“Oh, the cream cheese is one of my favorite parts,” Ruby said. “The only thing I’m changing is the name. I’m going to call them Emmie’s Gingerbread Snowballs.”
“Ahhh, that’s so sweet,” Emmie said and gave Ruby a hug. “Is it okay if I take a few for Grant? He’s never tried them before, and I figure I better grab some fast before Sam scarfs them all down.”
Sam laughed. “I’ll have you know I do not scarf cookies down. I savor every single delicious melt-in-your-mouth bite.”
Emmie laughed. “Whatever you say, but I just want to make sure Grant tries one. Maybe I can use them to try and bribe him to stop working. Is that okay, Ruby?”
When Emmie noticed Ruby’s smile had faded, she looked at Ruby with concern. “What is it? Is everything okay?”
Ruby looked uncomfortable. She put the cookie she was frosting down and took Emmie’s hand. “Grant had to go back to Seattle.”
“Wait, what?” Emmie’s eyes grew huge with shock. “What do you mean?”
“He said it was something about work. He left a couple of hours ago,” Ruby said.
Emmie’s ears were ringing. She could see Ruby’s lips moving, but she couldn’t process what she was saying. All that kept going through her head was the fact that Grant had gone back to Seattle.
“Emmie?” Ruby asked, concerned. “Are you okay?”
Emmie mentally shook herself and looked over at Ruby again. “I’m sorry. I missed part of what you said.”
Ruby gave her a sympathetic look. “Grant said he tried to call you.”
Emmie dropped her head. “But we didn’t have any cell service in the woods, and my battery was dying, so I turned off my phone.”
“He said he’d call you when he got back to Seattle,” Ruby offered, but it didn’t make Emmie feel any better. All she could think about was how their Christmas vacation was ruined.
“Now he’s going to miss the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony tonight, the caroling, everything,” Emmie said, her voice trembling with emotion.
When Ruby put her arm around her, it was all too much. The last thing Emmie wanted to do was to start crying in front of Ruby or Sam. She looked into Ruby’s eyes as she moved away from her. “I need to go call Grant.”
Emmie didn’t see anything else as she hurried out of the kitchen, because her tears were already starting to fall.
AS EMMIE STARED numbly out her bedroom window watching the snow fall, Dasher sat by her side. Looking down at him now and petting the top of his head, she wasn’t sure how he had gotten into her room. She only remembered being upset and going into the bathroom to wash her face. When she’d gotten back, Dasher had appeared.
She was actually thankful for his presence. It made her feel not quite so alone. She still couldn’t believe Grant had gone back to the city.
While she knew she should have been more upset and disappointed with him, she was also battling her own guilt, because she’d been having so much fun with Sam. She knew they’d spent time together only because Grant wasn’t there, but that didn’t take away all the things they’d shared. So how could she be mad at Grant when she’d been having such a great time with another guy?
She shut her eyes as she leaned her forehead against the cool glass window. All she knew for sure right now was that instead of being mad at Grant, she was blaming herself for her perfect Christmas vacation getting so messed up.
Emmie heard a knock on the door.
“Emmie, are you okay?” Ruby asked.
Emmie wasn’t sure she wanted any company, but she felt bad turning Ruby away, knowing she was probably just worried about her after the way she’d run out of the kitchen.
“Come on in,” Emmie said, her voice sounding flat. She turned around when Ruby opened the door and fought to find a smile.
When she saw the compassionate look on Ruby’s face, she almost started to cry again.
Ruby walked over to her. “I’m so sorry, Emmie.”
Emmie took a deep breath. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry for overreacting and causing a scene. I know Grant has an important job and that work has to come first.”
“Why does his work have to come first?” Ruby asked.
Emmie opened her mouth to say something but realized she didn’t have an answer.
“It’s okay to be disappointed,” Ruby said. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Emmie gave her a thankful look. “I know I put a lot of pressure on myself to make this the perfect vacation for us. If he hadn’t had to work, I know he would have enjoyed all of this.”
