Max barked his encouragement.
Ten minutes later, when she was standing over the stove with a saucepan of burning popcorn and kernels were flying all the over the place, she realized making popcorn wasn’t as easy as she’d thought. When Jeff walked in, she gave him a pleading look as she held out the popcorn pan that was still sending popcorn flying. “Help!”
“Whoa . . .” Jeff laughed as he took the pan from her and placed it in the sink. “What happened?”
Haley was scrambling around trying to pick all the popcorn kernels off the floor. “I think I put too much popcorn in, or maybe too much oil, or I was trying to cook it too hot . . .”
“Or you used too small of a pan?”
Haley looked at the pan. “Yes, definitely too small of a pan.”
“And the lid?”
“Oh yeah.” Haley rolled her eyes. “A lid would have been helpful. Clearly, I didn’t think this through. I was just trying to hurry and get the kids some popcorn.”
Jeff laughed. “So it was for a good cause.”
“Exactly.”
Jeff took a fancy popcorn popping machine out of the cupboard. “This might help.”
Haley nodded. “Of course you have one of those.”
Jeff grinned back at her. “Of course. But you know what? Not everyone does, so let me show you the other way.”
“No, really, it’s okay. Let’s use the popcorn machine.”
But it was too late. Jeff was already putting the machine back and pulling out a bigger pan. “This should do the trick.”
Haley handed him the popcorn bag. “Okay, let’s see what ya got.”
They shared a smile.
A few minutes later, after Jeff had talked Haley through making two more batches of popcorn, both of which turned out flawlessly, they took the two bowls into the dining room for the kids.
“Here you go,” Haley said. “Sorry for the delay. I had a little incident in the kitchen.”
“I thought I smelled something burning,” Blake said.
Haley shook her head. “Don’t ask.”
“Awesome! Thank you!” Madison took her bowl from Haley and gave her a grateful look. “Have you started on your ornament yet?”
Haley picked up her basket. It was covered with a red napkin. “Not yet. I’m still looking for that inspiration.”
They all looked up as Laura walked in. “Madison and Blake, it looks like you two are hard at work.” She then looked at Haley and Jeff. “And I see you two have been in my kitchen.”
Haley jumped up. “I’ll clean up the mess. It’s my fault.”
“And I helped,” Jeff added.
“It’s not a problem,” Laura said. “I can clean it up, but would you mind running into town for me? I’d like to add some roasted chestnuts to the dressing I’m making for our Christmas meal tonight.”
“Of course not,” Jeff said.
“And why don’t you take Haley with you,” Laura suggested. “Maybe she’ll find some inspiration for her ornament.” She smiled at Haley, and that all-knowing look was back. “Have fun.”
IT WAS A beautiful afternoon as Haley and Jeff walked down Main Street. All the snow on the sidewalks had been shoveled, making it easier for last-minute Christmas shoppers to do their power shopping. When Haley passed a cute couple loaded down with bags struggling to take a selfie, she stopped.
“Here, let me take the picture for you,” she offered.
The cute couple gave her a grateful smile. The girl handed over her phone. “Thank you! I was trying to get all the Christmas decorations in behind us, but my arm just wasn’t long enough.”
Haley positioned the camera just right so it would include all the decorations they wanted. “Okay, are you ready?”
“Ready,” they both said.
“Say ‘Christmas!’”
“Christmas!” they said together, and started laughing. That’s when Haley snapped the picture. When she looked at her handiwork, she was pleased. The picture was adorable. She handed the camera back to the couple. “Here you go.”
“Thank you so much,” the girl said. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” Haley smiled back at them before they continued down the road.
Jeff turned to study her.
“What?” she asked, when she saw the way he was looking at her.
“You just continue to surprise me, that’s all.”
“In a good way or a bad way?”
He looked into her eyes. “In a good way.”
Haley could feel herself blush, so she quickly changed the topic. “So, where are these famous chestnuts you keep talking about?”
