Michelle walked out of the Kringle Kitchen and then held the door for Thomas and David as they carried Santa’s mailbox out to its new home on the square.
Carol might have been up to her matchmaking ways again—or stirring the pot, as Joe liked to say—but this time, Michelle didn’t mind one bit. Carol had coerced Thomas into helping her by practically shoving the screw gun into his hand, and then she’d urged both of them, along with David, out the door.
“Thank you so much for helping out with this,” Michelle said to Thomas.
Her comment seemed to amuse him. “Well, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.”
David nodded as he helped carry the red mailbox over to the peppermint-striped pole that had been set up to support it. “It’s cool that we can leave our letters to Santa right here.”
“I used to leave my letters to Santa in this mailbox when I was your age. Everyone in town did.”
Thomas turned and winked. Sometimes he almost seemed to be flirting. Like now. He smiled at her and sparks began to fly. She sucked in a breath. Is he feeling this, too?
The three of them made their way over to the post. It was awkward getting the mailbox up onto the pole, but finally it fell onto the notch and down into place. Thomas took the screws out of his pocket and began securing it.
“Would you look at this? Daisy’s old mailbox.” The joyful voice startled Michelle, and she turned around to see Nick. The old white-bearded man, wearing a blue pea coat and bright red scarf, seemed to have come out of nowhere.
“Hi, Nick.” Michelle had hired him to play Santa last year, and he’d done such a great job she’d hired him on the spot for this year’s festival before someone else could snatch him up.
David and Michelle held the mailbox steady as Thomas put another screw in the other side of the mounting bracket.
Michelle said to Nick, “You know Thomas and—”
“Of course I know David,” Nick said. “He and Hannah came by the store the other day while I was there. How’s the search for the lock coming?”
David hung his head. “Not great. We’ve tried just about everywhere.”
“Well keep trying,” Nick said with a glint in his eye. “Sometimes the best way to solve a puzzle is to step back and wait. And then, a bell goes off in your head and everything makes sense.”
David nodded. “Yeah. That makes sense.” Thomas placed a reassuring arm around David’s shoulder.
Nick addressed Thomas. “Are you new to Evergreen?”
“Trying to be,” Thomas said. “In fact, we’re thinking about branching out my logging business, setting up an office here in Evergreen.”
What? She turned to him. “Really?”
“He’s been talking about it for a whole day now,” David said, rolling his eyes.
Michelle lit up inside like a Christmas tree. This changes things. Her heart raced.
“Wonderful,” Nick said. “Keep up the good work. Putting the mailbox here is a wonderful idea.”
Michelle held up the hand painted sign she’d painted for him to see. On a pine green painted board she’d painted, “Drop Your Letters (Or Thank-You Cards) To Santa Here.”
Nick’s snow-white beard wiggled as he spoke. “I’m sure Santa will appreciate that.” He spun on his heel to leave.
“Bye, Nick.” She held the sign by the red ribbon attached to the back. “Okay. Here we go.” She hung it over the base, and it fit perfectly.
“Huh.” Thomas stepped back, looking confused as he read it. “Thank-you cards?”
It made perfect sense to her. Of course, she was the one who’d written it. “Everyone deserves a thank-you card, especially Santa.”
David and Thomas both nodded. “You’re right,” David said.
“It’s a little crooked,” Thomas pointed out.
“Oh.” She reached for the ribbon to adjust it. “I’ll get it.”
His hand got there first. Her hand closed on top of his. Together they shifted the ribbon to straighten the sign.
They both stepped away and Thomas looked down into Michelle’s eyes. “Perfect.”
Her gaze held his until she lowered her eyes. Yes, it seemed perfect.
He wrapped his arm around David, then took her hand.
She took a deep breath and went along for the moment. And a sweet moment it was.
Lisa was happy with the progress they were making on Daisy’s, but she’d finished putting every trinket and decoration out and around the store, and it wasn’t enough. The place looked empty. Uninteresting. Sure, there were little pockets that had risen to the challenge, but as a whole, it was disappointing. She’d been on the phone for the last twenty minutes trying to borrow some merchandise to fill the vast space, but she was running out of contacts.
