William looked around the community library in Sapphire Bay. He’d seen the small red-brick building a few times but had never been inside.

As they walked past the check-in desk, he smiled at the librarian. For as long as he could remember, he’d loved coming to libraries and exploring the shelves.

Nora pulled his hand forward. “The children’s books are this way.”

His eyes widened. Nora was a good reader, but he hadn’t seen any signs telling them where to go.

That didn’t stop her. She took wide steps across the floor, leaping from one carpet square to the next.

He looked at her feet, wondering why she was jumping like a frog. When he saw the stickers on the carpet, he smiled. Placed about three feet apart were pictures of lion paws. Maybe it was some kind of secret code that led children to their final destination.

As soon as she saw the colorful children’s area, Nora gave up following the paws. She ran across the room and stood in front of a playhouse that looked like a castle.

She slowly circled the wooden building, looking more impressed by the minute. “Can I go inside?”

William knelt beside her. “I think that would be a great idea.”

With her head bowed, Nora ducked through the front doors, reappearing a few seconds later. “You should come inside, too,” she said excitedly. “There’s a throne and some pictures and a little table with books on it.”

William crawled through the door. He could see why Nora was so excited. Anyone who liked fairytales would have been right at home with the red velvet chair and books about faraway lands.

“Can we stay at the library?” Nora asked.

“Only for a little while. I promised Megan we’d only be gone for half an hour.”

Nora frowned. “Is that a long time?”

“It’s long enough. If we don’t see everything today, we can come back another time.”

That brought a smile to Nora’s face. She sat on the velvet chair and sighed. “Do you think a real princess lives here?”

William rubbed his jaw. What did he say to a six-year-old who adored princesses as much as Santa and the tooth fairy? “I think a princess would love living here, but this castle was made for the library. That way, everyone can enjoy it.”

“If I were a princess, I’d stay here forever.”

“I’m sure you’d be very happy. Do you want to look for Winnie the Pooh?”

Nora jumped out of the chair. “Yes, please.”

Before William could turn around, Nora ran through the door. He found her a few seconds later, happily flicking through the picture books.

When he walked across to the bookshelves, Nora followed him. She told him about the books Megan read to her, the library they’d joined in Milwaukee. She was a regular chatterbox, a mini-expert on fairy tales, and one of the most resilient six-year-olds he’d ever met.

“William? Can I tell you a secret?”

He looked at her serious face and knelt on the floor. “What did you want to tell me?”

“I told Mommy about my Christmas wish when I saw her star last night.”

“Is it the same thing you told Santa when you called him on his hotline?”

Nora nodded. “Aunty Megan said Santa can’t help me, but it’s a Christmas wish.”

“What is it you want? Maybe I can help.”

When she bit her bottom lip, Nora looked so much like Megan that he nearly smiled.

“I want a daddy.”

That wiped any trace of a smile off his face. “A daddy?”

“A real one,” she whispered. “Someone who builds snowmen with me and takes me sledding. Someone like you.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “Would you be my daddy?”

His throat tightened. He knew how much Nora wanted to be like other children, but becoming Nora’s father was taking her Christmas wish to a whole new level. “I can’t be your daddy.”

“Why not?”

“Because I haven’t been a daddy in so long that I’ve forgotten how.”

Nora leaned forward and touched his chest. “Santa said it’s in here. You take care of Aunty Megan and me. That’s what daddies do.”

He remembered Megan’s fear that Nora was becoming too attached to him. He’d tried distancing himself from her, but it was difficult when they were staying in the same house.

“What if I was your friend?” He watched Nora’s face carefully. “We could still do exciting things together.”

“But that’s not a daddy.”

“No, it isn’t. But it could be just as good.”

Nora looked thoughtful. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. We could still make things and play in the snow.”

She looked longingly at another man and a young boy reading a book together. “Do you think I’ll ever get a daddy?”

“I hope so,” he said softly. “And when it happens, he’ll be the best daddy in the world. Do you want to find Winnie the Pooh, now?”

Nora nodded and held his hand.

When they found the book, Nora placed two beanbags side by side. She wiggled into one of them, waiting for him to start.

As he read the beginning of chapter one, his heart clenched tight. Coming to the library had stirred up a lot of memories of his daughter—memories that involved honey sandwiches and picnics in an imaginary Hundred Acre Wood.

Memories that were as precious as the little girl tucked beside him. He only hoped that one day, Nora’s Christmas wish came true.

Megan added a fondant Christmas tree to the cake she was decorating.

“That looks amazing,” Brooke said. “I can’t believe you’ve done so much in such a short time.”

“I had a head start. Nora and I made a few of the Christmas decorations before we left Zac’s house.”

Brooke smiled at the snowman waiting to go on the cake. “You make it look so easy.”

“I’ve had plenty of practice. Even before I started my business, I baked cakes and decorated them for friends. It wasn’t until I needed to change careers that I decided to be a full-time baker.”

“What were you doing before you started your business?”

Megan brushed gold paint on the tips of the Christmas tree. “I was a high school teacher. I enjoyed my job, but it meant spending too much time away from Nora. She was only a toddler, and I didn’t want to put her into full-time daycare.” She had already told Brooke about her sister and the accident that had changed everyone’s lives.

