Chrissy
KEVIN WAS A great dancer. His footsteps were smooth and his carriage confident, but Chrissy couldn’t allow herself to relax in his arms. In fact, she couldn’t keep her ears tuned toward their conversation or her gaze focused on his light green eyes that kept dipping down to hers, asking for connection.
“Chrissy?” Kevin stopped dancing. “Hello, Chrissy? You with me?”
“Yes?” She snapped her eyes up, startled by the sudden pause in movement. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
“I said you look gorgeous in that ball gown. Green is definitely your color.”
She blushed, not from the compliment, but the fact that she’d forced him to repeat it, her attention completely elsewhere. “Thank you, Kevin. You look great, too.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be here tonight, actually. Nick says you’ve been pretty sick.”
“I was, but I’m feeling much better now. Just a head cold that took some time to shake.”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re on the mend. I can’t say this ball would be nearly as enjoyable without you on my arm.”
Placing his hand low on her back, Kevin drew her close, steering them through the twirling couples on the floor. Holiday carols played by the jazz quartet guided their movements and, for a brief moment, Chrissy wished she hadn’t made so many excuses over the years. The Winter Ball was certainly an event worth attending and dancing with Kevin should be an effortless way to ensure a good time.
Why couldn’t she allow herself to fall for someone like this man? Someone who clearly admired her and wanted to pursue a relationship with her. Kevin wasn’t quiet in making his intentions known and there was a relief in that, if only for the fact that she knew where he stood.
Chrissy had no clue where Nick stood anymore.
“It’s a little crowded right here,” Kevin said with his mouth pressed into her hair, speaking loudly enough to be heard over the band. Within the stretch of one eight count, he spun them out from the middle of the room toward the decorated trees at the periphery. Chrissy could see the mistletoe dangling from the ceiling above, its leaves and red ribbon a siren call to young lovers hoping to steal a Christmas kiss.
Sometimes she wondered what it would be like if she would just allow herself to move on. Maybe kissing Kevin wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If she kissed him, then maybe the feelings would magically follow. Maybe you didn’t always need to be in love with someone to explore the idea of a future with them. Maybe this misguided belief was her great mistake of the last decade.
“Chrissy, I know I head back just after Christmas, but…” Kevin swallowed. His head lifted and his eyes intentionally angled upward. “But I’d like to spend the remaining time I’m here with you.” He pursed his lips. “I really like you, Chrissy. I have for some time now and I think you might like me a little bit, too. If you’ll just let yourself.”
The confession—though not surprising—threw her into a tailspin. The room began to pirouette around her and she struggled for focus. “Kevin, I—”
“Hey, brother. Mind if I cut in?”
Kevin’s spine pulled taut like a snapped wire. He narrowed his gaze and glowered over his shoulder, the interruption evidently an unwelcome one. “I do, actually. Chrissy and I aren’t quite done here.”
“It’s okay, Kevin. We can share another dance later,” Chrissy assured, patting his arm.
Dejection fell heavy onto Kevin’s strong features as he reluctantly shrugged out of their embrace. He gave his younger brother a telling look before turning back to Chrissy. “Okay. But save the last dance for me. And please think about what I just said.”
“I will,” she agreed as she stepped into Nick’s arms. “Thank you,” she said quietly as she placed her hands onto Nick’s shoulders.
“I didn’t mean for this to be a rescue mission,” Nick teased, “but once I saw where you were standing, I figured I needed to jump in.”
“It’s not that I don’t like Kevin—”
“Chrissy, you don’t need to explain anything.”
“But I feel like I should. He’s a good man, Nick. And I know he’s interested. I’ve just never thought of him that way. I guess I always felt like I shouldn’t feel that way about anyone until”—she held her breath a beat before she added—“until I was over you.”
“Chrissy.” Nick’s chest puffed up with a large inhale. “I owe you an explanation.”
