“Me too,” Harlow said. And she meant it. Despite the dinner fiasco, hanging out with Nick had been wonderful, and she appreciated that he hadn’t judged her for the burned takeout incident. It told her a lot about the man himself and how he walked through life.
Harlow walked him to the door. Her outside lights came to life, illuminating the lake area and casting a spectacular glow. She didn’t know what it was about this place, but it gave her such a feeling of calm and serenity. Or was it Nick?
“Wow. You’ve got one of the best views in town,” he said, looking out over the property. The stars twinkling above and a full moon shining provided the perfect backdrop for the lakeside property.
As Harlow watched the blaze of his taillights as he drove down the darkened road, she let out a contented sigh. Although she knew this connection couldn’t really go anywhere due to her short-term stay in Mistletoe, Harlow wanted to spend more time exploring Nick Keegan. Surely there couldn’t be any harm in that.
Chapter Nine
Aflurry of snowflakes drifted down from the sky, creating a blanket of snow on the ground. Harlow hadn’t expected to see any snow till at least November, but she’d been warned about the unpredictability of Maine weather. She was happy to be inside the Starlight Diner at the moment instead of trudging around in inclement weather. Even though the snow was a nuisance, it was really beautiful to look at. Seattle experienced only about five inches of snow per season, so the fluffy white stuff wasn’t something she was used to.
She had met up with Stella and Lucy for lunch. The snow provided a distraction from the impending grilling from the sisters. Two days had passed since her date with Nick and she’d been thinking about it ever since.
“It’s really coming down out there,” Harlow said, mesmerized by what was going on outside the diner window.
“Don’t worry,” Stella said. “It’s not going to last for long and it doesn’t seem to be sticking. Just a passing flurry.”
“Enough about the weather! Come on, Harlow. Give us the dirt,” Lucy said, placing her palm down on the table. “We need the details about your date with Nick. Did you guys have any smooch time?” Lucy appeared to be holding her breath, waiting for Harlow to answer her.
“Lucy! I really don’t want to hear about Nick’s sexy times. He’s like a brother to me,” Stella protested. “It’s TMI.”
“Well he’s notmybrother,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes.
Harlow giggled. “All I’m going to say is that it was a nice evening full of lots of heat and fire.” Harlow was making an inside joke about the oven fire, but she knew the ladies would assume something else.
“La la la! I didn’t hear that,” Stella said, covering her ears and shaking her head back and forth.
Lucy and Harlow chuckled at her. Stella made a shushing motion with her finger, then jerked her chin in her daughter’s direction. Jade was sleeping peacefully beside her in the booth, snug in her carrier. Harlow was impressed by the way Stella incorporated her baby into all of her activities. Even though Jade was a sweetheart, being woken abruptly from her nap wouldn’t be pretty.
Harlow quickly glanced at her watch. She was on a lunch break, so her time to dish with Lucy and Stella was limited. Their lunch locale—the Starlight Diner—was all kinds of adorable. It was an old-fashioned diner with banquettes, leather booths, and a brightly colored jukebox playing upbeat tunes. The waitresses wore classic T-shirts emblazoned with the diner’s insignia. The restaurant exuded a cool vibe that reminded Harlow of an old-school diner her grandparents used to take her and Malcolm to in upstate New York.
Bonnie, their waitress, brought their food and drinks to the table. Harlow had selected a bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. Lucy had gotten a burger with tater tots, while Stella had ordered a steak and salad.
Harlow took a long sip of her chocolate shake, shivering as the frozen drink gave her slight brain freeze. “Thanks for inviting me to lunch, ladies,” she said when she came up for air. “I love this place.”
“It’s our go-to lunch spot,” Lucy said, biting into her burger. She grinned. “Always has been, ever since we were kids.”
Harlow couldn’t imagine living in the same small town she’d grown up in, yet Stella, Lucy, Luke, and Nick all still lived in Mistletoe. Staying in her own hometown had been unthinkable after her father’s sudden death and the scandal that came before it. Maybe she would never be able to understand the appeal of small towns due to her own horrible memories.
Lately, she couldn’t outrun her painful childhood memories. They were everywhere. She was beginning to think that Mistletoe itself was a big reason all of these feelings were bubbling up. In many ways, the town reminded her of Chestnut Ridge. Both were small New England towns with plenty of charm and picturesque views. She wondered if she scratched the surface of Mistletoe whether ugly truths would be revealed, as they had been in Vermont.
“Harlow, we have a festival question for you,” Stella said, interrupting her thoughts.
“Huh. Okay. Shoot! I don’t really know much about the fall festival to be honest,” Harlow said. “Nick and Miles told me a little bit about it, but it’s all new to me.”
“Would you be willing to help out with the pumpkin raffle?” Lucy asked. “We’re short one person, and we thought you’d be perfect.”
“Oh, no. I’m not really good at stuff like that.” Ugh. The last thing Harlow wanted to do was put on a smiley face and schmooze with the townsfolk.
“What stuff?” Lucy asked.
“People. I generally don’t like peopling.” Harlow felt silly admitting that she didn’t do well with small-town folks. Admitting it might make her sound like a snob.
“She’s not kidding,” Stella said with a laugh. “How could I have forgotten that little detail. You’ve always claimed not to be a people person.”
“How is that possible? You’re so charming,” Lucy gushed. “Everyone will love you. You’ll sell so many tickets.”
“You’re really laying it on thick,” Harlow said, looking over at Stella, who began to chuckle.
