by Nancy Naigle
Elliott blew the glass, and Hannah spun the pipe to keep it moving at a nice, steady pace to keep the fiery mass round.
Elliott and Hannah both glanced up as Megan measured the clear glass bubble that had formed at the end and then said, “We’re right where we need to be.”
“Ready?” Hannah looked up expectantly.
“Yes.” Megan suited up in big, heavy gloves to help them through the last steps. Then with one well-placed tap, the new globe dropped into Megan’s gloved hands. “Now, we just let it cool, and then sand down the bottom.” Megan put the globe on the cooling rack, then walked over to the finishing area and lifted two boxes of completed Christmas ornaments into the air. “Word around town is Daisy’s Country Store could use some help with their tree this morning. Who else wants to help?”
“We’ll help,” Elliott answered for himself and Hannah.
Katie slapped her notebook closed. “Yeah, let’s go!”
As the sun set, others who’d joined in to help decorate the balsam fir in front of Daisy’s Country Store had left, leaving Katie with Lisa to finish the job. It was a delightful surprise for Katie when six o’clock rolled around and all at once the white lights came on, outlining every single building in town for as far as she could see.
Lisa raised her hand in the air. “And this is just one more reason I love this town so much.”
“It is…” She stopped short of saying “magical.” What was the right word?
“Surprising. Right?”
“Yes,” Katie agreed. At every turn, Evergreen was most surely surprising. She felt like a kid again, excited and anticipating something special. “You’re so good at this,” she remarked.
Lisa laughed, then realized Katie wasn’t joking. “You didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
“Before I bought the store, I used to stage stores for a living. Christmas was our specialty. Our business was based in Boston, but we traveled all over.”
“Well, no wonder. It’s like you know exactly where to put everything to make it go from good to amazing.”
Lisa moved one of the big poinsettias. “Ah, well, I’ll share a little secret with you. You see, the trick is to place things just a bit off-kilter. It attracts attention that way. If you ask me, symmetry is just lazy design.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good to know. I’ve been doing it all wrong.”
“Now you know.”
“How about I stick to putting the hangers on the ornaments and let you do the magic?”
“Works for me.” Lisa moved a couple of ornaments, then tucked a red one in the open spot before stepping back and giving the placement an appreciative glance.
“So you lived in Boston. We’re kindred spirits. A couple of city girls.”
Lisa nodded. “Yep. I lived here for a while, but then we moved away, and I always had such a sweet spot in my heart for this town. I came back, sort of expecting it to be nothing like I remembered, but falling in love with it even more.”
“So you weren’t kidding when you said you came here on vacation and ended up staying for good.”
“No. All true. Daisy’s had been closed down for years and was in disrepair. Ezra had inherited it from his aunt but needed to sell it. I was here at the right time. I offered to help him put some lipstick on the old pig by staging it to help him get top dollar. In the process, I fell in love with the handyman. Realized my dream of owning my own store that I could stage every day was right in front of me. And here I am.” She moved a strand of lights deeper between the branches. “Best decision I ever made.”
“Really?” Katie couldn’t imagine giving up the city for this…as charming as it was. “And you don’t miss the city and that kind of life?”
“Sometimes, but to be honest with you, I had to learn how to be surprised. Like, for instance, I never thought in a million years that I’d be dating a guy who is essentially running a logging camp. Okay? Or that I’d own this incredible store. I love the charm of it, and the legacy I carry on for Daisy in this town. I mean, I’d dreamed of owning a store, but more of a city high-end kind of thing. Then, when I stumbled into this place… It was just perfect.” She stepped back from the tree and smiled, then stooped down to pet the two foster dogs, Brutus and Max. “And look. Now I’m hanging out with these two dogs, which you know I’m probably most definitely going to end up adopting.”
“Oh, yeah. No doubt.”
“It’s just one big surprise after the next.”
“And that doesn’t get exhausting?”
“Surprises?” Lisa looked surprised at that thought. “No. I mean, surprises are great. That’s why we wrap gifts, right? We don’t just hand them to people. Surprises are exciting. I don’t know…maybe a little bit of magic.” Lisa tossed a ball toward Katie.
Katie shrieked as the ornament came her way. With a bit of a klutzy juggle, she saved it before it hit the ground.
“Got your heart racing,” Lisa remarked.
“It did. It really did.”
“See? Surprises are good, and I think we’re done with this tree. I love it.” She picked up the nearly empty box of decorations. “Want to grab those leashes?”
“Got ’em.” Katie followed her inside, imagining what it’d be like to live here. Have her own little dogs and a slew of surprises all year long. It seemed possible here. Maybe it was the pace. Or the attitude. She wasn’t sure what it was, but for some reason, it seemed so much easier here than back in the city.
Chapter Eighteen
That afternoon, Ben strung the lights on the Christmas tree in front of the library. The beauty soared every bit of ten feet tall. Maybe twelve. It was hard to tell outside. Either way, Henry had picked them a winner. The tree was so much larger than previous years that Ben had had to scrounge up a couple of extra strands of lights to do it justice. The brisk air became more comfortable the longer he worked. By the time he’d gotten all the lights strung, he’d had to come out of his scarf and jacket.
