“But it’s what I needed to hear. If I’m—if we’re—going to save this company, I need to realize that things can’t go on the way they’ve been done for years. Change is coming whether I like it or not.”
“Change isn’t all bad.”
And with that he walked away, leaving Kate alone with her thoughts. The dance hadn’t changed at all since she’d moved to Bayberry. She wondered how her aunt would feel about it—how the town would feel about it.
The rest of the day, thoughts of the dance plagued her.
Change was coming.
But would people be willing to accept those changes?
By evening, Kate was ready to take the first step. She headed for Fred’s place. A knock on the door, and Wes’s mother opened it and greeted her with a warm smile. She stepped inside, finding a smallish Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. It was trimmed with red and white ornaments. The fireplace crackled as flames danced upon the logs.
Her aunt was in the kitchen at the stove. Fred was nowhere to be seen, but she knew he wouldn’t have gone far. The aromas of homemade chicken soup and bread wafted through the house, making Kate’s mouth water. In the background, “White Christmas” played. Kate smiled. It was most definitely Christmastime. She just hoped her aunt felt like singing after their talk.
“Aunt Penney, can we talk?”
“Sure. But it’ll have to be here. I’m making a chocolate cake for dessert. Fred’s favorite.” Aunt Penney moved to the kitchen island with a big mixing bowl. “What do you have on your mind?”
Kate’s gaze moved to Wes’s mother, who was standing at the counter, chopping vegetables for what appeared to be a salad. “Maybe now isn’t the time.”
“It’s fine. Martha doesn’t mind. Do you?”
“Not at all. But I can step out of the room if it’d be easier.”
Then, realizing she was making a big production out of this, Kate said, “No, please stay.” She slipped off her coat and turned back to her aunt. “How would you feel if I made some changes to the Candlelight Dance?”
Aunt Penney reached for the flour. “What kind of changes?”
“Well, Wes and I were talking—”
“You and Wes were working on this, as in together?” Aunt Penney raised an eyebrow.
Was that a bad thing? She wasn’t quite sure from the tone of her aunt’s voice. After all, Aunt Penney was the one who’d hired him to give an unbiased review of the company.
“I’ve been asking him questions.”
Aunt Penney resumed gathering ingredients for the cake. “What sort of questions?”
And then, realizing her aunt might be worried about confidentiality, Kate said, “Don’t worry. He hasn’t said a word about the report he’s working on for you. These were other questions about how I could change things to help the company.”
At some point, Martha had gravitated over to the island. And now they were all huddled together. It felt strangely normal, even though Martha was new to her.
“I hope my son was helpful.” Martha wiped her hands on a towel.
“He’s been very helpful. More than I ever could have imagined.” And then Kate told them about the supplier contracts and the new quotes.
“That’s wonderful,” Martha said. “It’ll save the company so much money.”
Aunt Penney didn’t say a word.
Kate eyed her aunt, watching for her reaction. “Aunt Penney, are you okay with changing suppliers after using the same ones for so many years?”
Her aunt sighed. “The truth is, I should have been more diligent. If I had, the company might not be in the state it is now. You’re doing the right thing. You’re doing what I should have done. And I thank you. Tomorrow morning, come to my office and we can go over those quotes.”
When her aunt sent her a reassuring smile, Kate knew her aunt meant it. And the worry she’d been feeling about all of these big changes rolled away. She pulled out her phone and made a note on her calendar. “Now I won’t forget.”
“But I don’t understand,” Aunt Penney continued. “What does this have to do with the dance?”
“Wes thinks that instead of the company solely sponsoring the dance, we should ask the town to participate. He says it will make the dance a truly community event. And it will take some of the financial pressure off of us.”
Aunt Penney didn’t say anything at first. Kate’s palms grew moist. Martha remained quiet, as though sensing the seriousness of the subject. Traditions weren’t easily broken or modified.
Worried that her aunt was upset, Kate said, “Don’t worry. I won’t change—”
“No. Stop. This is perhaps what we need. And Wes is right about making it more of a community event.” Aunt Penney’s gaze met hers. “You go right ahead and do what you feel is best. I’m right behind you. Is there anything you want me to do?”
Kate shook her head. “I’ve got this.”
Just then Fred entered the kitchen, walking just fine, until he spotted her. Then he took on an exaggerated limp. Kate struggled not to roll her eyes. Who did he and her aunt think they were kidding?
“I thought I heard someone else.” He smiled at Kate. “Can you stay and have some dinner with us?”
“I would love to, but I have to go. I need to talk to Carrie, Abby and Sadie about some changes to the Candlelight Dance.” Kate got up from the stool and put on her coat.
Fred’s bushy brows drew together. “I hope there’s still going to be a dance.”
“I’m pretty certain there will be one,” Kate said. “As long as I get to work on it.”
“Then you’d better get moving. I have plans for the dance this year.” His gaze moved to Aunt Penney.
Her aunt’s face took on a rosy hue. “Oh Fred, you know the doctor said you have to be careful with your ankle.”
