Chapter Two
“Four…three…two…”
The crowd around the hundred-foot Christmas tree in the Yuletide town square counted down to the lighting ceremony two weeks before Christmas. Gavin Blake waited and watched along with all the rest of the tourists. He’d been back in town—off and on, according to his training schedule—for a month now, but he hadn’t made it a point to be outdoors at this time of day to see the daily tree lighting.
“…one! Deck the halls!” The onlookers crowed with delight at the spectacle, a flood of red and green spilling over all of them while the local elementary school choir burst into a rendition of “O Christmas Tree.”
Gavin knew the choir varied according to the day, and the whole schedule was online at the Yuletide website to help visitors plan their trip. Chris Chambers, the idea man behind the town revitalization efforts, might have been a crook, but there was no denying his vision to remake Harristown into a Christmas-themed tourism destination had paid off.
Not for the first time, Gavin’s gaze strayed to the Chambers’ house next door to his own on the other side of the town square, remembering the girl who used to live there. Remembering the time she’d sneaked out of an upstairs window to tag along with him when she’d heard he was going to a bonfire in the woods with some friends from school. He’d been scared she would break her neck climbing back in, so he had canceled his plans and walked her back home, giving her hell the whole way so he didn’t do something stupid like make a pass at her.
He knew, even then, that Luke’s ex was off-limits. It didn’t take a genius to see the guy had been crazy about her even after their split. But damn. Rachel Chambers had been something special. They’d all been friends for years before everything started changing when Luke went into the military. Luke had been a year older than Gavin and Rachel, and they’d spent more time together that year he’d been gone. Just as friends, but still.
When Luke returned from his deployment, Gavin figured things would go back to normal for the three of them. But then Rachel dumped Luke and things took a turn for the awkward.
Fat snowflakes swirled like memories in the dusk. Tonight, the second floor of the old Chambers’ house was quiet except for the lighted wreaths. He could see a family on the front porch, a father holding open the front door so a mother pushing a stroller could enter the gift shop.
Then, on the side of the house, he noticed a slender figure in a dark coat and red ski cap darting out into the snow.
Something about the woman made him do a double take. The furtive way she peered around, maybe. Or the careful way she pushed the door closed behind her with an extra shove—like a woman who knew that it would stick otherwise.
He couldn’t see her well, since she wore her hat low on her forehead and she kept her face turned away from the overflowing town square. But the long, dark hair tied in a ribbon in the middle of her back was familiar. So was the way she moved. Of course, Rachel Chambers hadn’t set foot in Yuletide for eight years—ever since the summer he’d let his guard down and kissed her. She wouldn’t come home now, of all times, with Luke’s wedding just around the corner.
Curious all the same, Gavin left the tree revelers behind to take a closer look, telling himself he was just being a good homeowner since the woman had been skulking around the alleyway next to his house. With his boots crunching through the packed snow, he continued to watch her as she headed toward the parking lot, her steps light and quick. Most of the foot traffic moved in the opposite direction, with families and couples heading into town for dinner or shopping. She darted and dodged, keeping her head down as if she was determined not to be seen.
Closing the distance between them, he calculated the best angle of pursuit. She glanced up once, and he could have sworn her gaze landed on the vintage blue Cadillac sedan parked at the far end. That would be Molly Chambers’ vehicle—and another indicator that his strange hunch was correct.
Well, damn.
His pulse quickened. He was about to intercept Yuletide’s second most infamous escapee—one Rachel Chambers.
If she’d glanced up again, she would have seen him coming toward her. But after she spotted the vehicle, she simply put her head down and picked up the pace, digging in the pocket of her dark overcoat for a ring of jingling keys. A few sets of headlights flashed over her while cars found spots in the lot, but there wasn’t as much activity on the far end near the carousel and the private party igloos.
“Rachel.” He said her name aloud before he reached her, not wanting to scare her in a dark parking lot.
Too late, since she jumped about a foot in the air, emitting a little yelp. Eyes wide, she met his gaze before glancing around, as if to see how many other people had recognized her.
“It’s just me: Gavin.” He wondered if that made her any less wary as he stood in her path, however. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms.
Far from it. He’d been angry with himself for kissing her that day, but he’d taken some of those emotions out on her in the icy silence of the aftermath. Not one of his better moments.
