Page 19 of Just One Spark

That made me pause."You like my hot chocolate?"

"It's really good.It's more chocolatey than others, if you know what I mean."

He came to my truck occasionally but not enough for me to think that he loved it."It's too bad I can't open something like the brewery but for hot chocolate."

He filled a pot with water and put it on the burner."Why couldn't you?"

I laughed at the idea."It's not as popular as beer."

His brow furrowed."Around here?We have a whole town centered on Christmas."

I sighed."It's not always cold and snowy.Most people prefer coffee or tea during the day and a beer at night.Hot chocolate is nice, but it's not as in demand.You know what I mean?"

"I heard you talking to Beck at the tasting, and it sounds like you have plans for a storefront.You were talking about expanding your flavors and offerings, making it a whole experience."

I sighed wistfully."That's just a dream.Something you think about but you don't ever do because it would be crazy."

"Why is it crazy?"he asked carefully, grabbing the noodles and a bottle of marinara sauce from the pantry.

"I can't sell enough hot chocolate to ever justify a lease for a storefront, even in Christmas Town.The leases have gone up because the town is so much more popular now.Eve and Natasha did an amazing job drawing more visitors, but that means I can't afford to open a storefront there."

"Sometimes, you don't know all the possible outcomes.You just have to take a leap of faith.Believe that it will work."

"It's different for you.Your building was already on your family's property.You didn't need to buy land or lease anything.You have existing businesses that are already successful.You have the support of your family and a business consultant and investor in Beck.It's the ideal situation."

"You're right," Rowan said simply, and I was surprised that he didn't argue with me."I have every privilege in business that someone could have, except maybe a trust fund.I've been lucky.But it hasn't been easy.Malcolm threw up roadblocks, and we had to knock them down one by one."

He couldn't possibly understand what I've been through, and I couldn't tell him unless I wanted to admit how dire my financial decision was."I took a risk when I signed the loan for the truck?—"

He glanced over at me."You didn't buy it outright?"

I gave him a look."I couldn't afford to.I traded in my car and took out a loan."

"It's hard to be an entrepreneur.Especially if you don't have a support system."

I should have felt relieved that he got it, but a part of me resented his good fortune.He couldn't help that he was born into royalty.The Hart family owned a large amount of land with hiking paths.All his grandparents had to do was turn their mansion into an inn, and voila, they were set.It was a no-brainer to continue adding more businesses.

Life didn't work that way for me.I didn't have investors clamoring to work with me or family who already owned the building that could be converted to a storefront.Being close to Rowan only highlighted our differences.The sooner I could end this fake engagement, the better.

Then there was the matter of that kiss.It was surprising.I didn't know what it meant, but I fully intended to bury it down deep and never think about it again.

7

Rowan

There was something about having Hattie in my space.Her hair was shiny and hung over one shoulder.The navy hoodie only made her hazel eyes look more blue.In her sweats, she was soft and touchable.She had been on edge ever since she saw the notice on her door.I wanted to cross the room and comfort her, but I was positive she'd push me away.

I couldn't believe I'd stolen a kiss and got away with it.

She hadn't brought it up or told me it couldn't happen again.I wasn't sure what it meant, but I took it as a good sign.She was processing this change between us, and just maybe, she was open to it.

Most of the time, she was standoffish and prickly.But seeing that notice on her door had made her feel vulnerable.She was in a precarious position, not having a place to live and feeling like she'd invested everything into her business.I wanted to be there for her.

If she failed, she didn't have a safety net, and my heart ached for her.Not everyone had the advantages or opportunities I did, and I was grateful.But at the same time, I wanted to help Hattie.I wanted her to get everything she ever wanted in life, even if it wasn't me.

"It will work out.I just need to work hard," Hattie said as if she'd recited that line a hundred times before.

"It's always worthwhile to follow your dreams.You figure out your purpose in life and find a way to make money from it."That's what I'd been telling myself this past year as we renovated the building and bottled my brews.But now that Hattie was sitting in my kitchen, I wondered if I was missing something.