12 Dates of Christmas (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

CHAPTER SIX

The White Elephant Pub was a little more upscale than Frosty’s. It had wood-paneled walls, cozy tables, secluded booths around the exterior, and there were tasteful Christmas lights twined with pine garland strung everywhere.

The pub was closed to the public for the event and tables had been rearranged into a half-moon shape, with different bottles of wine set up.

Leo walked over to the main table, smiling at the woman behind it.

She smiled back. “Good evening. Welcome to The White Elephant. You’re here for the wine tasting?”

“Yes,” Leo said, handing over his ID. “Leo Fenner. I should be on the list. I prepaid.”

She scanned a list then marked off his name. “Yes, you’re all set. Let me tell you how it works. You will get six tastes, which you can mark off on this card here—along with your impression and a score of each wine.”

“Perfect.”

She smiled at him. “My name is Elaine, by the way. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be here all evening.”

“Thanks, Elaine.” Leo leaned in. “Actually. I’m, uh, meeting a date. Guy about my age named Andrew. Do you know if he’s here yet?”

“Oh. Well, I believe he’s already here by the bar. He’s dressed in, uh, red and green.”

“Thanks! That’s helpful.” Leo had seen pictures of Andrew before but he didn’t want to make an ass of himself by approaching the wrong person.

“You can hang your coat over there,” Elaine said, gesturing towards the rack they’d set up in the corner. “And feel free to start wherever, though the tables are arranged from light whites to medium whites to more light-bodied reds and finally, at the end there, the more full-bodied reds.”

After Leo hung up his coat and grabbed a wine glass, he surveyed the crowd of people milling around talking.

They all appeared to be paired-off couples, a small group of thirty-year-old women, and, as he edged his way closer to the bar … an elf, standing by himself dressed in red and green.

Oh no.

The elf’s face lit up. “Hi there, Leo! I’m Twinkle Toes!” he said cheerfully as he held out a hand.

Leo shook, blinking. “Uh, I thought it was Andrew Mulford?”

“Not while the festival is on!” He jiggled his head and the tiny bells on his hat chimed.

“Until then, I’m Santa’s helper!”

“Oh are you uh, volunteering?” Leo asked, grasping at straws. Maybe he’d come straight from working some festival event requiring him to dress as an elf and he was still in character.

“Nope, just trying to get in the mood!” Andrew winked.

Oh boy, here we go . Date number two was off to a roaring start.

No, give the guy a chance , Leo sternly reminded himself. No need to be rude. Maybe he’s … a little quirky. He’s probably perfectly nice, even though his voice is annoyingly nasal.

It had been days but Leo could still hear the sound of Nick’s low chuckle in his ear … God, he had a great voice.

But Nick doesn’t want you , Leo reminded himself. He’s a nice human being. You need to focus on the guys who are actually interested in dating you. Like this elf-dude.

“Great to meet you, um, Twinkle Toes,” Leo said, pasting a smile onto his face. He would make the best of this night if it killed him. “So, um, I’ve done a few wine tastings before. How about you?”

“Nope! Should be fun though.” Andrew did an excited little wiggle, making his bells jingle again.

“It’ll definitely be something,” Leo agreed with a sigh.

They made awkward small talk for a few minutes before Leo said, “Do you want to start the tasting? I think we’re supposed to help ourselves.”

He gestured to the tables where people had begun sampling the wines.

“Sure!” Andrew smiled and Leo let go of a little of the tension inside him.

Okay, so the elf shtick was a little … off-putting but he was good-looking, with dark eyes and a nice mouth. Leo needed to give the guy a fair shot.

“Hey now, did you sneak in here, Harold?” one of the servers teased as they passed by, giving a nearby man who had to be in his eighties a pointed look. “We all know you’re too young to be drinking!”

Harold grinned and said something back Leo couldn’t hear. It made Leo smile. He loved how friendly everyone in town was.

“So, tell me about yourself,” Leo said as he and Andrew got in line to sample the wines at the first table.

Andrew lit up. “Oh, well, I work for a bank.”

“You’re not a loan officer, are you?” Leo asked, thinking of Nick.

A puzzled look crossed Andrew’s face. “No, why do you ask?”

“Uh, no reason. So, how do you like it?”

“It’s great! My favorite is when dogs come through the drive-through. I keep dog biscuits on hand for them.”

Leo laughed, a little more of the earlier tension slipping away. “That does sound fun.”

“What do you enjoy doing for a hobby?” Leo asked.