Kevin stood and backed away from the counter with a paint tray and brush in his hand. “Okay. Pipes are all done, and now this is done. Just have to let it dry.” He spun around toward Lisa, then realized she was still on the phone. “Sorry,” he mouthed.
She held up a finger. He stood there waiting, just smiling at her.
The repair on the counter was the last fix-it to-do on their list. The bones of the place were in good shape now, and it was amazing what some paint and wainscoting could do to brighten things up.
Lisa had her phone cradled to her shoulder. “No. That’s okay. No. I appreciate it. Thank you, Shaun. Bye.” She hung up and sighed.
Kevin set the paint aside. “Everything okay?”
“It will be as soon as I find somebody to give us some supplies.” She tucked her phone in her back pocket. “Here’s the thing. I need things that would go in a store, like pillows.” She gestured to the empty shelves behind him. “And little Santa Claus people, and pretty stockings, and…what are you laughing at?”
“You,” he said, amused. “You really love this.”
“Yes. I do really love this. You know what I really love about it?” A blush rose in her cheeks. “I love that you can take something that no one else sees the potential in and you can turn it into something beautiful like we’re doing with this store.”
He shook his head. “It’s amazing.” He took a second and stood there just smiling at her. “I always see my job through this lens of what’s not done yet. I always feel like I’m behind, and am completely focused on getting it done, but you…you enjoy the process. It’s…it’s so refreshing.” He picked up his jacket. “Watching someone get so excited makes me realize that I’ve been ignoring the fact that that’s the most interesting part. The potential.”
Exactly. What were his thoughts were on their potential? Did he get those feelings when they touched like she did? She pondered Oliver’s advice. Kevin had his jacket on, and technically he was done with what he’d committed to. It was kind of now or never.
“Hey.” Lisa’s heart beat a little faster, and she fidgeted with her phone.
He stopped and looked her way.
“I’ve got to run over to the inn and pick up a few things,” she said. “Why don’t you take a break and ride with me? And we’ll get some dinner.”
“Oh.” He looked a little torn. “I have a thing I have to do.”
Momentarily rebuffed, she regretted letting herself think there might be something more. What was I thinking? “Oh, never—”
“No. Look, I’m late as it is, but rain check?”
She settled back, disappointed. “You should go.”
He was practically running for the door. What in the world? She felt like she was dumped…but that was totally stupid, because she’d already said she didn’t even know if he liked her.
Oliver was wrong. Kevin didn’t like her either way.
“Rain check? Good. Okay,” he said as he closed the door behind him.
“Fine.”
But it wasn’t fine. She stood there bewildered. And confused. Had she really misread his signals?
And on top of the personal pity party, she still didn’t have a resolution for the store. She hoped she hadn’t just made things so awkward with Kevin that he wouldn’t want to help her finish the job. She had to up the game if Polly was going to fall in love with this place. There wasn’t much else she could do until she found a way to fill the shelves, so there was no reason for her to stick around, either.
With her coat over her shoulder she jogged to her car and drove back over to the inn. Lights from the Christmas trees inside glowed through the windows of the house. Each window had its own single bulb candle, too. A beautiful and simple look, but even that didn’t improve her mood.
Lisa parked her car and walked up to the inn. When she stepped inside, the aroma of ham and the sweet and savory spices of holiday foods whetted her appetite.
A string trio played classic Christmas songs in front of the living room fireplace as guests in dress clothes dined. From here Lisa saw the table of desserts, including one of those fancy Buche de Noel cakes: a chocolate log. She’d never tasted one, but she’d always thought they looked so pretty.
Megan carried an hors d’oeuvre tray of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls shaped into a wreath atop a bed of basil into the dining room. “Are you having fun?” she asked the crowd.
The guests raised their glasses of wine and murmured their satisfaction.
She set down the tray, then spread her arms open. “Enjoy!” On her way back to the kitchen she bumped into Lisa in the foyer. “Hey.”
“Hey,” said Lisa.
“You’re just in time. Dinner’s ready.”
