by Kris Jett
Amber stood up from the table, scraping her chair’s legs along the floor. “I’m having Christmas dinner with my friends at Starlight. Come or don’t come, I don’t care. But that’ where I’m going to be.” With that Amber stormed out of the room and went to her bedroom.
Chapter Twelve
Nick sat on the couch in his apartment, flipping through television channels. He paused on the Disney Christmas parade and then thought it was a little much for Christmas morning so he settled on a channel playing Home Alone. He loved that movie when he was a kid.
He had Amber’s present laid out in front of him and he was carefully wrapping it in tissue paper. He knew she’d love it. He had agonized over what was the right thing to get her and when he saw this he knew it was perfect. He took his time with the paper, making sure each crease was right. He knew this was probably the first and last present he’d ever give Amber and it made him so sad. But her holiday break was just about over and soon her and her parents would be driving out of Snowy Ridge and be headed back to Chicago. Sure they could keep in touch. They could facetime and text every once in a while or be Facebook friends. But it wouldn’t be the same. The distance would be too much. It was just his luck that he finally found a woman he was sure he could fall in love with, if he wasn’t in fact already there, just to have her leave. But she was going back to school and that was that. He’d never stand in her way. Christmas would soon be over and they would go back to their regular lives. Even if those regular lives were so much less brighter than their lives together.
Nick looked around his apartment and sighed. It was getting a bit grimy. He gave it a minor cleaning and then gathered together the gifts he was bringing to Starlight and set them on the small kitchen table. He had a few things for his bosses and a grab bag gift for his co-workers. And of course, Amber’s gift. Then he laid out the outfit he was going to wear that day, nice newer jeans and a dark Henley sweater, and jumped in the shower. He was filled with a strange combination of excitement and dread for the day.
Nick arrived early to Starlight to help set up. Diedre, Jessie, and Ralph were bustling around in the kitchen while Anne and Linda were setting up a self-serve drinks station across the bar.
“Merry Christmas,” Nick called out as he stomped the snow off his boots and hung his jacket up on the coat rack near the door.
“Merry Christmas, Nick,” Anne and Linda replied in unison.
“Nick, honey, Merry Christmas,” Diedre said as she came over and gave him a hug, being careful not to touch him with her hands which were caked in something doughy.
“I’m at your service. What can I do?”
“Start with the tables,” Jessie said. She rattled off a list of instructions for Nick in how to reconfigure the dining area of the pub to make one long table for dinner and handed him a large box full of all the table topping decor he’d need.
Nick set to work and a half an hour or so later he had a long beautifully set Christmas dinner table good enough for a royal family to dine at. The table cloths covered the table in a rich red and holy and berries were sprinkled down the entire middle with pops of big thick white candles peeking out every foot or so. Each napkin was wrapped carefully in a handmade pinecone and sprigs holder Jessie had made and sat to the right of every plate. Nick set out the name cards that Jessie had also put together, careful to seat Amber next to himself, at the front of each plate. For each setting, she had turned over two candy canes so that their handle rested on the table and fastened their top with a bright red bow. The name cards sat nestled on the candy cane like a book in a book holder. It was a Pinterest win for sure.
The finishing touches were put on the meal and soon people begun to arrive. Nick stayed out in the main dining area to help greet and get people situated with hanging up their coats and pouring a cocktail. He stroked the hairs on his chin nervously as he checked the clock on the wall. She should have been here by now. He hoped her parents didn’t keep her from coming.
The pub door swung open and Nick looked up excitedly. And then he could feel his shoulders slump and his smile fade. It was just Eileen Patterson from the bakery.
“Merry Christmas everyone,” she called out. “I come with many treats.” Eileen had three massive boxes in her hands and Nick rushed over to help her.
“Let me,” he said, taking the boxes.
“Hey, there Nick, happy holidays to you. Is your sweet girlfriend with you today?”
“Oh, she’s,” Nick started and then stopped. He was going to say that she wasn’t exactly his girlfriend but his brain didn’t want to let his mouth get it out. “Not here yet,” he said instead.
Nick set the desserts from Eileen in the kitchen and walked back out into the dining area. The door opened again and this time it was Amber. She came in all rosy cheeked from the cold and pulled at the scarf around her neck. Her eyes danced around the room, searching, until they found Nick’s. He felt his heart beat quicken and a wave of happiness wash over him. All of his apprehension and nerves fell away and he just wanted to pull her into his arms as soon as possible.
Nick crossed the room in five steps and was in front of Amber and reaching for her. “Merry Christmas.”
Amber’s eyes were glowing and he could feel her reciprocal feelings radiating toward him. If only her arms weren’t so full. “Merry Christmas,” she said, briefly burying her head into his neck.
He could feel that her nose and cheeks were cold and he briefly breathed in her scent. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. She turned her lips up and kissed him on the cheek before pulling back.
“Here, let me help you,” Nick said. Amber’s arms were weighed down with gift bags and a heavy pie plate. He took everything from her and she shrugged off her coat. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said. Suddenly he felt like he couldn’t be away from her for even a moment. Their time left together was so precious he didn’t want to miss out on even one single minute. If his heart was tugging at him this hard now, how would he ever be able to say goodbye? “I’ll just put these down and be right back.”
