“It’s going to be fine, girls,” she murmured then bent toward the microphone. “We’re going to take a short break due to some technical difficulties. Please sit tight for a few minutes and—” she ratcheted up her smile a few notches “—in the meantime, would anyone like to lead us in a few Christmas carols?”
The audience murmured amongst themselves, and there were a few guffaws of laughter from the high schoolers in the back row. When no one began to sing, an awkward silence descended.
“Anyone?” she asked. “Trust me. You don’t want to hear me.”
Her eyes darted to Griffin, and she felt color flood her cheeks as she remembered the first date they’d gone on where he’d gently teased her about her singing voice. As if reading her mind, his mouth lifted at one corner and a moment later he began humming the first few notes of “O Holy Night.”
A few people turned to look at him, including Christian and the LiveSoft assistant. Then he began to sing.
She knew his voice was amazing, but at the moment it sounded like Andrea Bocelli and Marvin Gaye had a vocal love child in Griffin. Maggie squeezed Jessica’s hand when a few more people started singing. Maggie felt her shoulders relax ever so slightly as the entire audience seemed to join in the popular carol.
Her father, Morgan and Ben sang along, and Grammy looked vaguely pleased as she glanced around from her seat next to Christian.
Maggie tugged on Jessica’s hand and led her and Lila off stage, where Mrs. Bayer was giving the other students a pep talk about the magic of Christmas and how the show must go on.
The woman flashed a grateful smile as Maggie approached. “Great thinking on the carol,” she said. “Jessica, we’re going to put everyone in their places around the manger.”
The little girl shook her head. “I don’t want to go back out.” She sniffed. “It was an accident.”
“Why don’t you get everyone else in place,” Maggie suggested to the harried youth minister. “I’d like to talk to Jessica for a minute. I think I understand a bit about what she’s feeling.”
Suzanne nodded and Maggie led the girl to a quiet corner.
“Have you ever farted on someone?” Jessica asked, swiping at her cheeks.
Maggie hid her smile. “No, but a few months ago I was really embarrassed in front of most of the town.”
Jessica studied her for a long moment then nodded. “You were the runaway bride. My mom and grandma talked about you.”
“Everyone did,” Maggie agreed grimly. “It made me want to hide away forever.”
“You aren’t hiding now,” Jessica said with a sniff.
“No, sweetie. I decided the best way to make people—myself included—forget about what happened was not to hide. As hard as it was, I held my chin high and went on with life.” She smoothed the hair out of Jessica’s face. “I think you can do the same thing with the Christmas pageant. Head over to the manger and be the best Mary this town has ever seen.”
“Even better than you?”
“Way better than me.” Maggie handed the doll to the girl.
Jessica held it tight to her chest. “Okay,” she whispered.
Suzanne Bayer approached, giving Jessica an encouraging smile. “Is our Mary ready?”
The girl nodded and took her teacher’s outstretched hand while Maggie breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you.”
She turned as a frazzled-looking woman stepped out of the shadows.
“I’m Jessica’s mom, Christine.” Maggie shook the mom’s outstretched hand. “She was so nervous about playing Mary anyway. I came back because my husband and I were sure she’d be in hysterics after what happened.”
“She’s handling it well.” Maggie smiled. “Once she gets through the rest of the pageant, I hope she’ll feel better.”
“You helped. I thought it would upset her more to know I was here, and you did a great job of calming her. Thank you again.”
“I’ve definitely been in her shoes.” Maggie made a face. “Although not with...”
Christine chuckled. “I get it.”
“Maggie,” Suzanne called in a stage whisper. “We’re ready to begin again.”
“I’m going back to my seat,” the mom said, “so I don’t miss anything.”
Maggie nodded and headed out into the spotlight. The audience finished the final chorus and fell quiet.
“Thanks for your patience,” Maggie said into the microphone, gesturing for Lila to join her. “Let’s continue with our story. Mary and Joseph arrived at the inn and found the only place available to house them is the stable. So the child has been placed in a manger and our lovely narrator is going to finish recounting the events of that night for you.”
She backed away as the curtain opened. The crowd applauded loudly and one of the wise men waved to his parents. The rest of the pageant went off without a hitch, and the kids got a standing ovation at the end.
As soon as the play was finished, Maggie made her way through the crowd toward Christian and his assistant.
“That was quite a production,” he said with a laugh.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “About that.” She looked between the two of them. “Any chance you could not post the first part of the pageant? I think people could get the spirit of the town just from the last bit and the kids taking their bow so—”
“Are you joking?” Allyson looked up from her phone. “I uploaded a snippet, and the video is already trending. ‘Farting Mary.’” The woman, who couldn’t have been more than a couple years younger than Maggie, gave a harsh laugh. “It’s going to be an instant classic.”
“It’s going to embarrass an innocent girl,” Maggie said firmly. “I’d like you to take it down.” She moved closer to Allyson and tapped a finger on the top of her phone. “Now.”
“Maggie, come on,” Christian crooned. “You signed off on having us post content from our visits to Stonecreek. It’s part of the contest.”
