by Olivia Miles
And what would happen if he suddenly did.
CHAPTER 23
It had snowed overnight. Kara knew before she’d even gotten out from under the warm duvet. There was a stillness in the air, a crispness in the light that poked through the curtains on her bedroom window. Growing up, she’d always found that a fresh dusting of snow on Christmas morning made things extra magical.
But right now, she wasn’t feeling it. She wasn’t feeling much, other than a heaviness in her chest and a sudden yearning to just have the entire holiday over with.
She’d hoped Molly would have spent the night with her, but her sister felt she should really be at home with their mother, and Kara understood. She supposed she could have stayed in her childhood home as well, but she’d felt the need to come back to her apartment last night and wake up in her own bed.
Oh, who was she kidding? A little part of her had hoped that she might run into Nate or that he might stop by. But Christmas Eve had come and gone without a word. And by this time tomorrow, he’d be gone. She supposed in some ways, he already was.
A ringing of a buzzer jolted her from her pillow, and she sat upright in bed, blinking into the empty room. She must have imagined it.
But no—there it was again. Her heart began to pound as she considered the possibility. Nate, standing downstairs, waiting to be let in. To talk. To…
She grabbed the clock on her nightstand and closed her eyes. It wasn’t Nate. Of course it wasn’t. What was there to even say, to salvage? It was her sister. Molly had said she’d pop by around ten, and here it was, ten sharp. Kara hadn’t slept a wink past five in ages, and fatigue had finally caught up with her.
She slipped her feet into slippers, grabbed her robe, and padded to the front door to buzz her sister in. Peering through the peephole, she held her breath, just in case… But no. There was Molly, bounding up the stairs, all fresh faced and merry-looking.
“You look awfully happy this morning, considering…” Kara gave her younger sister the once-over. Her hair was brushed and neat, her eyes showed no sign of crying, and she was wearing red earmuffs to match her sweater.
“Well, merry Christmas to you, too,” Molly said.
“Sorry.” Kara sighed, stepping back. She rubbed her forehead. She felt strangely like she could go back to bed, sleep for another few hours. So much for breaking routine. “I just woke up, actually.”
“Hmm.” Molly pursed her lips, giving her a look of disapproval as she unbuttoned her coat and tossed it over the back of a chair. “You sure that’s all? Your eyes look a little red.”
Kara brought a hand to her cheek. She’d cried last night. She couldn’t help it. It was silly, she realized now. So she’d felt a spark. It was just a nuance. Something others felt all the time. It didn’t mean anything.
Except, why did it feel like it had?
“I told you,” she said hastily. “I’m tired. This is the first day I’ve felt like I could breathe in a long time. Besides, you’re the one everyone is worried about.”
“Me? Why?” Molly wandered into the kitchen and, without being asked, began making coffee. Kara leaned against the counter and let her, already anticipating the first cup. It would clear her head, erase all these murky, heavy-hearted feelings that still plagued her. And after that, she’d shower, wash away the pain of yesterday, and get on with her day. The new year was almost here. No use dwelling on the past couple of weeks.
“I’m perfectly fine,” Molly continued after she’d set the machine to brew. “I don’t know why everyone thinks I should be falling apart.”
Kara’s chin dropped as she stared at her sister, who had the audacity to look all wide-eyed and innocent. “Molly, you and Todd broke up.”
Her sister shrugged. “So?”
“So, last time that happened, you could barely get out of bed to shower,” Kara reminded her.
“Well, it was different then. I was still in love with Todd then.” She opened a cabinet and pulled out two mugs. Kara struggled to find words for her response.
“And… you’re not now? But you were engaged. You accepted his proposal!”
Molly set the mugs down on the counter and sighed heavily. “I know I did, but… I shouldn’t have.”
Kara closed her eyes for a brief moment. “Oh, Molly.”
“After Todd broke up with me, well, you saw how upset I was. I thought I would die without him. Dramatic, I know, but… I ached for him,” she said, shaking her head sadly. “I got swept up, I lost sight of the fact that we had broken up in the first place for a reason. He’s not the man for me.”
