Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,54

The shelves were full of academic books and titles she’d never even heard of. Lila pulled out one called The Significance of Ethics and flipped through it, an envelope from inside falling to the floor. A flash of heat crawled up Lila’s face as she tried to figure out what two pages it had been hidden between. She flipped the envelope over and read the addressee: B. Brown, P. Perry. B. Brown, as in Brian Brown, the coffee shop owner? And who was P. Perry? It was stamped from a law firm in Nashville. Lila checked the door, holding her breath, her heart racing as she looked inside the envelope. But her heart fell. It was empty. She returned the envelope to the book and slid it back onto the shelf.

Then her gaze fell upon the filing cabinet beside Theo’s desk. She really shouldn’t snoop…

Leaning out of the doorway, she assessed her surroundings once more. The shop was completely empty. Quietly, she paced over and bit her lip while pulling open the drawer. She ran her fingers through the files, stopping at one labeled “Legal.” Maybe the letter that went with the envelope was in there. She opened the file on his desk and scanned the contents. Not much out of the ordinary—the deed to the building, a business card from the same law firm, and a few government documents for the state of Tennessee. But at the back, a note typed on the law firm’s letterhead caught her eye. It read,

Theo,

Sending this via mail since I can’t get you on the phone. Everything has been tied up in terms of the old business arrangement and there’s nothing more to worry about legally. No one can be charged with a crime, since we took care of it this way. You have my number if you need me.

It was unsigned, and nothing more was said.

Crime? Was Theo involved in something illegal? Surely not the Theo she knew…

Lila put it back in the folder and slid it into place in the filing cabinet. Already feeling guilty for prying into Theo’s personal affairs, she flicked off the light and then locked up with the key behind the Coffee sign, before heading back to Fireside Cabins.

When Lila had parked Eleanor’s car back in front of the main cabin and walked over to hers, Theo’s truck wasn’t in the usual spot. She went inside to see if he’d left a note or anything. Sweeping through the kitchen, she checked the counters, then moved over to the dinette table, before trying the living room and Edie’s old room—nothing. She peered up at the ceiling. The hole had been patched and spackled over, all the old pipes removed. All the room needed now was a fresh coat of paint and new carpet. So he’d finished the job. Where was he? It was nearing dinnertime. Perhaps he’d gone out to grab a bite to eat. She texted him again and then went around the cabin, turning on the Christmas lights and lighting a candle, the warm cinnamon scent filling the air.

Her feet were tired from standing all day at the coffee shop, and once she’d settled into the comfy sofa and soft lighting at the cabin, she could feel the exhaustion taking over. She washed up, changed into her pajamas, and then warmed up some leftovers. Taking her plate and a glass of wine into the living room, she switched on the TV and navigated to an old Christmas film, snuggling down with her plate on her lap.

As she looked around the room, she considered the idea that being alone wasn’t so bad. But the more she tried to convince herself of this, the more she thought about how much better it would be to have Theo next to her, the feel of his lips on hers lingering in her mind.

While she waited to hear back from him, she finished her food and set the plate on the coffee table. With the movie playing in the background, she scrolled through area painters on her phone, just to see how much it would cost if she were to surprise Eleanor with fixing the cabin. But taking into account the carpet too, and any painting outside of that room, she just didn’t think she could swing it. Lila closed her eyes and tipped her head back, resting it on the sofa, hoping some ideas would come to her. She wanted to find a way to make this Christmas perfect for