by Olivia Miles
Finding Christmas
A Blue Harbor Novel
Olivia Miles
Contents
Also by Olivia Miles
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
About the Author
Also by Olivia Miles
Blue Harbor Series
A Place for Us
Second Chance Summer
Because of You
Small Town Christmas
Return to Me
Then Comes Love
Evening Island
Meet Me at Sunset
Summer’s End
Stand Alone Titles
This Christmas
Oyster Bay Series
Feels Like Home
Along Came You
Maybe This Time
This Thing Called Love
Those Summer Nights
Christmas at the Cottage
Still the One
One Fine Day
Had to Be You
Misty Point Series
One Week to the Wedding
The Winter Wedding Plan
Sweeter in the City Series
Sweeter in the Summer
Sweeter Than Sunshine
No Sweeter Love
One Sweet Christmas
The Briar Creek Series
Mistletoe on Main Street
A Match Made on Main Street
Hope Springs on Main Street
Love Blooms on Main Street
Christmas Comes to Main Street
Harlequin Special Edition
‘Twas the Week Before Christmas
Recipe for Romance
Copyright © 2021 by Megan Leavell
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Chapter One
There was no better month in Blue Harbor than December, at least to Jenna Conway. The snow was fresh, the air was crisp, and Christmas decorations were everywhere she turned. Store windows had traded colorful fall leaves for paper snowflakes, lampposts were wrapped in garland secured with bright-red velvet bows, and people were in good spirits all around, lifted by the miniature lights that sparkled and shone from dusk until dawn.
And of course, as if the cookies and presents and hot chocolate weren’t enough, December was a time for Jenna’s favorite thing: Christmas carols.
A cold gust of wind forced Jenna to pause and wrap her red cashmere scarf tighter around her neck before she continued along Main Street, careful not to slip on any icy patches that hadn’t yet been salted because the only thing that could ruin the holidays for her was a sprained wrist. She couldn’t play the piano without the use of both her hands, and, reminding herself of this, she slowed her pace. She arrived at Buttercream Bakery shivering but smiling a few minutes later, appreciating the aroma of roasting coffee and warm gingerbread.
“It smells like the North Pole in here,” she told her cousin Maddie as she approached the counter. In true Blue Harbor fashion, Maddie had swapped her usual apron for one that was red-and-white-striped, and the long glass display case was draped in garland and twinkling lights.
“It must be the candy cane hot cocoa muffins,” Maddie pointed to a basket of oversized muffins topped with a pink peppermint crumble.
Jenna’s stomach grumbled. She’d been so busy prepping last-minute ideas for this year’s Christmas pageant that she hadn’t found time to eat breakfast, and she probably wouldn’t if she wanted to get to the school in time for her planning meeting.
“Muffins? Or cupcakes?” Jenna grinned.
Maddie laughed. “Anything goes when it comes to the holidays, even candy with your breakfast.” She pulled a bakery box tied with a red ribbon from behind the counter and slid it across the wooden surface to Jenna. “Here’s your order. A dozen of my holiday shortbread cookies. A baker’s dozen, that is.”
Jenna lifted the box carefully, resisting the urge to pop the lid and sneak an early taste. Maddie’s shortbread was buttery and rich with just the right amount of sweetness. She’d been perfecting the recipe for years before opening this establishment, and they were a crowd-pleaser at their annual cookie swap party.
“I’m sure that Suzanne will be thrilled,” she said, thinking of how the school’s principal was a regular customer here. “I have a few suggestions for this year’s pageant and these should help sweeten the deal, so to speak.”
Jenna had been thinking about it for months, ever since the air turned crisp and the leaves began to fall and Christmas crept into her mind. The pageant was something that she’d participated in for the past several years, accompanying the children on the piano and helping the music teacher with the weekly rehearsals. It was a fairly standard event, with the same grades performing the same songs, and with Mr. Pritchard in his final year at the school, she doubted he had much energy to shake things up, even though he was always delighted to hear her ideas. This year, Jenna hoped to make things a little different, a little more special, to honor the teacher who had taught her so much.
“I’m sure she’ll love whatever you have to share,” Maddie reassured her.
Jenna, however, wasn’t so sure. “Suzanne loves traditions nearly as much as Cora,” Jenna said, referring to Maddie’s sister who owned the town’s holiday shop.
Maddie raised her eyebrows. The entire town knew how wedded Cora was to her Christmas traditions, but the family members knew best. For years, no one had dared to so much as disrupt the order of the ornament hanging, until recently when so many of Jenna’s cousins had found relationships. Her sisters too, Jenna thought, and mentally added Brooke’s husband and Gabby’s boyfriend to her gift list.
