And so they started searching the internet, looking for other suppliers from whom Kate could request quotes. And that’s exactly what she did. Each email she wrote was a challenge for her. Even though she’d told Aunt Penney that sometimes change was for the best, the truth was, she liked tradition, too. She liked loyalty. She liked believing in the good in everyone.
And things had been done this way year after year—long before Kate was a Bayberry employee. It was hard to believe her aunt would have kept renewing contracts with these firms if she didn’t have a really good reason.
“What’s wrong?” Wes’s voice drew her from her thoughts.
Kate’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. “What did you say?”
“You’re frowning. I was wondering what’s wrong.”
“It’s nothing.”
His gaze prodded. “Kate, talk to me.”
She searched for the right words. “It’s just that you probably think I’m naive for believing these companies are being up-front and honest.”
“Whoa. Wait. You misunderstood me. I think they’re honest. The part I have an issue with is how much they’re charging you. There’s nothing dishonest or illegal about it. They’re allowed to submit whatever quote they feel is reasonable. And the candle company has a fiscal responsibility to make sure it obtains the best offer out there.”
“I can do that.” Wes’s words made sense to her.
“You know, I think it’s great you believe in those qualities,” Wes said. “I do too.”
She stared into his eyes, his dreamy blue eyes, and for a moment she forgot what she’d been about to say. Her pulse raced. No one had ever made her feel that way with just a look—certainly not Andy.
Remembering her ex—the man who’d skipped town for his job and left her behind—reminded her of why she couldn’t let herself get caught in this rush of attraction for Wes. She wouldn’t let herself get hurt like that again.
But Wes wasn’t Andy. The two men were very different. While Andy was all about hanging out with his friends on the weekends and watching sports on television, Wes was taking his mother to brunch and then helping Kate. While Andy liked to talk about himself and his career, Wes would rather listen to Kate. And whereas Andy only heard bits and pieces of what she said, Wes heard every word.
She was fighting these feelings for Wes, but it was so hard. He was such a great guy, almost perfect for her, except for one thing. His future was in New York. And her future was here in Bayberry.
“Kate? What is it?” His voice drew her from her thoughts.
“Um…” She looked back at her computer monitor. “So you think we need to do this with every contract?”
“I do. And I think it should be done every time contracts are renewed.”
She nodded and jotted a note to update the office procedures. She wondered what else needed to be brought up to speed. She had a feeling there would be quite a bit, as Aunt Penney was one for routines.
“How much do you know about each of your suppliers?” he asked.
She paused to think about it. “I know a couple of them, as they’re local, but as for the others, I know the sales reps by name. We exchange Christmas cards, but that’s about all.”
“So you don’t know if they hold the same principles as you?”
“I suppose not.” That soothed her guilt about potentially canceling business with firms that her family had been dealing with for years.
“It may not be fun, but it’s your responsibility to protect the company—to protect the town’s company.”
“The town’s company.” She smiled. “It’s true. Without this town, there wouldn’t be a company. They really are intertwined.”
“Seems they go hand-in-hand.”
Kate smiled. “They do. Let’s hope it stays that way.”
Once Kate had an email written up for each type of vendor, she was able to replicate it for all of the potential vendors. And in the end, she felt good about taking steps to safeguard the company.
“Now we just have to wait to hear back from them,” Kate said.
Wes sat next to her. “And let’s hope that since you mentioned the urgency of the matter, they’ll get back to you quickly.”
Done with work for the day, Kate and Wes cleaned up the conference room. Together they had everything back to rights in no time.
Deck the Halls…A cell phone tinkled.
Wes raised his brows. “It’s not me.”
“It’s me. I switched my ringtone to something festive.” Kate checked her caller ID. “It’s Aunt Penney.” After a brief conversation, she disconnected the call. “She invited us to have dinner at her house.”
“What about Fred?”
“He’s invited too. Those two have been practically inseparable since the accident. Aunt Penney would say it’s because she doesn’t want to leave him alone in case he needs anything.”
“And you would say?”
“Between you and me, I’d say my aunt has never seemed happier. If only I could prove to her that the company is safe with me, she might retire and relax.”
Wes moved to stand in front of her. “Your aunt knows what she’s doing.”
Kate knew he was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn’t working. Deep inside, where no one could see, her doubts and worries weighed on her. “I don’t know if she’ll ever trust me to run Bayberry Candles.”
“From what I can tell, she trusts you implicitly.”
Kate’s gaze searched his. “You really believe that?”
“I do.” Sincerity shone in his eyes—as well as something else. But in a blink, it was gone. “When that accident happened with Fred, you were the person she turned to. Relax,” he urged. “You’re doing all the right things to help the company.”
She smiled at him. “Then let’s get out of here. I have to pay you back for all your help.”
He arched a brow. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
“Oh, you’ll see.”
“Should I be worried?”