He tried to listen attentively while Andrew talked about his love of Christmas and the way he started preparing six months ahead of time but it was a little overwhelming. He could hardly keep up with the excited babble about hand-calligraphed Christmas cards begun in June.

Nor did Leo care, to be honest.

Thankfully, they reached the front of the line. Leo read the placard describing the crémant style.

“Ooh. Sounds interesting,” he said, eager to try it. He helped himself to a small sample of the wine.

He carefully sniffed it, then took a small sip. “Yeah, that’s nice. What do you think?”

He glanced over to see Andrew had already downed his. Geeze, that was concerning. But maybe he was thirsty? Or nervous? Yeah, maybe he was nervous. Besides, he had said he’d never done a tasting before.

Maybe he didn’t know he needed to sip slowly and savor it. And, uh, pace himself.

“Ehh, it’s okay,” Andrew said with a shrug, his bells jingling again. “I can think of better things to put in my mouth though.”

Leo froze, wondering if that was a come-on. But no, Andrew was reaching for the bottle of Prosecco. Surely that’s what he meant.

“This is interesting. I’ve never seen a tasting set up this way before,” Leo commented. It had certainly never been like this in Chicago, anyway.

Andrew grunted and splashed another healthy amount into his glass. Leo caught a glimpse of Elaine eyeing him from a few feet away, a disapproving expression on her face.

Whoops, hopefully she hadn’t overheard him. The setup was fine. Just different.

“So, um, tell me about your holiday decorations, Andrew,” Leo said desperately. “If you love Christmas, you must go all out for those.”

Andrew pressed close, his chest bumping against Leo’s arm.

Leo shifted a little bit to the right. Hopefully Andrew would take the hint he’d encroached on Leo’s personal space.

“Yes,” Andrew said, smiling. “I have over three thousand lights on my house.”

“Wow, you’re pretty much Clark Griswold then.” Leo joked.

Andrew’s expression hardened. “I hate that movie.”

“Oh.” Leo blinked and reached for the bottle of cava. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s okay. You can make it up to me later.” His hand grazed the side of Leo’s thigh.

“Wow, it’s uh, crowded in here, huh?” Leo said, fanning himself with the tasting notes card. “It’s getting warm.”

“I can think of better ways to heat you up,” Andrew murmured and, for a moment, Leo was sure he’d misheard.

“What?”

“I said, I can think of better ways to heat you up,” Andrew said, so close now his lips tickled Leo’s ear.

What the hell?

“Uhh, well, it seems a little bit too soon for that,” Leo said with an awkward laugh as he set down his glass. “Let’s uh, let’s fill out our tasting notes!”

He waved the paper and reached for a nearby pencil. But when he bent over to write his notes, Andrew’s hand grazed his ass. Then pinched .

Leo yelped. “Um, so I think we’re supposed to be mingling and talking to other people about the wine too!” he said, backing away. “Back in a bit!”

It was true. Plenty of people were standing around talking as they sipped their wine and Leo gratefully escaped into the crowd.

He breathed a little easier when he was surrounded by the women he’d spotted earlier.

“I feel like the crémant is a little sharp,” one of them said.

Leo nodded. “Yes. Me too. The Prosecco is nice though.”

“It is,” another woman said, her gaze warm, and Leo stuck out his hand.

“Hi, sorry to crash your conversation. I’m Leo Fenner, by the way.”

“Stephanie.”

After she introduced herself, everyone else chimed in too, welcoming him to town.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the women disappeared toward the table marked ‘light whites’ and Leo reluctantly returned to his date who had moved on to the table of reds.

“I don’t know why you ran away like that but, God, I couldn’t stop staring at your ass in those pants the whole time,” Andrew said, leering at him. “So fucking hot.”

“Uhh, thanks?” Leo said. Fuck, they’d only started to try the wines so far. This would be a painfully long evening. He read the card on the first wine aloud. “A red blend, which has notes of toasted vanilla and marshmallow over jammy dark fruits …”

Leo poured himself a small mouthful, sipped it, then brightened. “Ooh this is nice,” he said.

Andrew leaned in. “You know what would be even nicer?”

“Nope and I don’t want to know,” Leo said, slipping away. “Gonna go mingle again.”

He fled for the safety of the women again. Stephanie gave him a sympathetic smile. “Date not going so well?”

“How’d you guess?” he asked grimly.

She giggled. “Well, we’ll protect you.”

