and she didn’t stop, not even for a sip of her now-lukewarm coffee, until her phone chirped, pulling her out of her zone.
She picked up her phone and swiped the screen. She took in a quick breath at the words on the screen. Ben will be in town tomorrow. Excitement raced through her, but at the same time the goodbyes were so hard. As perfect as he seemed for her, she just couldn’t picture herself in Evergreen year-round. She looked out the window at the traffic below. This city inspired her. She wished they’d met in New York, instead.
But they hadn’t, and even if they couldn’t be a couple, she wouldn’t trade the chance to catch up and spend time with him for anything. Away from Evergreen, things would probably feel more real. Just relax and enjoy it. No pressure.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ben watched the New York City traffic out the window. The incessant honking and people pushing past one another on the sidewalk in the snow made him a little anxious. But in all fairness, it’d been a hectic day between the train ride, the interview and now this.
He sat at the table in the restaurant, waiting for Katie, sipping on his second glass of ice water to keep himself from sweating in his navy suit. This, meeting Katie here today, was much more stressful than the job interview.
When she walked through the restaurant door, she took his breath away.
The maître d’ took her coat, and her smile could’ve lit up the room. She wore a pretty green dress with a short jacket over it, and Ben couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
His heart stammered as she weaved through the tables in his direction, her eyes dancing when she finally laid eyes on him. Her steps quickened as she got closer. “Wow. Look at you.”
Her surprise threw him for a moment, but then, she’d never really seen him dressed up. He stood up to pull out her chair, but she hugged him first. “Hi, Ben. It’s really good to see you.”
She felt so good in his arms. “You look beautiful,” he said, stepping back to get a good look at her. It was hard to believe he was really here. With her. “The city suits you.”
“Well, you too.” She sat down and placed her napkin in her lap.
He’d worn his nicest suit for the interview, but also for her. He’d meant to impress her, but the comment still made him flush a bit. “So this is it.” Ben leaned back in his chair, spreading his arms out. “The famous ramping-up-for-the-Christmas-holiday restaurant that serves blueberry pancakes all day long.”
“Yes, and I highly recommend you try them.”
Was it just his nerves, or was she acting a little too reserved? He’d counted on her being as excited as he was about tonight. “Well, I might be one step ahead of you.”
As if on cue, the waitress carried two plates of pancakes out and set them in front of the two of them. Perfect golden blueberry pancakes, garnished with fresh, plump blueberries and whipped cream with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar.
Katie lit up. “Aww. You didn’t.”
That was the excitement he’d wanted to see. “I did, and would you look at that?” He put his napkin in his lap and took his fork in his hand. “This looks amazing.”
“That’s what I’m saying.” She seemed nervous, a little giddy. “So. How was your interview?”
“I think it went pretty great.”
“Of course it did,” she said.
“Well, to be fair, this friend of mine had a pretty good freelancing career going. I might have been a little inspired by her.” He meant to flatter her, but the banter felt a little forced, or maybe it was just his nerves.
Katie blushed and changed the subject. “How’s the Christmas calendar? What have I missed?”
He felt her distancing again, keeping him at arm’s length, and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. He tried to stay focused on the conversation. “It’s good. I’ve actually kept a list of every day.”
“We’re so much alike.”
“I’ll have to share it with you. There’ve been so many neat things, and facts about the town none of us knew or remembered.”
She set down her fork and raised her hands. “I just love that whole concept.” Her eyes brightened, and she leaned in.
He was drawn by her interest. “One day there were cards with receipts from each of the merchants in town at that time. Each receipt had the price of something on it. They handed them