Page 100 of The Christmas Tree Farm

‘Are you sure you have to leave early?’ Jeanie was nursing a cup of coffee at Logan’s kitchen table. The remnants of last night’s party were still littering the countertops even though it was late afternoon. No one else was home and it was just the two of them at the table.

‘Yeah, it’s time for me to get back.’

A llama? Alpaca? Wandered by the window. ‘Uh … your uh, animal is escaping.’

Jeanie glanced at the window. ‘Oh, that’s Harry Styles. He won’t go far.’

The creature came closer to the house, pressed its face up to the window and started munching on the screen. Jeanie remained nonplussed by the whole situation.

‘But Dream Harbor has a whole New Year’s Eve celebration,’ she said, ignoring the farm animal destroying the house. ‘There’s fireworks!’

Bennett made eye contact with Harry Styles, and he could have sworn the beast winked at him. He shook his head. He clearly needed to sleep, but first he needed to get the hell out of Dream Harbor. ‘I bet it’s great, but really, I just want to get back home.’

She cocked her head, studying him over her steaming cup. She tapped her engagement ring against the ceramic. Tap, tap, tap. What must it be like to have so much faith in someone, in your relationship, to declare to the entire world that you intend to be together forever?

‘And this rushing back home has nothing to do with a certain Christmas-tree-farm owner?’

‘Nope.’

Her dark brows rose. ‘Because the two of you looked awfully cozy last night.’

They had looked cozy. And felt cozy. So much so that Bennett actually thought that Kira might be cool with him staying in town for a while. So cozy that he actually considered uprooting his life again for another woman, because this one was worth it. This one was everything he wanted, and he knew it wasn’t coming from some misplaced desire for her approval. He just wanted to be with her. All very cozy until the drive home when Kira blew the whole thing apart.

‘We had an agreement. It was just a holiday fling. No one wants to be alone for the holidays.’

‘Hmm. And what about the rest of the year?’

‘Jeanie…’

‘I just want you to be happy! And it was nice having you close by. I liked it.’

He gave her a begrudging smile. ‘I liked it, too.’

‘Well, my apartment is here whenever you need it.’

‘You’re going to have to rent it out eventually.’

She shrugged. ‘I guess. But I’m happy to keep it open for you.’

He hated how tempting that offer was. He didn’t need Kira’s permission to stay in town. He could move here, stay above the café, and eventually get a place of his own. Jeanie would be thrilled. His parents would love it.

But then he’d be stuck here, a few miles from the most recent woman to reject him, in a tiny town that knew everyone’s business. Not great for quietly licking his wounds.

No, he had to get out of here.

He never should have followed Nicole to California, and he sure as hell couldn’t stay here if Kira didn’t want him to.

‘You should rent it out.’ He stood from the table and put his empty mug in the sink. Jeanie stood, too, coming to give him a hug.

‘Well, I am going to miss you,’ she said, giving him one more squeeze before pulling away. ‘Maybe I’ll come visit you sometime soon.’

‘That would be great.’ It would certainly be easier than him coming here ever again.

‘Text me when you get in.’

‘Will do.’

Jeanie walked him to his rental car where the dogs were already loaded into their crates for flying. He hated thinking of them stowed away in the cargo hold, but there weren’t a lot of other options unless he wanted to claim these three miscreants were emotional support animals. Although, at the moment, he could use the support.