Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Aiden felt like a nervous schoolboy as he drove up to The Mistletoe Inn, parking his truck in the driveway as he slid out to go knock on the door and pick Nora up for their dinner out. Their date , he nearly thought—but what it really was, he reminded himself, was a dinner between old acquaintances to catch up. Thinking of it as a date wouldn't do anything except get his hopes up for something that he had no concrete reason to think of it as.

The door opened almost as soon as he knocked, and he saw Nora's mother, Rhonda, standing there.

"Come in!" She stepped back, holding the door open for him. "It's cold out. Nora should be down soon—Nora!" Rhonda turned toward the stairs, calling her daughter's name, and Aiden stifled a smile as he knocked the snow off of his boots and stepped into the warm entryway.

The whole thing had a tinge of nostalgia to it—a little like they were getting a high-school do-over, he thought. Like he was coming to pick her up at her parents' house and take her out.

"I'm coming!" Nora's voice drifted down from the upper floor, and Aiden felt a small tingle of excitement. Whether the dinner turned out to really be a date or not, this was something he'd wanted for a long time, and the anticipation of seeing her tightened his chest. It felt a little like a dream, if he was being honest.

"Where are the two of you going?" Rhonda asked politely, and Aiden smiled.

"Nora said she got a reservation at Marie's. I don't have an occasion to go there often, so I'm looking forward to it."

"That's a nice place to catch up." There was a small, amused twitch at the corners of Rhonda's mouth that made Aiden think she had some opinions about what kind of dinner it was too. He got the feeling that she was hoping it was a date too.

The sound of heels against the wood floor made Aiden turn, and his jaw nearly dropped. Date or not, Nora had made an effort for their dinner out—she always looked beautiful and put together, but just then he thought that she looked especially stunning. She was wearing a charcoal gray knit sweater dress with a shawl collar, tall black velvet high heeled boots, and she'd added a red lip to her usual light makeup. He noticed she was wearing a pretty gold necklace with a pearl dangling from it, and matching earrings, her hair lightly curled so it swept around her shoulders. It was hard not to stare.

"Hi, Aiden." Nora smiled, and he felt a similar smile spread across his own face.

"Hey there." He couldn't quite think of anything else to say, momentarily frozen in place by just how beautiful he thought she looked—and the only thing that saved him from Nora realizing he'd gone speechless was the sound of the front door opening heavily again.

He recognized Caroline as she walked by, striding past their small group with barely a glance. He didn't see her often around town, but he remembered her. She had the same vaguely irritated expression on her face that it seemed she always wore, and she was dressed for work in faded jeans, a heavy flannel, and outdoor boots with a Carhartt jacket over it all. She paused as she passed Nora, seemingly taking in her sister's appearance, and then glanced back.

"Oh. Hey, Aiden. Long time no see." She pressed her lips together, looking between him and Nora. "What are you up to?"

Rhonda spoke up before either he or Nora had a chance to respond. "They're headed out on a date." There was a hint of glee in her voice that confirmed what he'd been thinking at the start—she was thrilled that he and Nora were reconnecting. It gave him a small boost of confidence. He'd reminded himself often since Nora's invitation not to get his hopes up that it might go somewhere—at the end of the day, Nora was still just visiting. But having family in his corner mattered to him when it came to this sort of thing, and just in case, he was glad that it seemed Rhonda approved.

Caroline smiled, but it looked stiff, not quite meeting her eyes. "Well, have a good time, you two." She gave her sister another cursory glance, and then swept from the room.

Nora's eyebrows rose ever so slightly, but her face was otherwise blank. "Well then." She smiled at Aiden. "Should we go?"

"Have fun!" Rhonda called as they walked out, Aiden holding the door for Nora and walking a bit ahead of her so that he could open the side door to the truck. She gave him a small, almost amused smile, but pulled herself up into the passenger side without a word.

"Very chivalrous of you," she said once he was inside, starting the engine so the cab could begin to warm up. She still had that small smile on her face, but he could see she was tense. He had a feeling it had something to do with Caroline's reaction—that it had bothered her. She'd been perfectly relaxed until her sister had walked in.

"How are things between you and Caroline?" he asked carefully, putting the truck in gear. "She still has that look like her shirtsleeves are a little too tight."

Nora's sudden laugh came out almost as a snort, and she put a hand over her mouth, stifling the sound. The sound of it, and the sideways look she gave him, made him chuckle too. A good start , he couldn't help but think—the two of them already making each other laugh.