Leo grinned. The date might be terrible, but he’d met some nice people from Christmas Falls, so it wasn’t all bad.

He tried not to stare enviously at a couple nearby who’d been flirting through the whole tasting. He was pretty sure one of them was named Rocco and that he’d bought Jolly Java from the previous owners and the other one was the deputy mayor, though his name escaped Leo at the moment.

At least someone’s date was going well tonight.

“Okay, you can do this,” he muttered, psyching himself up for another round with Twinkle Toes. He’d have to be firm and let Andrew know he’d come on way too strong.

Reluctantly, he returned to the table for another sample of wine.

According to the placard, it was, “a cabernet sauvignon with hints of spiced plum and woodsmoke.”

“You seem kinda tense,” Andrew said as Leo lifted his glass to his mouth. “You should come with me after this and I can give you a massage. I have this candy cane flavored lotion I can rub all over you and?—”

Leo turned and looked at him, mouth agape. “I am tense because you’re creeping me out,” he whispered furiously. “I can overlook the elf thing but?—”

“The elf thing is important to me!”

“I’m sorry.” Leo grimaced. “I’m not trying to insult your … thing. It’s?—”

“You are very rude,” Andrew huffed. “I’m only trying to show you a nice time.”

“I wouldn’t call making weird comments a nice time,” Leo pointed out. “You’re crossing a line.”

Andrew sniffed. “And here I was going to invite you to come home with me and introduce you to the North Pole.”

Leo blinked.

There was a chance Andrew called his house the North Pole but Leo had a horrible, horrible feeling he referred to something else entirely.

“I’m not interested,” Leo said stiffly.

Andrew threw back his glass of wine and stood. “Fine! I’ll go find someone else to jingle my bells.”

Leo stifled the urge to scream and bang his head against the nearest flat surface.

Striiiiiiike two.

“And this is my co-worker, Alannah.” Smiling, Heather introduced the last person at the friends’ Thanksgiving dinner party. “Lana, this is my brother Nick.”

Nick held out a hand. “Nice to meet you, Alannah.”

“Lovely to meet you too, Nick,” Alannah said. She had a low, slightly husky voice, and her gaze was warm as she shook. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

There was something in the way she looked at Nick that gave him a sudden, sinking suspicion about where this was going. It was painfully obvious he and Alannah were the only single people in the group. Everyone else who’d been invited was coupled up.

Hell, he’d set up two of the couples there!

Nick glanced over to see his sister disappearing through the crowd in her living room and stifled a sigh. Huh. Apparently, matchmaking ran in the family.

He turned back to Alannah, not wanting to be rude. “So, you’re a teacher?”

“Librarian.”

“Oh, nice. Does that get challenging with some of the recent book banning?”

She gave him a rueful smile. “Well, thankfully, we haven’t had any issues in this community, but yeah, I have some friends from the library sciences program we were in who are dealing with it.”

Thankfully, that conversation carried them through enjoying the appetizers set out on the buffet. As they ate, they were both drawn into a discussion about the local school board and Nick honestly didn’t mind when he was seated next to Alannah at dinner.

She was a lovely woman. Easy on the eyes and easy to talk to. He could see them becoming friends.

The problem was, he didn’t feel a spark of anything else.

Hmm . Speaking of dating, he wondered how Leo was doing on his date tonight. Hopefully it was going better than it had with Mike.

God, Nick had missed the mark there. Mike had pets and had said he was looking for the same things Leo was. He was interested in a monogamous, long-term relationship. He wanted to get married someday and have children. He’d talked about wanting to travel, another interest Leo had …

But the personality had been a serious mismatch, apparently. Nick had no idea Mike was so-anti Christmas.

At least the guy Leo was on a date with tonight was pro-Christmas.

Andrew’s voice was a little grating but he seemed like a great guy. Very well put together and he’d spoken warmly about pets and the holidays and looking for someone to make his holidays merry and bright.

That would be good for Leo!

Nick reached for his phone, wondering if Leo had sent an update. Hmm. Nope. Nothing.

Nick pushed away the flicker of disappointment. That was a good sign!

“Nick?” Alannah asked softly. “Could you pass the mashed potatoes? I’m getting full but I can’t resist a second helping of them.”

“Oh, sure,” he said, sliding his phone back into his pocket with one hand while he reached for the bowl with the other. They were going fast and he was glad. The recipe was always a huge hit whenever he served them.

“These are seriously so good,” she raved as she scooped some onto her plate. “You like to cook then?”

