Puppy Love at Mistletoe Junction

Chapter Fourteen Lights

Theo was pleased to see the number of volunteers they got that morning, and even more so that everyone who showed up was ready to work.

There were four crews for the day. First were those running the food and drinks station in Lucy’s classroom. Sasha was in charge there and was working with a majority of the students, most of them looking bleary-eyed from the game the night before. At least it was a safer job than the repair work—even with the hot liquids and sharp knives—but not any less busy. The coffee was constantly being brewed and they were making a massive batch of freshly squeezed lemonade.

The next crew was taking down the old set pieces and hauling them off to the dumpster. Captain Savage was leading that area and had most of the firefighters helping him.

The third group was dealing with carpet removal out on the auditorium floor. Jeremy and Wes were team leaders there, the father-and-son duo used to working with each other at construction sites. Wes was usually doing all things electrical, but he could use a crowbar just fine.

And last was set construction, which was happening in the cafeteria. It was warmer in there than the metal building out back and they wouldn’t have to haul the set pieces too far. Weston and Cameron Savage were running that group alongside Mr. Wallace, who’d been teaching shop class since Theo had gone to school.

Theo and Lucy were the ones in charge of the clipboard, directing the volunteers to their assigned areas and making sure that everything was running smoothly. And smoothly it did run.

Before long, the sounds of hammers and saws filled the air as everyone got to work. By lunch, half of the carpet had been ripped up and hauled out. The stage was cleared of debris, and the black soot and burnt mess that was underneath cleaned up. Luckily the janitors had worked on what they could during the week, mopping up the water and cleaning to preserve the parts of the stage that were okay. There were more than a few boards that needed to be replaced, and the guys had that finished by the time five o’clock rolled around.

The whole stage would need to be stripped and restained, but that was a job that could wait until the next semester, when there was more time and money. That was also when the now-uncarpeted floors would be dealt with; for now, they were just going to make do with the bare concrete.

Theo and Lucy were the last to leave that evening, and as he looked at the cleared-out space, he had more hope for the next day. Even Lucy seemed wholly optimistic about everything.

They didn’t spend too much time at Quigley’s, just enough for dinner, two drinks, and a quick round of darts. The winner got to again pick that evening’s position, which was why Theo found himself kneeling on Lucy’s bed, her perfect ass in the air as he took her from behind.

The very last thing he wanted to do when the alarm went off the next morning was to let go of Lucy and get out of bed, but after a few stolen kisses, he made himself. They split up like they had the day before, Theo heading to the bakery to get the pastries that had been packed the night before, and Lucy taking care of Bear and dropping her off at Jeremy and Lilah’s.

There weren’t that many vehicles in the parking lot of Mount MacCallion when Theo pulled in before eight. He immediately spotted Jeremy’s truck, but the one he was actually looking for belonged to Weston Savage. He and Cameron were at the tailgate, grabbing their tools.

“Just who I needed to talk to,”

Theo said as he rounded his own truck. “I wanted to ask you guys a favor.”

“We’re kind of in the middle of the last favor you asked for.”

Weston looked at the school.

“Yeah, but this one I was actually going to pay you for.”

Cameron grinned. “We’re all ears.”

“Excellent.”

Theo grabbed one of their bags, walking with them up to the school as he explained what he wanted.

* * *

For the second night in a row, Lucy found herself alone in the auditorium with Theo. They were sitting in the fourth row, passing a flask of whiskey back and forth. He’d thought they needed to have a little toast to their success. So toast they did as they stared at the stage, all of the set pieces complete.

In the very back were a dozen trees, intricately cut with wispy branches and the wood stained to look like bark. They were so much more beautiful than the ones they’d had before. There was a staircase on wheels, and each step had been painted a different shade, transitioning from reds, to oranges, to yellows. They looked like a sunset.

The set piece that represented the house was now a door, with two framed windows on either side. Dark teal curtains were hung and there were little vases of flowers on the windowsills. The new park bench had been built from scratch and was solid and sturdy. The one they’d had before was missing a few boards from the back and had a wobbly arm that would never tighten.

But Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off the piece that Caro had worked on. Her sister had spent most of her time painting the massive full moon that was hung in the corner. It had been paper before but was now made of wood and looked like it was glowing with the spotlight shining on it.

“Look, you can even see the man in the moon,”

Theo said as he pointed to it.

“It’s my favorite part.”

Lucy’s voice cracked, a wave of emotion she hadn’t been ready for crashing into her. She couldn’t have fought the tears in that moment even if she’d wanted to.

“Luce?”

Theo’s voice was soft as he touched her hand.

She looked at him, the tears slowly falling from her eyes. “Thank you, Theo. Thank you for doing this with me . . . for doing this for me.”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet, Lucy? I’d do anything for you.”

