Riley hadn’t seen that question coming, and because she wasn’t sure how she felt, she covered her confusion with annoyance. “Now you sound like Tom.”
“Tom?” Luke asked. “Who’s Tom?”
“The talk show host who asked me how I could write romance novels when I still haven’t found ‘the one.’”
Luke held up his hands. “Slow down. I wasn’t asking you why you didn’t have someone. I was just asking if you believe in love for yourself—that’s all.”
Riley locked eyes with him. “How do you know I don’t have someone?” Riley demanded.
Luke opened his mouth to say something but then apparently changed his mind and shut it. “You know what,” he said. “Forget I asked the question. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I’m not upset,” Riley shot back, but her tone told a different story. She picked up a snow globe off the shelf and shook it hard. She was done talking about her love life or lack thereof.
“So how’s the weather out there?” she asked, changing the topic. She held the snow globe up to him. “Better or worse than this?”
When Luke took the snow globe from her, their hands touched and their eyes met. Riley looked away quickly. The way Luke was looking at her, like he was trying to figure her out, made her feel even more antsy.
“I’m ready to go,” she said and headed for the door.
“Thank you, Lisa,” Luke called out as they passed the register.
“You’re welcome, Luke.” Lisa smiled at them both. “Great to meet you, Riley. Come back soon. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas,” Luke replied.
“Thanks again,” Riley chimed in.
As they walked back to the truck, Riley studied Luke. He seemed happy. He was humming “Deck the Halls.” It was the first time she’d heard him hum a Christmas song.
“How did your meeting go?” she asked, unable to help herself, remembering how she’d seen him with the pretty girl in the window.
Luke’s eyes lit up. “It was a great meeting. Couldn’t have been better.”
Riley couldn’t help wondering if Luke had ever bought a Christmas Lake Angel for someone he cared about. She shook herself mentally. She was annoyed that she’d let her mind even go there. What Luke did or didn’t do was no concern of hers. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Her emotions were all over the place, and she blamed one thing . . . Christmas.
Chapter Eighteen
When they pulled up to the Christmas Lake Lodge, Riley saw a gray SUV parked out front.
“Were you expecting company?” Riley asked.
“That’s not company. That’s Maryanne,” Luke answered.
Riley didn’t have time to ask who Maryanne before he rolled down his window and hollered a hello to a woman who was unloading boxes of groceries from the SUV’s trunk.
“Maryanne, don’t worry about that. I got it,” Luke said as he pulled up to the SUV.
The truck had barely stopped when he got out and swept Maryanne up into a big hug. “Merry Christmas! I’m so glad you’re here.”
Riley frowned. Here was another pretty woman that Luke seemed enamored with. When she hovered in the background, Luke called her over. “Riley, come meet Maryanne, our chef extraordinaire.”
Riley barely noticed Maryanne because she was too busy watching Luke put his arm around her. “Nice to meet you,” Riley said.
“Great to meet you,” Maryanne said in the sincerest of voices.
When a gust of wind whipped by them, Luke took a box of groceries out of the SUV. “You girls get inside. I’ll get this.”
“Are you sure?” Maryanne asked, already heading for the door.
Luke laughed. “Yes. Go. Both of you.”
When Luke smiled at Riley, she smiled back, and then she quickly grabbed a box of groceries before she headed for the door, sidestepping the bear as Maryanne had just done. She was relieved to see it worked and no “We Wish You a BEARy Christmas” had begun.
Just as Riley got to the door, another gust of wind almost took her box of groceries with it. She flew through the front door, almost running over Comet, who was eagerly waiting for her.
“Sorry, boy,” she said, practically leaping over him.
She heard Maryanne laugh before she saw her. “Oh, he loves to wait right by the door. No one is coming or going without him knowing it, right, Comet?”
Comet went running over to Maryanne, who happily petted him.
As Riley brushed the snow off herself, she smiled at Maryanne. “So you’re the chef?” Riley asked. “I’m impressed and very jealous of anyone who can cook.”
Maryanne came over and held out her hand to shake. “And you’re Riley Reynolds, one of my favorite authors.”
Riley was flattered. “Thank you. That’s high praise, indeed.”
“And well deserved,” Maryanne said.
After talking to Maryanne for just a few minutes, Riley could tell she was passionate about her cooking. She guessed Maryanne was around the same age as she was. Even in her jeans and oversized fleece, wearing no makeup and her hair in messy ponytail, Maryanne was beautiful. She had the kind of classic features—high cheekbones, flawless skin, large almond-shaped eyes with long, dark, natural eyelashes—that any model would die for.
The best part was that it seemed like Maryanne didn’t even know how pretty she was. Either that or she just didn’t care. That made Riley like her even more.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that besides just bringing groceries, Maryanne had also brought a new Wi-Fi router. That had sealed the deal for Riley. If they could get the Wi-Fi working, Maryanne would be her new BFF.
Maryanne started telling Riley about all the different holiday dishes she was planning and some of the culinary classes she was going to teach during Christmas Camp. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Riley’s idea of cooking was warming up something in the microwave, but she was open to learning a few tricks from Maryanne.
Riley still wasn’t sure what the relationship was between Maryanne and Luke, but Maryanne clearly adored him. Apparently, Luke was one popular guy. First the realtor and now Maryanne.
When Riley looked out
