“I’ve got to get back to the factory,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” her aunt said. “If anyone understands, it’s me.”
With another hug, Kate let herself out the door. She’d known the company was having problems, but she didn’t know they were running out of options. Now that she did, she was going to make sure they had a Christmas miracle. She didn’t know how just yet, but she wasn’t giving up.
Shopping with Kate was another eye-opening experience.
When he’d heard he was coming to Bayberry, Wes had never expected to be spending so much one-on-one time with Kate. In fact, he’d figured she’d probably married and moved away. And he certainly hadn’t expected her to be giving his wardrobe a makeover.
The Men’s Shop on Bayberry Square was small, but it was crammed with shirts, pants and even shoes. None of it was very fancy, but then again, Bayberry didn’t do fancy. It did practical and comfortable.
Wes, suddenly feeling overdressed, loosened his tie and unbuttoned the collar of his dress shirt. He’d been dressing like this for so long that it would feel strange to go to work in something so…so casual.
“What about this?” Kate held out a red flannel shirt.
Wes shook his head. Flannel? It wasn’t really his style.
He looked around, but there was so much to choose from that he felt a bit overwhelmed.
“There’s this.” Kate held up a gray long-sleeved tee-shirt.
He shook his head. That was way too casual to wear to work—even in Bayberry.
The tall, lanky man with short dark hair who ran the shop walked up to Wes carrying a navy blue knit sweater. “How about something like this?”
The sweater intrigued Wes. He reached out and ran his fingers over the material. It looked nice, and it was soft too. “I think this might work.”
Kate came over. “Oh, that would look good on you. And it would keep you warm. Why don’t you try it on and I’ll see what else they have?”
Wes had to admit the sweater did appeal to him. He’d forgotten how cold it was in Bayberry when the mountain air rushed up through the valley. It could chill a person to the bone.
After he’d tried on the sweater, the salesman peered at him through his bifocals as he handed Wes five more sweaters to try on. And Kate, after learning his size, handed him a stack of jeans from slim fit to loose fit. Some were a dark wash, some faded, and one pair had a greenish tint.
He looked at Kate. “I don’t think I’m going to need all of these clothes. I’m not staying that long.”
“I thought you were here until Christmas.”
“I am, but—”
“Then you need them.” She smiled. “We can’t have you getting sick or anything.”
When all was said and done, Wes walked out of the Men’s Store with four sweaters, four pairs of jeans, warm socks, waterproof boots, lined gloves, a knit cap and a lined winter coat. He was already wearing some of his purchases. There was no point in freezing if he didn’t have to. He wiggled his warm toes in his new boots. He was certainly prepared for whatever winter weather was thrown his way.
They headed up Main Street to Mel’s Grille to grab some supper. Wes knew he should be back in his room inputting data into spreadsheets, but he told himself that even he couldn’t go long without eating, especially on this snowy cold evening.
When they walked in the restaurant, the dinner crowd turned as one and called out Kate’s name. She waved. Wes smiled and shook his head. He felt like he’d walked into the middle of a sitcom, where everybody knew her name.
Once they were seated at a table, he said, “I don’t know how to thank you. Let me know if there’s some way I can pay you back.”
“Glad to have helped.” She worried her bottom lip as though unsure if she should say something or not.
“Go ahead.”
Her gaze met his. “What?”
“You have something on your mind. Go ahead and say it. I think if we’re good enough friends for you to help me pick me out a new winter wardrobe, we can talk about whatever you have on your mind.”
She leaned back in the chair. “Did you really mean it when you said you wanted to pay me back?”
He suddenly got an uneasy feeling. “If this is about the work I’m doing for your aunt—”
“It’s not. I promise.”
He breathed a lot easier. “Then tell me what it is. Maybe I can help.”
“I need Santa.”
He smiled, thinking she was joking. “And you would like me to, um, just phone him?”
Her eyes twinkled. “That would be helpful. Do you have his number on hand?”
Wes smiled and shook his head. “Kate, what are you talking about?”
“Well, Fred was supposed to be our Santa, but now that he’s injured, I need a new Santa for tomorrow night at the sale.”
Wes held up a hand to stop her. “And you think I would make a good Santa?”
She shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
“For one, I’ve never played Santa. And for two, I don’t have a Santa suit.” He would do almost anything for her, but dressing up like a big red elf wasn’t what he’d had in mind. He shook his head. “You’ve asked the wrong person.”
“Please.” Her green eyes begged him. “You’re the right size to fit in Fred’s suit. Most of the other men in town are too tall or too short.”
“But I’m just right?”
She nodded. “It would mean so much to me and to the whole town. After all, what’s Christmas without Santa?”
Why did he find it so hard to turn her down? When Kate stared at him, as she was doing now, he fell under her spell. And all he could think to say was, “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“You will?” Her whole face lit up as she shifted in her seat.
