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Sarah glanced up at her friend with a sigh. “Yeah, I guess I should.”
“And?”
She bit back an embarrassed smile. “What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t know,” Brie drawled. “But an apology would be a good start.”
Inwardly, Sarah bristled. She didn’t like the idea of admitting she was wrong when it came to her ideals. She still didn’t think she was wrong about what this place could have become if it had just been given the chance. But she could tell James she was sorry for overreacting. She could tell him that deep down sheknew he wasn’t trying to sabotage any of this. But most of all, she could tell him that while she appreciated his offer to partner with her, she simply couldn’t sell out. Making minor changes was one thing. But to relinquish ownership to someone who could force her hand and demand bigger changes was something else entirely.
Taking in another deep breath, she looked up at Brie. “Even if I wanted to talk to him, it’s a moot point. He’s gone. And after the way I spoke to him, I doubt he would pick up the phone. No one would want to talk to me after what happened.”
Brie reached out and touched Sarah’s hand briefly. “I think you underestimate the way he feels about you.”
Sarah huffed.
“I mean it. I’ve never seen a guy look at a girl like the way James looks at you.”
She couldn’t dare hope. If there was even a chance that James wanted her back, she’d regret not trying. But knowing there was just as much of a chance that he’d turn her down made her feel panicked. It terrified her more than losing the bakery.
And that was the ultimate realization.
“What are you waiting for?” Brie murmured, her lips tugging into a smile. “Who cares where he is or whether or not hewantsto see you. Make him. Tell him how you feel.”
“It won’t be that easy.”
Brie shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. You don’t know until you try.”
Sarah nodded. “You’re right.” If the flutters in her stomach and the pounding of her heart weren’t enough, the exhilaration pushed everything over the edge. She was going to confront James. Not because she wanted anything from him regarding Lake Harbor, but because her heart demanded to be heard.
FOURTEEN
James hadn’t worked this hard in a long time—and especially not so close to the holiday. His board members weren’t happy about the work schedule either, but at least they were getting everything done the right way. The last three days he’d pulled a couple all-nighters scrapping all of his original plans and replacing them with something even Sarah could be proud of.
The harbor was going to turn into a year-round Christmas village much like the one Sarah had designed for the festival. However, it would be done with a modern flare.
James still wanted to attract tourists—that would bring in the revenue the area desperately needed. But the harbor needed to maintain a degree of tradition to set it apart from other small towns that had done something similar. There were aspects of Hollyberry Harbor that made it special. He planned on highlighting all of them.
It hadn’t taken much to get the board to approve the changes—well, after James had shown them the financials from the festival. The numbers spoke for themselves.
James raked his hands through his hair, his eyes bleary.
“What are you still doing here?” His secretary’s voice filled the void of his office.
Without looking up from his paperwork, he pressed his fingers to his temples. “I need to make sure everything is perfect before I sign off on this project.”
“I’m sure you’ve thought of everything.” She moved farther into the room, her fingertips touching the edges of the documents. There had been a time once when he’d thought there could be feelings between them, but that time was long gone. These days, there was only one woman who had captured his thoughts, and she was still in Hollyberry Harbor. Courtney picked up one of the proposals. “It’s an interesting concept to be sure. I plan on paying a visit when I get the chance.”
James rose from his chair and took the paper from her hand. “Are you a big fan of Christmas?”
“Of course.” She smiled warmly. “Though I would expect that it will draw more children with their parents than individual adults.”
“You might be right about that. But then again, there’s just something about being able to pretend it’s Christmas no matter what time of year it is.” He grinned. “What would you say if you could go somewhere even in the summer and it was still winter?”
She appeared to be captivated by his question.
“I’ve got some contractors working up a project. It’s going to be a tall building with a built-in snow machine. I’m not sure of the schematics of it, but I plan on having a space for snowball fights and a place to make snowmen. Think of it like a laser tag activity but with all winter concepts. We’ll even have the ice-skating rink inside.”
Her eyes grew round. “That sounds like quite a project. I didn’t know the board approved that.”
