Only for You Page 8

  “I’m thinking out loud, but I’m seeing special menus at our restaurants, featuring maple-infused dishes, maple desserts,” he added, pointing at Emily. “Craft beer…”

  Fuzzy noted something down in his day planner. “Of course, we’ll close out the festival with a swanky soirée Saturday night, right here in the town hall ballroom. Drinks and dancing, that kind of thing. We’ll schedule another meeting soon with the festival being the sole focus to get everyone on board with these ideas, and any others we can think of. Obviously not all businesses have to take part if they don’t want to, but the more that do, the greater the draw and the more success for everyone.”

  While most people still held blank stares, Emily wrote frantically in her notebook.

  “So I’m going to need a couple of volunteers to co-chair the committee.” Fuzzy pulled his little wire glasses off and rested them on his shiny head. “That way we can schedule a couple of more concentrated meetings. Do I have any eager beavers?” He followed the question with a snort and a chuckle.

  Suddenly, the rip in Tim’s jeans required deep concentration. He yanked at a loose thread, waiting for other people to volunteer.

  Crickets from the peanut gallery.

  “Okay, well, I’m thinking Emily and Tim,” Fuzzy announced, when nobody stepped up to the plate.

  Emily’s scrawling pen came to a halt, and her gaze lifted from her book to Fuzzy.

  Tim leaned forward, gripping the edge of the oak table. “We just got off Christmas duty,” he said indignantly. Of all people, they should’ve been spared. “And there’s too much going on.”

  Fuzzy returned his glasses to his nose and peered at him. “Why, because you’re kind of a celebrity now?”

  Tim clenched his back teeth, practically grinding them to dust. “No, because we have businesses to run. We don’t have time to keep up with all these festivals.”

  Fuzzy shrugged. “Nobody does, but the two of you did an amazing job the last time I paired you up, so you’re it. You make a fantastic team.” He poked his agenda with his silver pen to reaffirm it. “Normally I would be all over helping out with this myself, but Lars and I are just so swamped with the web channel.”

  If he didn’t stop talking about the freaking web channel…Nobody else at the table dared speak, as though their silence made them invisible.

  “Fuzzy, I’m moving the end of this month, and then Valentine’s, one of my busiest holidays, is coming up, not to mention I have a very important birthday party and a wedding to plan,” Emily shot back, rising from her chair, sending the cute knot on top of her head bobbing.

  Tim pushed off his chair, too. “Yeah, we both have that wedding coming up. Neither of us has time to throw some event together you probably saw in a movie, Fuzz. There’s already enough going on with Winter Carnival and all the usual maple syrup events. Why can’t we just back-burner this idea for next year, when we can get an earlier start?”

  Fuzzy raised his hands and then gestured for them to sit. “I’m sure you’re both busy with the wedding, but it’s not until May, and frankly, it’s got nothing to do with council. Where is your community spirit? Obviously there will be people besides the two of you helping. You just have to organize and delegate.”

  “Well, if you must know, there is another problem. Something I feel we should bring to your attention.” Emily glanced in Tim’s direction with just the slightest lift of her brow. “Tim and I are…together now. So pairing us up is probably a conflict of interest.”

  Good call. Fuzzy had probably written some such rubbish into the bylaws. One existed for everything else.

  “Get out!” Fuzzy’s hands slapped the table, drowning out the buzz of reactions. The impact caused some of his papers to float to the floor. “Since when?” He gasped, hands cupping his face. “Did you fall in love planning Sapphire Sparkles?” He snapped his fingers at Lars. “We need this story for the web channel. A Valentine’s feature.”

  “No!” Emily protested a little too loudly. Her chest rose and fell. She lowered her voice to normal. “I mean, it’s just that Tim is already being bombarded with unwanted attention. Anyway, us co-chairing this event is probably against some kind of policy now, right?”

