by Rachel Hanna
She was excited about how well the studio was doing so far. Classes were filling up more and more each week, and she couldn’t wait to see what the new year brought.
And then there was Jake. Every time they were together, it felt like lightning was shooting around inside of her body with no way to get out. She’d never felt this way before, and it scared her a bit. She didn’t know a lot about him, but she did know that he seemed to be changing right in front of her eyes.
He’d opened up more, laughed more, seemed almost joyful. He brought her coffee and muffins almost every morning, took evening walks on the beach to brainstorm things to add to the float, ate dinner with her and Cassie several nights a week.
She was confused. It was like they were dating, but not. No kissing, no hugging, no holding hands. Maybe he thought of her like a best friend? Or a sister?
She didn’t think of him that way. When she looked at him, she got butterflies in her stomach, sweaty palms and headaches from smiling too much. And that was terrifying. What if he got better and decided to go back to Boston to work? She couldn’t take that kind of heartbreak.
“Freaking out yet?” Jake asked as he walked into the studio.
“Only every few minutes,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “This has to go well, Jake.”
He walked over to her and rubbed her upper arms, sending shivers up her spine. “They’re going to do fantastic, Claire. You’ve prepared them well. Cassie is ecstatic!”
“She’s so talented. I can’t wait for you to see the final product.”
“I have something to tell you,” Jake said, obviously a little nervous.
“Okay…”
“I called and talked to Emmy this morning. The little girl.”
Claire’s mouth dropped open. “You did?”
“I did.” He was smiling.
“And?”
“It went well, Claire. Really well. She was so excited to talk to me. We did a video chat, and her eyes just lit up when she saw me.”
“What did she say?”
“She told me that she loves her new school, and that she’s making straight A’s. Her aunt said she’s adjusting well, and she has a great counselor she sees every couple of weeks. And, get this, she actually dressed up as a firefighter for Halloween because she said I’m her hero, Claire.” His eyes were filled with tears as he told her.
“Oh, Jake, I’m so happy for you,” Claire said, instinctively hugging him. He slowly wrapped his arms around her. “I’m really proud of you.”
He pulled back and looked down at her, his face soft. “Claire, I…”
“Daddy!” Cassie yelled as she ran into the studio.
Claire and Jake looked at Cassie, letting out a collective chuckle. Why did it seem like kids always ruined a good moment?
"Cassie, is that any way to come into the studio? You're acting like a wild animal!" Jake joked.
"Sorry. I'm just really excited about dancing today. I can't believe we get to dance in front of the whole town!"
"And you're going to do a fantastic job," Claire said, tousling the top of Cassie's head.
"Well, I guess we better get going. The other dancers are meeting us there, right?" Jake asked.
"Yes. And we have to set up the stage first, so can you help me carry some of the set pieces?" Claire asked, looking at the two of them.
Cassie nodded. All three of them pulled the set pieces from the storage room and headed out the door. Claire was hoping that the Mistletoe Festival would be a changing day in her life. Hopefully it was going to lead to a much more successful new year, and she was more than a little excited to see what would happen if she could get Jake under the mistletoe.
The dance went better than Claire expected, and she was so excited to talk to all of the parents that came up to her afterward. Some of them had kids in her class and were so excited to see them perform. Others were friends and family and townspeople who had children that they wanted to put into the dance program.
There were even some adults who requested classes for themselves, and Claire was definitely considering it. After all, ballet was a great way for anyone to get in shape.
The rest of the festival was still going on, including dancing under the pavilion. It was the perfect night for that because it wasn't too cold yet, so Claire decided to spend some time getting to know other people from town.
She went down to the pavilion, Christmas music playing all throughout the town. It was like a magical place. She could see couples dancing in the pavilion next to a professional DJ. There were also table set up along the main street with all kinds of delectable goodies such as pound cakes and caramel apples.
"Are you glad it's over with?" Jake said from behind her. She thought he had taken Cassie home, but apparently she was wrong.
"A little bit. But it was fun. Looking forward to the parade in a couple of days.”
"Yeah, I think that's going to be a fun day also. Susan took Cassie home. She was pretty tired after all of that dancing."
Claire smiled. "I imagine so. I'm pretty tired myself, but I wanted to walk around a little bit and meet some people."
"Oh, sorry. I don't want to interrupt that. I'll just see you tomorrow…"
She reached for his arm and pulled him back. "I didn't mean that. I thought you had already left, but I'd love to spend some time with you."
As soon as she said it, she regretted it. That made her sound like some kind of stalker or desperate woman.
"Oh yeah? Well, Claire, I'd like to spend some time with you also."
She couldn't help but smile, but then her face started turning a little red which was embarrassing to say the least.
"I love this song."
"Me too. Would you like to dance?" Jake asked, a sly smile on his face. He reached out his hand, and she took it.
He led her out onto the dance floor, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. As he slid his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer than she expected. They began swaying to the music, and Claire couldn't imagine a more perfect night than this one.
