It was just a date—a dance. It wasn’t like they would be embarking on a serious relationship. Right?
“I’m sure things will work out for Kate,” Wes said. “Any guy would be lucky to have her in his life.” And then deciding he didn’t want to dissect his relationship with Kate, he said, “I should go. We have just enough time for another practice run before the race.”
“I guess we should do that too.”
Wes hadn’t known Sam before this evening, but the man had certainly given him a lot to think about. If circumstances were different, he imagined they’d be good friends. What would his life look like if he moved to Bayberry? Would Kate want to start something with him?
Moving to Bayberry would mean giving up everything he’d spent his adult life working toward. And if he didn’t, could he walk away from Kate? Her smile filled his thoughts at all hours of the day. When he closed his eyes at night, she filled his dreams. And when he woke up in the morning, he was eager to see her again.
But there was something big standing between him and having to make those decisions—the candle company. He knew that if the business went under, Kate would blame him. Sure, she said she wouldn’t, but things would be different if it became a reality. He just couldn’t let that happen.
He’d been giving the problem a lot of thought. He had an idea of how to save the candle company, but there would be a lot of details to iron out. And he’d need Penney’s blessing. Would she approve of his unorthodox solution?
It was the most amazing evening.
Mel’s Grille was hopping with people from the toboggan race. Every table was occupied. Each stool at the counter was taken. And every waitress in her fifties-style uniform with a red apron was rushing from table to table.
And Kate couldn’t be happier. She knew she should be at the office with Aunt Penney considering more cost-cutting measures or building up the company’s online presence, but there was something about being with Wes during this magical time of the year that was irresistible. Somehow, some way, she’d make time for both work and Wes. Because the more time she spent with him, the more time she wanted to spend with him.
He made her smile. He made her want to believe in happily-ever-afters. He made her want to take a chance with her heart.
He made her believe that anything was possible. He made her want to think she was capable of far more than she’d done so far.
Kate beamed across the table at Wes. “That was awesome.”
“Is that what you call that wipeout at the bottom of the hill? Awesome?” His eyes twinkled with merriment.
“It was pretty spectacular when you had all that snow on your head.” A big grin pulled at her lips.
Wes returned her smile. “No funnier than you wiping the snow from your face.”
“I guess you’ve got me there. But before we wiped out, we did win the snowball trophy.” She placed it on the table between them. “Can you believe it?”
“No. I’ve never seen a trophy with a tennis ball painted to look like a snowball.”
Kate’s mouth dropped open. “It’s not a tennis ball.”
“It’s not?” He leaned in closer and squinted. “Sure looks like it.”
She looked at the trophy. Maybe he had a point, but it was too much fun to banter with him to stop now. “It does not.”
He shrugged. “Okay. Maybe it doesn’t. But I sure had you wondering for a while.”
“Oh, you.” She smiled, realizing he’d been teasing her all along.
Carrie delivered their cheeseburgers and fries. With all of that trudging through the snow, they’d really worked up their appetites. They made short work of the meal, and then leaned back in the booth.
“How about dessert?” Kate asked. “After all, we have to celebrate.”
“Celebrate, huh?” When she nodded, he asked, “What did you have in mind?”
“Hot chocolate with marshmallows.” Her mouth watered just thinking about it. “Theirs is so creamy and rich. It’s like chocolate heaven.”
“You don’t have to twist my arm. I was sold at chocolate and marshmallows.”
Her eyes lit up. “A man after my own heart.” And then her face reddened. “Well, you know what I mean.”
When Carrie returned to their table, they ordered a couple of hot chocolates. Silence fell over them. Kate tried to come up with something to talk about other than the candle company. They’d already talked about it more than enough.
Wes fidgeted with a spoon. “You know, I was thinking about the candle company—”
“No.” She held up her hand. “Tonight’s too good to ruin with work talk.”
“I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.”
Carrie arrived with their hot chocolates smothered in little marshmallows. It was just the way Kate loved it. She immediately took a sip of the rich, creamy concoction. She moaned in delight.
“Perfect,” she said before returning to their conversation. “It’s just that I’d rather think about you in the snowbank. It makes me smile.”
He feigned a frown. “I like how my near-death experience amuses you.”
“It’s the little things in life.” A small giggle escaped her lips before she took a drink of her cocoa.
“Then I guess that chocolate mustache of yours is another one of those small amusing things.” He sent her a teasing smile.
Heat flooded her cheeks. She quickly reached for a napkin and wiped her mouth.
“Better?” she asked.
“I don’t know. You looked kinda cute with the ‘stache.”
She sighed before stirring the marshmallows into her cocoa. “It won’t be long until the dance. Everyone is chipping in. I just hope it turns out okay.”
He stirred his own cocoa. “It’ll all work out. Just wait and see.”
“Tomorrow, everyone is meeting at the community hall and we’re going to start looking through last year’s decorations. We’ll see what needs to be replaced. Abby let me know the quilting group has agreed to do the baking instead of having to buy desserts. And Carrie arranged to have everyone bring a covered dish instead of having the event catered. And the young man I was talking to after the race? He rearranged his calendar and he’s able to DJ the dance, so we won’t have to pay for a band.”
