Christmas in Evergreen Tidings of Joy - Nancy Naigle Page 0,52

questions. He admired her tenacity. This was his chance to come clean. “I needed a change. I was at a job I didn’t love, and I’d just gotten divorced.”

“Wow.” Compassion etched her face. “Breaking news,” she said quietly.

“Right?” Ben had known he had to tell her about his divorce eventually. “So, I came home to visit, and while I was here, Nan broke her foot.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yeah, and I stuck around to help her out, and to figure out what was next for me after having my marriage end.”

“I see. And did you figure out what’s next?”

“I did. But after a few months, I fell back in love with the library, and then those few months turned into a year, and then five.”

“So, five years go by, and you’re staying in Evergreen forever? You don’t miss the work?”

Ben confessed, “I do miss it, actually. I still sometimes scan job postings. Even in New York. But…Nan. I think Nan needs me here. So, this is where my life is now.”

“Which begs the question. What’s the dating scene like in Evergreen? Is there a magical snow globe that comes out at Valentine’s Day too?”

“Are you kidding me? We’re still singing Christmas carols at Valentine’s. And we don’t even take our trees down until Easter.” But it was a legit question. He looked down, wishing she was part of this dating scene. “Our dating scene is small, which is a shame.” He lifted his gaze, smiling as she hung on his words. “Because it’s…it’s fairly romantic.”

“Yeah.” She lowered her lashes as if she was dreaming of something romantic right now.

He could picture something like that so easily too.

“It would be a nice place to build a snowman with someone. Sit by the fire after.” She lifted her gaze to meet his.

Ben wanted to kiss her, but he stopped himself. She’d be going back to the city. His life was here in Evergreen. Why complicate it? A snowflake landed on her eyelashes. He reached to brush it away as it fell to her cheek. “Sorry, you have a—”

“Oh?” She ran her glove across her cheek. “Thanks.”

“It was just a snowflake.”

Katie hesitated, her mouth slightly parted. He wished he’d kissed her just then.

“Hey, Ben.” Thomas walked over. “I thought that was you. Good to see you.”

“Hi. Welcome back.”

“This is a new face,” he said, noticing Katie. “Hi. I’m Thomas.”

She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Katie. Have to admit I just saw your reunion with the town mayor. Very romantic to surprise her like that.”

“I try.” His voice was as deep as he was tall, and happiness etched every line in his face.

Michelle and David walked over. “I see you’ve met.”

He grinned. “I have a logging operation up in Maine. I’m setting up headquarters here, but I had to take care of things there until we shut down. It’s taken a lot longer than I’d planned. It’s worth it, though.”

“Because of Michelle,” David said.

The woman blushed. “Well, not really. It just—”

“No.” Thomas stopped her. “David’s right. Michelle is a big part of why I chose to settle here in Evergreen. My sister, Hannah, is here too, but it’s Michelle. This beautiful woman in front me. She makes this town feel like home.”

Michelle looked taken aback. “Thank you, Thomas.”

“It’s all true,” he said, with a prideful tilt of his chin.

Ben longed for that same feeling Thomas had written all over his face right now.

Chapter Nineteen

Last night, Katie had used muscles she hadn’t used in a long time. Her legs ached from the ice skating, but it’d turned out to be a fun night after all. And she hadn’t fallen but once, and even then, Ben had been right there to catch her before she’d hit the ground.

She carried a cup of coffee from Kringle Kitchen over to where Hannah was leading the choir members in a lovely version of “Angels We Have Heard on High.” The locals slowly gathered around the advent calendar in preparation for opening the next box at the top of the hour.

The choir filled the square with a joyful noise, their voices lovely even with no musical accompaniment. It lifted Katie’s spirits when everyone else joined in with the choir for those Glorias, the harmony rising to the heavens.

She sat down on the curb to write down everything that was happening and how she was feeling at this moment in her notebook while she waited.

“Still at it, huh?” Ben asked.

Her heart leaped at the sound of his voice. Had he been