by Jacki James
“Nicolas Stavros.”
“The guy who bought the Pearson place?”
“Yeah, he was in Todd’s office.”
“I’ve never met him, have you?”
“No, I met the boyfriend, Jacob, before they split, but never met him.”
“Same here. Jacob came in to let me know that once they’d moved here, he’d be ordering fresh flowers delivered weekly. He gave me a list of his favorites so I could keep them in stock. With as long as Charles spent over there, the house must be amazing. I figured he was going to sell or something since the boyfriend bailed.”
“I did too, but Connie said she saw a moving truck there, so I guess he moved in.”
“You know I always loved that house. Remember on Halloween, when Mrs. Pearson would decorate the yard all spooky and hand out candy?”
“Theirs was always the best house to hit.”
“It was.”
Saturday was a day off for me. That was a new thing, so as I always did, I waited to start my day until I got the notice from the alarm company that the store alarm had been disabled, letting me know Jerri was there to open. She had worked part-time at the flower shop for as long as I could remember, and when I bought it, she stayed on. I knew I could count on her to be there, but now that the shop was mine, I couldn’t relax until I knew things were the way they should be.
I took my coffee and went out on the back porch. This had always been my favorite spot in the house. I remembered sitting on the floor out here playing with matchbox cars and Legos while my grandmother read the paper and had a cup of tea. Time spent with my grandmother had always been my favorite. She taught me to bake and how to grow things. I hoped to revive both her flower and vegetable gardens this spring. Last year, the grief along with trying to adjust to being a business owner had taken priority and I didn’t take care of them, but this year I would.
I was still debating on keeping the house I’d inherited when she passed away. It was charming and cute, but it didn’t suit me. However, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth and having a free place to live was nothing to shake a stick at. I had plenty of time to decide if I wanted to remodel the house to suit me or sell it and buy something else. I would worry about that another time. Today, I had one thing on my mind—Christmas decorations. I knew all my grandmother’s stuff was up in the attic, and I had my own with me, as well. I planned to lay everything out today and find out what else I needed so I could make a trip into the city and buy anything I couldn’t get here in Avana Springs.
By the time I’d carried the sixth and final dusty box down the stairs, I was starting to doubt the wisdom of doing this all in one day. I didn’t need to rush. It was still early in November, but I really wanted to get it done. I brushed the dust bunnies off my sweater and opened the first box. Each decoration was either carefully wrapped in tissue paper or stored in its original package. My grandmother hadn’t been well enough to decorate her last year, so it had been a couple of years since any of these had been taken out. I’d placed a quilt on the large dining room table so I could lay everything out without worrying about it breaking or rolling off, and one by one, I unwrapped the beautiful glass balls and other ornaments.
Once those were all laid out, I started with the figurines that had always decorated the house. One of her hobbies had been ceramics and she had all kinds of snowmen, trees, and Santa Clauses she had painted. There was also a full Christmas village that she had spent years collecting. I’d seen something online where they had turned an artificial tree into a home for a village, and I wanted to do that in the hallway. I opened my boxes and added my things to hers on the table, and I had to admit, it was wonderful to see it all together. I was planning more than one tree for sure.
I opened the box I’d saved until last because I knew it was the one with the special decorations in it. I pulled out the beautiful angel that had gone on top of the tree, an antique train and track that she’d always set up around it, and her favorite, a beautiful musical snow globe. She said my grandfather had given it to her the Christmas before he died. It sat on a massive base and featured a whole village inside. When I was little, I would wind the music key and sit and watch it snow white glittery snow on the tiny, little people as the music played. It was so heavy that when I was small, I had to have someone else shake it for me, but it took forever for it to settle. Then as I got older, I would carefully pick it up and give it a shake. I’d always imagined that the little town with its old-fashioned street lights and beautiful Christmas tree was a real place. I wound up the music box and set it on the table, watching the snow fall as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” played.
Chapter 3
Nicolas
Two weeks had passed, and I still hadn’t found anyone to come decorate my house. It looked like if it was going to happen, I would have to do it myself. But I was a grown-ass man, I was pretty sure I could string up some damn lights and hang a wreath. I’d ordered a ton of stuff online and it was supposed to be delivered in a few days. I’d spent enough time surfing the web looking at house decorations to at least have a plan. I just needed to make a trip to the local hardware store to get a ladder and other tools.
Remembering what Todd had said about everyone knowing Carol for the diner, I parked in front of it deciding I’d eat before going to the hardware store. Small town life wasn’t for me, but neither was life as a hermit. If I was going to be stuck here for months, I figured it wouldn’t kill me to at least know a few people. I wrapped my scarf around my neck and stepped out into the cold. The wind was freezing, so I rushed into the diner, relieved at how warm it was.
“Just take a seat wherever you’d like,” a woman called from behind the counter.
I chose a booth near the window and took a seat. I didn’t have to wait long at all before the woman who had told me to take a seat came over and handed me a menu.
“Do you know what you would like to drink?”
“Just water would be great.”