He reached forward, gently wiping the tears away before his fingers trailed down to her chin. Then he leaned down and kissed her. His mouth tasted like whiskey and felt like sin as it moved against hers. But it always felt like sin.

And just like that, Lucy was lost in the moment, unable to think about anything but him. How was it that he could always make her feel this way? Warm and comforted and content . . . happy.

Theo pulled back, looking down into her face with an expression that was just a little bit sad. “I wish you got to enjoy all of this for more than just the winter musical.”

Maybe it was the high of the moment or the whiskey—or both—but in that moment, Lucy finally made her decision. “I’m going to get to, actually.”

Theo pulled back even more, his eyes searching her face. “What do you mean?”

“I’m going to be teaching next semester. Mrs. Griffith isn’t ready to come back, so Fatima asked if I would stick around in the spring.”

“So, you’re staying?”

“I’m staying.”

Lucy nodded.

“Thank god.”

The wave of relief that washed through his blue eyes was unmistakable and it did something funny to her chest. She grabbed on to the front of his shirt, pulling him toward her. He didn’t resist, pressing his mouth to hers again. This kiss continued to build and build and build until Lucy started to lose her breath.

“We should go,”

she said against his lips. “So I can thank you properly.”

She wanted to be lost in more than just the moment; she wanted to be lost in him.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,”

Theo said as he got to his feet, holding his hand out to her. Lucy put her palm in his, letting him pull her to her feet, and out of the auditorium.

* * *

Rehearsals on Monday went off without a hitch, all the kids loving the new set. The transitions between scenes were seamless, none of the cast having to struggle with a broken wheel or a wonky leg of a set piece. The Savage brothers and Mr. Wallace couldn’t have done a better job.

It was perfect.

Well, almost perfect. The only thing that wasn’t going to get fixed was the Christmas lights. As Lucy had predicted, there wasn’t enough money to buy them at their current price. But it was okay, they’d make do with what they had. She was planning on scrounging around in her father’s attic to look for a few strands and she’d sent some texts out to her friends asking them to do the same.

But Lucy would deal with that later. She’d felt like she’d been going nonstop since the fire and she was looking forward to a relaxing girls’ night at Lilah and Jeremy’s house. Lilah had sent them a text that Jeremy was working late that night, and since she didn’t have any help in the kitchen or with the kids, they were having pizza for dinner.

“Yummm,”

Lucy hummed as she opened one of the boxes from La Bella’s, revealing a margherita pizza. She found the box with plain cheese, getting the kids each a slice.

“Thanks, Aunt Lucy!”

they all chorused as they headed to the living room, Angus and Bear following behind them. The kids were setting up camp in front of the TV, and that night’s feature film was The Grinch.

Lucy and Lilah brought them their apple juice and a stack of napkins, and as Lucy helped Emilia get seated at the coffee table, she pointed to Bear. “Don’t give her any pizza, okay? Even if she gives you those eyes. She’s on a special diet because of her pregnancy and we don’t want her to get sick.”

“Okay.”

Emilia nodded.

Bear had already had her dinner anyway, Sasha feeding her before Lucy had even gotten to Lilah and Jeremy’s house. The dog had spent the day at Dancing Donkey, coming over with Sasha when they closed. It had been a great help since Lucy had a late rehearsal and Theo was helping Oscar with some project before going to Quigley’s for dinner and a drink.

Once the kids were settled, the four ladies got their own pizza and wine before heading to the small sitting room. When Lilah hosted girls’ night, they usually spent it on the back porch, but it was way too cold that evening.

The sitting room was supposed to be a formal dining room, but as Lilah liked to say, there was nothing formal about their family. They’d instead turned it into a library/office with a large desk on one end and built-in bookshelves around an electric fireplace on the other. A large squishy leather sofa and two cozy sapphire-blue armchairs were placed in the middle. Lucy grabbed one of the armchairs, settling in before taking a bite of her pizza.

“So why did Jeremy have to work late tonight?”

Lucy asked as she reached for her glass of wine.

Lilah hesitated for a second. “It was, uh, something about a light order that he had to help Max with.”

“Are they already ordering lights for the hotel?”

Lucy asked Caro. “Isn’t it kind of early?”

“Yeah, a little early.”

Caro nodded, clearing her throat. “But they have to get a lot and the company Max wants to order from is having some delays. He wanted to make sure to get everything picked out now so they don’t have any problems in the future.”

“Gotcha.”

Lucy nodded.

“So,”

Sasha said a bit too loudly, the subject change pretty clear. “Are you ready for the musical?”

“I think so,”

Lucy said slowly, getting the sense that the three of them were acting a little bit weird. “There are a few costumes I need to do some hemming on. Luckily Caro fixed my dress fiasco, so my lead, Hannah Gregory, will be wearing red like the Christmas heroine she’s supposed to be, and not bubblegum pink like the tooth fairy.”

