With a tentative knock, he let himself in and sure enough, she was still working.
Her honey blonde hair was up in a messy ponytail and she had an apron on over her own pajamas and there was a smudge of chocolate on her cheek. She somehow managed to look adorable and sexy at the same time.
I’m seriously losing my mind…
“What’s up?” he asked and hoped he sounded casual as he slipped off his coat.
Motioning to the stack of chocolate in front of her, she frowned. “I need an extra pair of hands to assemble this.” Then she looked up at him hopefully. “Would you mind?”
“Um…sure. Let me just wash my hands.” Carefully, he stepped around her and washed his hands in the kitchen sink and quickly wiped them dry. “Okay, what or where do you need me?”
For the next several minutes, Aspen directed him on what pieces he needed to hold and where they needed to be. “This is the chocolate equivalent of a gingerbread house,” she explained. “We make them at the restaurant but I always have a team of people to help assemble them. This is the first time I tried it on my own. You have no idea how relieved I was when you texted.” Turning, her face mere inches from his, she added, “I thought for sure you’d be asleep by now.”
“Yeah, well…I got the idea about the video and then my mind started going and…you know how I get when a new project comes to me.”
She laughed softly. “I do. But to be fair, this isn’t anything like your usual stuff. This is a thirty-second video. You can do that with your eyes closed.” Then she laughed a little harder. “Okay, probably not with your eyes closed, but…it’s a no-brainer for you. It’s a far cry from an hour-long documentary.”
“I know, but I was trying to think of a way to make it fun and something that we can get trending. We’ll have to think of hashtags and ways to get people to share and interact.”
“That’s a lot of pressure on me and my chocolates,” she teased and carefully moved her hands away from the chocolate house. “Okay, slowly move your hands away and let’s see if it stays.”
They both moved back and stared quietly at the chocolate creation for a solid minute before relaxing.
“Whew,” she said, comically wiping her brow. “I was afraid it was going to fall apart again.” Walking over to the sink, she washed her hands and quickly dried them. “You want something to drink? A cup of tea?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.” Gabe looked around and wondered if he should just go or if they were going to hang out for a bit. It was late, and he promised his father he’d be up early because they were going out onto the farm to cut more trees down. So maybe he should just…
“Come and sit with me,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. Taking his hand, she led Gabe over to the sofa and sat down. “I feel like we’ve both been so busy and even though we have dinner with your folks, they’re overly chatty themselves!” Her laugh was soft and she still had his hand in hers. “I miss our nightly chats. I thought we’d get to do them every night, but we’ve both been super busy!”
“That’s not a bad thing,” he said, his voice sounding gruff to his own ears. “The being busy, I mean. It’s great the way you’re getting so many orders.”
She bounced in her spot. “I know, right? Between the orders and the samples for the tree lot and trying to get an inventory going for the festival…I’m going to be out of storage space soon.”
“Nonsense. My mother has two extra refrigerators in the basement and two chest freezers. Plus, it’s so cold down there it counts as cold storage even without the appliances. You’re going to be fine.”
“Maybe. But I still feel guilty for taking over her kitchen like this. I had no idea this whole candy thing was going to blow up like this. I just thought I’d make some for fun or for gifts.”
Smiling, he squeezed her hand. “Well, now you see there is a demand for it. It would probably be the same back in Atlanta.”
“I wish. I just think it’s because of the holidays right now. It’s something new and novel and people are just being nice.” She shook her head even as she chuckled. “Seriously, how is everyone so nice? I feel like every day I’m living in the middle of a Hallmark Christmas movie!”
“Yeah, we get that comparison a lot but…” He shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s just always the way things have been here. For years I thought that’s how all towns and cities were. Boy, was I wrong!”
They both laughed.
“I never lived anywhere like this, where everyone you meet is genuinely happy to see you. Every time I walk down the street, people are waving and saying hello and I end up looking around and over my shoulder because I never think they’re waving to me!”
“Trust me, they are and…it’s kind of cool. I miss it sometimes.”
“Do you ever think of moving back?”
Her question really made him stop and think. “Sometimes? Maybe?” Another shrug. “I come home here every year for six weeks to help out over the holidays and it’s exhausting. By the time New Year’s is over, I am so ready to leave. So…maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to move back.”
“Or…” she countered. “Maybe it feels that way because you’re living with your parents. If you had a place of your own, you might not feel that way.”
Hmm…
“I couldn’t live here full-time, Aspen. How would I work?”
“You work just fine from home in Atlanta, Gabe. You know most of the time you’re either in your apartment video chatting with producers or you’re on location for a shoot. You could do the same thing if you lived here.”
“I guess, but…”
“You’d probably save a ton of money by moving back here too,” she went on. “I imagine the rent is way cheaper here, and you’d have the support of the town behind you where they’d want to help if you needed it rather than like it is back at home when you have to do so much yourself.”
