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Another shelf.

“Oh!” I say excitedly as I grab a Samantha Chase Christmas romance that I haven’t read yet.

Then another. And another.

By the time I’m finished, I have a stack pressed against my chest.

Ty hands me another book. “What about this one?”

It’s the new Ariel Hendrix morally gray cowboy series I’ve been eyeing. I love her books so much. She writes the best cowboys. Except for the cowboy in front of me, of course.

I glance at it and add it to my stack. “It’s for research. I have no self-control in bookstores.”

He holds his arm out to carry them, and I let him. I’m still not used to this kind of treatment, and I like it. A girl could get used to this.

Cami’s busy at the counter with customers but smiles and waves when she sees us in line. “Hey! You made it in!”

“Cami, this is amazing! Seriously, you outdid yourself,” I shake my head in amazement.

“Thanks, I love it so much, too. I have amazing employees that help me run it, and I couldn’t do it without them,” she says, trying to be modest.

“Well, I love it. I am buying a stack of books,” I say as I glance around and realize Ty’s already over at the book counter paying.

“Ty! You didn’t have to do that,” I argue.

Cami grins as she watches us. “A man who buys you books is a keeper.”

My face burns, but I file that away to talk with her about later. Ty joins me, and we both order peppermint mochas and a giant cinnamon roll to share. He refuses to allow me to pay for that, either.

Ty taps his card on the screen.

I put my arm around him. “Hey.”

He looks at me with that impossibly calm smile. “What?”

“I can buy my own books,” I say softly.

“I know.” He shrugs.

“Thank you,” I say, squeezing his hand.

He takes the paper bag from the cashier, tucks it beneath one arm, and hands me my coffee. “I can buy my girl her books.”

My heart melts even more. There he goes again with my girl.

“See you at the square! Jack’s on his way to get me,” Cami says as she takes off her apron and hangs it on a hook. She waves to us as she talks to one of her employees.

Outside, we walk toward the truck and tuck the books in the back. We then head toward the center of town, coffee warming our hands against the cold.

Music drifts through the air before we even reach the festival in the middle of the town square.

Children laugh nearby as they ice skate in the skating rink. The smell of kettle corn and sweet roasted pecans fills the air. Both are my favorite. My mom would always buy us both. We’d fill up on it and not eat our dinner that night. Tears sting my eyes with the memories. I miss her. She would have loved being here with all of us as grown-ups. Everything was special with her.

I push away the memories and focus on the moment. Everywhere I look, it’s like I see my mom here making the memory with us. I know she’s not here, but I feel her.

Walker stands near the popcorn machine with Maggie, while Mack says something to make Violet laugh.

Walker catches sight of us first and waves us over. “There they are!”