“Well, no one wanted that.”

Caro shook her head. “So, nothing else is going on? Work-wise or . . . or otherwise?”

“What are you getting at?”

Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at Lilah. “Did you tell them about next semester?”

“I, uh, might’ve mentioned that you could possibly, maybe, be teaching longer.”

“No secret is safe with you.”

“Hey!”

Lilah protested. “You didn’t mention it was a secret.”

“Fair point,”

Lucy conceded. “Well, just so you know, I am going to be teaching next semester.”

“Does Theo know?”

Sasha asked.

“I told him last night.”

“What did he say?”

Lucy hesitated for just a moment before saying, “I believe his exact words were thank god. And we didn’t really do a lot of talking afterward.”

“So, what you’re telling us is that you’re having more sex than talking?”

Caro grinned.

“Basically.”

“Oh, brother.”

Sasha sighed, rolling her eyes.

“I can’t tell.”

Lilah turned to her. “Was that exasperation or jealousy?”

“Both,”

Sasha answered and they all laughed.

* * *

Theo stood in the auditorium, right in front of the seats where he’d sat with Lucy the night before. He was partial to that spot as it was the exact same place he’d sat all of those years ago the first time he’d watched her sing.

But this time, he was marveling at something else.

It had taken hours to unbox and hang the hundreds of lights they’d gotten. They were now strung among the branches of the trees. And there’d been a number of helpers doing it too. Theo had managed to wrangle Jeremy, Max, Gavin, Wes, Lorraine, his own father and mother, Gia, Chloe, all three of the Savage brothers, and Oscar—who’d brought Edward along.

The Christmas lights had been purchased at half price, Max working his own magic with the company that would be providing all of the lights for the hotel. Everything from lamps to chandeliers, sconces, and all things recessed. Name it and they were the ones doing it.

Theo had called Max as soon as he’d been able to last Wednesday, explaining what they needed and asking for help. Max told him he’d take care of it. Theo had offered to pay for the lights, but Max said he’d take care of that too.

“Well, would you look at that?”

Jeremy said as he clapped Theo on the shoulder. “You did it, man. The final touches are done.”

“Yeah.”

Theo nodded. “I can’t wait for her to see it.”

He’d wanted to surprise Lucy, which was why he’d done the whole thing in secret. And everyone there that evening had helped him pull it off.

Jeremy cleared his throat as he let go of Theo’s shoulder, his hand dropping to his side as he rocked on his heels. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

Theo looked over at his friend.

“Are you in love with my sister?”

“Yes.”

There was no hesitation in the answer.

Jeremy glanced down at his feet for a second before looking back to the stage. “Have you told her that?”

“No.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I’m not sure she’s ready to hear it.”

“So, what, instead of telling her, you’re trying to show her?”

Jeremy waved at the stage.

“Actions speak louder than words, right?”

“That’s what they say. But according to my wife, communication works too. What if actually telling her how you felt changed her mind about leaving?”

Jeremy asked.

“I’ve been down that road with her before, man.”

Theo shook his head. “I told her I wanted more and it made her run, all the way to California. She’s going to have to make the decision to stay on her own. Decide if she’s going to pick Cruickshank . . .”

“Pick you,”

Jeremy finished.

“She’s got to see that this is where she wants to be.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you deserve her . . . and that she deserves you. You’re a good guy, Theo. Not everyone would do this for somebody else.”

He waved his hand in front of them, indicating the stage. “I just hope she figures it out sooner rather than later.”

“Thanks, man. I do too.”

Theo looked back to the stage. “I do too. At least I know we have more time for her to figure it out. She’s teaching next semester too.”

“She finally decided to take the job?”

“Yeah, when did you—”

But Theo wasn’t able to finish the question.

Max called out as he plugged in another strand, the last tree in the back lighting up. “Well, I think we’re almost done.”

Isaac was grabbing the empty boxes on the floor, throwing them into the garbage bag that Juliet was holding open. “You know, it’s really a shame that Lucy’s only going to get one musical with this new setup.”

“That’s what I said yesterday.”

Theo looked over at his father. “But as it turns out, she’s teaching in the spring.”

He turned back to Jeremy. “When did Lucy tell you about the job?”

But before Jeremy could answer, more people in the auditorium were speaking up.

“She is?”

Gia and Chloe asked in unison, their heads popping up from where they’d been hunched over Gia’s phone, looking at something on the screen.

“She told me this morning she decided to teach next semester too.”

Wes flipped the clasps on his toolbox, opening the lid. “I was so relieved. She’s been sitting on that offer for weeks now.”

Everything in Theo stilled at those words. The question he wanted to ask was right there on the tip of his tongue, he just didn’t get it out fast enough.

