Chapter Two

 

 

There were a lot of things Savannah loved about her hometown of Romance, but the way residents approached every holiday with gusto was right at the top. Every lamppost and store front on the square was decorated with white lights, gorgeous greenery, and red ribbons and bows. It was like something right out of a fairy tale, and Savannah was sure she could easily spend all day admiring the festive decorations.

She’d volunteered to take the first shift selling hot chocolate, cider, doughnuts, and cookies to customers at the tree lighting ceremony. Her boss, Jay Landon, was back at Sweet Hearts preparing more to bring in later. If past years were any indication, what Savannah had here would sell out quickly. Another plus to working the first shift meant she’d be free to watch the tree lighting without having to worry about customers.

Just thinking about kicking off the holiday season with the lighting of the huge noble fir in the center of the town square made her feel giddy.

Several times, Savannah caught herself scanning the crowd for Baxter. Surely he was just passing through town. She’d prefer that to worrying about running into him all the time. He’d probably make fun of her right now if he knew she was watching for him.

She’d just handed over two small cups of hot chocolate when Nicole Todd approached with her thirteen-year-old son, Tony. “Hey, guys! How are you doing?”

“We’re great,” Nicole replied with a smile. “We’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

Tony nodded. He met Savannah’s eyes and grinned before his attention zeroed in on the frosted cinnamon cookies.

Nicole handed over some money and said, “We’ll take two of the cinnamon cookies, please.”

Tony grinned as he accepted the treats. “Thanks! Hey, have you seen Kyle? I thought he’d be here by now.”

Savannah glanced around at the crowd. Her nephew planned to attend along with his family, but who knew where they were. She figured she’d run into them later. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.” She got another cookie and handed it to Tony. “Give this to him when you find each other.”

“Awesome!” Tony turned to his mom. “Can I go look for him?”

“Of course. Just meet us at the gazebo in an hour.”

Tony glanced at his watch. “You got it. Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Miss Miller.”

Savannah waved at him and smiled. She’d been taking Kyle to hockey practice for the last two years. Kyle and Tony had become best friends, and it was always nice to see them getting along so well.

“So where’s Brent?”

Nicole smiled at the mention of her husband. They married in March and were as happy as any couple Savannah had seen. “He went to talk to Sam at the hardware store about an order while I get him something to drink.”

“Awesome. Two cups of hot chocolate?”

Nicole shook her head. “Just one for Brent.”

Savannah paused and gave her a funny look. “I’ve never heard you turn down chocolate before.”

Nicole’s blue eyes sparkled as she put a hand over her middle. “We’re expecting a baby next June. And for whatever reason, overly sweet foods nauseate me.”

“Are you kidding? Congratulations!” Savannah skirted the table so she could hug her friend. “I’m so excited for you guys. Is Tony thrilled?”

“Yes, though I think he’s still getting used to the idea. He’s hoping for a baby brother so he can teach him how to play hockey. I told him a little sister would be just as excited to learn.”

“That’s wonderful. But seriously, the baby doesn’t like sweets? Are you sure there’s not an alien in there?”

That had Nicole laughing. She brushed some of her dark red hair out of her face. “Hopefully it’s a short-lived problem.” She accepted the cup of hot chocolate with a look that was a mixture of envy and disgust. “Speaking of pregnancy, have you heard how Katie’s doing?”

Katie and her husband, Mike, were expecting their first baby this month. With a due date of Christmas Eve, everyone who knew the small family couldn’t wait to see if the baby would be born before or after Christmas.

Savannah shook her head. “I haven’t seen her lately, but I need to go by and say hello. Last I heard, all was going well.”

“That’s good.” Nicole lifted the hot chocolate. “I’d better go find Brent. Thanks again, and maybe we’ll run into you again later.”

“Tell him ‘hi’ for me.”

Nicole waved and disappeared into the crowd.

Savannah released a happy sigh. Yep, there was just something magical about this time of the year.

Jay sent another employee to restock the booth twice before Savannah’s shift had ended and she was free to wander around the square. The first thing she did was buy a German sausage dog for dinner since her stomach had been growling for the last hour. She took a bite and nodded approvingly. Yep, it was worth the wait.

As she ate her dinner, she meandered her way around the square, visiting with people she knew, checking out all the booths, and enjoying the general ambiance.

