Christmas in Bayberry

by Jennifer Faye

  “Sure. I’ll be right there.” Carrie turned back to Kate. “I’ll be right back.” Carrie grabbed the half-full coffee pot and headed for the table across the diner.

  As Abby and Sadie talked about details for the Candlelight Dance, Kate thought about Wes. Why was her aunt being so quiet about his visit? Was he there purely to advise on how they should direct their business in the coming year? Or was there something more?

  Wes obviously wasn’t the type to share details of his work. He seemed more like the buttoned-up, all-business, confidential sort of man. But maybe there was a way to sway Wes—make him loosen up. And perhaps she could influence his report to her aunt to say that the Bayberry Candle Company was going to thrive for a very long time. Forever, if she had anything to say about it.

  “What has you so deep in thought? You didn’t even drink your coffee,” Carrie observed, as she placed the almost-empty pot back on the warmer.

  This got the attention of both Sadie and Abby.

  “Um, nothing.” The seriousness of the candle company’s problems wasn’t something she shared—not even with her closest friends. They all had relatives or friends who worked at Bayberry. She didn’t want to put them in the awkward position of keeping a big secret from those they cared about—kind of like the position she was in right now.

  Carrie arched a brow. “Something is going on in that mind of yours. It doesn’t have anything to do with the handsome guy who’s taken over your office, does it?”

  “How did you know he was in my office?” Kate was positive she hadn’t mentioned it.

  “Everyone knows,” Abby said.

  “You surely didn’t think something like that wouldn’t make its way around Bayberry, do you?” Sadie said. “Even I heard that tidbit. Because MaryJane told Sue, who told Mike, who told—”

  “Okay. Okay.” Kate waved off her friends. “I get the picture. I was just hoping people wouldn’t notice, or wouldn’t care.”

  “Oh, they noticed. And they’re wondering what he’s doing here.” Carrie looked at her expectantly.

  “Don’t look at me,” Kate said. “He’s working for my aunt.”

  “Uh-huh.” Abby placed the menu on the counter. “And your aunt tells you everything.”

  “Not all the time.”

  “So the plot thickens.” Carrie looked thoughtful for a moment, while Kate drank her cooling coffee. “I know. She’s planning to set you up.”

  “Shh…” Kate choked on her coffee. She glanced around. When Kate was certain no one was close enough to overhear, she turned back to her friends. “Don’t say that out loud. People will think you are serious.”

  “Maybe I am.” Carrie grinned. “He’s definitely a looker. You should give him a chance.”

  Kate sighed. “You are forever the matchmaker, aren’t you?”

  “What’s wrong with dating again?” Carrie asked.

  “He’s not interested,” Kate said firmly.

  “But you didn’t say you weren’t interested.” Carrie waggled her brows as she smiled.

  Heat rushed up Kate’s neck and warmed her face. “I’m not ready to date again. Not Wes. Not anyone.”

  Carrie leaned over, resting her elbows on the counter. “It’s been a long time since you and Andy broke up.”

  “I concur.” Abby said, as though that was supposed to spur Kate into action.

  Sadie didn’t say anything. She was the most reserved of the bunch.

  “You mean since he dumped me to go chasing his dream in Chicago.” Kate refused to dwell on her former fiancé.

  “But I can’t help wondering if you’re still hung up on him,” Carrie said.

  “I’m not.” Kate’s tone was firm. “Not at all.”

  “Really?” Abby arched a brow. “You’re still friends with him on social media—”

  “That’s right.” Carrie’s eyes twinkled with victory. “He tagged you in a post and you commented.”

  Kate shifted in her seat. Why were they making such a big deal out of this? “It would have been rude not to respond.”

  “What do you call what he did to you when he just up and left town?” For the first time since the conversation had shifted to Andy, Sadie spoke up.

  Both Carrie and Abby started firing off similar criticisms of Andy.

  Kate signaled with her hands to quiet down. “Okay. You’ve all made your points. Maybe I’ll mute him—”

  “No,” Abby said, “Unfriend him and move on.”

  “I am moving on.” Why didn’t anyone believe her?

  “For that to be true,” Carrie’s unblinking gaze met hers, “you’d have to start dating again.”

  At first, her heart had broken when her engagement to Andy and all their plans had been upended. He’d been offered a job as a DJ for a radio station in a big city. No longer was the local radio station enough for him. He was packed and gone before she even had a chance to wrap her mind around what was happening.

  Since then, she’d focused on the family business. She wanted to make her aunt proud of her, but it wasn’t working out the way she’d imagined. Instead of flourishing, Bayberry Candles was struggling. And she knew her aunt wouldn’t retire until the company was back on solid footing.

  When Kate noticed her friends staring at her expectantly, she glared at them. “Stop. I get it. And I will date again.”

  “Soon?” Carrie asked.

  Kate nodded.

  “You could start with Wes.” Abby sent her a teasing smile.

  “You guys are terrible,” Kate said.

  They all laughed.

  Carrie wiped off the counter. “What are you going to do without a Santa for the sale?”

