Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,64
Island Sound.
When the storms came, they all hunkered down and watched out for one another. But these December snows were usually gentle and pretty, and Jane felt like she’d been given a gift from the heavens.
This night was turning into something unexpected. A mixture of sadness and resignation, with a sprinkle of happiness. Jane wondered what kind of magic Dan Gallo could bring to her life.
“Where’s the best place you’ve ever traveled?” she asked him.
“It’s hard to say. If I’m on tour, I don’t stay long enough in any one place to enjoy it. I’m there for a day and then I’m off.”
“Where have you spent time?”
“I love Italy. Lake Como is probably one of the few perfect places on earth. Malta is beautiful and so is Sardinia. But my favorite place is probably Norway.”
“Norway? Really?”
“I cruised the fjords once. Just took off last minute on my own and traveled for a week. The country is beautiful. Imposing. I decided to go back a few months later.”
Their arms were now entwined and Danny gripped her hand. “Did you go in the winter?”
He smiled down at her. “I did. Last January. I made reservations at a hotel above the Arctic Circle. The rooms, which were actually apartments, had walls of glass. The sun never really came up but hovered over the horizon for a few hours every day, and the lights in the sky took my breath away.”
He looked up, like he was searching for the lights here. “But it was more. The small community we visited? The people have completely adapted to the harsh environment. They love the dark, the cold. There’s joy in the season. The stark landscape should have felt desolate, but it didn’t. I learned so much, mostly about myself.”
Jane had dreamed of seeing the Aurora Borealis. Not only had Dan done it, but he had gone so far north he was likely surrounded by it. These were the kinds of things she’d missed, immersive adventures that consumed a person’s body and mind. In her heart, she could live with it—she’d had her daughter and nothing in the world would ever be better. But now that she was faced with Tara leaving, really leaving, she didn’t know what her next adventure would be, if any. It was something to consider.
“You have an amazing life,” she whispered.
“I’ve been lucky. I don’t think you’ve done badly,” he reminded her. “You have a beautiful daughter, great friends, a business…” Danny stopped abruptly and kissed the top of her head. “You matter to the people here. They care about you, and your daughter adores you. Nothing can ever take that away.”
“I hope so. Tonight was hard, though. Dublin is awfully far away.”
They were standing across the street from her store. The lights sparkled, trimming the building with an otherworldly magic. From this distance, the scene looked almost too perfect, like a Christmas card come to life.
“I feel at loose ends. I have so many things to be grateful for, but I kept thinking I’d be ready for her to grow up, and I’m not.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of parents who feel the same way.”
“I’m sure. Tracy embraced the changes. As she says, ‘Each milestone is proof I didn’t screw up.’”
He chuckled. “I like that. It’s good advice.”
“But Ireland? She didn’t even tell me she’d applied. I should be excited for her, that she’s brave and determined and following her dreams, but my heart is breaking at the thought. And what if she’s not ready? What if I’ve messed up and she’s not ready?”
He let go of her hand and looped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. “You are still so tough on yourself. Whatever she decides it’s going to be great. She’s a bright, talented young woman, and you are an amazing mom.”
Was she hard on herself? Probably. That was her default setting. “I wish I had your confidence. I just don’t know how.”
They continued their walk and entered the miracle that was Angel Harbor Park. There had to be a hundred thousand lights strung in the trees, on the gazebo, and on the pier jutting out into the water. Like a mirror, the harbor reflected the lights, casting a spray of stars across the earth. Boats in the marina were decorated for Christmas, and Jane felt her heart sing and cry, so moved by the beauty of it all.
He stood behind her, hands on her shoulders, and to her surprise, Jane felt safe. If nothing else—in