“Do you like living in Milwaukee?” Brooke poured two cups of coffee and left one beside Megan.

“It’s a great city.”

“Do I hear a ‘but’?”

Megan sighed. “I hadn’t planned on going back to Milwaukee as soon as I did, but I guess that’s life. After my sister died, I wanted Nora to have as many familiar things around her as I could manage. That’s why I moved and why we’re still living in Mom and Dad’s house. It gave her a sense of security when everything around her was changing.”

“She’s lucky she has you.”

“We’re lucky we have each other.” Megan studied the cake before adding the first of many fondant Christmas presents under the tree.

“Do you think you’ll ever move to another town?”

Megan shook her head. “I can’t imagine moving anywhere at the moment. My business is finally making a reasonable profit and Nora starts school in the New Year. We’re happy in Milwaukee.” Or she was, until William told her she had a brother.

“What do you think of Sapphire Bay?”

“I haven’t spent a lot of time in town, but I’m impressed by what I’ve seen. It must be beautiful in the summer.”

“It is.” Brooke picked up her sandwich. “It’s not only tourists who are making a difference to the number of people coming to Sapphire Bay. A lot of lakefront properties are selling to people from out of state. The economy is growing faster than the services we can provide.”

“That must be good for your business.”

“It could be good for yours, too.”

Megan wiped her hands on her apron. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve got plenty of space in my kitchen and more appliances than I’ll ever need. If you want to stay in Sapphire Bay for longer, you could work with me.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“What about Nora? I don’t know anything about the area or the schools. And even if that works out, I’ll need to sell a reasonable number of cakes each week or I won’t be able to afford to live here.”

Brooke finished what she was eating. “I understand what you mean. Nursing was my life. When I moved to Sapphire Bay, I had no idea what I was going to do. I was a bit like you but, instead of baking and decorating cakes, I enjoyed making fudge.” She pointed to the shelves holding containers of candy. “And look at me now. Coming here was the best decision I ever made.”

“Do you miss being a nurse?”

Brooke hesitated before answering. “Some of the veterans I worked with had challenges that would have broken most people. But they did everything they could to make a better life for themselves and their families. Being around people with so much courage and determination was a privilege, but it also came at a cost. I worked long hours and became too emotionally involved in my patients’ lives. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t distance myself from what they were going through.”

She looked around the kitchen and frowned. “When I arrived in Sapphire Bay, all I wanted was to work out what I was going to do with my life. I never thought I would live here permanently or start a confectionery business. Now I own a wonderful candy store and make people happy in a different way.”

Megan sighed. “You’ve come full circle.”

“I guess I have.”

The doors burst open and Kathleen, Brooke's assistant, came into the kitchen. “I know you’re on your lunch break, but a large group of tourists has arrived.”

Brooke slid off the stool. “I’ll be right there.” She quickly rinsed her plate and left it in the dishwasher. “If you need anything, Megan, I’ll be in the store.”

“Thanks.” As she added the next decoration to the cake, Megan sighed. She’d never considered moving away from Milwaukee. But if she went anywhere, Sapphire Bay would be the type of town she’d choose. The people she’d met were friendly, the scenery was breathtaking, and Nora could play away from the noise and smog of a big city.

But thinking about moving anywhere would have to wait until later. She still had three cakes to decorate and not much time to do it.

“We’re back,” Nora said from Brooke’s kitchen doorway. “Guess what we saw?”

Megan looked up from the cake she was decorating and smiled. “What did you see?”

“A kitten. He was black and white and cuddly. The lady at the animal shelter said he arrived yesterday. Can we take him home with us?”

William placed a bag of library books on the counter. “I’ve already told Nora it’s not a good idea.”

“We could teach him to go potty and how to eat out of our hands,” Nora begged. “Please?”

Megan painted silver glitter on a fondant star. “Having a pet is a big responsibility. You have to feed it, keep it warm, and make sure it’s safe.”

“I could do that. Look…” Nora stood on her tiptoes and took a book out of the library bag. “I found a book on how to look after kittens. William read it to me.”

Megan’s eyebrows rose. “Did he?”

William held his hands in the air. “In my defense, I’d like to say there was no mention of a cat joining your family when we started reading.”

“That’s because we hadn’t seen Timmy,” Nora sighed. “He was so cute. Please, Aunty Megan.”

“We can’t take a kitten home with us. For one thing, we don’t know how long we’ll be in Sapphire Bay. And then there’s the problem of looking after him while you’re at school.”

Nora climbed onto a kitchen stool. “The book said cats like sleeping.”

Megan looked into Nora’s big blue eyes. “So do children, but that doesn’t make them any easier to look after.”

“If we don’t do something soon, Timmy will be all alone on Christmas Day.”

Megan reluctantly shook her head. “I’m sorry, Nora. It’s not the right time to have a kitten or a cat. When we get back to Milwaukee, we can talk about it again.”

Nora rested her elbows on the counter and sighed. “William said cats like to play with mice, but sometimes the mice get hurt. If Timmy hurt the mice in the barn, I’d feel sad.”

