“Fine,” he said, although he couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice. “I’ll go collect Imogen for our apparently traditional and completely normal sleigh ride through town. But if this turns into some kind of disaster, I’m holding you personally responsible.”
“Noted,” Mabel said with satisfaction. “Now hurry up. And Lincoln?”
“Yes?” he asked, eyeing the horses.
“Try to have fun,” she suggested, smiling brightly at him as he approached the sleigh.
“I’ll do my best,” he said diplomatically, climbing into the sleigh and shaking out a fur blanket over his legs as he reached for the reins. He had no idea if this was going to end in disaster immediately, but as it turned out, the horses seemed to have a pretty decent idea of what to do all on their own. He tapped the reins against their backs and they started off, the sleigh more smooth than he’d expected. It was touch and go for a minute, but before long, they were moving along at a decent clip in the direction of the chocolate shop.
Lincoln had no idea how on earth he’d managed to get himself into this. But at least he was fairly certain he wasn’t going to crash the horses.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Vanessa checked her watch for what felt like the twentieth time in the past ten minutes, her heart hammering with nervous excitement as she peered through the front window of Artisan Chocolates. It was dark out, and the Christmas lights that lit up the main square were sparkling brightly. She scanned the street for any sign of Lincoln and the sleigh that Mabel had so cleverly arranged.
She felt sure that this was going to work. Lincoln and Imogen had shared popcorn and laughed and stayed sitting together during the movie, but when Vanessa had talked to Imogen the next morning, there hadn’t been any indication that she’d thought it was anything more than a nice evening with a friend. So she and Mabel had decided to ramp up their efforts a little more.
Vanessa glanced back, where she could see Imogen in the back room rinsing out chocolate molds. She’d been hard at work on the sculpture all day between customers, and she was tired, Vanessa knew. Vanessa felt a small pang of guilt at dragging her out—but no, she decided this would be good for Imogen. It would make her feel special, and she deserved something like this after how hard she’d been working.
She felt jittery excitement spread through her veins. This was it, she knew it. This last effort would be the key to finally bringing Imogen and Lincoln together the way they were meant to be.
Katie was sprawled on the floor nearby, surrounded by a collection of small chocolate molds that Imogen had given her to play with, arranging them and chattering quietly to herself about the imaginary chocolate shop she was creating. Vanessa saw Imogen come out a moment later and sit down behind the register, a stack of receipts in one hand and a calculator in the other as she started balancing the total for the day.
Vanessa felt a flutter of anxiety in her stomach. What if Lincoln was running late? What if Imogen finished her bookkeeping before he arrived? What if this whole elaborate scheme fell apart at the last minute? She and Mabel and George had put so much thought and effort into orchestrating this romantic sleigh ride, and she felt sure it would make the difference. It had to work out.
“So,” Vanessa said brightly, moving away from the window and approaching Imogen in an effort to slow her down a little until Lincoln could arrive. “How was business today? You looked pretty busy every time I walked past.”
Imogen glanced up from her calculator, pushing a strand of chestnut hair behind her ear. “Oh, it was wonderful, actually. Really steady all afternoon. I think I sold more peppermint bark today than I have all week. The only problem was finding time to work on the sculpture. And now there’s this that still needs to be done.” She gestured at the receipts spread across the counter. “I’m just trying to get these numbers sorted out as quickly as I can. Katie’s been so patient, but I know she’s ready for dinner and some Christmas movies.”
“That’s great!” Vanessa said, maybe a little too enthusiastically. She caught herself and tried to tone it down. “Imean, that’s really wonderful that business has been so good. This year has been good for everyone, I think.”
Imogen nodded, already turning her attention back to the receipts. “Absolutely. I’m so grateful for?—”
“You know,” Vanessa interrupted quickly, “I was just thinking about how hard you’ve been working lately. When was the last time you took an evening just for yourself? Just to relax and enjoy the season?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Imogen said absently, punching numbers into her calculator. “I suppose I’ve been pretty focused on the shop and getting ready for the magazine feature. But that’s okay. This time of year is always crazy, and I’m lucky to have this photoshoot happening. I can’t complain.”
Vanessa glanced toward the window again, biting her lip. Still no sign of Lincoln. She needed to keep Imogen distracted for just a little while longer.
“The magazine feature!” Vanessa exclaimed, as if she’d just remembered. “How exciting is that? I still can’t believeSweet Confectionswants to feature your shop. You must be so thrilled.”
This time Imogen did look up, a genuine smile spreading across her face. “I really am. It’s such an incredible opportunity. I just hope everything goes well with the photoshoot and interview. I’ve been so nervous about it. But the sculpture is turning out exactly like I’d hoped.
“You’ll be perfect,” Vanessa assured her, and she genuinely meant it. “Your chocolates are absolutely amazing, and you’re so passionate about what you do. That comes through in everything you create. They’ll see that, and so will everyone else who reads the feature.”
“Thanks.” Imogen smiled at her. “That means a lot, honestly.”
Vanessa felt a pang of guilt at the praise, knowing that she was saying it all under somewhat false pretenses, even if she didmean it. But it was all for a good cause, she reminded herself. Imogen and Lincoln belonged together—anyone with eyes could see that. They just needed a little push in the right direction.
“Mom,” Katie piped up from her spot on the floor, “can we make hot chocolate when we get home? The kind with the little marshmallows?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” Imogen replied, glancing down at her daughter with an affectionate smile. “Just let me finish up here and we’ll head home.”
Vanessa’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t let Imogen finish her bookkeeping yet. Where was Lincoln?
A moment later, just as she was about to really panic, she heard the sound of jingling bells and looked toward the street. She felt a flood of relief as she saw the sleigh coming down the road, pulled by the two huge Clydesdale horses, their harnesses decorated with red ribbons and silver bells. Lincoln was driving, looking somewhat bewildered but undeniably handsome in his winter coat and knit hat.
“Oh my goodness,” Vanessa breathed, trying to contain her excitement. “Imogen, look outside!”
