Walt Winters? Jewelry emergency? I can’t imagine it.
His granddaughter was getting married and needed a custom piece fixed.
I rescued him from a sparkly disaster, and he gave me tickets instead of cash. So? Sleigh ride?
How many winter afternoons had we spent at Walt’s stables, grooming the Clydesdales in exchange for free rides?
I closed my eyes, letting the memories wash over me. Luke’s face, red with cold and laughter. The way he’d jump into every new adventure with both feet, dragging me along. How he could talk me into anything, his enthusiasm a force of nature I never wanted to resist.
And then there was that last summer before he left for Boston. The tension that had grown between us, the arguments about the future, about what mattered, about staying versus going. I’d known he was smart, ambitious, meant for bigger things than our small town could offer. But I’d hoped I mattered more. That our friendship mattered more.
The night before he left, we’d fought. Not our usual bickering, but he’d blindsided me with his declaration, telling me he was in love with me, and I’d responded in the wrong way, with something deeper, uglier. Something grounded in my disappointment, not my disdain for his feelings or his sexuality.
Seeing him brought it all rushing back—not just the hurt, but the longing. The space inside me that had been empty far too long, waiting for his sunshine to fill it again.
I glanced at my phone, Mioko’s invitation still waiting for a response. Maybe I needed a night out to shake me from my routine and stop me from obsessing over Luke Merrick.
I’d like that. What time?
7:30 tonight, by the old gazebo on Sugar Street. Don’t be late or Walt will feed you to his horses.
I’ll be there.
Yay!
I set the phone down, a small smile playing at the corners of my mouth. Whatever happened tonight, it would be better than sitting here alone, haunted by memories and regrets.
Rambo woofed softly.
“Yeah, I know,” I sighed, scratching under his chin. “I miss him too.”
Chapter 7
Eli
The cold bit throughmy jacket as I walked down Sugar Street, my breath clouding in front of me. Strings of white lights twinkled in the trees lining the road, casting a soft glow on the people wandering through the shops and restaurants. I’d spent too long choosing what to wear—settling on my best jeans and the forest green sweater Maggie and Edie gave me last Christmas, the one that Henry said brought out the color of my eyes.
I hadn’t been on a date in ages, so maybe that was why I was nervous. As I approached the gazebo, I scanned the small crowd gathered around Walt’s sleighs. And then I saw him—not Mioko with her bright smile and colorful clothes, but Luke, standing tall and elegant in a camel coat.
For a moment, I considered turning around and leaving, but he’d already spotted me, his expression shifting from anticipation to confusion that probably mirrored mine. We stared at each other across the snow-dusted cobblestones, neither of us moving until Walt’s booming voice cut through the night air.
“Corwin? You’re late!”
I approached reluctantly, the crunch of snow under my boots matching the thundering of my heart. Luke looked incredible.
“Where’s Mioko—” I started, as I reached him.
“Mioko invited me,” Luke said at the same time.
“Did she set us up?” Luke asked, eyes darting around. Mioko was nowhere in sight.
“Seems that way.” I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets, unsure what to do with them. “Did she say anything to you about...?”
“About you being here? No.” Luke shook his head. “But she always seems to be around when we’re thrown together.”
I frowned. “Like the candy demonstration?”
“And she was the one who gave me the delivery list that included an inn.”