“I understand,” she said, keeping her features neutral. Most of the audience had dispersed but enough people still milled around the sanctuary that she didn’t want to look like she was making a scene. Heaven forbid. “But this is different, Christian. It’s personal to our community.”
“Your community is part of a national promotion to become the location for LiveSoft’s new headquarters,” Allyson insisted. “Do you know how much tax revenue is on the line with this deal?”
“Yes,” Maggie answered through clenched teeth. This woman had the heart of a grinch. “We’re a small town. So I also know how embarrassing it could be for the girl to have the video splashed across social media. People in town will already be talking. I’m sure there are plenty of videos taken by parents in the audience. But public humiliation on a national stage is different than in a school auditorium.”
“I’m sorry.” Allyson shook her head. “But I won’t—”
“Take it down,” Christian interrupted, his gaze remaining on Maggie. “We don’t need the footage.”
“But it’s hilarious,” the assistant protested.
“That’s not the point of the campaign.”
Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much.”
“But,” he continued, his blue eyes almost cunning, “we’ll need something else to upload in place of the pageant.”
“You can’t use the second half from when the carols began? That was lovely, right?”
He gave a noncommittal shrug. “It might seem odd without the entrance of Mary and Joseph.”
“Okay, it’s down.” Allyson looked up from her phone, adjusting her tortoiseshell glasses. “I can’t control the previous views. But the content is no longer available from any account associated with LiveSoft.”
“Thanks,” Maggie said. “What do you think about using the later footage?”
Allyson nodded. “I should be able to—�
��
“It won’t work,” Christian insisted.
“Not at all,” the assistant immediately agreed.
“I don’t understand.” Maggie clenched her fists at her sides. “Does this mean Stonecreek doesn’t have anything to show for this week?”
“We can film something new tonight.” Christian smoothed a hand over his shirtfront. “One of the things people are responding to is your success at attracting a younger, vibrant demographic to the town. It’s a benefit for my employees, as well.”
“I guess.” At this point, Maggie was simply trying to keep her head above water. But if he’d gotten the impression she’d been successful on any front, she wasn’t about to disabuse him of that notion.
“You’re the face of Stonecreek.”
“Um...”
“I think we should use that to the town’s advantage.”
A frisson of unease slipped down her spine. “Um...use it how?”
“More focus on you.”
She smiled and the familiar ache in her cheeks returned. “But the focus is the town. We want your employees to want to come here.”
“You want me to want to come here,” Christian countered. “Corporate relocations track closely with where the CEO lives. The board wants us in a smaller community, but I like my life in the city. I need a reason to relocate, if you know what I mean?”
“How about dinner and a carriage ride?” Allyson suggested cheerily. “We’ll have the Christmas lights as a backdrop and can ask the store owners to stay open later. Maggie can give you a personal tour and really sell you on living here.”
The words themselves were innocent, but somehow Allyson sounded like a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed pimp saying them.
Christian nodded. “Perfect. We’ve never had a chance for some time to ourselves.”
“I’m n-not sure,” Maggie stammered. “People are so busy this time of year. It’s a lot to ask for shop owners to—”
“It’s free publicity,” Allyson said with an airy laugh, suddenly as perky as Barbie after a double shot of espresso now that Christian seemed happy.
More like satisfied in the way of the cat that ate the canary, Maggie thought.
He tried to look innocent but Maggie could tell Christian Milken was a man who wanted to get his way in everything. Right now he wanted her. She’d managed to avoid going out with him up until this point and didn’t appreciate being put on the spot now. She’d already had more than her fair share of notoriety in her personal life.
But the opportunity to house LiveSoft’s headquarters was still the best chance she had to ensure Stonecreek’s future. It was her chance to prove people had made the right choice in electing her.
To prove it to herself.
“It will be fun,” Maggie said, refusing to admit, even to herself, how far she’d go to make sure Stonecreek won this competition. “Pick me up at six?”
“We’ll be there,” Allyson said then held up a hand when Christian frowned. “He’ll be there. I mean, I’ll be there to film, but I won’t be part of the date because that would be weird and—”
“She gets the point,” Christian said tightly. He turned so that he was blocking Allyson and placed his hands on Maggie’s shoulders. “I’m looking forward to having an evening with just the two of us.”
And all of LiveSoft’s social media followers, Maggie wanted to add but smiled instead. “Me too.”
He gently squeezed her shoulders, as if he were reluctant to let her go, but then turned and led Allyson out of the auditorium.
Maggie glanced around, thankful that the few people still there seemed focused on cleaning up and breaking down the set. She left through a side door, needing time to collect herself before tonight.
Chapter Eight
“One other great thing about Stonecreek is you can see the stars at night.” Maggie pointed to the sky above them then took a long sip of her hot chocolate, wishing Dora had laced the drink with a healthy swig of liquor. “You don’t get that in the big city.”