For a moment, he thought she was going to jump over the table and give him a hug. But when she settled back in her chair, he was surprised at how disappointed he felt. The thought of pulling her into his arms teased and tempted his mind. He resisted the urge to go to her and give her that hug.
He knew he should look away, but he was drawn to her. Her smile remained, and it caused a funny warm feeling in his chest, knowing he was responsible for her happiness.
“What’s going on here?” Carrie asked, as she came to a stop at their table to take their order.
Kate glanced around to see who was listening. No one was seated close by. She motioned for Carrie to lean closer. “Wes agreed to be our Santa this year.”
Carrie turned her attention to him. “That’s wonderful. The whole town thanks you.”
Growing uncomfortable with the way they were fussing over him, he said, “It’s not that big a deal.”
Kate’s expression grew serious. “It’s a huge deal. You can’t have Christmas without Santa.”
“That’s right,” Carrie chimed in. “And to thank you, dinner is on me.”
“What?” Wes couldn’t believe what a big fuss they were making about his wearing a red suit and a cap. “I can pay.”
Carrie waved him off. “No argument. Would you like some more of that stew you had the other day? I think there’s a little bit back there.”
“That sounds perfect.” He intended to leave her a really big tip.
Chapter Eleven
“How’s it going?”
The following afternoon, Wes sat behind his assigned desk at the candle company. He pressed his cell phone to his ear and swallowed hard. He hadn’t expected to hear from Mr. Summers requesting a progress report. That never happened with any of his other assignments. It appeared his boss was taking a personal interest in him. That had to be a good sign, right?
Eager to make a good impression, he started with a rundown of what he’d done so far. “But I still have a lot to look at before I can make a preliminary a
ssessment.”
“And you’ll have that done before Christmas, right?”
That gave him two weeks to get his work done. He was usually given three to four weeks for an in-depth analysis like this.
He softly cleared his throat. “That might be pushing it. They don’t have much of their information automated. I’m having to pull data runs and file folders every time I need information.”
“I’m sure you can handle it. I’ll be looking forward to your report in time for the holidays. And then we’ll discuss your recommendation as far as selling.”
What? Wes hadn’t said anything about Kate’s aunt selling the company. He thought back through his conversation with Mr. Summers. No, he definitely hadn’t given his boss that impression.
“Sir, I don’t think—”
“Hold on,” Mr. Summers covered the phone but his muffled voice could still be heard. “Chad, come in. I’ll be right with you.” Mr. Summers spoke directly into the phone. “I’ve got to run. We’ll talk more soon.” And with that the line went dead.
Wes sat there staring at his phone, wondering what in the world had happened. The next time he spoke to the boss, he’d clarify that he wasn’t leaning one way or the other about the company’s future. That was a big part of his job—staying impartial until the data told him what would be best for the company and the owners.
Maybe Mr. Summers was just anxious to announce the promotion. The usual rush of excitement Wes felt when he thought about receiving the promotion didn’t hit him. He assured himself that he just had a lot of other things on his mind. After all, it wasn’t every day he played Santa. In fact, he’d never done it before. He wasn’t even sure he could do a good job.
He checked outside his office to see if anyone was around. And then, deciding to be cautious, he closed the door. Walking back to his chair, he tried out his Santa imitation.
“Ho. Ho. Ho.” A smile pulled at his lips. He lowered his voice another octave. “Ho. Ho. Ho.”
That was better. Maybe he could pull this off. He knew how much Kate was counting on him. And he didn’t want to let her—or the town—down.
“Ho. Ho. Ho. And how are you? Have you been naughty or nice?”
Knock knock.
Wes turned with a jerk. The door was open and Kate had stuck her head inside. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Um, you didn’t.” Boy, his new sweater was mighty warm. “Did you need something?”
She gave him a funny look. “I was just checking to make sure you’re ready for tonight.”
“I think I have everything under control.” And then he decided to give her a sample of his Santa impersonation. “Ho. Ho. Ho. And has Kate been naughty or nice this year?”
A big smile lit up her face. “Someone’s been practicing.”
“And someone isn’t answering the question.”
“Oh. I’ve definitely been good.”
“And what does Kate want Santa to bring her for Christmas?”
The smile slipped from her face. She stepped inside the office and closed the door. “I’d like Santa to present my aunt with a plan to save this company and keep everyone’s jobs.”
His good mood slipped. “Kate—”
“Don’t worry. My aunt filled me in on things the other day. I know why you’re here. And I just want you to know that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep this business open and running.” Her voice caught with emotion. “Without the candle company, Bayberry will become a ghost town.”
He resisted the urge to go to her—to comfort her. “Kate, I don’t know if I can deliver that Christmas present.”
“Looks like we’re going to need a Christmas miracle.” Her words hung in the air for a moment. “I actually stopped by to see if you were available.”
“Now?” When she nodded, he couldn’t help but wonder what she had in mind. “Another food drive?”
“Not this time. I owe you a tour of the town.”
“Now?” Why was he repeating himself?
