She stared out the window at the familiar sights of her home as the driver took her toward downtown. He turned onto Main Street and when the theater came into view, she gasped.
The theater was all decorated, with the window display just as amazing as she’d remembered from her childhood. A Christmas tree stood at the center with toys set up artfully beneath it—blocks, cars, dolls, and a battery-operated train set running around it all. Boughs of holly hung around the frosted windows; it was the picture-perfect Christmas morning.
She walked up to the window to study the display up closer. The tree had matching ornaments to the ones she had at home—the ones Liam had given her. Happiness bubbled up in her chest, and she laughed. The driver held open the door of the theater, and walking as if in a daze, Viola went inside.
She half-expected it to have been transformed too, but it was still bare, with the exception of a table and chairs set up in the middle of the room and white Christmas lights strung around the perimeter.
Liam stood beside the table, looking as breathlessly handsome as he’d ever been. Her heart raced at the sight of him and everything else disappeared. How could she have forgotten for a second what seeing him did to her?
“You came,” he breathed. He stepped forward and took her hand in his.
She raised an eyebrow. “There were doubts?”
“Loads of them.” He stared intently into her eyes and she found she couldn’t have looked away, even if she’d wanted to. “I quit Pets and More.”
It took her a few seconds for his words to register. “What? It’s your store! You can’t quit.”
“Xander and I sold our majority shares. It’ll go public in the morning and be all over the news, but I wanted to make sure you knew first.”
“Why?” she whispered.
He stepped closer, bringing their entwined fingers up to his mouth so he could kiss them. Her heart stuttered. “Because when I thought about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, it wasn’t that. I don’t want to be tied to my phone. I don’t want to spend most of my life never having one place I call home. I don’t want to deal with the high-stress of always being on display and always being available for every single major problem that happens across the world. My dad did that, and it sent him to an early grave.”
Viola’s mind went blank as he brushed her hair over her shoulder and stared intently into her eyes.
“And I don’t want to be away from you anymore,” he whispered.
Viola’s breath hitched. This felt like a dream. It couldn’t be real—Liam Nichols standing in front of her, saying things she’d longed to hear from him, but never imagined she would.
“What are you going to do, then?” she whispered.
He led her over to the table at her question and she sat in one of the chairs, loathe to let go of his hand but relieved to sit. He sat across from her and leaned back in the chair as he glanced casually around the room.
“I’ve always loved going to the movies.”
“What are you saying?” she asked, stunned.
“I’ve not only spent the last two weeks untangling myself from my father’s business, but I’ve also spent it talking to Callie about what it’s like owning a business in Eureka Springs. She’s all for it, by the way.”
Viola’s heart pounded so fast, she was sure he could hear it. She was almost afraid to ask, afraid of what his answer would be, afraid to get her hopes up too high.
“I’m going to reopen and run The Old Grand. Not as a chain, but as a single theater, here in my home of Eureka Springs.”
Before he could finish, she launched out of her seat and into his arms, nearly taking them both to the ground. He laughed and pulled her in close to him.
“I can hardly believe this,” she said, trying to process everything he had told her. Liam was moving to Eureka Springs permanently. He was reopening the theater. He was staying in her life. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Liam brushed his thumb on her cheek. “I’ve spent my entire life doing what everyone else expected of me. For the very first time, I’m doing something I really want to do, and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “I like running a business, but my favorite part is getting to meet and talk with people. That’s partly why I visit the stores so often—I like to be in the store, not just sitting in the L.A. corporate offices.”
Viola leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. She looked around the empty, softly lit lobby and imagined it filled with families, the scent of popcorn, the sounds of movies playing. Imagined a daughter walking in with her mom and dad, doing their final activity as a family together. “It’s going to be magical,” she said. “Just like when I was a kid.”
“It will.”
She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him, straight in his eyes, letting down her walls and letting all of her emotion show. “I have something for you.” Her hands shook as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her crinkled note for him.
Liam swallowed and took it from her, his eyes more vulnerable than she’d seen them before. He unfolded it.
Liam, you bring love into my life.
Nervous, she shifted in his lap. “I know I don’t have a fancy ornament to go with it, but—” He cut her off, pressing his lips to hers, letting the full force of emotion flow between them.
He broke apart just long enough to say, “I love you too.”
She smiled against his lips. “Yeah, I got that, with the whole uprooting your whole life to move to Eureka Springs.”
He tickled her side and euphoria bubbled up and spilled over into her laugher. “I can’t believe how happy I am right now.”
He kissed her again, and in that moment, she saw her future with this man. For the first time, instead of fearing what might happen, she couldn’t wait to get started.
Epilogue
One year later.
It was the day before Christmas Eve, and the theater was packed to the brim with families. “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” played on the speakers in the background, and the scent of cinnamon and popcorn filled the lobby.
