One Sweet Christmas (Sweeter in the City Book 4)

by Olivia Miles

  As if she needed further temptation.

  “Thank you,” she said, eagerly taking a mug from his hand.

  He walked over to the wall behind the counter and flicked on the overhead lights. Just like that, the magic of last night was gone. In its place was harsh reality, as bright as the morning sun shining through the open doorway.

  Soon she’d go back to work at the Beanery, the job she’d created and supposedly loved. And Pete would focus on selling trees. And last night… last night didn’t fit in with her world, did it? It had been an escape from it instead. Just a glimpse of everything that could have been.

  ***

  Mike was grinning like the cat who caught the canary when Pete brushed past him toward the trailer a half hour later. “Don’t even start,” he warned, but he knew there was no point. Mike wasn’t prone to let things go when it came to matters of the opposite sex.

  “Start what?” Mike blinked; his face was the picture of innocence.

  “It’s not what you think.” Pete gave his cousin a hard look. “I mean it.”

  “Looked pretty straightforward to me,” Mike said shrugging. “But if you insist…”

  Pete shook his head and reached for the door handle. He needed another cup of strong coffee more than he needed fresh air right now, and with any luck, a few customers would come along to pull Mike’s interest away from his love life.

  Love life. Was that what it was? He couldn’t deny the flicker of his pulse at the thought of having Hailey back in his life again. Kissing her again last night, holding her close, feeling her soft skin under his fingertips was… He cleared his throat as he yanked the door open, suddenly all too aware of the strange look his cousin was throwing his way.

  Mike followed him into the trailer and pulled a mug off the shelf over the small kitchenette. “By the way, phone call came for you. Some guy from the Timber Valley Bank? I told him you’d call back.”

  On a Sunday? This couldn’t be good.

  Pete paused as he reached for the coffeepot still warming on the burner, all earlier amusement now gone. “Did he say what it was about?”

  “Just that he needed to talk to you. The number’s on the desk.” Mike frowned. “Everything okay?”

  Pete nodded once. “Fine,” he said, sloshing the coffee into his mug and nearly burning his hand. “Everything is just fine.”

  But he knew deep down that nothing could be further from the truth.

  He waited until Mike had left to dial the number that was almost illegibly scrawled on a scrap of paper. The banker he’d been corresponding with answered on the third ring.

  “I have some good news,” he said, catching Pete by surprise.

  Was he agreeing to the extension? Pete had stopped believing it was possible, that things could turn around. His mouth felt dry as he clutched the phone to his ear. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

  “The town met with a developer on Friday afternoon. A fellow from Madison looking to build a country resort. You know, golf course, spa, that type of thing.”

  Pete squinted at the table, trying to understand where this conversation was leading. “Sounds like a nice project.”

  “It is. And he has an eye on your farm. It’s the right amount of acreage and distance from town, and surprisingly not easy to come by. He’s willing to offer a pretty penny for it, too.”

  Pete opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. His family farm. His father’s legacy. It was all he had left.

  “The good news is this means you could keep the house,” the banker replied. “It would more than cover what you owe, and the house is a separate parcel. So think it over, not that I see much reason to sit on your decision for long. It’s a lucky break, Pete. If I were you I’d take it.”

  Pete disconnected the call and ran a hand over his jaw, realizing it was locked tight.

  Someone might want to buy the farm, but that sure as hell didn’t mean it was for sale.

  ***

  Hailey had grown used to quiet Sunday afternoons at the Beanery—usually using this time to think up new recipes or handle the boring part of her job: bills and paperwork—but today any hope of being by herself was gone, and with the steady flow of traffic coming through the doors as quickly as the cool winter wind, even Mandy stayed late to help.

  Hailey was grateful for more than just the extra set of hands. She hadn’t had a chance all day to stop and reflect on last night, and she knew that it was better this way. No good would come from replaying the way she felt when Pete kissed her again, how a part of her that she’d thought was gone was suddenly revived, and that a longing she had tried to deny was suddenly all too alive.

