With a smile on her face, she turned back toward the entrance, hoping to catch sight of Brady. Tabitha immediately called out to her and made a beeline in her direction.
“Eden! I’m so glad you’re here,” Tabitha said, greeting her with a hug. With her warm mocha skin and green eyes, Tabitha constantly turned heads wherever she went.
“It’s great to see you, Tabitha. I’ve been so busy lately we haven’t been able to meet up for lunch or afternoon tea. I hope you got my message about the candy canes.”
Tabitha grinned. “I sure did. It was a blast from the past, let me tell you. I immediately started thinking about our candy cane fundraiser all those years ago.”
Eden giggled. “We sure did have lots of fun.”
Tabitha pointed to spot behind her. “The table is set up over there and there’s already a bunch of teens working the table with Brady.”
Eden’s heart leapt. “Brady? He’s already here and set up?”
“Yes,” Tabitha said with a nod of her head. “And I think they’ve already sold quite a few candy cane grams.”
Eden clapped her hands together. “Oh that’s wonderful.”
Tabitha led her toward the table where Brady sat surrounded by a group of teens. The teens were dressed in elf costumes. Eden thought they looked adorable. She noticed a few of the girls were whispering and looking at Brady, who looked gorgeous in an Irish fisherman’s sweater and a
pair of dark jeans. To make his outfit more festive, she imagined, he was wearing a cute green and white elf hat.
When he saw her, Brady let out a low whistle. “Wow, Eden. You look amazing.”
Eden basked in the compliment. The red dress she was wearing tonight had been sitting at the back of her closet for quite some time. It was more fitted than anything she normally wore and it came down right above the knee. Wearing it made her feel pretty in a way she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“Thank you, Brady. You look pretty sharp yourself. How can I jump in and help? I’m sorry you had to start without me. It takes a bit of time to get my dad in gear.”
Brady held up his hands. “No apologies necessary. I got here early on purpose and was happily surprised to see the teens ready to go.” He motioned her over to the table and pointed to the money box and the tags for the candy canes that included the name of the buyer and the recipient, along with their holiday message. The night before delivery they would do an assembly line and attach the tag to each candy cane. Celebration Church would get a major delivery on Sunday morning so they didn’t have to make all of those individual deliveries.
“Take a look.” Brady’s voice was bursting with pride. “If we keep up this momentum we’re going to sell out by tomorrow.”
“Wow. We could really hit the mark, Brady.” She was so overjoyed, tears of emotion pooled in her eyes. This fundraiser meant so much to her, and for a while she had doubted whether it was possible to reach their goal. Hope flared inside her.
“We’re not there yet,” he cautioned. “There’s lots more to be done.”
Eden rubbed her hands together. “Well I’m ready,” she said in an energetic voice. “Just watch and see.”
She began to call out in a raised voice to attract a crowd. “Candy canes for sale. Let your special someone know you’re thinking of them during the most joyful time of the year.”
Over and over again she called out to the crowd, enjoying the way the teens and Brady joined in along with her. The teen girls began doing cheerleading calls about candy canes and performing cartwheels. She was surprised and gratified by all the townsfolk who gravitated toward their table and purchased candy canes.
At a certain point in the evening, they dismissed the teens so they could enjoy the festivities. Knowing they had made huge inroads with candy cane sales, Brady and Eden followed suit and walked around the festival. By Eden’s calculations they may just have hit their goal this evening. They would figure it out later on when they did the final calculations.
Eden couldn’t count the number of times Brady made her crack up as they ate candied apples, participated in the beanbag toss, purchased crafts and sang along to Amazing Grace with the choir ensemble.
They ran in to Vicky and Tom, who were participants in a pie eating contest. Eden loved their holiday spirit and the warm vibe they exuded. It was encouraging to see two people still in love after decades spent together.
“Your grandparents really are the heart and soul of this town,” Eden raved. “I’m proud to call them friends.”