Nick smiled. “I do. I didn’t at first but I had to learn.”

“After your wife died?”

Nick flinched, though he was sure she didn’t mean it to be cruel. “Ahh, no. I got more serious about cooking shortly after she started writing.”

“I’m sorry.” She touched his arm. “I didn’t mean to bring up a bad memory.”

“No, not at all,” he said with a quiet laugh. “You’re fine.”

Alannah frowned. “So, you walked in with the mashed potatoes already made. I thought they had to be made fresh? They never turn out as good when I reheat them.”

Relieved at the change of subject, Nick smiled. “The secret is to make them a day or two ahead. Then about three or four hours before you want to serve them, you stick them in a slow cooker on low. They turn out perfectly when you reheat slowly with the lid on.”

“You must add something though,” she said with a small frown. “More milk?”

“Nope. Just don’t take the lid off or stir until they’re totally hot. That’s the trick.”

“Huh, well, I’m impressed. Handsome, he can cook, and he’s a matchmaker.” She shot him a flirty smile and he tried not to sigh.

Nope, not a single spark. What the hell was wrong with him? Other than knowing no one would ever be Nicole.

Nick’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he gratefully pulled it out again. He was surprised to see Leo calling though, and frowned.

“Excuse me,” he said, slipping back from the table and his empty plate. “I need to take this call. I’ll be back shortly.”

Several people around him nodded, including Alannah, but Heather shot him a worried glance.

The long dining table took up most of Heather and Edie’s dining room and stuck out into the living room. Nick skirted around the end, then slipped out the patio doors onto the deck.

The air was crisp and cool as he stepped outside and he shivered at the late fall temperature.

Leo’s call had ended, but Nick called him back. It rang several times before he picked up.

“Sorry, had to go outside before I could answer. I’m at a party,” Nick explained.

“Shit, sorry. We can talk later if you want.”

Nick chuckled. “It’s okay. How’s the date going? Or is this call the indication the answer is not well?”

“It was terrible!” Leo said with a sigh. “He’s … yeah, I don’t even know where to start.”

“Oh no,” Nick said, frowning. “I am so sorry. What’s going on?”

“We can talk later. Honestly, you should enjoy your party. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Really, it’s fine,” Nick assured him, leaning against the railing. “It’s a low-key friends’ Thanksgiving at my sister’s place.”

“Aww, that sounds fun. Is it like a potluck or …”

“Yeah. Heather and Edie cook a leg of lamb every year and everyone else brings the rest.”

“Lamb, huh? Very traditional for Thanksgiving.”

Nick laughed. “Well, they have two turkeys on Thanksgiving Day because of going to their respective in-laws’ places, so I think they wanted a break.”

“Fair. What’d you bring?”

“Smashed potatoes with rosemary brown-butter.”

Leo made a pornographic noise. “Oh my God, that sounds amazing.”

“They’re pretty good if I do say so myself,” Nick admitted. “I took a cooking class a few years back and kinda tweaked the recipe I learned in that.”

“That’s so cool. What made you want to learn to cook?”

He smiled. “Well, Nicole was very focused when she was immersed in a story. Especially toward the end of a book, she’d disappear into that world and only surface when it was done. She’d forget to eat, honestly. We eventually figured out it was best if I took care of feeding us both when she was in that mode. I took a cooking class and really enjoyed it.”

“Aww, that’s sweet,” Leo said. “I love how supportive of her career you were.”

“We supported each other,” Nick explained. “She always took a break for a couple of weeks after finishing each book to focus on us and our relationship. Little date nights and quality time, you know? And when she wasn’t in the thick of it, we both shared the household duties pretty evenly. We learned to work with the rhythms of her schedule and once we did, it was perfect for us.”

His breath caught a little, remembering how lost he’d felt after she was gone.

“That sounds like an amazing relationship,” Leo said and the wistfulness in his tone made Nick feel a little guilty he was talking about the love he’d found instead of focusing on the person he was supposed to be finding for Leo.

“It was,” Nick agreed. “But I want to think about your relationship now. Tell me about your date tonight.”

“So … he showed up in an elf costume.”

“Umm,” Nick said because that was a little weird. Andrew had been dressed normally when they’d had their one-on-one meeting. Khakis and a polo shirt had seemed perfectly appropriate.

“I thought he’d been volunteering or something, but no. He said he ‘wanted to get in the mood’ and I was scared to ask if he meant for the holiday event or if this was a kink of his.”

Nick snorted. “Leo!”