Kara didn’t say anything. She understood. Sort of. At least if the little tug in her chest since her conversation with Nate yesterday meant anything. It hurt. Badly.
The coffee had finished percolating, and Molly filled their mugs. She added a heaping spoonful of sugar to hers, and Kara added a splash of milk, before they brought their mugs into the living room and settled on the sofa.
“I thought, if he really wants me, he needs to make a commitment this time. And then he did! And then we were engaged, I guess. And then I was bringing him to the jewelry store where I’d picked out my ring.”
Kara lifted an eyebrow pointedly. “When had you picked out this one?” Molly had been clipping photos of engagement rings for nearly as long as she’d been snipping photos of cake toppers.
“About a month earlier when the magazine ran a cover shoot of the newest collections.” Molly grimaced. “If it had happened last year, I would have been stuck with a square shape. I know, I’m terrible.”
“You’re a romantic,” Kara said. “And you love weddings.”
“And I thought I loved Todd. I really thought so.” She took a sip of her coffee and sighed. “It didn’t feel right anymore. Maybe it was because he’d broken up with me, or maybe it was because I’d gotten over him. But I didn’t feel it anymore. That spark. It was gone.”
That spark. The one she’d finally felt… for the wrong man. “I’m not the one to talk to about sparks,” Kara said tightly.
“Oh, but I think you are,” Molly insisted. “I’ve seen the way you light up around Nate. That’s how it should be.”
“I was just caught up in the holidays. In his cute face. In…” In his kindness to his aunt, and to others. In his sense of humor, his easy wit, and his loyalty. “It doesn’t matter now,” she said, shaking away those thoughts.
“But it does matter,” Molly said. “I almost sold out for a satin ball gown and a three-carat diamond.”
“Was it really that big?” Kara asked, stricken.
“It was,” Molly said, sighing. She flexed her bare ring finger. “But seeing the way you lit up these past couple of weeks, it made me realize I’d trade it all for half of what you felt.”
“Oh, Molly,” Kara said, feeling her eyes well with tears. She looked up at the tree in the corner of the room, thinking of the day she and Nate had set it up. Their first kiss. “It wasn’t meant to be,” she said, her voice feeling thick. She took another sip of her coffee. It was doing little to clear her head in the way she’d hoped. She supposed some things just took time.
“You never know,” Molly encouraged. “But I’m glad you met him all the same. Now you know how it’s supposed to feel. And I do, too.”
Kara could only nod. “So much for a merry Christmas,” she said wryly.
“Oh, I wouldn’t give up that easily,” Molly said, a sly smile curving the corners of her mouth. She set her mug down and crossed the room to her coat and handbag, where she produced this morning’s newspaper, all rolled up and tucked into a plastic bag.
“Oh my goodness,” Kara breathed. The Holiday House contest. She’d completely forgotten that the winner would be announced on the front page. She set her mug down before she spilled coffee all over her white sofa and pressed a hand to her stomach. “I feel like I might get sick.”
But Molly wasn’t backing down. Her arm was extended, the paper so close, Kara couldn’t stall her much
longer.
“Open it already,” Molly pressed. “Aren’t you curious?”
“More like terrified,” Kara admitted, staring at the rolled-up paper. It was such a simple object, so plain, really, but in this moment, it was the worst thing she’d ever looked at. She held her hands up and brought the paper to her lap. Slowly, she pulled it free of the plastic bag, her breath stagnant as her heart beat double time in her chest.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Molly exclaimed, and leaned forward to yank the paper from Kara’s hands. She opened it faster than Kara could process what was happening, and triumphantly held it up in the air.
Kara stared at the image, trying to process what she was seeing, what it meant. There, on the front page of the Briar Creek Gazette, was a picture of her childhood home… in gingerbread.
