“That’s what I thought.”
Peter took off his beanie and Katie’s breath caught. With his short, dark hair and clear blue eyes, he was handsome in an understated way. The kind of way that could be dangerous to a woman who hadn’t dated anyone in more than a year.
“I was just telling Peter about the store at the Christmas Tree Farm,” her dad said. “He’s looking for some ornaments he can take back to New York for his family.”
Mabel added another couple of rolls of tinsel to Katie’s basket. “They have some lovely handmade crafts. It’s definitely worth visiting. Are you getting your tree from there, Katie?”
She glanced at her mom. “I’m going there next. A friend went to the farm yesterday and said the trees are selling much faster than last year.”
“If Peter wants some special ornaments, he could follow you in his vehicle,” Mabel said far too sweetly. “If the trees are selling like hotcakes, so will the ornaments.”
While Katie couldn’t fault her mom’s logic, she was a little worried about her motivation. “Peter probably has other things he’d rather do.” She looked into his amused blue eyes. “I could draw a map showing you how to get there.”
“A map won’t do,” Mabel said. “Peter could drive straight past the entrance.”
Considering all the signage on the road, the likelihood of that happening was as remote as an iceberg suddenly appearing on Flathead Lake.
Mabel smiled at Peter. “It’s always better when someone takes you to a new place, especially in Montana. Everything is so spread out compared to what you must be used to.”
Peter’s eyes crinkled at the corners.
Katie got the impression that he knew exactly what her mom was up to. “If you’re leaving soon, I’m happy to follow you.”
“That’s perfect,” Mabel said enthusiastically. “You won’t be disappointed.”
His smile turned into a grin. “I’m sure I won’t.”
With her dad hurrying away to serve another customer, Mabel took them both to the front counter. Katie hoped her mom wasn’t playing matchmaker. Just because her sisters had found their happy-ever-afters since they’d returned to Sapphire Bay, it didn’t mean she was looking for hers.
CHAPTER2
As soon as he drove under the red and gold sign welcoming visitors to The Christmas Tree Farm, Peter rolled down his window. The clean, fresh scent of pine filled his lungs and made him appreciate being away from the smog and pollution of New York City.
Keeping a steady pace behind Katie’s truck, he eased his foot off the accelerator. With snow covering the trees on either side of the driveway, and a barn rising high into the sky, he was filled with a sense of rightness.
When he’d told his team he was going to Sapphire Bay to assess the progress one of the trial participants, they’d thought he was crazy. There were plenty of other people who could have flown here but, each time he returned, he felt more content than he had in a long time.
Maybe that’s why meeting Katie had left him feeling so off-center. For the first time in years, he was intrigued by a woman. And not just any woman. Katie was a petite red-head with pretty blue eyes and a mouth that refused to do anything other than smile.
When her mom suggested he follow her out to the farm, she’d silently pleaded with him not to listen, but hedidneed gifts for his family. Even if she wasn’t thrilled with her mom’s offer, he was grateful. Getting lost had become one of his most successful pastimes. Whether it was in a mall’s parking lot or on the main street of Sapphire Bay, he often forgot where he’d left his truck or how to get to his next destination. At least this way he hadn’t ended up in the middle of nowhere.
As he followed the gravel driveway toward the red barn, his eyebrows rose. Katie wasn’t exaggerating when she’d said it would be busy. At least thirty trucks were vying for position in the large front yard. And, from the left-hand side of the property, a line of vehicles carrying Christmas trees slowly made its way toward the main road.
He parked beside Katie and jumped out of his truck. When he opened her driver’s door, her startled face lifted to his.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Mom told me it isn’t polite to let a woman open a door if I can do it for her.”
A soft blush swept across Katie’s cheeks. “Well, that’s very sweet. Thank you.” She stepped out of the truck and watched the people walking into the Christmas shop. “This is the best Christmas store I’ve ever seen. As well as selling award-winning Christmas trees, Ben and Kylie sell a lot of handcrafted ornaments. Most of them are made by the people who live around Flathead Lake. You won’t find anything this good anywhere in the United States.”
“That’s high praise. I can’t wait to go inside.” And he truly couldn’t. Judging by the smiles on people’s faces as they returned to their vehicles, everyone seemed excited about what they’d seen.
As they walked through the large barn doors, Peter’s surprise turned to amazement. It was hard to imagine a more impressive Christmas shop. The wall in front of him was painted bright red and covered in Christmas art. Fairy lights hung from the impossibly high rafters, cascading down the walls and twinkling from above the wooden shelves.
Everywhere he looked, people were picking up the merchandise and adding it to their baskets. “You weren’t kidding when you said the shop’s popular.”
Katie moved out of the way of a young girl racing after a little boy. “You should be here on a Saturday or a Sunday. It’s twice as hectic. Do you have any ideas about what you’d like to buy for your family?”