“No. I owe you one. I wasn’t sick—”
“I know.”
“Wait—you knew? How could you know?”
“Doris told me. And you don’t really look like you’ve been sick in bed all week. In fact, Chrissy, I’ve never seen you look so radiant. You’re breathtaking.”
His words made her stomach flip, like she’d crested the highest peak of a rollercoaster. After such a sweet compliment, she felt almost guilty confessing the reason for her lie, but she had to be honest with him. It didn’t do anyone any favors to continue this charade.
“I was avoiding you, Nick, but more than that, I was avoiding my feelings,” Chrissy acknowledged as they spun out from under the mistletoe and onto the dance floor teeming with couples. “I read something that I shouldn’t’ve when we were unpacking your things. About how you regretted being together. I was so hurt at first. In fact, all week I was angry and frustrated and couldn’t understand how something that was so special to me could be something that you wished had never happened.” Chrissy tore from their stare and blinked back the insistent tears that fought to spill their way down her cheeks. She focused on Nick’s impeccably knotted tie instead as she added, “You are allowed to have your regrets, Nick. We all are. But I’m also allowed to cherish that time we shared—that time we were so very much in love—even if it ultimately meant different things to each of us.”
Although the song quickened and the other dancers adjusted their movements to match the new tempo, Nick and Chrissy slowed to a near stop right in the center of the room.
“I have never regretted loving you, Chrissy.” Nick’s voice was wrought with emotion as he drew her close, his arms binding around her fully. “Never. The only regret I have was in letting you go. I don’t even know what a different scenario would have looked like for us—if you would have come on the road with me or if I would have stayed with you here—but I do regret leaving you. That’s my big regret. I regret not following through on my promise to marry you and build a life and a future with you, Chrissy.” Nick’s feet shuffled again, guiding them back into a swaying motion that resembled a dance, but it was clear neither were focused on their steps. “I don’t know what it is about holding you in my arms that makes me say these things so freely. I think I’m just afraid to let you go again without telling you just what you mean to me, Chrissy. What you’ve always meant to me.”
“Honestly, Nick, I spent all week rehearsing what I was going to say and none of it involved admitting that I’ve never gotten over you.” Chrissy shed a small smile. “So I guess we’re even.”
She looked into his hazel eyes, flecked with golden specks that had always captivated her so. Nothing had changed about the tender warmth they emitted and nothing had changed about the way they made her heart instantly soften and bend toward his.
“I hope it’s clear I’m not over you either, Chrissy.” Ever so slightly, he pulled her a touch closer. “I think I just didn’t know how to tell you that. I didn’t know how to get back to where we once were. All I’ve wanted to do since coming home is to relive all of the memories from our past. Like maybe we could fall in love all over again if we did. I think maybe that’s why I waited until the holidays to come back. They always were our favorite time of year.”
“Is that the reason you left the notes?”
“What notes?”
“The notes in the wreath I won from the auction. Notes about meeting at the tree lot and the coat drive.” She squinted up at Nick, though his face was void of comprehension. “How you asked me to be your partn
er for the sledding race and invited me to the ball?”
“Those weren’t from me, Chrissy.” Then, laughing a little, Nick said, “But that would’ve made things a lot easier if I would have thought to do that.”
“The notes weren’t from you?”
“No, they weren’t.”
“Then who were they from?”
“I’m not sure, but it sounds like maybe they came from someone who hoped to spend more time with you.” Nick’s eyes darted across the hall toward his brother who stood at the food table, chatting with Tucker and Everleigh as he popped a sugar cookie into his mouth.
“They couldn’t’ve been from Kevin.” Chrissy read Nick’s thoughts. “They started before he even came into town.”
“Maybe they are magical notes,” Nick teased as a lopsided grin spread onto his face. “Okay, maybe not magical, but at least notes meant to draw us back to one another.”
“I can’t think of anyone who would do that. No one cares that much about whether or not we pick up where we left off.”