  Fuzzy tapped the pads of his fingers to his chin. “No, actually.” He sat up a little straighter and smiled, looking from Tim to Emily and back. “So we’re good. You guys, together…This is the best news I’ve heard all day.”

  “I wondered about the two of you,” Margo said, nodding. “Tim, you seemed a little lost there for a bit, but everyone could see Emily’s company was good for you. I’m not surprised at all.”

  Emily lifted her gaze to meet Tim’s. When she spoke, her tone was playful. “Well, how ’bout that, honey? There’s no bylaw, so we can team up after all.”

  Tim clasped her hand on top of her day planner and squeezed. “Wonderful. I can’t wait to get started.”

  Fuzzy checked his watch and rubbed his hands together. “Well, this is all very exciting, but we have to wrap things up, folks. I’ve got somewhere to be. Watch your inboxes for further details on the next meeting.” He rose from the table, zipped his day planner, and pivoted on his heel toward the door.

  Lars trailed close behind him, with the rest of the council members trickling after.

  “Hey, look,” Tim began, swiveling to face her. Leaning forward, he braced his elbows on his knees and pressed his palms together. “This thing doesn’t have to take a lot of time. We can keep it simple and delegate most of the work, like he said.”

  She stopped writing. “I think we can make this festival a huge success.” Rolling away from the table, she gathered her papers and slipped them into her bag. “Fuzzy’s right. We did a great job with the holiday festivities. If anyone can make maple syrup interesting, it’s us.”

  He should’ve known she’d make the best of the situation. Optimism was one of her best qualities. Emily lived for planning functions and bringing people together. If he had to be someone’s co-chair, there was no one else he’d rather be paired with. “Why don’t we go over to Rosalia’s and I’ll buy you a beer. We can brainstorm ideas.”

  He lowered his voice. “Maybe we can even make our relationship official on social media.”

  She licked her lips, biting back a smile. “Great idea. It’s a date.”

  Chapter Eight

  January was Tesoro’s slowest month of the year, and the next week dragged. Between coffee dates and festival brainstorming sessions with Tim, Emily worried over Nana’s biopsy results. She’d had the procedure on Wednesday. The whole thing took less than an hour, and they were able to take her home by the afternoon. In a few weeks she’d have her results, and they’d know what they were dealing with.

  Satisfied with the orders she’d accomplished for the day, she wiped down the counters and turned out the lights, leaving only the red EXIT sign glowing in the kitchen. Great Wide Open stood dark too, with the exception of the light above the door that remained on all night.

  She closed the blinds and went out front to straighten up the portfolios that towered on the coffee table in front of the large arched window, and then powered down the laptop on her small white desk along the opposite brick wall.

  She flicked switches, turning off most of the lights and dimming the wall sconces to the lowest setting. With her purse and keys in tow, she started for the door.

  Tim tapped on the glass with a gloved finger, flashing a wide smile.

  Something fluttered near her center. Couple status with Tim meant even more time together than before. They went to Jolt together each morning, took their lunch breaks at the same time. If only it wasn’t all a farce. She bit her lip and unlocked the door.

  “Hey…Sh—Em.”

  A near-Shorty slip-up. Kudos to him for the save. She’d gladly go by Shem until he kicked the old habit for good. Some long-lost cousin of the eighties cartoon Jem, perhaps? “Hey. I was just closing up.”

  The collar of his black wool coat was pulled
up around his neck, and he shoved his hands in the pockets. “I know we planned to just meet at Rosalia’s, but I noticed your lights still on.” He glanced over his shoulder, pointing a thumb toward town square. “I’d hate to see you walking alone after dark. You wanna go together?”

  Crime in Sapphire Springs was close to nonexistent, but the fact that he asked struck her as romantic somehow. “Sure, just give me a second to grab my coat.” She hurried back to her desk, where her eggplant-colored wool coat hung on the rack. She shrugged into it and looped her scarf around her neck.