  At five sharp, Mandy hung up her apron, and Hailey did the same. They were both flush faced and exhausted, but Hailey hadn’t felt more energized in months.

  “I think I’ll go home and pour myself a hot bath before I hit the books,” Mandy said.

  “That sounds heavenly,” Hailey admitted, thinking she might just do the same. She idly wondered what Pete might be up to tonight and stopped herself right there. Expecting to see him tonight might only result in disappointment. But there certainly wasn’t any harm in hoping…

  Maybe she’d stop by the lot on her way home, offer up some of the baked goods she hadn’t sold today rather than take them home for herself. Grinning, she popped open a white bakery box, startling at the sharp knock from the storefront.

  “A late customer?” Mandy asked wearily.

  Or Pete, Hailey considered, her heart speeding up. “Go on and get home. I’ll handle whoever it is.”

  “But the clean-up,” Mandy protested, looking around at the dirty dishes and mixing bowls that littered the center worktop. She usually made sure the kitchen was shining before she left a shift.

  Hailey shooed her off. “Go, get your coat. Boss’s orders.” She winked, and Mandy gave a grateful smile as she pulled her hat over her ears.

  “Have a good night.”

  Oh, I intend to, Hailey thought, as she pushed through the kitchen door, holding her breath at the thought of seeing Pete again.

  Only the face pressed up against the glass wasn’t Pete. It was Lila Harris—well, Lila Crawford since her marriage last summer. Hailey grinned at the sight of her friend and quickened her pace to unlock the door.

  “Sorry. I should have called first,” Lila gushed as she stomped the snow off her boots.

  Hailey brushed aside her concern with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. I’m happy to see you. How about a hot chocolate? You look absolutely freezing.”

  Lila grinned. “Now that I’m settled into married life and I don’t have to worry about squeezing into a wedding dress anymore, I would love a hot chocolate.”

  Hailey grinned as she poured her a mug. She reached for the whipped cream and then stopped, cocking an eyebrow for approval.

  Lila stopped unwrapping her scarf and shrugged. “Why not?”

  Giving her the works—whipped cream, homemade marshmallows, and a sprinkle of crushed candy canes—Hailey slid the drink to her friend and then poured herself a coffee. It had been a long day, and she still had more to do tonight before closing up. She glanced at her friend, wondering if she should run some of her latest ideas for the café by Lila. Sam and Lila were experts in advertising after all; surely her friend would know which kind of businesses had potential.

  “Wow, this is delicious. I mean, don’t get me wrong, my wedding was wonderful and all that, but was it really worth giving up chocolate for that dress?” Lila took another sip. “Yeah, the answer to that is a resounding no.”

  “I’ve been selling my hot chocolate over at the tree lot across the street,” Hailey mentioned. “It’s helped my business quite a bit in a pretty short amount of time.”

  Lila scooped a half-melted marshmallow onto her spoon. “I’m not surprised at all. You can’t find hot chocolate like this anywhere but here.”

  Hailey chewed her bottom lip, considering this. Was she really ready to let
go of her vision, try something new, take another risk? “Someone told me that I might consider tweaking my brand, gear my store towards the chocolate instead of the coffee.”

  Lila nodded. “That’s not a bad idea, especially considering—” She jutted her chin at the coffeehouse chain across the street.

  “So you think it would be successful?” Hailey was excited for Lila’s response almost as much as she was dreading it.

  Lila grew pensive for a moment and then grinned. “I do. You could offer your brownies and chocolate muffins, too. Run with the theme. I think it would be unique and different, and it would certainly stand apart.”

  And, Hailey considered, feeling her heart begin to ache, it would keep her here, in Lincoln Park. In the café she’d always dreamed of owning. Away from Pete.