“You’re right. They really are. I lost sight of that fact along the way. I shouldn’t have stayed away for so long. It was rather foolish.” Brady quirked his mouth. Eden sensed he was beating himself up about it.
“The good thing is you came back. It’s never too late to make things right,” Eden said, hoping to lend some encouragement to Brady.
“Every day I’m beginning to see it more. I went riding in the valley with my grandfather the other day. It made me feel like a kid again.” He motioned with his hand at the festivities going on around them. “And being here tonight is such a treat. There’s nothing like spending the holidays in Celebration.”
Eden looked over at Brady. “And your parents? Maybe now they’ll be encouraged to come back to Celebration for a visit.”
“I think my parents have always been reluctant to come back here because of the tainted memories. Those feelings and fears trickled down to me. What I’ve come to realize is that this town is a vital part of me. It helped to shape me. And I really want this Christmas to be the best one ever.”
“For me it’s already shaping up to be a joyous one. I can’t believe how much we’ve raised so far with the candy canes. Everyone really pulled out their wallets to support the cause.”
“And to spread holiday cheer,” Brady said with a smile. “Candy canes are pretty irresistible and so are needy animals. You’ve done a great thing, Eden.”
“I can’t take all the credit. The candy cane fundraiser worked all those years ago, so I figured we had nothing to lose by trying it again. And you’ve helped a lot since you’ve been here in town. And the icing on the cake is that four families are interested in Miss Daphne’s pups. What a blessing.” Eden looked at him, noting his handsome features and lean physique.
Brady was looking down at her with a sweet, tender look etched on his face. Her heart began to quicken. Even though they were surrounded by a crowd of people, she had the strangest feeling he wanted to kiss her. And she had to admit that for the first time in ages she wouldn’t be opposed to being kissed by the most handsome man who’d ever stepped foot in Celebration.
Chapter Five
Brady Shepard had never wanted to kiss a woman as much as he’d wanted to kiss Eden the other night at the Christmas festival. If he had given in and done so, their names would have been the talk of the town. Sadly, after all of these years, the thought of being the object of whispers still made him cringe. It wasn’t just the gossip either. When he kissed Eden—and he knew it was inevitable—he wanted it to be a private moment shared between two people and not in front of an entire town.
Would Eden welcome a kiss from him? Brady thought so, but Eden sometimes gave off mixed signals. He hoped she regarded him as more than a childhood friend. They were both adults now and his feelings for her were very grown up. And the way he figured it, life was too short not to reach out for the things you wanted.
But would it be fair to start something with Eden when he was only here in Celebration for a short period of time? He honestly wasn’t sure.
The evening of the festival, they had counted their proceeds and realized they had surpassed their goal since one anonymous benefactor had made a large contribution to the cause.
This morning the bulk of the candy cane deliveries had commenced. Yesterday they had dropped off batches at Celebration church and seen first-hand the joy that came from receiving a sweet holiday delivery. Smiles. Laughter. Joy. Sincere appreciation. A candy cane was
such a simple thing, Brady thought. Yet it yielded so much happiness. Earlier he had delivered some candy canes to the nursing home over near the high school. It had brought tears to his eyes to see the residents of Silver Valley rest home so blissful.
Being at The Country Vet without Eden felt a bit lonely even though he had back to back clients to fill up his time. He and Eden had switched off while they delivered their candy canes so the office could stay open. Now the place didn’t feel the same without her. He missed her quiet energy and passion for the animals. Little by little Eden had nudged her way into his heart.
Brady hadn’t imagined for a single second that coming back to Celebration might place his heart in jeopardy. Ever since they were kids Eden had been wrapped around his heart strings. Nothing had really changed since then. Only this time he was older and wiser and determined not to let this moment slip out of his grasp.
One way or another, Brady was going to let Eden know exactly what he was feeling for her. And he prayed it didn’t send her running in the other direction.