Ruby watched her closely. “Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”
Emmie looked down at the floor. She didn’t know what she thought anymore.
“You know,” Ruby said, “my father used to always say, you can tell a lot about someone by the way they celebrate Christmas.”
Hearing this made Emmie feel even worse.
Ruby gave her a hug. “How about we go see the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony together. That’s guaranteed to cheer anyone up. Sam said he had some work to do, so it would be just you and me. I would really love the company.”
Emmie didn’t know how to say no to Ruby, so she found herself nodding.
“Good girl,” Ruby said. “I promise you’re going to enjoy it. Plus, we have to check on those cookies you helped make. I bet they’re going to be a huge hit.”
WHEN EMMIE AND Ruby arrived at the tree-lighting ceremony, it looked like everyone in town had turned out. People were all gathered around with their friends and family, laughing and having a great time.
While Emmie felt disappointed that Grant was missing this, she also couldn’t help but wonder why Sam wasn’t coming. Ruby had said he was working. So apparently that was the theme. Both guys were picking work over Christmas.
Ruby linked her arm with Emmie’s and smiled. “You know how some people wish on a star?” Ruby asked.
Emmie nodded. “Yes.”
Ruby pointed to the star at the top of the tree. “Well, I’ve always wished on the star that’s on the top of this Christmas tree. Every year since I was little and started coming to this tree-lighting ceremony.”
Emmie smiled. “Have your wishes ever come true?”
“The ones that are meant to come true,” Ruby said as she continued to look up at the tree.
Emmie noticed what a peaceful, content look Ruby had on her face and was envious, wishing she felt like that right now.
As the star on the tree shimmered in the moonlight, a handsome and distinguished man walked up to them. Emmie instantly noticed how he had eyes only for Ruby.
“Ruby? Ruby Taylor? Is that you?” he asked.
Ruby, surprised, looked over at the man and smiled. “Yes.” Ruby took a step closer to the man and studied his face. “Steve? Steve Thompson? I don’t believe it!”
“It is you!” Steve exclaimed.
Emmie felt a tug at her heart as she watched them embrace in a genuine hug. The way both of their faces had lit up when they saw each other told Emmie there was a special story there. She gave Ruby a questioning look.
Ruby laughed and motioned toward Emmie. “I’m sorry. Where are my manners? Steve, this is Emmie. Emmie this is Steve, an old friend.”
Steve smiled warmly at Emmie. “Nice to meet you, Emmie.” He immediately turned his attention back to Ruby. “Although I don’t know about the old part. I don’t feel that old even though we haven’t seen each other since—”
“High school,” Ruby finished for him as she continued to look at him with amazement.
“Really?” Emmie asked, intrigued.
Steve nodded. “We went to senior prom together.”
“Really?” Emmie repeated, giving Ruby a knowing look.
Ruby blushed. “That was a long time ago. I thought you moved back east.”
Steve nodded. “I did, but I’ve just retired, and I’m looking to move back here.”
Ruby looked surprised. “To Seattle?”
�
�Actually, to Christmas Point,” Steve said.
When Emmie watched Ruby’s surprise turn to happiness, she asked the question she knew Ruby would want to know. “Will you be moving your whole family back here?”
“It will be just me,” Steve said. “My wife passed away a few years ago, but my kids are all living on the West Coast. It just makes sense for me to be closer now so I can spend more time with my grandchildren. I think they’d really love it here.”
“I bet they would,” Emmie said. “I know how much I loved it as a kid.”
Ruby’s smile grew. “I think that sounds like a wonderful plan.”
“I’m really looking forward to it,” Steve said. “So far the hardest part has been finding a place to stay while I look for a place to live. I had forgotten how popular it is this time of year.”
Emmie jumped in. “Well, I’m staying at Ruby’s, and it’s the best place in town. Ruby, didn’t you have that cancellation? That family that’s not coming for Christmas now?”