  Chapter Eleven

  Pete stood with his hands in his pockets, staring into the windows of the Corner Beanery, trying to muster up the energy to go inside. Hailey was talking with another woman, laughing at something she was saying, her hair bouncing at her shoulders in a way that made him want to be part of the joke, to know what was said to bring her such joy, to the be the person who brought out that side of her.

  The other woman was leaving now, standing and buttoning her coat, taking her time until she finally made her way to the exit.

  He stepped back into the shadow of the streetlamp, biding his time, wondering for the hundredth time since he’d gotten off the phone with the manager of the bank if there was any other way to move forward, but it was no use. The loan couldn’t wait any longer, and it was time to lose the house or lose the farm. He wasn’t sure which was worse, but whichever way he looked at it, his family needed him back in Timber Valley now more than ever.

  He crossed the street quickly, before he lost his nerve, and tapped on the glass door just as Hailey was turning to go into the kitchen. She turned in surprise, but the grin that broke out when her eyes met his made his heart roll over.

  He gritted his teeth as she came to unlock the door, her grey eyes gleaming as she ushered him inside. “I was just thinking of you, actually.”

  His chest rose with hope, but he pushed it back down into place. “Oh?”

  She wasn’t making this any easier on him. Unlike the last time, this time, he couldn’t find a way for her breaking his heart. This time, it was all on him.

  “I packed up some cookies for you and Mike.” She went behind the counter to retrieve a white bakery box. “How is he, by the way?” she asked sliding him a slow smile.

  “Oh, he’s fine,” Pete said with a low laugh. For now, he thought grimly. At some point he would have to break the news to his cousin. And his mother.

  “Good. I hope he didn’t tease you too much about this morning.” Her cheeks turned a little pink at the mention of it, and he felt the urge to turn and run…almost as much as he wanted to step forward and hold her and never let her go.

  “Hailey, I—” There was no easy way to say it. “Last night…it was a mistake.”

  A wonderful, beautiful mistake that he would always cherish.

  Her brow pinched as she looked at him sharply. “Why would you say that?”

  He shook his head. This was even harder than he feared it would be. “We want different things. We always did. We always will.”

  Her eyes were glistening now. With anger. With sadness. He didn’t know. “We want each other. Isn’t that enough? Now, after all this time, we still have something.”

  He pulled in a breath. Oh, he wanted her. He’d never stopped wanting her. But that didn’t change anything. “We can’t have it all, Hailey.”

  “Says who?”

  “It’s just the way it works. Eight years ago, we made a choice. One that led you here and me somewhere else. There’s still hundreds of miles of distance between us, even if we’re standing right here in the same room.”

  “We were stubborn then. We could have made it work.”

  “Long-distance dating?” He shook his head. “Something would have to give eventually. I…I don’t see that happening.” He ground down on his teeth. There. It was out.

  A single tear rolled down her pretty pink cheek and it took everything in him not to take every word back, every doubt, every sense of duty. Instead, he took a step back, toward the door.

  “I’m sorry, Hailey.” He turned without another word and walked out the door before he could change his mind, or say something to take the anguish out of her eyes.

  The wind nipped at his cheeks as he pushed out through the door, and he pushed forward, against the current, telling himself, just like he had all those years ago, that it was for the best. That he’d done what he had to do.

  That it wasn’t a choice at all.

  ***

  Hailey took the long way home, past the brownstones with glittering Christmas trees in their front windows, past the restaurants and bars that bleated cheerful holiday music and the promise of a good time. Only when her nose was too cold to bear the wind much longer did she round about the block and retrieve her key from her pocket.

  Her apartment was dark, empty, without a hint of the season to be found. But for some reason, instead of finding comfort in the lack of reminder, she realized that it only made her feel worse.

  Not bothering to take off her coat, she turned and walked back through her front door, locking it behind her. She hurried down the stairs, back out into the winter night, nearly colliding with a couple walking arm in arm, and began hurrying back to the Beanery. She made it in record time, warm and out of breath by the time she spotted her familiar sign.

