Mistletoe and Mr. Right (Moose Springs, Alaska #2) - Sarah Morgenthaler Page 0,11
out. Unlike Rick, he had no problem squeezing in between the cars to hand Lana a reusable shopping bag while Zoey waved enthusiastically from the car. Blinking in surprise, Lana looked down into the bag, her face brightening.
“I get a sweater?” Lana asked.
“An ugly Christmas sweater,” Graham corrected her with a chuckle. “Except she doesn’t realize it’s ugly. I told Ma that you wanted to match Jake the next time you watch him. He has his own. Sorry there are so many balls on it.”
“Too many balls has been the theme of the day.” She clutched the sweater to her chest as if it were a precious gift. “I love this. Please tell your mother thank you for me.”
“Already done, darlin’. Happy holidays from the Barnetts.” He gave her a huge hug, which Lana enthusiastically returned. Rick tried not to feel awkward as he stood there, unable to get into his car and not a part of this moment of holiday joy.
“Want to see?” she asked Rick as Graham loped back to the truck, swinging inside. Turning the sweater around, she held it up proudly.
Rick scratched his head, trying to think of something polite to say, unwilling to dash her enthusiasm. “It’s festive.”
Yes, festive was safe.
Lana’s grin widened. “And?”
“And obviously designed by a woman with a completely innocent mind.”
“Isn’t it?” Lana exhaled a soft laugh. “I love this. My day has been far more sexually explicit than I possibly imagined when I woke up this morning.”
Rick felt his face heat up, and he directed his eyes anywhere but the sweater. Nope, he wasn’t thinking anything at all beyond this was his car, and at some point, she would let him in.
“Headed home?” Lana asked as she tucked her gift back in the bag.
“Figured I might reopen the pool hall. It’s still early.”
Lana waited, and when it became clear that Rick didn’t have anything particularly brilliant to add to his statement, she gave him a pretty smile. “Well…good night.”
He could have stood there in the awkwardness, inhaling her perfume like a drowning fish, all night long. But that would be weird. And Rick was many things, but he tried really hard not to be weird. Instead, he nodded and put his hand on her car door, waiting until she got in before lightly closing it for her. He liked that she mouthed “thank you” through the window.
As he got in his own car, Rick tried to ignore the fact that her smile was the best part of his day.
* * *
No one would have blamed Rick if he’d headed home for the night instead of reopening the pool hall until regular closing time. Most of the other business owners wouldn’t bother to go back to work after the town meeting. But the drive back to his pool hall wasn’t long, and Rick didn’t have anything better to do.
The town of Moose Springs had gone all out for the holidays this year. Telephone poles lining the roads were decorated like giant candy canes, with signs wishing everyone happy holidays. Giant plastic snowflakes hung below streetlamps, glittering in the passing headlights. Everywhere he looked were strings of multicolored lights, tinsel-draped evergreens, and giant inflatable reindeer.
If the reclusive Santa Moose ever made it downtown, the animal would have an absolute field day.
As he drove, Rick did his best to ignore the decorations. Christmas used to be his favorite time of year. Since Jen had left, it pretty much sucked. Hard. Rick still liked Christmas…but damn if it didn’t seem to cut him up a little more each year.
When Rick and his ex opened their pool hall, they made a promise to themselves: no tourists. At least not if they could help it. Rick had grown up in a small town overrun with tourism, hating the constant stream of strangers just as much as anyone. And after a drunken tourist in a sports car had T-boned Jen’s sister’s car, killing his ex-wife’s sister, brother-in-law, and niece, the choice to operate for locals only hadn’t just been a preference…it had been necessary for Jen’s sanity. But Jen was gone, and it was just Rick now.
If he had to pick money or peace of mind, it had always felt like a no-brainer. These days though…these days, it was hard to justify the decision to stay loyal to his town and his and Jen’s dream when he could barely keep the lights on.
At some point in his life, Rick wanted to eat red meat that wasn’t in the