6

The village was already jam packed with people when Jessie got back into town. Circling the village square, he finally found an empty spot two blocks away and parked his truck. Most of the business district was closed to traffic tonight to accommodate the horse drawn wagons, which were really just glorified hay wagons borrowed from local farmers. But decorated with lights and ribbons and pine boughs, they were charming enough to justify the ten-dollar fee they charged to ferry festival guests around town.

He found Bo Bo’s Taco Truck and took his place in the queue, chatting with his neighbors, the Freemans’, while he waited. When he reached the front of the line, he ordered two burritos and a cup of coffee. He handed the girl a twenty and she slid his change across the counter, along with a silver key. A horn blared and the staff in the food truck cheered.

“Congratulations,” the girl said. “You got the last one.”

Embarrassed by all of the attention, he said, “I’ve already got one, save it for someone else.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’ve already got one. You’re our twenty-fifth customer today. The twenty-fifth customer gets the key.”

Juggling his burritos and coffee, he slid the key into his pocket.

When he’d finished his dinner, he wandered around the square. All the usual vendors were set up, selling jewelry, Christmas ornaments, and baked goods. He spotted a silver cuff bracelet with a sapphire gemstone he thought Izzy might like and bought it for her. Thoughts of her date intruded. It was almost 8:00 PM. She would still be at the movies. He didn’t want to think of the three hours beyond that.

She’ll be fine…

He chastised himself for being such a worry wart. Why couldn’t he just imagine Izzy out having a wonderful time and leave it at that? Why did his mind entertain every possible horrific scenario? He’d have to stop doing that if he was to survive her teen years. With resolve strengthened, he continued on past the park.

A chorus of shrieks and giggles caught his attention. A crowd of children thronged to the little gingerbread house, where Santa and Mrs. Claus gave out candy canes and collected hugs and wish lists. Horse drawn wagons rumbled down the street, accompanied by strings of jingle bells while the sweet songs of Christmas carols echoed across the park.

The Methodist Church had one of the finest manger scenes in town. Drawn by its soft glow of lights, Jessie turned down the cobbled path. He stood for long moments, contemplating the scene. Local craftsmen had built the creche many years before and it still took his breath away. He gazed at the hand hewn stable, the lifelike animals. Shepherd boys with their sheep. The wise men, and a pair of camels. Mary, whose expression was one of utter joy, unaware of how soon her joy would turn to sorrow. That she’d one day have to bury the person she loved the most.

Catching himself in that thought, Jessie shook it off. Mary’s story did not end there, and neither would his. The church bells tolled the half hour, and he headed up Main Street to Crossman’s Furniture Store. It was time for the Key to Christmas ceremony. Time to face Alexis.

By the time he got there, a large crowd had already gathered. Alexis looked stunning, with her lovely blue eyes, and her shiny blonde curls hanging down to her shoulders. She wore a glittery gold mask, and even that added to her allure. He wished he hadn’t blown his chance with her. He jingled the keys in his pocket.

“Welcome to this year’s Key to Christmas contest,” she said. “Please excuse my mask, I have a touch of a cold and I didn’t want anyone to get sick because of me.”

The crowd murmured their appreciation.

“As you all know, my parents started the tradition many years ago. Nutcrackers were my mother’s favorite thing, and thanks to my dad’s craftsmanship,” she lovingly placed a hand on Melchior’s shoulder, “she found a way to incorporate them into her other favorite thing, Charlee Falls’s Christmas in the Village festival.”

People applauded and cheered.

“It’s been a hard year for Crossman’s, but it only seemed right to let the tradition live on in my parents’ memory. So, without further ado, I invite all of this year’s key holders to please come forward.”

Moving into the line, Jessie calculated his odds. There were ten keys in all. He had two of them. He had a twenty percent chance of winning. Not bad.

“Will the first keyholder please step forward!”

Mary Alice Ryan, the elementary school secretary, hurried to the front amid cheers and well wishes. She slid the key into the first, and then into the second lock. Neither turned.

“Sorry, Mrs. Ryan. There’s always next year.”

The second key holder, a woman Jessie didn’t know, tried her key. Neither lock opened. A mother brought her two small children forward. The little girl tried the key in the first slot and her brother, the second. No go on either, but Alexis gave them each a candy cane to soften the blow.

His odds were now about thirty percent. Gathering his courage, Jessie stepped forward.

“Hello, Jessie,” she said softly.

“Hi, Alexis.”

He forced his gaze away from her. She looked radiant tonight and he hadn’t even put on a clean shirt.

. “I have two keys.”

“Wow, good for you. Let’s see if either of them is a winner.”

Retrieving the key he’d gotten from Bo Bo’s from his pocket, he slid it into the bottom lock. Nothing. He tried the top lock with the same result.

The crowd roared.

Down to about sixteen percent. Jessie produced Izzy’s key. Inserting it into the bottom lock, he heard a soft click and the drawer slid open. Amid more whoops and good-natured kidding, he retrieved the envelope and stood aside.

The next four keys were not winners. The last key holder, a woman who was a cashier at the local drug store, strode confidently to the front and slid her key into the lock. The drawer slid open.