  The tree lot was dark now, but she still cut through the alley, letting herself in the back door. She started a pot of coffee before she’d even unwrapped her scarf, and quickly shed her outerwear as she powered up her laptop.

  “Hailey?”

  Mandy poked her head around the kitchen door, her eyes wide. “What are you doing back?”

  Hailey blinked at her friend. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d gone home.”

  “I did, but my roommate had friends over and the library was closed and I needed a quiet place to study. I hope you don’t mind.” Her brow crinkled with concern.

  “Of course not!” Hailey said, relieved to have the company. “I was just making some coffee. Want a cup?”

  Mandy nodded. “I’d love one. I have a feeling I’ll be up all night. This essay is taking longer than I expected.”

  “You’re welcome to stay as long as possible. I’m just going to do some paperwork at the desk.” She could hear the tension in her voice at the mention of the pile of bills stacked neatly next to the pencil jar.

  “I meant to ask you about your friend,” Mandy said as she walked around the center island to take two mugs from the shelf. “You know, the one from the tree lot?”

  “Oh.” Hailey felt herself blanch at the mention of Pete. She was about to correct Mandy, to point out that Pete wasn’t so much of a friend after all, but deep down she knew that wasn’t really true. He’d always cared about her. He still did. But that didn’t change things, did it?

  Fresh tears prickled the back of her eye and she turned away from Mandy, pretending to be suddenly very busy shuffling the stack of inventory sheets in her hand.

  “Did he ever decide what to do about the tree farm?”

  “He did.” Her voice was thick, and she cleared her throat. “He’s going to stick with it, it seems.”

  “Well, I guess he made his choice then,” Mandy said. “He went with the one thing he couldn’t give up.”

  Couldn’t give up, Hailey considered, not wouldn’t. He had a family responsibility, a duty, an obligation. She looked around the glistening white kitchen. What was her excuse?

  The Beanery was hanging on by a thread, and that coffeehouse across the street wasn’t going anywhere. She’d dared to think that maybe a facelift could turn things around, that maybe Pete was onto something when he mentioned her hot chocolate, but now, now she almost didn’t even ca
re anymore.

  She was tired of fighting. Tired of trying new ideas in vain. But that didn’t mean she was about to give up, either.

  “Mandy, I’ve never asked you this, but…it’s time that I do.” She took a deep breath as Mandy turned from pouring them coffee, one eyebrow raised in question. “If the Beanery had to close down, would you be all right?”

  To her surprise, Mandy gave a small smile. “Of course. There are lots of places I could apply to, and remember, I’m only temporary anyway. This spring I graduate.” She crossed the room to hand Hailey a steaming mug, and offer a kind smile. “I’ll be fine. You’re the one I’m worried about.”

  “Me? Why?” Was it so obvious? Her heart ached in her chest, and she knew there was nothing holding her back from telling Mandy every last detail of her history with the man from the tree lot, but it wouldn’t change the outcome.

  “You used to love coming to work every day,” Mandy said carefully. “Lately…Well, lately I don’t get the same sense that you love it anymore.”

  Hailey frowned. “Of course I love it. I’ve just been concerned…worried…I’ve poured everything into this place. It’s…” She’d been about to say that it was all she had.

  But maybe it didn’t have to be.

  “Mandy, you have school work to do, and I’m keeping you.”

  Mandy hesitated. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

  Hailey chewed her lip, her mind whirring with possibility. “I will be.” And she would.

  She could sit and stare at the bills all she wanted. She could sink her head into her hands and worry and fret over how to save the thing that had once met so much to her. A brick-walled café in a trendy part of the city. Or she could start a new spreadsheet. Start a new dream. Start thinking of the way to save something else that meant so much to her.

  By the time the kitchen door swung closed behind Mandy, she was starting to feel the race of excitement in her chest as her ideas poured from her fingertips and onto the screen.