by Krista Lakes
Molly waved to one of the kids on the roof. She took a step back for a better view and he watched as her boot caught onto a bit of unpacked snow, causing her to slip backwards towards him. Without thinking, he moved to catch her, but instead of the smooth rescue he meant to do, they toppled together into a snowbank. At least she landed on him, breaking her fall.
Their shared laughter continued, even as they both lay defeated in the snow. The way her weight pressed into him made him swallow hard.
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe we fell for that.” Molly’s words were punctuated with giggles as she struggled to her feet.
“We? No way, I’m not taking the heat on this one,” Nicholas told her with a laugh. “I’m going to be shaking the snow out of my coat for days.”
He stumbled out of the snowbank. Molly turned to brush snow off the side of Nicholas’ coat, a big smile remained stuck on her face. “You’ll be alright, Mr. NYC. Since when does a little snow keep a true New Yorker down?”
Snowflakes frosted her eyelashes and her cheeks were flushed with cold and excitement. Her lips were red and open, begging for a kiss.
Molly then grabbed onto Nicholas’ wrist, tilting his watch towards her face. “Oh! We’ve got to get back to the store. We’re five minutes from opening back up.”
“Five minutes?” Thoughts of kissing her still ran through his mind, but sense was slowly coming back. “Ms. Molly, how fast can you run?”
“Faster than you,” Molly told him. She brushed some snow from her arms. “You want to turn this into a bet?”
“You just lost a snowball fight and now you want to bet against me in a race?” Nicholas asked, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t know when to quit, do you, Ms. Molly?”
Molly shrugged, and turned towards the direction of the shop. “If you're scared, it's okay.”
“Oh, no. There's no fear here,” he assured her. “Prepare to eat snow.”
Nicholas then found himself needing to catch up with her surprisingly fast footsteps as she took off for the store.
As he raced behind Molly Carmichael for the second time that afternoon, Nicholas realized that there was a strange feeling building in his chest, one that he didn’t pay much attention to back in New York, but it that seemed to be showing up more and more the longer he stayed around Molly...
Nicholas thought that it felt like happiness.
But he was quick to dismiss the thought as a ridiculous one.
He barely knew her. They were supposed to work together.
She was beautiful, but that wasn't what attracted him. It was the way she made him feel. The joy she brought with her with every smile in his direction.
It wasn’t logical. It wasn’t possible. And it had no place in the real world.
Nicholas began to ground himself with contemplation of the various spreadsheets and files that’d be waiting for him back in his Manhattan office. That was the real world. Not Molly Carmichael. Not Christmas Wishes.
And by the time they’d arrived at Christmas Wishes’ doors, he was back to what he’d consider his normal state.
Chapter 10
Molly
“I saw you two in the town square earlier,” Hannah said innocently as she slid a hot chocolate into her best friend’s hands. “We all saw you in the town square.”
“You know how it is, Hannah. You win some, you lose some...” Molly sighed, surprised that her friend knew about the snowball fight loss. “It’s a hard thing being the queen.”
“No, I’m not talking about your crushing defeat at the hands of King Liam,” Hannah replied, giving Molly's shoulder a gentle push. “I’m talking about you and Nicholas.”
“Me and Nicholas?” Molly asked, feeling heat rise in her cheeks.
“Yup. From what I saw, things look good.” Hannah leaned her elbows onto the counter of Sweetness & Light, giving Molly an amused look. “So, are you going to spill the beans or what? Has he asked you out?”
Molly scoffed as she looked back at her friend. “Nicholas Kerstman? You think Nicholas Kerstman is going to ask me out?”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Hannah asked with a shrug.
“Because he’s from New York, which means that he probably has options. I’m sure he has a gazillion girls’ numbers in his phone, and they’re all sitting at home waiting for him to call them back.” Molly took a sip of her hot chocolate, not wanting to think about Nicholas calling other girls. It strangely made her uncomfortable. “And I’m not interested in being another one of those girls. Been there, done that. I don't need my heart broken again.”