"Things have been—strained, with us," she admitted after a moment. "I mean, they have been for a while. Years, really. Mom had that hip replacement right when I was moving to Boston, and Caroline had some pretty clear opinions about it. She thought I should be moving back home and helping with the inn, not heading off to start a career in the big city. I didn't see why I should give up everything when she clearly was more than happy to be in charge, and I thought I could still be a part of the family from a distance. I had all of these goals and dreams, and coming back to Evergreen Hollow to help run Mistletoe wasn't part of that. It felt like Caroline thought I wasn't doing enough to help—that I haven't been, over the years. I always felt guilty about it." Nora twisted her hands together in her lap, and Aiden saw her look out of the window at the town passing by. "I don't think she'd believe that I felt guilty, but I really did. And I feel even more guilty now, since I'm back home and Caroline can give me all of those looks in person."

He felt a pang of sympathy. It was clear it weighed on her—he could hear it in her voice. And it felt obvious to him that she did care—that she always had, even if she'd gone on to Boston instead of coming back home. If she hadn't cared, she wouldn't have given all of it a second thought, or felt as guilty as it was clear to him that she did. "Personally," he said, turning the truck down the main street toward Marie's, "I think it's amazing that you stuck to your goals and achieved everything that you planned to. Plenty of people have dreams and goals, and they just think about them and don't ever put it into action. You did exactly what you set your mind to, and that's pretty impressive in my opinion."

"Thank you." Nora gave him a small, grateful smile, and he tried not to think about the way it made his heart race.

"We're here." He turned the truck into Marie's parking lot. A warm glow was coming from the large, black-framed windows set in the cream stone building, lighting up the snowdrifts and welcoming them in. Aiden walked around to open Nora's door for her, getting another of those tiny smiles, and he returned it as they walked to the large black door at the front of the restaurant, flanked by two old-fashioned light fixtures.

He hadn't been to Marie's in so long that he'd forgotten what a romantic atmosphere it had. They were led by the hostess into the main dining room, to one of the white-cloth covered tables near the lit fireplace. That fireplace and the candles on the tables and set along the windowsills were the only source of light in the room, giving it a soft glow that felt close and cozy. There was a garland hung on the mantel of the fireplace, with small silver and gold ornaments catching the flickering light, and as he pulled out Nora's seat for her he couldn't help thinking that this definitely felt like a date.

It didn't feel like the sort of dinner where acquaintances just sat down to catch up, that was for sure.

"I haven't been here in so long," Nora murmured as she picked up the wine list, echoing his thoughts from earlier. He wondered, briefly, what she would think of the selection—if she'd be disappointed. She'd probably been to plenty of restaurants in Boston fancier than this. But she seemed to spot a wine that she liked immediately, glancing at Aiden. "Do you like red or white?"

He shrugged. "I don't drink often. I'm happy to drink whatever you pick."

Nora laughed softly. "There's that whole thing about red with meat and white with seafood, but I really just prefer red with anything, honestly. It's very gauche of me, I think, but that's what I like."

"Get that, then." Aiden grinned, and she gave him a mischievous smile, as if she were doing something she shouldn't.

"A bottle of—this Malbec, please," she said when the waitress came to their table, tapping her nail against the list. "And a water? We'll need a minute for appetizers, I think."

"Water for me," Aiden added. There was something very self-possessed and elegant about her, as he watched her order, and he could see why anyone would think she was out of place back here in Evergreen Hollow. But he thought there was a little of both in her still—the small-town girl and the big city go-getter, and he privately thought that he didn't see why they couldn't coexist, if she wanted them to.

As the waitress left to get their drink order, Nora looked sideways at him, glancing between him and the menu in front of her. It was cream-colored stock, with fine black script listing the menu items, and he wasn't at all sure what he might want. When he wasn't getting takeout from Rockridge Grill, he usually cycled through the same three or four easy dinners at home.

"Have you ever gotten pushback from your family about your career choices?" The question might have seemed blunt, but he knew she was circling back to what they'd talked about on the drive over, about her own sister's opinions.

Aiden sat back a little, considering. "A little, yeah. Most people seemed to think I should have moved to a city after I finished trade school. Better money, better opportunities, all of that. I've heard it from Leon before, for sure—that I'm too good at my job to spend it all here in Evergreen Hollow, even though he says it in terms of how lucky the town is to have me here."

He shrugged. "But I wanted to come back home. My family is here, my roots are here. How you felt about going to Boston despite what everyone else might think about that choice, that you knew it was the right thing for you—that's how I felt about coming back home. I love this town, and I want to make sure it keeps thriving. That can only happen if people pour their hearts into it."

