by Cindy Kirk
She dropped the mitten to her lap. “I like it here.”
Stella made the confession as if the thought surprised her.
“You didn’t expect to?” He slowed the truck as he entered the lot used for evening sporting events and pulled into an empty spot next to a minivan.
“I knew I liked the area when my parents and I skied Jay’s Peak. But that was vacation, and other than the staff at the resort, I had no contact with anyone who lived here.”
“Now that you’ve got a few days under your belt, what do you think of us?” Sam found himself holding his breath. It was then that he realized that he cared a little too much what this woman thought of the area. And him.
“Everyone is nice. It’s like you’re a family.” She flushed. “That probably sounds stupid.”
“Not stupid at all.” Sam made no move to open the door, reluctant to leave the truck and share her with the world. “I feel that way too. I think you appreciate the family feeling more when you don’t have any of your own around.”
Stella unfastened her seat belt then shifted in her seat to face him. “How long has it been since your parents lived here?”
Because of their celebrity, Sam didn’t usually talk about his parents with strangers. But Stella wasn’t a stranger. Not anymore.
“For as far back as I can remember, my parents had one foot in Holly Pointe and the other in the city.”
“You’re talking about New York City?”
“Yes.” He smiled. “That’s where their work is, and really, their hearts are there too.”
“Then why even have a home in Holly Pointe?”
“My father grew up here. My mother came from a farm in Iowa.”
“Seriously?”
“Why? You don’t think small-town folk can succeed in New York City?”
To his surprise, Stella appeared to be mulling over the question. “I think it would be more difficult.”
“Actually, I disagree.” As she’d done only moments before, Sam relaxed back against his seat. “I firmly believe coming from a stable base with a strong work ethic is why you see so many people from communities like Holly Pointe and small-town Iowa succeed.”
“It seems to me there’s such a temptation to stay with the familiar. Or to head home when the going gets tough.”
“It comes down to how much you want the dream. Whatever that dream may be.” Out the windshield, Sam observed a steady stream of people heading to the hill. If Stella wanted pictures of the sledding, she wasn’t going to get them sitting in the cab of his truck.
He pushed open the door and waited until Stella joined him on the sidewalk to continue the conversation. “People like me who enjoy this type of life and who can meet their goals in such an environment stay. Those like my parents leave to soar elsewhere.”
“You were never tempted?” Stella hesitated. “Not even when you were dating an up-and-coming Broadway star?”
Sam slanted a sideways glance. “You’re speaking about my friendship with Britt.”
“The tabloids made it sound like more.” Though Stella’s tone remained offhand, he heard the question.
Sam considered carefully his next words. Now that Britt had made it big on Broadway, like his parents, he was careful what he revealed.
Not because he didn’t trust the person he was speaking with but because they might say something to another who would say something to another. By the time someone posted on social media about what he’d supposedly said—because that would inevitably happen—it was so far from the truth as to be unrecognizable.
“Britt and I were good friends. We still are.” And that was all he planned to say on the matter.
Stella inclined her head. “Do you ever go to New York to see her?”
It suddenly struck him that Stella might be concerned that he and Britt were still involved. “When the play that my father wrote and my mother produced opened, I went to see it. I saw Britt at the party afterward. We were all thrilled with the great reviews.”
“That was the role that won her the Tony.”
“You seem to know a lot about Br-Broadway.” Sam almost said “Britt” but caught himself in time. Derek’s warning flashed like a neon light in his head.
“I looked you up online.” Stella studied him through lowered lashes. “When I’m interested in a guy, I like to know as much about him as I can. Have you done a search on me?”
Startled, Sam could only stare. “No.”
“You may not have done it yet.” Stella flashed a blinding smile. “But you will.”
The snow-covered hill provided the perfect backdrop for the brightly colored coats and sleds. The sun hung low in the sky, and it was times like this that Stella longed for her Fuji.
Still, she was able to adjust the shutter speed and light sensitivity for better exposure.
While she moved around for better angles, Sam remained off to one side. He was talking with Derek, who’d brought his daughter and a couple of her friends then stayed to watch.
Stella posted to various social media sites, proclaiming that December fun in Holly Pointe didn’t just happen at Christmas. Slipping her camera back in her coat pocket, she gratefully pulled on the mittens and strode to where Sam and Derek stood. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”
“Did you get some good shots?” Derek asked.
Stella recognized his coat as a Carhartt. Instead of a stocking cap, Derek’s head and ears were covered by a trapper hat with fur ear flaps. While not exactly in the height of style, Stella now understood and appreciated the value of warmth.
“I did.” Stella glanced at the hill where Camryn and her friends were piling on a long toboggan for another run. “I took several of your daughter and her friends. “If you’d like them . . .”
“I’d love to have them.” Derek glanced at Sam. “Give her my number and she can text them to me.”
“Will do.”
“Excuse me, Derek.” Stella surprised Sam by taking his arm. “Sam and I have an appointment.”
