Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,14

try to enjoy ourselves? We have a Christmas movie to watch.”

“Yes!” Piper said, clapping her hands. “We need popcorn.”

“We absolutely need popcorn,” Edie agreed. “Even if we’re not hungry, it’s a tradition.”

“She’s right,” Piper said, nodding emphatically. “Traditions are important. This trip is all about creating memories, right? Let’s do everything all the way—no skimping! Did anyone bring some?”

All of them looked around at each other, shaking their heads.

“I’ll run out to the market and grab us some,” Lila offered. “It’s just down the road.” She grabbed her coat and purse. “Y’all decide on the movie.”

Lila stood in Pinewood Market, the shop that sat a few minutes from the cabin. She walked down the chip aisle, looking for a box of popcorn, her eyes on the selections when she hit something.

“Oh!” she squealed with a jump. Only when she looked up did she realize the thing she’d hit was Theo’s chest. He shook his head, irritated. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t paying attention. I was looking for popcorn.”

He reached around her and grabbed a box, handing it to her.

“Thank you,” she said, their solitude making her nervous for some reason. He didn’t respond, turning his gaze away from her to view something on the shelf beside him.

But when she started to take a step toward the checkout, he took one too, the two of them moving together awkwardly, which only seemed to bother him more. As they both walked toward the counter, they passed the refrigerator section and he stopped, pulling out a gallon of milk.

Trying to make light of the situation, she pointed to the glass. “Hey, don’t you need to grab an almond milk?” She offered an uneasy grin.

His eyes were like daggers. “Nope. I’m good,” he snapped, storming off toward the register.

Lila hung back until he’d bolted out of the shop, the door slamming shut with a thud behind him, leaving her stunned, standing in the middle of the dairy aisle.

Four

When they all entered the coffee shop the next morning, Theo was sitting behind the counter, reading a book. He wore an open flannel shirt that revealed the shape of his chest through the tattered T-shirt he had on under it. As they walked across to him, he turned the book over on the bar, the pages spread to mark his spot. Trying not to be discouraged by last night’s odd encounter, Lila leaned in to see what it was he was reading. But he tossed a towel over it. Had he done that just to annoy her?

“Hello again,” he said, his face already set in an irritated scowl.

“Hi there,” she said, her tone overly friendly to spite him.

He didn’t move from his chair behind the bar. “How may I help you?”

“Well, this is a coffee shop. So we’d like to all get coffees and then sit and enjoy them in a pleasant atmosphere. Is that possible?”

He shrugged. “I’d say it’s possible, but it boils down to your expectations.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Piper and the others went to find a table, evidently wanting to avoid confrontation.

“I didn’t waltz in to someone else’s establishment requesting mistletoe and Christmas bows. So maybe, if you don’t find yourselves in a ‘pleasant atmosphere,’ it’s because your expectations are out of whack.”

Lila narrowed her eyes at him.

“What’s your order,” he asked, not meeting her gaze.

“You know, she’s really easy to talk to,” Edie called over to Theo from the table. “Lila doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”

“I’m not much for talking,” he clipped over his shoulder, barely even attempting to look her way. He cleaned the espresso machine, the spout hissing as he wiped it down. “Just give me your order.”

“Four peppermint lattes. For Christmas.”

“What?” he asked over an exhale. “That’s not on the menu. We don’t even have peppermint syrup.”

“No almond milk and now no peppermint syrup?”

“Like I said, your expectations might be out of whack.”

“My expectation that this is a full-service coffee shop?”

“You ask for something up there,” he said, pointing to the limited menu, “I make it. Full service.”

She noticed that there was now a piece of tape over the almond milk option—was that to keep them from coming in? “We’ll take vanilla,” she said, rolling her eyes.

She gritted her teeth, debating what to do next. They needed some local tips, but this wasn’t exactly the local she wanted to talk to. Yet looking around the shop, he was her only option, and they didn’t want to arrive somewhere only to find out that it