As Kat stepped onto Main Street, her breath hitched at the beautiful sight before her. The entire town square dazzled beneath a canopy of twinkling lights. Every speck of snow had been cleared from the streets and the center lawn, but it still capped the rooftops and tree branches, adding to the magical, glittery effect.
Townspeople clad in wintry and festive-themed pajamas gathered around blazing firepits or huddled beneath the amber glow of heat lamps.
Kat pulled her vintage chenille robe tighter around her, although she didn’t cinch the waist, allowing just enough of the elegant 1950s nightgown to peek through. She’d had her reservations when Penny explained the quirky tradition, but she’d underestimated its charm. Now that she saw the event up close, she was absolutely smitten with it.
Kat scanned the bright, jovial faces in the crowd, searching for one in particular. Since he stood several inches taller than everyone else, he wasn’t hard to spot. Her stomach fluttered when she noticed Jack’s gaze followed the same sweeping pattern as her own. Could he be looking for her?
Their eyes locked, and a heart-stopping smile illuminated his features, warming Kat all the way down to her toes. Something was definitely happening between them, and she couldn’t deny wanting to discover whatever it was. In all her life, she’d never experienced so much joy and exhilaration wrapped in equal amounts of anxious trepidation.
Gathering her nerves, she inhaled deeply, catching a whiff of her new perfume. She still couldn’t believe Fern had mailed her the package filled with clothing, makeup, a few personal items, and the early Christmas present.
Fern’s note had simply stated that she’d spotted the perfume bottle in a shop window and couldn’t resist. Of course, Kat shouldn’t have been surprised Fern knew exactly where to send it. The woman had an uncanny knack for knowing the unknowable. In truth, she’d probably written the return address down the minute she received Penny’s letter. And all that talk of moldy cheese and A Christmas Carol had been a not-so-subtle push for Kat to finally visit her sister.
As for the perfume… Well, Kat couldn’t wait to wear it for Jack. It wasn’t fruity or floral, she had a feeling he wouldn’t appreciate those scents. Instead, it smelled warm and sultry with hints of spicy cardamom and saffron wrapped in woodsy amber.
With an unwavering gaze, Jack strode straight toward her, and Kat stifled a laugh as he emerged through the crowd. The man confidently wore a red onesie paired with a fur-lined trapper hat and shiny black boots.
“Did you steal Santa’s pajamas?” she teased, trying not to gawk at the way his substantial biceps strained the ribbed cotton fabric.
“They’re on loan.” He grinned, but his features immediately softened as he drank her in. “Wow. You look—”
“Ridiculous?” She self-consciously tugged the delicate lace of the Peter Pan collar.
“You look great.” Based on his expression, she suspected his words were an understatement, and her cheeks flushed.
“You made it!” Interrupting their intimate exchange, Penny joined them, beaming at Kat. “Your outfit looks amazing!”
“It should. You picked it out,” Kat said with a laugh. Her sister looked adorable in a quilted robe and flannel nightgown, her long auburn hair bundled in a scrunchie on top of her head.
“True.” Penny grinned. “And Jack, the only person who can top your getup is Colt. He insisted on wearing the pink bunny pajamas from A Christmas Story.”
“He would,” Jack snorted in amusement.
Penny’s eyes lit up when she spotted someone across the square. “Oh, look! Frank and Beverly are here. I’ve been dying to introduce you. You two get in line for hot chocolate, and I’ll bring them over.”
As her sister skipped across the lawn, Kat couldn’t help noticing how the entire town buzzed with merriment.
“This is quite the tradition,” she said as they walked toward the quaint hot chocolate stand nestled between two booths, one serving roasted chestnuts and the other a variety of candied caramel corn.
“It’s my favorite holiday event. When Mayor Burns lights the tree, we all sing Christmas carols. You’re going to love it.”
“Oh, I don’t sing.”
“You don’t sing?” As he cocked his head, the ear flaps of his hat flopped to one side. “I’m sure you don’t sound that bad.”
“I didn’t say I can’t sing. I said I don’t sing.”
“Why not?”
Kat hesitated. She’d never told anyone, not even Fern, but for some reason, she wanted to share with Jack—an impulse she had given up questioning.
“Well—” she began, pausing when a flicker of shock darted across his face.
Following his gaze, she saw a stunning raven-haired woman sashayed toward them. The exotic beauty would have stood out in any situation, but in her sleek, black leather pants, high-heeled boots and trendy, camel-colored car coat, she was impossible to miss.
“Ashley?”
Even though the woman’s name escaped Jack’s lips in a strangled whisper, they bulldozed Kat like a runaway sleigh.
“Jack Gardener, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
A chill ran down Jack’s spine as Ashley looked him over with a provocative glint in her dark obsidian eyes. They looked the same, yet different—every bit as mesmerizing but more worldly and less warm.
“Ashley.” He nearly choked on her name and hastily cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?”
“Jack.” She sighed like a patient schoolteacher. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
His glaze flew to Kat. Her features had gone pale. “Ashley, this is Kat. Kat, this is Ashley.”
“Nice to meet you.” Ashley extended her hand, and Kat shook it, dazed and speechless. “You don’t mind if I borrow him for a moment, do you?”
Kat shook her head, still not speaking.
“Actually, we’re in the middle of a conversation,” Jack told her, not wanting to leave Kat’s side for even a second. Especially not with her.
“Surely you can spare two minutes for an old friend.”
He didn’t like the way she said friend with so much emphasis. “Maybe later.”
“Don’t be silly. Kat doesn’t mind.” She coiled her fingers around his arm. “I promise to bring him back in one piece.”
What was that supposed to mean? Jack stiffened as she hooked her hand in the crook of his elbow and steered him away from Kat. “I see you’re just as stubborn as ever.” Her voice carried the same playful lilt that he remembered, but it didn’t melt his heart the way it used to.
“What are you doing here?” he repeated, shrugging his arm from her grasp.
“Can’t a girl come home for Christmas?”
“This isn’t your home. You made that clear when you left. And you can’t be visiting your parents since they retired in Florida. So, what really brings you back to Poppy Creek?”
“The truth?”
He folded his arms in front of his chest.
“I heard you were inquiring into the Windsor property.”
Jack straightened, his hands falling to his sides. “How’d you hear about that?”
“I know everything there is to know about that house. Your dad made it part of my job to stay informed.”
Seething, Jack tried to keep his anger in check, pressing his fingertips into his palm. Of course his father would have his ex-girlfriend keep tabs on him. It wasn’t enough that he’d lured her away after Jack turned down his job offer, knowing full well he’d already bought her a ring. The entire scenario still made him sick to his stomach.
“So, you flew all the way out here from New York to… what? See if the rumors were true?” If his father thought that Jack finally doing something with the property meant he’d forgiven him—or worse, wanted anything to do with the company—he was in for a surprise.
“Jack, I’m living in LA now. I thought Lucy told you.”
“Lucy? Why would she know anything about it?”
She stared at him with a puzzled expression. “Because we’re working together. We have been for several months. Honestly, Jack, I thought you knew.”
Every light, color, and sound blurred together as her words trampled over him.
And in that moment, Jack wasn’t sure if he knew anything anymore.