“Cora managed to open her mind to new ideas last year and look how that turned out! She’s already talking about all the new activities she plans to do with that boyfriend of hers and his sweet little girl,” Maddie said. “I’m sure that Suzanne will do the same, especially coming from the musical expert!”
Jenna’s cheeks burned despite the chill that still clung to her coat. “I’m just a piano teacher.”
“You also play at weddings!” Maddie scolded, but her eyes were bright. “And heading up the Christmas choir is no small feat!”
It was true, all true, but there was a part of Jenna that always felt like she hadn’t lived up to her potential, or had at least come up short. Her heart swelled with pride when she taught a little girl how to play her favorite song, or when the entire town came out to gather at the town square for the annual tree lighting, where she was often asked to accompany everyone with classic carols. But there was always a nagging thought of what could have been, if…
She stopped herself there. No sense thinking of what might have been. She was a piano teacher, a local accompanist, a substitute music teacher at the school, and today she had an important meeting and one that she had been looking forward to all week.
“I should run.” Jenna was just as desperate to change the topic as she was to pitch her idea to Suzanne. “Will I see you at the tree lighting on Friday?”
Maddie nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
No, Maddie would never skip a Blue Harbor tradition, and neithe
r would anyone else in Jenna’s family. The Conways were deeply rooted in this town, and expanding by the day with so many of her cousins and sisters now coupled off or, in her cousin Britt’s case, even engaged. It was the bright side to living here in her hometown—Jenna was surrounded by the people who knew and loved her best, and others who were happy to support her musical endeavors. If she’d been accepted to that music conservatory all those years ago, she could be living a different life in a major city, or touring with an orchestra. And a different life wasn’t necessarily a better one. Or so she told herself on the days when the insecurities still reared, and the memory of rejection stung.
She had a family she loved and a job that satisfied her. And it was Christmas. No time to be harping on old hurts.
Jenna scooted out of line to let the next person move up to the counter. The walk to the school was short, and Jenna chose the scenic path, hugging the lakeshore until she cut up to Main Street near the harbor, and then hurried up the steps to the double doors of the very school she’d once attended.
She waved to Lauren Mackenzie at the front desk as she approached. “I’m here for the pageant meeting.”
Lauren gave a funny expression and then said, “I think Mr. Pritchard is expecting you.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’s positively bouncing in his chair by now!” Jenna laughed. Mr. Pritchard loved the concert as much as she did, and his enthusiasm was contagious, drawing her in at a young age.
Lauren chewed her lip as if she had something more to say, but just then a little boy came in through the door, sniffling and crying about a lost lunch box, and that was Jenna’s cue to exit. Besides, she didn’t want to keep Mr. Pritchard waiting—they likely had a limited window before his next class.
With a smile, Jenna followed the familiar halls to Mr. Pritchard’s room and stood in the open doorway, where another man was already perched on a student desk, his back to Jenna, deep in conversation. Hesitantly, Jenna transferred her box of cookies to one hand and rapped her knuckles against the door with the other, drawing the attention of sweet Mr. Pritchard and a man whom Jenna had never seen before in town.
A rather good-looking man.
“Jenna!” Mr. Pritchard smiled as he stood and crossed the room to clasp her hand in both of his. His watery blue eyes were bright behind his tortoise-shell glasses. “So good to see you, dear.”
“And you too, Mr. Pritchard! I always look forward to this meeting. Is Suzanne joining us?”
Mr. Pritchard exchanged a glance with the other man, who had slid off the desk to walk toward her, extending a hand. “I’m Principal Dunne. I’m going to be filling in for Suzanne for the rest of the school year.”
Jenna was barely able to hide her shock as she shook the man’s hand, but now she studied him a little more closely, liking what she saw. Medium-brown hair with a side part, warm eyes to match, and a smile that was pleasant and carefree.
“Is everything okay with Suzanne?” She couldn’t help but worry. When Suzanne had set up this meeting two weeks ago, she hadn’t indicated that she wouldn’t be attending it.
“She had to head down to Florida for an undetermined amount of time to tend to her mother,” Mr. Pritchard explained. “It was sudden and she was unsure as to when she would be back, so the board thought it made sense for Mr. Dunne—I mean, Principal Dunne—to fill in for the remainder of the year.”
Jenna nodded, giving the handsome new principal a little smile. “I see, well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I have so many ideas for this year’s pageant—”
Mr. Dunne held up a hand. Mr. Pritchard swallowed hard and muttered something about needing to run to class, even though they were standing in his classroom. The very piano she often played sat in the corner near the window, next to a pile of plastic recorders for the younger students.
“I’m afraid we won’t be needing your services at the pageant this year,” Mr. Dunne said.
Jenna stared at him, aware that he had her at more than one advantage. Not only did she have no idea she wouldn’t be meeting with Suzanne, but she was also standing in her coat and scarf, at a meeting that probably should have been canceled.