“Great.” Only she didn’t really feel like eating at all now.
“Come with me for a sec.” Megan took Lisa by the arm. “Let’s put up some decorations.”
“Okay.” Lisa never turned down the chance to play Christmas. She followed Megan into the den.
“Aww. It’s pretty.” Megan had started decorating the tree that Kevin had brought over. Fresh cranberry garland was pretty against the little gold lights. There were only a few decorations up so far, but they were all the blown glass ornaments she’d made. Absolutely dazzling. She turned to Megan.
“You’re doing this all alone?”
“Yeah,” she said with a shrug.
Lisa placed her coat on the chair near the door. “Megan, everybody loves decorating a tree. I’m sure any one of those guests in there would love to help you.”
“Which reminds me. I should check on the new guest. He just arrived from Boston…”
“Oh. Okay.” Lisa picked up a couple of ornaments and carried them over to the tree to hang them. Anything was better than sulking about Kevin.
A familiar voice came from the other room. “And he figured he could use a little R&R while helping out a friend.”
Lisa froze and then squealed at the sound of Oliver’s voice. She turned around. There he was, looking dapper as usual, in a blue sweater that matched his blue eyes. She ran and threw her arms around him in a big hug, one ornament still hanging from each of her hands. “Oliver! What are you doing here?” Megan stood there with her mouth wide.
“What’s Christmas without my bestie?”
“Aww. Megan, this is Oliver.”
“Oh, we’ve met. But he didn’t tell me he knew you.”
“I live for surprises,” Oliver said.
“I know you do.” Lisa couldn’t believe her luck. Oliver’s familiar presence was exactly what she needed right now while she was feeling so low about Daisy’s and Kevin. Her mood quickly rebounded. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Excuse me a second,” Megan said. “Someone is waving me down from the other room.”
As Megan left, Lisa turned to Oliver. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me all day. Here.” She handed him one of the ornaments. “Help me decorate.”
“Sure.” As always, he fit right in to any situation. They walked over to the tree together.
“There you go.” He stepped back, admiring the ornament he’d just hung on a branch near the top, and then reached for another.
“You got here fast.” Lisa hung her ornament on the other side of the tree.
“There’s a shockingly adorable train that runs right into Evergreen.”
“Yeah. I know the one.” She poked her head around the tree. “I just didn’t know you knew about it.”
“I’m very resourceful.” He gave her a wink. “In fact, I happened to have already been on it when I talked to you. Plus, you said you needed the help.”
He’d been on his way before she’d even asked. Like finishing her sentences, he was always right there when she needed him. “Oliver, I do need your help. The shelves are completely bare. The decorations look amazing. You know me. I can stage a store with no merchandise at all, but this is Polly we’re talking about here. She’s going to expect—”
Oliver held an ornament between his fingers. “Wow, this is gorgeous,” he interrupted her mid-sentence.
“Yeah. They are. Aren’t they? Polly’s gonna expect stuff like that. Handmade and…” Her eyes narrowed. Those ornaments were just the thing. The answer had been right in front of her all along. “You know what you are?” She danced around a bit. “You’re brilliant, Oliver.” She barely contained her excitement. “I have an idea. Come with me.” She pulled him by the arm toward the door.
“Let me grab my coat.” Oliver ran back and grabbed his coat from the coat rack in the hall.
They put on their coats as they dashed to her car.
“Where are you taking me?” Oliver slid into the passenger seat.
“This is so perfect!” She drummed the steering wheel and gunned the engine, her tires spinning before catching traction in the snow.
A few minutes later they were in the town square parked across from the church. The sounds of “Joy to the World” filled the air as they got out of the car. The music transfixed Lisa, distracting her from her mission.
She grabbed Oliver by the hand and crossed the street to the church. “The music is coming from in here.” She opened the fairy-tale tall door, then poked her head inside.
Thomas and David sat in the third pew on the left. Fourteen people all dressed in deep burgundy choir robes lined the front of the altar. With the beautiful stained-glass window behind them and all the greenery and lights they looked like a band of angels, and their sound was heavenly.