"You really care about Evergreen Hollow, don't you?" Nora had stopped looking at the menu, and was just looking at him. "You feel like it matters."

"I know it matters. It's a place where everyone counts on each other. Where they'll put aside their grievances and try to understand each other, even if they're at odds sometimes. Most of the world—no one leans on anyone else anymore. Independence is a good thing up to a point, but having people you know you can rely on in a pinch, who won't keep a ledger of debts owed after the fact—that matters a lot. And feeling a connection to something—that matters too, I think."

He broke off as the waitress returned, setting down the bottle of red wine and two glasses as she poured for them both. "Do you want an appetizer?" she asked, and Nora glanced at Aiden.

"The brie with pears and maple sounds good. What do you think?"

Aiden wasn't sure he'd ever eaten brie, but he nodded. "I'll try whatever you're having," he said with a grin, and Nora flashed him a return smile.

"We'll have that, then. And then maybe a little more time before we order our meal."

It was clear she wasn't in any hurry to rush the dinner along, and that made him feel good. He wasn't in any hurry either—he was enjoying her company, and it was good to see that she seemed to feel the same. She reached for the wine, nodding a little as she took a sip.

"It's really good."

Aiden took a sip of his. "I don't think I have much of a refined palate for wine," he said with a small laugh. "But it tastes good to me."

"It is nice, being back in Evergreen Hollow," Nora admitted. "Everything is a lot slower. I forgot how much. I thought it would drive me crazy, but it's honestly been relaxing, once I got past feeling guilty for liking it." She let out a small laugh. "And it's been a little bit of a blow to the ego, finding out everything didn't collapse without me in Boston—but it's also given me a little freedom to let myself enjoy being home."

Aiden felt a small flare of hope, as Nora paused, thanking the waitress as she brought the appetizer. He could tell that the conversation was encouraging Nora to stop and think differently about Evergreen Hollow—about the things that made it important, small as it is. The smile on her face was genuine, and she looked relaxed and happy, spreading a bit of the melting cheese on a toast point with the fruit and syrup. He could picture her here easily, again. He could picture this being a more usual thing for them both.

Would she ever consider moving back here? He reached for a bit of the appetizer for himself, putting it on the small China plate in front of him. The thought fled as soon as it slipped into his mind, as he watched her take another sip of her wine.

Nora was a driven, big-city girl to her core. She had been as long as he'd known her, before she'd even had a chance to actually go and carve out a place in Boston. She might be enjoying a breather while she was home for a little while, but that didn't mean she was going to upend her whole life.

She'd get over her breakup, and then she'd want to leave. He knew it was true, but it didn't stop the pang he felt as she turned to him with a smile, nodding at the bite of food on his plate.

"What do you think?"

He popped the bit of cheese and pears on toast into his mouth, considering. It was creamy and rich, the earthy flavor of the cheese mingling with the sweetness of the baked fruit and maple syrup. On its own, it was fantastic—paired with the wine, it was even better. "You really know how to choose food and wine," he said with a small laugh, and a pleased flush spread over Nora's cheekbones.

"Catering is one of my favorite parts of being an event planner," she admitted. "Helping people choose menus for events is always so much fun. Sometimes they want my advice and sometimes they don't—sometimes they just go directly to the caterer, but when I get to sit in on those planning meetings, I always enjoy it."

"Maybe you should have your own catering company, then."

Nora laughed, shaking her head. "I like all the aspects of event planning. Not just that. I'd miss the other parts too. All of it is part of one big whole—taking someone's ideas and vision and the things that are important to them and making a day that they'll remember. But the food is a really fun part of it."

After a few minutes, the waitress returned, and they put in their order for dinner. Nora picked a lobster risotto, and he chose the lamb chops with roasted vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. The fire crackled next to them, the sound of soft piano humming through the air as Nora refilled their wine, and he felt that he didn't want the evening to end. It had barely begun, but he was already anticipating whether or not he might get to see her again. Not just in passing—but spending time with her like this, just the two of them.

Nora took another bite of the brie and pears, sipping her wine. "Thank you for giving me another chance to hang out with you," she said with a smile, setting her glass back down. "And for forgiving me for hurting your eye."

She reached out as she said it, touching the corner of his eye. He knew she'd done it without thinking from the way she froze an instant after she touched him, her fingertip lingering for a brief second before she pulled back. She'd never touched him before, and the intimacy of the gesture made his heart beat hard in his chest. Her fingertips were soft, and he smelled a whiff of her burnt vanilla perfume.

He felt a flip in his stomach as she pulled her hand back, her cheeks flushing a little deeper. She reached for her wine quickly, her gaze flicking away, and he hurried to alleviate what could turn into awkwardness.

