Jane felt relieved when Delcy appeared beside them with two plates. “A grilled chicken salad for Jane and the pulled pork sandwich with french fries for Meghan. Can I get you anything else?”
“No thanks, Delc,” Meghan said. “Tell Luke this is on him.”
Delcy smiled and headed back toward the kitchen.
“How can you eat like that?” Jane stared at Meghan’s huge plate of food.
“I have a fast metabolism,” she said. “And a personal trainer. You should come work out with me sometime.”
Jane scoffed. “I’ve had all the embarrassment I can handle for one week, thank you very much.”
After lunch, Jane left with Meghan’s suggestion still stuck in her mind.
Most of Jane’s old photos and mementos were back in Cedar Rapids. She ended up wandering across the street and into the Sweethaven Art Gallery where Campbell was hanging new art. “You getting ready for Christmas?”
“Sure am. I figured some holiday-themed art would be perfect.” Campbell smiled.
“This place sure does suit you,” Jane said, looking around. At the center of the room, their old scrapbook sat on display—part of Campbell’s first showing, “The Treasures of Sweethaven.”
Jane walked toward it, trying to visualize the high school photos she’d find in the pages.
“Do you mind if I take a peek at this, Cam?”
Campbell followed her. “Of course not. It’s yours. I supposed we should figure out a way to get it back to all of you.”
Jane thought about how they’d divided up the pages when Campbell’s mom left Sweethaven all those years ago. Pregnant and scared to tell any of them, she’d vanished without an explanation. They’d divided the pages among the four of them because it seemed like the fair thing to do. But now, seeing it in its entirety again, Jane couldn’t imagine it any other way.
“I think it’s found its new home,” Jane said. She took a chunk of pages—the ones they’d created in middle school—and flipped them over until she stumbled upon one of the layouts they made the summer after their sophomore year.
Campbell leaned in closer and looked at the page. At the center was an enlarged photo of the four of them at the beach—the same photo they took every year. They’d glued it onto a blue background with Suzanne’s hand-drawn waves filling the lower half.
“You guys are all so beautiful,” Campbell said.
Jane nodded, staring at her sixteen-year-old self. “We were, weren’t we?”
She wouldn’t have believed it, but Meghan was right. Jane had spent her entire life feeling overweight and out of place, but looking at this photo, she didn’t see “Fat Jane.”
Sure she wasn’t as slim as her friends, but she was a far cry from overweight. In fact, she wasn’t all that much bigger than Meghan.
Had she only thought of herself that way because she’d been comparing herself to other people all these years?
“You look upset, Jane,” Campbell said.
Jane closed the scrapbook. “No, I’m fine. Thanks for letting me look through it. I won’t keep you.”
Campbell looked puzzled, but Jane couldn’t give any more explanation. Instead, she walked out into the brisk November air. As she walked down Main Street toward her car, she caught a glimpse of herself in the storefront windows. As she reached the darkened windows of an empty building, Jane stopped and stared for a moment, sad at what she’d allowed herself to become.
She’d gained weight in the aftermath of Alex’s death. One sad day after another, she’d found her comfort in ice cream, cookies and cakes. And now, her body protested her choices.
If she wasn’t born to be fat, she had to wonder, could she get healthy again? Could she change the way she looked at food? Or was she doomed to accept what she’d created for herself?
Lila
Only days after Thanksgiving, the streets of Sweethaven had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The forecast called for snow that week, and as a chill came over her, Lila remembered why she chose to live in Georgia.
Still, the oversize red bows and evergreen wreaths that had been affixed to Sweethaven’s old-fashioned lampposts had their own charm. The stores on Main Street had begun the annual ritual of painting their storefronts or creating holiday displays for passersby to admire. They’d be judged as part of the town’s Christmas festivities. Lila shook her head when she saw some of the attempts.
“Some people should not try to decorate,” Lila said, protective of her profession. Not everyone had the talent or skill to bring a space to life.
Mama hitched her purse up higher on her shoulder. “Truer words were never spoken.”
Lila hadn’t wanted to spend the morning with Mama, but the guilt had been too much to take. Now, she had a bag full of knickknacks she didn’t need and at least another hour keeping the woman company. “The tree lighting is tonight. Are you going?” Lila asked as they carried their shopping bags down Main Street.
Mama shrugged. “I’m not one for sentiment, you know that.”
“Even on Christmas?”
Mama scoffed. “It’s not Christmas yet.”
Lila refused to let Mama’s bah-humbug attitude get the best of her. She only had a few more days in Sweethaven, and she didn’t intend to let Mama ruin them for her.
This year, she wanted to let every ounce of Christmas spirit warm her to the bone. Maybe her mother didn’t like sentiment, but it had grown on Lila.
Shoppers scurried down the streets, stopping in the little boutiques to find unique gifts for their friends and loved ones. Lila thought of her friends. Each one deserved something special this year—a thank-you for coming back into her life. But Lila hadn’t mastered the art of gift giving. She’d always been more of a receiver.
An image of a photo Campbell had taken of all five of them at Thanksgiving popped into her mind. If she could get a copy of that, she could do something wonderful with it for all of them. Have them printed on a canvas or get them framed. She smiled, knowing it was the perfect idea.