“Seriously. The way he talked about it … Yikes.”

“So, possible elf fetish,” Nick said with a frown because he’d totally missed that. “Was that all?”

“That’s plenty all on its own,” Leo pointed out, though it sounded like he was smiling. “But no. He had nothing to talk about except the holidays.”

“At least he doesn’t hate them?” Nick offered, going for optimism.

Leo let out a little huff. “Yeah, that was a nice change of pace but uh, all of his pets are named after reindeer. He also said his car always has those silly reindeer antlers and nose on it.”

“Are we sure he doesn’t have a reindeer fetish?” Nick teased.

“Nick!”

“I’m sorry,” Nick said, laughing. “I do feel bad, but you have to admit, it’s a little bit funny.”

“Well, ha-ha, but I’m 0-2 on dates so far. Seriously, this was so bad. He said he sends out hand-calligraphed Christmas cards he starts writing in June! Celebrating Christmas is great but I need someone who has interests in something else too!”

“I get that,” Nick said. “I thought—I hoped it would be a good change of pace from the first guy. And I swear, none of this came up in the interview.”

“Suuure,” Leo said with a snort. “Likely story.”

“I promise . Was there anything else?”

Leo sighed. “Unlike Mike, Andrew was creepy. He kept trying to hit on me and made some joke about introducing me to his North Pole.”

“Oh God, Leo, I am so sorry. I did not get those vibes from him at all.”

“This is not the man for me and I’m a little concerned you couldn’t tell. I thought you were good at your job, Nick!” Leo teased.

“I am!” Nick protested, though he couldn’t stop laughing. Thankfully Leo seemed more amused than genuinely upset about the way the night had gone.

The whole situation was weird though. He had such a good record matching people up. Okay, so he hadn’t had a lot of luck finding anyone for Jett Davis yet, but otherwise he had a great track record. He was used to clients giving him feedback and saying the date was mediocre or there wasn’t good chemistry but with Leo it seemed like he was getting it all wrong. “I’m just … not having a lot of luck for you yet,” he admitted.

Leo huffed. “Thanks. Good to know I’m the problem.”

“No! It wasn’t an insult to you,” Nick said, growing more serious. “I swear! I was trying to find you someone who was enthusiastic about Christmas. I guess I overcorrected.”

“Nick, the man was dressed as a fucking elf and he talked about wanting his bells jingled. On a first date!”

“Didn’t Hayden dress as an elf last Christmas when he serenaded Joel in front of the bakery?” Nick teased, trying to hide the amusement in his voice and failing utterly.

“Yes, but that was not their first date.”

“Okay, fair,” Nick admitted. “No elf costumes next time. Got it.”

“Are you taking notes again?” Leo shot back.

“No. I didn’t bring any pen or paper with me. Remember, I’m at a party.”

“Shit, sorry!” Leo said. “I honestly didn’t mean to interrupt. I can let you go.”

“No, please don’t. I enjoy the nightly recap from you. It’s different but fun.”

“What do people normally do?” Leo asked, his tone curious.

“Post a little follow-up note on the site,” Nick reminded him. “The one you set up, remember?”

“Ohh right. That one.”

They both laughed.

“And not everyone has my private phone number,” Nick pointed out.

“Oh.” Leo went silent. “I—I shouldn’t take advantage of?—”

“Nah, you’re fine,” Nick assured him. “Seriously. I like the feedback.”

“Ugh, I guess I should go get my jacket,” Leo said with a sigh.

“You’re still on the date?” Nick asked. “I thought you were on your way home or something!”

“Well, technically he was the one who walked away all huffy mid-date,” Leo said. “So I doubt he’ll rate me very highly either. But yeah, we were barely halfway through the wine tasting.”

“How was the event otherwise?”

“It would have been fantastic with anyone else.”

“I am sorry you missed out on an enjoyable evening,” Nick said.

“It’s okay. I’ve had a way better time talking to you than Andrew ‘Twinkle Toes’ Mulford so it wasn’t a complete waste.” Leo snorted.

Nick chuckled and ruefully thought, I’ve had a better time talking to you than Alannah too , though he didn’t say it aloud.

He didn’t want to give Leo the wrong impression.

He hesitated, wondering what he should say. “Well, we’ll have to keep trying to find you someone.”

“I guess so.”

Nick hated the gloomy note in Leo’s voice. “Hey,” he said softly. “You’re a great guy. A great catch. Matchmaking isn’t guaranteed to be successful overnight, Leo. It’s only been two dates and I had three new people sign up for the service yesterday. We have options!”