“Thanks so much to all our participants and thank you all for supporting Charlee Falls’s small businesses. This year’s winners are Amelia Frye and Jessie Wainright.”

Amelia’s envelope contained the grand prize, a selection of gift certificates from many of the businesses around town. The second-place winner, Jessie’s envelope contained a gift certificate for two lattes at Izzy’s favorite bistro and one for a pedicure at the local nail salon. He took some ribbing about that one.

After handshakes and slaps on the back, the crowd drifted away.

Alexis looked at him and her eyes crinkled, perhaps she was smiling. “Congratulations, Jessie.”

“Thanks.”

She hesitated. “We sure had a beautiful night for the festival.”

“Couldn’t have asked for better weather,” he agreed.

She looked like an answered prayer, standing in the soft glow of the streetlamps, and he wished again that he hadn’t messed things up on their date. But maybe it wasn’t too late. He couldn’t possibly make things any worse than he already had, so he once again gathered his courage.

“Hey, about last Saturday. I should explain.”

She waved the words away. “It’s all right.”

“No, it’s not all right. I wasn’t myself that night. I’m sorry if I seemed… grumpy.”

“I understand.”

It looked as though her eyes were smiling again. Along with the key, he’d been handed a second chance. What were the odds of that? “I’d like to make it up to you. I know you’re a bit under the weather tonight, but if you feel up to it, do you want to grab a couple of lattes?” He waved the envelope. “I seem to have won a couple.”

“Won’t your girlfriend mind?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh. I saw you with a woman earlier today. I just assumed...”

“You mean Crystal?” His smile became a laugh. And his laugh became an earthquake. “Crystal is definitely not my girlfriend. She’s my secretary. She’s very happily engaged to be married, and she’s only a couple of years older than my daughter.”

“I’m sorry. My mistake.”

“So, about those lattes?”

He thought she would say yes. But then the smile slid away from her eyes.

“I have other plans tonight.”

The words hit him like a sucker punch. He reeled, and then recovered. “Sure. Maybe another time, then.” Without waiting for an answer, he headed up the street. She hadn’t forgiven him, then. How could he have misread her signals so badly? How could he have been such a fool?

~*~

Alexis’ euphoria was short lived. Jessie Wainright was actually asking her out, gazing at her with hope in his incredible brown eyes. She wanted to say yes, was about to say yes, when a terrible thought occurred to her. Drinking a latte would involve taking off her mask and exposing her fat lip and chipped tooth. She couldn’t let him see her like this, so she mumbled something about having other plans.

And he walked away.

Now she stood alone outside the store, swallowing her disappointment. Didn’t she deserve love and happiness? How had her life become such a mess? Tears threatened and Alexis stood for a moment to collect herself. In the quiet, a long-forgotten Bible verse whispered to her heart:

Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…

For the second time that day, the breath was knocked from her lungs.

She’d been raised in a Christian home, had always felt close to God as a child. As a teen she’d been involved in her church youth group, and even as she’d entered her twenties she’d held on to her simple faith. But the beginning of her relationship with Bruce had been the end of so many other things. He was not a believer, but she thought she could lead by example. In the end he’d left her, with her own faith badly shaken. She’d tried so hard to hold their marriage together. Now he was remarried and due to have the child he’d claimed he didn’t want. Because he’d walked away from her, she’d walked away from the One who loved her most. The One who’d engraved her on the palm of His hand.

Was it too late to return?

Alexis was tired of people walking away from her. Just because her marriage had failed didn’t mean she’d never love again. And she definitely didn’t need to spend the rest of her life feeling like a failure. With her resolve strengthened, she hurried back inside.

“Stan, would you mind locking up the store tonight?”

“Not at all. Is your mouth hurting you?”

“Actually, no. I thought I might go out for a while.”

He smiled. “Good. That’s great, Lexie. Sure, I’ll turn off the lights and lock up, you go and have a good time.”

Grabbing a jacket, she headed down the sidewalk. There was no sign of Jessie. Disappointment pooled again, until she caught sight of a pair of broad shoulders in the crowd, heading toward the park. Picking up her pace, she went after him.

“Jessie, wait.”

He turned back, hands jammed in his pockets as he waited for her to catch up.

“I wanted to explain.”

“There’s no need, Alexis. Look, I know I’m not much of a conversationalist, and I’m pretty much a disaster when it comes to dating. I blew it last week. You’re probably thinking I’m kind of dull and silent, but once you get to know me—"

“That’s not what I’m thinking at all.”

“It’s not?”

She shook her head. With a sigh, she took off the mask.

“Ouch.” His expression was at once shocked and sympathetic.

“I fell getting out of the shower tonight. That’s why I’m wearing a mask. That’s why I said no to your offer of lattes.”

“I’m sure that was very painful. But it doesn’t look that bad.”

“Please. I look as though I just went ten rounds in the boxing ring.”

“You look pretty good to me.”

A warm glow washed over her. She put the mask back on to hide the ridiculous grin that was spreading across her face.

“In that case, if you’re sure you don’t mind being seen with a human jack-o- lantern, I’d love to have a latte with you.”