Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 55760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55760 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 279(@200wpm)___ 223(@250wpm)___ 186(@300wpm)
The elite athletes on the other side of the plexiglass were bigger, stronger, and meaner than any kid I’d ever come across at Pinecrest High, so go figure.
I stared shamelessly at Court’s broad chest, ignoring the echo of my heartbeat in my ears as he threw his head back and laughed at something Vinnie said. And boom…just like that, all those old fears evaporated in a flash, replaced by a warm, sappy rush of good old-fashioned lust with a healthy side of affection.
That man wasn’t just my crush, he was my friend. And friends said hi to each other…even when they were surrounded by teenagers.
I squared my shoulders and stepped forward.
“Hello, Ivan. How are you?”
I spun on my heels and smiled at Penny Henderson, who’d probably witnessed my inner freak-out sesh. Eek.
“Hi, there. I was just wondering what that motley crew was up to. They seem to be adding holiday cheer, so I don’t think this is Operation Grinch, but I wasn’t positive.”
Penny chuckled kindly, brushing my elbow as she met me on the sidewalk. “I asked Court to help us put up some more bling in the town square. He agreed and invited the junior team to do the heavy lifting, which was a surprisingly genius idea. Vinnie called the Forest Tribune, and they sent a photographer over. Eat your hearts out, Pinecrest!”
I shot a bemused glance at the action on the next block. “That’s cool, but…why? It already looked pretty amazing.”
“Council entered Elmwood into a New England Holiday Style brochure. There’s a contest with a charity component, so we voted to up our seasonal game with more wreaths, bows, and greenery. You were at that meeting back in October, weren’t you?”
“Uh…no. Stacy was there. I think.”
Penny nodded distractedly. “That’s right. I feel bad for her. I was on bed rest when I was pregnant with Oren, and I can still remember being bored out of my mind.”
“She is.” I patted my bag. “I’m on my way to visit Stace now, armed with all the worst gossip rags.”
“She mentioned she was going to see you when we talked yesterday.”
I opened and closed my mouth in dismay. “Don’t tell me she went to the bakery.”
“No, no. We spoke on the phone. She had an idea she wanted to run by me and—” Penny stopped short and narrowed her gaze. “Oh, shoot. They’re hanging the garland upside down. I better intervene before it’s too late. Give her our best.”
Huh?
I watched Mrs. Henderson march over to her son and the brigade of holiday helpers, gesturing at the lamppost, the garland, and then at me. Vinnie and a couple of the teens called out a greeting while Court flashed a lopsided, devilish grin that made my heart flip in my chest.
Geez, I had it bad.
Stacy lived on Eucalyptus, a beautiful residential street lined with…get this, willow trees. Oh, the irony. Her house was just three blocks from mine, but it might as well have been miles away. This was the fancy part of town. The lots were large and the homes were grand here, designed to accommodate growing families.
We didn’t have a true high-end area in Elmwood. There were a few homes built on huge pieces of land near Carlton Creek, but the concentration of the wealthier townies lived on Eucalyptus.
When we were kids, we’d ride bikes along sun-dappled streets, pretending each block marked a new state or a new country. Eucalyptus was Australia because it was as far from Vermont as we could fathom. Yeah…no, we had no clue eucalypti were native there. Lucky guess or maybe Stacy’s mom told us.
Stacy would always stop at the bottom of the street and say, “I’m going to make a lot of money and live in Australia someday.” And I’d reply, “I’ll visit you every day.”
Her dream came true.
Technically, she married a guy with a fat bank account, but she lived in Australia. And I visited her every day.
I made us tea and served it on her finest china before settling on the sofa across from her, our feet tangled under a faux-fur blanket.
Stacy hummed happily into her cup. “This is the best part of my day by a long shot. Do you have any fun gossip?”
“Ben and Valerie finally got engaged.”
“Seriously? They’ve practically been married for ten years already. I wonder what took them so long.” she huffed. “Also…congratulations to the happy couple.”
I snickered. “The Hansons and Mendozas have started their annual holiday face-off to see who can put up the biggest, gaudiest blowup Santas in town. The Hansons are winning.”
“Of course they are.”
I sipped my tea. “And how’s my godson?”
“He’s good…kicking up a storm.” She sat up a little taller and brushed a curl from her forehead. “How’s Court?”
“He’s good.”
“And?” she prodded.
“Stacy…”
“Oh, c’mon! You’re having the affair of your dreams, and it’s all so romantic,” she gushed. “I want to know everything!”