She glanced across the street and spotted Campbell through the windows of the art gallery.
“I should go say hi,” she said, watching her.
Mama followed her eyes to the gallery, then stiffened. “I can’t believe you, Lila.”
Lila didn’t meet her mother’s eyes. Instead, she lifted her chin. “Mama, I’ve accepted what happened. It’s in the past.”
Mama stopped. “Darling, you’ve clearly forgotten who you are.”
Lila bit back her response.
“What Tom did was unacceptable.”
“It was a long time ago—before we were married.” The hurt feelings sprang back to the surface, the ones she’d worked so hard to bury.
“He’s been keeping this from you all these years, and by your accepting that girl, inviting her to Thanksgiving and having coffee with her—you’re saying it’s okay what he did.”
Campbell caught Lila’s eye from across the street and her face lit up. She waved and Lila lifted a weak hand to return the gesture.
“You’re in a mess now, being pregnant and all,” Mama said. “I just hope you put that man in his place.” She walked into The Gingerbread House—Sweethaven’s Christmas store, leaving Lila standing on the street alone.
She’d certainly never known Mama to put Daddy in his place. Didn’t she realize what a hypocrite she was?
She looked up and spotted Campbell running across the street toward her. Too late to hide now. She blinked back the tears that had pooled in her eyes and forced a smile.
“I’ve learned when to recognize your fake smile, Lila,” Campbell said as she stepped onto the sidewalk beside her.
“Is it that obvious?” Lila swiped away the tear that slid down her cheek.
“I’m sorry,” Campbell said.
“I think my being pregnant has made her even colder than usual. If that’s possible.”
Campbell reached up and put a hand on Lila’s arm. “Can I do anything?”
<
br /> “Give me some courage?” Lila laughed, but another tear slid down her cheek.
“What would happen if you stood up to her?”
Years ago, Suzanne had asked her the same question.
Lila met Campbell’s eyes and thought about what Mama had said—what Tom had done was unacceptable, but if he hadn’t done it, this girl wouldn’t be here. And she’d grown to love Campbell over the past few months. Lila looked away.
“I have to get back to the gallery, but if you need anything, stop in later. I’m there all day.” She smiled.
Lila nodded. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath. Walking into that store felt like walking into a den of hungry lions.
The smell of cinnamon greeted her as she stepped inside The Gingerbread House. Christmas ornaments and decorations filled the shelves. There was a section for tourists looking to commemorate a stay in Sweethaven, a section for the lovers of all things vintage, and baskets of garlands in every color. The store only existed over the holidays, but it was a Sweethaven favorite and had been quite successful at drawing tourists.
On a small table in the center of the store, they’d created a serve-yourself buffet of wassail and Christmas cookies. Lila scooted through the crowd, maneuvering her shopping bags out of the way of the other shoppers. She smiled “hellos” to a few familiar faces, keeping her eyes open for Mama. She discovered her in the corner, speaking to someone she couldn’t see.
“Don’t think you’re going to get away with this, darling,” Mama said. “Think about what I’m offering. And then leave.”
Lila took a few steps to the left and saw the woman from the restaurant standing in front of Mama. Her eyes darted to Lila, drawing Mama’s attention to her daughter. Mama turned back to the woman, looked her up and down and then turned and walked away. As she passed Lila, she said, “Come on, Lila.”
Lila stared at the other woman. The look on her face was one Lila recognized from the mirror. Shame.
“Lila!” Mama stood yards away and commanded the attention of the entire store. Lila turned, read the look on Mama’s face and followed her back out onto the street.
Mama hurried toward the car, walking a few feet in front of Lila. As Lila followed her, she couldn’t help but glance back and notice the woman watching them go.
Meghan
From the second-story window, Meghan watched as Martin Gould pulled up to the house in a black Lexus. He wore jeans, dark-framed glasses, a button-down with a suit coat, and black Chuck Taylors. Very LA. She listened as Nick opened the front door and made small talk, no doubt waiting for her to decide if it was safe to come down.
Meghan hated that, thanks to Duncan, she now entered business relationships with instant distrust. Maybe that suspicious nature had been evident to the music execs in Nashville.
No one wanted to overcome it. She had to.
Nick and Martin sat in the living room, talking about a renovation project Martin had planned for the summer.
“I’d love to get a quote when you’ve got time,” Martin said.
Meghan reminded herself that this man wasn’t like the others—he was one of Nick’s clients, and for that reason alone she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt. The last thing she wanted was to destroy any part of the business Nick had worked so hard to build.
“Ah, here she is,” Nick said when she walked into the room. “Martin, this is my wife Meghan.”
Martin stood and smiled. Either the man had never had a sip of coffee or he’d recently had his teeth whitened.
Meghan, it doesn’t matter. Focus on what he can do for you.
Meghan shook his hand and then sat down on the couch next to her husband.
“I’ve been a fan of yours for many years,” Martin said. “In fact, I tried to book you once before.”
“You did?”
“Talked to your manager—Duncan, was it?”
Meghan nodded.
“It was a charity event in LA. He said you didn’t do charity events.”
