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Kate didn’t mind playing along. “Any hints? Is it the new cell phone that just came out?”
“It’s much better.”
She was intrigued. She liked to believe in Christmas wishes. “What could be better than a phone that works? And doesn’t keep dying because the battery is toast?”
Santa’s blue eyes twinkled. “This holiday season will be extra special. You just have to keep your eyes open to the magic of the holidays and never stop believing in miracles. Ho-ho-ho.”
A little boy, maybe five years old, came rushing up with some change in his hand for the kettle. His father hurried to keep up with him. Kate moved on. She had to admit that had been the strangest conversation she’d ever had with Santa. As she continued down the sidewalk, she glanced back at him. What had he meant by that cryptic message?
Tara Simms was cleaning the display window of Tara’s Tasty Treats. When she saw Kate, her round face lit up, and she paused to wave. Her shoulder-length brown hair was tucked behind both ears. Kate’s smile broadened upon noticing Tara’s cheery red sweater with a reindeer on the front.
The little shop had been formerly known as the Candy Emporium, but when Tara had taken it over, she’d wanted to offer treats that appealed to most everyone. With the name change, she was able to offer some treats that were diet-friendly and others made with a wholesome goodness. If you wanted a snack, Tara would have something to suit your craving.
“Good morning,” Tara said. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?” She nodded toward the morning sun.
“It is. It’s going to be a great day.” Kate’s breath made a small cloud in the crisp morning air. “I can feel it in the air.”
Was that the truth?
She wanted to believe Bayberry was on an upswing. She really did. After all, this was the season of hope. Her mother used to say not to trouble trouble until trouble troubled you.
But trouble was here. The Bayberry Candle Company, after which the town was named, to honor its oldest and most popular candle, was in a bind.
Her family’s company was more than a hundred years old, and most of the factory’s equipment hadn’t been updated in Kate’s lifetime. These days, the old machines broke down regularly, slowing production. Just last week, the big conveyor belt system had stopped. They’d gotten it working again, but barely. The grinding sound was worrisome. They needed to replace it as soon as possible.
However, the bank had turned them down for a loan. They still owed for the new roofs on the office and the factory, as well as for some new computers.
But Kate had a plan. She’d been working on it for a while now. And it was going to work. She refused to believe anything else.
She continued along the cleared sidewalk, enjoying how the morning sunlight twinkled off the freshly fallen snow. It was as though the sidewalks were lined with millions of little diamonds. She remembered, as a child, walking along this same sidewalk with her parents and thinking this time of the year was magical.
Even though Bayberry was the friendliest one-stoplight town, when the holidays rolled around, everyone smiled a little brighter and their steps were a little bouncier. Yes, it was definitely the most magical time of the year. That’s why Kate tried to believe everything would work out for her aunt’s candle company—the biggest employer in town.
Kate glanced over at the storefronts, enjoying how every business on Main Street decorated for the holidays. The Bayberry Candle Company had kept this town going through the Great Depression, wars, and every other hurdle. Because of this, everyone incorporated candles into their displays. Even the street lamps were designed to look like huge candles. If the candle company went under, people would have to move away for work. A frown pulled at her lips. The town would die—
She halted her pessimistic thoughts. That wouldn’t happen. Her aunt wouldn’t let that happen. And Kate was doing her part. No one knew that the local bank had turned down their loan. Her stomach knotted into a ball of tension.
There were other banks, other loans. It would all work out. It had to.
In the meantime, they couldn’t let the bad news get out because, well, it was the holidays. And holidays were meant for cheer and good tidings. Not for people to worry about the future of the candle company. That could wait for the new year. And by then, maybe all would be right again.
Kate slowed as she neared the carved wooden sign with the silhouette of a coffee mug and the name Steaming Brew spelled out in bright green letters. Abby Clark owned the coffeehouse and had been one of Kate’s best friends since, well, since forever.
Kate eased open the glass door, causing the brass bell above her head to jingle. The coffeehouse was small, but what it lacked in space, it made up for in decorations. Abby had painted the off-white walls with mugs, to-go cups, teacups and saucers. Attention to detail really set them off, from the tiny pink flowers on the teacups to the tendrils of rising steam. Amongst the paintings, the word “coffee” was printed in various languages.
Her petite friend, with her trendy short spiked dark brown hair, was dressed in a purple tee shirt and black apron. She’d just finished filling a coffee mug. Abby handed it off to one of the residents of Bayberry, then smiled in Kate’s direction and waved her over.
“Your usual? Or would you like to try something more festive?”
Kate inspected the chalkboard menu. She noticed that it had been rewritten with colored chalk: red, green and white. Holiday flavors had been added to the usual suspects. At the top, it said Merry Christmas. And in the corner of the board, Abby had drawn holly berries and leaves.
Though all of the seasonal flavors were tempting, Kate said, “I’m in the mood for the usual.”
“One of these days you might break out of your rut and want to liven things up with, say, a chai latte or maybe a hot chocolate.”
Kate wrinkled her nose. “For breakfast?”
“Okay. I was just checking. Go grab a table and I’ll join you. There’s a lull in business today. Maybe everyone’s decorating for the holidays.”