“Add it to the list,” Christian said with the same winsome smile he’d been giving her all night. She wondered if his facial muscles ached as much as hers did. “It’s clear you love this town.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, trying not to let her gaze dart to Allyson, who was snapping photos and taking videos every few minutes or whenever they entered a new shop.
Maggie had asked Brenna to call the business owners along Main Street and explain the idea for tonight. All of them had been happy to stay open and a couple had even enlisted “customers” to shop during their late hours.
Christian had been charming during dinner, peppering her with questions about her family and her interests outside her job. He was easy to talk to, although Maggie realized she still knew very little about him other than what she could find on his corporate bio. It seemed odd to have spent so much time with him in the last few weeks and still feel like he was a stranger.
She wondered how Griffin and Joey were doing? This morning her doorbell rang while she was still in her pajamas. A tiny part of her hoped he’d returned to check on her water but Andy the plumber had greeted her instead. He’d explained that Griffin had insisted he get to her house first thing to fix the pipe, even though he’d had emergency jobs already scheduled for the day.
“We have one more stop,” she told Christian, trying her best to sound normal and not like this whole evening had been staged.
“Oh, drat.” Allyson hopped down from the park bench she’d been standing on to film them as they walked along the sidewalk. “My phone is dead. Christian, can I use your camera and send everything to my phone to post?”
“I have a better idea,” he answered, placing a hand on Maggie’s back. “Let’s take the rest of the night off from the competition.”
Maggie noticed a split-second flash of disappointment in the other woman’s eyes before she pocketed her phone and nodded. “Sure. I’m going to head back to the inn so...”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” Christian offered. “What time do we leave?”
“Nine,” Allyson said quietly. “I’ll have breakfast sent to your room at eight thirty. Two eggs over medium, just like you like them.”
Christian was already turning to face Maggie. “Where to next?”
“Um...okay...” Allyson called with a limp wave. “Have a great rest of the night, you two.”
“Do you want us to walk you to the hotel?” Maggie looked around Christian to smile at the assistant. “It’s kind of late.”
“I can’t imagine any place safer than Stonecreek,” Christian answered before Allyson could speak. “She’ll be fine.”
Maggie’s stomach tightened as Allyson’s mouth pressed into a thin line. Maggie had a suspicion the woman had a crush on her boss and didn’t relish the idea of leaving Maggie alone with him. “I’m fine,” the assistant repeated and quickly headed across the street.
She needed to find a way to communicate that she liked Christian as a friend but nothing more without offending him. She could tell him she didn’t want a relationship, but it was only partly true.
As much as she tried to convince herself she was happier alone, her heart remained stubbornly fixated on Griffin. But she could ignore her heart. Easy-peasy.
“What are you thinking about?” Christian tipped his head to study her. “You look lost in thought.”
“Toilets,” she blurted then grimaced.
He chuckled. “A surprise answer. Good idea saving that revelation for off camera.”
“Sorry. I need to stop by the hardware store and order a toilet for the bathroom I’m renovating. I keep forgetting to do it. I hope you don’t mind the practical errand as part of your holiday tour of Stonecreek?”
“Not at all.” She started to move forward but he quickly bent and brushed his lips across hers b
efore falling into step next to her.
A sick feeling opened in the pit of her stomach as she glanced around to see if anyone had witnessed the kiss. Brief as it had been, tongues would be wagging all through town if word got out that LiveSoft’s CEO had kissed her on the street.
“No reaction?” he asked, reaching down to take her hand as they walked.
She forced air in and out of her lungs. “That was a surprise, as well.”
“I like you, Maggie.” His voice had taken on a suggestive edge. “You have to know that.”
“I like you, too, but we’d be crossing some boundaries we shouldn’t if things got personal during the competition.”
“Like I said earlier, the decision about a new headquarters is personal. I grew up on the East Coast. I’m used to big cities and nightlife. I understand why the board wants a change. A move to a smaller town for the new headquarters might be best for the company, but it’s a stretch for me.” His fingers tightened on hers. “I need to know I’m making the right choice.”
A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she tugged her hand away under the guise of opening the door to Meyer’s Hardware and Lumber. Certainly he wasn’t insinuating that she should be that reason? Saying he liked her was a far cry from moving his entire company to a town because of her. Yes, she’d had concerns about his expectations, but part of her wanted to believe she was overreacting because of feedback from so many people in town. Now she wondered...
“Hey, Maggie,” Kurt Meyer, the store’s owner, called from the front counter. “What brings you in?”
“Toilets,” she replied trying to muster another smile but finding it difficult.
“We have many fine types of bathroom fixtures at Meyer’s Hardware and Lumber,” Kurt continued, holding out his hands like he was giving a sermon. “As well as other tools and supplies a person new to town might need.”
Maggie frowned. Kurt said the words in a staccato rhythm like he was a bad actor rehearsing lines for a play. And she’d lived in this town all her life. She wasn’t new to Meyer’s so why—
“Oh, Kurt, no.” She waved her hands in front of her. “They’re not taping right now. It’s just Christian and me.”
A Stonecreek Christmas Reunion Page 10
