It was then that he made his wish. Please let Bayberry remain the close-knit, welcoming town I’ve always remembered.
And then, just because Kate hadn’t said he couldn’t, he made a second wish. I wish my mother were here to share this holiday.
Kate turned to him. “Did you make your wish?”
“I did.”
“Good. Come on.” She motioned for him to follow her. “We’d better grab a candle before they’re all gone.”
They stood in line, each taking a candle. Then they moved to a spot next to her aunt, who informed them that Fred was resting his eyes in front of the television, and she’d slipped away for a few minutes.
Wes didn’t ask, but he wondered if things had changed between Penney and Fred. She certainly seemed devoted to his care. And Wes didn’t think that would be the case if they were really just coworkers. But it was none of his concern. He had bigger things on his mind—like finishing this assignment and getting back to the city.
But as much as he needed to get back to New York, there was another part of him that wasn’t anxious to leave. He could easily imagine remaining here in Bayberry until the New Year. After all, he did have weeks of unused vacation time.
The mayor, Mrs. Woodard, climbed up on a small podium. “Welcome to this year’s tree lighting ceremony.”
She went on to thank each and every member of the decorating committee. Mrs. Woodard did not hurry at all. Her speech was slow and enunciated. Her snow-white hair was trimmed short, with every strand in place, as though it wouldn’t dream of misbehaving. She wore large pearl earrings.
Wes tuned her out as she droned on about all of these people he didn’t know. For lack of anything else to focus on, he studied the mayor. She wore just a hint of makeup and red lipstick. Her attire was prim and proper. She wore a black dress coat that stopped short of her knees. A large Christmas tree-shaped brooch sparkled in the spotlight. And instead of snow boots, Mrs. Woodward wore sturdy dress shoes. She was definitely a bit on the formal side for Bayberry.
She looked a bit familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her in his memories. Maybe it was the way her eyes lit up when she spoke of the holidays. It reminded him of his mother. Just like Kate, this was his mother’s favorite time of the year. If only his Christmas wish to have her here could somehow come true. She’d love it.
But she had plans for the holiday this year. She was looking forward to a Christmas cruise with her friends. She’d be fine. Besides, he had work to do and a promotion was within reach.
Next year would be different. Next year, he’d be a corporate AVP and his mother would live in the same city. Hope pumped in his veins. Next year, he’d be able to take his mother to the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center. The thought made a smile play at the corners of his lips. Next year, he wouldn’t spend Christmas alone.
“Sorry she keeps going on and on,” Kate whispered in his ear.
He leaned over to her and whispered back, “I’m used to it. My boss is the same way.”
And then he realized he wasn’t spending this Christmas alone. He continued looking at Kate, wondering what he’d done to deserve a second chance, of sorts, with her. And then a thought came to him.
He leaned close again. “Do they still have the Candlelight Dance on Christmas Eve?”
“They do. I’m surprised you remember that.”
“I never got to go, but I just might this year.” His nerve wavered. He shouldn’t ask her. After all, it wasn’t as though he was going to be around after the holidays. Why start something that he wouldn’t be able to finish?
“You should,” she said, interrupting his thoughts. When he looked at her in confusion, she added, “You should go to the dance.”
Was she asking him to the dance?
He gave himself a mental shake. Of course she wasn’t. He was just letting his imagination get the best of him.
He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve got two left feet.”
“That’s the best excuse you can come up with?” When he shrugged, she said, “You do know you don’t have to have a date.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I’m going solo. Lots of people do it.”
She was going solo? How odd. “I would think you’d have your choice of dates.”
It was her turn to shrug. “I’m not interested.”
He sensed there was more to it than she was letting on. “Want to talk about it?”
Kate fidgeted with her purse strap. “There’s not much to say. I dated this guy for almost a year. I thought we were happy here in Bayberry. But when Andy got a job offer in Chicago, he accepted it without even talking to me. He expected me to give up my life here and follow him.”
So she was suffering from a broken heart. He couldn’t believe a guy would choose a job over Kate. Andy sounded a lot like his father—chasing his dream and forgetting that moving involved more than just himself.
Wes sympathized. “You had roots in Bayberry and he wanted you to just drop everything—job, commitments and friends?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“I’m sorry you were put in that difficult position, choosing between the life you love and the person you love. Talk about an impossible decision.”
She shrugged. “Deep down, I must have known it wasn’t going to last. We were better as friends than we were as a couple.”
Her admission that she wasn’t pining for her ex lightened Wes’s mood. “It’s good to learn that earlier rather than later.”
“Agreed.” She glanced his way. “Have you had a similar experience?”
He shook his head. “I’ve been too focused on my career to devote the time to a relationship. Maybe someday, when my life slows down.”
“Your career sounds like it’s on the fast track. Do you really think it’ll slow down? To me, it seems like life just gets faster and more chaotic. If you want something bad enough, you have to make the time for it.”
