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“I hope you see all the good you’re accomplishing in Celebration. God is working through you to bring joy to this whole town.” Brady’s voice was full of admiration.
Eden felt shy for a moment receiving such praise. In truth, this was the first time in a long time that she’d stepped out on a limb of faith and put herself out there. Shying away from the community had been her way ever since her grandmother’s passing. Her love for animals was her motivation and the inspiration to raise funds in the community.
“We are bringing joy, Brady. You’re part of this too,” she said, thankful for his spirit of giving and generosity.
“Thanks for letting me be a part of it. Can you believe we both have a pile of candy canes? Some of the teens delivered them earlier.” He winked at her. “I hope you sent me one,” he said in a playful tone.
She shrugged. “Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t,” she teased.
Eden handed him a folder for the next client. “Eric Tam and his toy poodle, Frenchie. It seems Frenchie may have been bitten by another animal.”
Brady looked over and greeted Mr. Tam, beckoning him toward the examination room. Eden watched as Brady disappeared down the hall and into the examination room.
Clearly, Brady hadn’t sorted through his candy canes. She’d sent him one and she’d signed it as his Forever Friend, Eden. She wondered what Brady would make of it, if anything. The truth was her feelings for him went well past friendship. She just hadn’t summoned the courage to leave a romantic message for him. What if he didn’t feel the same way? Then she would feel like a total fool. After all, he was kind of her boss. It could make things awkward between them.
The truth was, she was falling for Brady. And even though she knew it was all happening so quickly, Eden also realized their past friendship served as a foundation for these adult feelings. Brady was making her feel things that were foreign to her. And being in his presence made her want to embrace life in a completely different way. She was tired of being sad and hiding herself away from the world.
Dear Lord, please help me move toward healing. I want to celebrate this blessed season without a shadow hanging over me. I want to embrace it with my heart and soul. I want peace.
She would miss Gran forever and always, but she wanted to be joyful again. She no longer wanted to feel guilty about some else’s poor choices. Hadn’t she been blaming herself for far too long?
She sat back down at the front desk, for the first time noticing a pile of candy canes with her name on them. She’d been so busy focusing on everyone else in town she hadn’t even thought about herself. The candy cane fundraiser made her want to grin from ear-to-ear. It filled her with the spirit of the season and reinforced the fact that people were good at heart. They truly were! She believed it with all of her soul.
Her heart almost stopped beating when she viewed the message on the next candy cane.
I still have a crush on you. Brady. Eden felt a surge of joy surge through her at the words printed on the tag. For so long now she had avoided any relationships out of fear and guilt. After all, she still blamed herself for Gran’s death. It’s all your fault! Isn’t that what her younger sister, Betsy, had screamed at her that night at the hospital? Betsy and her husband, Cleave, hadn’t stuck around Celebration much longer. They had moved to Colorado and rarely, if ever, came back to town. Eden bore the weight of it all on her shoulders. If she hadn’t gotten involved with Derek, perhaps Gran would still be alive. Perhaps she would still be on good terms with Betsy.
Feeling the weight of responsibility wasn’t allowing her to move forward. She was stuck in the past. And it was choking her. She knew God didn’t want her to live like this.
Eden wanted a relationship with Brady, one that was healthy and loving. She thought Brady could be the one. She felt it every time he held her hand or when he told her a corny joke and she cracked up over it. He brought a huge dose of joy along with him. It hummed and pulsed in the air whenever he was in her orbit. And most importantly, she felt comfortable with him. She knew he’d never hurt her in a million years.
In order to stand a chance of establishing something with Brady, Eden knew she had to let go of the past in order to start laying the foundation for her future. Even if things didn’t work out with Brady, she still needed to move forward. Change was hard. But it was necessary.
She prayed she was strong enough to do it. With Gran looking down on her from heaven, Eden knew she had a special angel cheering her on. There was no way in the world she would let Gran down.
Once the last client had left, Eden continued to dig through her candy canes, smiling at the ones sent from her best friends and a few of her favorite clients at the Country Vet. She hadn’t felt in the Christmas spirit ever since Gran passed away. But now, she felt light-hearted and joyful. And she knew it had everything to do with Brady. His very presence injected a much-needed dose of Christmas cheer into her life.
He was brave in a way she could only aspire to be. He had returned to Celebration despite his unresolved issues from the past. And he’d done so out of love for his grandparents. To help Vicky at The Country Vet and to spend Christmas together as a family. That had taken courage.
When it was time to lock up for the day, Brady came out front to say goodbye to her.
“Thank you for the candy cane,” Eden said, blushing a little as she remembered his flirty note attached to the candy cane. It was only right to thank him, but now there was an elephant in the room.
Brady locked gaz
es with her. His eyes radiated intensity. “Thank you for yours, although I have to give you fair warning. I like you way more than just a friend, Eden.”
**
Brady figured he might as well bite the bullet and tell Eden the truth to her face. He was feeling all warm and fuzzy over the candy cane deliveries and the festive vibe in Celebration. It was a time when all things were possible.
“Oh,” Eden said in a soft voice. “I wondered a bit when I read your message.”
“I hope you consider it a good thing.” Brady knew Eden was skittish. She didn’t quite seem to trust him. If she didn’t have any interest in him there was no sense in him pushing for something impossible. All she had to do was say the word and he would back off immediately.
“I do think it’s a good thing. And I like you too, Brady. More than just friends.” She ducked her head down. He reached out and tipped her chin up. Their gazes held and locked. Brady could see sincerity shining in her eyes, along with a measure of shyness. For Brady it was an appealing combination. Eden was unlike any woman he’d ever known.
“That makes me want to do back flips,” Brady said, his gaze never wavering from Eden’s.
