would start if given such an opportunity. She had many interests. Events planning. Gourmet cooking. Photography. Her unfinished degree was in elementary education. How could she choose?
Unlike yesterday, this morning the sun shone in a brilliant blue sky. Although still chilly, the wind had abated and Paris had donned a fitted wool blazer rather than a heavier jacket. Such crazy, patchwork weather in mountain country.
“Isn’t this wreath beautiful?” Elizabeth stopped to admire the door decoration as they stepped up onto the porch at Dix’s. “It would be perfect in my foyer, don’t you think?”
“If it’s not for sale, I imagine you can commission one from Lucy Hawk.”
“That poor woman, being married to that lowlife Leroy.” Elizabeth discreetly lowered her voice as she held open the door to the store. “He got what he had coming, but it will make life more difficult for her. Those sons of his haven’t lifted a finger to help, either. They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Paris bit back the impulse to defend Leroy’s youngest. But she couldn’t speak to what Cody’s intentions were. Taking sides with a Hawk—any Hawk—wouldn’t be advisable.
Once inside the store, they greeted proprietor Sharon Dixon who was dressed in a Christmas-themed sweatshirt, her head topped with a jaunty Santa Claus hat. Then they moved eagerly through the store to take in the abundance of Christmas wares mixed with the usual outdoor gear and general-store staples.
While Elizabeth wandered off, Paris moved to the Christmas tree in the center of the raftered room where tiny fairy lights and dozens of handmade ornaments were arranged in a heartwarming display. She had a collection of mountain-themed decorations and, as always, was eager to add one more. This year’s selection would be particularly special for her as, if all went as hoped, it would be her last as a resident of Canyon Springs.
“Parker will be in town for the holidays,” Elizabeth pointed out when she eventually rejoined Paris, her arms laden with Christmas merchandise.
“That’s nice.” Paris avoided her gaze. Dad had also mentioned Dalton’s cousin Parker a time or two in recent weeks, expressing pleasure that the up-and-coming attorney might return to Canyon Springs to partner in the same law firm with city councilman Jake Talford.
As if this town needed another lawyer.
But Paris wasn’t interested in being railroaded into a relationship with Parker Herrington.
“You are going to need an escort for the Christmas gala, you know.”
“Actually,” Paris said, “as the head of the committee this year, I’ll be behind the scenes more often than not, seeing to details of the event. I don’t want to be tied to someone with the expectation that I keep them entertained.”
Her best friend would be home soon and, as far as she knew, didn’t have a date for the gala, either. Maybe they could hang out together. As always, the high-spirited Delaney Marks would pitch in on anything that needed doing—like keeping Paris sane.
Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Parker is capable of entertaining himself and would be a strong complement to your talent for hosting social events such as this.”
“Elizabeth, I—”
“Ho ho ho!” a low, masculine voice called from the front door. “Look what I found, Sharon. Ma had a stash of finished ones out in the shed. There’s more in my truck.”
Startled, Paris turned to see Cody making his way to the checkout counter, his arms laden with beribboned wreaths. Hope sparked. If she could ditch Dalton’s mother, maybe now would be an ideal opportunity to talk to him regarding a unsettling phone call she’d received earlier that morning about his mother’s role in the Christmas gala. Considering the nature of that untimely call from a committee member, she should never have given in last night to what she thought was God nudging her to contact Pastor Kenton and agree to take on the weddings.
Elizabeth raised a brow disdainfully as she lowered her voice to a whisper. “Isn’t that one of those Hawk boys?”
“Maybe he’s here to help his parents.”
Elizabeth sniffed. “That’ll be the day.”
Sharon clapped her hands in delight. “Lucy had these made up? Why didn’t she bring them in? Customers are begging for more.”
“I imagine she intended to, but with everything that’s happened in the past week...” He shrugged, then motioned to the wreaths he’d placed on the counter. “Being kept in the cold shed, they still look and smell as fresh as you could hope for.”
“They do look nice. I’ll get busy calling people on the waiting list.” Still smiling, Sharon placed her hands on her hips and looked up at him. “Aren’t you the finest of Santa’s helpers, doll.”
With a laugh, she impulsively whipped off her holiday hat and stood on tiptoe to secure it on Cody’s handsome head. Startled, he glanced uneasily around the store, no doubt to ensure no one had observed the indignity of his impromptu elf act.
Paris couldn’t help but smile, but she didn’t anticipate the knee-buckling impact when his dark-eyed gaze collided with hers.
Cody groaned inwardly. Not because Paris caught him with the silly hat on his head, but because she was more beautiful today than she’d been yesterday. How was that even possible?
He swallowed the lump forming in his throat as the seconds ticked, taking in her trim, shapely figure, the brightness of her expressive gray eyes, the delicate curve of her sweet mouth...
Then, coming to his senses, he broke eye contact when he realized she wasn’t alone. A frowning Elizabeth Herrington stood beside her. Her mother-in-law.
He sheepishly removed the ridiculous hat from his head, then handed it to Sharon. “I’ll get the rest of the wreaths out of the truck.”
“Do that, doll. I’ll move these to a back room. It’s warm in here with that woodstove blazing away.”
He nodded, his eyes averted from Paris, then headed outside. He let down the tailgate and lifted the lightweight tarp to reveal half a dozen more wreaths. Well, it could have been worse. It could have been Paris’s husband who caught him staring awestruck at his beautiful wife. Her mother-in-law catching him in the act was bad enough.
Mrs. Herrington was no doubt aware that Merle Perslow had warned him off more than once as a teenager and that a stipulation of that job offer twelve years ago included keeping his distance from his daughter. That’s what had set off Cody’s temper that day. That and the man’s patronizing air that he was doing the community a favor by hiring the son of Leroy Hawk to keep him off the streets and out of trouble.
He didn’t have long to wait until, from the corner of his eye, he caught a package-laden Mrs. Herrington and Paris exiting the store. Deep in conversation, the older woman didn’t glance in his direction, but Paris clearly spied him, then quickly looked away.
Counting slowly to one hundred to ensure they’d walked down the shop-lined street, he’d no sooner lifted the remaining wreaths into his arms when he saw Paris heading briskly back in his
