“And you’ll know you turned down help that could’ve kept the doors open,” Laurel shot back. “I’ve learned a thing or two while I was away. Give us a chance to show up for you, the way you’ve always shown up for us, even when we didn’t deserve it.”
“If I have to throw in your favorite blueberry scones to convince you, I will,” Kinley added.
“Okay, fine. You can help. But not a word to anyone. Especially my mom. Brayden’s the only one who knows, and he only found out by accident.” With the words out, Ava felt instantly lighter. Maybe this was the Christmas miracle she didn’t know she needed. She peered down the block, catching a quick glimpse of Ed as he crossed the street. “Sometimes I think that moose knows more than he lets on,” she mumbled.
“What’s that?” Laurel asked.
“Never mind.” Ava spun back toward the door. “Let’s get back to the competition before I get my mom disqualified. I’ll never hear the end of it if that happens.”
ChapterFourteen
Brayden
“I had no idea how they were going to pull off a winter wedding at the lodge,” Ava said as Brayden helped her into her coat when they left Cadence and Ford’s wedding reception. Faint music followed them down the hall, even with the doors closed behind them. “I have to admit, I’m impressed with how they utilized the lobby and that party room. They’re bigger than they looked.”
He held out his arm for Ava, knowing full well she had no reason to take it. The moms were downtown playing holiday bingo, something he never imagined he’d catch his mom doing in his lifetime. Sunset Ridge had been better for her than he ever expected. He only wished he’d invited her sooner.
He and Ava had no one to pretend for, but she looped her arm through his anyway.
Because he’d made an early morning basket delivery to his contact in Anchorage so Ava could stay and handle the store, they hadn’t had much time to talk since the blowout with her friends at the baking contest. But whatever had come of it, Ava appeared calmer today. Despite the looming deadline that was less than twenty-four hours away.
“Tomorrow’s a big day, Christmas Eve and all,” Brayden said as they neared the front door of the lodge, “but would you be willing to stay out a little while longer? I heard the northern lights are supposed to be absolutely brilliant tonight. We should go enjoy them.”
Ava hesitated, as expected.
“You don’t have a single basket left youcanput together. You’re not going to go peddle them tonight either. There’s not a thing to do until morning where your shop is concerned. Give yourself a short break, Ava. Whatever fate befalls it, you’ve earned an hour off.”
“I thought that’s what the wedding was for,” she teased.
“I meant some time for yourself.” Brayden held the truck door open and waited until she was seated to close it. He hurried around the front, thankful for auto start, and jumped in. “Just an hour. Then if you want to go home, I’ll take you straight there. I’ll even bring you coffee in the morning.”
“What about Elsie?”
“She had quite the day with a questionable tree branch after your mom slipped her that sugar cookie. I promise she won’t mind my absence a little while longer. She’s pretty wiped.” Brayden knew Ava was out of objections and turned onto the back road through town that would lead them into total darkness within two miles.
Tonight, he planned to lay it all on the line. How he feltandthe secrets he’d kept from her. Because tomorrow, if she couldn’t sell enough baskets to save the store, he was writing her a check for the remaining balance. She could be mad at him all she wanted, but he wasn’t going to let the Forget Me Not go out of business. Not tomorrow. Not ten or twenty years from now. He was in it for the long haul.
“You asked me something a few days ago,” he said. “Something I didn’t answer.”
Ava let out a laugh. “Younot answer a question? That never happens.”
He yearned to take her hand, but the dark sky, so much blacker here in the winter than he’d ever seen anywhere else, demanded his full attention on the road. Ed could be around any turn. “You asked me why I moved to Sunset Ridge.”
“Well?”
Brayden slowed for a curve, light snow flurries forming. He hoped clouds wouldn’t cover the magnificent show. Not tonight. “I almost died.”
“I don’t understand.”
Slowly, he took the turn to the lookout point, wanting to park before he continued. There were as many steep drop-offs here as where he’d been driving that day. Once he found the perfect spot, he shifted into park, unbuckled his seat belt, and turned. The dashboard lights illuminated the concern on Ava’s pale face.
“When I lost my grandpa, I thought the best way to deal with that was to throw myself into work. Every waking second.”
Ava turned in her seat, reaching over and placing her hand on top of his.
“I was on a conference call, driving through a particularly rocky area. I had the call on speaker,” he added, knowing that didn’t really make it any better. “But I was so preoccupied with winning over a new client that I slipped off the side of the road. Soft shoulder after a heavy rain.” Brayden paused as memories assaulted him, as clear now as they were that day. A byproduct of finally describing the tragedy out loud to another. He forced himself to push forward. “My truck tumbled down a rocky ledge and landed upside down in a creek that’s normally pretty full. But we had a drought come through— Long story short, I should’ve died for so many reasons, but I walked away from that accident with hardly a scratch to show for it.”
Ava squeezed his hand so hard he thought he might temporarily lose circulation. “That’s awful that you had to go through that. I’m so grateful you survived. I—”
