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