“Hmm...” Hannah murmured in her own, special way, and Molly recognized that hum as a distinctly Hannah noise. It was the same noise she once made when Molly told her that she was reconsidering her courses in Childhood Education because they were getting so hard. It was the noise Hannah once made when Molly spoke about quitting at Christmas Wishes her first year of teaching. It was the same noise Hannah made when Molly said she and her boyfriend were going to try a long distance relationship.
Molly knew to be wary whenever Hannah made that special Hannah noise, since it so often meant that her best friend had something brutal-yet-honest to say to her.
And the worst part of it all was that Hannah was always right.
“Can I be honest with you, Molly?”
Molly groaned, already knowing what was coming next. “Always and forever, Hannah.”
“You’re one of the least judgmental people I’ve ever met in my life, and yet it sounds like you can’t stop judging Nicholas Kerstman,” Hannah said, watching her friend. “It’s like you already decided that you don’t like him, without even giving him a chance. Why’s that?”
“Because Nicholas Kerstman isn’t someone I should like,” Molly explained. “Hannah, not only is he my boss's son, he doesn’t like Christmas! And on top of those two deal breakers, he wants to sell Christmas Wishes to the highest bidder. He doesn’t even want to keep it in his family.”
“He won’t do that,” Hannah said, shaking her head. “Not when he really sees how much the place means to you.”
“Hannah. You don’t know him like I know him. All he cares about is work.” Molly thought for a moment. “And salads.”
“Molly. You didn’t see what I saw in the square today,” Hannah said in a knowing voice that made Molly want to hit her. “Trust me, if you asked nicely enough, that man would give you the world on a silver platter.”
“You're crazy,” Molly grumbled under her breath. “Hey, speaking of platters, are you still making those garlic and herb cream cheese logs?”
“Nope. They’re officially off the seasonal menu,” Hannah replied. “But I made some just for you. Because I know you love them. And because I love you.”
Molly grinned, feeling a little bit better. Food was magic in her eyes.
“I love you, too,” Molly told her friend. “Even when you’re wrong.”
Hannah sighed and shook her head as she set the cheese logs on the counter for Molly.
“When have I ever been wrong?” Hannah asked.
“You took these off the menu. That's definitely wrong.” Molly reached for a cheese log and took a bite. She smiled and sighed with pleasure at the taste. “I wanted to ask you something. Nicholas and I are headed over to the Brownstones to help decorate tonight. You want to come?”
“Nicholas and you, huh?” Hannah raised an eyebrow.
“Not like that. We're hanging lights,” Molly said, rolling her eyes. “We can use the help.”
“I can’t. BakeTown waits for no man. Or woman.” Hannah breathed out an enormous sigh that fluttered her bangs. “I’m still trying to nail down which recipes I want the host to taste on-screen. They’ll be in town in a few days to film the segment. Live.”
“Live? That's awesome,” Molly told her with a gentle punch to the arm.
Hannah’s eyes were wide as she shook her head. “Live means if I make a mistake, the entire culinary world will see it in real time...”
“Don’t freak out! Freaking out isn’t allowed,” Molly said quickly. She gave her friend's hand a squeeze. “Hey, Hannah. You’ve got this, okay? And you better call me if you need help with anything.”
“Actually, you may be the perfect person to call. The best way to get out of BakeTown coming for their segment would be if my kitchen completely burned down, and I know you could help me with that.” Hannah grinned after her words.
“One time! There was a kitchen fire one time!” Molly glared at Hannah with mock anger.
Hannah laughed before she nodded towards the clock on the wall. “You better hurry up with those cheese logs. Mr. Carmichael won’t have too much fun hanging those Christmas lights all alone.”
“Yeah, yeah, just give me one sec—” Molly paused, as she caught onto Hannah’s turn of phrase. “Mr. Carmichael?”
“Yup.” Hannah grinned and headed towards the back of the bakeshop. “Have fun with the hubby!”