In years past, they’d decorated the tree outside with old glass ornaments Nan had collected over the years. They’d seen better days, and several had broken. Worried someone might get hurt, Nan had purchased new ornaments made from plastic at the end of the season last year. When they’d arrived, they were huge. Ben had teased Nan, saying they looked more like playground balls than ornaments.
He owed her an apology now, though, because those big four-, six- and eight-inch balls worked great on a tree this size, easily filling in the bare spots. It hadn’t taken nearly as long to decorate, either.
With the brilliant glass Moravian star on top, the tree was quite grand. Ben admired his handiwork, then stepped back and took a picture with his phone to post on the library social media page.
The tree dazzled in the sunshine, but he couldn’t wait for Nan to see it all lit up tonight with all the extra lights he’d used this time.
Ben carried the empty boxes inside to store them in the attic.
This year, the holiday was turning out to be even more amazing than usual with the discovery of the time capsule, and now the daily advent calendar celebrations. He could hardly blame Katie for being a little skeptical under the circumstances.
He didn’t want to be mad at her, and sour moods were no fun either. Part of his frustration was that he wasn’t sure why he was really mad at her. She was entitled to her opinion. He didn’t even know her. She surely didn’t owe him anything. But there was something about her that kept his attention in a weird push-pull kind of way.
Evergreen was a small town, and she was a guest. He’d have to make nice with her. It was the right thing to do.
More cheerful after having accomplished a few things this morning and the decision to make up with Katie, Ben went back downstairs, whistling “Up on the Housetop.” On his way out the front door, he noticed a red box with a green bow sitting on the desk.
People were always leaving little thank-you gifts for Nan.
Curious, he stopped and picked it up. The box was as light as air. Tucked beneath the bow, a makeshift card from a folded piece of wrapping paper peeked out. It read, “Ben, Winter Sports Attempt at the Skating Pond? 7 p.m.?”
That light little box and note carried some weight. Katie?
A smile spread across his face. One so big he could feel it in his cheeks.
He lifted the top of the box and peeked inside. A glass star ornament edged in gold lay nestled atop a plush bed of cotton. He picked it up by the gold cord. I know exactly what I’d wish for on this star. To spend more time with Katie. Sharing a few smiles. Making her believe, like a real Evergreenian. Tucking the ornament back into the box, he was glad his afternoon was going to be busy with helping out at the pond to get things ready for the first night of ice skating. Otherwise, it’d feel like one long day.
He tucked his skates under one of the benches, then went over to the skate rental building to help them unpack the boxes donated by the Stralls.
The fire department posted their safety approval, and then everyone pitched in to get the holiday light tunnel set up where people would enter and exit the ice. Ben had been a part of this transformation since he was in high school, but still it surprised him how different everything looked decorated for the holidays.
By dinner time, Ben and Nick had already handed out a good many scarves. At six o’clock, the lights on the bridge automatically came on, only tonight there were other decorations too. He must’ve checked his watch more than a dozen times from that point, anxious for seven o’clock and to see Katie.
Thank goodness handing out scarves didn’t require much attention, because he was squarely focused on the bridge that went over the skating pond.
Following the excitement from today’s time capsule box, tonight had to be a record-breaking attendance for the first skating night. Everyone wore the colorful scarves. It looked like a kaleidoscope of colors with everyone skating and spinning on the ice. Smoky puffs from the warmth of the skaters’ breaths in the frigid air disappeared as quickly as they expelled them. He sucked in a lungful of air. It smelled like snow to him. That fresh, clean air that seemed almost too thin to breathe sometimes.
Finally, he caught a glimpse of Katie walking across the bridge. She’d stopped and leaned over the railing, watching the skaters below. He grabbed the scarf he’d set aside for her. Technically, she wasn’t a resident, but she’d been a big part of uncovering the mystery behind the time capsule, so it seemed only fitting she should get to partake in the gifts too.
“I’ve got to run,” Ben said to Nick.
Nick followed his line of sight and smiled. “Yes, you do. I’ve got this. You go enjoy your evening,” he said with a wink. “She’s a special young lady.”
“I think so too.” Ben patted the old man on the back. “Thanks.” He ran up the path toward the bridge, slowing to a walk to catch his breath, going over in his head what he should say.
Standing there holding Nan’s skates, Katie looked beautiful.
“Hey,” he said.
She turned with a smile. “I’m glad you came. Ben, I never meant to—”
“Thank you.” He caught her elbow with his hand. He didn’t want her to feel like she had to apologize. He smiled and lifted the soft scarf he’d been holding. “I brought you one of the scarves from the time capsule.”
She took it into her hands. “I love it. Thank you.”
“Thank you for the ornament.”
“It reminded me of that star cookie you made at Megan’s. The falling star.” She mimicked his gesture from that night, his fingers waggling as he’d soared that cookie through the air.
“It’s great.” That had been such a silly antic, but it was so easy to be playful with her. “Are you ready to give this a try?”