For a second, she blinked up at him, blue eyes wide. She still had that sweet, girl-next-door appeal. But there had always been an edge to her, too. A wicked gleam behind the innocence. A twinkle of mischief.
She edged past him. “Hi. Sorry I don’t have time to visit. I need to see a friend.” Fumbling her keys with her red mittens, she dropped them in the snow.
“No problem.” He moved to help her retrieve them, hearing the brush-off in her tone. “I’m glad to see you back in town.”
“If that’s true—and I doubt it—then that makes you the only person besides my mother who would ever admit it.” She sounded breathless and agitated.
Irritated.
The last time he’d spoken to her, she’d been breathless for much better reasons. At least at the start of the day. His fingers closed around her keys where they’d fallen behind the Cadillac front tire. Gavin turned toward her, the two of them still crouched side by side in the snow.
“I’ve always regretted the way we parted, Rachel. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about what happened.” He reached for her hand in the shadowy darkness lit mostly by the empty Christmas carousel spinning around nearby. He held her wrist and deposited the keys into her mitten.
“Sorry for what? That my father thought it would be a great idea to bankrupt the town? That he timed it to happen while everyone was distracted by my ex-boyfriend proposing in skywriting? Or that my embarrassment over making out with you caused me to flee and look as guilty as my crooked dad?” She yanked her wrist away from him and shot to her feet, already sifting through the set to find the door key. Her breathing sounded labored, like she’d just finished a snowboard run at full speed.
“I felt bad about all those things, Rach. But I’m sorry I acted like an ass and clammed up when Luke came along.” He shook his head, uncomfortable with the memory. “I had no right to hang you out to dry like that.”
Key in the door, she let go of the fob. The thick metal elf icon banged against the door. Her shoulders rose and fell with her breathing.
“It’s been eight years.” She sighed out the number. Or tried to. It came out as more of a wheeze. “If Luke hasn’t put it behind him, he’s not as much of a grown-up as we all gave him credit for.”
Good to know his actions hadn’t kept her up at night. But he wasn’t letting himself off the hook yet.
“Are you okay?” He held a hand out to her, cupping her shoulder through her dark coat.
“I’m fine.” She shook her head, her face illuminated by the blue and yellow lights of one of the animals on the carousel as it spun past. “Just a tree allergy, I think.”
“In thirty-degree weather?” He frowned.
“I might actually be allergic to the whole town.” She pulled an inhaler out of her pocket and took a quick puff.
“I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that. I’ve been hoping I’d see you again ever since I bought Jingle Elf’s house.” He didn’t move his hand right away, enjoying the feel of her.
They’d been friends for a long time before things fell apart. When she’d been Luke’s girlfriend, he’d been respectful of that, giving her a wide berth because he’d always felt a bit more than friendly toward her. But with his training schedule, he’d been wary of jumping into a relationship even as a teen. He shouldn’t have been surprised when she started dating Luke.
Then, after his friends had split, he should have known it was only a matter of time before the chemistry simmered to the surface.
“I never would have guessed you’d want to be a part of the madness that is Yuletide.” She shivered lightly. “I’ve been back in town for a day and Katie Garrett is already threatening to have me thrown out on my ear.”
“I’ve always loved it here. You know that.” Gavin remembered a time when her father had been a mentor to him, giving the local teens all a role in helping the Christmas town take shape in the early years. “And it’s past time you reminded the old guard you have just as much of a right to be here as any of them.” He noticed a few of the town board members in the next row, wearing their tree-lighting finery and the light-up necklaces that said “Yuletide.” “Although, unless you’re prepared to do that right now, maybe you should let me drive you where you want to go.”
Glancing over her shoulder, Rachel pulled her hat lower. “That’s okay. I’m going in to Lake Placid. I can take Mom’s car.”
“You realize there isn’t a more recognizable vehicle in town outside of St. Nick’s sleigh?” He kept his voice down, unwilling to end this unlikely reunion with the intrusion of a bunch of the town founders who’d grown cynical since the Chris Chambers’ embezzlement. “That Cadillac is going to announce your presence pretty quickly.”
Rachel glanced back and forth between him and the car. “I don’t know.”
