“She’s really intelligent and loves her work in the cider lab.” He flashed a smile in his grandmother’s direction. “So thumbs up for bringing her onboard at Yukon Cider.”
“Oh, my sweet boy, this sounds so enchanting,” Hattie gushed. She poured more water into her teacup and began swirling the contents with a spoon. “I’m so happy for both of you. I’ve known Bailey’s family since her mother was a girl. I can’t think of a lovelier partner for you.”
“Take it easy, Grandmother,” Caleb said, making a face. “They’re not walking down the aisle… yet.” Hattie let out a little squeal of delight in response to his comment. Landon wanted to scream. This runaway train was about to careen off the tracks. Maybe he should just fess up before Hattie started planning an engagement party.
“You must invite her to my little Christmas party I’m hosting,” Hattie said. “It’s going to be so festive and fun. I have such a great time decking this place out in all the holiday trimmings.”
Landon looked around the room. Hattie’s home was already overflowing with more holiday decorations than he’d ever seen in one place in his life. So far he’d counted six Christmas trees placed around the house, all of them fully decorated except for the largest one in the main entrance. Landon had the feeling Hattie wanted that particular tree to be decorated by all of them as a group.
Caleb knitted his brows together. “I thought Jacques was trying to get you to rethink the idea of having a party.”
Jacques was always taking the very best care of theirgrandmother and making sure she didn’t overextend herself. It was a thankless task, considering Hattie always pushed back on him. Loving a woman as feisty and independent as Hattie surely came with some challenges. His thoughts instantly drifted to Bailey, another spirited woman who appeared to chart her own course in life. Because he’d been raised by a very similar-minded woman—Daisy Stone—Landon respected that mindset.
Hattie waved her hand at Caleb. “Jacques is being fussy. I’m not going to get any sicker by hosting my annual holiday shindig. What would people think if I canceled?” she asked, sounding horrified.
Landon and Caleb exchanged a glance. There was no point in stating the obvious. Her illness had progressed to the point where they were all concerned about her. Hattie pushed herself to function at a very high level that wasn’t realistic considering the circumstances. None of them wanted to see her body break down even further.
But Hattie loved to celebrate, and she wasn’t going to allow a pesky terminal illness to get in her way. The more invited guests, the better, as far as she was concerned. Filling up her home with friends and employees was her way of showing love to the ones she cared about. Hosting a holiday party was right up her alley.
“I fully expect to see Bailey at the party, so don’t disappoint me.” She grinned at him. “Now I’ll finally get to see you with a woman who’s managed to turn your head and get your nose out of the books.”
He let out a sigh. “My nose isn’t always in the books.” He was simply a guy who loved books and seekingknowledge. When he was a kid, his teacher Mrs. Botts had labeled him a lifelong learner. He’d always considered that as a positive.
Hattie laughed. “It’s not a bad thing. I’ve always found it endearing. I’m pleased as punch that you now have a beautiful girlfriend who you can work with by day in the lab and play with by night.”
Landon let out a groan and shook his head while Caleb let out a hoot of laughter. “Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Caleb said, high-fiving their grandmother.
It was official. These two were twins, separated at birth. They even shared the same maniacal laugh.
He felt sheepish just hearing Hattie reference Bailey as his girlfriend. What had gotten into him? This had gone too far, and there was no easy exit plan for him. The bottom line was he was lying, and he was putting Bailey into an awkward situation as well. It didn’t make him feel very good about himself. It was like having an angel on one shoulder, urging him to be honest, while a devil was on the other, telling him to go along with the ruse.
“And one last thing, Landon. I have no rules about employees dating. As long as the relationship is consensual.” She reached out and tweaked his cheek. “Who could resist this handsome face?”
“A lot of people, actually,” Caleb said, cracking himself up in the process.
“God don’t like ugly,” Hattie told him, giving him her deadliest stare.
In this season that was supposed to be about love and light, Landon felt a little bit like a fraud. Maybe he should just come clean to Hattie and let himself off the hook.Pulling this off wasn’t going to be easy. But the alternative was much worse. Breaking Hattie’s heart wasn’t an option. He also needed to make sure that neither Xavier nor Caleb knew that his relationship with Bailey was nonexistent, and the only way he could accomplish that feat was to go to Bailey and beg her to be a part of this scheme. Having grown up as the youngest Stone brother, he’d always been the target of jokes. Although most were lighthearted, Landon had gotten sick of the teasing over the years. They would never let him live it down if he admitted that he and Bailey were strictly co-workers.
Landon was wrestling with the question of how to proceed. He was totally boxed into a corner. His grandmother and Caleb both believed that he was in a relationship with Bailey. Ha! That was the furthest thing from the truth. They were strictly co-workers, and he barely knew the woman. It was only a matter of time before word got out that they were an item. He ran a hand over his face. What had he gotten himself into? The stress of Hattie’s terminal illness had made him feel as if time was slipping through his fingers, and he’d wanted to make her happy. As a result of his own foolishness, he had to find a way to tell Bailey what he’d done. He cringed at the thought of it.
I’m so sorry, Bailey. You won’t believe it, but Hattie and my brother think we’re dating. Isn’t that hilarious?
He covered his face with his hands. Well, this was going to be awkward. It had been his goal to make a good impression on Bailey, but this certainly wasn’t going to help matters. At this point they barely knew each other. Landon wouldn’t be surprised if she laughed him right out of the lab.
Bailey headed into work on Monday morning, her thoughts still filled with the events of this past weekend. Her family had delivered the goodies to the senior home, which had been a great experience. Seeing the joy on the faces of the residents had been uplifting. She’d seen some familiar faces there, including Sam Robinson, a gentleman she had met on previous visits. Every time he saw her, Sam flirted with her shamelessly and called her his girlfriend. He was a harmless older gentleman whom she viewed as lonely since he’d lost his wife a few years ago. He served as a good reminder that this time of year could be difficult for lots of folks.
Being at the center provided some much-needed relief from her family dynamics. Bailey was sick and tired of nothing ever changing. She might be a mess at times, but she wanted things to improve. She craved openness and dialogue about her dad. Not just about his death, but being able to honor his life. For her it was impossible to celebrate Christmas with all this swirling under the surface. After all, their lives had come to an emotional standstill twenty years ago.
After she pulled into the parking lot for Yukon Cider, she glanced at the clock on her dashboard. She was fifteen minutes early, which meant she had time to grab a coffee and doughnut in the café before heading to the lab. She felt goose bumps on the back of her neck just thinking about seeing Landon this morning. Talking to him. Working in such close proximity to him. He had a natural love of learning all about the cider-making process, and his raw enthusiasm wascontagious. Bailey had always loved her job, but lately she had a new appreciation for it.
All of a sudden Landon was standing beside her driver’s-side window, knocking on the glass. It was almost as if she’d conjured him up simply by thinking about him. Startled, she rolled her window down. “Hey there. Morning.”
“Good morning,” Landon said. “Sorry if I startled you.”
“No worries. It’s so cold I actually don’t want to get out of my vehicle, since it’s nice and warm in here.”
“Can I join you?” he asked. For a moment she was so floored by his request that she didn’t know how to respond. “I need to talk to you about something. In private,” he said, emphasizing the wordprivate.