“I’ll get that for you. And so you know, our special for the day is pot pie.” I rose an eyebrow and she chuckled. “Not like those frozen things you get at the store but homemade pot pie. Have you ever had it?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“It has the flakiest crust, and the filling is delicious. My wife Janie makes it all from scratch. Flat out melts in your mouth. I wait all year for it to get cold enough for her to start making them.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her exuberance. She obviously loved her wife’s cooking. “Well, it’s cold enough out there today, that’s for sure, and that sounds delicious.” I handed her back the menu. “I’ll give it a try.”
“You won’t regret it,” she said with a smile. She turned in my order and then came back with my water. “I haven’t seen you here before, but I have seen you around. You bought the Pearson place, right?”
“I did, I’m Nicolas Stavros. I moved in a few weeks ago.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Nicolas. I’m Carol. The Pearson house was always a beautiful place, but I bet after all the time Charles spent working on it, it’s a show place now. He does excellent work.”
“He does. I couldn’t be happier with everything he did, should make it easier to sell come spring.”
“You aren’t planning to stay?”
“Only through the winter.”
“We’ll see. Avana Springs has a way of getting in your blood, and spring is a long time off. Now I better check on my other tables, but it was nice to meet you, Nicolas.”
It took a little longer than I had expected, but that was something I’d noticed about Avana Springs when we’d visited earlier in the year. No one here seemed to be in a hurry. I was used to everyone rushing to get everything done, but here, people seemed content to move at a slower pace. It was worth the wait, though. She was right, it was fabulous. The crust was amazing, and the filling did indeed melt in my mouth. It wasn’t what I expected at all. It was flavorful and perfe
ct on a chilly day. I took my time eating it, savoring each bite.
“Everything good?” she asked when she came back to refill my drink.
“It’s fantastic. I was just wondering how well they would freeze. I love having things I can pop in the oven to have for dinner.”
“We’ve done it before. They freeze well. The texture of the crust changes a little, but it’s still delicious. Would you like me to ask Janie to make you a few to take home?”
“That would be perfect. How about if she does it when she gets a chance today and just sticks them in the fridge? I can come pick them up tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan to me, I’ll let her know.”
I enjoyed lunch and it was nice to talk to an actual person. Because I worked from home, I could let first days, and then weeks go by without seeing anyone in person. Back home I had Kos to make sure that didn’t happen, but here, it would be easy to fall into that habit if I wasn’t careful. I walked across the street to the hardware store. I only saw one person working, so I grabbed a basket and wandered up and down the aisles hoping I would find what I needed on my own. Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure exactly what that was. I had a hammer in my basket and was looking at a wall of nails and screws and trying to decide what to get when an older gentleman came over and asked if I needed help.
“I do,” I said, relieved to see someone who knew what they were doing. “I’m planning to put up Christmas lights, and I’m trying to decide what I need.”
“They actually make special hooks for that. Do you have gutters on the house?”
“Umm, I’m not sure. I think so. I mean, don’t all houses have gutters?”
“Not all, where do you live?”
“Over on Oak Street in the white house with the wooden fence—”
“Oh, you’re the young man who bought the Pearson place,” he interrupted. “If you want to tell people where you live just say the old Pearson place, everyone in town will know where that is, and the answer is yes, you do have gutters. I custom ordered them for the Pearsons a few years back. Come with me and I’ll show you what you need.” He turned and walked away, obviously expecting me to follow.
He led me through the main store over to the seasonal section where all the holiday decorations were. “Oh man, I wish I had come in here before I ordered a bunch of stuff on the computer. You have a great selection,” I told him, taking in the boxes of lights and all the other things needed to decorate for the holidays.
“I don’t blame you for assuming I wouldn’t, and if it were any other holiday, you might be right. But Avana Springs loves Christmas, and I figured out early on I couldn’t keep enough Christmas lights and baubles in stock.”
“Well, if I need anything else, I’ll know where to come.” He showed me which hooks to get for the lights I’d ordered, and when I told him I would keep the hammer because you never knew when you might need one, and I was basically tool-less, he filled up my basket with what he called just the basics. By the time I left there, he had agreed to have his delivery guy drop off the ladder, and I had more tools than I’d ever owned. Which would be none, because if something had broken in the condo, I’d called the super. I told him that and he laughed. He also suggested I stop by the local Chamber of Commerce and pick up a guidebook that listed many of the local businesses.
I figured having something like that could be handy, so I put my purchases in the car and walked down to the Chamber of Commerce. A nice, middle-aged woman was sitting behind the desk and greeted me as I walked in. “Hello,” she said warmly. “What can we do for you today?”
“I wanted to pick up a new resident guidebook.”
“Oh, you’re a new resident. How wonderful. Where are you living?”
“Henry down at the hardware store said just to tell everyone it’s the old Pearson house.”
“That is a beautiful property. Welcome to Avana Springs,” she said, pulling a book off a shelf beside her. “This has numbers for local plumbers, painters, repairmen, lawn people, restaurants, barbers, and just about anything else you can think of.”