Steve gave Ruby a hopeful look.
Ruby smiled back at him. “Actually, Emmie’s right. I do have a room. We’re usually booked months in advance, but someone had to cancel at the last minute. You are welcome to stay if you like while you look for something more permanent.”
Steve’s face lit up. “That would be wonderful. I would be very grateful.”
“And it will give you two time to catch up,” Emmie said, winking at Ruby when Steve wasn’t looking. Emmie turned back to Steve. “Have you tried some of the cookies yet? I might be a little biased, because I helped with them, but you don’t want to miss them.”
“I just got here, but I’ll be sure to check them out,” Steve said.
Emmie looked at Ruby. “Ruby, why don’t you show him around, and make sure he doesn’t miss the cookies.”
Ruby gave Emmie a look like she was impossible, but when she turned back to Steve, Emmie could see the genuine smile on Ruby’s face. “I’d be happy to show you around if you’d like.”
Steve looked as happy as Ruby did. “I’d love that.” When he held out his arm and Ruby took it, Emmie felt like clapping. Steve looked over at Emmie. “Would you like to join us?”
Ruby nodded.
But Emmie shook her head. “No thank you. I’m good. You two go and enjoy, and I’ll see you back at the inn, Ruby.”
“Are you sure?” Ruby asked.
Emmie nodded. “I’m going to go check on our cookies and see how they’re doing in case Betty needs some last-minute decorating help. So you both have fun. See you later.”
Emmie took off before Ruby could say another thing. She knew how caring Ruby was and that she was worried about her, but Emmie wasn’t about to get in the way of this special reunion. By the way she had seen Ruby and Steve look at each other, she would bet her Christmas tree they would be adding a new chapter to their story. And if anyone deserved a chance at love again, it was Ruby, who always did so much to make other people happy.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Emmie was still smiling, thinking about Ruby and Steve’s reunion, when she found the booth that Betty had set up with the Christmas cookies. The booth was adorable. It was all lit up with pink and white Christmas lights, matching the pink theme of the bakery. All the gingerbread boys and girls were on display.
That’s when she saw Sam and immediately turned and started hurrying away. While she knew it wasn’t his fault Grant left, she was starting to feel guilty for how much she’d enjoyed all the time she’d spent with him. It wasn’t right. She had a boyfriend.
“Emmie,” Sam called after her.
She groaned and stopped walking. It was too late. He had seen her. She couldn’t just run off now. She slowly turned around to face him.
He walked up and held a cookie out to her. “Check this out. Betty is using some of my cookies, and apparently they’re selling great.”
Emmie tried to smile, but it was forced.
Sam noticed immediately. “Hey, I’m really sorry about Grant going home.”
The nicer Sam was to her, the worse she felt. “I thought you were working?” she answered back, wanting to change the subject.
“I was,” Sam said and then laughed. “But then I felt like I shouldn’t miss this. I mean, I hear the tree lighting is the event of the season. Plus, I had to find out Betty’s secret ingredient for her cookies.”
Emmie gave him an incredulous look. “She told you what it was?”
Sam smiled his irresistible smile. “She did. Do you want to know what it is?”
Emmie thought of course she wanted to know, but she didn’t want to ask Sam for any favors. Luckily she didn’t have to. Sam was more than willing to share on his own.
“It’s orange juice,” he said. “Crazy, right? But it has to be fresh-squeezed orange juice. The acidity apparently brings out the ginger flavor, giving it an extra zip or something like that. You have to ask her. She’ll tell you all about it.”
“So are you going to put that secret in your book, too?” Emmie asked. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.
Sam’s smile faded.
“I gotta go,” Emmie said. As she hurried off, Sam caught up to her.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked.
Emmie shook her head. She didn’t even have the energy to try to pretend. She answered him honestly. “Not really.” When she looked into his eyes and saw genuine concern, it made her feel guilty, so she rushed on. “No, I’m not okay. I tried to plan this perfect Christmas vacation and it was a huge fail.”