Her face heated. “Of course I do charity events.” At the moment she couldn’t think of a single one. “Or, I would have.” She stilled.
Martin leaned back. “Duncan painted you like ‘the bad girl of country music.’”
Nick slid an arm around her, instantly reminding her to stay calm. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “That’s not who I am, sir.”
Martin laughed. “And I’m not a ‘sir.’”
She relaxed. “Fair enough.”
“I’m intrigued by this idea you two have come up with. Tell me more about it.”
“This is Nick’s idea.” Meghan glanced at him.
Martin raised a brow. “A master carpenter and a music manager? Is there anything you can’t do?”
Nick laughed. Modest to a fault, Meghan’s husband had never known how to take a compliment.
“Tell me more,” Martin said.
“Sweethaven is a slice of Americana—the kind of quaint town we all romanticize.”
Martin nodded. “It’s why my wife and I bought a house here. There’s nowhere else in the world like the Midwest. This place helps us unwind from the pressures of normal life.”
“We want to share that Sweethaven magic with the rest of the world, especially now, during Christmas. And Meghan is the tour guide.” Nick cleared his throat.
“I’m performing at the Sweethaven Christmas concert in the park, and then there are all kinds of other events that are unique to this town—the Luminary Walk, the Reindog Parade, the ice-carving competition.”
“So the thought is we could film some of those events with Meghan and our family and friends.”
“I like it,” Martin said. He leaned forward, and his eyes flashed, like he was imagining how it could work. “I do. Maybe we could even add in a live element too. We could get a crew in your house to film you around the tree doing traditional Christmas things—having dinner, singing carols, talking about Christmases from the past.”
“Live?” Meghan’s mind wandered back to the Shandy Shore debacle. “I’m not much of a fan of live television.”
“This is about giving you the image you’ve been trying to get all along. I have no interest in making you look like something you’re not, building a scandal or anything else. I want to show the world what a normal, wonderful family you have.” When Martin punctuated his sentence with a smile, Meghan believed him. Something about this man was different.
“We’ll set up a meeting with my producers and get this going. It’s kind of last minute, but I’ve been looking for this kind of show to fall into my lap, so the timing is perfect.”
Meghan frowned. “Don’t you have to tell someone or sell someone?”
Martin grinned. “I’m the someone to tell.”
She felt her eyebrows shoot up as she realized Martin Gould wasn’t just some low-level television guy—he was the big cheese. And she hadn’t even offered him a cup of coffee.
Martin stood and shook her hand, then turned to Nick. “We’ll see you at church Sunday. My wife and I decided to stay in town for a week or so.”
Nick nodded. “Sounds good. Thanks for coming out today.”
After Martin left, Meghan turned to Nick, with what she was sure was a bewildered expression on her face.
“Nice guy, right?” Nick said, as if the most normal thing in the world had just happened.
“You just booked me my own television special.” She wrapped her arms around him, then pulled back to meet his eyes.
He smiled. “I want you to be happy.”
Meghan stood on her tiptoes and drew him in, bringing her lips to his. “You do make me happy—TV special or not.”
She wrapped herself in his arms and inhaled the scent of him, saying a silent prayer that somehow the two things she was most passionate about—her family and her career—really could coexist.
Campbell
The week after Thanksgiving, the gallery buzzed with a steady stream of business during the Christmas Walk. Cam
pbell hadn’t expected so many customers, but she was thankful the Sweethaven tourism seemed to reach beyond the hot summer months. Why wouldn’t it? She could already tell this town would offer a magical Christmas. Long strands of lights had been hung in a crisscross drape from one side of Main Street to the other. Store owners had decked out their windows in preparation for the window-decorating contest, infusing the downtown with small-town holiday spirit. In the coming weeks, the Christmas events filled the calendar. Campbell could hardly wait.
Mom would’ve loved it here at Christmas. Campbell didn’t see any indication in the scrapbook that she’d spent any Christmases here, but she wished they could walk arm in arm through the streets shopping for everyone on their list, drinking hot chocolate and admiring the decorations.
The crowd had started to die down when Luke appeared in the doorway. He said hello to the people walking out, then walked toward her, grinning.
“Nice to see all the people in here today,” he said.
“How do you know? Were you spying on me?”
He shrugged. “Let’s say I had a vested interest in your traffic flow.” He handed her a newspaper. On the cover of The Sweethaven Gazette was the headline: “Best new businesses this Christmas.” She scanned the lower portion of the paper and found a photo and write-up of the gallery.
“How did I miss this?” she said, still reading.
“You were too busy to stop and read,” Luke said, hopping up onto the counter. He pulled her toward him and kissed her forehead.
Realization washed over her. “A few people mentioned the newspaper ad. I thought they were just confused. Wait.” She pushed herself back and leveled his gaze. “Did you have something to do with this?”
The lopsided grin returned.
“You got me in here?” Campbell smiled. “How?”
“I know a guy.”
Campbell shook her head. Since the beginning of their relationship, Luke had always found ways to surprise her, and though initially he’d been unsure about her buying the gallery, once he got over the fear, he’d done everything he could to support this dream.
A Sweethaven Christmas Page 5