“I got Nan’s skates. I hope they bring me some luck.” She spun around. “I’m telling you. No matter how many dance classes, gymnastics, even hours of vigorous Pilates practice I’ve done…I’m going to fall down.”
“That’s okay.” He leaned against the railing next to her. “I’ll be there to help you back up.”
She pushed her hands into her pockets, staring out over the pond. “The view from up here is breathtaking, and this bridge…the heavy timbers. I can’t imagine how it was built.”
“It was built by beavers, y’know.”
“The bridge?”
“No. The pond. Before anyone even lived in this area. I come out here in the summer to watch them work.”
“And then in winter, they huddle into their little beaver shacks and…drink beaver eggnog?”
“Can any of us really know for sure?” He loved how she got his sense of humor. That had to mean something. Was that enough to build something on? They could play, but could they compromise and forgive?
She turned to face him, her back to the railing. “I was a little tough on you before.”
“I was tough on you too. And I’m sorry about that. They were your notes. I had no right to read them, or judge you by them.”
“No, I get it. You really love this place. I get why you’d be protective of it.”
“Well, and I also get how it’d look to someone not from around here. And I don’t believe that all people living in a city are…”
“Cynical?”
“Yeah.”
“Cold?” Katie teased.
“No. Not cold either, or maybe they are when it’s freezing out, but you know what I mean.” He knew she was teasing. “You know, I used to live in Chicago. Five years. I loved living in the city, actually.”
“Really?” She folded her arms across her chest. “So then why did you leave?”
He liked her. If he was even remotely considering pursuing her, she deserved to know about his past. He hoped it wouldn’t make a difference that he’d been married before. He wasn’t sure how to share that.
Before he could respond, Michelle walked up with her skates draped over her right shoulder. “Hey, guys. Are you two heading down to the ice?”
“Yes. About to face my worst fears,” Katie responded. “I see you are too.”
“Yeah, and I had to bring David his hat. He’s always forgetting it.” She lifted the red toboggan, straightening it sweetly in her hand. “Thomas usually does this, but with him gone, I’m filling in.”
Ben noticed the longing in her mannerisms. She was really missing Thomas, and she was such a natural with David. It was hard to believe they’d only been dating a year.
“Michelle!” The voice came from below on the ice rink. There, in the middle of the ice with dozens of people skating around him, Thomas stood on ice skates with his arms flung out wide into a hug.
“Thomas!” Michelle raced to the railing as if proving to herself she wasn’t dreaming. “Thomas! It’s you! You’re early.” She turned to Katie with her mouth and eyes wide. “I can’t believe this!” She turned back, waving madly.
“I wanted to surprise you.” He spread his arms again. “Surprise!”
“All right! Oh goodness. Thomas!” Michelle could barely contain her excitement. “You wait right there. I’m coming down!” She clenched her fists and set off down the bridge to catch up to him. “Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this. Excuse me.”
“That is so romantic.” Katie held her hand to her heart. Thomas wasn’t waiting; he was already moving across the ice at a high speed toward Michelle.
“Shall we?” Ben asked, nodding toward the couple.
“Yeah. Let’s.”
He grabbed Katie’s hand. They took the stairs like two athletes racing bleachers to the pond level to catch up with Michelle for the reunion.
Michelle raced across the snow to meet Thomas, who was skating through the decorated arches to the edge of the pond. She ran right into his arms, and the
y kissed.
Ben and Katie stood nearby. He wrapped an arm around Katie’s waist as they looked on. She relaxed against him. He took in the scent of her hair as they watched on together.
“I was worried you wouldn’t make it.” Michelle reached for Thomas’s cheek.
“I almost didn’t. I got through just before they closed the roads. It was pummeling the place. I hope Kevin made it out too.”
“Dad!” David sped across the ice as fast as an Olympic speed skater, ramming to a stop right into Thomas, bear-hugging him around the waist.
“Hey, look at you. You’re even taller than when I saw you a few weeks ago.” Thomas clapped an arm around his son’s shoulder. “It’s so good to see you both.”
“We’ve been good, but we’re glad you’re back.” David hugged Michelle.
“Who’s ready for hot chocolate?” Michelle asked.
Both guys pointed to themselves. “Me!”
“Quite the reunion,” Ben said as he and Katie watched nearby.
“They make such a beautiful family,” she said. “How long have they been married?”
“They’re not. But I think that’s just a matter of time. They met last year during the Christmas festival. Thomas is Hannah’s brother.”
“Right, because David is Hannah’s nephew. I got it.” She glanced over again, a sweet look falling across her lips. “They look like they’ve been together forever.” Her voice was soft, almost longing.
He felt the same way when he watched those two together. “I know, and she’s so great with David.” Ben took Katie’s hand. “Come on. I’ll get you a hot chocolate too.”
“That does sound good.”
Across the pond, Joe had the kiosk he often used in Kringle Alley set up rink-side. Only now, it was dressed up with a wreath and Christmas garland. There was no cash register, only a big glass pickle jar, which was already filling up with coins and dollars. The price of hot chocolate…just a donation.
Ben stepped up and ordered two. “Peppermint, please.”
Katie grinned. “It smells so good.” She took a deep breath in.