“Sure. It won’t be the same if we go this evening, in the dark. It’ll be too hard to make out the businesses and landmarks.”
His gaze moved to his desk. “I have a lot of work to do.”
“It’ll still be there when we get back. This won’t take too long. Come on.” Kate gestured for him to follow her. “I’ll give you the grand tour. I only do it for special people.”
She considered him special? There was that fuzzy, warm sensation in his chest again. And the way she was smiling at him was making it really hard to remember his priorities.
With great effort, he dragged his gaze back to his desk. “I don’t know. I just talked to my boss and he’s really anxious for me to wrap up my work here.” And he had a lot of work to do. It didn’t help that there was always a distraction. An attractive distraction, but a distraction all the same.
Kate smiled, melting his resolve. “This is Bayberry. It’s a small town. I promise it won’t take long.”
It’d be faster just to agree, because he was quickly learning that Kate could be quite determined. And so that’s what he did. With an agreement to meet her in ten minutes out front, he finished inputting a few numbers in his spreadsheet, saved it and closed his laptop.
Dressed in his new boots, jeans, sweater, coat, and gloves, he was ready for this adventure. He stepped outside, expecting to find Kate in the pickup, but there was no truck. Kate was standing in the parking lot speaking with someone.
When she approached him, he asked, “Aren’t we driving?”
She shook her head. “It’s warm today with the sunshine. Even the snow is melting. I thought we could walk. You can get a better take on the town that way.”
And so they set off from the candle company, crossing over Candlelight Way and onto Main Street. It hadn’t snowed that day. In fact, the sky was a light blue, with sunshine so bright that you practically needed sunglasses. The sidewalks were clear except for the trickle of melted snow. Still, it was nice to have on winter boots.
As they walked along, Kate asked, “You mentioned before about being here until Christmas. Is that still the plan? Or does your boss want you back in the city sooner?”
“I think he wants me back sooner, but I just don’t know if that’s possible. I have a lot to do before I can leave.” He didn’t mention that the lack of digitized reports was really slowing him down.
“And then you’ll be joining your mother for Christmas?”
He shook his head. “My mother is going on a cruise with her friends.”
Sympathy shone in her eyes. “Do you have any other family to spend the holidays with?”
He shook his head. “I’ll probably work.”
Her eyes widened. “On Christmas?”
“It’s about the only time I have to catch up on things at the office. With no incoming emails or the phone ringing, I can get a lot done.”
“That doesn’t sound very fun. In fact, it sounds lonely.”
“I’m used to it.” Used to it and happy with it were two totally different things. The truth was, he buried himself in his work to keep from thinking about the parts of life he was missing out on. But he couldn’t attain the promotion to assistant vice president without making sacrifices.
“This is the community hall. Lots of parties and wedding receptions take place here.”
He took in the white building with black shutters and candles glowing in the windows. On the double glass doors hung twin wreaths. “Does everyone in Bayberry decorate for the holiday?”
She looked at him like he surely had to kidding. “Of course. It takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. I just love the garlands, the twinkle lights and, well, all of the decorations.”
From the looks of the town, most of its residents felt the same way. He had to admit it livened up the town.
“M
ost of the businesses are found along Main Street, especially surrounding Bayberry Square.” As they moved around the square, she pointed out various establishments, from the library to the bakery. And then she moved to the door of Steaming Brew. “And this is the coffee shop, but you’ve already figured that out.”
“I did. And they have the best pumpkin spice lattes ever.”
“Good idea. We’ll get a couple for the rest of the walk.”
When they entered the coffee shop, Abby’s eyes widened. She quickly replaced her surprise with a smile as they stepped up to the counter. “Aren’t you two supposed to be working?”
“It’s her fault,” he said, winking at Kate. “She has me playing hooky.”
Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I promised him a tour of the town. For one reason or another, it kept getting put off. So while the sun is out and there are no emergencies, I’m showing him around.”
“Sounds good to me,” Abby said. “If I had someone to take over for me, I’d join you. I just love walking around and checking out everyone’s Christmas decorations. So what can I get you two?”
Simultaneously they said, “Pumpkin spice latte.”
Abby laughed. “Told you it was good!” When they nodded enthusiastically, she said, “Just give me a moment.”
A few minutes later, with lattes in hand, they continued the tour. Kate pointed out Covered Bridge Street, which led to a pond where people could ice skate once it froze over. She showed him the burger joint and the movie theater, whose marquee boasted a film that had been released about six months ago. Not exactly on top of things, but he hadn’t heard anyone complaining.
As they circled back toward the candle company, he did think of one more thing he wanted to see. “Could we head back by Flatlander Way?”
“Sure. Any particular reason?”
He nodded. “It’s where I lived once upon a time.”
“I’d love to see it.”
They walked and talked, mostly about the history of the town. Kate told him about how her ancestors had founded the town. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have roots that went so deep. It’s what he’d wanted since he was a kid—to settle in one place and stay there. It would happen if he could land this promotion.
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