Sam cocked his head.
She flashed a smile. “You and me are going to slide down that big ole hill.”
Sam lifted his hands. “I don’t do sledding.”
“You used to.” Derek’s comment earned him a scowl from Sam.
“C’mon, Sam, please. Do it for me.”
What was it about her smile that he found so impossible to resist? “Okay.”
Derek laughed and promised to take pictures as Stella took Sam’s hand, and they started up the hill.
“Thank you. Sincerely.” She cast a sideways glance and squeezed his arm. “I can’t write about something I haven’t experienced.”
“Your parents were from Minnesota,” he reminded her as they reached the top. “Do you really expect me to believe you never went down a hill on a sled?”
“I’ve gone down a hill or two in my day.” There was that smile again. “But never with you.”
That night, after dropping Stella off at her car and heading home, Sam opened up his laptop and keyed in Stella’s name.
He checked her educational background and her work history. She’d graduated from the University of Florida in Gainesville and had interned at the local newspaper. After graduating with a journalism degree focusing on reporting and online media, she’d been hired by the local paper.
It was during her time with the local paper that she’d been recognized for the series of articles on teens making a difference in their community. Sam studied the picture of her with the award. Though that couldn’t have been more than three years ago, she looked younger somehow. A fresh-faced innocent.
That would have been before her parents had been killed. The kind of tragedy she’d experienced would destroy anyone’s innocence.
Her LinkedIn page confirmed her education, her position in Gainesville, and the one at the Miami Sun Times. On one of her personal account pages he found a picture of her with four other reporters who’d been downsized the same September
day from the Sun Times.
Everything she’d told him checked out.
Before closing his laptop, he did a search on her parents, then wished he hadn’t. In the pictures with Stella, they all looked so happy. Stella had even posted several shots on that Thanksgiving weekend before they died, celebrating Stella’s new job with the Sun Times.
Stella hadn’t known that when they got into that car to drive home that she would never see them again. At least with Kevin there had been plenty of opportunities to say good-bye. To let him know how much of a difference he’d made and how much he’d be missed.
Stella had never had that chance.
Sam sat back.
When he’d dropped Stella off tonight, it had taken all his willpower not to kiss her. The attraction that had been simmering since that first meeting on the sidewalk had only continued to increase.
Each time he was with her, he liked her more. And he had the feeling that interest went both ways. The only thing holding him back was the thought that she might be leaving.
But was that really a reason not to get involved? So what if she left in a month? By that time, whatever sizzle existed between them could be long over anyway.
Look at him and Britt. There had been potential there, but when she’d wanted more, he’d backed off. In the end, the bond they’d forged had been one of friendship.
It could be the same with him and Stella. There wasn’t any reason, at least none he could think of, that should stop him from enjoying her company and getting to know her better during the time she was in Holly Pointe.
Sam steepled his fingers. Yes, there was so much more about Stella Carpenter to explore.
He couldn’t wait to begin.
Chapter Ten
Stella uploaded the pictures of Dustin and Krista’s twin boys sliding down the hill on a bright-red sled to her private account at the Sun Times. They were either with one parent or the other, even though there had been plenty of space on the big toboggan for both parents.
Which proved absolutely nothing.
Especially since, while one of the parents was with the kids going down the hill, the other one was taking pictures. The four were extremely photogenic and could be a poster for “Families Having Fun.”
There might not be any trouble in the marriage, but Stella wished she could see more intimacy between the couple. They didn’t need to hold hands; even a loving glance or two would have assuaged her suspicions.
Which meant she needed to continue to observe and document her observations.
That had become increasingly difficult this afternoon when she’d dragged Sam to the top of the hill. He’d gotten into the spirit by borrowing a sled from the daughter of a friend of a friend. The lime-green toboggan that had once held four children now only held her and Sam.
Stella sat in front with Sam’s arms around her as the kids gave them a big push. The hill, which she’d labeled as “small” in her blog post, seemed somehow larger now that she was at the top and careening downward.
Stella couldn’t remember when she’d laughed so much. They’d borrowed another sled, this one more of a classic, for their last trip together. Then each had gone down alone on a brightly colored saucer sled.
While the saucers were fun, except when she overturned near the bottom, Stella missed Sam’s arms around her.
He’d come quickly to her assistance when she’d taken the spill. Pulling her up, he dusted off the snow, and for a second, just a second, she swore he was going to kiss her.
Her lips had begun to tingle, and her breath had come in short puffs.
Then he’d stepped back and handed the saucers to two middle-school-age boys and thanked them for the loan.
Just remembering that moment had Stella lifting her fingers to her mouth.
She’d wanted him to kiss her. Heck, it had taken all her willpower not to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him first.
Only that stubborn willpower had stopped her and the knowledge that by the time New Year’s Eve rolled around, she’d be back in Florida.
Oh, and the knowledge that by that time, he’d probably hate her.