Nick returned to Amber quickly and slipped his arm around her waist. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered into her ear.
She turned her head toward him and gave him a curious look.
“I wanted to say it again. When your arms were freed up.”
Amber wrapped both of her arms around Nick’s neck and he responded by putting hands around her waist. “Merry Christmas, again,” she said and pulled him toward her for a kiss.
“And you’re not even under the mistletoe,” Linda said as she walked by them with a platter of cheese and sausage in her hands.
Nick and Amber pulled away from each other and grinned. They laced their fingers together and he bent slightly so their foreheads touched. “I’m glad you’re here,” he told her.
“Me too.”
Nick’s heart ached and he wondered again how he was ever going to be able to let her go.
The large group sat down at the dinner table and Nick looked around. None of these people were his family but they felt like a sort of family to him. He was so thankful to have a warm and loving place to celebrate Christmas.
The group dug into the food. Diedre, Jessie, and the others had really outdone themselves. The spread of food was massive. A huge turkey, two roasts, mashed potatoes and yams, green bean casserole and cornbread pudding. There was a variety of salads and bowls of glazed fruits, crescents and rolls. They ate and talked and had a wonderful time.
Too full to dig into dessert yet, the large group broke into smaller groups around the pub to have more intimate conversations. Someone put on Christmas music and a few people even danced. A chessboard appeared from somewhere and Ralph and Abe were locked in a game. Nick was happy and he knew he’d never ever forget this Christmas.
Chapter Thirteen
Amber sat on a cozy rug near the fireplace, her hands wrapped around her hot chocolate, as she looked over all of the stockings that must have recently been hung. There was
Jessie, Diedre, Linda, Anne, Ralph, Nick, Sam, some people from town whose names she recognized like Danny and Eileen, and some she didn’t recognize like Bets and Harry. There was April and, wait. She squinted and read again. Amber. There was a stocking for her.
“Can I join you?” Nick said as he sat down cross-legged on the rug next to Amber.
“You guys put up a stocking for me?” she asked. She was overwhelmed with a warm tingly sensation. She was so touched by this kind gesture. She’d never had a stocking before and these people who were strangers to her two weeks ago liked her enough to hang a stocking with her name on it for her. It was so sweet.
Nick smiled. “Yep. There’s something in it too.”
“There is?” Amber clapped her hands together in excitement.
“Do you want it now?” Nick stood and unfastened the stocking from the fireplace.
“Yes! And I have a gift for you too.” Amber scrambled to get the silver wrapped gift she had set under the tree and brought it back to the fireplace. “Here,” she said, handing it to Nick.
“Thank you.” He set the gift carefully on his lap and handed Amber her stocking.
“You first,” she insisted.
Nick opened the present and ran his hand over the smooth leather. “Wow, it’s beautiful.”
“It’s a journal,” Amber told him. “See your initials?”
Nick was smiling at the journal. “I do. I love it. It’s perfect.” Nick looked up at Amber and the look he gave her sent sparks straight through to her toes. “Okay, your turn,” he said.
Amber pulled the stocking onto her lap. “It’s heavy.” She reached into the stocking and pulled out a box wrapped in red and green paper with a big red bow on it’s top. She carefully removed the paper and opened the box and saw a smooth glass ball. She pulled it out of the box and held it up to get a better look.
“Oh my goodness. How? It’s amazing.” Amber shook the snow globe in her hand and a second later tiny white flakes fell on a miniature Main Street. This Main street. It was Snowy Ridge. There was Starlight Pub and MoonBeans, the Bijou and Dillon’s Market, the antique and hardware stores, and Novel Idea. There was even the town square with the gazebo etched in tiny painted on white lights. And the Christmas tree. “This is the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen,” Amber whispered.
“I hoped you would like it. There’s a lady in town who makes them and I had to talk her into selling me her last one. It’s so you’ll never forget Snowy Ridge.”
Amber blinked hard, afraid she might cry. She looked at Nick over the top of the snow globe. “I don’t want to forget.”
Nick tried to smile and then stopped. He gave Amber a quizzical look. “You won’t…” he started.
“No, you don’t understand,” Amber said. “I don’t want to leave.” Now Amber could feel her eyes welling up.
“You don’t want to go?” Nick reached over and carefully wiped a tear from her cheek with the thumb of his left hand.
“I don’t. I love it here. I love everything about Snowy Ridge: the town, the people, the atmosphere. You,” she added softly. “I don’t want to go.”
Nick took both of Amber’s hands in his and pulled her closer. “I don’t want you to go either.”
“No?” Amber looked up at Nick hopefully.
“Of course not,” Nick said. “But I don’t want to keep you from your life. I know you have a whole other world at school and back in Chicago. You have a plan.”
“I hate that plan,” she said. “I don’t want to go back to school. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell my parents this entire break. I hate it. I hate school. I don’t want to be a lawyer. They want me to be a lawyer. I want to be a baker. I don’t want to just keep doing what they want me to do.”
The two sat quietly for a moment amongst the Christmas celebrating going on all around them.