I was about to thank her when the cutest guy I had seen since… well—ever, popped his head around the corner. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said.
“No problem,” I said.
“Ellen, we need last year’s plans for the placement of the streetlight decorations. Do you have it by chance?”
“Do I have it?” she scoffed, reaching into her bottom right hand drawer, flipping through a few files and pulling one out. “Here it is, Terry, but with the new additions, I’m not sure how helpful it will be.”
“We just needed an idea what was done. We’re making a new plan.” He looked at me with the biggest brown eyes, and for just a minute, I thought I could get lost in them.
“Terry,” someone called from down the hall where he’d come from. “Come on, we’re waiting.”
A light blush spread over his cheeks and he cleared his throat. “I should get back.”
“Sounds like it,” I agreed.
He stood there for another second and then went back down the hall. I watched him go until he went into a room on the right, and then I turned to leave. “Excuse me,” Ellen said with a knowing grin. “Do you want the guidebook?” She pointed at the book I’d left sitting on the counter.
“Oh, yes.” I said, picking it up. “Sorry, I just umm…”
“Got distracted by the force that is Terry Sullivan. I don’t blame you, he’s adorable. If I was twenty years younger and he wasn’t gay, I would absolutely be interested.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. She wasn’t wrong, but I also wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone in Avana Springs. Not even Terry Sullivan, no matter how adorable he was. “Well, umm, thank you for the guidebook,” I said as I quickly headed out the door.
Chapter 4
Terry
As I walked down the street, the song “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” was running through my head, because it was indeed starting to look a lot like Christmas. My parents had asked me if I planned to come to Florida for Thanksgiving, but I explained that with this being my first year as a business owner, I couldn’t afford to take that much time away. The truth was, I was glad to have an excuse. I’d always been closer to my grandmother than my parents. They weren’t bad people; they just weren’t good parents. I felt guilty sometimes for feeling that way. So many people had it so much worse; people whose parents wouldn’t accept them being gay, people whose parents had drug or alcohol problems, or any other host of issues. My parents loved me; they just weren’t parental. I wondered sometimes why they even had a child.
I wasn’t lying though, I really did need to work, so I spent Thanksgiving with Neal’s family, and then when the meal was over, I headed up to the flower shop to do the Christmas window. I’d been determined to have it done and ready for Black Friday shoppers. The volunteers from the Chamber had spent the week before putting up all the Christmas decorations down Main Street and the row, and Friday was also the first day they would be turned on.
Come Black Friday, you could tell I hadn’t been the only store owner to have that idea, most stores had their windows done. We had been running a campaign to get people to shop locally since the beginning of the month, and based on the number of shoppers, it seemed to have paid off.
I carried a decent sized inventory of gifts and knick-knacks all year, but this holiday season I made a point to stock the shelves with items people could buy for Christmas gifts, and it paid off. Naturally, I didn’t do a lot of flower orders that day, but I almost sold out of Christmas ornaments, and the aprons I had ordered with cute sayings on them had flown off the rack. I also took a lot of orders for custom gift baskets to be delivered the week of Christmas. Overall, I would say it had been a very successful first Black Friday for the shop.
I was feeling a little cooped up, though. I’d spent so much time getting everything ready it had been ages since I let myself relax. That was why I decided, s
ince I made it through my first Black Friday, today was a good day for a walk. I hummed the song as I walked, enjoying the weather and the relief of the decorating being done. The only big thing left was the Christmas tree lighting and the parade, but those weren’t for a couple of weeks. I passed a couple on the sidewalk with a dog, and for just a minute, wondered if I should get one. I’d always wanted one, but it seemed unfair to get it and leave it at home all day. Maybe I could bring it to the shop with me, as long as it didn’t bark at the customers, that might work. I was contemplating what kind of dog I could get as I moved out of the downtown area and into a residential one. I’d always loved this street. The houses sat back off the road and had large trees in the front yards. This neighborhood was older and none of the homes were the same, each one having been built to the original owners’ specifications.
I reached the end of the street where I would need to turn around and head back when I heard a loud clattering followed by a colorful string of cuss words.
“Dammit. How hard can it be to put up fucking lights?” I looked to my left toward the old Pearson place where a man stood on a ladder. I couldn’t be positive from the back, but I didn’t think I knew him, and I was pretty sure if I’d ever met the ass that was perfectly wrapped in those jeans I would’ve remembered. He had a wad— yes, a wad— of Christmas lights in one hand and was gripping the ladder with the other. Based on his posture he was uncomfortable up on the ladder, and I was betting this was his first time putting up Christmas lights. I didn’t know him, so I really should have passed on by, but that wasn’t the way we did things in Avana Springs. The least I could do was hand him whatever he’d dropped so he didn’t have to climb down the ladder.
“Here,” I said, hurrying up the walk to his house. “Let me grab that for you.”
He turned to look at me and I recognized him immediately. The guy from the Chamber of Commerce a couple of weeks ago, the one whose eyes had shown up in my dreams on more than one occasion since that short meeting.