“So would I.” Megan looked around the kitchen, trying to find something else for Nora to think about. “Do you want to see the cakes I’ve finished decorating?”

“Did you make the present cake?”

William stood in front of the shelves on the far side of the kitchen. “It’s over here.” He stepped sideways, making room for Nora. “I don’t know how you do it. This is incredible.”

“Wow,” Nora said. “It’s awesome.”

Megan added the finishing touches to the next cake. “I hope the person who ordered the cake likes it.”

William frowned. “If they don’t, there’s something wrong with them.”

While Megan was grateful for his support, she knew her interpretation of a Christmas present cake could be completely different from her customer’s. Brooke had assured her that the pictures she’d drawn would be perfect for each of the cake’s owners, but it was still a gamble.

Brooke walked into the kitchen and smiled at William and Nora. “Did you have a good time at the library?”

“It was great,” Nora said. “We went to the animal shelter, too. There was a kitten there called Timmy. I wanted to bring him home, but William didn’t think it was a good idea. When we go home, we’re getting a cat.”

“I said we’d talk about it,” Megan said firmly. “That doesn’t mean we’re adopting one.”

Nora’s shoulders slumped forward.

“That sounds like a sensible plan,” Brooke said. “Would you like a Christmas lollipop?”

Nora’s face brightened. “Is it like the ones in the front window?”

Brooke nodded. “Someone told me you were looking at them this morning.” She took three lollipops out of her pocket. “We only had a few left. These are for you, William, and Megan.”

Nora held the lollipops carefully in her hands. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

As Nora handed William a lollipop, Megan slid the cake she’d just finished onto a shelf beside the others. “Four down, one to go.”

Brooke studied the cakes. “I don’t know which one I like the best. They’re all fantastic.”

“That’s what I keep telling her,” William said. “But I don’t think Megan believes me.”

“You’re nice because you have to be.”

William’s eyes widened. “Why do you think that?”

“Because we’re living in the same house and you like eating my cakes and cookies. If you said the cakes were horrible, I might go on strike.”

William took the wrapper off his lollipop. “No, you wouldn’t. You like baking too much.”

Nora giggled.

“Hey,” Megan said. “Whose side are you on?”

“You told me it’s not good to take sides. I have to do what’s right, and William is right. You love making cakes and cookies.”

Megan dabbed a blob of buttercream frosting on the end of Nora’s nose. “And I know at least two people who enjoy eating them.”

“Me and William,” Nora said proudly. “Especially when we make gingerbread men.”

Brooke sighed. “You wouldn’t be interested in making three dozen gingerbread men for my store, would you?”

“When we bring them into town, William could take me to the animal shelter,” Nora said. “We could see Timmy again.”

Megan didn’t know what was worse—giving in to the pleading look on Nora’s face or Brooke’s.

William wasn’t much help, either. He stood sucking his lollipop, waiting for her to make everyone happy. “Okay. I’ll make the gingerbread men, but we limit our time at the animal shelter to twenty minutes.”

“Yeah,” Nora squealed. “Wait until you see Timmy. You’re going to fall in love with him right away.”

As long as they didn’t take him home, Megan would be happy.

On Friday, Nora looked at William as if the end of the world had arrived. “Why are you going away?”

He knelt beside her. “I have a meeting in Bozeman and a few other things I need to do. I’ll only be gone for four days.”

Megan handed Nora a bowl of granola. “We won’t be alone on the mountain. William has organized another person to look after us. After we’ve made some gingerbread men for Brooke, we could take the new special agent sledding.”

“But you don’t like sledding.” Nora’s bottom lip dropped into a pout. “It’s not fair. I want William to stay with us.”

Megan sat beside Nora. “William is flying to Bozeman this morning. We’ve been lucky that he’s lived with us for so long.”

“Can’t you stay a little bit longer?” Nora pleaded with William. “You could work from here. I wouldn’t make any noise.”

William shook his head. “There are some things I can’t do from here. I know you’re disappointed, but I should be back on Monday night. If anything changes, I’ll let Megan know right away.”

Megan cradled a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. “You could draw William some pictures of what we’re doing.”

With a grateful glance at Megan, he nodded. “And when I come back, you could tell me a story about each picture.”

Nora picked up her spoon. “Don’t you want to live with us?”

Her question caught William off guard. For a moment, he simply stared into Nora’s disappointed face. His heart squeezed tight when he realized how much he would miss them. “I can’t stay, Nora.”

“Are you sure?”

William nodded.

“Okay. But I’ll miss you lots.”

He took a deep breath and sighed. “I’ll miss you, too. Apart from baking gingerbread men and sledding, what else will you do while I’m gone?”

While Nora talked about making beds for the barn mice and a toy for Timmy, the kitten from the animal shelter, William watched her face. He didn’t know if she was more resilient because of what had happened to her mom, or if it was part of her bubbly personality. Either way, he needed to find a way to do the same thing.

Work wasn’t the only thing taking him away from Sapphire Bay. On Saturday morning, he was flying to Chicago to visit his dad. If he wanted to move forward with his life, he needed to find peace with his past.