“Great. I could use a minute to … get settled.” She blushed and then moved to hang her coat up on the peg.
He made his way to the garage. If he was smart, he’d figure out how to get out of town sooner rather than later. The more he worked with Mitzi, the more he wanted to work with her. For a wrangler, that was a dangerous thought. He’d grown up knowing his life would be filled with physical labor, and he’d determined that any woman worth bringing home would have to be one who was a true partner. Someone who didn’t mind working as hard as he did—who liked it, even. He had a sinking suspicion that Mitzi was just that kind of woman.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
Chapter Sixteen
At work the next morning, Mitzi gave every customer a hearty “Merry Christmas!” on their way out the door. She couldn’t seem to help herself. Working on the sleigh was quickly becoming her favorite hobby.
Billy had asked if they were going to make a MyHeartChannel video on repairing sleighs, and she and Forest had joked about it throughout the night. He’d narrate what he was doing, throwing in comments about aerodynamics and wind resistance. She’d talk about fabric selection and the tools they used. Billy had giggled nonstop. Snowflake had stayed in the barn; she’d been sulking. Forest knew why, but he hadn’t brought it up. Whatever happened between the two of them would stay between the two of them.
Mitzi was alright with that. The holidays were supposed to be merry and not full of drama. That was how she liked them. Therefore, she decided to let the two of them work out their differences on their own. After all, one of them was a grown-up and the other was a wrangler.
She snickered at her thoughts.
The door blew open and Carla came running through. “Mitzi!” she yelled even as she caught sight of her by the snow shovels. “Are you out of your ever-loving mind, girl?”
Mitzi glanced down at her jeans and sweater, covered by a green apron with the store’s logo. By the way Carla was acting, she half expected to have forgotten her pants. “I don’t think so.” She smiled.
Carla waved her arms as she spoke. “You’re letting a vagabond into your home? You have a child to think about.”
Understanding dawned, and Mitzi waved her hands like she was stopping a charging bull. “Forest is not homeless. He’s staying at the B&B.”
“Mary at the B&B said he came in looking like he’d crawled out of a cave.”
Mitzi laughed. She could picture him in his winter camo and with a longer beard. He would look out of place. “I’m sure she’s exaggerating.”
Carla shook her head. “Ely said he’d been spying on you and Billy for some time before he made contact. That’s creepy.”
At the mention of Ely trying to interfere and spread rumors, Mitzi groaned. It was time she set the record straight. “Carla, you know you’re my best friend, right?” She grabbed Carla by the upper arms and made eye contact. Being direct with Ely was a necessity—apparently, he got that trait from his stepmom.
“Right!” she affirmed.
“So I gotta tell ya …” Mitzi steeled herself. This one was going to hurt her friend. “I’m not interested in nor attracted to Ely. I don’t want to be with him, and I don’t want him at my house.”
Carla huffed. “No need to get snippy.”
Mitzi let her hands drop. “I’m not. It was just … difficult to get him to understand that we’re not meant to be.”
Carla folded her arms on herself.
“I’m sorry, Carla. I really am. I know you had hopes for the two of us to be together.”
Carla sank in on herself. “I did.” She drew in a breath.
Mitzi ached for the older woman. She’d taken her under her wing when she first came to town and taken pity on her with this job. Mitzi hadn’t known the first thing about retail when she’d started, but Carla had patiently taught her how to run the store. She trusted her to lock up at night and make the deposit. And she watched Billy when Mitzi worked late. That kind of trust wasn’t something Mitzi took lightly. “I don’t want to hurt you. You mean the world to me.”
Carla drew in another breath that lifted her out of her momentary funk. “Family doesn’t always mean a wedding ring.” She grasped Mitzi’s wrist and held on. “You’re my girl—no matter what.”
Mitzi hugged her tightly. “Family,” she affirmed.
Carla squeezed and then stepped back. “So, this guy … does he want kids?”
Taken off guard, Mitzi blinked several times. “I—uh—don’t know. Why?”
“Because I want grandkids.” She patted Mitzi’s stomach. “And at the rate Ely’s going, you’re my best hope.”
Mitzi laughed. “Sorry. This baby factory is shut down.”