She grinned. “Not at all. Just trust me.”
“That’s what worries me.”
Kate laughed as she turned off the lights and headed for the door. What was it about this man that made her worries seem less significant? When she was with him, it felt as if everything was going to work out for the best. She hoped that meant that Bayberry Candles would survive.
The pickup truck bounced down the snow-covered road.
At least Wes hoped this was a road. All he could see in front of him was a break in the trees and snow. Lots of snow. It was everywhere, and they were headed into the wilderness. What exactly did Kate have in mind?
The truck slowed down, and the next thing he knew, the tires were spinning and snow was flying. They were stuck. He glanced all around, but there wasn’t any sign of civilization. The thought of hiking back down the mountain to Bayberry did not appeal to him in the least.
“Don’t worry,” Kate said, as though she’d read his thoughts. “I’ve got this.”
She downshifted and they started to move again. Kate looked totally in control and in her element. She was definitely not a city girl. The thought dampened his mood.
He was growing accustomed to having Kate around. She reminded him that there was more to life than just work. She got him to laugh—to enjoy himself as he hadn’t done since he was a kid. And she reminded him how special Christmas could be, if you let it into your life.
“Thank you,” he said.
She never took her attention off the path in front of them. “For what? Taking you into the snowy forest?”
“No, for helping me to remember how Christmas used to be. When I was little, my mother would create the best Christmases. We didn’t always have a lot, but she made them fun.”
“I’ve just met your mother, but she seems l
ike a really special lady.”
“She is. Very special. When I’d ask her how Santa would find us, since we never spent Christmas in the same town, she told me that Christmas was always in my heart, and as long as I had the spirit, Santa would find me.”
“Aww…that’s so sweet.”
“Yeah, my mother is great, but the problem is, somewhere along the way I lost the spirit.”
“Are you getting it back?” She slowed to a stop and turned to him.
“I am—with some help from you.” He looked around. “Obviously, no one lives out here in the middle of nowhere. So what are we doing here?”
“Haven’t you ever cut down a Christmas tree?”
He sat there for a moment, hoping this was some sort of joke. Did she have any idea how much snow was out there? But she got out of the truck. When he looked around, he found Kate standing at the rear of the pickup.
He got out and joined her. “I must admit, I’ve never done this. When I was a kid, if my family had the money, which wasn’t every year, we would get a tree from a lot in town.”
“Then let’s get busy.” She lowered the tailgate and withdrew a chainsaw.
He looked at her with admiration and a little bit of apprehension. That was a mighty large chainsaw. Still, she turned and trudged off. She was going Christmas-tree hunting with or without him. And he wasn’t about to let her go alone.
He yanked up the zipper on his coat, grabbed the knit cap from his pocket and pulled it down over his head. With a resigned sigh, he trudged after her.
The cold air nipped at his face. A gust of wind sent the snow from a tree limb showering down upon him. He shrugged deeper in his coat. Still, he could feel the cold clear down to his bones. He swiped at his sleeves, brushing off the snow. What part of this was fun?
Kate laughed. “And here I was beginning to think you weren’t going to join me.”
“And miss all this fun?” He let the sarcasm drip from his voice. “Never.”
She laughed again. “You’d think you weren’t used to snow, but I know for a fact there’s snow in New York City.”
“Except they plow the roads and shovel the walks.” He stared down at the snow covering his boots. “It’s nothing like this.”
“This is mountain living.” She inhaled a deep breath and blew out a cloud of warm breath. “You don’t have this crisp air in the city.”
Another gust of icy wind made him clench his teeth. “But we stay dry and have a coffee shop on almost every corner.”
“You just had a pot of coffee.” She started walking toward the line of trees. “Come on. It’s warm, with the sun out.”
Warm? They definitely had different definitions of the word. Very different indeed.
His boots creaked as they moved over the deep snow. The cold seeped in every opening in his clothing. He frowned as he hunched down in his new coat, minimizing exposed skin. He wondered how she would describe the weather in Florida—warm, sunny Florida. Right about now, a warm Christmas was sounding pretty good.
They moved past a line of really tall pine trees lining the path. A hundred yards farther on, they came to a grouping of smaller trees. He was relieved to realize they didn’t have to hike to the top of the mountain.
He stopped next to a tree that was almost as tall as he was. “How about this one?”
Kate paused and scrutinized it. “Too short.”
“Wait. Are you calling me short?”
Amusement twinkled in her eyes. “For a man, you’re tall. But for a tree, that one is short.”
They both started walking again. He noticed how quiet Kate had become. She must really take this Christmas-tree hunting seriously.
“I still think you’re calling me short,” he called out, hoping to tease her into a good mood.
She shook her head and kept moving, stopping at a tree, inspecting it from every angle and then moving on to another one.
“Mind telling me what you’re looking for?” he asked.
“I’m thinking seven or so feet would be good for me. For Aunt Penney, she won’t go for anything less than nine feet.”