“Right up there,” Jeff said as he pointed at a street vendor.
A few minutes later, as they walked back to Jeff’s truck, he held a bag of chestnuts out to her. “Try one.”
Haley shook her head. “That’s okay.”
“You don’t like them?”
“I actually don’t know.”
“What? You’ve never had roasted chestnuts at Christmas?”
Haley laughed at his amazement. “Let me guess. It’s another one of your traditions?”
“You bet it is. Now you have to try one.”
She gingerly put her hand into the bag, pulled out a warm chestnut, and took a tiny bite. Her face registered her surprise. She took a bigger bite. “It’s actually really good.”
“I told you. Just wait until you try it in Laura’s dressing. You’re going to love it.”
Haley took in the charming scenery as they continued walking. “Talking about loving it . . . my parents would love this place. It’s like something out of a Christmas card.”
“I thought they loved the beach at Christmas?”
“Well, actually, I think they’re more excited to stay home this year and do a regular Christmas.”
Jeff looked surprised. “You mean a traditional Christmas? You’re doing that?”
Haley nodded and smiled, remembering how excited her parents had been. “I thought we’d change things up this year.”
“Well, there you go again,” he said.
“What?”
“Surprising me.”
Haley couldn’t help but smile as she popped the rest of the chestnut into her mouth.
“Seriously, I think that’s really great, and I hope it’s a very special Christmas for you,” Jeff said. “You deserve a special Christmas.”
When Haley looked into his eyes and saw how sincere he was, it made her heart melt.
“But I have one important question for you. Will you be doing snow angels?”
She laughed. “I don’t know about that. At this point I’m just hoping we don’t have any more pipes burst.”
“If you get into any trouble, you can always call me. I’ve been told I’m pretty handy around the house.”
“Really? Even a Money Pit? Because this one can be a beast.”
“Hey, I’m the restoration guy, remember. I like a challenge.” When he looked into her eyes, she wasn’t sure if he was talking about the house . . . or her.
She looked away quickly. “You better be careful, I might take you up on that offer.”
Jeff smiled at her as he held out the bag for her to take another roasted chestnut. “I hope you do.”
Haley laughed as she took a chestnut. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt this happy and hopeful.
Chapter 29
Back in her room at the inn, Haley was just about to tackle her ornament project when there was a soft knock on her door. She opened it to find Gail standing there.
“Hi,” she said. “What’s up?”
Gail held up her basket. “I was hoping you could help me with my ornament. I need another set of hands.”
Haley opened her door wide. “Absolutely, come on in.” When they sat down on the bed, she turned to Gail. “So, what can I do to help?”
Gail pulled some twigs out of her basket and some tinfoil. “I was hoping you could hold these twigs
for me while I wrap them in tinfoil.”
“Sure, that’s easy.”
Gail started wrapping up the twigs. “So, I saw you and Jeff making snow angels several days ago.”
Haley laughed. “Yeah, that was crazy. I haven’t done that in—forever.”
“It looked like you were having fun together,” Gail said, and her knowing look was back.
Haley shook her head. “You have to stop with the look. It’s not like that. I mean, he’s a great guy. Look how much he loves his dad, and he’s smart and funny and kind and—”
“And you like him,” Gail finished for her.
Haley groaned and fell back onto her bed. “And I like him. Now what am I going to do. This was not part of the plan.”
“You know what they say, life is what happens when you’re making other plans.”
Haley sat back up. “But I don’t have a life beyond work, and that’s really been okay . . .”
“Until now?” Gail asked.
Haley nodded. “I mean, honestly, I don’t know what I mean. I’m just confused. You know I’m really good at my job. I’m confident about that. But when it comes to a relationship—that’s a whole different story.”
“Maybe you’re overthinking it. You just need to trust your feelings.” Gail gave her hand a little squeeze. “Just let yourself feel what you feel without trying to figure it all out right now.”
