It wasn’t hard to find Vanessa. She was sitting at her usual spot at the counter, a bowl of what looked like butternut squash soup steaming in front of her. Jackson was leaning against the counter across from her, flannel sleeves rolled up and an apron tied around his waist. They were clearly talking about something, Jackson looking at Vanessa intently as Vanessa’s hands moved around the way they always did when she was especially excited about something.
Before she could stop herself, Imogen cut in. “Vanessa, you’re never going to believe what happened!”
Vanessa jumped, startled as she twisted around and saw Imogen plop herself onto the stool next to her as Jacksonchuckled. Imogen was still clutching the letter fromSweet Confections, and she waved it in the air like a banner.
“I’m going to be featured inSweet Confectionsmagazine!” she blurted out, the words tumbling over each other in her haste to share the news. “They want to do a whole feature on my shop! Can you believe it?Sweet Confections!”
Vanessa’s eyes widened, and a huge smile spread across her face. “Imogen, that’s incredible!Sweet Confectionsis?—”
“My favorite magazine,andone of the most well-known in my industry,” Imogen finished, her excitement making her bounce slightly on the stool. “I mean, I’ve been reading this magazine for years, dreaming about what it would be like to be featured in it, and now?—”
She stopped abruptly, suddenly remembering that Jackson and Vanessa had been in the middle of a conversation when she’d come whirling in. On top of that, she noticed a tension in Vanessa’s face that wasn’t usually there, and Jackson had a crease between his brows, like he was a little frustrated about something.
They were both smiling and seemed genuinely happy for her, but she could tell that her dramatic entrance had interrupted something important.
“Oh,” she said, her excitement deflating slightly as awareness crept in. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt. You two were clearly in the middle of something.”
Jackson waved off her apology with a good-natured chuckle. “Don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal. Vanessa was just trying to convince me to make sure our house rivals the castle at Disneyland for Christmas decorations.”
“Jackson!” Vanessa protested, swatting his arm with her napkin. “We are absolutely not doing any such thing. I just want our house to look nice for the holidays.”
Jackson rolled his eyes affectionately as he looked at his wife. “Define ‘nice,’ because the list you showed me earlier had seventeen different types of lights and something called a ‘synchronized music display’. I get it, I go all out for the diner’s decorations, but I’ve never synchronized music to anything.”
Vanessa’s cheeks flushed pink, and she glanced at Imogen, looking a little embarrassed. “I just want us to fit in with the neighborhood, that’s all. We’re the new people on Birch Street, and everyone else goes all out for the Christmas decorating competition. I don’t want our house to be the one sad, dark spot on the block.”
Imogen bit back a smile despite the lingering guilt about interrupting their conversation. Everyone in Fir Tree Grove knew about the Birch Street Christmas decorating competition—it was legendary. It drew tourists as well as locals, with everyone admiring the elaborate displays all season. There was a lot of pressure, she knew.
“I get it,” she said firmly. “Really. And the competition is pretty intense.”
“Thank you!” Vanessa said, shooting a triumphant look at her husband. “At least someone understands.”
Jackson shook his head. “I’ve just never put all that much work into my house decor. A nice tree and some lights out front, and that’s it?—”
“But you put atonof work into the diner because all the businesses compete with each other.” Vanessa blew out a breath. “It’s the same thing.”
“I’m glad your Christmas spirit has grown to fit the town,” Jackson said with a chuckle, and Imogen couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s a friendly competition,” Vanessa said with a huff. “The whole neighborhood gets into it. It’s supposed to be fun.”
Imogen laughed. “I’m sure you guys will figure out something that you both like. Good luck with the competition,though. Seriously. It might be friendly but itisa big deal,” she added, shooting a look at Jackson.
“But let’s talk about you!” Vanessa said quickly, looking over at her friend. “Sweet Confectionsmagazine! This is huge. Tell me everything.”
Imogen pulled out the letter and read it aloud, her excitement building again with each word. When she finished, Vanessa was grinning ear-to-ear, and Jackson looked impressed.
“This is going to change everything for your business,” Vanessa said, and Imogen could hear the old office background instantly switching on in her voice as Vanessa’s wheels started turning. “The exposure alone will be incredible, but the credibility that comes with being featured inSweet Confections—that’s something you can’t buy. You can use it in branding, marketing… you could get wider distribution in other stores! This is such a huge thing for you!”
“I know,” Imogen said, but even as she spoke, she could feel those nagging concerns creeping back in. “I just have no idea how I’m going to manage it all. They’ll want to do a photo shoot, probably an interview, maybe special product samples. And this is our busiest season at the shop. Plus Katie has all her holiday activities coming up, and I’m already stretched so thin…”
“Hey,” Jackson said gently, his calm tone steadying her a little. “One thing at a time. You’ll figure it out.”
“He’s right,” Vanessa added, reaching over to squeeze Imogen’s hand. “This is an incredible opportunity, and you’re not going to let logistics stop you from making the most of it. We’ll help however we can.”
Imogen smiled weakly. She was incredibly grateful for her friends. This was exactly why she’d wanted to tell Vanessa. She’d known that Vanessa would be excited for her, and know exactly what to say. “Thank you,” she said, meaning it completely. “Ithink I’m still in shock. Part of me keeps waiting to wake up and discover this is all a dream.”
“Well, don’t pinch yourself too hard,” Jackson said with a grin. “Because this is definitely real, and it’s definitely well-deserved. Your chocolates are incredible. It’s about time the rest of the world found out about them.”
Imogen glanced at her watch. “I should be getting back soon. Can I get some pumpkin chili to go?”
