“Merry Christmas.” Amie reached to give her a friendly hug, then paused, casting a conspicuous glance at Jessa and Landon’s joined hands. To her credit, she raised her gaze and acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Drew extended a hand to Landon. “I’m Drew Sullivan, and this is my wife, Amie.”
“Nice to meet you.” Landon completed the handshake. “Landon Reeves.”
“Are you from this area?” Drew used more discretion than his wife in his appraisal of the hand-holding.
Landon shook his head. “Pennsylvania. I found Jasper Lake by accident due to the detour, and it’s grown on me.”
“It has a way of doing that.” Approval brightened Drew’s features. “I tried living away from here after college but moved home after a few years of working in the city.”
Amie looked at Jessa. “You’re not working the chamber booth today?”
“My shift ended at noon. AJ is there now, then Rachel will take over.”
“That’s good. Then you each get to enjoy the activities.” Amie stretched her neck and looked around. “Have you seen Aunt Sally in here? We were supposed to meet her outside, but I don’t see her anywhere.”
“Actually, yes. I saw her at Anna Mae’s quilt booth not even five minutes ago.”
“Great.” Amie tugged on Drew’s sleeve. “I don’t mean to rush, but if we don’t catch up with her now, we might never.”
Drew laughed. “Nothing slows down Aunt Sally.”
“Sounds like my Gran.”
“We’ll see you around. If you’re going to be in town a while, stop over for dinner.” Drew tipped his ballcap, then he and Amie left in search of her Aunt Sally.
Jessa nudged Landon. “FYI, everyone here will know your name within ten minutes.”
“Small town gossip?”
“Jasper Lake is no different.” She rolled her eyes. “Even on a day filled with other activities, there’s always time for spreading news, whether it be real or fake. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it on my account. My brother married a girl he’d just met, and my sister got pregnant her senior year of high school.” He offered a calming, reassuring smile. “I learned a long time ago not to let it bother me.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Although her family had been a prime target lately, she hadn’t become accustomed to it yet, but since Landon wasn’t bothered, it lifted part of the burden.
Chapter Eight
An older man approached Landon as he stood in line for mulled cider. “Landon Reeves, right?”
“Yes, sir.” He didn’t bother asking how the man knew. By this point in the day, Jessa’s prophetic words had come true, and he was no longer a nameless stranger in Jasper Lake. “And you are?”
“Doug Shepherd. I’m retired now, but I owned the mechanic shop in town until five years ago.”
“My brother owns a shop in Pennsylvania.”Who I didn’t tell I was going out of town, but I’m an adult and I don’t have to account for my absence.
Doug’s eyes lit with interest. “Domestic, import, or both?”
“Domestic, mainly.”
The man continued to pepper him with questions as the line moved forward. He was friendly enough, but Landon wanted to get back to Jessa. They only had a few hours left together before he had to hit the road.
After a fifteen-minute wait, Landon left with two ciders in his hand. Cider of any sort wasn’t his beverage of choice, but when he’d mentioned to Jessa he’d hit his coffee quota of the day, she raved about the cider, and he didn’t want to let her down.
He passed by the restrooms and saw her still waiting in line.Good grief that must have been a long line. Then again, from what he’d learned about Jessa today, she’d probably stopped to talk to multiple people along the way. Jasper Lake made his small hometown of Maryville look like a metropolis.
To join her or not?
