Georgia tugged on his tie.

“Is this necessary?” Evan grumbled. What the fuck was she doing yanking on his neck like that?

“For the tree lighting, yes.” She gave it an extra yank, tightening it close to his Adam’s apple. “All those cameras on you, and you don’t want to wear a tie?” She made a click click sound with her tongue. “The Post is going to put this on the front page. They do it every year.”

Evan took a step backward, trying to make a space between his throat and the collar of his shirt. He had a speech to make tonight. He didn’t want to sound like a fourteen-year old going through puberty when he spoke.

He reached for his leather jacket. He had one arm through the sleeve when the door burst open and Claudine Francis ran in. She grabbed her scarf, trying to catch her breath.

“Mellie Miller has strep throat,” she blurted.

Georgia gasped. “No. That can’t be. I just saw her yesterday at the post office. I want that fruit cake recipe—”

Claudine held her phone in the air. “She just called me. Poor thing has a fever.”

Evan stared blankly at the two women. “All right. I’m sorry to hear about Mellie, but that’s somehow a city hall emergency?”

Georgia stomped her foot. “She was supposed to sing during the lighting. She sings every single year. We don’t have a backup. No one sings O Christmas Tree like her.”

Evan waved his hand in the air. “Just play some carols on a loud speaker. That will work. Send her a get-well card from the mayor’s office.”

He reached for his leather gloves. It was going to be cold tonight.

He caught the wicked smile on Claudine’s lips. “I have an idea that I think will turn this crisis around.”

If only Claudine Francis knew what a real crisis was. “What’s that?” he asked. Damn it. He already didn’t like where this was headed.

“Why don’t we ask Cami Addison to sing? I’m sure she’d be happy to fill in for Mellie.”

“No,” he answered sternly. He realized too late that he sounded like a gruff bear. He shook his head. “That’s not necessary. Thanks for the suggestion, Claudine. But I think we can go with recorded music this year.” He eyed Georgia, warning her not to comment.

Although, he knew if he depended on his secretary to coordinate a playlist it would be months before she could figure it out. They didn’t have months. They had one hour until he had to flip the switch on the Harpers Point tree.

Claudine looked at him expectantly. “Mayor, she has such a beautiful voice. And what a treat to have our own little celebrity at the ceremony tonight.”

He shook his head. He knew when he had been cornered. There wasn’t much point in trying to argue with them. The more he protested, the more they would needle him with questions about Cami.

“Why would she want to sing?” The idea that Cami would join him on stage wasn’t something he wanted to think about.

“Oh, I can’t imagine she’d say no. She was always the best caroler. You remember I’m sure?”

He closed his eyes. He remembered a lot of things about Cami. Like how sweet she tasted. How she would purr in his ear when she came. How she liked to fuck in the guest room. Yeah, he remembered way too much about her.

“All right. But she doesn’t need to do more than the one song. One song,” he pressed.

Claudine and Georgia clasped their hands together. “It’s going to be beautiful. But bless Mellie’s heart, of course.”

“Of course,” Georgia echoed.

“I’ll take care of everything, Mayor. Don’t worry for another second. We’ll take care of it. I saw the lights on at The Sweet Treat. I’ll go talk to Cami right now.”

Evan walked out of the office before they could gloat any more in front of him. He heard them whisper something about how Cami hadn’t been out much. He jogged down the front steps of City Hall and into the courtyard where the town’s residents had started to gather.

He shook hands and greeted the first responders who had lined one side of the walkway. The fire department was made up of volunteers. There were six deputies along with the sheriff. The town had exactly two ambulances and both EMT squads had just graduated from the academy. Evan was proud he had acquired a second squad for the town. It was one of the many plans he had to add services to Harpers Point. Services the people here desperately needed.

“Mayor Jacobs, beautiful night.”

“Biggest tree we’ve had yet.”

He moved through the crowd, his broad shoulders creating a path in the sea of neighbors.

“Twenty-footer this year? A little short, don’t you think?”

“Can I get you some cocoa, Mayor?”

“How many lights did the fire department string?”

“Flotilla’s right around the corner. Could snow that night.”

By the time he made it to the stage, he had heard every question and comment about the tree. Did he really think a Frasier fir was the best? Was it from a local farm? There were plenty of opinions, not to mention the outcry that Mellie Miller was sick. He still didn’t know if Cami was going to replace her, or if they had to rely on Georgia to tune into a Christmas station. It didn’t matter, the tree would be lit and that’s what mattered to the town. Did they really need music? It was the damn tree that counted.

It was the symbolic spirit of the community. Once the lights twinkled, it marked the official kickoff of Christmas season. It was like the reverse Super Bowl for Harpers Point. The main event came first. Everything else was just extra glitter and sparkle.

He took the steps to the platform, two at a time. The podium was in the center, anchored with enormous poinsettias. He strolled to the middle of the stage. One of the local high school students was in charge of the microphone. He handed it off to Evan.

“Sir.” He ducked out of the way so Evan could speak.

He had the instinct to steady the kid with a firm hand on his scrawny shoulder, but he realized sometimes he was intimidating. There was a time in his life when that was intentional, but he had grown up since then. He didn’t settle disputes with his fists any longer. He didn’t throw his weight around. War had humbled him. He let the moment with the kid pass and faced the crowd.

The expectant faces looked up at him. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a slow murmur start in the farthest row from the stage. He scanned the group. And then he saw her.

Fuck.

It didn’t matter if she was a hundred yards or only ten feet away, Cami was unmistakable to him. His chest seized silently as she made her way to the stage.

The skinny kid helped her up the stairs and she stood a few feet behind Evan. He looked at her over his shoulder. Was he supposed to be grateful she was here? Was he supposed to thank her for saving the tree lighting? Was he supposed to feel relief she was here instead of back in Nashville? He wanted to feel the anger and resentment he felt twelve years ago. Damn it.

He didn’t feel any of those things. He looked in her eyes and knew he was in trouble.