Page 70 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

The mayor says we can’t exclude anyone from the auction.

Brodie and Trip caused a stink.

They are back in.

Are we ever going to talk about this weekend?

Delilah grimaced. Holly had spotted Anthony’s truck over the weekend and called her Saturday, hammering her with questions about their relationship. When Holly swung by her place yesterday and surprised her, Delilah didn’t want to let her bestie in. She’d faked a migraine and Holly told Delilah to call her when she woke up. Instead, she’d been avoiding her anxious text messages and behaving exactly like Anthony.

A coward.

Maybe she could have handled his reaction to the fight with Pike with understanding and grace, but it was all so ridiculous. While she’d never had any conflict with Holly over liking the same guy, Delilah couldn’t imagine them ever blowing up their friendship over one. Whether Anthony had made a move on Delilah without telling Pike or not, she’d already told Pike there was no chance. Thus, his betrayal was an imagined, childish reaction and Delilah couldn’t believe Anthony was buying into it.

Maybe he is looking for a reason to run.

While the little voice is mean, ultimately it made sense. The fact that Anthony’s first inclination was to take a step back from her hurt like a gutshot, and she didn’t like how easily she’d let him past her defenses, believing he was the real thing. So what if he hadn’t fallen in love before? In her idiotic, romantic mind, she’d imagined that it was because he was waiting for her.

So stupid.

Her phone rang and the number that flashed across her car screen was a Colorado area code. She almost didn’t answer but finally pressed the accept button. “This is Delilah.”

“Delilah Gill?”

“Yes?”

“This is Tabitha Newton with Outside Publications. How are you doing?”

“I’m good, thanks. How are you?”

“I’m doing well. I’m calling because a few weeks ago you submitted an article that really resonated with us. I know it was a freelance job, but are you looking for anything more permanent?”

“In Colorado?”

“Preferably, yes. Some of our writers have worked out of state but we do a lot of team building and in-person collaboration, so it’s nice to have everyone in a single place.”

“What is the job?”

“We’re looking for a plus-size outdoor enthusiast. Your realistic portrayal of hiking while plus size was funny and engaging. The way you described the serenity of the woods makes me want to move there.”

“Thank you.”

“If you’re alright with it, I’d love to send you the standard contract and starting salary. Hopefully you find the compensation reasonable. We also provide a small stipend for moving expenses if you’re coming from out of state.”

“Sure, I’ll take a look at it. You have my email, right?”

“Yes. We are looking to fill the position before the first of the year, so if you could let us know as soon as possible.”

“I’ll look this over when I get home. Thank you again.”

“We’ll talk soon.”

Delilah ended the call, making the turn off the main road. She’d already made up her mind not to take the job, especially because they thought she was a plus-size outdoor enthusiast. She’d written the piece after a walk in the woods with Holly and although it had ended with her stepping on a hornet’s nest and being stung several times, she’d used it as inspiration to write the article.

She pulled into the driveway and once she parked, headed inside to let Leia out. Delilah was halfway up the sidewalk before she heard someone calling her name. She spotted Holly coming from the other side of the street, where she’d parked kitty-corner. She probably thought that Delilah was avoiding her, which she was, but no way would she admit it.

“Hi, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be selling Christmas ornaments?”

“Erica is closing up for me so I could hunt you down. What’s going on with you?”