One Snowy Night (Sweet Home, Alaska #1) - Patience Griffin Page 0,101
people were pulling on their coats.
“What’s going on?” Hope asked Piney.
“Most everyone wants to get a good night’s sleep so they’ll be fresh for tomorrow morning.”
“Is there something I don’t know?”
“The lot of them are planning to be back at work on the lodge and the hardware store first thing.”
“But it’s a holiday weekend. Donovan doesn’t expect anyone to work,” Hope said.
“Yes, but everyone’s concerned that the businesses won’t be up and running by the Christmas Festival.”
Hope nodded. “There’s still so much to be done.”
“You don’t worry about a thing. You and Donovan pick out a tree tomorrow. The Christmas tree is one of the important items on the to-do list.” Piney gave her a hug. “This Thanksgiving potluck was such a good idea. It really brought the community together, especially the people who live alone, making sure they weren’t left out this time of year.”
“It was Ella’s idea,” Hope reiterated for the hundredth time. But she had been the one to organize it. “I’m happy we’ll have the Christmas Festival this year. It’s another way to bring everyone together.”
“I’ll see you here, tomorrow, after your Christmas tree adventure. The Sisterhood of the Quilt will be working feverishly.”
Donovan came into the entry as Piney was pulling on her boots.
“Hope, are you about ready to go?” he asked.
Piney’s eyebrows shot up. “Where are you two going now? A date?”
Hope glared at her. “Donovan wants to pick up snacks for the tree hunt tomorrow. I told him he could tag along with me to the Hungry Bear.”
Donovan frowned at Piney as if she were being ridiculous. Hope agreed. It wasn’t a date and Piney better quit suggesting that it was. Thank goodness Piney didn’t know about the kisses they’d shared!
Chuckling, Piney walked out the door.
Donovan pulled Hope’s new coat from the hook and she automatically slid her arms into the sleeves.
Hope muttered at the shut door, “I don’t know why she keeps doing that.” Keeps thinking there is more going on between us than there is. She glanced down and realized that Donovan was zipping up her coat. She didn’t make a fuss, and she didn’t stop him either. For her, it felt like one of the most intimate moments they’d ever shared. She took that second to gaze upon him, marveling at him being so close.
“Let’s get going,” he said huskily, which made her wonder if he felt the buzz between them, too.
Or had her imagination gone off the rails? Yes, most definitely! She’d killed his brother and he could never feel anything for her again.
Yet there was . . . something there. Something different. Instead of avoiding her, he seemed to actually like spending time with her now. Was it possible Donovan was beginning to forgive her? The thought threatened to bring tears to her eyes. She wanted his forgiveness. Actually, she wanted more from him. Much more. Could they ever go back to where they’d been in high school? Probably not. But that didn’t keep her from wanting him. In the moment she decided to admit to herself that she still loved him. Not the love of a teenage girl for a teenage boy . . . but the love of a woman for a man. It was deep and real and she was going to own it. Whether it was good for her or not.
But was she going to act on it? Absolutely not.
She opened the door and rushed out to the car. She had to break the mood, make things normal between them—employee and boss. She spoke over her shoulder. “Did you know that the group here tonight—maybe the whole town—plan to be back at work tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” He opened her car door and then hurried to the other side.
“Should we postpone the tree-hunting trip?”
“According to Mr. Brewster, he has the hardware store under control and everyone at the lodge knows what they’re doing, too.” His voice grew softer. “Besides, Ella’s all set to go, and I want to strike while the iron is hot.”
“You’re right.” Something had changed. Hope was no longer wishing Donovan would leave so her heart wouldn’t be in danger. It was too late for that and she’d have to deal with the emptiness when he left. The real issue now was that she’d kept Ella away from him for too long. He deserved to spend time with his daughter. To build memories . . . for when he was gone. She didn’t trust herself to think further than today or to say more.