“Maybe in her make-believe world, but it’s not true. I don’t think I even flirted with her.”
“Oh, so you were a flirt with others though, huh?”
Drawing in a deep breath, he exhaled. “Note to self: don’t ever go into Main Street Gifts.”
I giggled and glanced over my shoulder, only to find Grace watching us through the window. I whipped my head back forward and made the same vow.
Ladd seemed to have a pep in his step, so I assumed the meeting with the realtor went well.
He held the door for me as we stepped into a small department store farther down on Main Street. The place was filled with winter clothing, and there was even one section that had a small supply of skiing clothes.
“So, do you want to tell me why you’re so happy?”
He stopped walking and faced me. “I was hoping I could hold it in until we got back to the ranch, but—I can’t.”
I could feel his excitement seeping into me, and I laughed. “Tell me!”
“Viv, it’s happening. The store is happening.”
My heart felt like it jumped in my chest. “You have a place?”
He was so excited, he was practically vibrating. “I have a place and I have a partner. We’re going to open up the store together.”
Trying not to let out a scream of excitement, I grabbed his hand and dragged him back outside. Once we were on the sidewalk, I glanced around. It wasn’t very crowded, most likely because it was Christmas Eve. We walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, and I took his hands in mine.
“Tell me everything!”
He laughed and shook his head. “I can’t even believe it myself. So, there’s a guy who owns the old grain mill down the street at Main and Pine. Remember I told you about the Larsons? His name’s Mitch Larson. They rebuilt the mill in another location so they could expand, and he has the entire original building up for sale.”
I bounced in my seat and let out an excited squeal. “Are you going to buy it?”
He shook his head. “It’s better than that, Viv. Mitch is going to invest as a partner. We’ll do everything fifty-fifty.He’s going to put up the capital to get the building remodeled, and what I’ve saved will go toward buying half the building. Viv, this means once I show him my business plan and get all the finer details worked out, we’ll be starting the whole process. He thinks we could be open by this time next year!”
I let out the scream I’d been holding in as I jumped up. Ladd followed me. I jumped into his arms. “Ladd! This is amazing! Congratulations!”
He spun me around as people walked by, smiling at us.
When my feet finally hit the ground, I tried to catch my breath. “Everything is happening so much faster than you planned!”
“It is. Mitch coming in as a partner is a total game-changer. He has the capital to back the start-up, and he’s so excited for this. When he heard my business plan, and what I envisioned for the store, he was totally onboard. Plus, this gives me a chance to learn from someone who already owns a business—one that’s not ranching. No shade to my father, but this is beyond what I dreamed.”
“I’m so happy and excited for you, Ladd.”
He let out a breath and closed his eyes before opening them to look at me. “This is nearly the most perfect Christmas of my life.”
Laughing, I asked, “Nearly perfect?”
With a wink, he replied, “It’s not over yet.” Taking my hand, he said, “Come on. Let’s finish up the shopping before everything closes.”
After we spent the next hour shopping, we found ourselves in Ladd’s truck, the windows down, and ‘Landslide’ playing through the speakers. My face feltfrozen, and Ladd’s nose was as red as Rudolph, but we sang along as loud as we could. When I looked at him, I couldn’t help but laugh. What man would do something so crazy like this? My smile grew as my chest warmed with so much love I could hardly keep it in.
This was turning out to be the best Christmas of my life, and I somehow knew things were going to get better.
Ladd
I paced back and forth in my father’s office while my parents watched me wear out the carpet.
“Why are you so nervous?” Dad asked.