Immediately after the thought surfaced, instead of accepting it as fact, Stella took a moment to dissect it.
While it was true that she’d be leaving Holly Pointe at the end of December, did that really prevent her from exchanging a few kisses with Sam?
While it was also true that she was committed to writing a story on Holly Pointe for Jane, she’d also stressed to the editor that her story would not be filled with innuendos or exaggerated facts. If there was something that could be corroborated and would appeal to the readers of the Sun Times, she would include that information.
Other than not informing Sam that she was doing the article, he shouldn’t have a problem with her simply reporting the facts. As the city administrator, he should welcome the publicity.
Still, she wished she could be completely up front with him about why she was here. But she knew that if she was, he would tell the others, and the town would close ranks. Stella wouldn’t get her story, and Jane would give the open staff position to someone else.
Not to mention that Holly Pointe would lose out on valuable publicity.
No, it was better if she kept her mouth shut.
Her fingers returned to her lips for another brief moment before she returned to inputting her notes on Dustin Bellamy and Krista Ankrom.
“Can you believe tomorrow officially marks the start of the holiday season?” Kate waved a forkful of roast beef in the air. “I know I’m going to sound like my grandmother, but seriously, where did the year go?”
After taking photos of several houses that had gone all out with Christmas lights and decorations, Stella had accepted Kate’s offer to meet for lunch at Rosie’s. Unfortunately, Mel was stuck in the kitchen today and couldn’t join them.
Puzzled, Stella pulled her brows together. “What about the event at Star Lake? I thought that was the start? I mean, Santa already made an appearance.”
“I realize that’s a bit confusing.” Kate offered a rueful smile. “I’ll explain it all after another bite of this fabulous hot beef sandwich.”
Kate took a moment to stab some beef, bread, and potato, all smothered in brown gravy, onto her fork.
Stella glanced down at her salad then back at Kate’s plate. Next time, she’d forget about being good and get the hot beef.
“Ohmigosh, that is fabulous.” She smiled at Stella. “Want to try a bite?”
“I’m tempted,” Stella told her. “Seriously tempted. But I’m afraid I’d like it so much I might snatch your plate, and you’d be left with my salad.”
“Good to know.” Kate hunched over and pretended to be guarding her food. Then she sat back and laughed. “I love you, Stella. I’m so glad you came to Holly Pointe.”
Her laugh was such a happy sound that the couple at a nearby table turned and smiled.
“I’m glad I came here, too.”
Stella thought about what the holidays would have been like had she stayed in Miami.
Tasha would have left town to spend Christmas with her family. Since Tash and her roommate had made it clear they wanted her out, Stella would have felt compelled to quickly find somewhere affordable to live, not an easy task during prime tourist season.
She would have been stressed and probably very much in grinch mode. Instead, she was spending December in the Christmas capital of the USA.
Which reminded her . . .
“You still haven’t told me why tomorrow’s the kickoff of the season.”
Kate wiped a spot of gravy from the corner of her lips. “The thing is, we used to have Santa’s initial appearance be at the First Friday event, which has always been the week after the Thanksgiving weekend. But several years ago, residents wanted a change. Many of them had family in town over Thanksgiving, and they wanted the kids to be able to see Santa during that weekend, so we moved it back a week.”
“You’re telling
me the town caved.”
“Well, here’s the thing. Having Santa show up Thanksgiving weekend has become really common across the country.”
Stella thought of Santa’s Enchanted Forest and how Santa was there for two months starting the first part of November. “You’re right. Just like we now expect to see Christmas decorations up in October.”
“Exactly.” Kate pushed the plate back and heaved a satisfied sigh. “I’m full. But that was amazing.”
As much as Stella understood that Kate loved food, she was done talking about roast beef. At least until she ordered her own plate of it next time she was in the diner. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. You’re saying Kenny, er, Santa, makes two first appearances.”
Kate gave a decisive nod. “Right.”
“And tomorrow is the true start of the holiday season in Holly Pointe.”
Another nod. “Right.”
“On the list of events Faith gave me to cover, it simply says, ‘Lighting of town tree. Santa Claus arrives.’”
“That’s true,” Kate acknowledged, “but there’s more to the night than those two things.”
“I thought maybe there was.”
Kate smiled. “It’s really special. It’s not only the lights on the tree; the courthouse explodes in lights. Everyone applauds and cheers. The high school band plays Christmas songs, and everyone sings.”
Stella could practically see the crowds and lights and hear the tuba rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” She raised her fingers to her temples feeling a headache coming on.
Kate laughed. “Seriously, it’s loads of fun. Some people dance while others sing. There are red-and-white-striped inflatable balls that look like pieces of holiday candy being batted around.”
Feeling slightly shell-shocked, Stella only nodded. Last year, when she’d gone home with Tasha, any holiday events she’d attended had involved fine wine and china plates. This sounded a whole lot more . . . energetic.
Because Kate stared expectantly, Stella offered a weak smile. “Sounds exciting.”
