“Socks?”
“Yes! Socks with Leo on them!”
“I’m not following… Leo… DiCaprio?”
Georgia threw her hands on the counter beside her. “Yes, Leo DiCaprio! What other Leo do you know, Caroline?”
Caroline squinted her eyes and smiled. “What other Leo doYOUknow, Georgia?” She stepped towards her sister, a new look of seriousness written across her face. “Okay, okay. This is important. Which Leo are we talking about?Perfect Romeo, just walked off the set of Growing PainsLeo ordad bod, save our oceansLeo?”
Georgia’s eyes widened, completely understanding the weight of the difference. “These socks arecirca 1996. Romeo, gorgeous blonde locks, crying perfectly beautiful tears over a dead MercutioLeo. They’re amazing. Look.” She pulled up her jeans so that Caroline could admire Leonardo DiCaprio’s face crying across her ankle.
“I may never take them off. I need them in every color now. What am I gonna do, Caroline? I don’t know who’s leaving this stuff, but they know my favorites: tomato soup from the Corner Cafe,Georgiaparaphernalia, Leo… and then this morning,Santaleft ear plugs and a mint green eye mask.”
“Okay? That’s weirder. I don’t get it.”
“Santaknows my schedule! I have the youth lock-in this weekend! I need those earplugs and that eye mask, and he knows it!”
“OrSHEknows it…” Caroline corrected.
“Right. Or she.”
“Smart Santa.” Caroline raised her eyebrows with appreciation.
“Stalker Santa,” Georgia said conspiratorially.
Caroline put her finger in the air. “Or… Suitor Santa.” She wiggled her body in a dance.
“You’re insane.” Georgia looked at her watch, checking the time. “Oh, I actually have to go. I’m dropping off the winter formal donations today. I also need to swing by the animal shelter with the chewy toy donations. I should really start planning the Best in Snow decor for the shop, and then… I’m having coffee with the Colonel.”
“Dang, Georgia. You’ve got too much going on. MaybeSantaleft you that eye mask so you could take a nap. Sleepy Santa.” She playfully smacked her sister with the towel still in her hand. “Take care of yourself, okay? I can pick up extra shifts or help you out more with the other stuff, but you don’t have to do all of these tasks alone. You don’thaveto do it at all.”
Georgia hopped down from the counter, dismissing her sister. “Of course I do. It needs to be done, and I can do it. I should be doing more, really.” Before Caroline could impart further wisdom, Georgia hugged her goodbye. “I love you. I’ll rest later, okay? And we’re still on for tonight? Tree decorating?”
“Yeah. Of course. Ginny and Kota should be closing tonight, so they’ll meet us after.” Caroline shook her head at her sister.
“Okay! See ya then!” Georgia grabbed her keys and rushed through the door to start checking off the tasks on her list.
Everything went smoothly that evening, and topping off the night with a decaf coffee on her parents’ front porch was the rest Georgia really needed.
“You seem… really happy, Georgia.” Her dad pushed them gently on the front porch swing with Georgia’s legs snuggled neatly beneath her.
“I am. Things are going really well. The formal committee has so many donations this year for the Sugartree Foster Care Center, and I almost have a theme for the Best in Snow Show this year.”
“Almost?” he asked.
“Almost. I’m not sure yet, but I have a week to think about it. And…” Georgia hesitated. She hadn’t told Caroline the most surprising event in her life the past week. The revelation that Lake Lovett had quite possibly exchanged his bad boy image for a more noble one. She didn’t know why, but she felt like if she admitted to anyone that she liked this new version of Lake–although she’d liked the old Lake, too–Georgia wouldn’t be as protected if he let her down again.
“And…?” Her dad pushed off the ground with a light tap of his foot and put his arm around her. “Any long lost preacher’s sons making headway in your heart recently?”
“Wow, Colonel. Cut right to it, okay?”
He squeezed her tightly, and Georgia nuzzled in closer. She’d always been a daddy’s girl, so she couldn’t be too surprised that he’d read her so easily.
“I’m not blind, Georgia. I see the way you look… or try not to look… at that boy. You always have. And he’s always looked at you like…”
Georgia looked up at her dad, wondering how he’d kept this to himself for all this time and hoping he’d impart some wisdom on how she could move forward.
“Lakeland looks at you like he’s seein’ ya for the first time every time you come in the room. Ya know?”
