by Olivia Miles
“Yes, that one!” Gabby said excitedly. “I didn’t want to interrupt you guys last night, but it looked like you were really hitting it off.”
Ah, spotted then. She could easily turn the conversation to Jenna’s choir, who had put on their best performance yet, in her opinion, but Cora supposed there was no use in denying it, even if there wasn’t anything to necessarily tell.
“It’s nothing. He’s come into the shop a few times—”
“A few times?” Gabby looked at her pointedly. “If the same man kept showing in my shop, I’d assume he had good reason.”
Cora grinned, not wanting to get her hopes up too much.
“And then you just happened to do to the tree lighting together?”
“We were having a nice time,” Cora confessed with a grin.
And then, because she couldn’t quite resist, she let Gabby grab her by the hands and squeal, just like when they were kids again and had been asked out on a first date.
“Okay, coffee first, then tell me everything,” Gabby said matter-of-factly, immediately snapping them back to adulthood.
Cora considered the time, but then she saw that she had half an hour before her shop opened. Technically she could stay for one cup of coffee and still have time to get the store lights turned on—something that wasn’t always a brief task when you owned a holiday shop. Natalie wouldn’t be in until ten today.
“His name is Phil,” she said.
“Phil? Just Phil?” Gabby expertly started her small coffeepot that was plugged in near her computer.
Cora frowned for a moment and then shrugged. “I guess I haven’t caught his last name yet.”
“Well, you’d better, in case you marry him!” Gabby shook her head. “What if his last name is something really hard to spell? Or what if it rhymes with your name?”
“Then I’ll keep Conway,” Cora replied, then, catching herself, she scolded, “And who said I’m going to marry the guy?”
Gabby shrugged. “You never know. Things have to start somewhere, don’t they?”
It was true, but still, Cora didn’t want to get her hopes up too much. Besides, she didn’t even know him yet—and not knowing his last name was proof of that.
“What does this Phil do?” Gabby asked as she prepared the coffee machine at the back of her workspace.
“He’s a businessman. Very successful, I gather,” Cora said, unable to hide her smile.
She was rewarded with a knowing look from Gabby. Yes, this guy was a major catch. But it wasn’t necessarily a slam dunk.
“He’s divorced,” she told Gabby.
“So he’s not afraid of commitment,” Gabby said, ever the optimist.
Cora had to laugh. “He’s from Chicago. He’s only in town through Christmas.”
There. That should sober her cousin, and get her off her back a bit. Still, she had to admit that it was fun to get excited about something, and it was always easier to let her guard down with her cousins rather than her sisters, especially the older two.
Gabby mulled this over as she plucked two mugs from a lower cabinet under her counter. Cora spotted neat rows of glass vases in all shapes and sizes.
“He…he invited me to decorate his tree tonight.”
Gabby did a poor job of hiding her smile. “Did he now?”
“Yes,” Cora said, flushing. “He did. But it was only because Georgie asked…”
“And Georgie is the little girl, I assume.” Gabby shook her head and slid a mug of steaming coffee to Cora. “Don’t sell yourself short, cousin. He would have made up an excuse if he didn’t want you there. For all you know, he set her up to it.”
Cora really laughed now. “You read way too many romance novels, you know.”
Gabby shrugged good-naturedly. “Professional hazard. I’m in the business of the simplest form of a sweeping romantic gesture.”
“And I’m in the business of Christmas.”
“Yes, but that never stopped you from enjoying it in the past,” Gabby said. “And you know that when people fall in love at Christmas, it’s the most romantic time of all.”
Cora rolled her eyes, even though she knew this was all too true. What beat snow-frocked trees, twinkling lights, soft music, and a crackling fire?
“I’m going to have to talk to your cousin about hiding those books from you.”
Cora happened to know that Gabby spent a fair share of her paycheck at her cousin Isabella Clark’s bookshop.
Gabby gave her a cheeky smile. “There’s always the library.”
The bell behind them jingled and Cora turned to see her sister Amelia come in through the door, shivering from the cold and staring longingly at the hot mugs in their hands.
“Oh!” Gabby set down her mug and held up a finger. “I have your arrangements in the back. Let me grab them.”
Firefly Café, like every other establishment in town, went all out with holiday decorations. In fact, most store owners were Cora’s best customers.
Gabby disappeared through the back door, leaving Cora and Amelia alone. Cora braced herself for another probing conversation, even though she usually didn’t have to worry about Amelia with things like that. Amelia was more sensitive, and more private, and like her, she was less keen to meddle into other people’s business.
But today she was looking at her a little nervously.
“I’ve been meaning to call you,” she said slowly. “You won’t mind if I celebrate Christmas Eve with Matt this year?”
Cora tried to hide her shock, even though she knew that she probably should have seen this coming. Since Matt Bradford had returned to town over the summer, he and Amelia had picked up right where they’d left off in high school. Of course they’d want to celebrate Christmas together. Like Thanksgiving, the festivities would be bigger this year. Like their tree decorating night, it would be different.
“Of course.” She tried to smile but her mouth felt dry. “The more the merrier.”