Her gaze followed a line of excited children to Santa Claus sitting in a whitewashed rocking chair. Even with the Stetson on his head instead of a red cap, she didn’t think she’d seen a more convincing Santa. She could barely hear his deep voice as he spoke to the child on his lap who looked up at him in wonder.

Once the daylight began to fade, she headed for the center of town where the thirty-foot tree stood towering above everything else. Gorgeous red ribbon wound its way around the tree and red bows punctuated each of the green boughs. Last year, the number of lights on the tree had been spectacular, and she’d heard there were even more this year.

She spotted Jess Milne then. The sweet man was in his seventies and had recently gone through a knee-replacement surgery. He was sitting on the seat of his walker. Savannah waved as she approached. “Hey, Mr. Milne. It’s great to see you. How are you doing?”

Mr. Milne patted his leg. “Doing well. Coming along, though sometimes not as quickly as I’d like.” He nodded toward the tree. “It sure is something this year, isn’t it?”

“It sure is.” She noticed that he looked past her and his gaze locked on someone. He smiled. Savannah turned to see Doris Grundy visiting with her grandson, Blayne. Savannah knew that Mr. Milne had been interested in Mrs. Grundy. Since they both lost their spouses some years ago, Savannah thought they might make a great couple. Assuming he’d quit annoying Mrs. Grundy, and she’d give him the time of day.

Savannah covered a grin with one hand. “Well, I hope you enjoy the tree lighting, Mr. Milne. And I’ll be praying that your knee heals completely.”

“Thank you, I appreciate that.” He gave her a polite nod. “Stay warm, Savannah.”

“Will do.” Savannah waved goodbye and then hummed to the Christmas tunes Chase Lockhart was playing from the stage. She tugged her jacket closed in front to keep out the cold.

“Wow, someone outdid themselves with the tree this year.”

The deep voice came from behind Savannah, but she knew immediately who it belonged to. Baxter. Summoning a look she hoped was neutral, she turned to face him.

He wore a brown fleece jacket with the hood down. The color brought out the brown flecks in his hazel eyes. He smiled at her and then nodded toward the tree. “I’ve missed this. Holidays are something Romance has always done right.” His happiness about the season was almost boyish. It reminded her of young Baxter.

It’d driven her up the wall back then that all the girls in school would go crazy over the fact he was handsome and had one of those smiles that could make you weak in the knees. Not that she’d ever thought about it. It was too bad he’d been so full of himself and so intent on making Savannah miserable. She might have succumbed to his good looks otherwise.

“Did they not have tree lighting ceremonies where you lived?” Savannah was curious where he’d been the last eight years. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen him. If possible, the man standing in front of her was even more handsome than he was back in high school. That wasn’t really fair, was it? Especially when she’d struggled with her weight over the years. The fact she’d never been petite as a child didn’t help, and add in that she’d always felt self-conscious in front of guys—and Baxter specifically—made her suddenly shy.

“Not like this. Don’t get me wrong, Salem looks pretty enough at Christmas, but there’s a lot to be said for our small-town charm.” He gave her a winning smile.

“So what brings you back?” It seemed like weird timing since his grandparents were gone.

“I guess I decided I’d seen enough of larger cities. I’ve worked as a financial advisor for years. My cousin manages Romance Credit Union and offered me a job there.”

Savannah tried to disguise her surprise at the news. “So then you moved back permanently?” Did that mean she would have to worry about running into him around town? The thought didn’t exactly thrill her.

He studied her face for a second or two longer than Savannah was comfortable with. He finally gave a single nod. “Yeah. I rented a small house on the other side of town for the time being.” He paused. “How about you? Besides working for the bakery, how have you been?”

Savannah shrugged a little. “I’m good. I stay pretty busy. My sister’s son is thirteen now, if you can believe that.”

She remembered when she’d first found out she would be an aunt. She’d told Baxter at one point, and that was one of the few almost normal conversations they’d had back then. He’d asked Savannah what it was like to be an aunt at the ripe age of sixteen, and she said it was pretty neat. While Baxter was the oldest in his family, Savannah was six years younger than her only sibling.

“That is hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday you were so excited about your baby nephew.”

A little smile coaxed the corners of her mouth upward. “It sure does. Time flies, huh?” She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

Baxter cleared his throat. “Are you married?”

