Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30544 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
“As a fellow small-business owner, I’m impressed,” Dawson says after hearing that Blooming Acres is still going strong after thirty years. “Do they expect you to take over someday?”
My stomach sours. It’s not something I enjoy thinking about—my parents growing old and retiring. Or worse, having health complications. “They know my interests lie elsewhere, but if I had to, I would. I’d do anything for them.”
It’s true. They never put pressure on me to help run the farm, especially when I became a computer whiz in school and pursued my degree. But they sacrificed a lot to give me a wonderful childhood, so I’d be willing to give back. I’d at least try to make it work.
“I can hear how much you love them,” Dawson says. “My parents are different, and Nathan is more like them. He dreams of making money and retiring early so he can travel the world. That’s kinda how they are.”
Hearing Dawson describe his brother makes it even more obvious that we were too different to make anything work. I enjoy my career, and it allows me to live comfortably, but I don’t have any other aspirations besides finding someone to grow old with. And so far I’m striking out.
“Were you and Nathan close as kids?”
“Yes. And we still are. I mean, there’s this thing between twins, this connection you don’t experience with anyone else in the world. We’ll always have that.” He blows out a breath. “But as soon as we hit middle school, it was evident how different we were. Is it weird that we can be different but still close and not close at the same time? He’s my brother. He always will be, even if we move through the world differently.”
It’s obvious even being in the same room with the two of them, but still I ask, “How so?”
“He was an all-star in sports, the class president, popular…and I was just his twin brother.”
“Ouch.” I rub my chest as if I can actually feel the sting.
He shakes his head. “Honestly, I didn’t really mind it. I enjoy living under the radar and following my own path.”
“I can see that. You have this quiet confidence. Bet your parents are proud of everything you accomplished.”
“Thanks.” He dips his head in this shy, unassuming way his brother never would. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, maybe like your parents. My one small shop suits me fine.”
At the next rest area, he insists on driving and sharing the load. I don’t fight him on it too long because it feels nice to stretch my legs and watch the landscape from the passenger side.
“What’s the plan if we mess up some of the dating details?” Dawson asks.
“Good question. I’m sure we can play it off. Say we were friends first.”
“Because your office building is close to my shop?” he asks as he navigates traffic.
“Uh-huh. I met you on my latte-and-smoothie runs.”
He nods. “True enough. What else should I know?”
“Um, let’s see…my family is pretty informal, so you can call my parents Jeffrey and Donna. The week before Christmas is busy at the tree farm with all the last-minute shoppers.” I take a sip of my soda, then quip, “Dad might try to put you to work.”
“I don’t mind helping. Do you pitch in?”
“I normally do, but that’s not what this trip is about. We’re on holiday, and I want to show you the town.”
He waves a hand. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. I’ll just go with the flow.”
“Thanks for being cool about all this.”
“It’s not a hardship, believe me.”
And the way he says it makes something prickle on the back of my neck. When I look over, our eyes connect before he glances away. Dawson is a good, kind, pleasant human to be around. Him being so handsome doesn’t hurt either.
I force those thoughts from my brain because I don’t need to complicate this trip for either of us.
4
DAWSON
The closer we get, the more nervous I am, but strangely, the more excited I feel too. I know that sounds wild. It doesn’t even make sense in my own head. I’ll be lying to people, which I don’t condone, but I tell myself the only thing I’m not being truthful about is the fact that Briar and I aren’t boyfriends who’ve been dating for the last three months. That’s not a big deal…right?
I turn into Bright’s Hollow, and immediately feel a smile pull at my lips. “It looks like a postcard.”
“Or a holiday movie,” Briar adds, and he’s smiling too.
It’s a mountain town in the middle of nowhere, with just one main road passing through, which could get sketchy when there’s a huge storm. It’s the type of place you read about people getting snowed in and trapped in a cabin together.
We’re driving down Main Street now, and there’s greenery everywhere, bookending each strip of buildings. I can only imagine what it looks like in the fall when the leaves are all bright orange and yellow, especially since the buildings are all painted in fall colors—reds, browns, yellows, and lots of brick, everything from restaurants to a candy shop, ice cream parlor, antique stores, and other shops. The ground outside and the roofs are covered with a couple of inches of snow. Christmas trees, lights, and holiday decorations brighten every window display and outside each shop.