**
By the time Eden made her way back to The Country Vet after delivering her huge batch of candy canes all over town, she was tuckered out. Her legs were tired, but her spirit had been lifted up by all the excitement and good cheer.
She knew a smile was gracing her face as she tallied up the bill for the client who had just emerged from the examination room.
“It’s a really great thing you’re doing with the candy cane exchange,” Bill Thompson said with a grin. “My triplets were really tickled to receive their candy canes at Sunday school. I imagine they received more at school today. And it’s for a great cause too.”
Brady came walking toward the front desk from down the hall. He overheard Bill’s comment and chimed in. “The candy cane exchange has given this whole town a little boost of holiday spirit. The phone has been ringing off the hook for the last few hours with people raving about the program. It’s brought a lot of smiles to this town.”
“There were some calls this morning also,” Eden said. It made her tear up just to think about it. “The kids on the cancer ward were especially thankful.”
“Well, keep up the Christmas cheer. This town is overflowing with it.” Bill said, snuggling his cat Lexi against his chest. Eden and Brady said their goodbyes as Bill headed out of the building, with his cat carrier in one hand and Lexie in the other.
Brady’s gaze turned to Eden. There was a look of wonder radiating from his eyes.
“I hope you see all the good you’re accomplishing in Celebration. God is working through you to bring joy to this whole town.” Brady’s voice was full of admiration.
Eden felt shy for a moment receiving such praise. In truth, this was the first time in a long time that she’d stepped out on a limb of faith and put herself out there. Shying away from the community had been her way ever since her grandmother’s passing. Her love for animals was her motivation and the inspiration to raise funds in the community.
“We are bringing joy, Brady. You’re part of this too,” she said, thankful for his spirit of giving and generosity.
“Thanks for letting me be a part of it. Can you believe we both have a pile of candy canes? Some of the teens delivered them earlier.” He winked at her. “I hope you sent me one,” he said in a playful tone.
She shrugged. “Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t,” she teased.
Eden handed him a folder for the next client. “Eric Tam and his toy poodle, Frenchie. It seems Frenchie may have been bitten by another animal.”
Brady looked over and greeted Mr. Tam, beckoning him toward the examination room. Eden watched as Brady disappeared down the hall and into the examination room.
Clearly, Brady hadn’t sorted through his candy canes. She’d sent him one and she’d signed it as his Forever Friend, Eden. She wondered what Brady would make of it, if anything. The truth was her feelings for him went well past friendship. She just hadn’t summoned the courage to leave a romantic message for him. What if he didn’t feel the same way? Then she would feel like a total fool. After all, he was kind of her boss. It could make things awkward between them.
The truth was, she was falling for Brady. And even though she knew it was all happening so quickly, Eden also realized their past friendship served as a foundation for these adult feelings. Brady was making her feel things that were foreign to her. And being in his presence made her want to embrace life in a completely different way. She was tired of being sad and hiding herself away from the world.
Dear Lord, please help me move toward healing. I want to celebrate this blessed season without a shadow hanging over me. I want to embrace it with my heart and soul. I want peace.
She would miss Gran forever and always, but she wanted to be joyful again. She no longer wanted to feel guilty about some else’s poor choices. Hadn’t she been blaming herself for far too long?
She sat back down at the front desk, for the first time noticing a pile of candy canes with her name on them. She’d been so busy focusing on everyone else in town she hadn’t even thought about herself. The candy cane fundraiser made her want to grin from ear-to-ear. It filled her with the spirit of the season and reinforced the fact that people were good at heart. They truly were! She believed it with all of her soul.
Her heart almost stopped beating when she viewed the message on the next candy cane.