She blinked hard as her heart began to pound, trying to understand what he was implying. “Did you…find another piano player?”
She hadn’t met any competition in the area in all the years that she’d been playing professionally, but perhaps she had been naïve, or just lucky. Perhaps this Mr. Dunne knew another piano player. A better piano player. Perhaps, he was married to one.
“There won’t be a Christmas pageant this year,” Mr. Dunne replied.
That took a moment to sink in. When Jenna realized from his deadpan expression that he was, in fact, serious, she managed to say, “No pageant?”
“The kids will do a little something for their parents during the class holiday parties instead. It makes sense, and it’s budget-friendly, and with the changes going on around here, it felt like a happy compromise.”
A happy compromise? There was nothing happy about the thought of the pageant being canceled! What about the costumes, the candles, the music? And what changes was he referring to, other than canceling a beloved community event?
“But…who will accompany them?” She’d gladly volunteer her services.
“Oh, digital accompaniment,” he assured her with a strange smile.
Jenna stared at him, resisting the urge to laugh out loud at such a horrible idea. “Digital accompaniment,” she clarified slowly.
He nodded. “The arts haven’t been well funded in recent years and some cuts are needed—”
Now it was her turn to hold up a hand. “I’m happy to volunteer my services if cost is the issue. I’ve put a lot of thought into this production and it’s, well, a tradition.”
Surely, he could understand the value of a Christmas tradition!
“I appreciate that, Jenna, but the decision has already been made and the kids seem quite excited about it. Besides, the individual classrooms don’t have a piano and this will allow the teachers to get creative. From what I understand, the holiday pageant has become a little stale in recent years.”
Jenna opened her mouth and then closed it. If by stale he meant that the kindergarteners wore reindeer costumes and the first graders were snowmen and every child looked forward to the next year when they’d move up to the next costume, and several parents told Jenna they made ornaments out of the photos from each year, so they could always look back on the time their child was an elf in third grade and a nutcracker in ninth, then yes, the pageant was stale.
A bell rang and Mr. Dunne checked his watch. “I’m afraid I’m due back in my office for a meeting. Thank you for coming in, Jenna. I’m sorry I don’t have better news. It’s nothing personal, I can assure you.”
Oh, but he was wrong about that. This was personal. Deeply personal, and deeply disappointing too.
Jenna swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded her head to show that she understood, even though she didn’t agree with it. Still, she couldn’t walk away without trying.
“This is Mr. Pritchard’s last year at the school,” she pointed out, but the new principal just nodded. She took a breath and continued. “I think he would like to have one last pageant.” More like he deserved to have one last pageant, and she hoped to give him a special finale this year, one that would involve the entire audience, joining in song, honoring the man who had given so much to their children, and, in some of their cases, to them.
Mr. Dunne opened his mouth and closed it again as if he had changed his mind about how to respond. “All good things must come to an end at some point, as the saying goes.”
Jenna swallowed hard, wondering just what her beloved music teacher thought of this sudden change. She intended to seek him out as soon as possible and offer him a few words of comfort. But first, she intended to fight on his behalf.
With one hand holding the bakery box, she attempted to fish her notes from her tote with the other. “I have some
great ideas—”
But Mr. Dunne was already leading her to the door. “I’m sure this is something that Suzanne can discuss with you in more depth.”
But not with him. Not with this brisk, no-nonsense Principal Dunne, who had made it very clear that he could not be persuaded. Jenna’s spirits sank further.
“It’s just that it’s a Christmas tradition…” She stopped walking, forcing him to look at her properly.
“Thank you for coming in,” he replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
He gave a tight smile before disappearing into the hallway, leaving Jenna alone in the room where her love for music had first been born, clutching a box of Christmas cookies that she hadn’t even been given the chance to share.
So much for starting the season on a high note.
Harbor Holidays was by far the most festive shop in all of Blue Harbor, tucked at the end of Main Street in an old Victorian home that sat next door to Bart’s tree lot. By the time Jenna arrived, she had already eaten three of the cookies in her box and her cousin Cora was quick to notice.
“Not a baker’s dozen from what I see,” she tsked, selecting one from the top and giving Jenna a little grin.
“You counted?” Jenna reached for another while her cousin prepared them each a mug of hot chocolate. The shop hadn’t opened yet for the day, but she’d come in through Cora’s private entrance at the back of the building, directly into the kitchen that was closed off to the shop rooms.
“No. I can see the crumbs all over your scarf.” Cora laughed and handed her a candy-cane striped napkin from the center of her table.
Like the meandering rooms that comprised her store, Cora’s quarters were overflowing with holiday-themed items, from the red kettle on the stove to the Mr. and Mrs. Clause potholders that hung from the oven handle.