Kate read off the lengthy list, and Tara volunteered to make favors for the dinner before the dance. They both thanked her and headed out the door. Kate texted Carrie so she could cross favors off her list too.
They continued knocking on house doors and businesses alike. By the time they reached the town square, the temperature had dropped as the sun sank lower in the sky. When they spoke, their breath came out in little white puffs. Fortunately, there were only a handful of items left on the list.
When they met up with Carrie in Bayberry Square, Kate said, “We can provide these last few items.” She sent Wes a questioning look. “Don’t you think?”
If it meant they could get in out of the cold, he’d agree to anything. He stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. Considering that Bayberry Candles had gone from supplying everything for the dance to fewer than five items, he said, “I think that will work just fine. And everyone seemed excited to chip in.”
“They did,” Carrie agreed.
“It’s wonderful,” Kate said. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this a long time ago.”
Long shadows stretched over the park. And just then the Christmas lights flickered on. People passing through the square on their way home from work or to admire the Christmas tree greeted the three with a warm smile, a wave or a kind word.
Wes used to think he liked the hustle and bustle of the city. Perhaps it was what he needed when he was fresh out of college, but now that he was a bit older, he was seeing the benefits of both worlds. It would be so easy to settle here in Bayberry. The thought teased and tempted him.
But his life was in New York. He had his job. A potential promotion. A chance to move further up the corporate ladder. And…
His thoughts stuttered. Surely, he had to have more than that. Right? He did have his friends—to whom he still needed to send Christmas presents. Perhaps a gift card to a trendy restaurant in the city for Jan. And then there was Joe in the mail room. They chatted about sports every Monday morning like clockwork. All before hours, of course. Well, most of the time. Some conversations leading up to the Super Bowl took a little more time.
The thing that struck him the most was that he had nothing to go home to. Not a person, especially now that his mother had made it clear she didn’t want to move there. Not even a pet. His thoughts turned to Rascal. The thought of adopting the little guy wouldn’t leave him. But then there were the long hours Wes put in at the office, plus the travelling. Someday he’d like to get a dog. And he couldn’t help thinking how Bayberry was the ideal place for a dog—
“Wes, did you hear me?” Kate asked, giving him a strange look.
“What did you say?”
“We were talking about the toboggan race this weekend. You’re coming, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Carrie said, “you can’t miss it.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I might be too old for sled riding.”
“It’s not sled riding,” Carrie said. “And you’re never too old.”
“It’s toboggan racing,” Kate said. “Totally different.”
He shrugged. “If you say so. I’ll watch.”
“The thing is,” Carrie pouted, “I have to back out.” Her eyes met Kate’s. “I’m so sorry. I have to work. The diner is shorthanded and you know how everyone piles in after the race wanting something hot to drink and eat.” Carrie turned a hopeful look in his direction. “You’ll help her out, won’t you?”
Kate shook her head. “It’s okay. I don’t have to race. I can just cheer from the sidelines.”
Carrie gently elbowed her. “You can’t. You promised Sam you’d race. That’s the only reason he agreed to do it with his son.”
“Stop.” Kate’s nose and cheeks, already pink from the cold, took on a deeper hue as she shot her friend a dirty look. Then Kate turned to him. “Don’t mind her. I’m fine.”
Carrie’s eyes were twinkling with mischief. “The rules say you can’t enter without a partner.”
Wes wondered if that was the truth. Or was Carrie trying to set them up? He quickly dismissed the idea. If somebody had matchmaking in mind, surely they’d plan something more romantic than racing down a freezing hill.
But with both of the women looking eagerly at him, he didn’t have the heart to let them down. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
They both cheered.
Between now and the weekend, he had a lot of work to do. Numbers to pull. Spreadsheets to complete. And figures to crunch.
But at the end of all that, he would have a very pleasant reward awaiting him. And it definitely was not the sled riding, erm, tobogganing he had in mind.
Chapter Twenty
It was race time.
And Wes didn’t have a clue about the difference between a sled and a toboggan.
Just then snow flurries started to fall. They were fat, fluffy flakes that slowly drifted down in the still air. As he stood on the hill staring down at Bayberry, he couldn’t help but think that with the snow blanketing the ground and dusting the rooftops, the town looked like one great big Christmas card.
“Another new experience,” he said.
“You mean you’ve never been on a toboggan?” Kate looked at him with astonishment.
He shook his head, feeling as though he were the only one in Bayberry to have never ridden a toboggan. “My father preferred the southern states, so as a kid I didn’t have much exposure to snow. And though it does snow in New York, I’m always working.”
“Well, you aren’t working right now.” Kate flashed him a smile. “We’d better hurry and take a test run or two.”
“Is that necessary?” He couldn’t believe it would be very challenging.
Kate nodded. “We want to win.”
“We do?”
“We do,” she said firmly.
Wearing borrowed snow pants and boots that climbed halfway up his calves, as well as his new coat, he followed her toward a prime spot on Barkley’s Hill. From that vantage point, he was able to stare across the dip to his old house. That house was never far from his thoughts these days.
