by Leah Atwood
“Am not.” Turning on a heel, she shook a finger. “You’re the one who escaped to the bedroom immediately after dinner.”
“Your mom gave me a set of spare toiletries.” He waved a hand. “I wasn’t going to carry them around the house.”
“But you stayed up there.”
He sighed. “Your dad met me in the hallway with a pair of pajamas. I dropped them off then called my mom.”
“Oh.” Head hung low, she focused on the popcorn. “You’re still acting weird, though. Like you’re hiding something.”
His face flushed. “What would I have to hide?”
Phoebe spun around, her voice rising with each word. “I don’t know, maybe, dating an actress?”
He crossed his arms and his insides squirmed. “I guess you saw the TEW article?”
“Darla told me about it first, then I read it.” She shifted, put all her weight on one leg. “Is it true?”
His gaze focused on the ceiling. How did he answer? “Kind of?”
“What kind of answer is that?” She rolled her eyes and thrust a bowl of popcorn his way.
“An honest one,” he shot back. Grabbing the bowl before any more kernels toppled out.
“How are you ‘kind of’ dating America’s sweetheart?”
He opened the refrigerator door, pulled out a can of pop, handed it to Phoebe, then grabbed one for himself. “It’s complicated.”
“Obviously,” she muttered under her breath.
Her disdain for Deena grated on his nerves. “I know you don’t care for her, but she’s a different person once you get to know her.”
“If you say so.” She tossed her hair behind one shoulder and stuck her nose in the air. Walked right past him as if he didn’t exist.
Aggravation rushed through him. What was Phoebe’s problem? In the two decades he’d known her, he’d never witnessed catty behavior from her. He took a deep breath before he went back into the living room.
She settled in her dad’s recliner with a crocheted afghan over her lap. Without looking at him, she asked, “Can you explain yet how you’re ‘kind of’ dating Deena?”
“Will you listen and comment without obvious disdain?” For the first time in his life, he found himself good and truly annoyed at her.
“I’m sorry.” When she lifted her head, he saw concern rather than judgment in her eyes. “The news took me by surprise. You’re one my oldest friends in the world, and I don’t want to see you hurt.”
His heart softened. “I appreciate that, but I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
“I know, but love can be blind.”
He chuckled. “Love would be a gross overstatement.”
“Well, that’s a relief.” Her wry grin complemented her features much better than the scowl.
Now that she’d lost her edge, he found himself more willing to explain. “The truth is, she asked to spend time with me and see where it goes. I agreed.”
She nodded slowly as though processing the news and unsure how to take it. “It’s all happened so fast. She’s been here, what, five days?”
“It’s not like we’re getting married.” He blew out a breath. “The TEW story took extreme liberties in their description. I barely know her, but she makes me laugh and feel good about myself.”
Creases formed on Phoebe’s forehead. She cradled her bowl of popcorn in her lap, staring at it. “Just promise you’ll keep an open mind. It’s not my business, but I don’t have a good feeling about it.”
“Why?”
Her gaze locked with his. “It’s not my place to say.”
“Really?” He tilted his head to the side and gave her what he hoped was his best dumbfounded expression. “It hasn’t stopped you yet.”
“You want my honest opinion?”
“Yes.” He might be annoyed at her for the moment, but he still valued her insight.
“Despite being America’s sweetheart, Deena doesn’t have the best reputation.”
“I’ve seen firsthand today how the media distorts the truth.” He popped open his can of Mr. Pep. “Deena has her flaws like everyone else, but you can’t believe all you read about her.”
She raised her brows. “Coming from the man who admitted two minutes ago that he barely knows her.”
The conversation exhausted him. “Can we talk about something, anything, else?”
“Fine.” Phoebe sipped her drink then set the can on the end table. “But don’t say I told you so when it all falls apart.”
He chose to ignore the last comment muttered under her breath. For whatever reason, Phoebe had a deep distrust of Deena, which he found unfair. Her only interaction with her had been the night she’d arrived and few people were their true selves after a day of travel. In his humble opinion, Phoebe would do well to show Deena grace.
The movie started, and he let himself get carried away in the plot. It wasn’t bad for a chick flick, or maybe he needed the distraction that badly. Occasionally, stole a glimpse of Phoebe. She seemed preoccupied, and he wondered if it was about Deena or something else. When the movie ended, he carried his empty bowl and can into the kitchen, washed the bowl, and then dropped the can in the recycling bin.
He climbed the stairs without saying goodnight to Phoebe. Why couldn’t she be happy for him? Could it be jealousy that he’d caught the attention of a superstar? He didn’t think so—he’d never seen Phoebe show interest in a celebrity’s life or care about what they wore or the latest gossip.
The only explanation he could think of was that she was cranky over being stranded in the storm and not having access to her own bed. When he’d first moved back in with his parents, there had been an adjustment period until it became his home again. That had to be it. She’d been out of her element tonight like Deena had been that first night.
Chapter Nine
Phoebe held one end of the string of lights while Darla walked with the other end until the entire strand was unwound. “Should I plug them in now?”
“Go for it,” Darla called from the hallway.
