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“It just doesn’t want to start up,” Ian Cassidy said, shaking his head.

Ana looked up to see him fussing with the engine of the train set.

“Hey, Ana,” Ian said. “Do you think you could get Rory to take a look at it?”

Ana opened her mouth and closed it again. People often thought the two of them were together, so there was no point making a big thing out of correcting Ian.

“Of course,” she said. “I’ll message him now.”

“Thanks,” Ian said. “You’re a sweetheart.”

“No, no,” Ana said. “Rory will want to help, nothing to do with me.”

“Nice guy, right?” Ian said, smiling.

“He’s the very best kind of man,” Ana said, meaning it.

“Train,” Theo gasped, realizing that Ian had turned the engine upside down.

“Want to take a look at it, buddy?” Ian offered him. “Maybe you can figure it out.”

Theo scampered over to examine the engine while Ana pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to Rory.

“I’m sure he’ll swing over when he sees it,” she told Ian, who nodded to her.

She moved over to Theo, but he had spotted her mom again and darted off toward her.

Ana launched herself after him and made it to the booth, panting.

“Don’t run off from your Aunt Ana,” her mom told Theo. “We have to stay together today because it’s going to be very crowded.”

Theo turned and wrapped himself around Ana’s leg, obviously sorry for scaring her.

“It’s okay, Theo,” Ana told him, bending to press a kiss on the top of his head. “I’m so glad you’re excited.”

“Snack,” Theo said.

“I’ve got your milk,” Ana’s mom told him.

“Maybe I’ll go visit Mal and see about a small treat,” Ana said. “Do you want to come with me, Theo?”

“No, no,” her mom said. “We’re going to look at all the Christmas aprons again and make sure we have the nicest one on top, right, Theo?”

Theo made a beeline for the aprons. He loved looking at the Christmas aprons since they were made from sturdy fabric with beautiful pictures. Some had snowmen, others Santas, and there was even a special one with the manger scene on it.

Ana waved to her mom and headed over to the bakery table, where Mal was putting the finishing touches on her offerings.

Mal’s dream of creating a signature holiday treat this year finally seemed to have come true. The chocolate-drizzled, peppermint-topped soft pretzels she was calling “jingle bell knots” were selling faster than she could make them.

Meanwhile, her handsome stranger, Harrison Law, seemed to be hanging out at the bakery an awful lot this last week with his daughter, Katie, who clearly adored Mal.

“Hey, bestie,” Ana called to her as she approached. “How’s it going?”

“Everything’s going well,” Mal said, looking up with a warm smile that lit up her green eyes. “Busy, but I’ll bet you guys are too.”

Ana took in her friend’s happy glow as she caught her up on the state of the shop. After a few minutes of that, she decided to cheat just a little on their agreement to not talk about romance. It was one thing not to discuss men when it just bummed them out, but not asking Mal about Harrison when she was clearly so happy seemed almost cruel.

“I know I’m not supposed to ask,” Ana said, leaning in. “But…?”