He couldn’t help but wonder about the people who would move in next. Would they be as happy as his family had been there? He didn’t recall exactly why they’d had to move, but it was probably for a higher-paying job. He couldn’t help but wonder if it had been worth it, as his dad had barely stayed at the new company for a year.
They trudged farther up the hill, dragging the toboggan behind them. He held one side of the rope pull while she gripped the other. Working together, getting it up the hill was so much easier. Teamwork: it was something that his position at Watson & Summers didn’t allow him. The more he climbed the corporate ladder, the more alone he felt.
In fact, the closer he got to the assistant vice president position, the more he felt as though he and the other candidates were pitted against each other.
It wasn’t until he was away from the office that he’d noticed the way Mr. Summers pushed people, and casually mentioned other employees’ achievements to get more productivity from him.
Wes frowned as they reached the top of the hill. Why had he put himself through all that stress and worry over accounts and quarterly results, when every quarter had to be bigger and better than the last? And then he remembered wanting to move his mother close to him. But now, knowing that wasn’t what she wanted, he had to decide what he was willing to put himself through for the promotion.
But that thought would have to wait, because right now there was snow and a sled—a toboggan, that is— and it was time to have some fun—
Whack! Whack!
Two snowballs smacked him, one on the shoulder and one in his chest. What in the world? He glanced around. Immediately he spotted Kate off in the distance.
She grinned at him. Her eyes sparkled with merriment. And then, not waiting for his response, she
bent to gather more snow. Her arms moved quickly and then she straightened with a devilish smile. She wasn’t going to—
Kate winged a snowball in his direction. The lady had a good arm. He ducked. The snowball hit the ground behind him.
When he straightened, she was gathering more snow—more ammunition. Oh no. He wasn’t going to stand around and be a target. Two could play this game.
He grinned as he gathered snow, squeezing it into a firm ball. But as he stood back up, a snowball drilled into his shoulder, exploding. Snow showered over his face and left him sputtering.
“The war is on!” He launched a snowball, hitting her in the back.
She gasped. He laughed. Once she shook off the snow, she turned with an extra-large snowball and let it fly.
He ducked. And the battle continued until they were both laughing so hard, neither could catch their breath. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun. Usually his time was rationed out, making the most of each minute, whether it was time spent at the gym in his office building or working over a late dinner in front of the television. But this was a totally unproductive use of time, and he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather be doing, or anyone he’d rather be doing it with.
Snow had slipped beneath his jacket, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. Not a chance.
He needed more of this in his life. Maybe not snowball fights, exactly, but just letting loose and having fun. He tried to imagine doing this in New York. But when he left home, he was almost always in a suit. Not exactly conducive to adventures in the snow. Bayberry had forced him into boots, jeans, a sweater and a down jacket, as well as a knit cap and gloves. It was everything he needed to have winter fun.
As another round of snowballs flew through the air and laughter rang out, he realized it wasn’t Bayberry that had drawn out his inner kid. It was Kate. She could work as hard as the next person, but she made time to let down her pretty reddish-brown curls and have some fun.
At last, Kate waved her arms and cried uncle. He couldn’t blame her; he was getting tired too. But it didn’t diminish his good mood. Not in the least.
He made his way over to her. “I could use a hot chocolate. How about you?”
She moaned her approval. “That would be awesome. But it’s going to have to wait. We have some sledding to do.”
“Okay. But later, we’re getting hot chocolate.”
She smiled at him. “It’s a date.”
A date? Had he asked her on a date? He rolled it around in his mind. No. It wasn’t a date. When he asked her out, she would know it. But it did give him an idea. A very good idea.
“Come on.” Kate grabbed his hand and they headed for the toboggan.
His idea was going to have to wait. He settled in the back, letting Kate sit in front of him. And off they went, flying down the hill. He hadn’t done this since he was a kid. If he stayed in Bayberry much longer, he wondered what else Kate would convince him to do. The wind whistled in his ears and Kate shrieked with laughter. He held her tightly against him.
The toboggan slid to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Kate jumped to her feet. She turned to him. “Come on. We have time for one more run. This time I’ll sit in the back.”
He stood up. “Are you sure?”
“Positive,” she bubbled. “We have to see which way is faster: me in front or you in front.”
When she looked at him like that, she warmed him from the inside out. He’d never seen her so excited. And though he wasn’t looking forward to trudging up the hill again, he didn’t want to ruin this moment for her. And truth be told, he was having as much fun as she was. It’d been a long time since he’d allowed himself to enjoy the snow.
“You got it,” he said. “I’ll race you to the top.”
“Race?” Her expression was one of horror. “In the snow?”
“Sure.” And up the hill he went, with snow kicking up all around him.
He stumbled once, but recovered quickly. With his long legs, he was able to outpace Kate. It wasn’t easy rushing up a hill in so much snow, but his pride refused to let him slow down. When he reached the top, he turned around to find Kate taking her last steps to the top. When she came to a stop next to him, she pressed her hands to her sides as she huffed and puffed.
