We Need a Little Christmas by Sierra Donovan Page B

your”—Sherry’s brow furrowed as she floundered—“home improvement business?”
    â€œHome organizing,” Liv said.
    â€œOh.” The frown vanished, but the slightly puzzled look remained. “Well, it’s great to see you again. You must have a terrific staff to keep things going while you’re gone.”
    Let’s see. That would be Terri and me. And a silent partner who just flew the coop.
    Liv dredged up a smile. “It’ll be fine. It’s our slow season.”
    And she gave Sherry her gift-wrapped necklace, glad to change the subject. Then, at last, they ordered the chicken.
    In the parking lot afterward, Scotty opened the truck door for her. “You know, when you can’t explain your line of work in ten words or less, it might be a little too specialized. What do you put on your business cards, anyway?”
    â€œHome organizer. They know what it is in Dallas.” That sounded more brusque than she meant it to. She undercut it with, “But it says ‘y’all’ underneath.”
    Scott chuckled, so apparently she hadn’t offended him. Liv climbed into the truck, and he came around to slide behind the wheel.
    â€œSeriously,” Liv said, “I wonder if I’ll even know what my job is by the time I get back. What in the world did Nammy tell people?”
    Scott handed her the bag of chicken, and its delicious aroma wafted up to her. “I think she told me you help people redo their houses. But she made it sound really complex. And important.” His eyes glimmered at her. “With offices in Taiwan, Beijing . . .”
    She closed her eyes, as if cringing from a blow. “Stop, stop.”
    She knew Scotty was kidding. She also knew that somehow, somewhere along the line, her reputation had exceeded her. Being the class brain had carried a certain level of expectation, but it all seemed to have magnified since she’d been gone. With a lot of help from Nammy.
    â€œRelax,” Scott said. “She was proud of you, that’s all.”
    â€œShe might be a little less impressed if she knew about all the ramen noodles and peanut butter sandwiches I ate those first couple of years.”
    â€œOr maybe she’d be that much more impressed.”
    His voice held a warmth that told her he meant what he said. He hadn’t started the truck yet, and when she turned his way, he was regarding her with something that might be admiration. Or it might be a little more. Liv fought the urge to shift in her seat, not sure how to react, if in fact there was anything to react to. But the discomfort and uncertainty she felt wasn’t unpleasant. It felt like something she’d been missing for a long time. Something different, something exciting. She couldn’t remember Kevin ever looking at her this way.
    The devilish thought popped into her brain: Kevin who?
    Closely followed by: Scotty Leroux and me? Really?
    It didn’t seem nearly as preposterous as it would have just a few days ago. For a moment it seemed almost tempting. Liv drew a long, slow breath and looked down at the white bag in her lap. Taking her eyes off Scott helped her think more clearly. She could be jumping to conclusions, in which case she could really make a fool of herself.
    And, she remembered, it wasn’t what she was here for. Take care of Nammy’s loose ends. Be there for Mom and Rachel. Then get back to Dallas and the business with Terri, who still hadn’t called or texted, and hopefully that meant things were going fine without her.
    Nope, she and Scott weren’t in the cards, and she’d better remember that.
    When she raised her eyes to his again, this time a little concern had crept into his expression.
    â€œAre you”—he stopped before the forbidden question came out, then gave her a crooked grin—“hungry?”
    Liv grinned back, and things were back to normal. “Absolutely.”
    Good thing