“You have to tell them then, Amber. Come clean. Do what’s best for you.”
“Do you think I can?” She felt sorta hopeless. Like even if she did get her parents to listen to her for two minutes they’d still just drag her to the car and drop her back off at school anyway. But she did stand up to them today when she left. They didn’t want her celebrating Christmas at a pub with a bunch of townspeople and she did it anyway.
Nick rubbed her hands in his. “I think you can do anything you put your mind to.”
Amber leaned toward Nick and he toward her and their lips met in a long, deep kiss. “Thank you for believing in me,” she said when she pulled away. “I’m going to tell them. Tonight. And then I’ll just have the small task of finding a place to live. And a job.” She tried to sound light hearted but was feeling completely overwhelmed.
“You’re hired!” Eileen Patterson sang out as she approached Nick and Amber and then cracked up at herself.
“Huh?” Amber asked.
“Did I just hear you say you needed a job? I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but is that what I heard?”
“Well…yes.”
“Perfect because I need another cake decorator and you’re a star. Do you want the job?”
Amber and Nick looked at each other with shocked expressions. Was this for real?
“It would give you so much experience,” Nick whispered.
Nick was right. It was an amazing opportunity. “Yes, definitely. Thank you so much, Eileen,” Amber said.
“No thank you, honey. I sure do need the help. Stop in Monday morning and we’ll get all the details down. And Merry Christmas,” she added with a laugh and then she was on to mingle with the next group of people.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Amber said.
“Christmas magic,” Nick replied and the two hugged in celebration.
Amber and Nick collected their gifts and stood up.
“Need a hot chocolate refill?” he asked her.
“You read my mind.”
They moved toward the giant urn full of hot chocolate perched on the bar.
“Oh good, I’m glad I got you two alone for a moment,” Diedre said as she walked up behind them.
“Thank you so much for inviting me Diedre, I’m having the best time tonight,” Amber told her.
“Any time hon’, any time. I have a little something for each of you.” Diedre produced two identical flat packages from behind her back and Amber and Nick took them.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Amber begun to protest but she was already opening her package. She was excited to see what was inside. When she had the paper ripped away she held the frame in her hands. “Oh, I love it. It’s wonderful.” Amber glanced at Nick who was gazing down at a similar frame with the same picture inside.
“You guys didn’t see me take that picture of you in front of the tree the night we were decorating,” Diedre said. “The way you were looking at each other, it was just so darn sweet. Nick is such a good guy, Amber, and I know he just likes you so much and it seems you like him as well. It’s so sad that you’re leaving in a couple of days just when you two are really getting to know each other and well, anyway, I was just thinking it would be a nice memento for you both to have.”
“Thank you, Diedre. It’s perfect,” Nick said.
Amber felt like she might cry again. “It is. I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re both very welcome.”
“But there’s been a change of plans,” Amber added and Nick nodded.
“Really? Are you stretching out your vacation?”
“Permanently. I just got a job at Patterson’s. Only thing left is to find a place to live.”
Diedre clapped her hands together and beamed at the two of them. “You’re staying! How wonderful.”
“I just couldn’t leave,” Amber said.
Diedre placed a hand on Amber’s forearm. “I know just how that feels.” She gave her a warm hug and when she pulled back said, “Now let’s think about where you can stay. Have you talked to Bets? She’s our realtor in town. She handles all of the home sales but she also
carries rental listings. She’s over there by the egg nog bowl now if you want to have a chat with her.”
“I can help you with a place to live,” Jessie offered, joining the group. “There’s a studio apartment for rent right next door to mine over Novel Idea. I can give my landlord a ring tomorrow if you want.”
Amber widened her eyes and looked at Nick. Living next door to Jessie was the perfect solution. She wouldn’t feel so alone and it was walking distance to everything. And the idea of living above a bookstore seemed ideal to Amber. She’d just have to be careful not spend all of her paychecks there.
“Christmas magic,” Nick said again.
“Christmas magic,” Amber agreed.
The front door of Starlight opened and some people came in. Nick took Amber’s hand and squeezed. “Amber, look.”
Amber turned toward the door and couldn’t believe her eyes. Her Mom and Dad were standing there. She let go of Nick’s hand and rushed over to greet them.
“You came,” she said, surprised.
Her dad looked around the room nervously. Amber could tell he was uncomfortable.
Her mom held out a basket full of wine and fruit. “This is for the hostess. Did you say her name was Diedre?”
“That’s so nice, Mom. I’ll introduce you to her and you can give it to her. And I want to introduce you to the rest of my friends too. I’m so glad you guys came.”
“We’re glad too,” her mom said. She reached out and touched Amber’s arm. “Honey, I know things have to change. Dad and I talked and we realized we have to stop trying to hold on so tight. We have to step back and just let you be.”
Amber glanced over her shoulder at Nick, still standing with Jessie and Diedre and then looked back at her mom. Things certainly were going to change. “We have a lot to talk about, Mom. But later. Right now I want you to meet my friends.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Happy New Year!” the wall-to-wall crowd inside Starlight Pub erupted. People cheered as they hugged and kissed each other throughout the room and confetti flew through the air.