Insulted that he didn’t look like the better option, he tugged the keys free from the door. “The Rachel Chambers I once knew had a sense of adventure.”
He held out his hand, waiting. And yes, hoping.
“And look where that got me?” she whispered, but took his hand just the same. “I’m a pariah in my own town.”
Leading her toward his truck a few spaces on, he made sure they stayed out of the reflected carousel lights.
“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Unlocking the passenger door, he helped her up into the old F150 he’d bought when he purchased the house. He hurried to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel before she changed her mind.
“Oh really? I’m not sure you’re going to be much help salvaging my reputation.”
He really shouldn’t get involved. He knew that. Championing Rachel in this town would be bad for the business he wanted to open. It could hurt his chances of accomplishing a whole laundry list of things he wanted to tackle in town, starting with a fundraiser he needed the town council to approve.
But he owed her, didn’t he?
“That’s where you’re wrong.” A plan came together in his mind—a way to make up to her the wrong that he’d done all those years ago. “I’m a local sports hero these days.” He wasn’t bragging. People placed a whole lot of emphasis on sports. “I’ve got some standing in town.”
“I don’t think that’s going to help me. I might just tarnish your Olympic halo.” She rubbed a knuckle along the passenger window, as if she could clear the icy layer on the outside.
They sat in the cold truck while he waited for the defroster to kick in enough to clear the windows.
He knew she had a valid point.
“I kept my mouth shut eight years ago when I should have defended you to everyone. At the time, I thought maybe you hadn’t been honest with me, and that maybe you really were still with Luke.” Gavin had felt like he’d betrayed his friend, and the guilt had made him say things he later regretted. “I know better now, thanks to making amends with Luke. And I’d like to help you feel welcome in Yuletide again.”
“You don’t have to do any such thing.” She turned toward him, a hand on his arm. “I’m not going to stay in town long anyhow.”
He could see the hint of vulnerability in her pretty eyes. Was she leaving because things were uncomfortable for her here? He couldn’t abide that. Not when he’d been a part of the reason she’d felt ostracized. He knew exactly how to fix it.
Besides, he realized he was in no hurry for her to leave. It’d been too long since he had seen her.
“I happen to know Kiersten Garrett really wants you at her wedding.” He’d been over to dinner at Luke’s and Kiersten had shared as much.
Rachel’s jaw dropped. “I—Well. Just because Kiersten wants me there doesn’t mean I need to put up with grief from everyone in town.”
He jumped into trouble with both feet. It came with the territory on the mountain every day, and he wasn’t going to shy away from a risk now, with someone who used to be important to him.
“Consider the town quieted when you go to the bridal welcome dinner as my date.”
*
Ten minutes later Rachel was still searching for words as they headed east through the mountains toward Lake Placid. Her head was downright spinning. She glanced across the truck cab at the source of her unrest. Gavin steered the pickup easily along the winding curves on dark back roads. He’d taken a route she never would have known about, bypassing the more direct county road connecting the towns.
She was still rattled from the surprise of seeing him, but leaving behind the red and green Yuletide mania was helping to soothe her nerves along with the warm, non-pine-scented air blowing from the truck’s defroster. She took her first deep breath all day and then turned to look at him.
So. Handsome.
He was the sort of guy you really needed to view in small doses so as not to get overwhelmed. From his moody green eyes and longish, dark blond hair, to his supremely athletic build he was the kind of man women noticed. And squealed about. Tonight, he wore a knit ski cap that held his hair off his face—the better to see the chiseled profile gone scruffy with a few days of not shaving.
Time had only made him better looking. How else had he changed from that reckless teen she’d been crazy about? From his desire to fix the past—to stand up for her in a town that had seemed happy to write her off as a villain—she guessed he had his share of regrets about that awkward day they’d kissed. But she needed to remember that, in his own way, he was making peace with his past—the same as her. So she should not read anything romantic into his offer to escort her to the pre-wedding festivities.
And yet, she’d gotten keyed up just like a high school girl when he’d claimed he wanted her for his “date.” Clearly, time hadn’t made her any wiser.
“Where exactly are we headed?” he asked, his voice wrapping pleasantly around her in the confines of the newly warm truck cab. “You said Lake Placid, but I’m sure you don’t really want to see the lake at this hour.”
