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I didn’t allow myself to think about Seth’s appearance at the diner today. Every time I saw him, it brought back both fantastic and sad memories. Inviting him to Daddy’s for Thanksgiving dinner was preferable to spending an evening together in a restaurant fumbling for safe conversation topics and avoiding discussions about the past.
I sank onto my sofa, the television on low volume, and began looking through the old books Daddy had saved for me from the school library. Of course I would return them after the renovation once I’d had the chance to take a look.
As I transferred the small stack from the coffee table to the sofa, a little book slid to the floor, and I leaned down to pick it up. A spark of recognition ran through me as I spotted the cover. It was hand-bound and frayed a little at the edges, proving it had been well-loved. The title was stamped in faded gold lettering with a green cover. I could make out a sprig of what looked like mistletoe embossed just under the title,Once Upon a Christmas Kiss.
Curious, I flipped open the cover to find an inscription and dedication in a carefully lettered script. I recognized our former principal’s name as the author. Miss Chambers must’ve added the volume to our school library at some point, but I don’t remember ever seeing it. A story circulated around town about how Miss Chambers, who’d been single as long as we’d known her, had written a book about her parents’ love story and, shortly after, found her own true love.
“To my dearest friend, Charlotte: May your heart be filled with joy this Christmas season. I leave you with my parents' long-requested true love story from years ago. May it bring you the happiness and peace it has always brought to me—and maybe a love of your own. I will miss you, sweet friend. Yours Affectionately, Elizabeth Chambers”—I then noticed several short notations and comments by other readers: “Y’all, this book is the real deal! After reading this story, I met my forever love at the Cherry Creek Post Office down the street.” And “A heartfelt thanks to Miss Chambers for the romantic Christmas magic she weaved into this story. I thought I would never find that special someone, but I truly believe this book made it happen.”
A few more notes and reviews were written into the margins—all proclaiming that, after reading this book, they’d found true love during the Christmas season. I was amused and skeptical at the idea that a story could be a catalyst for happily-ever-afters. None of the commenters had left a name.
I stood and stretched, then headed into the kitchen to pour a glass of chardonnay. What I’d seen so far had piqued my curiosity, and there was no way I could go to sleep without reading further to learn what the fuss was about.
Instead of settling back into the sofa, I got ready for bed. Reading before bedtime was a luxury these days. I loved doing it but had little self-control once I got lost in a story. I would set a thirty-minute timer after finishing my wine and brushing my teeth and stick to it. Five a.m. always came early.
Flannel pajamas on, I began reading. The prose was lyrical and lovely, and before long, I was hopelessly lost. My timer shut off, and I didn’t reset it. I could taste and feel and see the sweet story unfold. This beautiful romance and the promise of a lifetime of love had me tearing up—and craving a happy ending for myself. A Christmas Wish. It shifted something inside my heart. I was like the Grinch whose heart grew after witnessing an emotional miracle.
I sighed as I placed the book beside me on the bed and slipped into a deep sleep, my dreams filled with magic and hope. Until my alarm went off. Suddenly, I was back to the reality of my life and the woeful lack of a happy ending thus far. But not completely. No, Miss Chamber’s story had planted a seed of hope. If this Christmas miracle had happened for her and the other readers, couldn’t it happen for me? After all, I wasn’tthatold. Just a little past the age where the likelihood of something so wonderful occurring was less likely.
ChapterFive
I gotready for work the following day with a little bit more enthusiasm than usual. Of course, Seth popped into my mind whenever I thought of happily-ever-afters. He always had. But maybe I shouldtryto find someone to love and share my life with. Seth was out of the picture—had been for years.
He would be gone soon enough, and I would return to where I’d been for years. I was happy enough with life as I’d made for myself. So, happy enough would have to do for now.
As I walked to work, I shivered. The weather was rather gloomy today and getting colder. I wish I’d worn a heavier jacket—maybe even a heavy coat today. The new infusion of cold air made me think about the decorations I had in the storage room at the diner. We always started decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Currently, we had some turkey art from the elementary school displayed on the windows, along with our seasonal coloring sheets that young diners could display against the far wall. It wasn’t a fancy display, but it linked us to the community and our customers.
I cranked the heat up a few notches when I entered the diner. Roger was already back in the kitchen working on today’s special: chicken n’ dumplings. The recipe had been my mom’s, and it was a crowd-pleaser. Perfect for a brisk almost-winter day.
The first customers rolled in for breakfast around seven o’clock and ordered hot chocolate with marshmallows. The steaming cups smelled so good, and I anticipated we would sell many of them before the end of the day. Mondays were our slowest days, so I spent part of my morning in a booth planning the rest of the week’s lunch specials. Two of our students were working today. They’d gotten off for their Thanksgiving break yesterday.
We would be closed on Thanksgiving day so our employees could be with their families or with us at Daddy’s house. We’d posted a large sign on the front door stating our holiday schedule. We always closed early on Christmas Eve and didn’t open on Christmas Day. Everyone in Cherry Creek knew this, but we also wanted visitors to know ahead of time.
Sierra stopped by mid-morning to grab a hot chocolate. I sat with her in a booth to chat and get off my feet for a few minutes. She shivered beneath her jacket and scarf. “Brrr. I’m freezing today.”
“I know; I didn’t expect this weather when I left the house. It looks like they just delivered the tree.” I pointed out the front window toward the square where workers were delivering the giant Frasier Fir.
“Yes, it’s huge. I’m assuming you’ll go to the tree lighting tomorrow night?”
I nodded. “I haven’t missed it once—besides the year I had the flu when I was ten. You?”
“Of course. After I have my Thanksgiving dinner at Chez Doyle.” Since Sierra’s grandparents had passed away two years ago, only months apart from each other, she spent Thanksgiving with us. “So, how are things going? I wondered if you’d seen Seth again.” Sierra unwound her scarf and got comfortable.
“Yes, I’ve run into him a few times since he’s been in town. He’s coming to our Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow.” I tried to diminish the effect that was having on my nerves.
“Oh, wow. That’s—nice. Right?”
I shrugged a shoulder, pretending indifference. “Inviting him felt like the right thing to do, considering he’s here alone for the holidays.”
“You seem to be handling his being here pretty well. I think I would be a wreck if I were in your shoes. I know how hard it was for you when he left.”
“It was hard. It’s still hard some days, but his being back here is temporary, so I can’t get too worked up about it.”
Sierra grinned. “He’s single, you know. I figured you hadn’t looked him up yet, so it was time you knew the deal.”
Her words hit me hard. Part of me wanted him to be completely safe—as in, married with kids so that I couldn’t even entertain the “what ifs” when it came to Seth. I’d noticed that he hadn’t been wearing a wedding ring the times I’d seen him, but not everyone who was married did.
“We talked yesterday when he came in the lobby while I was on duty. Said he was engaged a few years ago, but it didn’t work out.”