Christmas music. Twinkling lights. The scent of the ocean mixed with the smell of cinnamon. And this handsome man's body pressed against hers. The only thing that would make it better was the mistletoe that was hanging just out of reach.
"So, how are you enjoying January Cove so far?” Jake asked, his warm breath touching her earlobe and sending shockwaves all over her skin.
"I think it's my new home," Claire said. "I thought I would miss New York more than I do. But something about this place makes me feel like I've been here forever."
"Yeah, it has a tendency to do that to people. I thought coming home would feel like a failure, but it just feels like home."
"So do you think you'll stay here forever?" Claire asked, a hopeful tone in her voice.
"I don't know. Maybe." Jake pulled her closer, her cheek pressed against his chest. They moved together song after song until they had veered off of the dance floor and over to the side of the pavilion.
Claire couldn't help but look up and notice that they were directly underneath the mistletoe. The dance floor had thinned out, people had started to go home. But there they stood, still swaying to Christmas music playing in the background.
"I couldn't help but notice that we’re under the mistletoe," Jake said, practically reading her mind.
“And?”
"And I feel like it would be sacrilegious if we did not follow the strict rules of mistletoe," Jake said, a grin on his face. Sometimes his dimple was so deep that she wanted to stick her finger in it.
"Oh really?”
"I mean if you don't want to…" Jake said. But before he could finish his sentence, Claire had risen up on her very strong toes and pressed her lips against his.
She just couldn't help herself. Maybe it was Christmas. Maybe it was the mistletoe. But either way, right now there was no place else she'd rather be than kissing this amazing man under the mistletoe in January Cove.
> When they finally pulled apart, Jake pressed his forehead to hers, his hands resting on her cheeks.
"You have no idea how you've changed me, Claire,” he said softly. "When I came back home, I was a shell of a man. I didn't think I would ever have a future. But you showed me that there's more to life, more that I deserve to experience. I want to say thank you for that."
She was stunned. She looked at him and smiled. “And when I came to January Cove, I didn't know anybody. Meeting you has been like oxygen for me."
"I can't help but notice we are still standing under the mistletoe…" Jake said, before leaning in and pressing his lips to hers once more.
Claire woke up the next morning with an undeniable smile on her face. The Mistletoe Festival had been like a dream, with what seemed like hours of dancing and kissing and holding hands. She suddenly felt like she had new life breathed into her, like a young girl fawning over thoughts of her first true love.
Where it would go from here was anyone's guess, but she hoped that her relationship with Jake would grow. She could barely wipe the smile off her face as she walked into class that afternoon. She spent the entire day window shopping in town and dreaming up the perfect Christmas gifts for Cassie and Jake.
So when Cassie came into class with a frown on her face, Claire was taken aback. After all, the Christmas parade was coming up, and Cassie had been super excited to get to ride on the float.
"Hey, Cassie. What's with the long face?" Claire asked. Other students were starting to mill into the studio, and Susan waved with a smile from the doorway as she dropped Cassie off .
"I'm just sad. I really wanted to do the Christmas parade and the Mistletoe Festival every year."
"Well, why can’t you? Anyone can participate."
Cassie looked up at Claire, her eyes filling with tears. "Because we’re moving."
"What?"
"I heard my daddy on the phone. And then I heard him talking to aunt Susan. We’re moving to someplace called Nashville, and I think that's pretty far away."
Claire stood there stunned, her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as saucers. "Honey, are you sure you didn't misunderstand? Your daddy certainly hasn't mentioned anything to me about you moving."
"All I know is that a man called and told him he could be a firefighter again. And now I have to move and lose all of my friends. I love it here. I don't want to leave, but I can't do anything about it." Now the tears were streaming down her face. Claire pulled her into a tight hug as she knelt on the floor in front of her. Truthfully, she wanted to burst into tears herself, but she certainly couldn’t do that and teach a dance class.
"Don't worry. Everything will work itself out." Even as she said it, she didn't believe it. Here she had opened up her heart to this guy just the night before, and the whole time he was lying to her? Planning to move? Just trying to take advantage of her feelings for him before he was going to hop in his truck and drive away forever?
Claire didn't know what to do with her feelings right now, so she did the only thing she could ever do. She danced. She threw herself into the love of her life because it was the only thing that would never disappoint her.
Jake stood at the edge of the pier, the only place he could ever go to truly clear his head. He had a decision to make. Actually a few decisions. But his brain was clouded with the lingering feeling of Claire's lips against his.
He had opportunities, more than just one. And right now, he was conflicted. He didn't want to upset Cassie, but he didn't want to give up good opportunities either. Now that he was feeling like he could go back to his career again, there was a spring in his step and hope in his heart.
But he had to make a decision today, and quickly. People needed answers, and he wasn't sure what he was going to do.