Sam gave her a confused look. “How can you say that? Look at all the cool things we did. We had a lot of fun! We went ice skating, made cookies, wrapped presents, got a tree.”
Emmie abruptly stopped walking and gave him an incredulous look. “Yeah, but I did all those things with you, not my boyfriend.”
“Well, that’s because he never showed up,” Sam said.
All of Emmie’s confusion, guilt, and frustration boiled over. She snapped. “The reason he didn’t show up is because you took his clues.” Even as she said the words, she knew how ridiculous it sounded, but she was like a runaway train that couldn’t stop even though she knew she was going to crash and burn.
Sam took a step back. “Are you saying that somehow this is my fault?” He looked stunned. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Emmie started to walk away. She didn’t trust herself to say anything more.
“Wow, okay. You know, I wasn’t going to say anything,” Sam called out after her.
Emmie turned back around. “Say anything about what?”
Silence.
“Well?” Emmie finally demanded.
Sam took a deep breath. “That you deserve better.”
“What?” Emmie asked. “Better than what?”
“Better than Grant,” Sam said as he locked eyes with her.
Emmie recoiled like someone had hit her. “What?”
Sam didn’t back down. “You deserve someone to put you first. Someone who will choose you over their job, especially at Christmas.”
“Grant’s just busy with work,” Emmie said. “He’s trying to make partner. He has a lot of pressure. I’m also busy at work. I have to cancel a lot on him. We understand each other. This is just how it is.”
“Even at Christmas?” Sam asked. “Even when you planned something special?”
When Emmie looked away, Sam continued. “He’s never going to change. He’s never going to make you a priority. He’s just going to fit you in his schedule when it works for him.”
Emmie, upset, took a step back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know that when someone shows you who they are, you should believe them,” Sam said. “And Grant has shown you over and over again, but you’re always making excuses for him and even blaming yourself.”
“Grant’s a good person,” Emmie shot back at him and started walking away.
“But is he the right person for you?
” Sam asked.
Emmie stopped and turned around. “What are you talking about? You don’t know us.”
When Sam came over and took her hand, he looked concerned, not angry. She tried to pull her hand away, but he held on tight and gazed into her eyes.
“But I know you,” Sam said. “I know how much Christmas means to you. I know you like ice skating, Douglas fir trees, decorating cookies, and wrapping presents. I know that all these activities you planned are a way to keep your parents’ memories alive. You shouldn’t have to give that up.”
Confused, Emmie pulled her hand away.
But Sam didn’t give up. He took another step closer. “What I know is that if you were my girlfriend, I’d never leave you alone at Christmas or any holiday. I’d choose you. Every time. Not work.”
Emmie, stunned and overwhelmed, was speechless. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She said the first thing that came to her mind. “You’re a writer. You make things up for a living. How do I know any of this is true? You’re probably just trying to stir things up so you can have a better ending for your book.”
“You really think that?” Sam asked. He looked hurt. “After everything I just said to you?”
Emmie felt something inside her shatter, but she showed no emotion. “I don’t know what I think anymore. All I know is that I’m done. Whatever this was. It’s over.”
There was silence as the two of them stared at each other.
Sam shook his head. “Okay,” Sam finally said and he turned and walked away.
As she watched him leave, she hadn’t thought it was possible for her to feel worse. But as he disappeared into the crowd, she realized she was wrong. She felt horrible. She knew she had to get away from everyone. The happier the crowd was, the more miserable she felt. Feeling numb, she walked away until she found herself in front of the Christmas tree again. Everyone was gathered around and the announcer had just started the tree-lighting countdown.
“Is everyone ready?” the announcer asked.
“Yes!” everyone shouted back. The sense of excitement and anticipation was growing in the crowd, but Emmie didn’t feel anything.
“Okay, here we go,” the announcer said. “Ten, nine, eight . . .”
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