  “I don’t know.” It was just one more problem that needed solving. “I’ll give it some more thought. Surely there has to be someone in Bayberry who’s the same size as Fred and wouldn’t mind filling in.”

  Her friends started naming candidates. One by one, they were excluded, for various reasons.

  “Thanks,” Kate said.” I have until tomorrow morning to find a replacement.”

  They all apologized for not being much help, and then Carrie leaned forward. “Anyone want dessert? I created a new recipe—banana and blueberry cupcakes.”

  Since high school Carrie had had one dream: opening her own bakery. She’d been saving every penny. And from the sound of it, she was getting close. Kate was happy for her. That woman had talent that deserved to be showcased.

  Kate stood. “Nothing for me. I think I’m just going to head home. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  She paid for her coffee and headed for the door. This Christmas was not going like she’d hoped. But there was still time to turn it around.

  Chapter Eight

  Punctual.

  That’s what his year-end evaluation always said.

  Wednesday morning, Wes approached his temporary office in the Bayberry Candle Company at exactly eight o’clock. He didn’t intend to change up his routine just because he was on a business trip. An assistant vice president needed to lead by example. He couldn’t get distracted and bend the rules.

  The offices buzzed with people. Most were enjoying their morning coffee and catching up with each other. He noticed that very few were at their desks.

  He smiled and said good morning when he was spoken to, but he kept moving. There was work to be done. No wonder this company was in trouble, if this was the way business was normally conducted.

  Wes sat down at his assigned desk and immediately opened his laptop to a partially filled spreadsheet. He normally grabbed a cup of coffee to sip on as he worked, but he decided he would wait until everyone had settled into their day before venturing to the coffeemaker in the breakroom. He didn’t want to get distracted with idle conversation.

  He needed to get this job done. He thought of Chad at headquar
ters, impressing Mr. Summers as he worked on Wes’s hard-earned accounts. Wes’s jaw tightened. He had to stay focused and finish early.

  An early completion would impress his boss. But would it be enough to get the promotion? He’d already priced senior living apartments for his mother, and the rent would take every bit of his promotion and then some, but he could make it work. And then he could visit his mother more than a few times a year.

  He turned his thoughts to work and sorted through the hardcopy reports. It still surprised him that things hadn’t been digitalized. It seemed Bayberry was a few years behind the rest of the world. Wes also noticed that the factory relied heavily on human labor instead of automation. He wondered if it had something to do with the unreliability of the machines they currently used. He made a note of it. He’d do an analysis of how much it would cost to automate the candle-making process instead of relying on humans. And he’d figure out how long it would take to recoup the expense.

  He had a sinking feeling that no matter how he worked the numbers, the results were going to reflect a need to sell the business. He wasn’t sure if one of the larger candle companies would want the actual facilities, but he knew the candle recipes and scents were worth money. Everyone in the New England area had heard of the Bayberry Candle Company. They even sold their candles in New York City during the holidays. He knew because he’d bought one for his mother last Christmas, as a nice nostalgic present. When his family had moved here, Bayberry residents had welcomed them, just as if they were their own. As a teenager, he’d made friends and been truly happy.

  Something told him that Kate had no idea just how much trouble her family’s company was in at the moment. But it wasn’t his job to enlighten her. He was being paid to be discreet and present an evaluation to Kate’s aunt upon his departure.

  “Good morning.”

  He looked up from his laptop to find Kate standing in the doorway with a smile on her face. Wow. He remembered why he’d had a crush on her back in school. The corners of his lips lifted. When she smiled, the whole world glowed. That hadn’t changed either.

  “Good morning to you too. Why are you in such a good mood?”

  She shrugged. “It’s Wednesday. The week is half over. The sun is shining. I just had my first pumpkin spice latte of the year.”

  “Your first? What took you so long?”

  She shrugged. “I held out as long as I could. Everyone has her breaking point.”

  “Where did you get your pumpkin spice latte?” he asked. “I might grab one at lunch.”

  “As luck would have it, I have two.” She pulled a red to-go cup from behind her back. “And look at that, it has your name on it.”

  When she handed it over, he saw that it did indeed have his name scrawled in black marker. He took a sip of the warm, rich brew. It had just the right amount of spice, combined with a healthy dose of cream. It was more delicious than the ones they made at his usual coffee shop on the way to the office. And he hadn’t thought anyone could top New York City lattes. He’d been wrong.

  “Thank you.” He reached for his wallet. “How much do I owe you?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing. It’s on me. Abby, my friend at the Steaming Brew, finally convinced me that it was time to switch over to the holiday flavors. If they didn’t have so many calories, I’d drink them all day, every day.”

  He arched a brow. “Are you sure I can’t pay you back?”

  “Positive.” Her gaze moved to the desk, which was littered with one binder after another. “Looks like I should get going so you can work.”

  “Actually, I hate to ask you this after you were so kind as to bring me a latte, but could you help me find something? I spoke with Penney on the phone this morning and she won’t be in the office today. And, well, I don’t know who else to ask for help.”

  Her phone dinged. She removed it from her back pocket. “Not a problem.” She read her phone and sent an answering text, then raised her gaze to his. “Sorry about that. It’s work stuff. Now, what do you need?”