She had a good point, but the thought of backing off the career he’d been working toward all his life didn’t sit well with him. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. Maybe he could change the subject.
“I hear they have the biggest Christmas tree in New York,” she said.
“You must mean the one at Rockefeller Center.”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “How impressive is it in person?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it.” He knew how bad that sounded. He always spent his holidays working—until now. “If you’re ever in New York at Christmastime, I’ll take you.”
“It’s a date.” Her cheeks, already pink from the cold, turned a deeper rosy hue.
He liked the thought of dating Kate. He liked it a lot. “Yes, it is.”
Kate looked away. “You’re probably in a hurry to get home. What would you be doing if you were in New York right now?”
He shrugged. “Nothing special.”
“I bet you’d put up a Christmas tree.”
“I don’t have a Christmas tree.” In fact, he didn’t own any decorations.
“Really?” Her fine brows lifted in surprise. “No Christmas tree at all?”
He shook his head. He hadn’t given it much thought. Or rather, he tried not to think about it. “After I got my own place, it just didn’t seem worth the effort to decorate just for myself.”
Kate frowned. “That…that’s so sad.”
He stared down at the snow. Is that how she saw him? As a sad man? It wasn’t true. He was fine. He had a small but nice apartment and a good job. And maybe he’d consider moving and getting a puppy like Rascal.
“I’m fine.” Did his statement sound as hollow to her as it did to himself?
Her gaze searched his. It felt as though she could see through him. He couldn’t tell
what she was thinking. He didn’t want her feeling sorry for him. He was happy with his life. Wasn’t he? Or had he been wearing blinders all these years, blocking out everything he was missing out on?
“Is everyone ready for the countdown?” the mayor asked the crowd.
“Yeah!” Everyone in the crowd cheered.
Needing to look at anything or anyone who wasn’t Kate, Wes glanced around. He noticed that the crowd had multiplied since they’d arrived. He’d be willing to bet that everyone in town had shown up.
“Ten, nine, eight…” Everyone continued to count down, including Wes. Excitement pulsated in the air. “…Two…one!”
With a flip of the switch, the mayor turned on the tree lights. They were shaped like white candles. It was quite stunning. And way at the top was a large angel holding a candle in each hand. It was really quite remarkable. And according to the mayor, the decorations were beaded ornaments made by the children of Bayberry.
Everyone clapped. And then the mayor started to sing “O Christmas Tree.” Wes wasn’t a singer—not that he’d actually tried since he was a kid. When Kate started singing and glanced expectantly at him, he shook his head. Her brows gathered into a frown until he mouthed the lyrics. He was rewarded with a smile from Kate that sent his heart racing. What would it hurt if he really sang? And so he uttered the words softly.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. Who would be calling him at this hour? His mother? Maybe something was wrong.
He slipped the phone from his pocket. Mr. Summers? What did he want?
As everyone continued to sing “O Christmas Tree,” Wes moved away from the group. He pressed a button and held the phone to his ear. “Hello.”
“Wes, how are things going?”
“Good, sir.” He went on to give him a summary of the reports that he’d been able to complete so far.
“What—” Applause from the crowd drowned out Mr. Summers’ voice.
Wes pressed a palm to his other ear. “I’m sorry, sir. What were you saying?”
“The five-year projection.” Agitation vibrated in the older man’s voice. “I want to know if it’s complete.”
Wes inwardly groaned. “I haven’t been able to get that far, as I’ve had to pull each number by hand.”
“This isn’t good.” There was a pause. “Is that singing in the background?”
“Um…” He kept walking until he was next to the deserted street. “Yes, sir.”
“You mean you’re out partying instead of working?” There was a distinct note of disapproval in his voice.
Wes knew this wasn’t going to help him when it came to the promotion. In fact, it would probably hurt him. He should have gone with his instincts and remained at the office.
“No, it’s not like that,” he began.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a tree lighting, sir.” As he said the words, he could feel the promotion slipping from his grasp.
“Tree lighting?”
“Yes, sir. It’s when they light up a Christmas tree in the center of town—”
“I know what a tree lighting is. What I don’t understand is what my employee is doing there when he doesn’t have his work done.”
Wes shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Well sir, the owner’s niece invited me and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I will be working overtime to make up for this.”
“Hmph. See that you do.” And then the line went dead.
Wes stared down at his phone, alarmed. He’d never been pressured to wrap up a job this quickly. What was going on?
Kate hurried over to him. “Is everything okay?”
He shook his head. “It was my boss checking in.”
“Oh. Did you tell him how hard you’ve been working?”
“I tried.”
“But?”
“But it doesn’t matter.” Wes shook his head again, trying to clear the confusion. Perhaps he’d read more into the other man’s tone than he should have. Maybe Mr. Summers was tired. Or maybe he was jealous that he didn’t have anyone to drag him to a tree lighting. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing. Everyone is singing carols, and then we’ll make our way over to Mel’s for food.”
