Christmas at Fireside Cabins - Jenny Hale Page 0,75
too messy to get involved with.”
“Maybe you’re right,” she said, still not really believing it.
“Right, on to something more cheery. How’s Eleanor? Has she baked anything delicious?”
“She’s always baking something amazing,” Lila replied, glad for the change of subject. “She made some Christmas sugar cookies that were out of this world.”
“I should’ve stayed,” Piper said. Lila could feel her warm smile down the line.
“There’s still time. It looks like I’ll be staying a while… I quit my job.”
“What?” Piper said with a gasp. “You finally did it?”
“Yep. My lease is up in a matter of days too.”
“You’re staying around Nashville, right? Please say yes,” Piper said in a pleading whine.
“I’m not sure…”
“Are you thinking of staying at Fireside Cabins?”
“I’d like to.” Before she could answer completely, Lila’s iPad lit up just as her phone pinged with a text, and she sucked in a breath. “Hang on,” she said. “Someone’s texting.” Her heart pounding, she reached over and grabbed her iPad off the table. When she saw who the caller was, it felt bittersweet. “It’s Charlotte,” she said, trying not to sound disappointed. “She says she misses me and to call her when I’m free.”
“Aw, that’s nice,” Piper said. “She’s been crazy busy. I’ve hardly been able to talk to her at all. I’ll let you go. You can call me back any time. Go ring her.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” Piper replied. “I’m going to need at least an hour more so I can convince you to stay in Nashville.”
Lila smiled. “I haven’t said I wasn’t. I just don’t know.”
“Well, call Charlotte and then call me later so I can talk some sense into you,” Piper teased.
“Okay,” Lila said with a laugh. “I’ll call you later.”
They said their goodbyes and Lila called Charlotte immediately.
“Girl!” Charlotte said, without even a hello. “I miss you!”
“What have you been up to?” Lila asked, already in a better mood. Her friend always had that effect on her.
“Well, I got a Haley Russo original for starters.”
Haley Russo was an up-and-coming fashion designer in Nashville. Her line was a funky mix of elegance and cowgirl chic, and Charlotte had been dying to get her hands on one of the blouses in last year’s line.
“I couldn’t believe it. She was doing a runway show out here in LA, and she grabbed me after the show, recognizing me from her debut party in Nashville!”
“She was thrilled that I’d been following her since the beginning, and when I told her I’d been dying to get my mitts on anything from her line but just couldn’t get there before it all sold out, she took me backstage and let me choose something from the model rack.”
“Oh my gosh, lucky you.”
“Yes,” she hissed with excitement. “I got a red sundress with a little slit on the side.”
“Sounds amazing. Any chance you can grab me something? Maybe one of her big southern belt buckles with the beadwork?” Lila teased.
“Give me time…” Charlotte said with a laugh. “But that’s not even the main part of the story. Guess how I got invited to the show in the first place?”
“Do tell.”
“I’ve become really good friends with Nikki Mars—remember I was so worried about doing her hair? Turns out, all she needed was a little straightener. Anyway, knowing I was from Nashville, Nikki invited me to Haley’s show.”
“Very cool,” Lila told her, folding her legs under her on the sofa.
“Nikki is super sweet. As I got to know her, she told me something and my mouth fell open.”
“What is it?”
“Guess who Nikki’s best friend was in school?”
“Who?”
“You’ll never believe it.”
“Who?” The suspense was killing Lila.
“Have you ever heard of Alexa Fontaine?”
“Stop it… You’re kidding.” That name was burned into Lila’s brain.
“Let me just give you her full title: Alexa Fontaine, former fiancée of Theo Perry. Better?”
Lila held her breath, the only sound she could hear the buzzing of the lamp beside her. After a loaded moment she asked, “Did she say anything about Theo?”
“Piper told me all about what’s been going on with you and Theo, so I poked around a little. I asked Nikki if she was still in touch with Alexa, and when she said yes, I asked if Alexa was still dating that musician’s son Theo Perry.”
“What did she say?”
“Nikki told me that Alexa wouldn’t even speak of him. He completely ruined their upcoming wedding. Her family was toying with trying to sue him for the cost of it—it was millions. But she said it’s useless because he doesn’t