“Maybe I do,” she said, mostly just to be contrary. And also because she wasn’t sure how much to reveal about her plans for tonight. “Don’t they have ice-skating on the lake at night during this time of year?”
He slanted a knowing glance her way.
“You forgot your skates though.” He dimmed his lights as they passed another car, then flicked on the brights again. It wasn’t actively snowing for the moment, making it easier to see as they edged down a steep grade.
She sighed. “You can just drop me off in downtown.”
“So you can disappear and skip town tomorrow?” He shook his head. “I’ve been waiting a long time to redeem myself, Rachel. We’re going to conquer Yuletide together this week, you and me.”
Something about the way he worded it got her thinking. “What’s in it for you, exactly? Besides ‘redemption,’ which frankly, I can’t imagine you’ve been pining for all this time.”
“I’ve pined.” He shot her a virtuous look that made her smile. “But you’re right. I could use your help, too.”
“I can’t imagine what I might have to offer you.” She’d spent the last eight years perfecting her craft as a designer—and failing to gain any kind of commercial traction. Work had become a source of frustration where once it had fueled her every creative instinct.
“I could use your help getting this town to remember its roots.” He downshifted as they reached the first signs of the old Olympic Village.
She couldn’t imagine how she could help in that department, but she was curious what he had in mind.
“Are you referring to its history before it became Yuletide?” She didn’t recall Harristown having that much going for it.
He drove slowly along Main Street. The local shops had closed for the evening, but the town still did a brisk restaurant business. A man-made toboggan run on one end shot sledders out into the frozen surface of the lake, and the line waiting for a turn was full of kids and families.
“No. I want the Yuletide town board to remember why they became a Christmas-themed village. These last few years it’s become all about the bottom line. They’re losing sight of what makes it special.”
She might have fallen out of her seat if she hadn’t been buckled in. “Seriously? My odds of success with that are about the same as if you’d asked me to lead the reindeer team when Santa goes out this year.”
Gavin stopped to wait for a car vacating a coveted parking spot on the street.
“Your father always had a real passion for what the town was about—”
“Embezzling?”
“It was a bad decision,” he admitted.
“A criminal decision,” she emphasized, knowing every other person in Yuletide would do the same.
“But before greed got the best of him, he had a vision for the town that was really exciting.” He backed into the spot and put the truck in park, and then turned toward Rachel with a new fire in his gaze. “A vision that got a whole lot of people engaged and believing in him. Every person who lived in Yuletide took on a role, from building the website to laying the foundation for the new gazebo and restoring an old carousel.”
She shook her head sadly, not sure why Gavin would want to remind the town of the past when they resented her father—and her—so fiercely. But then, he had looked up to her father at one time. No doubt he’d been hurt too when her dad had let them all down.
“Once upon a time, my father had the power to motivate people. That’s true. But he lost all credibility when he took the town’s savings. He’s like the Grinch who stole Christmas, only he never gave it back and I’m afraid resurrecting his dream will only remind people of what he did.”
What he’d done had been painful for every single resident of Yuletide. And in their resentment, no one had spared any sympathy for Rachel or her mother, both of whom had been abandoned with no explanation. The betrayal had been double for them, yet instead of getting any support for the community, they’d been suspected as accomplices. No matter that the police cleared them of suspicion within the first six weeks of the investigation.
“If you could ever get on speaking terms with the town council members, I bet you’d be able to motivate them.” Gavin’s green eyes locked on hers.
She laughed. What other response could there be? “No I couldn’t. They all think I’m guilty too. Besides, I’m fighting my own battle this week just trying to get Luke to let me go to his wedding so I can be there on Kiersten’s big day.”
“Luke is going to be glad to see you and put the past to rest.” He sounded so sure of it. “It’s his parents who soured on your family, not him.”
“Them along with the rest of the town.”
Outside the truck, a band of teens sprinted past at high speed, threatening each other with snowballs.
“No.” Gavin shook his head, resolute. “There are plenty of people here who don’t like how closed-minded the council has become. When the town started, there was talk about charity work for Christmas programs. None of it ever happened after your dad left.”