Molly wanted to voice her complaints. She wanted to tell Hannah that she was dead wrong. That there was no way she would ever be interested in Nicholas Kerstman. The man hated Christmas, so obviously that would be a terrible match.
She wanted to say all those things, but Hannah wasn't coming back to hear them. So, Molly finished up her delicious, cheesy dinner in silence, while inwardly scolding herself for not loathing the word hubby being associated with Nicholas Kerstman.
At least not as much as she should.
* * *
“Merry Christmas!” Molly greeted Nicholas at the Brownstones’ doorstep with a light-up Christmas bulb necklace in each of her hands. “Here. This one’s for you.”
She held the necklace out to Nicholas who stared down at it with pure confusion. “For me?”
“Yes. For you,” Molly repeated, rising up to her tip-toes, and placing the necklace around his neck. “And you just click the button right here to turn it on.”
Molly proceeded to click a small, green button on the necklace’s underside, causing the necklace to glow with bright reds and greens, the colors blinking and changing every few seconds.
“Oh. This is a lot.” Nicholas brought the necklace closer to his face as he inspected it. His eyes came up to meet hers and her breath caught a little bit. “Do people really wear these?”
“Of course we do. They’re festive.” Molly reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out an oversized Santa hat that was way too big for her head. “See? Festive!”
“Please don’t tell me that you brought one for m—and yep, of course you did.” Nicholas sighed before lowering his head, allowing Molly to place an oversized Santa hat on him.
“Now, we match,” Molly said, beaming a smile over at Nicholas.
“It’s a dream come true.” Surprisingly, he didn't sound annoyed. If anything, it sounded sincere which was more confusing.
Mr. Brownstone came to the front door with lights tangled around his forearms. “Molly, would you mind getting the ladder from the garage?”
“Actually, I can do that, Mr. Brownstone,” Nicholas offered. He took three steps before glancing around with an embarrassed smile. “Well, I can do that once someone tells me where the garage is...”
“Come on. I’ll show you.” Molly took the lights from Mr. Brownstone’s forearms, wrapping them around her own. “Did you want to be on the ground this year, Mr. Brownstone? Or do you just want to give feedback on the final result?”
“Feedback on the final result,” Mr. Brownstone rasped. He grinned at Molly though. “I don’t think I could stand to be on the roof for even a minute tonight, not in this kind of weather. But I completely trust your artistic expression.”
“We promise we won’t let you down,” Molly assured him. “We’ll knock again when we’re done.”
Mr. Brownstone nodded and went inside, leaving Molly and Nicholas alone together.
* * *
Molly and Nicholas both stood on the Brownstone’s roof as Molly watched Nicholas thread the Christmas lights through the eaves on the side of the home.
He had a very serious look on his face, with every bit of his concentration seemingly focused on the task at hand. He reached for another rope clip before dangling a few more inches of bright lights off the rooftop.
“I’m doing it in the right pattern, right?” Nicholas asked, glancing up at her. “I probably should’ve asked before we got started, but you know, hindsight is 20/20.”
“The pattern is perfect, “Molly told him with a smile. “Where’d you learn how to do this stuff, anyway? Did Debbie’s Gift Shop have a lights department, too?”
“Really? You’re asking the son of Mr. and Mrs. Claus where he learned to hang Christmas lights?” Nicholas chuckled, carefully placing the strand of lights.
“Well, yes,” Molly admitted. “For being Mr. and Mrs. Claus, your parents are actually terrible at hanging lights. I think it's the only Christmas thing they aren't good at.”
Nicholas laughed.“I guess that hasn't changed then. My mom and dad have always been obsessed with Christmas, even before they were in the Christmas business. But back when they were still corporate, academic types, my Aunt Georgia, was the one who really carried the Christmas torch in our household.”
There was something about the way he said her name that caught Molly's attention. “So she taught you how to do lights?”
