“It’s looking good,” Caleb says after he hops out of the bucket. “Like a vintage Christmas card.”
Hope’s eyes are full of something soft and sweet as she gazes at the view of Maple Street strung with garlands. “It’s going to be so perfect when all the lights come on tomorrow night.”
We tested each one after setting them up, but they won’t come on permanently until tree lighting. Hopefully, the shock of it doesn’t blow a fuse somewhere.
“Romantic, too.” He smirks just enough for me to know he’s still poking at this bear. “I’ll have Rowan right by my side.”
“As if she ever leaves it,” I shoot back.
“What can I say? When you’re madly in love, you want the whole world to know.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but he’s unbothered. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning to help with the tree, Hope.”
“Thanks again.” She waves as he heads out.
As soon as she turns to me, Caleb points an accusatory—or possibly pushy—finger my way before he climbs into the truck. He pulls away, leaving Hope and me under the light of the lamp post freshly decked out in its holiday finest.
“You’ve done well, boss. You’ve got it looking like Bedford Falls around here.”
Her eyes light up. “I knew it! I knew you secretly liked a Christmas movie that isn’t about murder.”
“What can I say? I like watching George Bailey lose it all right before he realizes just how good he has it.”
She’s grinning up at me with such a look of delight on her face, it’s taking everything I’ve got not to toss her over my shoulder and hike the blocks to her house to watch the movie together. I would actually watch that one with her. Most of it.
Who am I kidding? If I throw her over my shoulder, my plans for her have nothing to do with a movie.
But then she looks past me, and her grin flattens out into one of her false ones. “Mom! What are you doing here?”
I turn to see Helena Parrish right behind me. She always looks like she just walked out of an important meeting and always smiles like she’s closing a sale. I’ve got nothing against the woman, but her timing could be better.
“I was over at Crystalline talking with Thea about her plans, you know, when I saw you up here.” She looks at the garlands strung overhead. A dozen stars hang over the street, covering three blocks of downtown. “It’s looking so good, you two.”
“Thank you,” Hope breathes. “We’re almost ready for tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait to see your finished Winter Wonderland.” Helena shines her bright smile my way. “I’m sure you did a fantastic job for her.”
“All the praise goes to Hope. Without her, they’d just be plain old buildings with no life to them.” And I mean every word. Her painting gave those decorations a spark of magic I could never touch.
Hope beams at that, but not nearly as brightly as her mother does. “He’s a charmer, Hope. You’d better keep him.”
I’m puffing up a bit over that praise when Hope flails as if she’s trying to dodge something.
“He’s notmine, Mom.” She doesn’t look at me when she says this, like if she does, it will spoil the lie.
But…I don’t know if it is a lie. My brother’s teasing remark echoes through my head.When you’re in love, you want the whole world to know.Hope wants to make sure nobody knows at all. Maybe she and I have different visions for what this is between us. I’m sitting here realizing I’m falling for her, and she’s denying she has anything to do with me.
Suddenly, this wide-open street feels too close and confined. The walls I like to keep stacked up high around my heart haven’t been doing their job.
“Oh.” Helena glances between the two of us as though she heard the dismissal in Hope’s tone as clearly as I did. “Well, you never know. The tree lighting can be a very romantic time.”
Everybody wants to push us together tonight. Everybody except the one person that matters.
“Okay, Mom, we have to get these empty storage bins to the warehouse and close everything up, so…” She waves her mother along.
Helena doesn’t take the hint. “But I invited Griffin to have dinner with the family as a thank you for your project. With Lila in town, I thought we’d do a big meal Sunday. What do you say?”
I’d say yes, except the woman I love looks almost horrified by the invitation.