"I'm more than okay," he said quickly. "I've gotten hit harder than that bumping into a door at work. Not that you don't have a good right hook on you, I'm sure." He grinned, and Nora smiled into her glass, that flush of red still high on her cheeks.

"Carpentry is dangerous, then?" She laughed, and the moment eased, the relaxation between the two of them returning.

"I've bruised all ten of my fingers more than once, that's for sure." He paused as the waitress brought their dinners, setting the lamb in front of him and the risotto in front of Nora. "Can't say I was ever all that fond of heights either. But it's one of those things I just have to get over, for the parts of the job I do like."

"What are those? Besides building and preserving the town." Nora took a delicate bite of her risotto, and he cut a small piece off of one of his lamb chops. It was perfectly cooked, the meat melting on his tongue, spiced in a way that brought out the rich flavor of the meal.

"I like feeling useful. And there's a feeling of completion that comes with having repaired a door, or fixed a windowsill, or put a new roof on. It's tangible. I've touched it, built it, I can see the results of that hard work every day. And I suppose I like taking care of the people that matter to me. Something happens in town—like that storm—and they know they have someone they can turn to that will make it right."

Something softened in Nora's face as he spoke, her gaze fixed on his, and his heart did that somersault in his chest again. "What about you?" he asked, clearing his throat as he scooped up a bit of garlicky mashed potato. "What are the hazards of event planning?"

Nora laughed, taking another bite of the lobster on top of her dish. "Bossy mothers-in-law, mixed-up dates, broken zippers on dresses, and the wrong color of flowers being delivered. Not nearly as dangerous as a smashed thumb, but it definitely requires thinking on your feet. Any of those things can ruin a day, if they're not fixed quickly."

"So we both fix things." Aiden looked at her, considering. "We both make something come into being, and we repair it when it goes wrong."

Nora gave him a small, tentative smile. "Mine only lasts for a day."

"A day that clearly means a lot to the people you create it for."

She sat back a little, reaching for her wine glass. "It means a lot to me too. I always feel like Caroline, for instance, thinks it's so shallow. That people spend so much money on an event that only lasts for a little while."

"The memories last though."

Nora brightened instantly. "Exactly. Memories, photos, even bits of things that get saved, like a bouquet. It all matters. I'm not just creating an event, I'm creating memories. Happiness. And it feels good, every time—even when things don't go quite according to plan."

She was passionate about her job, he could see it. As passionate as he'd always been about using his carpentry skills to keep Evergreen Hollow thriving.

He found himself wishing that he'd been brave enough back in high school to approach her. He'd made up a story back then in his head, he realized, about who Nora was and how she couldn't possibly be interested in him. He saw now that wasn't necessarily true.

There was no way to know what would happen now. Back then, he knew, nothing would probably have come of it either. He had always intended to learn a trade and come back home, and Nora had always been dead-set on leaving. One of them would have had to give, to make things work, and if they'd done that then one of them would have been unhappy. But as they shared a crème br?lée and finished the bottle of wine, he found himself hoping that there might be a second chance.

He stood up as Nora did, retrieving her credit card from the leather folio with the bill in it—she'd insisted on paying, since she'd invited him, and he'd let her. She wouldn't have let him pay, and there was a feeling that if one of them did, it really did make it a date.

"Ready to head back?" he asked, feeling a small sinking in his stomach at the knowledge that the night was almost over, and the way Nora looked at him as she nodded settled his resolve.

He didn't know where this could go, but he wasn't going to let fear hold him back again. If it didn't work out, things would be exactly as they were already—except he would know for sure. And he didn't want to let her go again without knowing.

That thought lingered in his head all the way back to The Mistletoe Inn, through their casual conversation about the dinner and their plans for tomorrow. He got out to open her door for her again, and as her boots hit the snow, she said what was on his mind at the exact same moment that the question spilled from his lips.

"I'd like to do that again," Nora said, right as he spoke.

"Can I take you out again?"

She laughed, the sound bright in the still, cold air, and he had the urge to lean down and kiss her. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, and he chuckled softly.

For a moment, everything seemed to slow. Nora was still looking up at him, and he wondered if she wanted him to kiss her. He wondered for a second too long, because she smiled, closing the door behind her as she turned to go up the stairs to the inn. "Let me know when you want that second date, Aiden Masters," she said with a cheeky laugh, and then she was headed up to the porch, disappearing inside.

He climbed back into his truck, watching the door close behind her. And he wondered, to himself, how it was going to feel when she left again.

But she hadn't left yet.