She remembered. People were naturally more giving at the holidays and her father had talked about trying to put that positive spirit into action. Had he ever planned to follow through with programs like that, she wondered? Or had he known all along he was going to ditch his family and his vision?
“What are you hoping to accomplish, exactly?” She glanced up the street toward the Mirror Lake Inn where Kiersten would be getting off work soon. An aesthetician, the bride-to-be worked at the luxury spa inside the hotel, and Rachel didn’t want to miss her chance to speak to her friend outside Yuletide.
Away from Mrs. Garrett.
“I’ve been pitching a nighttime cross-country ski event through town that would be a fundraiser for a good cause.” He leaned closer, his enthusiasm for the project obvious in his voice. “I’d pay for the cost of lighting, but I need the official approval of the mayor and the councilors. I thought it could be a way to raise awareness and funds for a kids’ group I work with that’s dedicated to fighting childhood obesity and making exercise fun.”
He did work for good causes like that? He’d certainly taken a different path in life than his wealthy parents who spent their time and money pursuing their personal passions rather than give anything back. Their visits to Lake Placid where Gavin went to school had been few and far between even when he’d been young.
Gavin had never made a big deal about it, but Rachel knew that he’d sought out friends in Yuletide specifically to spend less time at the boarding school where they left him almost year-round. He got sick of the same four walls. The same kids.
Yuletide—and Rachel’s father in particular—had welcomed him warmly. Her dad had attended more of Gavin’s early snowboard cross events than his own parents.
“Have you approached town about it?” The event sounded like a no-brainer, bringing more people to their community in a positive way.
Across the street, church bells chimed the time—eight o’clock. Kiersten would be leaving work any minute.
“Of course.” He leaned back into his seat, scowling. “Before I was even out the door, they were asking one another how they could ‘monetize’ the idea.”
Indignation simmered. “They can’t do that.”
“Steal my idea?”
“That either. But what I meant is, they can’t say no to your fundraiser.” She wanted to help him but failed to see how. “Look, Gavin, I need to intercept Kiersten before she leaves for the day.”
He glanced up the street. “She works at the Mirror Lake Inn, doesn’t she?”
Rachel nodded and he fired up the truck again.
“Text her that we’re on the way, and I’ll drop you off at the front door.”
She did as he asked while he pulled back onto the street.
“I can ride home with her.” She didn’t want Gavin to have to wait around for her. “I hope it wasn’t too out of your way coming here tonight.”
“Not at all. I meant it when I said I was happy to see you again, Rachel.” The way he lingered on her name—just a little—made her feel shivery all over again. “Let Kiersten know you’ll be attending the bridal party welcome dinner with me tomorrow.”
She knew that would be far too awkward. “About that—”
“I’ll pick you up at six.” He turned into the parking area for the historic inn. “And since we’re neighbors now, I’m going to know if you try to leave town before then.”
His teasing tone reminded her of long-ago confidences and happier conversations, back when they’d been friends and she’d wanted to be much more.
“Then I’ll have to be very subtle about my getaway.” She wasn’t going to ruin her friend’s wedding by crashing the pre-ceremony events.
Pocketing her phone, she levered open the truck door as soon as he stopped the vehicle.
“Rachel, wait.” He reached for her, a hand landing on her arm before she slipped away. “I understand if you don’t want to help me convince the council to approve my fundraiser. But it’s past time I helped you make peace with your hometown.”
She wasn’t sure if it was the electric hum of awareness she felt at his touch that was getting through to her, or if she really wanted to honor that pact she made with her girlfriends.
Having Gavin on her side would go a long way toward smoothing her path with the rest of Yuletide. And she couldn’t deny that she wanted her hometown to stop believing the worst of her. She wanted the healing that would come from making peace with her past.
“I’ll stay for the party,” she agreed, knowing she’d probably regret it. “No promise about the rest of the week.”
“Good.” His grin stole her breath it was so damn dazzling. After giving her arm a squeeze, he let her go. “It’s a Christmas Karaoke party. You can dress accordingly, if you like.”
And just like that, she felt her chest tighten again, a wheeze sure to follow.
“Christmas Karaoke?” Sliding out of the truck cab, she inhaled the cold night air, the scent of pine filling the air. “With costumes?”
“It’ll be fun,” he assured her. “You just need to find your holiday spirit.”