“Dad, what do you mean, weeks?”

Jeremy asked first. “When did she tell you?”

Wes straightened, his eyes going big as he realized he’d said something he shouldn’t have. “She, um . . . well . . . she told me when we went to get the turkeys and ham.”

“She got the job offer two weeks ago?”

Theo said softly. Why hadn’t she told him? That seemed like a pretty big thing to leave out, especially as her staying in Cruickshank had been brought up on more than one occasion, typically during conversations that revolved around Bear. Hell, it had been discussed in his parents’ kitchen less than a week ago.

In that moment, something clicked into place. Here he was making an idiot of himself trying to show her how much he loved her, and it didn’t matter. She had no intention of staying.

“You know what, man?”

Theo looked over at Jeremy. “I don’t think Lucy is going to figure it out.”

* * *

The conversation at girls’ night moved from Lucy staying for another few months to Sasha and her current online dating saga.

“I really need to delete the apps.”

She shook her head as she took another sip of her wine. “Everyone on there is the literal worst. I matched with a guy yesterday and his conversation starter was do you have big boobs?”

“Seriously?”

Caro looked horrified.

“It was a better opener than the guy who asked if I was a good girl or a bad girl.”

“That’s a low bar.”

Lucy shook her head.

“See how lucky the three of you are?”

Sasha waved her hand at them. “You all have great guys.”

“You know who is really great?”

Lilah asked, waggling her eyebrows.

“If you say your brother, I’m going to shove that piece of crust up your nose.”

Sasha pointed to her plate.

“I’d like to see you try.”

It was at that moment that the front door opened and closed, a loud squeal filling the air as Emilia no doubt ran to her daddy. A moment later Max and Jeremy walked into the room, Jeremy holding Emilia in his arms as she told him all about her day.

“Me and Mommy made sprinkle cookies to take to school tomorrow, and Matty and Chris helped and it was really fun. And then I colored a picture of Santa!”

“Santa? What color was his suit? Blue?”

“No!”

Emilia giggled hysterically. “It was red, Daddy. Santa always wears a red suit.”

“Well, I can’t wait for you to show it to me. Can you give me a second with Mommy?”

“Yes.”

She nodded exuberantly before he set her down. And a moment later she scampered back into the living room.

“How was your evening, honey?”

Lilah smiled up at him. “Get all of the stuff done with the lights?”

Jeremy nodded slowly, the smile he’d had with Emilia now gone.

“What’s wrong?”

Lilah asked her husband.

“Well, after we finished with the lights, Max and I were with Theo, Oscar, and Gavin. And Dad was there.”

“Uh huh?”

Lilah pulled her legs out from under her, putting her feet on the floor as she sat up.

“And you came up, Lucy.”

Max looked over at her, and that was when Lucy realized he was looking a little uncomfortable. Something in her stomach plummeted. “And you teaching in the spring was mentioned . . . and . . . your dad kind of let it slip that you were offered the job two weeks ago.”

Caro’s head snapped in Lucy’s direction. “Two weeks? I figured Fatima just asked you. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I know how much you all want me to stay. You haven’t exactly kept it a secret as you’ve repeatedly told me so since I moved back in May.”

Caro sat back in her chair, looking a little hurt. “You think we wouldn’t support you in whatever you wanted?”

“No, I didn’t think that at all. I just . . . I knew you all would be disappointed when I left again.”

“When or if?”

Sasha narrowed her eyes.

“I don’t know.”

Lucy shook her head. The pizza in her stomach was now churning. “It’s not like I have anywhere to go at the moment. And I can’t leave with Bear pregnant.”

“Is that the only thing holding you back?”

Jeremy asked. There was something a little hard in his question.

“You know it’s not. I’ve missed all of you and then there’s—”

“Theo?”

Jeremy finished for her.

“Yes, being with Theo has complicated things.”

“I’m sure he’ll love to hear that he’s a complication.”

“That’s not fair.”

Lucy stood up. “Everything with him has been moving fast. Too fast, and I can’t keep up. I just . . . I don’t know what I want.”

“Well, that’s apparent.”

“Okay, what’s going on? Why are you being a jerk?”

“I’m being a jerk? Jesus Christ, Lucy. You’re the one who can’t make a decision. Can you imagine how Theo felt tonight when he found out you were lying to him?”

“I didn’t lie to him.”

“Well, you didn’t tell him the truth,” Max said.

“Hey!”

Lucy turned to him. “What the hell is this? A gang up?”

“An intervention,”

Lilah corrected.

“Well, I don’t need either. I’m going to go.”

She stepped around her brother and Max and headed for the living room. The problem was, Lucy wasn’t getting out of the line of fire. She was just trading the frying pan for the inferno.