She gripped the plug and inserted the prongs into the outlet. The multi-colored bulbs lit up her office with Christmas joy. “They all look good from here. How are the ones out there?”
“Perfect.” Darla appeared in the doorway. “This is the first time since I’ve been here we haven’t had to hunt down which bulb affected the entire strand.”
“Thank goodness for small miracles.” Phoebe laid down her end of the strand, careful not to hit it against her desk or chair. With her luck lately, she’d knock a wire just right so they wouldn’t connect.
“Remind me again why we're decorating two weeks before Thanksgiving?”
Squatting down, Phoebe rummaged through the tote of decorations and pulled out her favorites to go out first. “Jasper Properties always sees an influx of rentals for Thanksgiving, and they have an unconscious expectation to see businesses decorated for Christmas.”
Darla winked. “Which you don’t mind at all.”
“Nope.” Phoebe grinned and stood upright. “I volunteered to dress up our properties as well.”
“When do you have time for that?” Darla shook her head and picked up one of the nativity sets.
She shrugged. “I’ll fit it in somehow. Ted’s paying me extra. Little does he know I would have done it for free.”
“Need any help? I have tomorrow off with no plans.”
“Sure.” She handed Darla a snow globe. “I have to go shopping in Farthington first. We’ve never decorated the rentals before, and I need to pick up some.”
“Can we stop by the dollar store while we’re there? I need to buy a bunch of items for our holiday project.”
“Oh man, I completely forgot about that.” Phoebe bit down on her bottom lip. “Do you know what they need the most of?”
“Someone donated all the puzzle books we need and lotions. When I talked to Ana on Sunday, she said no one had turned in a single shampoo yet or tissues. It’s early, thoug
h. We’ve only promoted it for two weeks.”
“I can’t get all the tissues, but I’ll buy a bunch while we’re at the store.” A thought stopped her. “Did anyone volunteer to get the bags?”
“Those are coming out of the church’s outreach fund.” Darla pulled pieces of the artificial tree from the box. “Pastor Gray told Ana that if we don’t receive the donations we need, he can allot more to us to cover the rest.”
Phoebe’s heart warmed. “Pastor Gray is great. I can’t believe he’s retiring soon. His replacement has big shoes to fill, but I believe he’s up to the task.”
“Will it be weird to have your brother-in-law as the Pastor?” Darla attached the base and fluffed out the bottom section of branches.
“I don’t think so.” She bent down and found another string of lights buried in the massive tote. “Elijah’s a good man with a heart to serve.”
“He’s so good with Alice.”
“They adore each other. Even if they aren’t biologically connected, they are undoubtedly father and daughter.” She pointed to the tree. “You might want to wait for that.”
Darla stopped attaching the middle section of tree branches. “Why?”
“It’s too big to fit through the door. We usually don’t set it up until it’s in the lobby.”
“I knew that.” Darla chuckled at her mistake. “I’m also starting to think we should have waited to unroll the lights. Now we’ll have to watch our step while we move everything in place.”
She grinned. “Eh, we can’t be perfect at everything.”
“Speak for yourself.” Darla flipped her hair behind her shoulders and sashayed her hips. “I ooze perfection.”
“You’re a mess.” Phoebe tossed a throw pillow at her friend. “Should we wash that first? It has a musty smell.”
Putting it to her nose, Darla sniffed and made a face. “Definitely. Are there any more in there?”
“Two more.” She took them out and tossed them aside.
Darla came to her side. “Is that a Mary Poppins tote or something? How much can fit in there?”
“A lot. Ted and one of the other guys brought it down from the attic for me.”
“Speaking of…” Darla giggled and pointed to the window.
Ted’s face appeared in the window. Acting silly, he smashed his nose against the glass pane, making his nose look like a pig. Christmas joy had affected everyone early this year—she rarely saw her boss cut loose and act silly.
She waved to him. “How are the outside lights coming?”
He moved his face away from the window and gave her two thumbs up. “Cameron and I are almost finished.”
“We’re not the far along in here.” Phoebe waved her hand around the room. “Be careful where you walk when you come in. We have decorations everywhere.”
“Organized chaos, I’m sure.” Ted grinned then disappeared from view.
“He’s in rare form today.” Darla stared out the window where he’d been. “He’s too serious most of the time.”
A sharp realization hit Phoebe like a lightning bolt. “You like Ted.”
Darla gasped. “Why do you say that?”
“You stared at the window even after he’d moved away and your voice just now held a distinct longing.”
“He’s an attractive man, physically and spiritually, but he’s my boss and too old for me.”
“So what if he’s your boss? You’ve known him long before you came to work here, and he’s only thirty-five, not even ten years older than you.”
“I don’t like him like that, okay? Please, just let it go.”
She’d never seen Darla act like that, which concerned her. A little voice told her Darla cared for Ted deeply despite her protests. The boss/employee situation might make a relationship complicated, but not insurmountable. However, she honored her friend’s request and dropped the subject. “Want to break for lunch at the diner?”
“And leave all this stuff out?” Darla’s gaze shifted over their mess.
“We’re not expecting any guests today, and Cameron’s working the front desk if anyone shows up.”
“A club sandwich does sound more appetizing than my cup of noodles.”
