Finding Christmas (Blue Harbor Book 7)

by Olivia Miles

  Eventually, he even convinced himself.

  “Sure took you long enough,” his grandmother said as she sipped her cider. “It’s a wonder it’s not cold by now.”

  Travis grinned. This was his grandmother’s way of showing she was tough, not weak, and he found amusement in it, rather than annoyance. “I ran into someone I know.”

  Now his grandmother looked at him with interest. “A woman?”

  He hesitated, not liking the sudden hope that filled her expression. “Yes, it was a woman. Someone from a school meeting.”

  She nodded her approval. “This town is full of pretty women.”

  “So are most towns,” he said with an easy smile. And that didn’t mean he was going to start dating again, even though he knew that his grandmother was pushing for something more than that. No, she wanted marriage. A front-row seat so she could die in peace, or so she liked to remind him every few days.

  “Yes, but this town also has me,” Gran said with a mischievous smile. “And you’ll be hard-pressed to find a town with better Christmas traditions.”

  Travis sipped his drink. He didn’t have the heart to admit to his grandmother that he didn’t match her enthusiasm when it came to the holiday any more than he was willing to admit his part in deciding to cancel the school’s pageant—even if that was hardly his fault. He was just the messenger, doing the fiscally conservative thing. Making the most of a difficult situation. When he looked at it that way, he’d found a way to still salvage some form of the concert for the children.

  But something in the way Jenna had stared at him tonight made him think that she, at least, didn’t see it that way.

  They were interrupted by a few newcomers to their bonfire—two women he knew from the school, though their names escaped him. From beside him, his grandmother made a strong showing of clearing her throat, and he refused to so much as glance her way, knowing that her facial expression would equally lack subtlety.

  Instead, he smiled at the two women, who reminded him that they were Lauren and Carly by way of introduction to his grandmother.

  “It’s so nice having a fresh face at work,” the school nurse, Carly, said, and her coworker elbowed her at that. “Do you think you’ll stay in Blue Harbor?”

  Now, Travis could feel the heat of his grandmother’s gaze, burning hotter than the logs in the fire. He took a sip of his drink to stall and shrugged. “Not sure, really.”

  No was the real answer. He didn’t stay anywhere, at least not for long. After moving around so much as a kid, he’d gotten used to the change of scenery, felt the itch for a fresh start every couple of years, grew restless if he was kept in one place for too long.

  It was always easier not to get too comfortable, he’d learned at a young age. Better not to make friends you’d have to leave. Better not to join a team that you would later let down. Better not to look back.

  He was almost grateful when the crowd quieted down and the topic of his love life could be put on hold—until he saw a group of choir singers, led by Jenna, gather near the tree. The mayor said a few words as Jenna took her seat at the piano bench, her dark hair held back in waves that cascaded down the back of her red coat that matched the scarves each member of the choir wore.

  As the speech wrapped up, Jenna held her fingers over the keys. Even from this distance, he could see her take a moment to pull in a breath, but as the music started, any sign of nerves disappeared. She played with ease, and even joy, and the music was like nothing he’d heard before, at least not firsthand. The choir began to sing and all eyes in the crowd were on the tree, which would light up at any moment, but there was something about the quiet, the snow, and the way that the music filled the space, that made it impossible for Travis to look at anything or anyone but Jenna.

  The song finished just as the tree came to life and the crowd whooped in delight and then broke out in cheer. Travis looked at his grandmother, seeing the joy shining in her eyes when she looked up at the tree, and just for that moment, he saw a glimpse of her younger, sturdier self, and maybe, even a shadow of his mother.

  Travis joined the crowd in their applause, but it wasn’t the tree that impressed him or held his attention.

  Two things had slipped his observation at that rather awkward first meeting: Jenna Conway was a beautiful piano player. She was also, he couldn’t help but note, a rather beautiful woman.

  Chapter Four

  Jenna knew most of the children in Blue Harbor from her work at the school, but she took a special liking to her private lesson students, in particular her cousin Britt’s soon-to-be stepdaughter, Keira, who had only been taking lessons for a few months but whose enthusiasm was rarely matched.

  “I want to be able to play ‘Carol of the Bells’ by Christmas Eve,” Keira told her when they finished working on her scales.

  Jenna hesitated. She didn’t want to discourage her pupil, but that was a particularly difficult piece, and she wasn’t sure she would be able to find beginner-level sheet music for it. Still, she smiled at Keira and said, “Let me see what I can find for next week. You’ll have to practice for a song like that.”

  Keira nodded earnestly. “I will. I’ll practice every day.”

  “Okay then.” Jenna smiled as she rose from the bench. The secondhand piano that had been with her for years sat near the window of her apartment that overlooked Main Street. It was already dusk and the lights from town twinkled through the glass. “I told your dad and Britt that I’d bring you over to the town hall with me after your lesson. Be sure to button your coat. The temperature is supposed to drop tonight.”

  “Jenna?” Keira pulled her coat from the hook near the door and carefully buttoned each button. “Do you think if we hurry we can look in the window of the shop downstairs first?”

