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Brady’s eyes twinkled as he took the fruit basket in his arms. “Mrs. Forrester! You didn’t have to come bearing gifts. It was my pleasure to help out. I know how scary it can be when a dog isn’t eating and starts throwing up his food and water.”
Mrs. Forrester dabbed at her eyes. “Cornelia is getting on in age. I know she won’t be with me for that much longer. So finding out it was just a virus was a huge relief.”
“She may just surprise you and live for a few more years,” Brady said. “Dogs are constantly surprising us. Just keep her on that special diet and make sure she gets some exercise that’s not too much stress on her joints.”
Mrs. Forrester beamed. “I don’t mind telling you this, Brady.” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial tone. “You were my favorite student, bar none. I was heartbroken when your family moved.”
“I was too. I’ve missed this town ever since.”
Eden noticed the somber expression on his face and the wistful tone in his voice.
“And Celebration has missed you too. So glad you’ll be with us for the holidays,” Mrs. Forrester said with a wide smile.
“Thanks again for the fruit basket,” he said.
The moment Mrs. Forrester departed, Brady heaved a huge sigh.
“I’m an idiot,” Brady said, shaking his head.
“What are you talking about?” Eden asked. “Didn’t you know? Mrs. Forrester thinks you hung the moon.”
“For years I avoided coming back to Celebration out of fear and shame. I was so scarred by the way my family ran from this town and the scandal surrounding my mother’s infidelity. But here I am back in my hometown and everyone is treating me like a native son. Sure there may have been a few whispers from some of the matrons, but all in all I’m being welcomed with open arms.”
“Of course you are!” Eden said, feeling a burst of pride that the townsfolk were so wonderful. They’d restored Brady’s faith and allowed him to take huge steps toward healing. “Your family is part of the fabric of this town. Nothing could ever change that. The past doesn't define you anymore. Or at least it shouldn't.”
**
The past doesn't define you anymore. Eden's words resonated with him more than she could ever know. Hadn't he been allowing his family's past in Celebration to define him? To shame him? To keep him away all these Christmases?
Isn’t that the reason he’d stayed away for so long?
And at the end of the day he’d only hurt himself and his grandparents. He’d lost so much time here in Celebration. Although he’d spent time with them it had never been here in town. They had always traveled to his family’s home and visited with them on their turf.
Brady knew coming back here had been the best decision he’d ever made. For years he’d walked around feeling ashamed of his family’s past in Celebration. In reality, he had just been a kid and he certainly wasn’t responsible for the actions of grownups. He shouldn’t have had to bear the weight of their sins.
“So are we all set for the festival tonight?” Eden asked, cutting into his thoughts.
“As ready as we’ll ever be,” Brady teased. “The back of Vicky’s truck is filled with candy canes. We have enough to service this entire town. And since we bought in bulk, it was dirt cheap.”
Eden laughed, appearing as carefree as he’d seen her. “And don’t forget the ones in the back of my car. If we can get even half of those in attendance tonight to buy at least one, we’ll reach our goal. And then some!”
“Even better if they buy two or three,” Brady said. “And getting those high school students to dress up as elves is going to add a nice touch. They’ve also agreed to help us deliver the candy canes on delivery day. That’s a huge help. And they’ll all get some community service hours by helping out.”
Eden flashed him a perfect smile. “It sounds like a win-win.”
When Eden smiled like that it catapulted Brady right back to the past when they had been best buddies and he’d had a serious crush on her. Had anything really changed in that department? Ever since she’d opened her door to him on a stormy Texas night, Brady’s thoughts of Eden had hardly been platonic. His crush had come roaring back to life!
Brady sensed Eden needed help in many areas of her life. Helping her with the fundraiser was easy, but pulling her out of her shell might not be a walk in the park. The trauma of being held at gunpoint and her grandmother’s death hung over her like a dark cloud. As someone who cared about her—he always had—Brady wanted to show Eden that life could still be sweet. Especially during the most sacred, joyous time of the year. He might just have a way to make this holiday the best one in a long while for Eden.
Brady took a quick glance at his watch. “Can you lock up? I need to go run an errand before the festival tonight.”
“Sure thing.” Eden rubbed her hands together. “I’m hoping we can sell enough candy canes tonight to push us over the edge and hit that magic number.”
“Something tells me we will.”
Eden’s face lit up. “I’m so excited. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.”
Br