Phoebe wrinkled her nose. “Do you know how bad those noodle things are for you?”
“Yes, but they’re delicious,” Darla answered unapologetically but added a caveat. “If you’re in the mood for them, which I’m not.”
“They can be good comfort food. Now and then I’ll grab one if I’m tired.” She picked up the strand of lights. “Let’s move these at least. We’ll drape them over my chairs and desk.”
After the lights were moved from the floor, they went outside and asked Ted and Cameron if they wanted anything from the diner. Phoebe jotted down their orders then they piled into Darla’s sedan.
Darla tapped on the steering wheel in an excited rhythm. “I’ve tried to be good, but I can’t take it. What’s the latest scoop on Mac and Deena?”
“I don’t know. I don’t keep tabs on them.” That was a lie, but she wouldn’t admit to the jealousy that ate her alive. She was embarrassed to admit she scanned the tabloids and popular websites for any information over the last few weeks.
“I’m not buying it.” Darla stopped for a deer crossing the road. “The man you’ve crushed on forever is dating a famous actress, and you’re not following the story?”
“Remember a few minutes ago when you didn’t want to talk about Ted, and I didn’t push it?”
“Okay, okay, I get it.”
“Here’s the thing.” She couldn’t help it—she had to get it off her chest. “I’m worried about Mac. He’s a great guy and not ugly by any definition, but it’s not normal for a celebrity to fall in love with an everyday person.”
“It’s more common than you’d think.” Of course, the celebrity-obsessed Darla would know.
“Even so, it doesn’t sit well with me. I can’t shake the feeling Deena has an ulterior motive.” Phoebe pulled a tube of lip balm from her purse and applied it, gaining relief right away.
“You’re one of my best friends, so please know I only say this out of love.” Darla pulled onto Jasper Lake’s main strip. “You have to let it go. Whatever Mac does is his business. He’s a grown man and makes his own decisions. I know you don’t want him hurt, but in this case, there’s nothing you can do, especially when all you have is a gut feeling.”
Her heart was heavy, and she sighed. “Mac said something similar and so did Trixie.”
“Then maybe we’re all right.” Parking in a spot at Tippy’s Diner, Darla placed a hand on her arm. “I know it’s hard to face, but you have to let him go for now.”
Waves of nausea crashed on her. “Can we go somewhere else to eat?”
“Why?”
She jutted her chin at the couple walking in the door. “They’re here.”
“We don’t have time to go outside of Jasper Lake, and you can’t hide from them.” Darla squeezed her hand. “You’re going to march in there with your head held high and enjoy your meal.”
“Can we compromise and get it to go?” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “I can’t do it. Not right now.”
Maybe not ever.
What Darla didn’t know was the conversation she’d had with Mac the night of the snowstorm. She’d opened her mouth too openly and shared opinions she should have kept to herself. The problem was, she didn’t realize it until the next morning when Mac kept his distance from her.
She’d messed up royally and didn’t know how to fix it. Nothing could sway her opinion that Deena was up to something, but everybody was right—without proof, it wasn’t her place to say anything.
“I changed my mind. Let’s go in.” Squaring her shoulders, Phoebe positioned herself for the assurance she lacked. She’d march in there, greet Mac and Deena, and treat them like gold. If she wanted to keep Mac as a friend, she’d have to make up for speaking out of turn and accept that whatever would be, would be. She only pr
ayed his blinders would lift before Mac got in too deep.
Darla flashed a grin from her side of the car. “That’s my girl.”
Watching the door closely, she prayed for another party to arrive out of nowhere. She didn’t want to be directly behind Mac and Deena while they waited for a table. She needed a few minutes for her confidence to catch up with her determination.
“Are you coming? It’s cold.” Bundled in a heavy winter coat and scarf, Darla had her arms crossed and still shivered.
“Sorry, I spaced out.” Help me, Lord.
The diner had their heat on full blast. The warmth eased the sting on her cheeks. After such a cold first half to November, she hated to think about the winter months. She loved the cold, especially when it snowed, but subzero temperatures did nothing for her.
A small crowd waited to be seated. Phoebe added their names to the list and prayed the wait wasn’t the twenty minutes they’d been told. That’s what they got for coming at the height of the lunch hour.
Mac and Deena waited on two chairs to her left. Multiple pairs of eyes snuck glances at them, but the initial excitement of her presence had worn off. Mostly, the only people who approached her now were visitors to the town.
A teen girl approached Deena and shyly asked for an autograph. Deena took the notebook and asked the girl her name.
“Briley.”
“I have a niece named Briley. She looks a lot like you.” Deena signed a page in the book and returned it to the girl.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Briley’s smile went deep.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Briley’s eyes widened. “Ye…yes.”
“I’m out of touch with what girls your age like, but I need to buy a gift for my Briley.” Deena’s expression conveyed the seriousness of this quest. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“Gift cards are the best, especially one to whatever app store she likes. Bath bombs and anything spa-related are always good.” Briley spoke with excitement then ducked her head. “I’m sure she’ll love whatever you choose.”
“Thanks so much for your suggestions.”
“You’re welcome.” Briley returned to her table, still smiling.