  After she safely locked up, they crossed the street into the square. With a shiver, Emily tugged the sleeves of her coat down over her hands.

  Under the golden haze of the lamppost, Tim glanced at her. “It’s freezing. Where are your gloves?”

  “Probably in my apartment or car. I didn’t grab them this morning.”

  As they passed the gazebo in the center of the square, he slowed his pace and then stopped in front of a shrub wrapped in twinkle lights. He pulled off one glove and then the other and passed them to her. “Here. Take mine.” A little cloud of fog curled out of his mouth and crept toward her.

  Could he be more adorable? Her heart skipped. “I-I can’t take your gloves. It serves me right for not being prepared.” It sounded like something Nana would say to Emily’s mom. She drilled her hands into her coat pockets for added emphasis and then relaxed her fists a little, letting up on the grip on her sleeves. It wouldn’t do to rip the armhole seam of her favorite coat.

  “Take the gloves,” he grinned, playfully swatting her arm with them. The reflection of the soft lights danced in his eyes and his skin tone had taken on a peachy glow.

  “It’s all of a two-minute wa—”

  “Take the gloves,” he repeated, giving them a little shake. “I insist. Emily freaking Holland.”

  She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He hadn’t brought up the issue of her name at all before now. When she met his gaze, a smile pulled at his lips. She snatched the gloves out of his hand and covered her face with them as they both started to laugh.

  “I’m sorry about that,” she said when they picked up their pace again. She pulled on the gloves, and so what if she got a little thrill because they were warmed up from his body heat?

  “It’s okay. It’s time to retire the nickname anyway. Besides, you’re not that short.”

  “Please. I come up to your shoulder in heels.”

  He laughed and looped his arm around her shoulder, squeezing her in some kind of half hug that sent a rush of heat up the back of her neck. They crossed Queen Street, and Tim pulled back Rosalia’s heavy glass door and held it open for her to pass through.

  He always did that—opened the door for her and followed her in. It was a kind of rhythm they had. Except tonight, pretending to be his girlfriend and wearing his gloves, it felt a little more intimate.

  Jay and Leyna were at their usual table, looking at something together on one of their phones. Tim headed toward them, pulled a chair out for Emily, and then took the leather bench seat opposite her.

  When she took off her coat, he reached for it and draped it beside him on the bench that lined the wall, along with his own. His pale blue button-down shirt matched his eyes and made her think of serene ocean waves. As always, his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, providing a glimpse of his tattoo that continued up his arm.

  Regretfully, she wore a simple gray sweater dress over black tights that had her wishing she’d chosen something sexier that morning. At least she’d worn her nicest boots. It was a decent hair day, too. That counted for something.

  They all ordered appetizer baskets, and the server went off to fill their drinks.

  Leyna leaned over and passed Emily an envelope. “Just a few pages I ripped out of a magazine. Some visuals of wedding cakes, flowers, and other décor. I made some notes, too. I know you’ve been waiting for us to come up with some sort of vision.”

  Emily stole a glance at Tim, who was deep in conversation with Jay.

  Her heart fluttered when laughter creased his eyes. The scene would look like a double date to anyone watching.

  “Is Rob coming?”

  Leyna shook her head. “No. He’s had a lot going on this week with the lawyers about the divorce and the visitation.” She sighed and rubbed at her neck. “The whole thing is just a big, ugly mess.” She slapped the table. “Anyway, there’s no point in talking about it tonight. I signed up as a participating business for the Maple Magic Festival. The chef has some great ideas for dishes. I’ll even be your sidekick on the committee if you want to delegate some jobs to me.”

  “You can’t be her sidekick, because I’m her sidekick,” Tim teased, his eyes dancing, sending a quiver through Emily’s belly. He held her gaze another second, then licked his lips and looked down into his beer.

  Okay, either he put on a really good act, or she’d walked into some kind of alternate universe where Tim Fraser had suddenly noticed her. Leyna squeezed her leg under the table. She’d caught it too.

