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He shook his head. “My mother is going on a cruise with her friends.”
Sympathy shone in her eyes. “Do you have any other family to spend the holidays with?”
He shook his head. “I’ll probably work.”
Her eyes widened. “On Christmas?”
“It’s about the only time I have to catch up on things at the office. With no incoming emails or the phone ringing, I can get a lot done.”
“That doesn’t sound very fun. In fact, it sounds lonely.”
“I’m used to it.” Used to it and happy with it were two totally different things. The truth was, he buried himself in his work to keep from thinking about the parts of life he was missing out on. But he couldn’t attain the promotion to assistant vice president without making sacrifices.
“This is the community hall. Lots of parties and wedding receptions take place here.”
He took in the white building with black shutters and candles glowing in the windows. On the double glass doors hung twin wreaths. “Does everyone in Bayberry decorate for the holiday?”
She looked at him like he surely had to kidding. “Of course. It takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. I just love the garlands, the twinkle lights and, well, all of the decorations.”
From the looks of the town, most of its residents felt the same way. He had to admit it livened up the town.
“M
ost of the businesses are found along Main Street, especially surrounding Bayberry Square.” As they moved around the square, she pointed out various establishments, from the library to the bakery. And then she moved to the door of Steaming Brew. “And this is the coffee shop, but you’ve already figured that out.”
“I did. And they have the best pumpkin spice lattes ever.”
“Good idea. We’ll get a couple for the rest of the walk.”
When they entered the coffee shop, Abby’s eyes widened. She quickly replaced her surprise with a smile as they stepped up to the counter. “Aren’t you two supposed to be working?”
“It’s her fault,” he said, winking at Kate. “She has me playing hooky.”
Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I promised him a tour of the town. For one reason or another, it kept getting put off. So while the sun is out and there are no emergencies, I’m showing him around.”
“Sounds good to me,” Abby said. “If I had someone to take over for me, I’d join you. I just love walking around and checking out everyone’s Christmas decorations. So what can I get you two?”
Simultaneously they said, “Pumpkin spice latte.”
Abby laughed. “Told you it was good!” When they nodded enthusiastically, she said, “Just give me a moment.”
A few minutes later, with lattes in hand, they continued the tour. Kate pointed out Covered Bridge Street, which led to a pond where people could ice skate once it froze over. She showed him the burger joint and the movie theater, whose marquee boasted a film that had been released about six months ago. Not exactly on top of things, but he hadn’t heard anyone complaining.
As they circled back toward the candle company, he did think of one more thing he wanted to see. “Could we head back by Flatlander Way?”
“Sure. Any particular reason?”
He nodded. “It’s where I lived once upon a time.”
“I’d love to see it.”
They walked and talked, mostly about the history of the town. Kate told him about how her ancestors had founded the town. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have roots that went so deep. It’s what he’d wanted since he was a kid—to settle in one place and stay there. It would happen if he could land this promotion.
For a while they walked in comfortable silence. He could easily imagine taking more of these strolls with Kate. That is, if he stuck around Bayberry, which he wasn’t planning to do.
And then they reached the corner of Valley Lane and Flatlander Way. There sat the beautiful Victorian with bright berry-red paint and clean white trim. He came to a stop. It was just as he remembered it, with the wraparound porch and the sweeping front steps leading up to the double-door entrance. The only thing it was lacking were holiday decorations like every other house on the street.
But that would be simple enough to solve. A single candle in each window. Two wreaths, one for each door. And on the wooden rails should be garlands with white twinkle lights. Nothing over the top. The house deserved a stunning but classic look—