“That’s not always the case,” he argued, but he knew she was right. Sometimes he ended up doing everything himself on a shoot because he couldn’t get a crew that was reliable.
“I bet the local college or even the high school would have interns who are interested in the film industry who would love to help you out on local projects, too.”
“Aspen, be real. How many film projects would I really do here in Silver Bell Falls? This isn’t exactly the entertainment capital of the world.”
“No, but think about this–doing a documentary on it where you show what it’s like to really live in the middle of a…a…well, for lack of a better description, to live in the middle of a Hallmark Christmas movie.”
“What?”
She twisted in her seat and faced him. “Just…hear me out. You make a documentary about living in a Christmas town during the holidays. Granted, it’s too late to do it this year, but you plan it out and do it next season and then pitch it to all the networks who air new Christmas movies every year. I bet you’d get a ton of interest in it. It would be like a reality show without all the drama. Just a really informative piece on how these ‘fictional’ towns really do exist. You could probably do an entire series on it because I’m sure Silver Bell Falls isn’t the only town like this in the world. Imagine how fun it would be to visit more like this?”
It was kind of an amazing idea and one he couldn’t believe she just came up with on the fly. “What made you think of this?”
“Oh, please. Every day I’ve been here I sort of feel like pinching myself because it doesn’t seem real or I start looking around for Lacey Chabert or Candace Cameron Bure!” Laughing, she shook her head. “I mean, the only time I’ve ever seen a place like this is in a movie. I guess when you grow up here it’s the norm; I have to tell you, though, it’s not.”
“I realize it’s not the norm, but you took a simple observation like Silver Bell Falls being like a town in a Christmas movie and turned it into the possibility of a docuseries. I mean…how?” He was still baffled by it and couldn’t believe she was so chill about it whe
n he was ready to run and grab his laptop and start writing up ideas and proposals.
“Gabe, we’ve been friends long enough that I sometimes do think like you even when I don’t realize it. I see things a little differently, I analyze the people around me and try to figure out what their story is or if there’s a story there at all. It’s kind of fun.”
“Well, the story here is the town, right?” he asked, curious about what other ideas she had.
“Personally, the town is only part of it. Your mom has pretty much told me about everyone who lives here, and it seems like the town has played a big part in bringing people together.”
Frowning, he asked, “Like who?”
“Oh, my goodness, like…Josiah and Melanie!” she said excitedly. “Your mom told me how Melanie inherited her grandmother’s cabin and came to stay here for three months and initially hated it here. But the town–and Josiah–won her over.”
“Yeah, I think that was more Josiah than the town…”
“Then there was Bailey and Gavin over at the veterinary clinic,” Aspen went on. “He was new to town and kind of a Scrooge about Christmas, but the people of Silver Bell showed him how awesome it really was and he and Bailey fell in love. At Christmas!” she added for emphasis.
“Again, it’s just a coincidence of timing. A town can’t make you fall in love with someone. That’s just crazy. It’s like that movie we watched where the house was supposed to guarantee that any couple who spent the night there would live happily ever after.”
“It was love everlasting,” she corrected, “and I still think it’s possible.”
“Seriously? A house can make you fall in love?”
Groaning, Aspen stood and walked back over to her chocolate house and inspected it. “You’re over-simplifying it, but yes. I do believe it. But I believe in the magic of the town more. You’re just immune to it and maybe a little jaded because of your current circumstances so you can’t see it.”
That piqued his interest. Standing, he studied her. “What current circumstances?”
She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and facing him. “You resent being here so you don’t see what’s so amazing and magical about this town. You don’t look for the whimsical; you simply accept that this is the way things are and go with it.”
“Well…this is the way things are and I don’t see anything particularly whimsical or magical about it. It’s just…I don’t know…festive.”
“Oh, it’s definitely festive, but there’s so much more.” She relaxed her arms and smiled at him. “Tomorrow when you’re at the tree lot, do a little people watching. Don’t look around and see the same things you’ve been seeing year after year. Try to look at the area around the lot with fresh eyes. Don’t look across the street and see the diner or the dance studio. Look at the people and try to figure out their stories.”
“I know their stories, Aspen. I grew up with most of them. Not much is new.”
“Fine,” she murmured, walking over and picking up his coat. “Be a pessimist. See if I care. Go and think about creating a documentary about a humdrum town with some sparkly decorations and Christmas music. See if any networks bite.”
Yeah, she was being sarcastic, and making a good point too.
“Fine,” he mimicked. “I’ll think about it. But you need to think about the video I originally came over here to talk to you about because I’d like to get it shot in the next day or two so it can be live on social media for the weekend.”
“We both know I’m going to do it. You just tell me what you need from me.”
“Any chance this chocolate house will be ready by tomorrow afternoon?”
“Um…probably not. But I’ve got a ton of goody bags ready to go and you can probably get a shot of the house either in progress or when it’s done tomorrow night and then edit it in. Will that work?”