“Oh my God!” she cried, jumping to her feet to snatch the paper back. “Does this mean… does this mean…”
“You won, Kara! You did it!” Molly was laughing and shaking her by the shoulders as she jumped up and down.
Kara stared at her sister and then narrowed her eyes. “You knew all along!” she cried, giving Molly a playful swat with the paper.
“Well, I was going to tell you right away, but then you had to go and be in such a grumpy mood,” Molly said, laughing.
“I can’t believe this,” Kara said, staring at the picture in wonder, the image blurring from her tears of happiness.
“I can,” Molly said proudly.
“And I can, too,” a voice in the doorway said.
Startled, Kara looked up to see her mother standing at the edge of the living room, beaming at her with shiny eyes.
So much for not crying on Christmas, Kara thought as she crossed the room to give her mother a hug. And when she looked over her shoulder to pull Molly in, too, she could have sworn her dad’s star on top of the tree twinkled just a little more than usual.
It was a slow morning at the inn. Aunt Maggie had prepared a feast in honor of the holiday, opting for a sit-down hot meal instead of her usual buffet, and the few guests that had remained in town were now off in their rooms or wandering through the snow-covered town.
Nate busied himself by helping his aunt, but it did little to lessen the guilt he felt at leaving her tomorrow morning.
“Have you heard any news of the Holiday House contest?” he asked conversationally as he dried the last of the dishes. He’d been putting it off all day, but he knew there was no denying it. Today the winner would be announced. He wasn’t so sure how he felt about that.
Maggie took the plate from his hand and set it back on the stack in the cabinet. The dishwasher was already full and running, and Nate couldn’t help but wonder how long it would have taken her to clean everything herself had he not been there to help.
“Found out first thing this morning,” she announced.
He shot her a look in surprise. “What? But why didn’t you tell me?” He searched her face, looking for a clue, but she just gave him a mysterious smile and tipped her head toward the door. “The paper’s on the coffee table in the lobby. Go see for yourself.”
Nate set the towel down on the counter and left the room, wondering why his aunt hadn’t just come out and said it. She liked a bit of drama, he decided as he rounded his way through the dining room. No doubt she’d won but wanted to see the look on his face when he picked up the paper and saw—
He saw the cover before he was halfway into the lobby. There it was, the whole front page, just like he’d been hearing about since he’d arrived in town. Kara’s gingerbread house. She’d actually won.
“It’s a beautiful gingerbread house,” Maggie said from somewhere behind him.
Nate picked up the paper and stared at the image. It was a beautiful house. Well done. Meaningful. A picture-perfect moment made of sugar and spice. He’d had a couple of those picture-perfect moments himself recently, thanks to her.
He set the paper down and turned to his aunt, resting his hands on his hips. “I feel like this is my fault,” he admitted, giving her a long look. “I challenged Kara to the contest. She wouldn’t have entered if it wasn’t for me.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for!” his aunt proclaimed. “That girl deserved to win fair and square. Did you see that thing? She’s certainly more talented than I gave her credit for.”
“More talented than most gave her credit for,” Nate added, thinking of what Kara had said about the passing comments, the people who had judged her on her past. They’d thought less of her, didn’t believe in her.
But he had. Maybe it was because he saw through to her. Or maybe it was because he knew how she felt.
“But the money,” he said, remembering everything his aunt had lost by not winning this contest.
She waved a hand through the air, dismissing his concern. “I told you, money isn’t important to me.” She picked up the paper and tapped the front page. “I came in second place. Did you see that?”
“So close,” he said, frowning. He scanned the paragraph she was pointing to. Sure enough, runner-up.
“That’s all I needed,” she said, folding the paper carefully and tucking it under her arm. “A little recognition that this place is something special. As if my guests don’t already remind me of that every day.”
Nate smiled at her sadly. It pained him to think of this place someday shutting its doors or being put up for sale. He could only imagine it pained his aunt even more.
He swallowed hard, the idea he’d come up with during his sleepless night still nagging him. He eyed his aunt, wondering if he should broach it, if it even made sense or was what she wanted. She hadn’t suggested it. Was it even his place?