  Jenna laughed. She’d taken over the apartment lease from her sister after Brooke reunited with her husband, and the location above Something Blue was a frequent distraction with some of her young students, especially those who enjoyed princess stories.

  “Better than that. We can go inside. I promised Brooke I’d walk over to the meeting with her.” She handed Keira her hat and they hurried down the internal stairs that led to the back of the storefront. The lights were still on in the boutique, even though the business was closed for the day, and Brooke was fluffing a tulle veil when they entered the store, which glistened and sparkled nearly as much as the lights reflecting off the snow outside.

  “I can’t wait to be a bride!” Keira cried, running from one display to another, knowing from her recent visits to the shop with Britt that she could look but not touch. Still, Brooke seemed to stiffen each time her little hands went out.

  Jenna didn’t blame her. The gowns were stunning, each one unique, and Brooke had created a winter wonderland feel to the space in recent weeks.

  “You get to be a flower girl,” Brooke reminded her as she started to flick off the lights. She slipped into her light-grey wool coat which was more fashionable than it was practical and brushed her blond hair free from the collar.

  The wedding wouldn’t be until the spring when the cherry trees were in bloom; of course, Britt and Robbie would be married at the orchard, where they’d reunited and now worked side by side, growing the business that had been in the Conway family for generations and now likely would be for many more.

  “Just thinking of spring makes me sad that Christmas is almost over,” Jenna said with a laugh.

  “It’s only the first week of December!” Brooke shook her head and ushered them out the front door.

  “My favorite time of the year,” Jenna said.

  Keira picked up on the frown in her tone and shook her hand. “Are you sad about the pageant being canceled? I’m sad. But at least we get to sing to our parents at our class party, even if there won’t be costumes or piano music.”

  Jenna didn’t want to dampen the evening. It was Christmastime, and it was especially magical for children.

  “How can I be sad with a
ll these wonderful decorations and lights?” Jenna swept her arms wide, embracing the charming street that came to life this time of year.

  Jenna and Keira admired the window display while Brooke locked up the shop—a winter dress under the fur stole was with a mesh long-sleeved overlay on a satin gown covered in what must be tens of thousands of tiny crystals. It looked like a snowflake. It was certainly as unique as one.

  “I think if I ever get married, that is what I want my dress to look like,” Jenna said wistfully. “And I’d have Christmas carols for the ceremony. Candles against the snow.”

  “Sounds like you have it all planned out!” Brooke half-joked.

  “Only because I live above this shop and I’m related to you!” It was true that Jenna had never given much thought to marriage or finding love before—she’d been too busy with her music, too caught up in the joy of her fingers moving along the keys. She assumed at some point she’d meet someone. It just hadn’t happened yet. If it didn’t, she had her music. She knew not everyone could claim something else for their first and truest love.

  “I hope you do get married soon!” Keira said earnestly.

  Jenna looked down at her as they joined hands and began to walk. “And why is that?”

  “Because I want to have another chance to be a flower girl!”

  Jenna and Brooke laughed. The town hall wasn’t far, and a line of people was already filing through the front doors. By the time they made it to the community room downstairs, Jenna realized that all the chairs were filled.

  “Is it usually like this?” She turned to Brooke, who looked just as surprised as she was. “I’ve never attended one of these meetings before.”

  “Seems like the library’s fate is creating quite a stir,” Brooke said. The question being, was everyone here in favor of keeping it?

  Keira craned her neck through the crowd of people who were inching closer together. “I see my dad near the front of the room!”

  “Go ahead,” Jenna said, watching her run forward to the right side of the room where most of Jenna’s cousins and their significant others were already gathered. Gabby had already joined them.

  “I think Kyle saved me a seat.” Brooke gave her husband a wave and then winced at Jenna, seeking approval.

  “Go on. I’m fine!” And she was. She didn’t mind being on her own. Besides, here in Blue Harbor, she knew everyone. Why, she could probably look around and name every single person in this room. Including…

  Oh, brother. Travis Dunne. What was he doing here?

  Jenna quickly shifted behind one of the taller men in the room, happy that most people were still bundled in their winter coats, lending an easy shield. Still, her eyes flicked to the right as the mayor started to speak, wondering if Travis had seen her.

  She breathed easier when she saw that his attention was fixed firmly on the front of the room, where, following a call for understanding from the townspeople, the mayor asked for comments.

  Not surprisingly, Candy’s hand was the first to shoot up in the crowd.

  “I think that this year’s Winter Carnival proceeds should go toward the library.”

  A murmur went up in the crowd, and Jenna couldn’t be sure if it was one of agreement or not. Still, Candy posed an interesting idea, not that Jenna was surprised. Candy was the type of person who didn’t back down when she set her mind to something, and as someone who hadn’t grown up in this town, she was partial enough to see it in a different way than most people in the room could.

  Other than Travis Dunne.

