how Mom used to keep things in those jars?”
“I do.” His mouth dropped wide, realization spreading across his face.
“This one was filled with white glitter, and it had been pushed all the way back under one of the bottom cabinets.”
The words came out in a rush. “I can’t believe you found it.”
Katie couldn’t imagine what Hannah and Thomas must be feeling. Finding the ring after all of this time. Her romantic heart fluttered.
Hannah touched her brother’s hand. “I think Mom would have wanted you to have it.”
Katie pulled her hands over her mouth. How precious!
Thomas turned the ring over in his hand. “It’s just like I remember it. I always thought the design on the sides looked like rope, the way it twisted. This is it.” He lifted it closer, then looked into Hannah’s eyes. “Wow, and lost all this time.”
“You should have it,” Hannah said, stepping in front of him and focusing on Michelle across the way. “Just in case you were thinking about doing something, I don’t know, something where a ring would come in handy.”
His smile grew as he watched Michelle and David interact. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about something like that lately. How did you know?”
“I’m your sister. I know these things.”
Thomas glanced over at Katie.
Katie raised her right hand. “I’m just the secret-keeper, but I think that’s a wonderful idea. You already make such a beautiful family. You should make it official.” She’d never felt so excited for someone else. Evergreen certainly had more magic than its fair share.
“Mom’s ring.” Thomas tucked the box into his pocket. “I can’t believe the timing.”
“I’m going to leave y’all to this.” Katie took a giant step back, practically bouncing with excitement. “I need to help my team build the best snowman before I have to catch my train so I can leave my mark on this town.”
“Second-best snowman,” Thomas and Hannah yelled to her.
Katie bolted back over to help her team. The excitement of Thomas’s secret was difficult to hide. So romantic. How would she ever keep a straight face with Michelle? She was dying to run over and hug her right now.
Thank goodness Katie came across Nan first.
“Does anyone have an extra carrot?” Nan wandered from team to team in search of supplies for her and Nick’s snowman.
“I don’t.” Katie patted her pockets.
Nan’s lips pursed so tight she looked like a kissing gourami. “Nick wants to use a pinecone for the nose. That’s just not right.”
Michelle pulled a carrot from her pocket. “I happen to have an extra. I always come prepared.”
“I should’ve known you would, Ms. Mayor,” Nan said.
“Hey, do you have an extra one of those for us too?” Thomas yelled over to Michelle.
“For you?” She grinned with a flirty lift to the edge of her smile, then handed another to David with a nod.
“Of course we do.” David ran it over to his dad.
Katie clapped her hands. Of course Michelle would share with Thomas. She’d never let him down.
Nan trudged through the deep snow where Nick had started their snowman. Three snowballs stacked, their project wasn’t much over three foot tall, but he had all the personality of an elf with pointy ears and even shoes that rolled up to a point at the end. Nan jabbed the carrot into the snowman’s icy face and struck a satisfied pose.
Katie leaned into Ben’s shoulder as she enjoyed the moment until she realized the intimacy of that move. “Oh, sorry.” She straightened.
“No, don’t be.” Delight danced in his eyes. “Are you glad you stayed?”
“Yeah. So glad.” She gulped the emotion back. “Doesn’t make it any easier to leave, though.” She checked her watch. “It’s almost time.”
Did Ben just catch his breath?
Hannah and her team interrupted the moment when they walked over. “Wow, that looks great.”
Thomas stepped behind Michelle and wrapped his arms around her. Katie was pretty sure that was a tear he just swept from the corner of his eye. He has to be so excited.
Michelle must have noticed too, because she asked him if he was okay.
Covering his emotion, Thomas said, “Yeah. Absolutely. Just cold out.”
Hannah and Katie both sighed at the same time, then shared a panicked look. Trying to recover, Hannah quickly said, “Katie, thank you so much for choosing this activity.”
“No, thank you. All of you.” Katie would miss them all. “For everything. You really know how to make a girl feel at home. As much as I would love to miss my train, I’ve really got to