“I’ll make sure it does,” he said. Once his coat was on, he was a little reluctant to leave even though he was anxious to go. So many ideas were swirling in his mind and yet he felt a little guilty that they still hadn’t addressed him kissing her the other night.
Which was probably for the best.
It was a moment of weakness and he should be thankful things weren’t awkward between them.
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” he said and tensed up when she straightened and walked over to him. And then tensed up even more when she hugged him.
“Thanks for your help,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Happy to help.” Gabe hugged her back and turned his head at the same time she was getting ready to kiss him again.
Only this time it landed on his lips and not his cheek.
He froze for a second and felt mildly shocked when it was Aspen whose hands reached up and cupped his face as she lingered before deepening the kiss.
Who was he to stop her?
It was a moment of heat and need and madness, and then…she pulled back with a horrified look on her face. “Ohmygod!” she whispered, moving away from him. “Um…sorry. Sorry. Seriously, um…I’m sorry!” She began to pace and wouldn’t look at him.
“Aspen, it’s…”
“No, don’t,” she said, still not looking at him. “I can’t believe I did that!”
“It’s okay,” he reached for her, but she stepped just out of his grasp–which wasn’t easy to do in the tiny house. “Aspen, come on.”
“Just…you need to go, Gabe. Please.” Now she did look at him and she looked miserable.
It was a total blow to his ego that kissing him upset her this much, but he’d focus on that when he was alone in his room.
“Okay,” he finally said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
With a curt nod, she turned her back on him and Gabe had no choice but to leave.
And there was no way he was going to get any sleep tonight.
Six
“Oh, my goodness! These are fantastic! Josiah is going to love them!” Melanie gushed Thursday afternoon. “I can’t thank you enough. He’s going to be so surprised.”
“I’m glad you like them,” Aspen replied, blushing slightly. She had made dark chocolate snowmen coated in coconut flakes. They looked adorable and even though she wasn’t a fan of coconut, she had to admit that they tasted really good.
“And what about the candy for the festival? Were you able to work up some numbers for me?”
Nodding, Aspen pulled out her phone and showed Melanie what she came up with. Knowing she had to cover her materials and her time, she had tried to be conservative.
But she also knew she had to make a little profit because this was still a business she was trying to start.
Melanie looked over the information and smiled. “This totally works. I can write you a check or send you the money on an app…whichever works for you.”
After they decided to send the payment via PayPal, Aspen agreed to bring the chocolates the day of the festival along with everything else she was bringing. It just made the most sense. Thanking her again, they went their separate ways, and it took Aspen a minute to find the will to go to the tree lot–which was where she needed to go next. They were going to shoot a video, and it was going to be the first time she was seeing Gabe since kissing him senseless.
What is wrong with me?
Yeah, this was something that was going to have to be addressed sooner rather than later because it was clearly getting out of hand. She could say that one kiss was just a crazy impulse. But two? There was obviously something there.
And what if there is? Then what?
Ugh…it had the potential to complicate everything–their friendship, their lives, and, selfishly, her budding little candy business, which was the only thing keeping her sane right now.
So maybe I shouldn’t say anything…
Her mind wandered the entire time she drove over to the tree lot. The back of the SUV was filled with decorative candy bags and the chocolate house because…sh
e hadn’t slept much and ended up finishing it.
Something was going to have to give soon because if thoughts of Gabe were going to keep her awake, there wasn’t enough room in either house for all the chocolate she’d end up making.
So yeah…they were going to have to talk about it.
Dammit.
At the lot, she got out of the car and was immediately greeted by Mr. Andrews. He hugged her and told her how excited he was for more chocolate inventory, and Aspen had to admit she was really enjoying the praise. When he opened the trunk and saw the house, he paused.
“Ooh…what is this?”
“Oh, it’s a chocolate house. We used to make them at the restaurant for displays and I figured I’d try one here for the sake of the video.”
“Hmm…”
That wasn’t quite the response she was expecting and she glanced at him. “Um…is something wrong?”
“No!” he quickly said. “I was just wondering if maybe we could raffle it off? You know, have people buy raffle tickets and all the money will go to one of the local charities or something.” Stopping, he shook his head. “Sorry. This is your thing and here I am trying to give it away!”
“Don’t be silly. I really like the idea!” Before she could comment further, Gabe walked over and his smile was a little tentative–just like hers.
And that’s when she knew the only thing to do was talk to him.
“Hey!” she said, forcing a brighter smile. “Chocolate delivery!”
“Wow, you got the house done,” he commented. “It looks great!”
“Thanks. It’s still a little delicate so we need to be careful when we move it.” No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Gabe and his dad each took a side and carefully removed it from the car. After several minutes, they had it situated on the table someone had set up for the display and that’s when she went over and started setting up the rest of the bags around it.
Behind her, she heard both men talking about the raffle and it did her heart good to know she would be contributing to helping with a good cause with her little business. Since she had no idea what those causes were, she kept herself busy setting up the table and trying not to think about talking to Gabe alone.
The Christmas Plan Page 8