“Do you want to go with me to the dance?” The words came out of his mouth in one big garbled rush.
Had he just asked her to the dance? Her heart leapt into her throat. But his words had been so rushed, she wasn’t quite sure. She really hoped she’d heard him correctly.
Kate swallowed hard as her palms grew damp. “Did…did you just ask me to the dance?”
His gaze met hers. “I’ve been waiting to ask you that question for seventeen years.”
Her eyes widened as her brows rose. “You have?”
He nodded. “I’d planned to ask you to the Candlelight Dance all those years ago. I was so nervous because I’d never asked a girl to a dance before, and I was pretty certain you were going to turn me down. It took me a while to work up the courage, and just when I did—just when I’d promised myself I would ask you the next day at school, my father came home from work that night and told us that we were moving—again. We were leaving right away—before the dance.”
“And so you never got to go?”
He shook his head. “So I’ve been waiting a very long time to ask you. And I have to admit that after all these years, I’m still nervous. I know that sounds silly.”
“Not at all.” Her insides trembled with excitement. “Go ahead.” When he gave her a puzzled look, she said, “Ask me.”
A look of comprehension dawned. “Oh.” He visibly swallowed and then took her hand in his. His touch was warm and sent goosebumps up her arm, setting her heart aflutter. “Kate, I would be honored if you’d agree to be my date to the Candlelight Dance—”
“You would?” He stared at her for a moment as though digesting her words. “I mean, don’t feel like you have to—”
“Did it sound like a pity acceptance?” She threw him a dazzling smile.
He shook his head. “No. It didn’t. And lucky for me, I have a suit to wear.”
“So you do. But now I need a dress.”
“You don’t have to dress up on my account. I think you look great in anything. Honestly. You could wear what you’ve got on now and I would think you were the most beautiful woman in the room.”
She glanced down at the navy-blue suspenders from her ski pants over the white long-sleeved shirt. And then she ran a hand over her messy bun with a million flyaways. “I look terrible.”
“Not to me.”
She met his eyes, her cheeks flaming, nervous and thrilled and scared.
As much as she wanted to convince herself that she wasn’t falling for Wes, she knew it was too late. She was falling head over heels for this man who lived far from her tiny town. She didn’t have a clue what she was supposed to do about these feelings. Not an inkling. Because she’d never expected this to happen. And a long-distance relationship was the last thing she wanted.
Chapter Twenty-One
Had that really happened?
Had Wes really asked her to the dance?
It was as though they were meant to be together. Nothing—not distance nor the passage of time—could alter their lives being intertwined. Their fate had been written in the stars.
In the light of a new day, Kate tried to tell herself that she was being ridiculous. After all, it wasn’t as if they were in high school anymore. But that didn’t stop the sensation of butterflies fluttering through her belly, or the worry of finding just the right dress.
In fact, she’d been so caught off-guard the previous night that she wasn’t even sure her feet had touched the ground when she’d walked home. She replayed the scene over and over in her mind. And the part that touched her the most was that after all these years, he’d finally had an opportunity to ask her to the dance.
She couldn’t remember ever being this excited about a date. She tried to temper her excitement with the thought of Wes leaving after the holidays and returning to New York, but not even that realization could dampen her anticipation. She was going to the Candlelight Dance with a date—a very handsome, very sweet, very kind date. And she couldn’t wait.
But she had to wear something extra special. It couldn’t just be something out of her wardrobe. There wasn’t anything there that was special enough for a date that had taken seventeen years to transpire.
And then it came to her. She sprang out of bed and grabbed her phone. She called her aunt. The phone rang once, twice, three times, and she was beginning to think her aunt wasn’t going to answer. Where could she be? It was Sunday morning.
“Hello?” Aunt Penney’s voice sounded a bit groggy.
“Aunt Penney, I can’t believe it. I just got asked to the dance.”
“You did?” Her aunt’s voice grew peppier. “I take it you’re excited about this, since you called me at 6:13 on a Sunday morning.”
Kate gasped and looked at her bedside clock. It was indeed early—way too early for the weekend. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. I’ll let you go back to sleep.”
“That’s okay. When you get to my age, you don’t need as much sleep. And I couldn’t go back to sleep now. I’d be wondering about this date of yours.”
“Wes asked me.”
“I figured that. Give me all the details. On second thought, I’ll meet you in my kitchen in two minutes. You can fill me in over coffee and the muffins I made last night for Fred.”
“Fred, huh?” Kate smiled. With every passing day, those two were getting closer and closer.
“Oh, hush. See you soon.” And with that, her aunt hung up.
Kate scrambled out of bed, rushed to her closet, grabbed her warmest robe, and headed for the door. She paused long enough to slip on her boots, and then off she went into the wintry morning. Luckily, she only had to go down the steps and across the driveway.