“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head back to the B&B.” His good mood had escaped him.
“Are you feeling all right?”
He nodded. He just had some thinking to do, not to mention all of the work awaiting him. He had enough information stored on his laptop that he could go back to his room and start an initial consolidation of the numbers. The rest would have to wait until he had access to the company office and all the hard copy reports contained within its walls.
“Okay, good night then,” she said. Did he imagine that she looked disappointed?
“Good night,” he replied.
As Kate headed back to the caroling, he watched her go. More than anything, he wished he could spend the rest of the evening with her.
With a deep, resigned sigh, Wes turned away.
He made his way over to the diner, where he ordered a burger and fries to go. He might have to work, but that didn’t mean he had to starve. And he recalled from his youth that Mel’s had the crispiest shoelace fries.
Chapter Fourteen
Today was the annual Bayberry Candle sale.
It was going to be perfect. Okay, maybe not perfect, but close to it.
On Saturday afternoon, Kate’s stomach quivered with nerves. It was almost time for the sale. Make it or break it time. Well, maybe not that drastic, depending on what Wes’s report said.
Speaking of Wes, she needed to help him with the final touches on his costume. As she picked up the Santa hat from her desk, she noticed a slight tremor in her hands. She told herself it was because she was wound up about the sale. It had nothing to do with smoothing the red velvet suit jacket over Wes’s broad shoulders, or the way he’d looked at her as though he’d wanted to say something, but then changed his mind.
She was overthinking things. That was all. She drew in a deep breath and then blew it out. This evening was about helping the business. Nothing else.
Still, when she approached Wes and he sent her a slow, lazy smile, her heart fluttered in her chest. She assured herself that he smiled like that with everyone. Didn’t he? Part of her hoped not. She wanted to believe there was something growing between them, even if she had no idea where it would lead.
“We just need to add this.” Kate held up the hat.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“But you’re so cute.” Wait. Did she just say that? She inwardly cringed as heat swirled in her chest. “As Santa. You’re cute as Santa.”
Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “You can’t take it back. You think I’m cute.”
She inwardly groaned. “As Santa.”
“Uh-huh.” He was grinning at her, making her stomach dip.
She adjusted the Santa cap on Wes. Being so close to him made her heart race. Stay focused. A little to the left and a little to the front. And then it was situated perfectly atop Wes’s white-haired wig. It was almost show time.
For a while there, she’d worried that Wes would back out of playing Santa. If he had, she had considered donning the suit and practicing her ho-ho-ho, but she knew she would never be able to pull it off. The suit wouldn’t even come close to fitting her, no matter how many pins Aunt Penney put in it. And then there was the fact that Kate could never lower her voice deep enough to make her Santa imitation sound authentic. But thanks to Wes, she didn’t have to worry.
She stepped back to inspect her work. “What do you think, Aunt Penney?”
“I think he looks great, except for one thing.” Penney moved to the desk and pulled out a pillow. “I think he’s thinner than Fred. He’s gonna need some extra stuffing.”<
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Wes frowned. “I think I look round enough.”
Kate walked around him. “Penney is right. Your bowl of jelly isn’t full enough.”
“What?” he asked.
“You know, ’Twas The Night Before Christmas, and all through the house…oh, never mind. Just take our word for it. You need some more stuffing.”
Aunt Penney helped Kate open Wes’s wide black belt and stuff a pillow inside his suit. Once it was properly positioned, they stepped back.
“I think he’s perfect now,” Aunt Penney said. “What do you think?”
“I think I was better without the extra pillow.” Wes frowned.
Kate smothered a laugh. “You look adorable. And that beard looks good on you.”
He ran a hand over it. “You really think so?”
She nodded. “I do.”
“Ho. Ho. Ho.” He patted his very round stomach. “What do you think? I’ve been practicing.”
Both women laughed. Kate was glad to see that Wes had at last found his Christmas spirit. And then his blue gaze landed on her, causing her stomach to flutter again. She felt a magnetic pull toward him. Her gaze dipped to his lips. She wondered what it’d be like to be kissed by Santa—
“You’re going to be perfect,” Aunt Penney said, as though oblivious to the vibes floating through the room. “This is going to be such a special evening.”
It already is. Kate’s gaze met Wes’s. He winked at her. Kate jerked her attention to the green elf hat that went with the rest of her costume. “Aunt Penney, I hope you’re right.”
Aunt Penney gave Kate’s arm a pat. “It will be. You’ll see.”
But would they make enough money to replace the necessary equipment? That remained to be seen. But if social media buzz was anything to go by, it was going to be their biggest turnout.
“I’ll meet you kids out there,” Aunt Penney said. “I should go greet people.”
“Go ahead,” Kate said, knowing her aunt loved the meet and greet. “We’ll be fine.”
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