“Nine feet? Seriously?”
Kate nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“I guess not. If you don’t mind hauling an entire forest to town in the back of your pickup.”
“Nothing that hasn’t been done before.”
“I was afraid you were going to say something like that.” He stopped and leaned on his shovel. “Is hiking around in the snow and freezing temps really what you consider fun?”
Kate stopped in front of yet another pine tree. The sun beamed down on her, highlighting the pink of her cheeks. “What’s not to love?”
“A lot. I think I lost the feeling in my feet.”
She pursed her lips and scrunched up her brows. “We haven’t been out here that long.”
“Seems like forever.”
She shook her head. “I never would have guessed you’d be so wimpy.”
“Wimpy?” He pulled his shoulders back. “I’ll show you who’s wimpy.” He moved to stand beside her. “Looks about the right height. This wimpy guy is going to cut down a tree for you.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Wait.”
“Why?”
“I need to check the trunk and make sure it’s straight.”
“Really?”
“Uh-huh. You don’t want it falling over, do you?” She walked the whole way around the tree. She knelt down and stared up at it. “This is it.”
“Okay. I’ll cut this one down while you find the second tree.” He set to work sawing the trunk.
Together they worked for the next couple of hours until the trees were cut, loaded and delivered to town. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d had a really good time. His complaining had succeeded in making Kate laugh. And that was a sound he loved.
He knew the future of the company weighed heavily on her mind, but he didn’t want it to zap her holiday spirit. When Kate talked about Christmas and all of the holiday festivities, her face lit up. And her excitement was contagious.
He wanted to drag out this report until after Christmas. After all, what good would it do to provide the results before the holiday?
Chapter Seventeen
Her insides shivered with nerves.
Why did this feel so much like a date?
Kate assured herself that it wasn’t one. She’d invited Wes over to help decorate her tree. What else could she do, let him sit alone at the B&B? He’d inevitably start working, and he’d done enough of that this weekend.
So inviting him over was a perfectly reasonable thing to do. They were friends, nothing more. He was a man without a home for Christmas, and she was sharing hers with him. It was what she’d do for any stranger in town for the holidays. But she sighed. It was no use. She couldn’t sell that story, not even to herself.
Wes was different. She liked him more than was wise. She knew all too well that in the end, she would get left behind when work drew him back to the city. And yet, she told herself to live in the moment, because she’d never known anyone like him before.
On their way into her garage apartment, she’d stopped to plug in the strings of colored lights outlining her aunt’s house and the garage. A large inflatable reindeer as well as a seven-foot snowman filled the front yard. If she’d ever had any doubts where she’d gained her love of the holidays, it was abundantly clear now. It must be something in the genes.
Once inside, she moved from room to room, plugging in the white candles in the windows. With the apartment all lit up, Kate returned to the living room, where Wes had divested himself of his boots and coat. “After dinner we can set up my aunt’s tree.” Kate opened a box of Christmas ornaments and withdrew a string of colored twinkle lights. She glanced up when he didn’t say anything. “That is, if you’re s
till up for it.”
“I’m always up for decorating.” He perched on the side of the couch. “You’re making me a convert.”
“I am, huh?” When he nodded, she couldn’t help but smile. “You might not say that after we get done decorating trees this evening.”
“How hard can it be?” He reached for the strand of lights. He plugged them in and all the little bulbs lit up. “See, even the lights work.”
Together they set the tree in a stand and began stringing it with lights. Wes stood on one side and handed the strand to her on the other side. Every time his fingers brushed over hers as they wrapped the lights around the tree, a rush of excitement raced through her.
If she could let go of reality for just a little while, it’d be so easy to imagine that Wes was here in Bayberry for good. Her gaze caught his. Her heart leapt into her throat.
They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like forever. The truth was that she wanted him here—she wanted to share this very special time with him. A smile lit up his face. He was always handsome, but when he smiled, he was drop-dead gorgeous.
His smile broadened. Oh no. Did he know what she was thinking? Heat rushed up her neck and set her cheeks ablaze.
Kate turned away, focusing on situating the little ceramic cow and sheep around the manger. She moved them this way and that, giving herself a moment to regain her composure.
Even so, she couldn’t stop thinking how lucky she was to be able to share this time with Wes. She might not get to have him forever, but sharing right now wasn’t so bad. She watched as he untangled a strand of lights. It wasn’t so bad at all.
This was cozy. Very cozy.
It’d be so easy to think of this as a date.
Wes looked from the string of lights he was wrapping around the tree to his beautiful hostess. Surrounded by all these holiday decorations, she was in her element. She practically glowed as she hustled around the room, making everything merry and bright. Even he was getting in the holiday spirit.
With all of the lights strung, Wes knelt down and plugged them in. The Christmas tree lit up in a colorful glow. “See? We’re almost done.”
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