He had talked to Susan, as he usually did before he made any big decisions, and he knew what her opinion was. And he surely wasn't going to mention anything to Cassie until he’d made a decision.
Every time he thought about leaving January Cove, his stomach churned. And all he could see in his mind was the face of the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. No matter what he did, he was taking a chance. And now he had to decide what chance he wanted to take.
Claire stood in the stall, surrounded by some of her students who were helping out to get the float ready for the parade. They only had another hour before they had to start moving out.
She had purposely told Jake and Cassie not to come until then, honestly not wanting to have to interact with him anymore than she had to.
She’d given it a lot of thought since her conversation with Cassie. She wasn't going to mention it to Jake, she decided. Mainly because she didn't want to get Cassie into trouble, and she didn't want to seem desperate.
At first, she’d felt angry. She still did, if she was honest. But she also felt like she couldn't hold Jake back. If he was ready to be a firefighter and someone in Nashville wanted to hire him, who was she to stand in his way? After just a few kisses? It wasn't fair.
As much as she wanted to believe she wasn't mad about it, she was. She felt deceived. She felt used. Why had he strung her along when he knew he was leaving?
She was determined not to let all of her questions and emotions overtake the day. She had a business to run and students who were counting on her, and she was determined to make this float the best January Cove had ever seen.
"Hey there!" Jake said as he rounded the corner unexpectedly. Claire jolted backwards, almost falling over some of the wooden pieces that went on the float. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him before she fell.
When she was back upright, he stood there, smiling. He leaned in, as if he was going to kiss her cheek, but she stepped back.
“Hey. We've got a lot to do still, so if you can carry those bigger pieces up onto the float, that would be very helpful." Her tone was professional and firm. Jake looked a little shellshocked, but nodded and walked over to pick up the pieces of wood.
As hard as it was, she had to make him realize that things had changed. He was bound to have questions, and she didn't have any answers. But if she could just get through today, maybe she could avoid him until he left, whenever that was.
"Okay, I loaded everything up. What else can I do?" he asked a few minutes later.
"I think that's it until we move soon.” She turned to write something down, and he touched her shoulder.
"Are you okay, Claire?"
"I'm great. Looking forward to the parade."
"Are you mad at me for something? I mean, I thought everything was great the other night…"
She turned around, her face impassable. “Well, as with many things in life, things change."
Jake stood there, obviously shocked. "What happened? I thought we were heading in a good direction…"
"Jake, I really can't do this right now. This is my business. A lot is riding on this today. I don’t have any time for these kinds of conversations right now." If her career as a professional ballerina had given her anything, it was the ability to put on her game face no matter how much pain she was in.
"Okay… But maybe we can talk later?"
"I don't think so . I really don't have anything to say. It was a moment in time, and it was a mistake. Thank you for your help with all of this, but that's as far as it's going to go."
She walked away, her hands shaking against her side. Hopefully he had bought it, but if she stayed there any longer she would've started to cry and that would've been the worst thing imaginable.
Right now, she just had to ride on the float, throw candy to parade goers and get through the day. And if she saw him along the parade route, she wasn't going to make eye contact. Much like many bad habits, she would have to break the habit of wanting to be with Jake cold turkey.
8
Jake was confused. Really confused.
After seeing Claire at the float staging area, he’d felt very conflicted. But then she made herself extremely clear. Crystal cl
ear.
Even after they announced that the Twinkle Toes float had taken home first place, Claire hadn’t even looked his direction. She’d excused herself quickly after picking up the trophy and slipped out of sight.
He didn't know why her feelings had changed so abruptly, but it also clarified his future in his mind.
His heart had been broken in Boston after the fire. His soul crushed. But talking to Emmy on the phone had at least healed some of that. And being with Claire had given him a new hope.
Now that hope was dashed.
He had to do what was best for him and his daughter now. It would hurt, and he would think about Claire probably for the rest of his life. But he had to do what was necessary.
And as much as he wanted to start over in January Cove and build a life with Claire, she had made it clear that she didn’t share that same goal. And the last thing he wanted was to be reminded of yet another loss every single day.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, dialing the number for the fire chief in Nashville.
“Hi. Chief Hollowell? This is Jake Evers. I'd like to take your offer. Yes, we can be there before Christmas. Thank you for the opportunity, sir,” he said before hanging up.
Claire finished class and locked the door. She leaned against the glass and looked down Main Street at all of the Christmas lights. They had meant so much more to her a few days ago, before she learned that Jake and Cassie were leaving.
Cassie hadn't been to class in a couple of days, a fact that broke her heart. But Christmas was coming after all, and maybe she was just taking a break. Or maybe they had already left. The thought of Cassie leaving without saying goodbye made her sad, But she understood. Cassie wasn't her daughter and obviously never would be.
As she turned to walk back to the front desk, she heard a light knock at the door. When she turned around and saw Cassie standing there, Susan right behind her, she smiled.
"Hey. I was hoping I would see you, little one.”