they got to the counter, something occurred to her. “Oh, did you find the money I left in the drawer?”
“Yes, what was that?”
“I worked here for a day after you left. I felt bad closing up on everyone.”
“I thought I must have left it,” he said, laughing. “It paid for your reindeer rides.”
Lila laughed along with him.
Theo grabbed a mug and gave it a spin in his hand. “Guess what else I did.”
“What?”
His face sobered, his eyes on her. “I called my mom.”
“You did?”
“Yeah. She told me she felt terrible for leaving me. She was so young and stupid—her words, not mine. And she’s wondered about me.” He smiled. “She worried that coming back into my life would just make things more difficult, but I told her that was absolutely not true.” He set the mug under the espresso machine. “She said she’s coming for a visit on Christmas Day. Would you stay too, to meet her?”
“Of course! Oh, that’s so wonderful!” Lila threw her arms around him and squeezed his neck.
“Thank you for showing me that I needed to do that.”
“How did I show you?”
“I see how you love people and how you always want the best outcome for them. I had things to say to my mom that I hadn’t said, and you showed me that I needed to get it off my chest, to make things better. And it has.”
The bells on the door jingled, pulling Lila’s attention toward them.
“I hear there’s a Christmas party goin’ on,” Judd said, wearing his denim overalls and filling the doorway with Trudy and Rex, who was holding a guitar case as big as he was.
Rex set the case down, broke free from his mother’s hand and rushed over to them, wrapping his arms around Theo.
“Hey, buddy,” Theo said. “Missed ya.”
“I brought my guitar, just like you said,” the little boy told him, pointing back to the case.
“Excellent.” Theo beamed at Rex. “We’ll do our thing in a bit, but first I need to get your order and then I want to show Lila something. I’ve got hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles,” he told Rex, his eyebrows wiggling with excitement.
“Yes, please!” Rex said, jumping up and down.
Judd was already talking to Johnny over by the stage, and Trudy had made her way to the counter to take a look at the menu.
Theo pointed to the large, circular table up front. Eleanor was beckoning her over, a box wrapped in sparkly silver paper with green-and-red bows on the table next to her. “Head on over, Lila,” he said. “I’ll make your coffee.”
She crossed the busy room and gave Eleanor a hug. “I’m glad you came out,” she said over the Christmas music, before she was distracted. “There’s a Christmas candle with a holly ring in the center of this table. I’ve never known Theo to be a decorator.”
“Yes,” Eleanor said with a jovial chuckle. “He picked them out himself.”
“Theo?”
“He said you gave him a reason to care.”
She looked over at Theo. He was behind the bar, running the espresso machine and carrying on a conversation with a customer. Just the sight of him felt like home. She looked around at all the faces, the Christmas decorations, the many cups of coffee. Adele waved from a nearby table, and Lila waved back. It seemed like the entire town was there.
“What’s this?” she asked, placing her hand on the beautifully wrapped gift.
“It’s for you,” Eleanor said.
“Who’s it from?”
Eleanor smiled. “Everyone.” But then with a big smile, she added, “Theo helped to design it. Open it up.”
Lila pulled the ribbon free, the bow coming loose. She let the ribbon fall to the table.
Theo came over and sat down. “One lavender almond milk latte,” he said, sliding the cup her way.
“Thank you,” she said, her heart full at the sight of the contentment on his face. He looked so different to her now from when she’d first met him. His features had a lift to them that they hadn’t had before, his eyes bright, his whole body more animated. He was like a totally different man. “Eleanor says you designed this gift,” she said, holding the present.
“It’s true. I can’t deny it.” He sent a little grin over to Eleanor. “Open it.”
Lila slipped her finger under the tape and pulled it away, ripping the paper and discarding it. Putting the box down, she lifted the lid. She pulled back the tissue paper, and peered down at the T-shirt in front of her. In glittering