Once inside her aunt’s warm kitchen, she slipped off her boots and headed for the coffeemaker. Kate put in a new filter and then added the grounds. Once she’d poured in the water, she pressed the start button. What her aunt didn’t know was that Kate had gotten her one of those coffeemakers that uses pods for Christmas. Instead of a pot of coffee sitting around getting burned, Aunt Penney could have a fresh cup each time. And then there were all of the flavors—so many to choose from.
As the coffeemaker sputtered, her aunt entered the room with a smile on her face. They quietly moved around the kitchen, gathering the sweetener and creamer. Neither of them was a big talker before they’d had their morning boost of caffeine.
At last the coffee trickled into the pot. That heavenly aroma wafted through the room. Anticipation thrummed in Kate’s veins, when she at last poured them each a large mug.
With coffee in hand, Aunt Penney said, “Tell me everything, and don’t leave anything out.”
They settled down at the kitchen table with their coffee and one of Aunt Penney’s famous blueberry muffins. Kate started with how she’d been paired up with Wes for the toboggan race. Then she mentioned their dinner afterward. Aunt Penney listened with rapt interest. Finally, Kate shared that Wes had wanted to ask her to the dance all those years ago, but had never gotten the chance.
“That’s remarkable,” Aunt Penney said. “The fact that he was drawn back to Bayberry just in time for the Candlelight Dance is more than a coincidence. It’s a sign. This will be a very special dance for both of you.”
Kate took a last sip of her coffee and pushed aside her plate with only a few muffin crumbs remaining. “And that’s why I wanted to ask a really big favor of you.”
“You know you can ask me for anything. If I can, I’ll do it—”
“Good morning.” Martha entered the kitchen. “Do I smell coffee?”
“Yes. Let me get you some.” Aunt Penney and Kate both started to get up.
“Sit,” Martha told them. “I can get it.”
“There’s still fresh coffee in the pot.” Aunt Penney settled back in her chair. “And muffins on the counter.”
Kate sat back too. She waited to make her request until everyone had said good morning and Martha got situated at the table. Then Aunt Penney filled in her friend on the latest development.
Martha’s face lit up. “I remember that time. Wes had been so resistant to moving. I’d never seen him quite like that. And he wouldn’t say why he needed to stay until New Year’s. But sadly, my late husband had to start his new job right away. He was forever searching for where he belonged. I don’t know if he ever did. We kept moving right up until the end.”
Kate couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like, constantly moving from one place to the next. She thought of Wes as a kid, having to move from school to school—making friends, only to lose them. Her heart ached for him. She’d had a hard-enough time moving from Hartford to Bayberry. Getting to know people constantly and never having a place to grow roots—it wasn’t for her.
Aunt Penney made another pot of coffee and filled their cups. After she returned to her chair, she asked, “Kate, what was the favor you wanted to ask me?”
“I was wondering if you could help me find something special to wear to the dance.”
“I don’t think they’ll have anything left at the boutique in town,” Aunt Penney cautioned.
Her aunt was right. The dance was a huge deal. All the fancy dresses would have been scooped up long ago.
“I know,” Martha said. “We can order one over the internet.”
Aunt Penney shrugged, but she didn’t look convinced.
Kate shook her head. “I checked, and I’m
worried that if it doesn’t fit properly, I won’t have time to exchange it.” There was only one way to get the perfect dress, but Kate was hesitant to say anything.
As though reading her mind, Aunt Penney said, “We could make you a dress.”
It was just what Kate had been hoping for. “It’s a lot of work,” she said, feeling guilty. “And there’s not much time.”
“Nothing we haven’t done in the past.” Aunt Penney added some more sugar to her coffee. “Remember the dresses we used to make when you were in school?”
Kate nodded. Her aunt could work magic with a needle and thread. Cinderella’s fairy godmother had nothing on Aunt Penney when it came to creating beautiful dresses.
“Oh, I haven’t made a dress in years.” Martha’s face lit up at the idea. “I could help.”
“What sort of dress did you have in mind?” Aunt Penney looked at her niece expectantly.
Kate pulled out her phone and showed her an image she’d found online.
“That doesn’t look too hard,” Aunt Penney said. She turned the phone to Martha. “What do you think?”
“I think we have ourselves a project.” Martha was beaming. “I’d forgotten how much there is to do in a small town. I really love Bayberry.”
“Then stay,” Aunt Penney said. “I know I’d love to have you in the same town instead of having to talk on the phone or write notes back and forth.”
“I’ve been considering it.”
“What’s keeping you in Florida?”
Martha arched a brow. “You mean besides the sunshine and warmth?”
Everyone turned to the window. Outside, snow flurries were gently fluttering to the ground. Bayberry’s warmth at this time of the year came from its heart. The town glowed with kindness and compassion despite the frigid weather.
“Okay,” Aunt Penney said. “You might have me there. But we have a lot that Florida can’t offer you.”
“That’s true. The thought of moving back here—well, it’s so tempting. I’ve even mentioned it to Wesley.”
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