“Really?” Nick asked as his eyes quickly swept over the room. “I can think of a few people who might.”
Following his gaze, Chrissy caught sight of Doris and Earl who were both beaming at them, snooping unabashedly as they circled the floor. There was Chrissy’s dad with Miss Sandra on his arm, throwing a quick salute to his daughter from his post by the entrance doors. There was Marcie who rose up on her toes to toss a wave to the couple. And there was Tucker and Everleigh, about to join them on the dance floor, grinning broadly like they knew some secret that Nick and Chrissy didn’t.
“You think one of them had a hand in the notes?”
“It’s a theory, I suppose.” Nick shrugged. “But you know what’s not a theory and is an actual fact?”
“What’s that?”
“That I’d love to share the next dance with you. And maybe the one after that. Probably the one after that, too.”
“Oh Nick,” Chrissy teased right along. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“I’ve got about a decade’s worth to catch up on, Chrissy. I sure hope you brought your dancing shoes.”
Nick
NICK’S HANDWRITING WASN’T the best, but Chrissy assured him no one would critique his penmanship. He had arrived at Chrissy’s candle shop just before opening, even though the Winter Ball had lasted well into the late hours of night. The replayed conversations, the many dances, and the hope that unfurled at the thought of a budding relationship with Chrissy kept Nick awake until almost dawn. Even with little rest, he was eager to start the day, if only for the fact that he’d be spending it with Chrissy.
It took the two no time at all to pen the perfect prose. Nick was quite pleased with their final composition.
Christmas Eve comes but once a year,
So let’s share a meal and some holiday cheer.
There’s warmth in our hearts and snow on the ground,
All that’s left is for our friends to gather ‘round.
It’s Chrissy and Nick’s great Christmas wish
That you’ll join them on the 24th with your favorite dish.
Be sure to include the recipe to share
And wear a sweater with some holiday flair!
We’ll eat and chat, dance and mingle
And have a merry ol’ time like we’re jolly Kris Kringle.
“I think if this whole candle business doesn’t work out, you could have a very lucrative career as a greeting card creator,” Nick quipped.
“What can I say? I’ve been inspired by my wreath.” Chrissy surveyed the unfolded notes on the table. She hadn’t noticed it before, but each undoubtedly had a different author, the nuances and curves of the letters and words varying on every sheet of paper. “Your idea to bring a recipe is brilliant. We can use those for comparison. You’re quite a sleuth, Nick.”
“Yes, but it only works if they handwrite them and don’t type them out.”
“I’m confident they’ll be handwritten. Pretty sure Nita and Doris don’t even own computers.”
“I don’t know. Those LOL’s are pretty hip,” Nick said, then added with a mischievous grin, “In fact, I just heard Doris recently had hers replaced.” He paused as he acknowledged his failed attempt at humor. “Not my best joke, I’ll give you that. Anyway, Christmas Eve is just two days away. Are you sure I can’t do anything to help you get ready for the dinner? It’s no small feat to host that many people for a sit-down meal.”
“Apart from helping me place the invitations in the wreaths, I can’t think of anything. I’ll make a holiday ham and you can bring the green bean casserole we talked about. I think it will be a wonderful night. And hopefully, by the end of it, we’ll be one step closer to discovering the author of these mystery notes.” They looked to the front door as Nita opened it, arriving to begin a shift. Chrissy lifted her hand in a wave and then returned her attention to Nick. “I know it shouldn’t really matter who they’re from, but I can’t help but feel there’s some greater meaning behind them. And to think I thought I was bidding on a plain, ordinary wreath.”
“Nothing about Heirloom Point is ordinary, least of all its people. We’ll get to the bottom of this. I, for one, am all about solving a good mystery. They don’t call me Nick ‘Sherlock’ McHenry for nothing.”
“They don’t call you that.”
“Okay, but they should. Has quite a ring to it.”