Now that was a question she hadn’t expected. It took her longer than it probably should have to respond. “No, I’m not.” He didn’t need to know she’d never even come close.

Savannah had done her fair share of dating, but anytime it looked as though things might get serious, she withdrew. Currently, she wasn’t seeing anyone, though she rather wished she were if only to be able to tell Baxter. “How about you? No wife?”

“I guess I never could find a woman who could put up with me.” He gave her a sideways look, his eyes glittering and a little smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Stupid heart. None of what he just said or did was reason enough for it to beat erratically in her chest. Her gaze dropped, and she fiddled with the buttons on her jacket.  

 

~*~

 

Baxter knew he spoke his mind way too often. He couldn’t quite tell if Savannah was more annoyed or surprised by his flirtation. There were a lot of things he’d looked forward to when moving back: being near his grandparents again, the holiday celebrations. And seeing Savannah.

They may have fought as kids and teens, but she’d gotten under his skin in more than one way. Seeing her now brought all of those feelings right back to the surface again. The problem? She didn’t seem at all happy to see him. “You don’t like me, do you?”

“What makes you say that?” Her eyes were on the tree in front of them as Chase Lockhart finished one of his Christmas songs.

Baxter had to step into her field of view before she’d finally focus on his face. “Look, I know I could’ve been nicer to you when we were kids. But it’s been years, Savannah. Is there any chance we can put it behind us?”

Savannah shrugged and shifted her weight uncomfortably.

“It was the cupcakes, wasn’t it?” The way her eyes widened told him he’d hit at least one nail on the head. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, but my goodness, they were horrible.” This wasn’t helping. Her cheeks had turned red, and she was pressing her lips together. “Everything else you’ve ever made that I’ve sampled was amazing. And I’ve heard nothing but great things about the pastries at Sweet Hearts. You’re obviously an accomplished baker.”

She blinked at him as though she were seeing him for the first time. “I appreciate that.” She still didn’t look convinced.

“What else did I do? Seriously, I want to know.” And he did. If he had to, he’d apologize for everything if it meant she might give him a second chance.

“I’ve never been skinny.” She held her arms out to her sides. “Not even when I was a kid. It was harder back then, though. You called me Miss Piggy once.” The hurt his words must have caused her reflected in her eyes. “One of the mean girls I went to school with heard you at that party, and she teased me for months.”

Baxter wracked his brain, trying to figure out when he might have commented on her weight. As kids, he’d thought she was cute. That later morphed into an admiration of her natural beauty both inside and out. Never once did he think negatively about the way she looked. And then a memory worked its way to the surface. He chuckled, which only earned him a startled look of disbelief.

“Savannah, I was referring to your hair.”

“What?” Disbelief morphed to confusion.

“You wore your hair in pigtails all the time back then. Do you remember? That’s why I called you Miss Piggy. You know, Miss Pigtails. I never even thought it might be taken a different way.” It bothered him to no end that she’d thought he’d been so unkind with his words. No wonder she’d disliked him so much. Wow, he’d been an idiot.

She stared at him. “Seriously? Didn’t anyone tell you that comparing a woman to a pig is never a good idea?”

He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, Savannah. I had no idea I’d hurt you like that. It was never my intention. Is there any chance you can forgive me and give our friendship a second chance?”

Chase finished his song and made way for Mayor Walker who stepped onto the small stage in front of the tree. Baxter moved to stand by Savannah’s side so they could both see the proceedings.

After a short speech, the mayor flipped the switch, and the tree was immediately flooded with twinkling white lights. Clapping and cheers accompanied the transformation. The residents of Romance officially welcomed in the Christmas season as they sang “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Baxter turned to find Savannah grinning, the lights reflecting in her eyes. That was the smile that had his heart stuttering when they were teens. Yep, it still had the same effect now. He pulled his attention away from her face and back to the festivities around them. Everyone continued to sing Christmas carols, and Savannah was no exception. Baxter finally took in a deep breath and joined the crowd.

After that song had ended, he leaned in close to her ear. “Is there any chance you can forgive me so we can be friends? What do you say?”

She turned her head just enough for him to see her face. “I suppose there’s a small chance. After all, Christmas is the season of miracles.”

Savannah began to sing the next carol, and Baxter joined her, unable to keep from smiling.