It took her a moment to catch her breath, and then she gasped, “You cheated.”
“Cheated? How do you figure?”
A teasing smile lit up her face, puffing up her pink cheeks. “You must have—or I’m really out of shape.”
He wasn’t touching that comment. No way. He wasn’t that foolish.
When he glanced away, he noticed the toboggan at the bottom of the hill. He’d been so distracted by Kate that he’d totally forgotten about it.
“I’ll be right back,” he called out as he rushed back down the hill, trying not to stumble in the deep snow.
“Where are you going?” Kate yelled.
He knew she’d figure it out soon enough. When he reached the toboggan, he turned and found Kate laughing. Wow! She stole his breath away. He was never going to forget this day. Or her. Not ever.
Then, realizing he was just standing there staring at her, he started climbing the hill once more, but this time with the toboggan in tow.
When at last he came to a stop next to her, his heart was pounding, but it wasn’t just from the physical exertion. No. It was the way Kate was looking at him—as if he was the only person around—the only man for her.
She tilted her chin up and gazed deep into his eyes. She looked so adorable with her pink cheeks and nose. And the cold air had given her lips a deep rosy hue. No one had ever looked so beautiful.
His gaze lingered on her lips. What would she do if he were to lean forward and steal a kiss? It wasn’t as if she was moving away from him. Was it possible she was tempted by the same idea?
He hadn’t gotten this far in his career without taking chances. Maybe it was time to take chances with his personal life. And kissing Kate was definitely a chance worth taking. In fact, he couldn’t think of anything he wanted to do more.
He started to lean forward. Her eyes drifted shut—
“Hey guys!”
Wes and Kate jumped apart, as though a bolt of lightning had struck in the middle of the snowstorm. Wes ducked his head as he turned away, pretending his heart wasn’t hammering against his ribs.
Kate turned to the kid standing behind them. “Hey, Sammy. I see you got your dad here.”
“Thanks to you.” The young boy’s face lit up with a wide smile.
His father, Sam Sr., walked over, greeted Kate and then shook Wes’s hand. While Kate went to look at the boy’s new toboggan, Wes stayed behind.
The tall man with the friendly smile asked, “Are you enjoying your visit to Bayberry?”
“I am.” Wes adjusted his gloves. “I’ve always enjoyed this town.”
“So you’ve been here before?”
“Yes. When I was a kid, we lived here briefly.”
“Not many people move away from Bayberry. The ones who do usually make their way back—like you.”
Wes shook his head. “I’m not staying. I’m just here until this project is done.”
Sam’s eyes lit up with comprehension. “You’re the one determining whether or not to shut down the candle company. Looks like you have the fate of the town in your hands. That’s definitely not a position I’d ever want to be in.”
Wes shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “So the word got out?”
Sam smiled. “The word has been out. You wouldn’t believe the efficiency of Bayberry’s gossip chain. It would beat the speed of light. They had you figured out from your first day in town.”
“And here I thought I was flying under everyone’s radar.”
Sam let out a deep laugh. “You came to the wro
ng town for that. So how are things looking?”
Wes shifted his weight again. He wanted to talk about anything but this. “I can’t discuss it.”
“I understand.” The man’s expression grew serious. “But you have to recommend the candle company stays in business. This town won’t survive without it. I don’t work there, but my wife does, and her sister.” When Wes didn’t say anything, the man continued. “That’s right, you can’t discuss it.”
Wes’s gaze sought out Kate, but she wasn’t looking in his direction. Her back was to him as she was examining the boy’s toboggan.
Wes searched for a topic of discussion that had nothing to do with the candle company or the future of Bayberry. “This is my first time in a toboggan race.”
“Mine too. I wasn’t even planning on doing it, but your girlfriend—”
“Kate’s not my girlfriend.”
Though as Wes disputed the man’s assumption, he couldn’t help but ponder the idea. It’d been a while since he’d had a girlfriend. He missed the companionship, but his job, with its long hours and travel, just wasn’t conducive to relationships.
He was surprised Kate wasn’t already involved in a relationship. And based on the way she interacted with Sammy, he couldn’t help but think she’d make a great mother—encouraging, patient and engaging.
And then he thought about the Candlelight Dance. It was little more than a week away. He’d meant to ask her to the dance all those years ago, but he’d missed the chance. And he had been toying with the idea of asking her out on a real date. This was his opportunity to do it. He could ask her tonight, over a cup of hot chocolate after the race.
Sam eyed him. “She’s a great gal. You’d be foolish not to ask her out.”
“I think you’re right. I’m going to do just that.”
The man smiled his approval. “Good luck. She doesn’t date much. The last guy she was with up and moved away.”
Wes didn’t let on that Kate had already confided in him. If she wouldn’t follow Wes to New York, how would they ever maintain a relationship? It wasn’t like he could just up and quit his job…but of course, she probably felt the same way.
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