Amelia swallowed heavily. “Actually, I meant, with the Bradfords. It’s a tradition in their family to open their gifts on Christmas Eve, and well, since I’m already going to be spending Christmas Day with you guys, I…”
Cora realized that Amelia wasn’t asking her for permission, but that she was merely informing her of her plans. Did Cora mind? Of course she minded! What about the fire crackling in the hearth and the overflowing bowls of popcorn, and the flannel printed pajamas, and their annual movie? They watched the same movie, every Christmas Eve, and only on Christmas Eve. She withheld every other viewing every night of December until the twenty-fourth. Didn’t her sister look forward to it? What about one last night to admire the glow of the lights on the tree, and the anticipation of a morning of fun, family, and presents, even if they were too old to believe that Santa was coming?
Didn’t Amelia care about any of these traditions? Didn’t they mean anything to her?
And wait, she had just said the Bradfords, not Matt. Matt’s parents lived in Minnesota. Surely she didn’t mean Robbie’s parents, because that would mean…
Her mouth went dry. “Does this mean Britt will be skipping out on our traditions too?”
Amelia frowned. “You’re mad.”
So it was true, of course. Robbie and Matt were cousins. Of course their family would have plans of their own.
“It’s Britt’s first Christmas back in town in years,” Cora said. “I thought…”
She didn’t bother to finish that. Amelia knew what Cora thought. That everything would be as it always was, since they were little.
Only they weren’t little any more.
And their mother wasn’t here either.
She shook her head and braved a smile, trying to pull herself together. “Sounds nice,” she said simply, because really, it did sound nice. But it also sounded foreign and unfamiliar. “Guess that means extra hot cocoa for me.”
Shoot. Her voice hitched, and tears threatened to fall.
Amelia set a hand on her arm. “Do
n’t be mad, Cora. We’ll still be there on Christmas.”
We. Meaning Amelia and Matt. Not just Amelia and Britt.
Cora’s smile felt tight when she glanced her sister’s way. “It’s fine. Really. It makes sense for you to spend Christmas Eve with the Bradfords.”
She took another sip of her coffee, finding that she’d lost the taste for it. It would be fine, she told herself. It would have to be.
And at least she still had Maddie to count on.
*
Cora was grateful that she had so many customers keeping her mind busy that afternoon. The holiday rush was in full swing, especially now that the town square was lit up with an enormous pine. With it being a short holiday season, most people in town were eager to make the most of the time, and sometimes Cora had noticed that this made them decorate more and therefore buy more than they did on the years that there was a bigger stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
While personally Cora was always disappointed in a shorter season, she couldn’t deny that it strangely helped her sales, and she would need that boost to carry her through the slow winter months, because try as she might, people just weren’t as interested in Valentine’s Day or Easter decorations, confirming her belief that Christmas was special.
“Big plans for tonight?” Natalie asked once the customers had slowed to just a few browsers.
Huge plans by Cora’s standards, but she wasn’t quite ready to share anything just yet. Phil might be in town for the holidays, but after that he’d be returning to his life in the city. It was best not to get her hopes up too high.
Still, by the time she closed up for the day, she was almost too tired to be nervous at the prospect of spending an evening with Phil, but as she walked down the street toward the familiar road where the Keaton house sat, right on the waterfront, like her own childhood home, she couldn’t fight the ripple that tore through her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her glove-covered finger to the doorbell and then gripped the bag of decorations with both hands.
Georgie was the one to fling open the door. Cora supposed she should have expected this and she was secretly pleased, because the little girl’s energy was contagious and her chatter immediately put Cora at ease.
“Daddy forgot to buy lights,” she announced as Cora stomped the snow off her boots onto the mat and then began sliding them off.
Phil appeared at the end of the hallway, looking guilty as charged. “I see you’ve already told on me,” he said in a mock scolding tone.
“There appear to be no secrets with Georgie around,” Cora laughed, but a strange shadow fell over Phil’s expression.
His brow knitted for a moment before he recovered quickly. “Well, I’m not really sure what to do about a tree without lights.”
Cora hid a knowing smile and handed over the bag. “I had a feeling you might need these.”
Phil looked in the bag at the six packages of lights and laughed. “What do I owe you?”
Cora brushed his offer away. “This isn’t your boardroom, sir. Here in Blue Harbor, we share. We’re neighborly like that.”
“Don’t tell me that people also knock on each other’s doors without an invitation,” he said.
“Of course! And at this time of year, it’s called caroling!” When he laughed, she pointed to the bag of lights. “I have more in stock than I will ever sell. One year I sold out and I promised myself never to let that happen again. Consider it an early Christmas gift.”
“Well, thank you,” Phil said sincerely. He set the bag down on a console table. “Here, let me take your coat.”
Cora unwound her scarf and unbuttoned her coat, her heart speeding up when Phil helped her slip out of the parka. She was wearing another of her favorite sweaters—a creamy angora scoop neck with the gold necklace that she usually saved for special occasions.
Was it sad that this was such a rare occurrence in her life? That she was already twenty-nine and she couldn’t even remember the last time she’d gone on a date, much less spent any amount of time with an attractive, single man?