  Jenna narrowed her eyes at the man who was so quick to dismiss a beloved Christmas tradition and then shifted her gaze back to Candy, who was now moving to the podium, the Christmas lights on her multi-colored, battery-operated necklace guiding her way.

  Jenna caught the glance shared by Britt and Amelia and couldn’t help but smile. It was people like Candy who made this town special.

  Candy took a moment to collect herself by fluffing her curls and clearing her throat. “The Winter Carnival attracts locals and tourists alike. It’s because of the festivities like the carnival that people want to live here and want to visit. But it’s also because of places like the library. If this town was all about tourism, it would lose its sense of authenticity, its charm. Maybe even its heart. So what do you say? And it doesn’t have to stop with the carnival! We could turn all the other events we cherish this month into a fundraising effort, maybe even think of some new ones, too.”

  Amelia was the first to stand. “Firefly Café will donate all of its proceeds from the carnival toward saving the library.”

  Candy beamed and yanked a marker from the mayor’s hand. In the front row, Helena looked like she was near tears from relief as Candy wrote on the whiteboard in her loopy handwriting, dotting each “I” with a heart, as was her way.

  Maddie stood next. “Buttercream Bakery will do the same.”

  Cora and Britt were next, exhausting Candy’s immediate family until Bella rose. “As a bookstore owner, it is my civic duty to support the literary arts. I don’t have a stand at the Winter Carnival, but I’d like to volunteer my time, anything I can do or create to make sure that this is the biggest, most profitable, and most wonderful Winter Carnival that this town has ever seen.”

  The room broke out in cheer, and soon Candy was scribbling down names of vendors who would volunteer their services faster than she could write. Soon, there were new ideas for making the carnival bigger and better than all the years before, and fundraising ideas that would allow residents to participate in the holiday and help out at the same time—crafts that were typically sold at the carnival were now being donated. The wreath-making event that Gabby hosted each year would now be for the cause.

  “We can do a special shopping day!” Candy suggested. “All participating shops can offer a discount. It will draw in people from neighboring towns.”

  “And a gift-wrapping event,” Robbie’s mother called out, waving her hand in the air. “We’ll host in the lobby of the Carriage House. There’s plenty of room for extra tables and chairs to be brought in for the day.”

  “And I’ll donate the paper!” Cora chimed in.

  “It can all be part of a bigger, longer Winter Carnival, with the carnival itself capping things off before the holiday!” Candy clapped at her own idea and several others joined in.

  The effort from everyone was enormous, and from the look on Helena’s face, unexpected. But then, this was Blue Harbor. How could Jenna have ever doubted that everyone would pull together in a time of need?

  Maybe it was her conversation with Keira tonight, or maybe it was the energy in the room, or maybe it was Travis Dunne’s presence, reminding her of what she was fighting for that prompted Jenna’s hand to shoot up. Candy called on her before Jenna had a chance to change her mind.

  “Some of you may know that the school pageant was canceled this year, but that doesn’t mean we have to deny the children a chance to perform. I’m happy to organize a children’s choir for anyone interested. No charge, just another event to draw people to the carnival.”

  From across the aisle, Jenna’s mother beamed at her, but it was Candy who proclaimed, “It will be a main attraction of the carnival! I’ll give it a special place on the new signs.”

  It seemed to be agreed upon before Jenna could even say anything more, and from every side of her, people nodded their approval, some evening thanking her for the idea.

  The mayor stood, looking pleased and proud. “My assistant is putting out volunteer sheets at the back of the room. Please sign up for whatever you can contribute—whether it be services, food, or just your time. If there’s any hope for funding the library, this is it!”

  Jenna clapped, feeling all warm and fuzzy again at the way this town pulled together when it was needed the most, and, because she was already at the back of the room, hurried to the table near the stairs in the hallway to sign the volunteer sheets, where she grabbed a blank sheet and wrote “Children’
s Choir” at the very top. She was very familiar with the carnival’s offerings, as well as the many events that the town hosted, and she was already looking forward to some of the new ideas that had been tossed around. And seeing as she had extra time on her hands now that her services were no longer needed at the school, she signed up for as many things as she could, feeling better already.

  A purpose was always a good thing when it came to distracting from life’s disappointments. And helping a friend was always something she’d make time for, especially at Christmas.

  She glanced back at the crowd slowly pushing through the doors as she set a hand on the banister, noticing Mr. Dunne at the back of the crowd. That man may have no Christmas spirit, but she’d be darned if she let him ruin her holidays.

  Travis watched as Jenna hurried up the stairs, her red scarf trailing behind her. He had wondered if she’d be at the town meeting tonight—and assumed that she would. She’d made it clear that this town was important to her, and it would seem that she wasn’t alone in thinking that.

  Looking around at the turnout as he filed out of the room, he was surprised at how many people had come out tonight—many of the faces he recognized from last night’s tree lighting. Several had already stopped him to ask if his grandmother was in attendance, and he’d replied with what was becoming the semi-truth, that he was here on her behalf.

  Blue Harbor had never been his home—he couldn’t say which town or city ever was—but it was important to his grandmother and that made it important to him.