  Platters of food arrived, and Emily was glad to have something to focus on other than Tim. She ripped pita bread apart and dunked it into the spinach and artichoke dip. Tim transferred the mozzarella sticks off his plate onto hers, and she shoved her pile of chicken wings onto his.

  They made this trade faithfully, no conversation required. Emily didn’t like ribs or wings—anything you had to chew off the bone. Too much cheese bothered Tim’s stomach. It was a win-win.

  Emily half listened as Leyna talked cake ideas, distracted each time Tim glanced in her direction. Offering his gloves, pulling out her chair, more eye contact than usual…Was this charming and sweet behavior part of the doting boyfriend role, or was Leyna’s theory taking on some merit? A wonderful little flash of warmth settled over her cheeks.

  After they polished off the food, Leyna and Jay made a rather abrupt excuse to leave early—something about a big storm starting tonight, leaving her and Tim with the better part of a bottle of wine to finish. Since the restaurant had mostly cleared out, they settled up their bill and switched to a smaller table in the bar.

  As they got settled into their seats, Tim’s arm brushed against hers, sending a shiver through her, despite the flush from a couple of drinks. He topped up their glasses, and the conversation shifted to the wedding.

  Anyone would assume they were on a date, which was perfect, since Lars sat at the bar and kept looking over. She leaned her head closer to Tim. “Is it me, or is Fuzzy’s friend Lars overly interested in the two of us tonight?”

  Tim shifted in his chair to face her, and the light from the candle in the center of the table bounced off his high cheekbones. “He is. He’s approached me three times now to do a story. He and Fuzzy have this grand idea that we can use my predicament to gain the town attention.”

  Tim stretched his hand across the table toward hers, his pinky finger lifting slightly. “Is this all right?” he whispered.

  Emily snuck one more quick glance at Lars and tried to ignore the quickening pace of her heart. She didn’t need to worry about crossing the line. She had the green light here, and for the first time ever, it was completely acceptable for her to act like she and Tim were more. She lifted her gaze to his in a silent invitation.

  He clasped his hand around hers, and the warmth of it caused her nerve endings to tingle.

  His voice was low. “You’re good at this.”

  His playful tone teased the corners of her lips. No, Tim, you’re good at this. He rubbed the back of her hand, and she had to suppress the nervous giggle working up her throat.

  “So it’s coming up on moving week soon, huh?”

  She swished her wine around her glass with her free hand to busy herself and tried to look unfazed. “It is. I’m actually going to have both places for a few days, which will take some pressure off.”

  He nodded, drumming his fingertips against his glass. “I’ll be around to give you a hand.”<
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  Jay and Leyna had a cabin in Vermont booked the week she was moving, and Rob had so much drama going on she didn’t want to bother him. Her dad would certainly make a trip to help if she needed him to, but it seemed a bit much, asking him to drive two hours on winter roads, just to help her move a few things down the hall. She fiddled with her simple silver hoop earring. “Sure. I mean, only if you have no other plans.”

  He tipped the bottle of Wynter Estate pinot noir and divided up the rest of the wine between their two glasses. Emily enjoyed a pretty nice buzz, and after this last glass, she’d be borderline tipsy.

  She pulled her chair in closer. “Did you manage to make contact with the brewery to invite them to take part in the festival?”

  He tipped his glass eyeing the wine. “I did. We chatted today, and they’re on board to be a vendor. They’ve got a maple beer they’ll be releasing just in time to promote during the festival. Have you decided on any ideas for Tesoro?”

  God, she wanted to trace her finger up his forearm, over his tattoo, but it seemed a little much. She sandwiched her hand between the chair and her leg to tamp down the urge. “I’m working on a cake idea, but it’s going to require some research. At the very least I’ll make a bulk batch of maple cookies and hand them out to festivalgoers. Maybe attach a promo coupon or something.”