Sometimes, even a year later, Liam couldn’t believe he’d actually done it. The Old Grand Theater was open again, people loved it, and he was happier than he’d ever imagined possible. The thing that surprised him the most was how much he liked running the theater. He found joy in mingling in the lobby, welcoming people, being in the mix of all the energy people brought when excited about seeing a new movie.
The press had had a field day with his move to Eureka Springs, labeling it everything from an early midlife crisis to a mental breakdown. Other reporters had defended his decision and did segments on protecting mental health and setting boundaries. Those were the ones he agreed to do interviews with, and to his relief, the urge to panic had subsided. He still regularly saw his therapist, though they were down to once-a-month visits, and he still made sure to take inventory often of his stress levels.
But since leaving Pets and More, the tightness in his chest had left too.
As always, he found his gaze drawn to wherever Viola was in the room. Viola stood with the mayor, laughing at something he said as she showed off her engagement ring. They were getting married on Christmas day, right here in Eureka Springs. A small, simple wedding in Xander and Callie’s backyard, then they were taking a honeymoon to Hawaii. He wanted to do it right this time.
She’d finished up her huge job, but another one had come through only a month before. This time, she’d been hired to restore one of the town’s oldest hotels. It was a year-long job, maybe longer, and she’d already been mixing paints and drawing samples. But she’d taken off this week to help him in the theater.
Liam continued scanning the lobby, his heart full as he did so. Viola’s grandma stood in the corner, behind a cordoned-off area, next to Dane Lowbridge. Dane and Viola’s grandma had kept in touch, and when she’d suggested that he premier his lat
est movie in Eureka Springs, he’d surprised them all by agreeing. Liam wondered if it had anything to do with the caterer Dane kept shooting glances at across the room.
His own mom was in town for the wedding, and it turned out she was an organizational wiz. She had organized the meet and greet line for people to see Dane Lowbridge like a master. Like Xander, she didn’t love mingling with everyone quite as much as Liam did, but she had turned the lobby of the theater from being a mass of people, into a place of order and anticipation.
He and his mom had also grown closer over the last year. He’d been worried she’d be mad when he and Xander stepped away from the store, but she wasn’t. In fact, she’d been relieved. She seemed lighter, less frail since then, and she was also looking at houses in Eureka Springs. She said it didn’t make sense for her to live all the way in L.A., alone, when both of her boys lived here.
Liam loved the family feel of the theater. All of his people, close together, making people happy, doing what they loved. He caught Viola’s eye and made his way toward her through the crowd, stopping to greet someone or shake someone else’s hand, but never taking his eyes off of Viola for longer than a second. She smiled at him, making his stomach dance. How had he ever left her in Hawaii? He didn’t fathom it, but he knew, stronger than he’d known anything in his life, that he was lucky he’d gotten a second chance, and he’d never leave her again.
When he got close, she held out her hand for him to take. Their fingers touched, sending electrified tingles where their skin met, and he slid his hand up her arm and then around her waist, pulling her in close and giving her a light kiss on the lips.
“What did I do to deserve you,” he murmured.
She rested her head against his chest. “Nope, it’s the other way around.” She tilted her head up to grin at him, that smile never failing to take his breath away. “How’s it going so far?” she asked. They’d expected today to be busy—which was why he had the entire crew out here helping—but it was exceeding even his high expectations. Some people were there for Dane Lowbridge and the premier, and some were there because they wanted to take in a last-minute Christmas movie. He’d wanted The Old Grand to be more than just a theater, but an experience. A place where people made memories.
“Amazing. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”
She shrugged. “We’re a team.”
He’d never stop loving the sound of that.
“Look, Callie and Xander are here.”
They had walked into the theater, each holding two hot chocolates in their hands, a baby carrier dangling from Xander’s arm. Cole was behind them a step, texting on his phone, grinning from ear to ear. Probably texting the girlfriend he’d been talking nonstop about since he got home for winter break a week ago. Liam waved so they’d see where he was, and they lit up as they made their way to him.
They each handed a cup to Viola and Liam, and Viola and Callie jumped right into making sure all the last-minute wedding plans were coming together. Cole went over to Liam’s mom to help her with the line, and Xander peeked into the baby carrier to check on his four month old, Kenley, fast asleep. Liam had never met a more devoted father. He hoped to be just like his younger brother someday.
He looked around the theater—his theater—and pictured another decade or two down the road, him and Viola doing exactly this, their kids growing up around screens and velvet seats, ticket booths, popcorn, and candy.
He glanced at the doll, which he’d placed in a special case near the front, with the story of the man who had originally owned The Old Grand Theater next to it.
Viola squeezed his hand. “I can picture it too.”
“What?” Liam asked her.
“Our future. Together. Me and you, forever.”
“And it looks absolutely perfect,” he said.