I still have a crush on you. Brady. Eden felt a surge of joy surge through her at the words printed on the tag. For so long now she had avoided any relationships out of fear and guilt. After all, she still blamed herself for Gran’s death. It’s all your fault! Isn’t that what her younger sister, Betsy, had screamed at her that night at the hospital? Betsy and her husband, Cleave, hadn’t stuck around Celebration much longer. They had moved to Colorado and rarely, if ever, came back to town. Eden bore the weight of it all on her shoulders. If she hadn’t gotten involved with Derek, perhaps Gran would still be alive. Perhaps she would still be on good terms with Betsy.
Feeling the weight of responsibility wasn’t allowing her to move forward. She was stuck in the past. And it was choking her. She knew God didn’t want her to live like this.
Eden wanted a relationship with Brady, one that was healthy and loving. She thought Brady could be the one. She felt it every time he held her hand or when he told her a corny joke and she cracked up over it. He brought a huge dose of joy along with him. It hummed and pulsed in the air whenever he was in her orbit. And most importantly, she felt comfortable with him. She knew he’d never hurt her in a million years.
In order to stand a chance of establishing something with Brady, Eden knew she had to let go of the past in order to start laying the foundation for her future. Even if things didn’t work out with Brady, she still needed to move forward. Change was hard. But it was necessary.
She prayed she was strong enough to do it. With Gran looking down on her from heaven, Eden knew she had a special angel cheering her on. There was no way in the world she would let Gran down.
Once the last client had left, Eden continued to dig through her candy canes, smiling at the ones sent from her best friends and a few of her favorite clients at the Country Vet. She hadn’t felt in the Christmas spirit ever since Gran passed away. But now, she felt light-hearted and joyful. And she knew it had everything to do with Brady. His very presence injected a much-needed dose of Christmas cheer into her life.
He was brave in a way she could only aspire to be. He had returned to Celebration despite his unresolved issues from the past. And he’d done so out of love for his grandparents. To help Vicky at The Country Vet and to spend Christmas together as a family. That had taken courage.
When it was time to lock up for the day, Brady came out front to say goodbye to her.
“Thank you for the candy cane,” Eden said, blushing a little as she remembered his flirty note attached to the candy cane. It was only right to thank him, but now there was an elephant in the room.
Brady locked gaz
es with her. His eyes radiated intensity. “Thank you for yours, although I have to give you fair warning. I like you way more than just a friend, Eden.”
**
Brady figured he might as well bite the bullet and tell Eden the truth to her face. He was feeling all warm and fuzzy over the candy cane deliveries and the festive vibe in Celebration. It was a time when all things were possible.
“Oh,” Eden said in a soft voice. “I wondered a bit when I read your message.”
“I hope you consider it a good thing.” Brady knew Eden was skittish. She didn’t quite seem to trust him. If she didn’t have any interest in him there was no sense in him pushing for something impossible. All she had to do was say the word and he would back off immediately.
“I do think it’s a good thing. And I like you too, Brady. More than just friends.” She ducked her head down. He reached out and tipped her chin up. Their gazes held and locked. Brady could see sincerity shining in her eyes, along with a measure of shyness. For Brady it was an appealing combination. Eden was unlike any woman he’d ever known.
“That makes me want to do back flips,” Brady said, his gaze never wavering from Eden’s.
He wanted to kiss her, but he knew it would be too fast too soon. He needed to fully gain her trust before he made such a move.
“So, Miss Eden Lassiter, would you like to come see the Christmas fireworks with me this evening? I’ve been looking forward to this event ever since I hit town. We can grab something to eat and then head to the town green by dusk.”
Eden nodded. “I’d love to go with you. I just need to call my father and let him know I won’t be home until later.”
Brady frowned. “Will he be okay by himself?”
She grinned. “He’ll be fine. He got reacquainted with some of his lady friends at the festival the other night. He invited one over for dinner, so he won’t be alone.” Eden dug her cell phone out of her purse and quickly made the phone call to her father. Eden let out a chuckle as she ended the call.
“What’s so funny?” Brady asked. “You seem highly amused.”
The Heart of Christmas Page 6