“So, you’re basically saying to just slow down and feel. That’s exactly what Ben said I needed to do about being here at Christmas Camp, so I could find my Christmas spirit.”
“And has it worked?”
Haley nodded, looking thankful. “I think so . . .”
Gail put her arm around her. “I think so, too.”
ABOUT AN HOUR later everyone gathered at the dining room table. Haley sat between Gail and Jeff. Everyone had their baskets in front of them with their ornaments inside. When Jeff tried to lift Haley’s red napkin to peek at her ornament, she playfully swatted his hand away. “It’s a surprise.”
Ben overheard her and laughed as he stood up. “So, is everyone ready to reveal what they’ve made? I know Haley’s been keeping hers a big secret.”
Madison jumped up. “I’ll show mine!”
“Great,” Ben said as he sat back down. “Okay, Madison, show us what you’ve made and tell us what inspired you.”
Madison gave her brother a grateful look when she held up her ornament. It was about the size of a tennis ball, made of popcorn and cranberries. “I wanted to make a Christmas ornament that could go outside, for all the birds, so they can have a Christmas meal, too.”
Susie clapped her hands. “I love that!”
“So do I,” Gail said. “I want one of those for my house.”
John looked at Madison with such pride and love. “That’s really beautiful, honey, the ornament and the idea. Great job.”
Madison was beaming from all the praise. “Blake helped.”
John looked surprised. “Really? You two worked together on it?”
“It was her idea, I just helped with the glue.”
“So it was a true team effort,” Ben said. “Now that’s the Christmas spirit. Nice job.” He turned to Susie and Ian. “Okay, Susie what do you have?”
Susie smiled at her husband. “Well, Ian and I also worked on our ornament together.”
“I wanted something natural,” Ian said.
“And of course, I wanted a little bling,” Susie added.
“Of course,” Ben said.
Everyone laughed.
Ian kissed Susie on the cheek. “But we found a way to compromise and not just on making the ornament.”
Susie smiled back at him. “Being here this last week really showed us that now that we’re married, we need to have our own Christmas traditions. We, of course, want to respect our family traditions, as different as they are, but we now know it’s all about having balance.”
“And compromising,” Ian added.
“And compromising,” Susie agreed.
“I have faith that you two will find a way to honor all your traditions, old and new, this Christmas,” Ben said.
“Thanks to you and this Christmas Camp.” Susie smiled back at Ben. “So, here’s our ornament. It will always be a reminder of our first Christmas together.”
When she held up their beautiful ornament everyone could see that it was a pinecone covered with gold glitter.
“A little bit of nature,” Ian said.
“And a little bit of bling,” Susie added.
Ian kissed her on the cheek.
“Very nice!” Ben said.
“I want one of those at my house, too,” Gail chimed in. “It’s beautiful.”
“Okay; so, Gail, you’re up next. Show us your ornament,” Ben said.
Gail smiled as she held up a lovely little star made out of twigs and tinfoil. She looked over at Ben. “Thank you for inspiring me, Ben, and for putting me in the star room and sharing how special stars are in our life. It’s a true gift you’ve given me, one I’ll never forget, and I’m very grateful.”
Haley took it all in. When she saw how Gail’s heartfelt words touched Ben, she knew there was the potential for something very special between them. She glanced over to Jeff and saw he was smiling and watching them, too.
“Okay, Dad, it’s your turn,” Blake said. “What did you make?”
All eyes turned to John. He looked a little embarrassed. “You know I’m not great with arts and crafts . . .”
“But you made something, right?” Madison asked, looking concerned.
John nodded. “Ben said to make something from your heart, that inspired you, so that’s what I did, or at least tried to do.”
When he held up his ornament, there was a collective “Awww . . .” It was a paper heart. On one side, there was a picture of Blake, and on the other side a picture of Madison. Madison and Blake looked touched.