Bonus Material
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Continue reading for a sneak peek of ONE GREAT CHRISTMAS LOVE STORY…
OTHER BOOKS BY KAYLEE BALDWIN
Billionaire Series:
Her Billionaire Rival
Her Billionaire Heartthrob
Hearts in Peril
Silver Linings
MyHeartChannel Series:
One Great Christmas Love Story
Take a Chance on Me
Christian Romance:
One Little Kiss
Meg’s Melody
Other contemporary romance:
Making the Play
Six Days of Christmas
California Dreamin’ Anthology
ABOUT KAYLEE BALDWIN
A glamorous day in the life of Kaylee Baldwin includes: chasing after her four children, queuing up another podcast, writing her latest book, binge-watching reality cooking shows, hiking with her husband, and reading in every spare second she can find. She graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in English lit and currently lives in southern Arizona with her family. You can follow her on Instagram @kayleebaldwinwrites
ONE GREAT CHRISTMAS LOVE STORY SNEAK PEEK
Chapter 1
“Just go talk to them.” Dr. Jack Shay sounded irritated at her constant staring at the couple in the corner. Yet Holly Whitacre knew his attitude was only for show. Even though they were sharing a meal at the cafeteria, he was in his I-hate-people-which-is-why-I-specialized-in-radiology version of Dr. Jack Shay, which has earned him the nicknamed Gaston by more than a few nurses. He was as handsome as the fairy-tale villain, and often as rude. Holly had once wholeheartedly agreed with the nickname, before an unexpected turn of events changed her late husband’s irritating best friend, Jack “Gaston” Shay, into her absolute rock.
It still surprised her—and everyone else—from time to time.
“I’m fine,” Holly said distractedly, but she still couldn’t tear her gaze away from the couple sitting in the corner of the hospital cafeteria. They were their late sixties, and something about them drew Holly’s gaze back in their direction. Maybe it was the shining glow on the man’s face as they held hands while eating, or the sneaky smiles they gave each other, like they had worlds of history and experiences no one else would ever understand. Love emanated from them in an almost tangible way.
They would be absolutely perfect for her MyHeartChannel show: One Great Love Story.
She looked back to Jack in time to catch him sneaking a pinch of her pecan caramel sticky bun. She smacked his hand away half-heartedly, but he still came away with a chunk of her bun, which he stuffed in his mouth. She could retaliate, but he’d gotten salad and a yogurt, neither of which were worth stealing a bite.
She tried to put her head back into their conversation before she began stalking the couple. “What were we talking about again?”
“How much you love the Christmas explosion in here,” he said dryly.
Right. Holly looked around, her mouth turning down at the miniature Santas, winter villages, great wreaths, and red berries liberally placed around the hospital cafeteria. Outside the window, delicate puffs of snow frosted the tops of the pine and evergreen trees and gathered at the corners of the windows, creating the perfect holiday picture. She knew the hospital had no control over the weather, but still. Patients and doctors alike needed a comfortable place to eat without so many … reminders.
“Everyone knows Christmas is in less than a month; there’s no need to throw it in our faces. Plus, there are other religions to consider,” she grumbled. “And if you wanted a sticky bun, you should have gotten one.”
Jack’s dark green eyes flickered with amusement. “I think I’m rubbing off on you. It’s almost disconcerting.”
“You don’t have the market cornered on grumpiness.”
He lifted a brow. “How many interns
have you made cry?”
None that she knew of. Jack had a reputation for weeding people out of radiology.
“Besides, I’m doing you a favor, Dr. Whitacre.” He smirked. “Don’t you know food like this is bad for your heart?”
She rolled her eyes at him throwing her own words back in her face. Up until a couple of years ago, whenever her husband, Dallon, insisted Jack tag along with them to dinner, Jack always ordered hamburgers topped with bacon and grease, or buttery, fatty, chocolate-filled croissants, or whatever the highest-cholesterol item on the menu was, and she’d lectured him often on how bad it was for his heart. Mostly to get under his skin, she could admit. At some point, he’d converted to vegetarianism—and gotten into running—and was pretty high-horse about it, too. Sure, he had muscles now and looked breath-catchingly amazing from time to time, but the effect was lessened when he made sure to flaunt those things.
Holly rarely indulged in sweets, especially at the hospital, where any one of her patients might see her and think her a hypocrite. No one wanted to see their cardiologist down a twelve-hundred-calorie burger. But December was a difficult month, and today was a sticky bun sort of day.
Her thoughts drifted toward the other reason she was in a bad mood today, making the bun look less appetizing. “It’s been two years,” she said quietly. Even with time, this season and its reminders still ran through her like a cold knife in the stomach.
Jack drank from his steaming mug, his eyes hooded, but she knew he understood. Dallon had picked Jack up that cold December afternoon, exactly two years ago, for their speaking commitment at a Bridger University medical symposium. On the way home, the car skidded across black ice, through a weather-beaten barrier, and they plunged into a freezing river. Dallon had been knocked unconscious, but Jack managed to get them out of the car and swim him to shore. After several weeks in a coma, Dallon died one week before Christmas.
Her Billionaire Heartthrob: Billionaire Bachelor Mountain Cove Page 12