  “I need the second quarter income statement. The first and third quarters are here, but the second is missing.”

  “That’s odd.” She motioned for him to follow her. He set down his latte and stepped around the desk to catch up with her. As they made their way to the back of the building, she said, “Since it appears you’re going to be here awhile, you might as well see where we keep our reports.” She stopped in front of six aisles of tall gray shelves in the file room. “All of our reports are here.”

  He stared in astonishment. “Wow. You don’t believe in digital files, do you?”

  Kate shrugged. “We’re hoping to one day get an IT department and automate things, but for now, we make do. Right now, I’ve been more focused on the marketing aspects of the business.”

  He followed her to the fourth row of shelves, where she moved halfway back and then knelt to look at some files near the floor. He stopped next to her. “Don’t you have a marketing department?”

  She stared up at him defensively. “This is Bayberry, not New York City. Our accounting department has been doing the best they can, but time and resources are limited.”

  He swallowed hard. “Sorry. It’s just that I’m used to, well, larger businesses.”

  Which made him wonder why Mr. Summers had assigned this particular account to him. But instead of worrying about the pending promotion, Wes was surprised to be considering the benefits of returning to Bayberry. He continued to stare at Kate as she sifted through the binders. Maybe he didn’t have to be back in New York quite as early as he’d originally thought. Maybe a few extra days in Bayberry would be prudent.

  Kate’s heart raced.

  Even though they were in a busy office, the file area was more secluded. And this aisle seemed to grow narrower with Wes next to her. She wanted to look at him, but she didn’t dare. She was flustered enough.

  Just concentrate on finding the report.

  Kate paused from thumbing through the folders. They were out of order. It was going to take longer than she’d originally thought to find the report. And the growing silence was making her even more nervous.

  Wes had said something that increased her curiosity, as well as worried her. “If you’re used to working with larger clients, how did you end up in Bayberry?”

  He cleared his throat. “Your aunt didn’t tell you?”

  She recalled the conversation in her aunt’s kitchen the evening before Wes had dropped into their lives. Aunt Penney apparently had been intending to tell her all about Wes then. If only Kate hadn’t put her off to go work on the plans for the Candlelight Dance, she would’ve had the time to ask her aunt all sorts of questions about Wes’s visit.

  “My aunt has been busy, and now with Fred being injured, we haven’t had much of a chance to speak.”

  Wes nodded in understanding. “Can I help you look?”

  What could it hurt? Some reports were in the proper place and others were not. “You could start there.” She pointed to the shelving unit next to the one she was sorting through, pulling the out-of-order files as she went and placing them on an empty spot on the shelf above. “I’ll have to get in here after the holidays and put things back in order. There is a system to the filing, but the high school students we had interning here this summer must not have caught onto it.”

  He nodded again. But he didn’t say anything as he started searching for the missing file. He certainly wasn’t a chatty one. If she wanted to learn anything, she was going to have to drag it out of him, so to speak.

  “Anyway, you were just about to explain how you ended up in snowy Bayberry.”

  His gaze met hers and held. “Oh yes, I, uh,” he glanced away. “It would appear my mother and your aunt know each other.”

  “Really?” This was news to her. “Well, Aunt Penney does know everyone.” She paused to look at hi
m again. He did look familiar. “Does your mother live here in Bayberry?”

  “No. She lives in Florida.”

  She waited, expecting him to continue, but instead he went back to his search. That was all he was going to say?

  “But how do your mother and my aunt know each other?”

  “My family used to live here.”

  Kate frowned. “Wonder why Aunt Penney hasn’t mentioned it?”

  “It was seventeen years ago.”

  “Oh. So you lived here too?”

  He nodded. “We were here for less than a year before my father got a new job—again.”

  That explained why she couldn’t recall him. “I take it your father had a lot of jobs.”

  Wes nodded. “He was forever searching for the perfect job, but none of them worked out—at least not for long.”

  So his stay in Bayberry had been brief. That’s why she didn’t know him. It was right around the time when her parents had died and she’d come to live with her aunt, her only living relative. But she didn’t want to dwell on that, so she asked, “Did your family move around a lot?”

  He nodded. “Every time I thought we’d found a place to call home, we’d have to move.”

  “I can’t imagine how tough that must have been. I moved here when I was a kid.” She didn’t want to bring up her parents’ deaths, as this was Wes’s story. “And I thought that was hard, making new friends and getting used to a new school. But to do that numerous times. Wow. I’m sorry.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend it to a young family, but we made it work.”

  Her heart went out to that little boy who was never able to set down roots. “How about now? Do you like to travel?”

  He shook his head. “I travel for business because I have to, not because I want to. But the benefit is meeting really nice people.” His gaze met hers, causing heat to swirl in her chest. Was he flirting with her? He glanced back at the shelf. “Eventually, I plan to have a desk job and the travelling will be a thing of the past.”

  “It sounds like a nice goal.” When she thought of that desk being all the way in Manhattan, disappointment assailed her. “I hope it all works out for you.”