Riley cleared her throat. "Thanks, Ryan."
"Just calling it like I see it." He grabbed the last wreath from the box. "I'll take this one. You two lovebirds finish up over there."
He walked off, leaving Grant and Riley standing in the middle of Main Street, surrounded by holiday decorations and unspoken things.
"He means well," Riley said quietly.
"I know."
"Everyone means well."
"They do."
"It's just a lot."
Grant turned to her. "Do you want to stop? We can still?—"
"No." Riley shook her head. "No. We're in it now."
"You sure?"
"Are you?"
Grant thought about it. About the way Riley fit against him. About how easy it was to have his hand at her waist. About how much he didn't want this to end, even though he knew it had to.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm sure."
They finished hanging the wreaths and circled back to the square, where the chaos had somehow intensified. More volunteers. More decorations. More everything.
Mrs. Henderson spotted them immediately. "Grant! Riley! I need you two to test the lights on the tree."
The tree—a massive pine that stood in the center of the square—was already strung with hundreds of lights. Testing them meant climbing inside the branches and checking each strand.
"Together?" Riley asked.
"Well, I'm not sending you in there alone. It's a two-person job."
Grant and Riley exchanged a look.
"Come on," Grant said. "It'll be fun."
"Your definition of fun is deeply concerning."
They ducked into the tree, branches closing around them like a fort. It was darker inside, quieter, the noise of the square muffled by pine needles.
Riley pulled out her phone for light. "Okay. So we just…check each strand?"
"Yeah. Look for dead bulbs or loose connections."
They worked their way around the trunk, shoulders bumping, hands brushing as they tested each strand.
"This is ridiculous," Riley said, laughing. "We're inside a tree."
"Best place to be."
"You would say that."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