“Where did you get our pictures?” Madison asked.
“I always carry them in my wallet,” John answered. “You guys are always with me, even when we’re not together. I love you both so much. I hope you always know that. And I promise this is a new start for us. I’m going to spend less time at work and more time with you—”
Before he could finish, Madison gave him a hug.
“I love you, Dad.” Her voice cracked with emotion.
Blake high-fived his dad. “That’s cool, Dad. Thanks.”
Ben looked over at Haley. “Okay, we saved you until last, Haley. Show us the ornament you made and tell us what inspired you.”
Haley laughed nervously. “Well, mine’s pretty basic compared to all of yours.”
“Come on, show us what you’ve got,” Jeff said in a teasing voice.
Max barked. He was sitting at Haley’s feet looking up at her.
“See, even Max wants to see!” Madison said.
Everyone laughed.
“Okay, okay . . .” Haley slowly took off the red napkin that had been hiding her ornament and held up a long red velvet ribbon that had dog biscuits tied to it. When one fell off, Max gobbled it up.
“Merry Christmas, Max.” When Haley laughed, everyone laughed with her.
Ben watched Haley closely. “And what inspired you to make this for Max?” he asked.
As she looked down at Max and petted him, all of a sudden she felt a flood of emotion. “I guess what inspired me was that Max never gave up on me even though I tried to ignore him when I first got here, because I’ve never really been around dogs.”
“But he wouldn’t let you ignore him,” Jeff said.
“No, he wouldn’t. No matter what I did, he just kept showing up.”
“That’s kind of how Ian was with me,” Susie said. “He wouldn’t take no for an answer and just kept showing up.”
Ian’s eyes grew wide. “Are you calling me a . . . dog?”
Everyone laughed again.
Susie kissed him. “No, I’m calling you the love of my life. Some
one who I know, no matter what, will always show up.”
Haley continued to pet Max. “And I get it now. Why people love their dogs so much. Because they love you back no matter what, right, Max?” Max licked her hand. She whispered to him, “I’m going to miss you.”
But Jeff heard her and whispered back to her, “He’s going to miss you, too.” When Haley looked into his eyes, she saw only kindness and understanding, and it made her care for him even more. She didn’t even want to think about how much she was going to miss him.
“Okay, time to move into the siting room,” Ben said, getting everyone’s attention. “We have a Christmas tree to decorate.”
As the group gathered around the tree, Blake looked impressed. “Wow, the tree looks even bigger in here,” he said. “And we only have a few ornaments . . .”
“Oh, we’re not just decorating with the ones we’ve made,” Ben said, pointing to three boxes in the corner. “Those are ornaments our other guests have made over the years. So, we always put them up, too, so every year we get more and more.”
“You’re going to need another tree,” Madison said.
“Oh, please, don’t give him any ideas,” Jeff said with a laugh.
“I think it’s a wonderful tradition,” Gail said. She smiled at Ben. “I can’t wait to be part of it.”
When Haley looked over at Jeff, their eyes met and held for a moment before she got out her ornament and looked for a place on the tree to put it.
“Then let’s get started,” Ben said. “I’ll go put on some Christmas music.”
As Haley walked around the tree looking for the perfect spot for her ornament, Jeff joined her.
“How about I help you with that,” he said, taking her ornament and putting it up on a high branch. “This way your new friend, Max, won’t be able to get it. You wouldn’t believe how resourceful he is.”
Haley laughed. “Oh, I would believe it. Thank you. That’s perfect.”
“Your ornament is pretty perfect, too,” Jeff said. “I know Max thinks so.”
They looked over and saw Max lounging by the fireplace, watching them.
“Even though I know you didn’t want to be here, I’m really glad you came,” Jeff said.
When Haley looked into his eyes, she forgot to feel guarded and scared. She just felt happy. “I’m really glad I came, too.” Jeff moved closer to her, never taking his eyes off of her, and her heart beat faster.
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