“Yeah, okay,” Leo grumbled.

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I think my sister tried to set me up tonight. There’s a very attractive woman who has been trying very hard to get my attention and I …” He tilted his head back, staring at the night sky. “I’m not feeling it.”

“I guess it’s never easy finding love,” Leo said quietly.

It was for me, Nick thought wistfully. Being with Nicole had been as easy as breathing. But few people met the love of their life at eighteen and, apparently, even fewer got to enjoy their happily ever after for their whole life.

“We’ll find love for you,” Nick said earnestly. “I promise.”

“Thanks, Nick. Enjoy your night.” Leo’s voice was very soft.

“Yeah, you too. Whatever you can salvage of it, anyway. And I’ll send you details about your next date tomorrow. I have someone in mind already.”

“Thanks. G’night.”

“Night, Leo.”

Nick ended the call and slipped his phone in his pocket.

He went back into the house, shivering when the warm air hit him and he thawed a little. He hadn’t realized how cold he’d gotten. Still, it had been worth it to do another post-date debrief with Leo.

The dinner had broken up and people were now talking in small clusters in the living room or helping clear the table.

Nick swiped a stack of plates, then carried them into the kitchen, knowing he’d likely find Heather there.

She was exactly where he’d expected, washing the more delicate dishes that wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher.

“Sorry I bailed on you,” he said, setting the dirty dishes to her left. He reached for a dish towel and went to work drying the large bowl on her right.

“No problem. Who was it on the phone?” Heather arched an eyebrow at him.

“Umm,” Nick said, swiping the towel across the bowl intently. “Just Leo. We were, uh, talking website stuff.”

Which was … sort of true.

“I thought it was all complete?”

“Oh, it is. But he’s doing a test run. I offered him my matchmaking services for free in exchange for feedback on the process.”

“Don’t you have like a dozen testimonials from people raving about your services?”

“I do,” Nick agreed, turning away to put the bowl on the shelf. “But it’s good to get an outside perspective, no? Especially now that the process has changed a little. He’s made some fantastic suggestions.”

“Sure,” Heather said slowly. “That makes sense.”

“And I’ve never really had anyone to offer feedback in the same way,” he explained. “I keep striking out on matching him up too. Poor Leo. He sounds bummed.”

“Nick …” Heather said slowly. “Do think maybe?—”

“Oh, there you are, Heather! And Nick. I wondered if you’d left completely.”

He turned to see Alannah shooting him a bright grin. She was beautiful, interesting, and seemed like a very nice woman. He should feel something. Some flicker of interest.

Nope. Not a damn thing.

“Sorry.” Heather dried her hands. “Are you heading out already, Lana?”

Alannah had her purse draped over her shoulder. “I am. Sorry. Busy day tomorrow.”

“No worries. Glad you could come.”

“Let me go get your coat. I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks.”

Once they were alone in the kitchen, Alannah stepped forward. “I had a nice time meeting you tonight, Nick.”

“I enjoyed meeting you too,” he said sincerely.

She wet her lips, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Would you be interested in a date sometime?”

“I’m sorry, no,” he said, hating the way her hopeful expression fell. “I enjoyed talking to you. I just don’t think I’m there yet. You understand?”

She nodded, her expression turning rueful. “It’s all about the timing.”

“It is.”

“Well,” she said lightly. “Maybe I’ll have to sign up for your matchmaking service then.”

He smiled. “Well, no high-pressure sales tactics here, I promise, but I’d be happy to help you meet someone if you’re interested.”

“Thanks.” She held out a hand which he shook. “And thanks for letting me down nicely.”

Once Heather returned with Alannah’s coat and walked her to the door, Nick resumed drying dishes, feeling a touch guilty, but mostly relieved.

Later, after the rest of the guests had cleared out and it was only Nick sitting in his sister’s living room drinking a glass of wine with her and her wife, he said. “I think you were starting to ask me something earlier, Heather. What was it?”

She shrugged. “Nothing important. Hope you didn’t mind me inviting Alannah.”

“Were you trying to set us up?” he asked, curious.

She waggled her hand. “Sort of? Just thought you were both nice, attractive single people. Figured you might hit it off. I didn’t want to be pushy though.”

“I appreciate that,” he said. “I—I’m focused on looking for love for other people right now though. You get that, right?”

“I do,” Heather said slowly. “I just hope you don’t spend too long worrying about everyone but yourself.”