And Phil was attractive, possibly even more so tonight, now that it was the first time she was seeing him without a coat on. His navy wool sweater revealed broad shoulders and strong arms, and in casual jeans, he seemed taller than she remembered, but then, she was no longer standing with the extra heel of her boots.
She followed him to the front room, where the dark tree sat in the corner, next to the fireplace. She immediately realized that Phil was in dire need of her help, and not just because of his oversight when it came to the lights.
“Does the fireplace work?” Cora inquired. She’d spotted a stack of firewood just outside the house, covered in a tarp. The Keatons hadn’t lived here in almost a year, and while she knew the neighbors kept an eye on things here and there, she hoped that it wasn’t rain-soaked.
Phil looked surprised at the suggestion and then shrugged. “Don’t see why not. I’ll grab some logs from outside.”
While he did that, Cora quickly found an old-fashioned radio and turned the dial to her favorite station, the one that played Christmas carols twenty-four hours a day all through the season, and which of course made her sisters groan about seven days into it back when they were younger.
By the time Phil returned, with snow dusting the top of his dark, wavy hair, things were almost starting to feel festive, and Georgie was practically dancing with excitement.
Phil grinned as he closed the door behind him, shutting out the cold wind and securing them all in this warm, cozy house. Cora looked around as he crouched at the base of the hearth, albeit mostly to stop herself from staring at the way his wide shoulders strained and moved as he tended to the logs.
“This is a lovely house,” Cora said. “Actually, the owners of this house also own my shop. Well, not the shop, but the building.”
Phil nodded slowly and said, without turning toward her, “They’re my grandparents.”
“Really?” Cora took a moment to process that, along with the fact that he hadn’t said so earlier when she’d referred to her landlords. “Well, small world!”
Now that she thought about it, Mrs. Keaton did mention a grandson, one that was helping to set them up in a smaller, assisted-living apartment. Her eyes shone when she spoke of him, even though she never mentioned her own son. Rumor had it that there had been a falling out years ago.
Perhaps this was the reason why Phil had been quiet about his connection to them.
Cora considered this new information. Phil’s grandmother loved Christmas! She attended every festival and event in town and always bought a few items from Cora’s store, too. The very last item she bought when she told Cora about the move was a gold-painted serving tray. She said she still planned to make her famous roasted chestnuts for her husband, as she did every year. Didn’t her traditions get passed down to Phil and Georgie?
“Your grandmother was always so proud of you,” Cora said now, and it was true. Mrs. Keaton always lit up like a Christmas tree when she spoke of her only grandchild. How he was handsome, intelligent, thoughtful and kind. She spoke the truth, Cora thought. “How are they doing?”
“As well as can be expected,” Phil said on a sigh. “But they’re getting up there in age, and…I’m not sure they’ll be getting back here anytime soon.” His jaw seemed to clench at that, but he didn’t elaborate.
Cora nodded thoughtfully. It was a shame, but so long as her rent money was directly withdrawn from her account each month, she supposed that their business relationship could withstand the distance.
Phil sucked in a long breath as he rolled back on his heels and stood. Inside the hearth, the fire crackled tentatively, and he crouched again to poke at the logs, until the flames grew stronger.
“There,” he said proudly. He glanced at Georgie and raised his eyebrows. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s beginning to feel like Christmas!” Georgie cried.
“Can I get you a glass of wine?�
� Phil asked, turning his attention to Cora.
She nodded and followed him into the kitchen, which was as unchanged as the front of the house. A throwback in time, with well-worn wood floors, maple cabinets, and a baker’s rack stuffed with cookbooks, much like the one in the kitchen of her own childhood home.
“So you used to visit then?”
Phil nodded. “Once a year or so, mostly on my own because my parents were busy. My dad had his own law firm. It wasn’t easy to get away.”
“Not even at Christmas?” she asked.
He glanced at her. “Especially at Christmas.”
He opened a few drawers before finding a corkscrew. Cora couldn’t help but realize he might have bought the wine just because of her visit, but then she banished that hope immediately. Nonsense. It was a Saturday night. He worked all day, from what she gathered. It was probably just his first occasion to have any since he arrived.
But when he pulled the bottle from the shelf, she noted the label with a smile. “Conway?” Now she realized with a flutter that he had bought it just for her.
He gave a little smile. “It didn’t seem right to buy anything else, and I couldn’t help noticing that the grocery store gives your family’s wine prominent display.”
Cora laughed as she accepted the glass. It was one of her favorite blends.
“I actually think I remember going to the orchard once on one of my visits,” he said, squinting as if at a memory. “It was summer, and there was some event with cherries.”
“The Cherry Festival!” Cora grinned, pleased that he would have known it and curious if she’d ever seen him there, but never noticed, being a kid at the time. “One of our family’s favorite events of the year.”
“Your family likes its traditions,” he said. He occupied himself twisting the cork, frowning slightly.
Cora fell silent for a moment. It would seem that the same wasn’t to be said for the Keatons. “Well, you’ll have to take Georgie sometime once the weather warms up,” Cora said, and then, realizing that she wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear about Phil’s long-term plans, she took a long sip of the wine, letting it warm her throat.