“She was the one who taught me how to do the nuts and bolts of Christmas. Hanging lights. Picking out a tree. Putting together a snow globe from scratch,” he explained, still focused on the lights. “If there were ever a Queen of Christmas, aunt Georgia was certainly it.”
A small smile flickered across his face and Molly nearly fell off the roof.
Nicholas Kerstman was smiling about Christmas? Maybe Christmas miracles were possible after all.
“Did she do anything special for Christmas?” Molly kept her voice low as she asked her question, not wanting to push her luck when it came to getting Nicholas to open up to her. This was the kind of information she needed if she wanted to make Christmas special for him again.
A few moments passed in utter silence, and Molly wondered if she’d somehow blown this entire conversation.
Maybe she’d been wrong about the smile.
“Buche de Noel.”
“What?” Molly was taken aback by Nicholas actually answering.
“Buche de Noel. That’s my favorite memory with my aunt.” Nicholas smiled again, his hands moving towards the end of the light string. “She used to make those cakes every year when I was a kid.”
“I've never heard of them,” Molly replied, pointing to a light that was out of place.
“They’re a French Christmas cake. They're sometimes called yule logs,” he explained. “They're supposed to be decorated to look like actual logs, but they're this amazing chocolate cake with chocolate whipped cream wrapped up inside of it. She used to make them especially for me.”
“That sounds wonderful,” Molly said softly. “She sounds wonderful.”
Molly was going to have to find this aunt of his and have her help in saving the store. Someone who made a special Christmas cake would probably be very helpful making Christmas important to Nicholas again.
Nicholas nodded, pushing the string of lights closer to the roof’s edge. “She always had such a big heart. She died when I was fifteen. I haven't found anyone who can make the cake like she did.”
Molly felt her shoulders drop. She wondered if maybe his Christmas-loving aunt's death had something to do with his dislike of Christmas, but didn't want to pry. Instead, she gave the traditional, yet inadequate, “I'm sorry.”
Nicholas waved his hand, almost as if he was waving away the thought itself. “But that’s alright. It’s not like cake’s the greatest thing in the world for your health.”
The way he said it made Molly's heart ache.
“Yeah, but it made you happy and that should count for something.” Molly moved a bit closer to Nicholas’ side, grabbing onto the other end o
f the light string. “Being happy doesn’t always have to be some logical thing. You know that, don’t you? Being happy just is.”
“Right, right, right...” Nicholas waved his hand again, but moving away from Molly. He cleared his throat. “I think we’re done here, Ms. Molly. Can you go down to turn on the lights?”
Molly nodded, feeling like there was something more she should do. But, she gave him space and headed down the ladder and back toward the side of the house.
She flipped a switch, and then ran out to the front yard, excited to see what their hard work had created.
When the lights came alive all along the rooftop, Molly shouted with glee. “Yay! We did it!”
“We did it?” Nicholas shook his head and laughed from his spot on the roof. “You mean, I did it! You just watched.”
“And picked out the colors,” Molly reminded Nicholas, with a big smile growing on her face as she gazed up at him.
He smiled down at her, and her heart fluttered just a bit. She was glad when the front door suddenly opened and Mrs. Brownstone hurried out.
“Ooh! Lemme see! Lemme see!” Mrs. Brownstone called as she hurried into the yard. She'd bundled up against the cold so much that Molly could barely see her eyes under her over-sized wool hat. “Reginald! Molly and Nicholas finished!”
Mr. Brownstone slowly came out of the house behind his wife and they both went to stand beside Molly. The trio began to ooh and ahh as the lights cycled through their color changes, each time appearing a bit brighter than the last.
“It’s beautiful, Molly,” Mr. Brownstone said softly. “Thank you so much for doing this for us. You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to,” Molly said quickly. She smiled back at the Brownstones, before looking back up at Nicholas. “And it was no problem at all with Mr. Christmas Lights Expert in my back pocket. He did all the real work.”
“Was that a compliment coming from the Head Elf, herself?” Nicholas raised his hands towards the sky in celebration. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”
