was closed or not worth visiting. While he prepared their drinks, Lila ran over to the table and swiped the handful of pamphlets and maps they’d gotten at the gas station on the way there. Edie’s head swiveled, undoubtedly to see what Lila was up to.
“Which of these do you recommend?” Lila asked, spreading them out in front of Theo.
“Why are you asking me?” He snapped the plastic lid on top of a coffee and set a second latte on the bar, grabbing another cup.
“Because you live around here. You know what’s good and what isn’t.”
“And you trust my opinion?” His voice was sarcastic and deadpan, but she didn’t let it outwardly affect her.
One of the traits that made her great at her job was being able to read people’s responses—it was what had made her stick with it for so long. She had a unique ability to determine whether they were up for a chat or not, if they’d become impatient waiting for their food, or wanted to talk for hours. She was almost always right, and while she was rolling the dice to think this guy was anything other than a total jerk, she wanted to try to dig down under that hardened exterior. This time though, she just couldn’t quite get a read on anything.
“Yep, I trust you,” she challenged. Maybe he’d surprise her.
He smirked. “Do the ropes course.” He pushed toward her the pamphlet with the photo of a rope bridge that extended above a tree-lined valley. “You should have everything you need after your rock-climbing date.”
She held up the pamphlet and read the title: Your next extreme adventure awaits. So much for thinking he might have a little kindness in his heart. “Is this where you’d take a girl on a date?”
“Depends on the girl.”
“Oh, enough of this,” she snapped. “What would you really suggest?”
“For your day out or for a date?”
“Both,” she replied.
“Neither answer would impact your little group there.” He slid the fourth latte toward her. “Your coffees.”
“You seem to have some preconceived notions of who we are,” she noted. “But you don’t know us at all.”
He locked eyes with her. “Likewise.”
She bristled, her talent for reading people hitting a wall with this guy. “I’m gonna sneak a Christmas wreath on your front door when you’re not looking,” she teased, allowing herself one last lighthearted little jab at him.
He completely ignored her.
He wasn’t going to ruin her vacation. So she gathered up the pamphlets and maps, pinning them under her arm as she grabbed two of the lattes. Charlotte got up and took the other two to the table.
When Lila sat down at the table, she looked over at Theo but his back was turned to them.
“I worry you might be giving him too much credit, trying to have any conversation with that guy at all,” Edie said, her voice quiet.
“I don’t know,” Piper replied over her paper cup as she held it in both hands. “He’s kind of dreamy in a rugged sort of way…”
Charlotte laughed, rolling her eyes. “You think everyone’s dreamy. We need to focus. What are we going to do today?”
Piper held up one of the pamphlets. “We could tour the Pinewood Christmas tree farm. You can ride horses, roast marshmallows, and drink fresh mulled cider by the outdoor fire pits.”
“Oooh,” Edie said, looking on. “That sounds amazing. And it’s better than the barista’s rope suggestion,” she said, a little more loudly than she should.
“I’m up for it,” Charlotte said, holding up her latte and then taking a sip.
“Let’s do it.”
Once the plan was made and they’d finished their coffees, the four women stood up, gathering their coats and winding their scarves around their necks. Lila turned around and called, “Wanna go horseback riding with us?” to Theo, just to bother him. The last thing she actually wanted to do was spend any more time with this guy, but she was enjoying dishing out comments to make him squirm. Charlotte gave her a playful punch on the upper arm.
He stared at her from behind his book.
“What?” she questioned him. “Are you scared to ride a horse?”
“I’m working,” he said, his chest filling with a frustrated inhalation.
“So if you weren’t working, you’d go?” she asked, putting him on the spot as she backed herself toward the door with her friends.
“Why do you need to go to the Christmas tree farm anyway?” he asked across the room, changing the subject. “You already have a tree. I saw it tied to the