Chrissy chuckled. “Alright Sherlock, let’s grab our coats and set out on our mission. Should we drive or are you okay with walking?”
“The weather’s great and my knee’s cooperating. I vote we walk.”
Nick also knew it would take much longer on foot, which inevitably meant more time together.
“I’ll just touch base with Nita real quick and then we can be on our way. Meet you outside in five?” Chrissy asked.
“Take your time.”
Nick tipped his chin toward Nita as he slid by her and out the door. From this side of Spruce Street, he could see the recently constructed snowman that he had, with his father, created a few days earlier. With the sudden rise in temperatures, the bottom portion had already begun to melt, creating puddles on the sidewalk at the base of the figure. Nick made a mental note to clean it up that afternoon. He didn’t want anyone slipping, potentially injuring themselves.
When the door creaked behind him, he turned, filing that task away for later.
“All set.” Chrissy slid her arms into her jacket and then handed the stack of notecards to Nick. “I’m so thankful for Nita’s help with the shop this year. She’s both a great employee and friend. Plus, I think she really enjoys working here.”
“I think it would be hard not to enjoy being surrounded by candles all day. It’s like having hundreds of potential wishes right at your disposal.”
“You know, I’ve never made a wish on any of my candles.”
“No? Only on candles stuck in cakes? Just birthday wishes for you?”
“Christmas wishes, too. But I’m still bitter about my ungranted wish from Santa all those years ago. I’m tempted to track him down, just to inform him that you’re never too old for a little Christmas magic.”
“I think if you tracked him down, he might have a question or two about that stolen cap. Best to leave that thievery in the past.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Chrissy’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. “So, where should we start?”
“Your dad’s place and the Beasley’s are closest—I say we head that direction and then hit the others when we circle back. We can make one big loop if we plan it out right.”
Slipping her hand into the crook of Nick’s elbow, Chrissy leaned close. “Thank you for playing along with me, Nick. I really do appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome, but I’m not playing along. I’m just as curious as you are about the meaning of these notes. In fact, I just might have to thank whoever is behind it all. If the intended purpose was to bring us back together, I’d say it�
��s working.”
He felt Chrissy press deeper into his side, confirming his hope that she entertained the idea of a future with him, too. No question about it, thank-yous were definitely in order.
* * *
NICK STARED AT the sterile, white wall, focusing on the clock hung near the ceiling. He watched the second hand that ticked in sync with his heartbeat.
“The nurse said the doctor should be by any minute.” Chrissy pulled back the partition and then gently sat down at the foot of the hospital bed after she slid the curtain closed behind her. Even with her cautious movements, Nick winced as the bed dipped. “He’s going over the x-rays right now.”
“I’m so sorry, Chrissy. I’m sure this is not how you planned to spend your afternoon. Honestly, I’ll be fine here if you want to take off.”
“Right. Like I’m going to leave you all by yourself when it’s my fault we’re here in the first place.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Yes, it is. I was the one who thought I saw someone in the Beasley’s front window. If I hadn’t panicked, you wouldn’t’ve rushed down those steps and slipped on that black ice. I take full responsibility.”
“If I didn’t slip there, I would’ve slipped somewhere else. I’m really not that great with balance these days.”
Chrissy grew serious. “Nick, I had no idea your knee was causing you this much trouble. I wish you would have been honest with me about that. We could’ve driven. I wouldn’t’ve suggested we walk, had I known.”
“I wanted to walk with you, Chrissy.” Nick thought back to the first few blocks they spent arm in arm and how that eventually progressed to hand in hand as their stroll carried on.
“Nick McHenry?” The curtain rings scraped on the rail again as a doctor pushed them aside and stepped into Nick’s hospital room. He extended a hand that Nick took into his own. “Nice to meet you, Nick. I’m Dr. Timmons and I’m a big fan. Big fan.”
“As in hockey?”
An Heirloom Christmas Page 16
