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Eden couldn’t count the number of times Brady made her crack up as they ate candied apples, participated in the beanbag toss, purchased crafts and sang along to Amazing Grace with the choir ensemble.
They ran in to Vicky and Tom, who were participants in a pie eating contest. Eden loved their holiday spirit and the warm vibe they exuded. It was encouraging to see two people still in love after decades spent together.
“Your grandparents really are the heart and soul of this town,” Eden raved. “I’m proud to call them friends.”
“You’re right. They really are. I lost sight of that fact along the way. I shouldn’t have stayed away for so long. It was rather foolish.” Brady quirked his mouth. Eden sensed he was beating himself up about it.
“The good thing is you came back. It’s never too late to make things right,” Eden said, hoping to lend some encouragement to Brady.
“Every day I’m beginning to see it more. I went riding in the valley with my grandfather the other day. It made me feel like a kid again.” He motioned with his hand at the festivities going on around them. “And being here tonight is such a treat. There’s nothing like spending the holidays in Celebration.”
Eden looked over at Brady. “And your parents? Maybe now they’ll be encouraged to come back to Celebration for a visit.”
“I think my parents have always been reluctant to come back here because of the tainted memories. Those feelings and fears trickled down to me. What I’ve come to realize is that this town is a vital part of me. It helped to shape me. And I really want this Christmas to be the best one ever.”
“For me it’s already shaping up to be a joyous one. I can’t believe how much we’ve raised so far with the candy canes. Everyone really pulled out their wallets to support the cause.”
“And to spread holiday cheer,” Brady said with a smile. “Candy canes are pretty irresistible and so are needy animals. You’ve done a great thing, Eden.”
“I can’t take all the credit. The candy cane fundraiser worked all those years ago, so I figured we had nothing to lose by trying it again. And you’ve helped a lot since you’ve been here in town. And the icing on the cake is that four families are interested in Miss Daphne’s pups. What a blessing.” Eden looked at him, noting his handsome features and lean physique.
Brady was looking down at her with a sweet, tender look etched on his face. Her heart began to quicken. Even though they were surrounded by a crowd of people, she had the strangest feeling he wanted to kiss her. And she had to admit that for the first time in ages she wouldn’t be opposed to being kissed by the most handsome man who’d ever stepped foot in Celebration.
Chapter Five
Brady Shepard had never wanted to kiss a woman as much as he’d wanted to kiss Eden the other night at the Christmas festival. If he had given in and done so, their names would have been the talk of the town. Sadly, after all of these years, the thought of being the object of whispers still made him cringe. It wasn’t just the gossip either. When he kissed Eden—and he knew it was inevitable—he wanted it to be a private moment shared between two people and not in front of an entire town.
Would Eden welcome a kiss from him? Brady thought so, but Eden sometimes gave off mixed signals. He hoped she regarded him as more than a childhood friend. They were both adults now and his feelings for her were very grown up. And the way he figured it, life was too short not to reach out for the things you wanted.
But would it be fair to start something with Eden when he was only here in Celebration for a short period of time? He honestly wasn’t sure.
The evening of the festival, they had counted their proceeds and realized they had surpassed their goal since one anonymous benefactor had made a large contribution to the cause.
This morning the bulk of the candy cane deliveries had commenced. Yesterday they had dropped off batches at Celebration church and seen first-hand the joy that came from receiving a sweet holiday delivery. Smiles. Laughter. Joy. Sincere appreciation. A candy cane was
such a simple thing, Brady thought. Yet it yielded so much happiness. Earlier he had delivered some candy canes to the nursing home over near the high school. It had brought tears to his eyes to see the residents of Silver Valley rest home so blissful.
Being at The Country Vet without Eden felt a bit lonely even though he had back to back clients to fill up his time. He and Eden had switched off while they delivered their candy canes so the office could stay open. Now the place didn’t feel the same without her. He missed her quiet energy and passion for the animals. Little by little Eden had nudged her way into his heart.
Brady hadn’t imagined for a single second that coming back to Celebration might place his heart in jeopardy. Ever since they were kids Eden had been wrapped around his heart strings. Nothing had really changed since then. Only this time he was older and wiser and determined not to let this moment slip out of his grasp.
One way or another, Brady was going to let Eden know exactly what he was feeling for her. And he prayed it didn’t send her running in the other direction.
**
By the time Eden made her way back to The Country Vet after delivering her huge batch of candy canes all over town, she was tuckered out. Her legs were tired, but her spirit had been lifted up by all the excitement and good cheer.
She knew a smile was gracing her face as she tallied up the bill for the client who had just emerged from the examination room.
“It’s a really great thing you’re doing with the candy cane exchange,” Bill Thompson said with a grin. “My triplets were really tickled to receive their candy canes at Sunday school. I imagine they received more at school today. And it’s for a great cause too.”
Brady came walking toward the front desk from down the hall. He overheard Bill’s comment and chimed in. “The candy cane exchange has given this whole town a little boost of holiday spirit. The phone has been ringing off the hook for the last few hours with people raving about the program. It’s brought a lot of smiles to this town.”
“There were some calls this morning also,” Eden said. It made her tear up just to think about it. “The kids on the cancer ward were especially thankful.”
“Well, keep up the Christmas cheer. This town is overflowing with it.” Bill said, snuggling his cat Lexi against his chest. Eden and Brady said their goodbyes as Bill headed out of the building, with his cat carrier in one hand and Lexie in the other.
Brady’s gaze turned to Eden. There was a look of wonder radiating from his eyes.