“By Christmas Eve, it’ll be good as new. And I’ll be ready to dance with my favorite gal.”
The color in her aunt’s face increased. Martha smiled as she returned to peeling carrots for the salad. Kate quietly headed for the door. Fred didn’t need any help. He was doing fine winning Penney over all on his own.
Chapter Nineteen
Had he done the right thing?
The thought had been plaguing Wes ever since he’d given Kate advice that morning. Sure, it was part of his job to hand out recommendations, but those should be based on cold, hard facts.
This morning, his advice had been based on his gut. None of it had been part of his job. And he knew that with each bit of advice, his hope was growing that somehow the candle company could be saved. And if he was holding out for a miracle, he knew Kate was even more invested in the outcome. He just hoped all these changes would bring the miracle they needed.
Jingle. Jingle.
He glanced over at the front door of Mel’s Grille, where a young guy was holding the door for an older woman using a walker. The young man paid the woman a compliment that made her smile. It was such a friendly town.
Wes took the last bite of a hot turkey sandwich smothered in gravy, and then a bite of mashed potatoes. There was no way they were anything but homemade. He finished every last bit of the delicious meal.
But as good as the food had been, he couldn’t stop thinking about Kate. He sure hoped she wasn’t upset with him or the advice—
Crash!
The sound came from across the diner. He spotted what looked like a broken coffee cup on the floor. Before he could get to his feet to lend a hand, three people rushed over to help the waitress clean up the mess.
This small town was full of heart. People helping people. And that’s why he thought his suggestion about the town chipping in with the dance would work. The only thing he didn’t know was if the cost-cutting measures would be enough, or come soon enough, to save the candle company.
Without drastic cha
nges, the company was sure to be sold. But if Kate and her aunt were willing to make the changes, he would take them into account when he completed his evaluation. He never got this involved with his clients or their businesses. But Bayberry was different—the small family-run company was different, and the owners were different. He wanted this story to have a happy ending. But would it?
Carrie stopped by his table. “Can I get you more coffee?”
He nodded. “Thanks, that would be great. Hey, is everything okay?” He gestured to the area where they were still cleaning up the mess.
Carrie leaned down and lowered her voice. “It’s a new girl and she’s nervous. She’ll be fine once she gets the hang of things. The dishes, on the other hand, might not fare so well.”
He smiled. “Glad it’s nothing serious.”
“How about a slice of that blackberry pie? I baked it.”
He’d been eyeing the pie displayed on the counter on a pedestal with a glass dome. He hadn’t had berry pie since he was a kid. And it looked picture-perfect. If he stayed in Bayberry much longer, with all of its sweet treats, he was going to have to start running twice a day.
Before he could respond to Carrie, the door opened and the bells jingled. They both looked toward the entrance. When Kate entered, Wes sat up a little taller. He waved at her. When he caught her attention, she smiled. Again, that warm fuzzy feeling filled his chest, making his heart beat faster. He motioned to the empty stool next to him.
Carrie glanced back at him, expecting an answer.
“It looks delicious,” he said. “Can you give me a minute?”
Carrie smiled knowingly. “I have a feeling it’s going to be pie for two.”
Wes grinned, but didn’t say a word.
“I’ll check back.” Carrie waved to Kate before walking away.
Kate brushed snow from her coat, pulled off her knit cap, stuffed it in her pocket and then headed for his table. “It’s starting to snow out there.”
“Did you have dinner yet?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I didn’t have time. I was talking to my aunt about the changes to the dance.”
His body tensed as he waited to hear how Penney had taken to the idea. He didn’t push, but quietly waited for Kate to direct the conversation.
“When I told her about your idea, I wasn’t sure she’d go with it. But she surprised me, and told me that, basically, change is inevitable. And then she said she should have done these things a long time ago. So I have her blessing to start switching things up with the contracts and the dance and whatever else needs changing.” Kate smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Sympathy welled up in him. He knew she was relieved to have her aunt’s blessing, but that didn’t mean changing things was going to be easy. Routines were comforting. Change could be unsettling at first. He knew, because his life had been a constant series of changes until he’d settled in Manhattan.
He reached out and squeezed her hand. “It’ll be okay. Everything will work out. You’ll see.” He just hoped it would work out in their favor.
Her eyes met his. “Do you really believe that?”
“I do. But sometimes there are detours, and the result isn’t exactly what you imagined.”
“That’s what worries me.”
“All you can do is your best. The rest just has to work itself out.”
“I wish you were staying to see it all through to the end.” There was a sadness in her eyes that reached out and touched his heart.
He cleared his throat. Still, when he spoke his voice was deep with emotion. “As tempting as that sounds, my life is in New York. But I’ll be here until the New Year.”
“I guess we’ll have to make the most of the time you’re here.”
“Let’s get you some dinner.”
“What about you?” she asked.
“I already enjoyed a nice hot turkey sandwich.”
“Oh, that sounds good. I haven’t had one in a long time.”