He blew out a breath. He decided to try.
“I know that my parents have been a bit distant over the years,” he said. “But they care. They were going to come visit you this holiday.”
“Your mother finally talked your father into it,” Maggie replied. “I know.”
Nate hesitated. “This may not be my place, but when I see an opportunity, I like to bring it to attention. This inn, it’s your family home, you’ve said so yourself. And my parents… Well, what would you think about them helping out, taking over, eventually? They’re quite a bit younger and—”
“And I can see now why you’re the successful business genius you are!” she whooped, clapping her hands. Sobering, she looked up at him worriedly. “But do you think they’d go for it?”
“My mother would be in her glory,” Nate said truthfully. He could see her now, living in this beautiful house, doting on guests, baking her gingerbread every Christmas. “And my dad, well, he wouldn’t want to admit it, but he’d love it. And… I’d love it. And if I knew that they were going to be okay, that they had something… Well, you’d be doing me the favor, Aunt Maggie. Is it too much to ask?”
“More like it’s the perfect solution,” she replied. “And don’t you worry about your father. I know how to get what I want when it comes to men,” she said, winking.
Nate blushed. He realized she was right. She’d gotten him right where she wanted him, hadn’t she? And she’d probably been planning it all along.
He looked at the clock, then skirted his gaze around the empty lobby. It was quiet and still and he hated to ask his aunt for any more favors, but this was one time he had to be selfish.
“Can I ask you one more thing?” he hedged. “The tea. I know it’s finished for the season, but do you think you might be willing to set up a table in the dining room, the one near the window?”
“Christmas high tea. My pleasure. One serving?” she asked knowingly.
“Two,” Nate replied. “With any luck.”
CHAPTER 24
Kara was still pinching herself as she followed Molly down the stairs of her building to Main Street. Her step was quick, her heart a little lighter than it was before, and the smile hadn’t left her face until—
“Oh no,” she all but screeched as she ground to a halt on the snowy
curb. She grabbed Molly’s arm in horror and stared into her sister’s deep blue eyes. “Mom’s present! I completely forgot!”
She put a hand to her head, trying not to panic, but a cold sweat was sending chills down her body as she chastised herself for overlooking something so important. She looked frantically down the street, but she knew it was no use. The shops were closed. The only place open was the diner, and even that would be closing soon.
She thought of anything she might have, what she could give. She’d gotten Molly a bracelet. But her mother hated bracelets.
“Relax,” Molly said calmly. “I bought her a necklace. It can be from both of us. I even kept the receipt, too.”
“Oh, thank you,” Kara gushed, and waited for her pulse to resume a normal speed.
“But between you and me, I think that gingerbread house was the real gift. Even if you hadn’t won the contest, you still created something precious for our family. Thank you for that.” Molly’s eyes glistened for a moment, but she sniffed and gave a knowing grin. “Besides, you know what Mom really wants for Christmas.”
Kara rolled her eyes. They all knew.
“I know that Luke has put her off, but did you see Grace at that cookie exchange?” Molly raised an eyebrow. “The girl must have eaten half the buffet. She made me look like I was on a diet.”
Kara blinked. “You don’t mean…”
Molly shrugged. “I can’t be sure, but I have a feeling that by this evening, everyone will have gotten what they want for Christmas.”
“I hope so,” Kara said, but she wasn’t so sure she had. Yes, she’d won the contest, but Nate was still gone, still convinced they were a mismatch, that she could never understand him. Maybe she couldn’t. But she’d have liked to have tried.
Kara’s car was parked around the back of the bakery in its usual spot, and Rosemary was at the diner, fetching Sharon, who insisted on serving Christmas breakfast each year to all the old widowers in town, who counted on her for it. Kara tried not to look across the town square at the inn as they cut around to the back of the building. Soon they’d all be piled in the car, on the way to her childhood home at the edge of town, and the celebration would begin. And she had a lot to celebrate this year.