Hannah conducted them in animated fashion, her body almost acting as another instrument guiding the glorious sound. Among those singing were Michelle, Carol, Henry, and then Lisa saw Kevin. This is what he had to do? The thing?
She and Oliver slipped into one of the smooth wooden pews in the back of the small church. There were only two rows of eight pews here. The sound of those perfectly blended voices rose beautifully around her, sending a zing of comfort and joy through her.
She was dying to tell Oliver about Kevin turning her down for dinner because he had a thing. For this, as it turned out. She hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of Kevin since she walked in. She wondered if Oliver had noticed.
Oliver leaned in, a bemused expression on his face. “So your idea…is choir practice?”
“Not exactly, but…” Lisa watched them singing. Kevin looked right at her and smiled. Her heart skipped.
The choir brought the carol to a finish. Lisa and Oliver clapped wildly.
“Great job.” Hannah applauded them, too. “Let’s take five, okay?” As the choir members came down, Hannah said to one of the members, “That was so good. Thank you.”
Lisa hung back as Thomas and David went to the front to catch up with Michelle. Kevin came down the aisle, never taking his eyes off of her.
She stood up and stepped out of the pew, clearing her throat. “Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
“Choir practice?”
“Yeah. I sang in high school.” He blushed a little as he took off the choir robe, revealing a long sleeved black T-shirt.
“So, choir practice is the thing that you had to do.” She couldn’t stop smiling. She’d been so disappointed when he turned her down.
“I wanted to have dinner with you.” He shook his head. “I really did, but I promised.”
“You are full of surprises, Mr. Miller.” Good ones.
“I know. It’s ridiculous. I should have just said what it was, but it sounded like a terrible excuse.”
“No. It’s handsome.” Did I just say that out loud? “It’s cute,” she tried badly to recover. “No. I mean…”
Oliver sprung from his seat and put his arm around Lisa. “Hi, I’m Oliver. I work with Lisa in Boston and all over.”
Thanks for the save, Oliver. “Yes. You do,” she said, still totally embarrassed. “And this is—” she pointed to Kevin.
“Kevin.” Kevin filled in the blank, then shook Oliver’s hand. “I work with Lisa. Here. Now.”
“Yes. Now. Here,” Lisa repeated, stepping away from Oliver and closer to Kevin. She was jabbering. Ever since Oliver called her out on the crush on Kevin, it had her all tripped up.
The guys just sort of nodded at each other. For a split second, in a weird sort of way, it almost seemed like a standoff.
It had to be her imagination. She pushed the silly notion aside as Hannah and Carol walked toward her.
“Hey, come here,” Lisa called out to them. “I had an idea. Do you remember the other day when we were downstairs in the basement? There were those boxes with all the arts and crafts for the Christmas Festival. You showed me your hats?”
“Oh yeah,” said Hannah. “And now that we moved everything to town square, we’re barely finding space for all the stuff that goes in all the booths.”
This worked to her favor. “Okay,” Lisa said. “What if we put all that inventory in storage in Daisy’s store?”
Oliver knew exactly what she meant. He turned to Hannah and Carol. “It would give it the appearance of an actual store with merchandise and customers.”
“Yes. We can feature the local artisans.” Lisa looked for a response.
“It’s great,” Kevin said.
“I love it,” Carol and Hannah echoed.
Carol was excited. “We have quilters. We have ornament makers. We even have a maple syrup sugar shack in town.”
“Mmm.” Lisa could almost taste it.
“Well, someone show me these boxes,” Oliver said.
“You got it.” Carol took Oliver by the hands and led him downstairs. “Come on.”
“It’s awesome. Great idea.” Hannah excused herself to meet with the other choir members still lingering in the church.
Lisa turned and started walking toward the door to the basement with Kevin right behind her. “So, I guess we should just—”
“No. I should head back to the store.” Kevin walked right out the front door.
“Oh? Oh yeah.” She closed the door. “Then, I’ll…” She followed him outside, thinking she’d go over with him.
“Yeah. I’ll see you later.” His smile seemed forced as he turned and walked away in the snow.
“Okay.” What just happened here?