When Carrie returned to the table, Kate ordered the sandwich. Wes went ahead and ordered a slice of pie.
Kate had asked Carrie to stop back when she had a free moment. Carrie did just that after most of the dinner crowd cleared out. “It’s my break,” Carrie announced. “What did you want to talk about?”
“You’d better sit down for this one.”
Carrie’s smile morphed into a frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…exactly.” And then Kate went on to explain the changes she planned to make to the Candlelight Dance. “So, what do you think?”
Wes remained quiet the whole time, waiting and wondering how his idea would be greeted.
“I think it’ll work,” Carrie said. “We need to talk to Abby and Sadie.”
Kate called the two and put them on speaker phone. After hearing the proposal, both were hesitant, but agreed it was worth a try. Wes didn’t say it, but he was uneasy. He knew he was messing with an age-old tradition and if it went wrong, it’d be his fault.
“We have to jump on this right away. The sooner we talk to all the business owners and the women’s guild, the sooner they’ll be able to get started.” Carrie glanced at the clock. “It’s too late tonight. Most of the shops are closed, but I’m off tomorrow afternoon.”
“And I have a meeting with Aunt Penney in the morning, so the afternoon works for me too,” Kate said.
Carrie nodded. “I can start on the south end of town.”
“And I can start at the north end,” Kate said. “And eventually we can meet in the park and compare notes.”
“Let’s text each other and decide on a time to meet.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
His fingers were a blur as he typed.
The preliminary report wasn’t good. Not good at all.
The next day, Wes skipped lunch as he rushed to get his work done quickly. Mr. Summers had requested that Wes send it as soon as possible. And that’s exactly what Wes intended to do. After a phone call from Jan, Mr. Summers’ assistant, he knew that the promotion still hadn’t been announced. He needed to do what he could to secure it.
But as he was typing the email to his boss, Wes’s thoughts strayed to that Victorian home—the one where he’d experienced his first crush, the house that had felt like home when he walked through the doorway. It was for sale, and he kept imagining what it might be like to own it, to settle here in Bayberry with its friendly residents and its family feel.
He shook off the thoughts. It wouldn’t work. His career was in New York. Everything he’d been striving for since college was in the city. The company he worked for was the best at what it did, not only in this country but around the world. So why would he think of giving that all up to settle down in this small town? What would he even do here?
No. It wasn’t going to happen. He had to stay focused on the promotion. And even though his mother didn’t want to move to the city, it shouldn’t change his plans. Achieving the assistant VP position had been his goal since he’d graduated from college. And it was within his grasp.
With the email sent, he closed his laptop and went to find Kate. Since it had been his idea to switch things up for the dance, he felt like he should go along and try to explain things to the town’s residents. He worried that it wouldn’t go over well.
At least that’s what Wes told himself was the reason for taking part of the afternoon off to walk shop-to-shop with Kate. She welcomed his company, and they set out in the lightly falling snow. The flakes melted as they landed on the sidewalk and road, but they added to the accumulation of snow in the yards, giving them a fresh, glittery appearance.
Everyone was bundled up against the distinct chill in the air, but it didn’t stop them from sharing warm holiday greetings. Wes knew he’d been in the town for awhile when he was able to put names to many of the faces.
/>
There was MaryJane from the candle company office. She’d told anyone who would listen that she was taking the day off to finish her Christmas shopping. By the number of packages in her hands, she’d succeeded.
Wes said hello to the reverend and his wife. And there was Joe from the deli. Wes was quite pleased with the number of people he recognized.
He met even more of the townspeople as they went along from business to business. Soon he would know them all. They were a quirky bunch, but very friendly and welcoming—just as he’d remembered.
They’d just stepped in Tara’s Tasty Treats when the young woman behind the counter greeted them with a smile. “Hello, Kate.” The woman turned to Wes. “Hi. You must be Wes.”
He wondered how she knew his name, but then he realized that in this small town, gossip flowed faster than the small creek that ran through Bayberry.
“Yes, I am.” He held his hand out over the glass countertop. “And you must be Tara. It’s nice to meet you.”
“And he has manners too.” The woman beamed at Kate as she shook his hand. “I like this one.”
When Wes glanced over at Kate, her face was bright red and her gaze didn’t quite meet his. Was it possible that she felt something growing between them too? Or was it all in his head?
But as he continued to look at Kate, he realized that the feelings he had for her had nothing to do with his head, and everything to do with his heart. And that’s when he knew he couldn’t let her down. He had to find a way to keep her family’s company going—her town thriving—and put that enchanting smile back on her face. Even if his numbers didn’t agree with him.
Kate stepped forward. “Tara, we’re going to try something different for the Candlelight Dance this year.” Rushing on before Tara could ask a long string of questions like the last person had, Kate added, “We’re trying to make the dance more of a community affair. And we’re asking residents and businesses what they can volunteer or donate.”
The woman’s brows rose, but to her credit, she didn’t ask for an explanation. “That sounds like a lovely idea. What sort of things do you need?”
Christmas in Bayberry Page 19